Elpidio Quirino was the sixth president of the Philippines and one who has made an enduring impact in the country. Quirino was born on November 16, 1890, to a jail warden father and a housewife mother in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. During his childhood, Quirino suffered financial setbacks but remained committed to school and was able to graduate at the University of the Philippines College of Law and then pass the bar examination in 1915.
After serving as an Ilocos Sur congressman in 1919, Quirino then became a senator, interior secretary, and vice president under Manuel Roxas in 1946. After the death of Manuel Roxas in 1948, Quirino succeeded him as president. His administration focused a lot on international relations, economic recovery, and reconstruction of the post-war situation. He was also active in industrialization, rebuilding of the economy, and obtaining international aid for the reconstruction of war-ravaged towns.
Quirino's legacy endures with the support of public welfare and social fairness. He had the advocacy of better working conditions, extended educational opportunities, and land reform. No debate arises as to how Quirino saw a brighter future for the country at his time. His presence at the top of the political ladder from lowly beginnings in life is a testimony to tenacity and the never-say-die attitude to support the Filipino people.
References:
• Guillermo, Artemio. Historical Dictionary of the Philippines. Scarecrow Press, 2012.
• Official Gazette of the Philippines. “The Life and Legacy of President Elpidio Quirino.”
• Quirino, Salvacion. Elpidio Quirino: The Barrio School Teacher Who Became President.
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