A Leader in Reconstruction and Diplomacy

               A Leader in Reconstruction and Diplomacy
Elpidio Rivera Quirino was born on November 16, 1890, in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, to modest beginnings. Orphaned at a young age, he took on the responsibility of caring for his siblings. Early on, he worked as a barrio teacher in Agoo, La Union, to support himself and fund his studies. Eventually, he moved to Manila to attend Manila High School and later studied law at the University of the Philippines, graduating in 1915 and placing high in the bar exams. 

Quirino’s political career was long and varied. He first served as a representative for Ilocos Sur (1919–1922), then as a senator (1925–1935).  In 1934, he was part of the Philippine Independence Mission to Washington, D.C., which helped secure the Tydings–McDuffie Act, laying out the path for Philippine self-rule.  He later helped draft the 1935 Constitution during the Constitutional Convention and served in President Manuel Quezon’s cabinet as Secretary of the Interior and Finance. 

After World War II, Quirino rose to national prominence. He became Vice President under Manuel Roxas in 1946, and when Roxas died in 1948, Quirino assumed the presidency.  As president (1948–1953), he spearheaded postwar reconstruction, focusing on rebuilding the economy devastated by the war.  Among his administration’s accomplishments were the founding of the Central Bank of the Philippines, infrastructure projects (like hydroelectric power), and social welfare programs to assist impoverished families. 
Quirino also faced serious internal challenges. One of the biggest was the Hukbalahap insurgency.  He appointed Ramon Magsaysay as Secretary of Defense to help suppress the movement.  His foreign-policy legacy is also significant: Quirino is often called the “Father of the Philippine Foreign Service” for expanding diplomatic ties, opening embassies, and negotiating treaties. 

He left office after losing in the 1953 election to Ramon Magsaysay, amid allegations of corruption and electoral irregularities.  Quirino died on February 29, 1956, a leap day, from a heart attack in his home in Novaliches. 



Sources / References

Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Elpidio Quirino” 

BusinessMirror, “President Elpidio Quirino’s 125th birth anniversary” 

National Historical Commission of the Philippines, biographical marker in Vigan 

Senate of the Philippines document on Quirino’s programs 

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