Aurora Antonia Aragon de Quezon was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. She was born Aurora Antonia Aragon y Molina on February 19, 1888 – April 28, 1949 and usually known simply as Aurora Quezon and sometimes Aurora Aragon-Quezon. Though she is recognized as the second First Lady of the Philippines, she was actually the first spouse of a Philippine president to be called as such.
During her husband’s political life, Aurora Quezon stayed in the background, involving herself with women’s organizations such as the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, of which she was the honorary chairperson. She was also known for her involvement with humanitarian activities and served as the first Chairperson of the Philippine National Red Cross. She engaged herself in the campaign to give Filipino women the right of suffrage, which was achieved in 1937. She was involved in the Girl Scouts of the Philippines and the Associacion de Damas Filipinas, a noted orphanage in Manila. She was also the honorary president of another orphanage, the White Cross, located in San Juan.
Five years after her husband’s death, Aurora Quezon and her daughter “Baby” were assassinated while they were en route to open a hospital dedicated to her husband. The province of Aurora was named in her memory.
Manuel Quezon emerged as a dominant figure in Philippine politics. His career reached its apex in 1935, when he was elected President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.