Quezon City is a large and populous highly urbanized city found in the central region of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.  It is one of the cities that make up the conurbation of Metro Manila, the country’s National Capital Region.  The city lies on a plateau on the northeast of the metropolis, between the lowlands of Manila and the Marikina River valley.  Bordering it are the cities of Manila in the southwest, Caloocan in the west, Valenzuela in the northwest, San Juan and Mandaluyong in the south, and Marikina and Pasig in the southeast. To the east lie the municipalities of Rodriguez and San Mateo in the province of Rizal, and San Jose Del Monte city in the province of Bulacan.   Its central location provides easy access in and out of the city via its main thoroughfares or with the use of the MRT3 and LRT2, the metro’s two major mass transit systems.

Popularly referred to as just QC, the city was named after the former president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Manuel Luis Quezon.  He founded and developed the city to replace Manila as the country’s capital, and thus served this purpose from 1948 to 1976.  Many of the Philippine’s national government agencies have their head offices found in    the city, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, National Statistics Office, the Department of Agriculture, National Housing Authority, and the seat of the House of Representatives.

This largely residential area showcases the extremes in the living conditions of its residents because of the many affluent gated communities sitting side-by-side with poor communities.  Although largely composed of residential areas, the city has a significant broadcasting industry, with the country’s largest television networks headquartered in it, several lively commercial and nightlife districts, and some of the country’s most prestigious schools and universities.

Residential Places in Quezon City

The districts of Libis, Loyola Heights, and the outlying areas from Balara have the most affluent gated communities in the city.  These are the Corinthian Gardens, Corinthian Hills, Acropolis, Greenmeadows, White Plains, and Blue Ridge in Libis; Capitol Hills Subdivision, Ayala Hillside Estates, and Ayala Heights in Balara; and La Vista Subdivision, Loyola Grand Villas, Xavierville, and Varsity Hills in Loyola heights.

The districts of Cubao, Sta. Mesa Heights, and Galas are mostly composed of upper middle class to upper class communities.  Middle class communities are found in Diliman, Tandang sora, Commonwealth, Fairview, the areas around the South Triangle, and the project areas.

Hospitals and Universities of Quezon City

Quezon City is home to two of the Philippine’s most prestigious universities, the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the Ateneo de Manila University.

The University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP-Diliman) is a state run university that sits in a 493-hectare land in the city’s Diliman district.  It is the flagship campus and administrative seat of the UP system, which comprises of other UP campuses in the Philippines.  With its 293 graduate and undergraduate courses, UP-Diliman has the largest number of academic programs in all of the Philippine universities. It is particularly known for its colleges of law, business administration, engineering, and education.  UP-Diliman is also home to many research centers that have been declared by the Commission on Higher Education as National Centers of Excellence, such as the National Institute of Physics, Marine Science Institute, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and the National Institute of Geological Sciences.  It has produced many prominent political figures, including the present president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the infamous former president Ferdinand Marcos and his most critical opposition Benigno S. Aquino Jr, the senators Edgardo Angara and Francis Pangilinan, and the exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison.

The Ateneo de Manila University, or simply Ateneo, is a private university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines.  Its Quezon City campus in the upscale district of Loyola Heights houses its grade school and highschool units together with its college and graduate school units.   The university’s degree programs cover various fields including the humanities and the arts, social sciences, philosophy and theology, pure and applied sciences and mathematics, engineering, information technology, business, law, and medicine.  It also offers international programs associated with universities and institutions in Asia, North and South America, Australia, and Europe.  Ateneo is also one of the only two universities in the country granted the highest rating set by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, colleges, and Universities (PAASCU), which is   a private service organization involved in the accreditation of academic programs that meet commonly accepted standards of quality education.  Some of its prominent alumni include the first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former vice-president Teofisto Guingona, former National Youth Council chairman Paolo “Bam” Benigno, TV personality Kris Aquino, and the equestrian Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.

Other notable institutions for higher education in the city are St. Paul University at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Gilmore Avenue, Siena College along Aurora Boulevard, the extension campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Commonwealth, AMA Computer University in Project 8, Miriam College in Loyola Heights, Philippine School for Business Administration along Aurora Boulevard, Our Lady Fatima University, La Consolacion College, National College of Business and Arts in Novaliches, St. Theresa's College in Sta. Mesa Heights, and the Technological Institute of the Philippines in Cubao.  Also in the city are several medical schools, such as the University of the East-Ramon magsaysay Memorial Medical Center along Aurora Boulevard, Far Eastern University - Institute of Medicine in Fairview, and the St. Luke’s College of Medicine along E. Rodriguez Sr Avenue.

Medical Institutions 

Quezon City is also home to many of Metro Manila’s prominent private and government hospitals.  The most well known of these private hospitals is the St’ Luke’s medical Center located along E. Rodriguez Sr Avenue.  It is a 650-bed tertiary care hospital that is equipped with most state-of-the-art medical facilities, as well as boasting of a five-star hotel quality of accommodations.  It holds a reputation as the medical center of choice of many well-off patients, and receives patients from Asia, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Micronesia.  It specializes in cardiovascular medicine, oncology, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, digestive and liver diseases, and orthopedics.

Other notable private hospitals and medical centers in the city include the UERM Memorial Medical Centre located along Aurora Boulevard, Capitol Medical Center which sits at the corner of Scout Magbanua Street and Panay Avenue, Dr. Jesus C. Delgado Memorial Hospital in Kamuning, FEU-NRMF Hospital in West Fairview, and the United Doctors Medical Center at the corner of Espana and N. Ramirez Street.

The many national health institutions found in the city are the Philippine Heart Center and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute on East Avenue, the Lung Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Children's Hospital on Quezon Avenue, the National Children's Hospital on E. Rodriguez Sr Avenue, and the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital at the corner of Banawe and Ma. Clara Street.

Commercial Places in Quezon City

There are several shopping malls found in the city.  One of the newest and most affluent of these is found in Cubao at the Araneta Center, which is the city’s largest commercial and entertainment hub.  The Gateway Mall is a five-storey structure that houses over 200 shops that carries top local and international brands and multiple anchors such as the Rustans department store.   It also features state-of-the-art cinemas, a supermarket, and a foodcourt aside from several cafes and restaurants.  The Gateway Mall provides additional convenience with its direct link to two of Metro Manila’s major mass transit systems-- the MRT3 and LRT2

Another shopping mall fond in the Araneta Center is Ali Mall, which is the country’s first multi-level shopping mall.  It was aptly named after Muhammad Ali to commemorate his victory over Joe Frazier in the legendary “Thrilla in Manila” boxing bout fought at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975. 

Also in Araneta Center are Farmers Plaza which is another multi-level shopping mall, the Marikina shoe Expo where many shoe stores that features shoes made from the country’s shoe capital are gathered in a single complex, several department stores such as Rustans, SM, and Isetan, and Plaza Fair, and two large retail centers—Shopwise Supercenter and Makro.   Araneta Center also has the extensive Farmers Market where fresh produce, meat, fish, and poultry are sold all year round.

Other shopping malls spread across the city are the Robinsons Galleria at the corner of EDSA and Ortigas Avenue, SM City-North EDSA and Trinoma Mall, which sits at the north end of the metro’s main thoroughfare, Ever Gotesco in Commonwealth, and Robinsons Place and SM City in Fairview.

Night Spots 

Quezon City’s two most prominent nightspots are the Timog and Libis areas where restaurants, bars, nightclubs and cafes are found in rows along its streets.  The primary entertainment district in the Timog area comprises of the Timog, South, and Tomas Morato avenues.  Some notable music bar/restaurants in these areas are Cuattro, Sharky's, Oody's, Pier One, Aruba Bar, Chili's, and Gerry's Grill.  The prominent bars in these areas are Padi’s Point, Tia Maria's, Tequila Joe's, Cosmopolitan Café, Ratsky, and the Hard Rock Café.  Comedy bars, such as Laffline and Zirkoh, are also local favorites in the area.

The Libis area located at the southeastern corner of the city boasts just as many lively nightspots as the Timog area.  Numerous bars and restaurants line both sides of the E. Rodriguez Jr Avenue, such as Sibil, Incognito Bar and Café, Congo Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Dencio’s Grill and Bar Restaurant, and the Korean restaurant Kimchi.  Also along the same avenue is the extensive entertainment complex of the Eastwood City Walk.  This Mediterranean-style leisure town features prominent bars, cafes, and restaurants sitting nestled among corporate buildings and prime high-rise condominiums.  Notable restaurants in the complex include the Italian restaurants Fazoli, Pasto, and Benissimo, Agave Mexican Cantina, the Filipino restaurants Via Mare
and Mama Rosa, The Indian restaurant Prince of Jaipur, the Japanese restaurants Takayama Kyo and Teriyaki Boy, and Pancake House.  On the other hand, prominent bars and nightclubs in Eastwood City Walk include Club Dredd, Ebisu Grill, Fuzion Smoothie Café, Ipanema, OJ's Grill (Mystic), and The Basement.  Several coffeehouses are also found in the complex, among which includes Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Delifrance, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Service Establishments of Quezon City

The Philippine’s largest electric power distributor is the Manila Electric Company or MERALCO.  The acronym used to stand for Manila Electric Railroad And Light Company, which was the company’s original name from 1903 to 1919.  The company is solely responsible for the electric power distribution in 22 cities and 89 municipalities, including the whole of Metro and Mega Manila.  There are several branch offices located in the city where applications for services and bill payments can be made.  Below is a table detailing their location and contact information.

Branch Address Telephone

Balintawak  1199 Edsa Muñoz, Balintawak (63 2) 449-8701
Commonwealth Capitol Estate 2, Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman (63 2) 931-9384
(63 2) 632-8847
Kamuning 761 EDSA Kamuning (63 2) 924-1080
(63 2) 924-1062
(63 2) 1622-7582
Novaliches Quirino Hi-way corner Forest Hills Drive, Gulod, Novaliches (63 2) 936-2313
(63 2) 417-3561
(63 2) 632-8344
Roosevelt 980 Quezon Boulevard, corner Roosevelt Avenue (63 2) 410-1163
(63 2) 410-1222
(63 2) 1622-7731
Araneta Center Gen Romulo Street, corner P Tuazon Street, Cubao (63 2) 437-4881 to 85
(63 2) 1622-7489

The country’s largest telecom company that provides a wide range of telecommunication services is the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company or PLDT.  It provides fixed telephony, Internet access via   dial-up or DSL, and cellular services through its subsidiary Smart Communications.  Applications and bill payments may be done in its business offices in Cubao at the Rustan's Superstore Building, Del Monte at the corner of EDSA and Roosevelt Avenue, Diliman at the corner of Matalino and East Avenue, Novaliches in San Bartolome along Quirino Highway, SM Centerpoint along the Aurora Boulevard, and at the SM City-North EDSA.

Alternative telecom companies that also offer fixed telephony and Internet access are Bayan Telecommunications Corporation (BayanTel) and Globe telecoms.  The latter together with Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, are the major cellular networks that service the city.  All three companies offer prepaid and post paid subscriptions.

Security in  the City 

Quezon City is home to Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo, which are the headquarters of the Philippine National Police and the Armed forces of the Philippines.  Aside from these two important institutions, the city is also home to the PNP Quezon City District located at Camp Brigadier General TOMAS KARINGAL in Sikatuna Village in Diliman.  Quezon City also has several strategically placed police stations to ensure the peace and safety of its citizens.  Below is a table detailing their locations and contact numbers:

Quezon City Police
Police Station Location Telephone

Laloma Mayon corner Malaya Street  731-8341 / 712-5757
PCP*1 Sto. Domingo Street 712-4939
PCP 2 Biak-na-Bato, Mauban 364-2888
PCP 3 Sta Teresita, Dapitan 732-8184
Baler Baler Street cor. West Avenue 372-1725 / 415-2590
PCP 1 EDSA corner Congressional 928-8226
PCP 2 Quezon Avenue, Delta 410-9461
PCP 3 Roosevelt/del Monte 415-7497
PCP 4 North Avenue, Agham 436-4115
Vasra PCP Mindanao Avenue, Project 6 929-2220
Sangandaan Quirino Highway, Sangandaan 939-6070
PCP 1 Camachile/ Balintawak 364-8717 / 364-8788
PCP 2 Culiat 931-9828
PCP 3 Bahay Toro 426-8033
Tandang Sora PCP Tandang Sora Street. 952-6611 / 22
Novaliches Buenamar Avenue  937-21-77 or 936-3624 / 418-2540
PCP 1 Kings Point, Barangay Bagbag 456-3635
PCP 2 Quirino Highway, Gulod 419-8685
PCP 3 Gen. Luis Street, Novaliches 419-7136
Fairview  Fairview Market 935-4941 / 939-9586/ 417-6664
PCP 1 Dhalia Street, Fairview 983-6009
PCP 2 JP Rizal, Sta. Lucia 418-0811
PCP 3 Kaligayahan/Zabarte 418-2627
PCP 4 Asuncion Road, Lagro 417-1683
PCP 5 Pasong Putik (in front of SM Fairview) 418-0123
La Mesa Dam PCP La Mesa Dam 939-7477
Batasan  IBP Road, Batasan Hills 931-6470 / 931-6479 / 951-0466
PCP 1 Ilang-Ilang Street, Batasan 427-6257
PCP 2 JP Rizal corner Bonifacio Street 427-0337 / 931-8605
PCP 3 Molave Street, Payatas 431-0422
PCP 4 Litex 951-6377
PCP 5 Ever Gotesco 952-2839
Cubao Camp Panopio 726-2654 / 723-0290
PCP 1 Miami Street, Cubao 421-7381
PCP 2 15th Avenue, Murphy 438-0016
PCP 3 San Martin de Porres 411-4399
PCP 4 N. Domingo/Hemady 413-5937
Araneta PAC Araneta Center, Cubao 911-1474
Project 4 P. Tuazon Street, Project 4 913-9895 / 913-9895
PCP 1 Libis/E. Rodriguez 911-0031
PCP 2 P. Tuazon 439-0421
Project 2 Anonas Street, Project 2 434-3687 / 434-3942
PCP 1 Aurora Boulevard corner Katipunan  Through radio
PCP 2 Teachers Village 436-1420
PCP 3 10th Street corner EDSA   434-1814
Kamuning EDSA, Kamuning 924-1025 / 415-5393 / 412-4013
PCP 1 Scouts Tuazon/Gandia 374-6415
PCP 2 Ermin Garcia 411-4812
PCP 3 Mother Ignacia -
PCP 4 Pinyahan/Malakas Streets 434-4822
PCP 5 Dalia corner Champaca Streets 414-4004
Galas Luzon Avenue cor Unang Hakbang Street, Galas 715-5585 / 415-4113
PCP 1 Welcome Rotonda 712-3280
PCP 2 Bayanihan/Guirayab 414-0675
PCP 3 Kaliraya/Araneta 415-8827
PCP 4 Doña Juana/ERB Through radio
*PCP-Police Community Precinct

Embassies in Quezon City

The bulk of the foreign embassies to the Philippines are located in Makati City.  Only the Embassy of Colombia has its office sited in the city.  It is found at the 18th floor of the Aurora Tower in the Araneta Center in Cubao.