The Filipino Profiles

Elpidio Rivera Quirino (November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino politician, and the sixth President of the Philippines.

A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered politics when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as senator from 1925-1931. In 1934, he became a member of the Philippine independence commission that was sent to Washington, D.C., which secured the passage of Tydings-McDuffie Act to American Congress. In 1935, he was also elected to become member of the convention that will write the draft of then 1935 constitution for the newly-established Commonwealth. At the new government, he served as secretary of the interior and finance under Quezon’s cabinet.

After the war, Quirino was elected vice-president in 1946 election, consequently the second and last for the Commonwealth and first for the third republic. After the death of the incumbent president Manuel Roxas in 1948, he succeeded the presidency. In a dishonest and fraudulent 1949 presidential election, he won the president’s office under Liberal Party ticket, defeating Nacionalista vie and former president José P. Laurel as well as fellow Liberalista and former senate president José Avelino.

The Quirino administration was generally challenged by the Hukbalahaps, who ransacked towns and barrios. Quirino ran for president again in the 1953 presidential election, but was defeated by Nacionalista Ramon Magsaysay.

After his term, he retired to his new country home in Novaliches, Quezon City, where he died of a heart attack on February 28, 1956.

He was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur to Don Mariano Quirino of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur and Dona Gregoria Mendoza Rivera of Aringay, La Union. Quirino spent his early years in Aringay, La Union. He studied and graduated his elementary education to his native, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur and were he became a barrio teacher. He received secondary education at Vigan High School, then went to Manila where he worked as junior computer in the Bureau of Lands and as property clerk in the Manila police department. He graduated from Manila High School in 1911 and also passed the civil service examination, first-grade.

Quirino attended the University of the Philippines. In 1915, he earned his law degree from the university’s College of Law, and was admitted to the bar later that year. He was engaged in the private practice of law until he was elected as member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1919 to 1925, then as Senator from 1925 to 1931. He then served as Secretary of Finance and Secretary of the Interior in the Commonwealth government.

In 1934, Quirino was a member of the Philippine Independence mission to Washington D.C., headed by Manuel L. Quezon that secured the passage in the United States Congress of the Tydings-McDuffie Act. This legislation set the date for Philippine independence by 1945. Official declaration came on July 4, 1946.

During the Battle of Manila in World War II, his wife, Alicia Syquia, and three of his five children were killed as they were fleeing their home.

After the war, Quirino continued public service, becoming president pro tempore of the Senate.

Other Information

• Born :  November 16, 1890
• Birthplace : Vigan, Ilocos Sur
• Died : February 29, 1956 (aged 65), Quezon City
• Birth name : Elpidio Rivera Quirino
• Father : Mariano Quirino
• Mother : Gregoria Rivera
• Nationality : Filipino
• Ethnic Affiliation : Ilocano
• Schoolos Attended :
  • Ilocos High School, Vigan
  • Manila South High School (1911)
  • Civil Service Examinations -First Grade
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines (1915)
  • Doctor of Laws honoris causa University of Manila (April 16, 1948)
• Political party : Liberal Party
• Other political affiliations : Nacionalista Party (1922-1945), Liberal Party
• Spouse : Alicia Syquia
• Children :
  • Tomas
  • Armando (died 12 February 1945)
  • Norma (died 12 February 1945)
  • Victoria
  • Fe Angela (died 12 February 1945)
• Profession : Lawyer
• Religion : Roman Catholic

Positions held

Private Citizen

• Law Clerk, Philippine Commission (1915)
• Dean of the College of Law, Adamson University

Government

• Philippine Vice-President (1946)
• Elected Senator at large, 1941
• Senate President pro Tempore 1945-1946
• Vice President and concurrent Secretary of Finance (May 28, 1946 to November 24, 1946) and later Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Roxas administration)
• Private secretary to Senate President Quezon (1917-1918)
• Representative, 1st District of Ilocos Sur (1919-1922)
• Senator for the First Senatorial District (Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Abra, 7th Legislature 1925-1928; 8th Legislature 1928-1931; 9th Legislature 1931-1934; 10th Legislature 1934-1935)
  Delegate to the 1934-1935 Constitutional Convention
• Secretary of Finance (Murphy Cabinet July 25, 1934-November 15, 1935) (Quezon cabinet November 15, 1935-February 18, 1936)
• Secretary of Interior (Quezon cabinet)

Links

• Malacanang museum