PRESENT CONDITION

Last Saturday, June 18, 2011, the group visited the Quezon Memorial Circle to observe one of the national shrines in the Philippines.

Based on the survey which we conducted, the following site conditions were observed:

       First, cars were all over the pathways were people could freely walk and play. These vehicles utilize the spaces that should be, in the first place, be maximized by the people visiting the area. Thus, it leads to the current problem on congestion of cars along those paths, for there are no sufficient parking spaces designated for visitors.

One of the streets in Quezon Memorial Circle

Second, litters and garbage were all over the place. These abrade the beauty and purpose of the area, which can therefore imply its lack of proper garbage disposal system as well as maintenance.

Stacks of trash dumped in the filled garbage can

Third, there were fountains that were not being maximized and are very bare to look at. Most likely, these fountains can only become a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects if not attended to properly.

Garbage on the ground

Moreover, there are also too many tiangge or bazaars that cause pollution and do not really live up to the purpose of the recreational area. In fact, these stalls or establishments were all mixed up, which can cause confusion to those visitors who are not familiar with the area but would want to buy food or purchase souvenirs.

Array of stalls
 

 A Meat Stall

Vegetables and Fruits Stand

We also observed that the grass and the plants in general are not really taken cared of or maintained properly. The QMC lacks reminders or guidelines that address the purpose of educating people on what they need to do. Vacant spaces which primarily served as “playing fields” for football, archery, and other leisure sport were seemed to be neglected and now had grown tall bushes despite the fact that some players may actually still use the area for their practices

 

Bare ground

Empty lot

Our group also considers the Quezon Memorial Shrine museum as an area of improvement since it looks very old. There is a lack of organization in terms of proper positioning of the valuables or antiques, and no proper lighting system. At the same time, the museum lacks informational campaigns regarding what one should do inside a museum. Physically, indeed, it is observable that there are problems with the flooring, lighting, and the organization system inside the museum and its outdoor premises 

Entrance of the museum

Welcome banner

Manuel Quezon's tomb