museum
National Museum of the Philippines
Houses the Philippines' most important cultural treasures including the Spoliarium and pre-colonial gold artifacts.
10 km · about 20 min drive
AsiaPhilippinesNational Capital Region
Quezon City
National Capital Region, Philippines · Asia
About Quezon City
Quezon City is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Del Monte, 29km from Masungi Georeserve.
Quezon City is in National Capital Region, Philippines, with about 3.1 million people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Del Monte, about 4 km away.
Quezon City (UK: , US: ; Filipino: Lungsod Quezon [luŋˈsod ˈkɛson] ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 3,084,270 people. It was founded on October 12, 1939, and wasRead more
named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. Quezon City served as the capital of the Philippines from 1948 until 1976, when the designation was returned to Manila.
The city was intended to be the national capital of the Philippines that would replace Manila, as the latter was suffering from overcrowding, lack of housing, poor sanitation, and traffic congestion. To create Quezon City, several barrios were carved out from the towns of Caloocan, Marikina, San Juan and Pasig, in addition to the eight vast estates the Philippine government purchased for this purpose. It was officially proclaimed the national capital on October 12, 1949, and several government departments and institutions moved out of Manila and settled into the new capital city. This necessitated the expansion of the city northward, carving out Novaliches from Caloocan, which divided it into two non-contiguous parts. Several barrios were also taken from San Mateo and parts of Montalban. However, on June 24, 1976, Presidential Decree No. 940 was enacted, which reverted national capital status to Manila while the whole of Metro Manila was designated as the seat of government. The city was also chosen as the regional center of Southern Tagalog, which was created in 1965, along with the provinces of Quezon and Aurora, the birthplace of Manuel L. Quezon; however, its status of regional center became ineffective when the region was divided into Calabarzon and Mimaropa, through the effect of Executive Order No. 103 in May 2002 under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Aurora was transferred to the authority of Central Luzon, with Southern Tagalog limited to being a cultural-geographic region.
Quezon City is known for its culture, entertainment industry, and media, and is aptly called the "City of Stars". Major broadcasting networks have their headquarters and studios in the city. It is also known for its commerce, education, research, technology, politics, tourism, art, and sports. Several national government branches including the Batasang Pambansa Complex, the seat of House of Representatives of the Philippines, call the city home. As the home of major government institutions, universities, and national media networks, Quezon City has played a central role in the political, educational, and civic development of the modern Philippines.
Quezon City is a planned city. It covers a total area of 161.11 square kilometers (62.20 sq mi), making it the largest city in Metro Manila/NCR in terms of land area. It is politically subdivided into six congressional districts, which represent the city in the Lower House of the Congress of the Philippines. The city has 142 barangays under the City Government. National government departments and agencies are mostly situated in the first National Government Center (NGC) in Diliman and the second National Government Center in Batasan Hills, where the Lower House of the Philippine Congress is located. Most of the city's northern part lies at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, including the La Mesa Watershed Reservation, the largest watershed in Metro Manila and a designated protected area.
According to its 2023 estimated census, Quezon City had 3.1 million people in its boundaries, and ₱1.27 trillion (US$93.8 billion) in its gross domestic product (GDP), and it is the only planned city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Where to Stay in Quezon City
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Quezon City?
Within an hour or so of Quezon City: National Museum of the Philippines (10 km), Intramuros (Manila) (11 km), Masungi Georeserve (29 km), Enchanted Kingdom (41 km).
Where is Quezon City?
Quezon City is in National Capital Region, Philippines, about 4 km from Del Monte.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,084,270
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Philippines
- Region
- National Capital Region
- Timezone
- Asia/Manila
- Coordinates
- 14.6488, 121.0509
Tags
Worth the detour from Quezon City
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Intramuros (Manila)
The historic walled city of Manila built during the Spanish colonial period, containing Fort Santiago and San Agustin Church.
11 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Masungi Georeserve
A conservation area in the Rizal karst where rope courses, hanging bridges and a steel spiderweb platform thread between 60-million-year-old limestone spires. Entry is by booked guided trail only.
29 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Enchanted Kingdom
The Philippines' first and only world-class theme park in Santa Rosa, Laguna with seven themed zones.
41 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Tinipak River
A river below Mount Daraitan running over bone-white marble boulders into deep blue pools, a few hours from Manila by road then a short trek from Daraitan village. Registration is at the barangay hall.
42 km · about 50 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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