Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1938, noticed the growing population and housing needs in Manila, so he envisioned a city that would provide comfortable and affordable houses for the Filipinos.

With that in mind, during Quezon’s breakfast with Don Alejandro Roces, Sr., in Vito Cruz, Manila, he suggested building a national housing project. Roces, Sr. then suggested purchasing large tracts of land that would be divided into small lots, which would be sold for a cheaper price to less fortunate people.

Thus, the Philippine Homesite Corporation (PHC), the first government housing agency, was created to secure funds and purchase land for the project.

A total land area of 52,489,523 square meters was acquired from the following haciendas: Diliman, Magdalena, Mandaluyong, Maysilo, San Francisco del Monte, Santa Mesa Estate, and Piedad.

Quezon also assured the residents that the government would provide financial aid and essential services, such as transportation and utilities.

On October 12, 1939, Quezon signed the Commonwealth Act No. 502, or the charter of Quezon City. The city was named after him, covering a total land area of 7,000 hectares carved from Rizal towns — Pasig, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, San Juan, and Marikina — which corresponded with the haciendas that PHC acquired.  

Throughout the years, the original QC charter underwent a lot of amendments, hence it increased the city’s area. Now, Quezon City has a total land area of 17,171 hectares and a population of around 2,960,048.     


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Bringing you an exciting collection of articles, books, photographs, and other media that showcase the history and rich culture of our city.

How Quezon City was Established? – Manuel L. Quezon’s Vision in Creating his Dream City