The Constitution • The enduring challenges to Philippine
society may be rooted to colonialism,
1. The fundamental law, which establishes
the character and basic principles of the
government.
2. The basic political principles on which a
state is governed, making clear the
rights of the individual and limiting the
powers of the government.
Eight constitutions that governed the
Philippines
1. Biak-na-Bato (1897)
2. Malolos (1899)
3. Act of the United State Congress
4. Commonwealth and Third republic
(1935)
5. Second Republic (1943)
6. The New Society and the Fourth
Republic (1973)
7. Freedom Constitution
8. 1987 Constitution
DISCUSSION POINTS
• History shows us the evolution of
Philippine institutions. The challenges
these institutions face today may be
overcome by tracing their development
in the past.
• History does not offer solutions to
problems of today. What it offers is
tools by which we can understand
today’s challenges.
but not exclusively. This means our
study of the Philippine past must be
focused not just in the colonial
“periods” but also the nation-building
efforts taken by Filipinos themselves.
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
1. Does studying history help us solve
today’s problems? How?
2. What are examples of societal issues
that concern us today that could be
rooted in history?
3. How do we become productive citizens
by contributing to the discussion of
national issues of the day?
ANSWER KEY
1. Yes, by showing us how these problems
developed through time, and the efforts
to solve them. If these efforts failed, we
may be able to learn from them and
propose better solutions in the future.
2. There are many answers to this ‒
constitution, agrarian reform, taxation,
election, and many others.
3. Contribution to the national discussion
is one thing. But what we contribute
matters. Through studying history, we
could base our opinions on solid facts,
facts that make our assertions more
substantive.
LESSON SUMMARY
• Philippine institutions evolved through
time. Through history, we are provided
 with tools to situate and analyze the
problems that these institutions face
today.
• It is through further retrospection that
we may be able to find solutions, but
we must not lose sight of present
conditions and variables.
LESSON OUTCOME
• Effectively communicate, using various
techniques and genres, their historical
analysis of a particular event or issue
that could help others understand the
chosen topic
• Propose recommendations/solutions to
present-day problems based on their
understanding of root causes and their
anticipation of future scenarios
• Display the ability to work in a team and
contribute to a group project
Final coverage's - Lesson 4: 2
Biak-na-Bato Constitution (1897)
1. Drafted by Isabelo Artacho and Felix
Ferrer and based on the First Cuban
Constitution.
2. Made after a meeting of the
revolutionary government on
November 1, 1897 at Biak-na-Bato in
town of San Miguel de Mayumo in
Bulacan where the Republic of Biak-na-
Bato was established.
The Biak-na-bato Republic
- On November 1, 1897, a republic was
established by Gen. Aguinaldo in Biak-
na-bato (now San Miguel de Mayumo,
Bulacan).
- It had constitution which was to take
effect for 2 years only.
- It declared that the aim of the
revolutions was the “separation of the
Philippines from the Spanish monarchy
and their formation into an
independent state.”
- The Biak-na-bato Republic lasted up to
December 15, 1897, with the the
conclusion of the “Pact of Biak-na-
bato”.
• On November 1, 1897, Aguinaldo was
again elected as President if Biak-na-
bato Republic.
• On June 23, 1898 to January 23, 1899
he became president of the second
revolutionary government.
• January 23, 1899 he became
president of the first Philippine
Republic.
• Pres. Aguinaldo was captured by the
Americans at Palawan, Isabela on
March 23, 1901. He surrendered and
the Philippines became a colony of the
United States.
- The Philippines Constitution is the
fundamental law of the land.
- The President exercised legislative
power at the adoption of the 1986
freedom constitution.
- The 1987 Constitution was framed by
the Constitutional Assembly.
- The appointed members of the
constitutional Commission
promulgated the 1987 constitution.
- In 1976 amendment to the 1973 allow
the incumbent president to hold the
position of president.
- Highly controversial issue in the 1973
constitution removing the president
term limit.
- The 1935 constitution used by the
Philippine government from the
commonwealth period until 1973.
- After 1973 constitution Modified
Parliamentary system of government
was installed under 1973 constitution
under Marcos regime.
- Malolos Constitution is the First
Republican Constitution in Asia.
- Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act. A law
modified the structure of the
Philippines government by removing
the Philippine Commission as the
legislative as upper house replacing it
with Senate elected by Filipino voters.
- Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act. It is the
independence Law of the Philippines,
introduced United State Congress which
provided for the Philippine Assembly.
- Commonwealth is a form of
government under 1935 constitution.
Final 3
Malolos Constitution
- The political constitution of 1899,
informally known as Malolos
Constitution, was the basic law of the
First Philippine Republic.
- It was written by Felipe Calderon y
Roca and Felipe Buencamino as an
alternative to a pair of proposals to the
Malolos Congress by Apolinario Mabini
and Pedro Paterno. After a lengthy
debate in the latter part of 1898, it was
enacted on January 21, 1899.
Malolos Constitution (1899) 1st
Republic
- The Malolos Constitution was the first
republican constitution in Asia.
- It declared that sovereignty resides
exclusively in the people, stated basic
civil rights, separated the church and
state, and called for the creation of an
Assembly of Representatives to act as
the legislative body.
- It also called for a Presidential form of
government with the president elected
for a term of 4 years by a majority of
the Assembly.
- It was titled “Constitucion politica”,
and was written in Spanish following
the declaration of independence from
Spain, proclaimed on January 20, 1899,
and was enacted and ratified by the
Malolos Congress, a Congress held in
Malolos, Bulacan.
The Malolos Constitution is unique for
3 reasons
- Because of the provisions making the
Assembly of the legislative branch
 superior to either the executive or the
judicial branch.
- Because it provided for a Permanent
Commission to sit as a legislative body
when the Assembly was not in session.
- Because it established a unicameral
legislature.
- Calderon feared the predominance of
the ignorant military elements which
were solidly behind Aguinaldo.
- Calderon made provision for the
creation of a Permanent Commission,
composed of Assembly delegates,
which would sit as a legislative body
when the Assembly was not in session.
- By this method, the executive could not
usurp the powers that could make him
powerful enough to institute an
“oligarchy of ignoramuses”.
Philippine Legal System – Government
Structure
3 branches of government:
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Legislative
- Make laws
- Congress is under the legislative
- Senate is under the congress (100
elected senators; 2 senators per senate)
- House of Representatives is also under
the congress (435 elected rep. in total;
reps based on each state’s population).
Executive
- Carries out laws
- President is under the executive
- Under president is the vice and cabinet
(cabinet is nominated by the president
and must be approved by the senate –
with at least 51 votes)
Judicial
- Evaluates laws
- Supreme court is under the judicial (9
justices nominated by the president and
must be approved by the senate – at
least 51 votes)
- Other federal courts are also under the
judicial.
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted
by the United States Congress. It can
either be a Public Law, relating to the
general public, or a Private Law, relating
to specific institutions or individuals.
The term can be used in other countries
with a legislaturenamed "Congress",
such as the Congress of the Philippines.
Tydings – Mcduffie Act
Joseph Tydings and John Mcduffie
- In 1934, the US Congress, having
originally passed the Hare-Hawes-
Cutting Act as a Philippine
Independence Act over President
Hoover’s refusal, only to have the law
rejected by the Philippine legislature,
 finally passed a new Philippine
Independence Act, popularly known as
the Tydings-Mcduffie Act. The law
provided for the granting of Philippine
independence by 1946.

Jose P. Laurel
- 2nd republic of the Philippines
- October 14, 1943 – August 17, 1945
- Era: 3rd president of the Philippines –
President of the 2nd republic
- Constitution: 1943 constitution

1973 Constitution
- Main purpose before Martial Law:
1. To reflect genuine Philippine
independence and sovereignty.

- Main purposes after Martial Law:

1. To change the present government
to parliamentary form.
2. To give Marcos more power and
postpone the incoming 1973
elections.

- Ratification was done through citizen’s

assembly.
- Created in accordance with the
declaration of Martial Law and the New
Society.
- Lasted until the People Power
Revolution 1986.