Quezon City Launches 'QC Stories: The City We Call Home'
It positions the city not merely as a destination to visit, but as a destination to understand.
Published on Apr 1, 2026
(SPOT.ph) Following its historic designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Film in October 2025—the first of its kind in Southeast Asia—the Quezon City Government has officially unveiled QC Stories: The City We Call Home. It is published by Do Good Studio as commissioned by the local government under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte. This landmark publication marks a shift in how the city presents itself to the world.
More than a simple guidebook, QC Stories: The City We Call Home is a cloth-bound, gold-stamped cultural archive that celebrates its artists, workers, thinkers, and communities. It positions the city's identity not through its malls or highways, but through its living memory and creative labor.
The volume features personal essays, photography, and curated guides that map the city’s soul, including an impressive roster of Filipino icons and grassroots heroes. It contains insights from National Artist Ricky Lee regarding his decades-spanning writing workshops, intimate profiles of veteran actors Joel Torre and Maricel Soriano, the origin story of Margarita Forés at Bahay na Puti in Cubao, culinary histories of enduring institutions like Max’s and Estrel’s, a look at the master tailors of Kamuning’s textile hub, and the artistic revival of Cubao Expo.
The book also dives deep into the city's ethos of inclusivity, starting with the concept of kapwa that frames Quezon City as a space of mutual care, as explained by psychologist Carl Lorenz Cervantes (Sikodiwa); and a dedicated Pride photo essay that documents the city’s landmark Right to Care ordinance. But it also doesn't ignore its citizens' plight by portraying maps of inequalities and social justice as in the project of artist Cian Dayrit, in collaboration with grassroots organizations Anakpawis and Kadamay. It also reimagines revolutionary heroine Tandang Sora through contemporary voices, bridging the gap between the city’s past and its future.
Finally, the publication functions as a city guide, from the dining culture of Maginhawa to the cinematic legacy of the "Film Capital." It includes sensory experiences, such as playlists curated by Erwin Romulo and Gabbie Sarenas that map the city through sound.
The book’s physical form is a piece of art itself. The cover features a collage by 2025 Ateneo Art Awardee Jel Suarez, translating National Artist Virgilio Almario’s poem, Ang Lungsod ng Quezon, into visual form. This is paired with custom typography by Jeth Torres, reinterpreting historical letterforms to create a space where myth and memory converge.
QC Stories: The City We Call Home is available through official Quezon City Government channels and select cultural partners.
This story originally appeared on Esquire Philippines. Minor edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.