Welcome Rotonda
Mabuhay Rotonda
The roundabout which features a marble monument in the center. The streets, clockwise from top are Quezon Avenue, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Nicanor Ramirez Street obscured by trees, España Boulevard, and Mayon Street.
Location
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates14°37′04.0″N 121°00′06.2″E / 14.617778°N 121.001722°E / 14.617778; 121.001722
Roads at
junction		E. Rodriguez, Sr. Boulevard
Mayon Street
Nicanor Ramirez Street
N170 (Quezon Avenue)
N170 (España Boulevard)
Construction
TypeRoundabout
Opened1948
Maintained byDepartment of Public Works and Highways

The Welcome Rotonda, officially Mabuhay Rotonda, is a roundabout in Quezon City in the Philippines. It is located a few meters from Quezon City's border with Manila, at the intersection of E. Rodriguez, Sr. Boulevard, Mayon Street, Quezon Avenue, Nicanor Ramirez Street, and España Boulevard. It may also refer to the monument situated on its central island.

The roundabout was officially named Welcome Rotonda until May 17, 1995, when it was renamed Mabuhay Rotonda by then-Quezon City Mayor Ismael Mathay, Jr.,[1] following an initiative by local restaurateur Rod Ongpauco to promote the use of the Filipino expression "Mabuhay!" as a way of welcoming foreign visitors to the Philippines.[2]

History

The marble monument at middle of the roundabout.

1948 Opening

The roundabout was first opened in 1948, with a marble monument designed by Luciano V. Aquino erected at its center to welcome visitors to Quezon City, which was then the newly declared capital of the Philippines.[1] The monument is surrounded by four lions indicating the cardinal directions.

It served as the boundary between Manila and Rizal Province, prior to the creation of Metro Manila in 1975.[3] It is also a site for rallies and protests.[4][5]

September 1984 protest dispersal

On September 27, 1984, Welcome Rotonda became the site of one of the most infamous protest dispersals during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, in which pro-Marcos forces fired tear gas on several thousand[6] peaceful protesters which included 80-year-old former Senator Lorenzo Tanada and 71-year old Manila Times founder Chino Roces; and fired into the crowd, hitting student leader (and later UP Diliman Chancellor) Fidel Nemenzo in the kidney.[7][8]

Other intellectuals, opposition leaders, artists, and journalists who participated in the rally were:[9][10]

Iconic images showing Lorenzo Tanada and Chino Roces struggling against the waterhosing and teargas unleashed by the pro-Marcos forces led to a further decline in support for Ferdinand Marcos, who was already losing significant support in the wake of assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. the year before.[11]

1995 Ducat hunger strike

The roundabout attracted attention during the 1995 general election, when businessman Amando "Jun" Ducat, Jr.—who would later be known for kidnapping 26 students in 2007 near Manila City Hall—scaled the monument and staged a hunger strike at the top.[12] He did this to dramatize his opposition to Chinese Filipinos running for public office, who he opposed because of their alleged control of the Philippines' rice trade. He wanted the government to ban Chinese Filipinos from being candidates and he sought to convince voters to vote against them.[12][13]

2023 road rage incident

On August 8, 2023, a road rage incident occurred near Welcome Rotunda when a sedan driver had cut a man riding a bicycle in the bicycle lane at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Kitanlad Street. Afterwards, the driver threatened the cyclist by cocking and aiming a handgun at him and slapping him on the head. Footage of the incident went viral online on August 26, causing the Land Transportation Office to issue a show-case order against the sedan driver. The sedan driver surrendered to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and was identified as Wilfredo "Willie" Gonzales, a retired officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who was dismissed in 2018. The PNP revoked Gonzales' permit to carry firearms and his firearms license and registration due to the incident. The QCPD stated that Gonzales and the cyclist had reached a settlement, rendering the case closed, but appealed to the public that anyone may still file a criminal case against the driver.[14][15]

Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte issued a statement on August 28 ordering an investigation on how the QCPD handled the case, stating that she will not allow the case to become "whitewashed". She also appealed to the cyclist to come forward to hold Gonzales accountable, and assured that the city will provide legal assistance and protection. The city government is seeking to charge Gonzales for grave threat, slander by deed, reckless imprudence, physical injuries, and violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.[16]

Transportation hub

The Welcome Rotonda is known as a transportation center. It served as one of the first terminals for jeepneys as they began plying the streets of Manila after World War II.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mallari, Perry Gil S. (March 14, 2008). "Timeless memories of Welcome Rotonda". The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on March 18, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  2. ↑ Luna, Luis (May 13, 1995). "Welcome Rotonda to have new name". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ Partitioning of Rizal
  4. ↑ "Allies, critics of Arroyo snarl traffic at Mabuhay Rotonda". GMA News. March 14, 2008.
  5. ↑ Mangosing, Frances (May 1, 2014). "Labor Day protesters gather in Manila-Quezon City landmark". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.
  6. ↑ Quimpo, Susan F. (2012). Subversive lives : a family memoir of the Marcos years (First Ohio University Press ed.). Athens: Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-495-1. OCLC 954735081.
  7. ↑ "'They are scared,' Martial law victim says of surprise Marcos burial". Manila Bulletin News.
  8. ↑ "Lorenzo Tañada undaunted in line of fire". www.rappler.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017.
  9. ↑ Sabillo, Kristine Angeli (November 25, 2016). "LOOK: Photographer shares dramatic images from anti-Marcos protests". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
  10. ↑ Cojuangco, Tingting. "For the love of freedom". philstar.com.
  11. ↑ Chua, Michael Charleston B. (2012) Haring Bayan: Democracy and People Power in the Philippines, in “For Democracy and Human Rights: Rekindling the Lessons of Martial Law and the People Power Revolution” (Discussion Papers for the 40th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Martial Law (Never Again, Remembering Martial Law @ 40).” Quezon City: Center for Youth Networking and Advocacy and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
  12. 1 2 Jimenez-David, Rina (March 30, 2007). "Instant celebrity". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Hostage taker Ducat has eye for publicity stunts -- friends". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. March 28, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  14. ↑ Ranara, John Patrick (August 27, 2023). "Man who drew gun on cyclist regrets act, but requests social media users to be responsible". PhilstarLife. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  15. ↑ Guiao, Micah Avry (August 28, 2023). ""Parang Ang Sama-Sama Kong Tao" Driver in Viral Road Rage Incident Says". Spot.ph. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Belmonte orders probe vs. QCPD over viral cyclist case". GMA Integrated News and Public Affairs. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
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