Manuel L. Quezon

Quezon, as president of the Philippine Senate, negotiated and secured the passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act in the U.S. Congress. This act established the Philippine Commonwealth and set a 10-year transition period to full independence.

Manuel L. Quezon was elected as the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth, a transitional government established under U.S. sovereignty leading to full independence. He was inaugurated on November 15, 1935.

Quezon proclaimed Tagalog as the basis of the national language of the Philippines, later named Filipino. This decision aimed to unify the diverse linguistic groups of the archipelago and promote national identity.

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Quezon fled to the United States, establishing a government-in-exile in Washington, D.C. He continued to lead the Commonwealth government and advocate for Philippine interests during World War II.

Quezon died of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, New York, while still in exile. His death occurred before the liberation of the Philippines, and he was succeeded by Vice President Sergio Osme