Zeneida Quezon-Avanceña dies at 100

Zeneida Quezon-Avanceña, the last surviving daughter of President Manuel Quezon and Aurora Quezon, has died at the age of 100.

Manuel L. Quezon III, her nephew, announced her passing on Tuesday.

“She passed away surrounded by her children, at home, achieving one of the devoutest wishes of the faithful—a true Christian death, at peace with her Maker and the world,” he said in a Facebook post.

Quezon-Avanceña was born on April 9, 1921.

In his message, Quezon said his aunt’s love of freedom, her faith marked by optimism, the strength of conviction tempered by empathy, and her eye for the humorous were the things that defined her to him.

“She gave up, freely and gladly, political power, she gave up economic power, and yet used what public prominence she had to stand for those who had no power, whether in continuing her mother's work in the Red Cross or in the many cause-oriented causes she supported, particularly during martial law,” he said.

“She did it in small and big ways, whether scandalizing fellow parents by advocating the abolition of dress codes and opposing the ban on long hair in the 60s and 70s, visiting political prisoners in prison, marching in the streets, or signing manifestos,” he added.

Quezon said he never heard his aunt say anything bitter or succumb to an angry, reactionary attitude. 

“Her faith made this all possible, sustaining her in adversity and giving her a forward-thinking approach to life that is the antidote to aging not just physically, but morally and mentally, as well,” he said.

Quezon also remarked on her constant optimism.

“[T]he love for wit and the finding of witty things in all sorts of places so that one can't get away by standing on ceremony or being pedantic or too prudish, snobbish, or prejudiced. It's a constant thread in her stories of her life and the people who have been part of her life,” he said.

He also recalled the birthday message he wrote in April when Quezon-Avanceña turned 100.

“Here are two Ninis: the first, circa 1937, in Los Angeles, with her sister Baby (in grey) and her father; Nini is in black. The other, circa 1981, in a protest rally being greeted by the crowd. The same Nini throughout,” he said.

“This is what I wrote three months ago, as she turned 100. They are all together now. What a reunion must be going on right now,” he added. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News