Two years after Quezon City was declared a city, it already faced a major challenge when Japanese forces invaded the Philippines in 1941, which marks the beginning of World War II in the country.

Several cities across the Philippines, particularly in Luzon, were heavily bombed by Japanese forces. Hence, numerous civilian areas and military installations were destroyed.

President Manuel L. Quezon visited Manila and Quezon City to assess the damage and check on injured civilians. Then, following the dreadful conditions caused by the Japanese bombing raids, General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an ‘Open City’, which means all military installations were removed to prevent further destruction and harm to people. 

The passing of Executive Order No. 400 dissolved Quezon City’s independent status, making it part of Greater Manila. The city is then divided into two districts, which are Balintawak and Diliman.

The Japanese forces continued to invade the cities as they converted public buildings as barracks and field hospitals for their soldiers, while the stately mansions were taken over as homes for Japanese officers.

Furthermore, the Japanese government uses Filipino nationalism to gain support for their regime by renaming the Philippines’ cities and municipalities to more Filipino-sounding titles. An example of this are Commonwealth roads that were renamed: North Avenue became ‘Hilaga,’ while Quezon Boulevard Extension was changed to ‘Mulawen.’

Throughout the Japanese occupation, Filipinos experienced immense suffering due to the lack of basic utilities and food supplies. The resistance against Japanese control also led to the deaths of 500,000 to 1 million military personnel and civilians in the country.

In 1945, it was through the combined efforts of the Filipino troops and American government that the Japanese forces were finally defeated, allowing Quezon City and other affected areas to recover from the ruins caused by the war.

Quezon City regained its independent status after the signage of Executive Order No. 58 or dissolvement of the City of Greater Manila. The city was then declared as the new capital of the Philippines in 1948.


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Quezon City During the World War II (1941-1945)