While the film is shown in a nonlinear narrative, the following is the chronological order of events that happen in the film.
In 1901, Major Manuel Quezon meets Eduardo Rusca and Joven Hernando on his way to surrender to the Americans. Quezon gives a coin to Joven as a reminder that "principle is most important" and promises to make the Quezon name famous. The two become friends, with Quezon entering politics and using his patronage to provide Joven with his own newspaper, Alerta.
Quezon's political star rises during the American period, as he establishes himself as a leader of the Nacionalista Party and a populist Senate president who is seeking to achieve independence for the Philippines, while discreetly receiving support from the Americans and the elite. At the same time, he has a love-hate relationship with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sergio Osmeña, and grooms a young legislator, Manuel Roxas, to undermine Osmeña. When Leonard Wood becomes Governor-General and complains to Washington, D.C. about the corruption of Filipino leaders and the Philippines' unpreparedness for independence, Quezon leads his colleagues in a prolonged political standoff against Wood. Quezon seeks the support of Emilio Aguinaldo, now the head of the Association of Veterans of the Revolution, in denouncing Wood, but seethes when Aguinaldo sympathizes with Wood instead.
Quezon tries to charm Wood in a drinking session, but is instead blackmailed by Wood into desisting from further agitation for independence by presenting an archive of his previous legal cases including rape and bigamy. Wood later dies in office and a jealous Quezon scuttles an agreement made by Osmeña and Roxas with the Americans for Philippine independence and secures his own deal, albeit containing similar terms. This allows him to run for president of the upcoming Commonwealth. He convinces a reluctant Osmeña to become his running mate by promising to give him the presidency after one term. At the same time, he insults Aguinaldo for supporting Wood, leading Aguinaldo to contest the election against Quezon.
Quezon commissions Joven and his daughter Nadia to make hagiographical films of him, unaware that the Hernandos are also making unflattering versions of them. Joven also publishes an exposé from Pedro Janolino revealing Aguinaldo's responsibility for the assassination of Antonio Luna.[a] As Quezon proceeds to confiscate Aguinaldo's farmstead and withdraw his pension, Aguinaldo and his running mate, Raymundo Melliza, learn that Quezon abandoned his first wife, Ana Ricardo, during the war before marrying Aurora Aragón. Melliza invites Ana to an event in Bataan attended by Aguinaldo, Gregorio Aglipay, and Quezon, enraging the latter, but Aguinaldo loses his nerve and fails to expose Quezon. Meanwhile, Joven goes to a campaign sortie by Aguinaldo in Malolos, only to see Janolino sabotaging the event by staging a funeral-themed protest. Melliza angrily points out to Joven that Janolino is Quezon's sergeant at arms in the Senate. Disillusioned, Joven writes an article in Alerta denouncing Quezon as a deceitful and corrupt politician, resulting in the newspaper's closure.
After Quezon wins the election and is inaugurated as President, Joven confronts him about Alerta's closure. Quezon denies involvement, and the two debate over truth and compromise before Joven returns the coin Quezon once gave him. Joven, Nadia, and Rusca watch the critical Quezon films at the Hernandos' cinema, but are interrupted by Quezon, whose secretary, Manuel Nieto, has been spying on the Hernandos. Joven chastises Quezon for his corrupt ways and lust for power, but Quezon reminds him of how his patronage gave the Hernandos their livelihood. Joven ends his association with Quezon, who hands back the coin Joven gave him.
Despite his promise to Osmeña, Quezon arranges for a constitutional amendment allowing his reelection in 1941. As tuberculosis further weakens him and with World War II breaking out, he is inaugurated in Corregidor. As he is wheeled back inside the Malinta Tunnel, he lashes out at Osmeña, knowing that the latter will live to see an independent Philippines while he will not, exclaiming "I am the Filipino people, I am the Philippines!"
An epilogue reveals that Osmeña succeeded to the presidency after Quezon’s death, but lost his reelection bid to Roxas, who became the first president of the post-Commonwealth Third Republic, while Aguinaldo outlived Quezon, Osmeña, and Roxas.
In the mid-credits scene, a radio set plays "Mambo Magsaysay".
It was reported that the sequel to Goyo would be about President Manuel L. Quezon, with Benjamin Alves and TJ Trinidad set to reprise their roles as younger and older versions of Quezon respectively.[11][12] However, director Jerrold Tarog's work on the sequel was postponed after Star Cinema hired him in 2018 to direct Darna. While Tarog focused on filming for Darna, producer EA Rocha stated that pre-production work on the potential Quezon film would continue.[13] Tarog mentioned that the film was initially planned as a political thriller, but eventually made it as a dark comedy after further research.[14] Tarog also found comedy and satire to be the most appropriate genres for the film.[12]
In 2021, Tarog teased the potential script co-written with Rody Vera on Twitter, stating that it was still to be submitted for approval.[15] In early 2024, it was revealed that film was still waiting for greenlight approval. The project would later receive a "large budget production fund" support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines as part of its CreatePHFilms Funding Program Cycle 1 of 2024.[16]Amazon Prime Video would have funded film production, but Quezon lost its source for production funds when Prime Video shut down original film production in Southeast Asia in 2024. [17][18][19]
In 2025, TBA Studios confirmed that the filming of Quezon will commence in March of the same year.[20]
Casting
In January 2025, Mon Confiado announced his role as Aguinaldo by posting pictures of the cast's read-through.[21] On February 18, 2025, TBA Studios announced that Jericho Rosales will portray the role of Quezon,[22] as Trinidad backed out due to prior commitments.[23]Karylle would also act as Quezon's wife Aurora, Romnick Sarmenta as Sergio Osmeña, JC Santos as Manuel Roxas, and Cris Villanueva as the older Joven Hernando.[22] On February 19, 2025, it was announced that Aaron Villaflor will portray as Joven Hernando.[24] On March 16, 2025, it was confirmed that Iain Glen has been cast in the film and will portray the role of governor-general Leonard Wood.[25] On March 26, Joross Gamboa released an image of himself as part of the cast and was named by Confiado as Eduardo Rusca, one of Antonio Luna's companions who was previously portrayed by Archie Alemania in Heneral Luna.[26]
Filming
In a social media post, TBA Studios announced the start of their filming for Quezon on March 18, 2025. Jericho Rosales also shared in his social media account an image of him playing Quezon on the first day of shooting.[27][28]
Quezon is the latest addition to TBA Studios Bayaniverse, a cinematic series of historical films that includes Heneral Luna and Goyo: The Boy General. Director Jerrold Tarog, who co-wrote and directed both Heneral Luna and Goyo, returned to helm the project.[27] Filming concluded on June 11, 2025.[29]
Release
On July 4, 2025, TBA Studios released a poster for the film and announced that it would be released in Philippine cinemas on October 15, 2025.[30] The official trailer was released on August 19, 2025.[31] The film is also scheduled for release at the 45th Hawaiʻi International Film Festival on October 26, 2025.[32]
Ahead of its general release, a red carpet premier was held for Quezon at SM North EDSA in Quezon City on October 12, 2025.[33] In an interview, producer Daphne Chiu-Soon mentioned that Quezon was deliberately not planned for a Metro Manila Film Festival premier, as the film would "[share] the theater with eight or 10 other entries with very limited screens".[34]
Philippine publishing company Anvil Publishing released a book that detailed the film's production in the Manila International Book Fair.[35] A study guide written by Alvin Campomanes was also published online.[14]
Fred Hawson of News.ABS-CBN.com gave the film a positive response with a rating of 9 over 10 and wrote, "Rosales's portrayal of Manuel L. Quezon was fiercely egotistical up to his ultimate declaration of 'I am the Philippines!' before the final fade to black."[38] Philip Cu Unjieng of Manila Bulletin also gave a positive feedback to the film and said: "Ultimately, Quezon is a potent history lesson that bears significantly on why the system is so broken, up to this juncture of our nationhood."[39] Calling the film a "flawed but fascinating study of power and myth," Paul Emmanuel Enicola of The Movie Buff wrote that "what the film ultimately suggests is that corruption in the Philippines isn’t an aberration—it’s an inheritance. Quezon’s genius wasn’t that he corrupted the system, but that he understood how to make corruption look like leadership."[40]
On October 14, 2025, the Department of Education released a memo to show their support to the film. It promoted the film to junior and senior high school students and teachers, encouraging its integration into classroom discussions because it is "designed to strengthen historical awareness, civic education, and appreciation of the arts among Filipino learners by providing creative, curriculum-aligned tools that make history both relevant and accessible," and it offers a "compelling portrait of history while providing timely reflections on governance, leadership, and national identity."[41][42]
Response from the Quezon family and associates
Enrique "Ricky" Avanceña, a grandson of Manuel L. Quezon, criticized the film's satirical approach as admitted by director Tarog, saying it was a disrespectful and unserious portrayal of his grandfather. At the Q&A segment following the film's screening at the Power Plant Mall in Makati on October 23, 2025, he accused the filmmakers of "desecrating the memory" of his grandfather and using the claim of "political satire" as a shield for historical inaccuracies to gain profit. TBA Studios responded by asserting that while they respect his sentiments, the film is based on verified historical accounts, including Quezon's autobiography, with added fictional elements for thematic purposes.[43]
John Arcilla, a grandnephew of Quezon who had portrayed Antonio Luna in the first Bayaniverse film Heneral Luna, supported Avanceña, acknowledging that Quezon's living relatives should have been consulted in the film's production. He further remarked that the film's tone could be interpreted as satirical, citing the stylized depiction of early political rivalries and certain performance choices. However, Arcilla stated that even within this framing, the film's "preachy and direct characterization" of Quezon contributed to the discomfort expressed by him and other living relatives.[44]
Actress Pinky Amador, a great-grandchild of Manuel L. Quezon, posted on social media criticizing how the film showed only “one side” of Quezon, adding that the usage of satirical and fictional elements could mislead Filipinos in the context of the film's endorsement by the Department of Education.[45]
Historian and writer Manolo Quezon, an adopted grandson of Manuel L. Quezon, shared a post on Facebook arguing that many of the film's period sources were written from an American colonial perspective. He also rejected calls to boycott the film, stating that "for creative works, everyone should think for themselves."[46]
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