The marker of Quezon Heritage House. It was a place of refuge and comfort for the family because they used this house during Quezon’s bout with tuberculosis. The family gathered in the house every weekend and did what other normal families usually do, far from the glitz and glamour.

The façade of Quezon Heritage House. Sixty percent of the current heritage house is from the original house that was located in Gilmore, San Juan. The flowers that line the front are symbolic. The green and red flower is called Don Manuel while the tall green and white flower is called Doña Aurora. The Don Manuel flowers surround the Doña Aurora flowers to show that Don Manuel is the protector of his wife.

View of the beautiful stairs from the second floor

This door leads to a simple sitting area and the living quarters of the Quezons

Doña Aurora’s room is dominated by a narra bed. The photos on the bedside table were taken during the inauguration of the Quezon Heritage House, a little over a year ago.

The narra bed of President Quezon is called an Atay bed named after its maker (I forgot the first name). An Atay bed has a trademark squash on each corner of the bed. The words on the bedcover are “His Excellency Pres. Manuel L. Quezon”. President Quezon and his wife had separate beds because they did not want Doña Aurora to catch TB. The rooms of the couple are separated by a comfort room and a nurse’s room.

Some of the personal effects of President Quezon. The guide said that Quezon was not very tall at 5’2” that is why his boots are not huge.

This is found to the right of President Quezon’s room

Mah Jong table found in the center of the second floor. Mr. Quezon would have been a great mah jong opponent for my brother and I who started playing before we could multiply numbers.

A very old fire escape located near the kitchen

The tour guide made us guess what this object is, and I said a vanity with missing mirror. He said it is the popular guess, but it is incorrect. It is actually an indoor plant box that was given to Doña Aurora as a birthday gift.

Ilong, Ilong, Ilong (Nose, Nose, Nose) was a game played by President Quezon and his children. The tour guide briefly demonstrated how it was done. It seems like an interesting game.

These laminated posters hang in the kitchen on the second floor. Cocido is the favorite dish of President Quezon.

The top view of the spiral staircase that leads to the ground floor, and the same staircase as seen from the ground floor. I may be wrong, but if I recall correctly the staircase is 115 years old.

The luggage that belonged to Manuel L. Quezon (left) and Maria Zeneida “Nini” Quezon (right). Nini is the only surviving child of the Quezons. She is 93 years old.

Signed Senate journals that are found beside Nini’s luggage. Manuel L. Quezon was the first Senate President of the Philippines before he became president.

Doña Aurora’s conference room is located across the Senate journals. She used this for her Red Cross meetings and other advocacies.

The sitting room on the ground floor. The chairs are replica and the religious images are representations of the carved narra images of Jesus and Mary. Nini decided to keep carved images as the only material remembrance of her parents.

Doña Aurora’s ledger. All amounts are in US dollars because the exchange rate at this time was Php1 = US $1. Those were the days.

The Quezons in their younger years

Doña Aurora’s second room is on the ground floor.

The rosary pillow holds the rosary beads that were found near the body of Doña Aurora after they were ambushed by what the authorities believe to be members of the Hukablahap. Hukbalahap was a guerilla movement that started during Japanese Occupation and persisted even after World War II.

Also found inside the second room of Doña Aurora.

This cabinet was a birthday gift for then-Senate President Quezon from the other senators

The dedication engraved on the top portion of the cabinet. The tour guide made me translate it as he did all the other guests. He was surprised I was able to do it. ☺ Only the third person to do it.

This guest room is across Doña Aurora’s room. The baby on the photo is the first grandchild of the Quezons.

Also found in the guest room are the report card of Ma. Aurora and her supposed-to-be wedding dress. She died in the ambush that also took her mother’s life.

The back door of the Quezon house has iron-wrought leaves.

This pool has koi fish. ☺ This pool is located at the back of the house. The tour guide said that the original pool did not have tiles because tiles are slippery, instead it had a concrete finish.

Caryatids found in the social hall beside the pool. The Greek goddesses are actually supporting columns. Their male counterparts did not make it to the relocated house.