The Malolos Congress

Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree on July 18, 1898

asking for the election of delegates to the revolutionary
congress, another decree was promulgated five days
later, which declared that Aguinaldo would appoint
representatives of congress because holding elections
is not practical at that time. He appointed 50 delegates
in all (but this number fluctuated from time to time).
In accordance with these two decrees, Aguinaldo
assembled the Revolutionary Congress at the Brasoain
Church in Malolos, Bulacan on September 15, 1898.

The atmosphere was festive and the Pasig Band played the national anthem. After
Aguinaldo had read his speech congressional elections were held among the delegates
present. The following were among the most important achievements of the Malolos
Congress:

1. In September 29, 1898, ratified the declaration of Philippine independence held at Kawit,
Cavite on June 12, 1898
2. Passage of a law that allowed the Philippines to borrow P 20 million from banks for
government expenses
3. Establishment of the Universidad Literatura de Filipinas and other schools
4. Drafting of the Philippine Constitution
5. Declaring war against the United States on June 12, 1899

Malolos Constitution

A committee headed by Felipe Calderon and aided by Cayetano Arellano, the constitution
was drafted, for the first time by representatives of the Filipino people and it is the first
republican constitution in Asia. The constitution was inspired by the constitutions of Mexico,
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, Belgium and France. After some minor revisions (mainly due
to the objections of Apolinario Mabini), the final draft of the constitution was presented to
Aguinaldo. This paved the way to launching the first Philippine Republic. It established a
democratic, republication government with three branches - the Executive, Legislative and
the Judicial branches. It called for the separation of church and state. The executive powers
were to be exercise by the president of the republic with the help of his cabinet. Judicial
powers were given to the Supreme Court and other lower courts to be created by law. The
Chief justice of the Supreme Court was to be elected by the legislature with the concurrence
of the President and his Cabinet.
First Philippine Republic

The first Philippine Republic was inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on

January 21, 1899. After being proclaimed president, Emilio Aguinaldo
took his oath of office. The constitution was read article by article and
followed by a military parade. Apolinario Mabini was elected as a prime
minister. The other cabinet secretaries were: Teodoro Sandico, interior;
Baldomero Aguinaldo, war; Gen. Mariano Trias, finance & war;
Apolinario Mabini, foreign affairs; Gracio Gonzaga for welfare, Aguedo
Velarde, public instruction; Maximo Paterno, public works &
communication; and Leon María Guerrero for agriculture, trade &
commerce.

The Philippine National Anthem

Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a composer from Cavite province was asked to write
an an instrumental march for the proclamation of independence ceremony. The original title
was "Marcha Filipina Magdalo". This was later changed to "Marcha Nacional Filipina". The
lyrics was added in August 1899 based on the poem titled "Filipinas" by Jose Palma. The
original lyrics was written in Spanish, then to English (when the Flag Law was abolished
during the American period) then later, was translated to Tagalog, which underwent another
change of title to “Lupang Hinirang”, the Philippine National Anthem. Continue to Filipino-
American Hostilities.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born into the local elite of Cavite on the Island
of Luzon in the Philippines. His father had been mayor of Kawit (Cavite viejo) at the
time of his death in 1878, a post Aguinaldo himself would hold in 1895. That same
year Aguinaldo joined the secret, nationalist brotherhood Katipunan founded
by Andrés Bonifaio

Aguinaldo had brought with him the draft constitution of Mariano Ponce for the establishment of
federal revolutionary republic upon his return to Manila, however, on May 24, 1898, in Cavite,
Aguinaldo issued a proclamation, upon the advice of his war counselor Ambrosio Rianzares
Bautista, in which he assumed command of all Philippine forces and established a dictatorial
government with himself as titular dictator, with power thereby vested upon him to administer
decrees promulgated under his sole responsibility. The dictatorial government was provisionary
in character until peace have been established and unrestrained liberty was attained.[37]
On May 28, 1898, Aguinaldo gathered a force of about 18,000 troops and fought against a small
garrison of Spanish troops in Alapan, Imus, Cavite. The battle lasted for five hours, from
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. After the victory at Alapan, Aguinaldo unfurled the Philippine flag for the
first time, and hoisted it at the Teatro Caviteño in Cavite Nuevo (present-day Cavite City) in front
of Filipino revolutionaries and more than 300 captured Spanish troops. A group of American
sailors of the US Asiatic Squadron also witnessed the unfurling. Flag Day is celebrated every
May 28 in honor of this battle
 The Philippine Commonwealth Era
The Commonwealth era is the 10 year transitional period in Philippine history from 1935 to
1945 in preparation for independence from the United States as provided for under the
Philippine Independence Act or more popularly known as the Tydings-
McDuffie Law. The Commonwealth era was interrupted when the
Japanese occupied the Philippines in January 2, 1942. The
Commonwealth government, lead by Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio S.
Osmeña went into exile in the U.S., Quezon died of tuberculosis while
in exile and Osmeña took over as president. At the same time, the
Japanese forces installed a puppet government in Manila headed by
Jose P. Laurel as president. This government is known as the Second
Philippine Republic. On October 20, 1944, the Allied forces led by Gen.
Douglas MacArthur landed on the island of Leyte to liberate the
Philippines from the Japanese. Japan formally surrendered in
September 2, 1945.

After liberation, the Commonwealth government was restored. Congress convened in its
first regular session on July 9, 1945. It was the first time the people’s representatives have
assembled since their election on November 11, 1941. Manuel Roxas was elected Senate
President, and Elpidio Quirino was chosen President Pro Tempore. Jose Zulueta was speaker
of the house, while Prospero Sanidad became speaker pro Tempore. The first law of this
congress, enacted as commonwealth act 672, organized the central bank of the Philippines.
The commonwealth deal also tackled the issue of collaboration. In September 1945 the
counter intelligence corps presented the people who were accused of having collaborated
with, or given aid to, the Japanese. Included were prominent Filipinos who had been active
in the puppet government that the Japanese had been established. ”A Peoples Court" was
created to investigate and decide on the issue.

Amidst this sad state of affairs, the third commonwealth elections were held on April 23,
1946. Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas vied for the Presidency. Roxas won thus becoming
the last president of the Philippine Commonwealth. The Commonwealth era formally ended
when the United States granted independence to the Philippines, as scheduled on July 4,
1946.

Important legislations and events during the American period that made the Philippines a
commonwealth of the United States:

The Philippine Bill of 1902 - Cooper Act

United States Congressman Henry Allen Cooper sponsored the Philippine Bill of 1902, also
known as the Cooper Act. The bill proposed the creation and administration of a civil
government in the Philippines. President Theodore Roosevelt signed it into law in July 2,
1902.

Here are some of the more important provisions of the Cooper Act:

▪ Ratification of all changes introduced in the Philippine government by the president of the
U.S., such as the establishment of the Philippine Commission, the office of the civil governor
and the Supreme court
▪ Extension of the American Bill of Rights to the Filipinos except the right of trial by jury
▪ Creation of bicameral legislative body, with the Philippine Commission as the upper house
and a still-to-be-elected Philippine Assembly as the Lower House
▪ Retention of the executive powers of the civil governor, who was also president of the
Philippine Commission
▪ Designation of the Philippine Commission as the legislating authority for non-Christian
tribes
▪ Retention of the Judicial powers of the Supreme court and other lower courts
▪ Appointment of two Filipino resident commissioners who would represent the Philippines in
the US Congress but would not enjoy voting rights
▪ Conservation of Philippine natural resources

The bill contained 3 provisions that had to be fulfilled first before the Philippine Assembly
could be establishing these were the:

▪ Complete restoration of peace and order in the Philippines

▪ Accomplishment of a Nationwide census
▪ Two years of peace and order after the publication of the census

The Philippine Assembly

The assembly was inaugurated on October 16, 1907 at the Manila

Grand Opera House, with US secretary of War William Howard Taft as
guest of honor. Sergio Osmeña was elected Speaker while Manuel
Quezon was elected Majority Floor leader. The Recognition of the
Philippine Assembly paved the way for the establishment of the
bicameral Philippine Legislature. The Assembly functioned as the lower
House, while the Philippine Commission served as the upper house.

Resident Commissioners

Benito Legarda and Pablo Ocampo were the first commissioners. Other Filipinos who
occupied this position included Manuel Quezon, Jaime de Veyra, Teodoro Yangco, Isaro
Gabaldon, and Camilo Osias.

The Jones Law

To further train the Filipinos in the art of government, the U.S. Congress enacted the Jones
Law on August 29, 1916. It was the first official document that clearly promised the
Philippine independence, as stated in its preamble, as soon as a stable government was
established. The Jones Law or the Philippine Autonomy act, Replace the Philippine bill of
1902 as the framework of the Philippine government. It provide for the creation of the
executive powers. The vice governor general, assisted by his Cabinet, would exercise
executive powers. The vice governor would act concurrently as the Secretary of Education.

Creation of the Council of State

Upon the recommendation of Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña, Governor General
Francis Burton Harrison issued an executive order on October 16, 1981, creating the first
Council of State in the Philippines. It was the Council’s duty to advise the governor general
on matters such as the creation of policies for administering government offices.
The Council held meetings once a week and whenever the governor general called for one.
It was composed of the governor general, the department secretaries, the speaker of the
Lower House, and the Senate president. During Harrison’s term, the executive and
legislative branches of government worked harmoniously with each other.

The Os-Rox Mission

One delegation, however, that met with partial success was the Os-Rox Mission, so called
because it was headed by Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas. The Os-Rox group went to the
United States in 1931 and was able to influence the U.S. Congress to pass a pro-
independence bill by Representative Butter Hare, Senator Henry Hawes, and Senator Bronso
Cutting. The Hare-Hawes-Cutting Law provided for a 10-year transition period before
the United States would recognize Philippine independence. U.S. President Herbert
Hoover did not sign the bill; but both Houses of Congress ratified it. When the Os-Rox
Mission presented the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Law to the Philippine Legislature, it was rejected
by a the American High Commissioner representing the US president in the country and the
Philippine Senate, specifically the provision that gave the U.S. president the right to
maintain land and other properties reserved for military use. Manuel Quezon was tasked to
head another independence mission to the united States.

The Tydings-McDuffie Law

In December 1933, Manuel L. Quezon returned to the Philippines from the United States
with a slightly amended version of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting bill authored by Senator Milliard
Tydings and representative McDuffie. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the new U.S.
president, signed it into law on March 24, 1934. The Tydings-McDuffie Act (officially the
Philippine Independence Act of the United States Congress; Public Law 73-127) or more
popularly known as the The Tydings-McDuffie Law provided for the establishment of the
Commonwealth government for a period of ten years preparatory to the granting of
Independence. See the full text of the Tydings-McDuffie Law or Continue to Japanese
Occupation, Allied Liberation.

Japanese Occupation of the Philippines

During Word War II
On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded the Philippines. Clark Air Base in Pampanga was first
attacked and also Nichols Field outside Manila was attacked, then on December 22, The
Japanese forces landed at the Lingayen Gulf and continued on to Manila. General Douglas
MacArthur declared Manila an open city on the advice of commonwealth President Manuel L.
Quezon to avoid its destruction. Manila was occupied by the Japanese on January 2, 1942.
MacArthur retreated with his troops to Bataan while the commonwealth government
withdrew to Corregidor island before proceeding to the United States. The joint American
and Filipino soldiers in Bataan finally surrendered on April 9, 1942. MacArthur escaped to
Corregidor then proceeded to Australia. The 76,000 captured soldiers were forced to embark
on the infamous "Death March" to a prison camp more than 100 kilometers north. An
estimated 10,000 prisoners died due to thirst, hunger and exhaustion.

The Huks

In the midst of fear and chaos, some farmers of Pampanga banded together and created
local brigades for their protection. Luis Taruc, Juan Feleo, Castro Alejandrino, and other
leaders of organized farmers held a meeting in February 1942 in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. In
that meeting, they agreed to fight the Japanese as a unified guerrilla army. Another
meeting was held the following month, where in representatives from Tarlac, Pampanga and
Nueva Ecija threshed out various details regarding their organization, which they agreed to
call "Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon" or HUKBALAHAP. Taruc was chosen to be the
Leader of the group, with Alejandrino as his right hand man. The members were simply
known as Huks!

The Philippine Executive Commission

In accordance the instructions of President Manuel Quezon to Jorge

Vargas, the Filipino officials in Manila were told to enter into
agreements and compromises with the Japanese to mitigate the
sufferings of the people under the iron-clad rule of the Japanese. On
January 23, 1942 the Philippine Executive Commission was established,
with Vargas as chairman. the following was appointed as department
heads: Benigno Aquino, Sr., interior; Antonio de las Alas, finance; Jose
P. Laurel, justice; Claro M. Recto, education, health, and public
welfare; and Quintin Paredes, public works and communication; Jose
Yulo was named Chief Justice of the Supreme court.

The following month, an election was held for members of The

Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence (PCPI). The
purpose of PCPI is to draw up a constitution for a free Philippines. Jose Laurel became its
head. Against the will of the PCPI delegates the new Constitution was finalized on July 10,
1943. Two months later it was ratified by the KALIBAPI, which was the only political party
allowed to exist at that time. KALIBAPI is the acronym for "Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa
Bagong Pilipinas".

The new constitution, which noticeably lacked a bill of rights contained 12 articles lifted from
the 1935 constitution that fitted the wishes of the Japanese. It was meant to be in effect
only temporarily, while the Philippines still in chaos. After the war, a new constitution would
again be drafted for the new Philippine Republic.

The Second Republic

On September 20 1943, the KALIBAPI- under the leadership of its director general, Benigno
Aquino Sr. held a party convention to elect 54 members of the National Assembly. The
Assembly was actually made up of 108 members; but half of this number was composed of
incumbent governors and city mayors. Jose P. Laurel was elected as president of the second
republic (the first republic was Aguinldo's Malolos Republic) and both Benigno Aquino Sr. &
Ramon Avancena as a vice-presidents. The new republic was inaugurated on October 14
1943 on the front steps of the legislative building in Manila. The Philippine flag was hoisted
as the national anthem was played. Meanwhile, the Japanese started using propaganda to
gain the trust and confidence of Filipinos who refused to cooperate with them. They hung
giant posters and distribute their materials that contains such slogans as "the Philippines
belong to the Filipinos." they also used newspapers, movies, and others to publicize the
same idea. Promoting Japanese propaganda was one of the main objectives of
the KALIBAPI, but still Japanese failed to gain the trust of the Filipinos.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur Returns

From Australia, Allied forces slowly advanced toward the Philippines, bombing several
Japanese strongholds until they regained control of areas previously occupied by the enemy.
The bombings began on September 21 1944, and barely a month later, on October 20,
1944, the Americans landed triumphantly in Leyte. Once a shore, General Douglas
MacArthur said; "I have Returned."

Sergio Osmeña was Part of MacArthur’s group. He had taken

over Manuel L. Quezon as president after the latter past way at
Saranac Lake, New York on August 1944. From October 23 to October
26, 1944 the Americans engaged Japanese forces in the Battle of Leyte
Gulf. Consider as the biggest naval battle in World History, this historic
encounter almost destroyed the entire Japanese fleet and rendered in
incapable of further attack. The US victory in the battle of Leyte Gulf is
said to have signaled the beginning of Philippine liberation from the
Japanese.

By mid-December, the American soldiers had reached Mindoro. The

Japanese, meanwhile, secured other area where their thought other American units would
land. Nevertheless, US liberation forces successfully docked at Lingayen Gulf on January 9,
1945. The news alarmed the Japanese. Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, supreme commander
of the Japanese troops in Manila, mobilize his kamikazes (Japanese suicide pilots); but they
failed to stop Americans. The Japanese also deployed MAKAPILI units to defend Manila but
neither succeeds.

On December 8, 1944, President Laurel and his cabinet moved to Baguio upon orders of
Yamashita, who is also known as the tiger of Malaya. The Japanese forces retreated to
Yamashita line a jungle battlefront stretching along the Sierra Madre Mountains from
Antipolo, Rizal to Appari Cagayan.

The Japanese in Manila would not give up easily. In fact, it took 3 weeks of intense fighting
before they finally surrendered on February 23. Gen. MacArthur continued to liberate other
parts of the country. And finally proclaim general freedom from the Japanese on July 4,
1945. Continue to Philippine Independence from the Americans.

Third Republic
The Hukbalahap (Filipino: Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapón, The Nation's Army Against Japan),
or Hukbong Laban sa Hapon (Anti-Japanese Army), was a socialist/communist guerrilla
movement formed by the peasant farmers of Central Luzon. They are popularly known as "Huks".
They were originally formed to fight the Japanese, but extended their fight into a rebellion against the
Philippine Government, known as the Hukbalahap Rebellion, in 1946. It was put down through a
series of reforms and military victories by Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.
The Huk movement was notable for its inclusion of women peasants, who advocated for inclusion in
the movement in resistance to word of Japanese war atrocities against women, including rape and
mutilation. Many of these women fought, but the majority of the resistance remained in villages,
collecting supplies and intelligence.[6]:41 Women in the forest camps were forbidden from entering
combat,[6]:52 but often trained in first aid, communication/propaganda, and recruitment tactics.[6]:50
The Huks enjoyed early successes with their continuous attacks, aimed at raising morale through
quick successes as well as to acquire weapons for the severely unarmed group. The Japanese
conducted two counterattacks against the Huks, on September 6 and December 5, 1942. Both
attacks did nothing to dampen the frequency of Huk raids, and only served to intensify Huk
operations. On March 5, 1943, the Japanese struck the Huk headquarters in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija in
a surprise attack. A large number of CPP cadres and Huk soldiers were captured during the raid. By
the end of the war, the Huks had 1,200 engagements, and inflicted some 25,000 enemy casualties.
The Huks' strength consisted of 20,000 fully armed regulars and some 50,000

Tydings-McDuffie Act, also called Philippine Commonwealth and Independence

Act, (1934), the U.S. statute that provided for Philippine independence, to take
effect on July 4, 1946, after a 10-year transitional period of Commonwealth
government. The bill was signed by U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 24,
1934, and was sent to the Philippine Senate for approval. Although that body had
previously rejected the similar Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, it approved the Tydings-
McDuffie Act on May 1.

Following the terms of the independence act, Filipinos elected delegates for
a constitutional convention on July 10, and Roosevelt approved the
Philippine constitution on March 23, 1935. The Commonwealth government, under
the presidency of Manuel Quezon, was inaugurated in November of that year. For
the next 10 years the Philippines remained U.S. territory. Foreign affairs, defense,
and monetary matters remained under U.S. jurisdiction, but all other internal
matters were in the hands of the Philippine people. During the Commonwealth
period, duties were to be imposed on a graduated scale, but the trade provisions
were subsequently amended in 1939 in favour of the Philippines.

The Bell Trade Act of 1946, also known as the Philippine Trade Act, was an act
passed by the United States Congress specifying policy governing trade between the
Philippines and the United States following independence of the Philippines from the
United States.[1][2] The United States Congress offered $800 million for post World War II
rebuilding funds if the Bell Trade Act was ratified by the Philippine Congress. The
specifics of the act required the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines be amended.
The Philippine Congress approved the measure on July 2, two days before
independence from the United States of America, and on September 18, 1946 approved
a plebiscite to amend the Constitution of the Philippines.
Authored by Missouri Congressman C. Jasper Bell, the Bell Trade Act required:

 Preferential tariffs on US products imported into the Philippines;

 A 2:1 fixed exchange rate between the Philippine peso and the United States dollar;
 No restrictions on currency transfers from the Philippines to the United States;
 "Parity rights" granting U.S. citizens and corporations rights to Philippine natural
resources equal to (in parity with) those of Philippine citizens, contrary to Article XIII
in the 1935 Philippine Constitution, necessitating a constitutional amendment. [3]
The Bell Act, particularly the parity clause, was seen by critics as an inexcusable
surrender of national sovereignty.[4] The pressure of the sugar barons, particularly those
of President Roxas's home region of Western Visayas, and other landowner interests,
however, was irresistible.[4]
In 1955, the Laurel–Langley Agreement revised the Bell Trade Act.[3] This treaty
abolished the United States authority to control the exchange rate of the peso, made
parity privileges reciprocal, extended the sugar quota, and extended the time period for
the reduction of other quotas and for the progressive application of tariffs o
* "Parity rights" granting U.S. citizens and corporations rights to Philippine natural resources
equal to (in parity with) those of Philippine citizens, contrary to Article XIII in the 1935 Philippine
Constitution, necessitating a constitutional amendment.
The Bell Act, particularly the parity clause, was seen by critics as an inexcusable surrender of
national sovereignty.The pressure of the sugar barons, particularly those of President Roxas's
home region of Western Visayas, and other landowner interests, however, was irresistible.
Charles Jasper Bell
* Preferential tariffs on US products imported into the Philippines;
* A fixed exchange rate between the Philippine peso and the United States dollar;
The Bell Trade Act of 1946, also known as the Philippine Trade Act, was an act passed by
the United States Congress specifying policy governing trade between the Philippines and the
United States following independence of the Philippines from the United States. The United
States Congress offered $800 million for post World War II rebuilding funds if the Bell Trade Act
was ratified by the Philippine Congress.

What is MBA. The Military Bases Agreement of 1947 (MBA) is a joint agreement
between the Philippines and the United States signed on March 16, 1947. This treaty
officially allowed the US to establish, maintain and operate air and naval bases in the
country. It provided for about 23 listed bases and utilities for use by Americans for a
period of 99 years. Most important of these bases were the 180,000 acres Clark Air
Base in Pampanga, the biggest American airbase outside of the continental USA; and
the Subic Naval Base in Zambales. Other provisions of the 29-article MBA are the
following:
 Mutual protection and cooperation between the two countries including the use
of American and Philippine military installations
  Philippine government was prohibited from granting any bases to any other
nation without US consent
 The US was permitted to recruit Filipino citizens, on voluntary basis, for service in
American military
 American base commanders had the right to tax, distribute utilities, hand out
licenses, search without warrants, and deport undesirables
 Complementing the MBA was the signing of the Military Assistance Agreement of
1947 and the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951.
Disputes and Questions in the MBA. Disputes eventually developed concerning
certain provisions of the treaty. These include the issue on the vast land occupied by
the bases and criminal jurisdiction. Filipino nationalists also noted that the bases could
invite attack from a country hostile to the US which will eventually drag our country into
a war.

Elpidio Quirino Administration

Quiríno assumed the presidency on April 17, 1948, taking his oath of office two days after the death
of Manuel Roxas. His first official act as the President was the proclamation of a state
mourning throughout the country for Roxas' death.

Quiríno's five years as president were marked by notable postwar reconstruction, general economic
gains and increased economic aid from the United States.

Because the Philippines was still undergoing postwar reconstruction, Quirino focused on two main
objectives. His first objective was to fix the economy of his administration. To achieve this goal, he
established PACSA (President’s Action Committee on Social Amelioration), ACCFA (Agricultural
Credit Cooperatives Financing Administration), Labor Management Advisory Board, and the Rural
Banks of the Philippines. These were made to alleviate the sufferings of poor families, help the
farmers market their products, advice him on matters concerning labor, and facilitate utilities in rural
areas respectively. His second objective was to restore the faith and confidence of the people in the
government body of the Philippines. To do this, he revived former president Quezon’s “fireside
chats” which updated the people about the government via live radio broadcast from the
Malacanang palace.

Contrasting to the treatment towards HUKBALAHAP members during Roxas’ administration, he

vindicated them during his term. He granted amnesty to them on June 21, 1948.
Besides concluding peace with Japan, Quirino did many achievements during his term. Industrial
ventures heightened, irrigation improved, and the road system developed. He also set up the Central
Bank and Rural banking.

Many people were benefited by his programs and policies. PACSA was beneficial for financially
challenged families; ACCFA aided farmers in selling what they harvested; Labor Management
Advisory Board guided him on matters regarding labor; Rural Banks helped countrymen in the rural
areas manage their finances; “Fireside chats” updated Filipinos about operations in the government;
and Amnesty granting to the HUKBALAHAP members was beneficial for them because they were
finally liberated from consequences resulting from their actions against the government.

Ramon F. Magsaysay Administration

Ramon Magsaysay was dubbed as “the guy” because many considered him as the
president who really connected and represented the common man being a president
with a sympathetic heart to the masses. He even opened Malacañang to the public. His
death was presented with issues telling that his plane didn’t actually crashed but it was
sneaked in with a bomb that caused the plane crash of the president.

Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954

LASEDECO was abolished and established the National Resettlement and
Rehabilitation Administration
Main goal was to resettle landless farmers, and aimed at the rebels who returned
to provide them with lots for home and farming in Palawan and Mindanao

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international

organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective
Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal
institution of SEATO was established on 19 February 1955 at a meeting of treaty partners
in Bangkok, Thailand.[1] The organization's headquarters were also in Bangkok. Eight members
joined the organization.
Primarily created to block further communist gains in Southeast Asia, SEATO is generally
considered a failure because internal conflict and dispute hindered general use of the SEATO
military; however, SEATO-funded cultural and educational programs left longstanding effects in
Southeast Asia. SEATO was dissolved on 30 June 1977 after many members lost interest and
withdrew.

Carlos Garcia Administration (1957)

Filipino First Policy
This is the law that was passed by the Garcia administration, to give local businessmen
more priority over foreign investors. The government sector would help local
businessmen are entering industry that was filled with foreign competitors and give
them aid and sometimes financial assistance. Products of Filipino businessmen were
also preferred over foreign products.
Bohlen–Serrano Agreement
The Bohlen-Serrano Agreement was the law that shortened the original 99 year lease of
US bases here in the Philippines to 25 years, the agreement was renewable for periods
only up to 5 years.

Austerity Program
The Austerity Program was implemented by Garcia in order to curt the rampant graft
and corruption within the country. The program centered on wise spending, industry,
thrift, trustworthiness, integrity and honesty. He also urged people to avoid luxury items
and to live a simple life and reminded government officials and employees’ corruption
destroys the peoples trust in the government.

Republic Cultural Awards

The Garcia administration also put emphasis on cultural revival, due to the colonization
of many countries he felt that the revival of the Filipino culture was needed. The award
was given to Filipino artists, scientist, historians and writers.

Diosdado Macapagal Administration (1961)

The Greater Malayan Confederation, or Maphilindo (for Malaysia, the Philippines, and
Indonesia), was a proposed, nonpolitical confederation of the three Southeast Asian
countries.
Maphilindo was initially proposed as a realization of Filipino national hero, Dr. José Rizal dream
of uniting the Malay peoples, seen as artificially divided by colonial frontiers. Uniting the Malay
people was highly prioritized resulting in many events occurring within the region. The National
hero of the Philippines, Dr. José Rizal significantly contributed to creating and officiating events
designed to unite the people. In July 1963, Quezon's later successor, President Diosdado
Macapagal, convened a summit in Manila where the three countries signed a series of
agreements to resolve controversies over the former British colonies of North
Borneo and Sarawak joining Malaysia. The treaties paved way for new developments in the
region which would later contribute to the development of the country to what it is now.[3]
While the union was described as a regional association that would approach issues of common
concern, it was also perceived as a tactic employed by the Philippines and Indonesia to hinder
the formation of the Federation of Malaysia as Malaya's successor state. The Philippines had its
own claim over the eastern part of Sabah (formerly British North Borneo), while Indonesia
protested the formation of Malaysia as a British imperialist plot. The Indonesians and the
Filipinos categorized the signing of the treaty between Britain and the Malaya country as a plot
for the former to establish a colony within their borders. The assumption later resulted in heated
conflicts between Malay, Indonesia and Philippines.
The union was dismantled a month later[4] when Sukarno, President of Indonesia, adopted a
policy of Konfrontasi (Indonesian, "confrontation") with the newly constituted Malaysia. The
Konfrontasi aimed to prevent Malaysia from achieving full sovereignty and was introduced to
President Sukarno by the Communist Party of Indonesia or PKI. The PKI had convinced
President Sukarno that the formation of Malaysia was a form of neo-colonization that will later
affect Indonesian stability.

Macapagal promised a program for the socio-economic aspect of society wherein he’d
return free and private enterprises wherein economic developments would be placed in
the hands of private entrepreneurs wherein the government would have minimal control
over.
He declared that he would be the president of both the rich and the poor. He promises
to erase that line between the wealthy and the unfortunate. Mostly by elevating the
poor’s status to have a more copious life.
“I shall be president not only of the rich but more so of the poor. We must help bridge
the wide gap between the poor man and the man of wealth, not by pulling down the rich
to his level as Communism desires, but by raising the poor towards the more abundant
life.”
The Malacanang Palace is to be opened to the public.
Restoration of morality to the public by alleviating the stature of the masses.
Promised to end corruption, and establish anti-terrorism.

Dismissed Corruption in the government when the official couldn’t justify his sudden
acquisition of wealth.

Changed the Date of the Philippine Independence from June 12 to July 4.

Agricultural Land Reform Code of 1963

Abolished share tendency on rice and corn farmlands and establishment of a leasehold
system where farmers would pay rentals to landlords instead of harvests.