November 16, 1890: The birth of President Elpidio Quirino

President Harry S. Truman (right) and President Elpidio Quirino as they left Washington National Airport shortly after Quirino arrived in Washington for a state visit. President Quirino was a guest of President Truman at the Blair House. Photo from the Truman Presidential Library (Beth Gore).

President Elpidio Quirino was born on November 16, 1890, in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. His ancestry was Chinese mestizo. He had an affluent childhood. Elpidio was a talented student, and he graduated from the University of the Philippines Law School.

During American colonialism in the Philippines, Quirino was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives. He eventually won a seat in the Philippine Senate. In preparation for the Philippine Commonwealth in the mid-1930s, he was chosen as a member of the Independence Commission to the United States Congress which negotiated the Tydings-McDuffie Act.

During the Philippine Commonwealth, Quirino served as the secretary of the Interior and the secretary of Finance. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II disrupted his political career.

Tragically, his wife and three of his children were brutally killed by Japanese naval forces during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. During his presidency, Elpidio Quirino had his surviving daughter, Victoria, serve as his First Lady for social and ceremonial functions.

After the war, he was elected vice president serving under President Manuel Roxas. Unfortunately, President Roxas suffered a heart attack on April 17, 1948, while visiting an American military installation at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga Province. The heart attack was fatal. After two days, Quirino was sworn in as the 6^th President of the Philippines.

During 1948 to 1949, President Quirino finished Roxas presidential term. In 1949, he was elected as president on his own for a four-year term. The 1949 presidential campaign was tainted with violence, corruption and dirtiness on both sides. Quirino had the advantage of being the incumbent.

During the Quirino presidency, the Hukbalahap rebellion in Central Luzon was growing significantly. Americans and Filipinos were very concerned with the Quirino Administration’s plan of action to defeat the Hukbalahap.

President Harry Truman of the United States and many members of his government put heavy pressure on President Quirino to make substantial changes or lose American support and aid. Truman bluntly said to Quirino to get your house “…in order.”

President Quirino accepted the criticism. He placed Ramon Magsaysay as the National Defense Secretary. Magsaysay was backed by America’s Central Intelligence Agency. Magsaysay with American support made positive changes and progress in dealing with the rebellion.

In 1953, President Quirino ran for another presidential four-year term. He lost decisively to his former Defense Secretary, Ramon Magsaysay. He had served five years as president.

Ironically, if Quirino had won another term in 1953, he would not have finished his term. Elpidio Quirino suffered a deadly heart attack on February 29, 1956. He was only sixty-five years old.

Dennis Edward Flake is the author of three books on Philippine-American history. He is a Public Historian and a former park ranger in interpretation for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA. He can be contacted at: [email protected]