Welcome Rotonda 4.58

The Welcome Rotonda, also known as the Mabuhay Rotonda, is a roundabout in Quezon City in the Philippines. It is located a few meters from Quezon City's border with Manila, at the intersection of E. Rodriguez, Sr. Boulevard, Mayon Avenue, Quezon Avenue and España Boulevard. The roundabout was renamed the Mabuhay Rotonda on May 17, 1995 by Quezon City Mayor Ismael Mathay, Jr., following an initiative by local restaurateur Rod Ongpauco to promote the use of the Filipino expression "Mabuhay!" as a way of welcoming foreign visitors to the Philippines. However, both the English and Filipino names are used interchangeably.The roundabout was first opened in 1948, with a marble monument designed by Luciano V. Aquino erected at its center to welcome visitors to Quezon City, which was then the newly declared capital of the Philippines. The monument is surrounded by four lions indicating cardinal directions.The roundabout attracted attention during the 1995 general election, when businessman Amando "Jun" Ducat, Jr.—who would later be known for kidnapping 26 students in 2007 near Manila City Hall—scaled the monument and staged a hunger strike at the top. He did this to dramatize his opposition to Chinese Filipinos running for public office, who he opposed because of their alleged control of the Philippines' rice trade. He wanted the government to ban Chinese Filipinos from being candidates and he sought to convince voters to vote against them.