DIOSDADO PANGAN MACAPAGAL

30 December 1961 30 December 1965

Fifth President of the Third Republic
PERSONAL LIFE
Career
Achievements
Born in Lubao, Pampanga, Diosdado Macapagal was a lawyer and professor

Contributions and Achievements:

established the first Land Reform Law, allowing for the purchase of private
farmland to be distributed in inexpensive, small lots to the landless
placed the Philippine peso on the currency exchange market
declared June 12, 1898 to be Philippines Independence Day
signed the Minimum Wage Law
created the Philippine Veterans Bank

ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES

Graft and Corruption (Stonehill Scandal)

Rise in Consumer Goods Prices
Peace and Order Issues
Macapagals privileged subjects in congress and business paraded their lavish
wealth in conspicuous parties and anomalous deals.

SOME EVALUATION:
During his entire term however, none of what he promised or wanted was really
achieved making him look quite bad as a leader of the country contrary to what he
was supposed to be seen as.
Hes more on talk rather than action. The devaluation of the Philippine Peso started
during his term which makes him, in the eyes of some, the root of a lot of todays
problems in the country.
Furthermore, he returned free trade and free enterprise to the country which
crushed local goods and businesses which continue to suffer up to today.
When it came to his promises to the common man, the farmers in particular, he
was unable to keep his them during his term. He was unable to give them the land

they needed basically the reason is there was no timeframe as to when theyll be
given plus the government didnt have the money to purchase the land in the first
place.
Diosdado probably wasnt a bad man and may actually be incorruptible despite
the issues.
Unfortunately, his term and his leadership are now seen as either unproductive to
the country or were the root causes the still continuing fall of the Philippine
economy today.