By PINKY CONCHA COLMENARES
The official marker of the Quezon City Circle
The 26-hectare Quezon Memorial Circle is a natural landmark that locates six main roads of Quezon City – Quezon, East, Katipunan, Commonwealth, Visayas, and North Avenues – that start from its perimenter. The three-pylon monument which stands 66 meters, is the official marker of the Circle; it is the monument for Manuel L. Quezon, the first President of the Commonweatlh, and father of Quezon City.
The best view of the Quezon Memorial monument is coming from Quezon Avenue. Unobstructed, it stands as a natural landmark to remind travelers where they are in their trip. To those doing business in the the Quezon City Hall, the monument announces that they are almost there. Those who live in the north find comfort in the thought that they are almost home.
To the people who live in Quezon City , the Quezon Memorial Circle is an emotional landmark – it stands to measure time. The times one faithfully jogged or walked, to lose weight. The weekend a child learned to balance on a bike. The Sunday a son went off with a group of bikers – or runners – to join a race. The days of class field trips when you had to climb a wall, run a distance, and learn about herbs – and now, you are walking with your children. The hot afternoon when first love – or an old love – said hello – or goodbye.
The Quezon Memorial Circle has grown old with the city. Thirty years ago when my family relocated to Quezon City, that park was where we spent unexpected free time. It was always a pleasure to walk, bike, picnic in the Circle.The trees were generous with shade, the grass was always lush, and wide space made one feel truly Outdoors.
Today, the trees have become mini-forests, spreading wider shade. The grass seems lush but with the number of people there on a recent Sunday, one forgets to see the green. And although the park remains to be 26 hectares, the space does not bring the ambience of the Great Outdoors. The success of the Quezon Memorial Park has attracted so many people to enjoy this place, drawing commercial activities offered by restaurants, food stalls and souvenir shops. On top of that are the charming sights of small vendors –dirty ice cream carts, fruit stands, cotton candy makers are still there, or how can the air of a carefree Sunday truly be there without them?
It was the Sunday after New Year’s Day when we visited, so we still caught the carnival. The holidays was still in the air with the tivoli lights defining the ride attractions. I remember that on New Year’s Day, the crowd at the carnival spilled out to fill up every space of picnic ground in the Park, prompting the police to assign an unprecedented number of uniformed officers to patrol the area.
There is no time to get lonely at the Circle. You can walk around alone, but you’ll step into the lives of people trying out a skill. Prepare to be entertained by the sight of people oblivious to passers-by like yourself. They are in the process of mastering a stunt (juggling bottles); a dance (moving to the rhythm of “Nobody but you”); a sports skill (daring biking jumps); a vending talent (peeling a coconut with a knife in seconds); a song; a speech; or just the sight of a graceful runner passing by. If you go in the morning, you’ll have a panorama of bodies some graceful in aerobics, others struggling to keep up with the pace. And if you catch the ballroom dancing sessions (which a poster announced), you’ll likely be enticed to join!
Credit for the rehabilitation of the Circle is given to former QC Vice-Mayor Charito Planas, who heads the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation.
