The cornerstone was formally laid by Aurora Quezon, the wife of Filipino Senate President and later President Manuel L. Quezon. The monument, which was created under the orders of American Governor-General Frank Murphy, was inaugurated on 23 October 1933. It was inaugurated by the Speaker of the House, with much fanfare in a colourful function led by three women from Luzon (of the Women's College), Visayas (of the Institute of Women), and Mindanao (of the Centro Escolar de Señoritas/Center for Women) with other women representing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna which had participated in the revolution of 1896.