The Old Legislative Building

Sometimes if you look hard enough, you'll find a gem the price of a value meal...Got this from an antique shop along Morato in Quezon City...a building torn by war…there’s a jeep on the lower left side of the photo …don't know who took this...but, there’s a memoir at the back of the photo. As stated, this was the Old Legislative Building or the National Museum we know today near Intramuros and Ermita in Manila.

Some decades ago, picking up items like that picture gave me an excuse to go to the library and hit the books for information.  But now, I simply just google it.  And the stories I gathered glued me to the monitor. 

The Legislative Building was initially designed in 1918 to be the country’s National Library.  However, due to its grandeur, influential personalities back in 1926 converted it to be the seat of Legislature.  Hence the name the Legislative Building.

 

Circa 1927 (photo credit: John T. Pilot's Photostream)

It was formally opened on July 16, 1926 at the time when Manuel L. Quezon was still the Senate President.  He would walk tall in the halls of that building again in 1935 to take his oath as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Pres. Manuel L. Quezon's Inauguration, 1935 (photo credit: John T. Pilot's Photostream) 

Years later, its name was changed to the National Assembly Building.  Whatever the name was, it served as the home of the commonwealth Congress until the 1945 world war.

The Legislative building became the seat of the puppet government during the Japanese Occupation with Jose P. Laurel as President and Benigno Aquino Sr. (grandfather of Pnoy) as the Speaker of the house. And due to its imposing size and thick walls, the building also served as the base of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Knowing fully well the building was headquarters of the enemy, the Americans shelled it heavily to rubbles during the Battle of Manila.  Like all else in the city, it was destroyed.  Only the wall at the back portion remained standing as seen in the picture.

Photo Credit: LIFE Archives

Post-war, it was reconstructed using war damage payments from the US. It continued to serve as home to Philippine Congress until the Proclamation of Martial Law in 1972.   Dictator Ferdinand Marcos abolished congress and the building became offices to various government agencies. 

Post EDSA People Power, the lower and upper house held sessions in the building until both houses relocated.  Its only occupant now is the National Museum. The Legislative Building was declared a National Historical Landmark in 2010.

Extensive reads on the history of the Old Legislative Building available via these links

http://nostalgiafilipinas.blogspot.com/2012/09/neoclassical-masterpiece-legislative.html

http://arquitecturamanila.blogspot.com/2013/04/old-legislative-building-national.html

(by: Ramona Nieva)