Quezon, Manuel

1878–1944

   Quezon was President of the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands from 1935 until his death in 1944. He was strongly in favor of US-Philippine co-operation. When war began the Philippines (an American possession) were a prime Japanese target and they made their first landings on the mainland on 22 December 1941. Quezon, who did much to raise Philippine morale throughout this time, left for Corregidor on 24 December on MACARTHUR’s advice. He kept in close contact with the struggle however and was inaugurated into his second term of office as President in an air-raid shelter in Corregidor. In March 1942 Quezon left for Australia and then went on to the US where he spoke before the House of Representatives on 2 June, and offered assurances of Filipino determination to fight to the end. Quezon was ill with tuberculosis and died on 1 August 1944 at Saranac Lake, New York, a few months before the liberation of his country.