NAME : LYKA DENISSE D.

CATUBIG

PROFESSOR : PROF. CHRISTOPHER FIGUEROA

SUBJECT : READINGS IN PH HISTORY

SCHEDULE : THURSDAY, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

CONTENT

: PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTS RANKED

: PRESIDENTS’ BACKGROUND

: JUSTIFICATION
 PH PRESIDENTS RANKED

1. Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1986)

2. Rodrigo Duterte (2016-Present)

3. Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)

4. Manuel L. Quezon (1935-1944)

5. Jose P. Laurel (1943-1945)

6. Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965)

7. Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)

8. Corazon Aquino (1986-1992)

9. Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953)

10. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001-2010)

11. Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

12. Sergio Osmena (1944-1946)

13. Benigno Simeon Aquino III (2010-2016)

14. Emilio Aguinaldo (1899-1901)

15. Joseph Ejercito Estrada (1998-2001)

16. Manuel Roxas (1946-1948)

 PRESIDENTS’ BACKGROUND

1. FERDINAND MARCOS (1917 – 1989)

President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. Declared martial law on

September 21, 1972. After the People Power revolution in February 1986, he was
ousted from power and lived in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. RODRIGO DUTERTE (1945 – )

Current president of the Philippines. Was elected to a six-year term in May

2016. Took office on June 30. Known by the nickname Digong. A lawyer and
politician of Visayan descent from the southern island of Mindanao.

In the first four months of his term, President Duterte has made impressive
progress in asserting Philippine sovereignty and dignity in the international arena,
in aligning the country with Asian values instead of Hollywood-manufactured
cultural norms, in the fight against drugs, in uplifting the status of indigenous
peoples and of our Muslim brothers in the south, in putting an end to endo, in
putting on notice corrupt government officials, and in securing fishing privileges
for Filipinos in waters that China has been claiming as its own. He has also secured
financial support from Japan and promises from Russia.

3. RAMON MAGSAYSAY (1907 – 1957)

President of the Philippines from 1953 to 1957. He had been President

Quirino’s secretary of defense who was instrumental is suppressing the HUK
rebellion. As president, he persuaded Congress to pass the Agricultural Tenancy
Act (1954). It was during his term that the Retail Trade Nationalization Act was
passed. He secured revisions in the Bell Trade Act and was the first president to
revise the US Military Bases agreement to bring it more in line with Philippine
interests.

4. MANUEL L. QUEZON (1878-1944)

The first Filipino president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines under

American rule. He was president of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. For
advocating Filipino-language amendments to the 1935 Constitution, he is known as
the “Father of the National Language.”

5. JOSE P. LAUREL (1891 – 1939)

President of the Second Republic from 1943 to 1945. He had been secretary
of the interior (1923), senator (1925 – 1931), delegate to the Constitutional
Convention (1934), and chief justice during the commonwealth. When World War
II broke out, he was instructed by Quezon to stay in Manila and deal with the
Japanese to soften the blow of enemy occupation. As president, he defended
Filipino interests and resisted Japanese efforts to draft Filipinos into the Japanese
military service. Upon return of the American forces, Laurel was imprisoned in
Japan when Douglas Macarthur occupied that country He was returned to the
Philippines to face charges of treason, but these were dropped when President
Roxas issued an amnesty proclamation. In the Third Republic, he was elected
senator and negotiated the Laurel-Langley Agreement.

6. DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL (1910 – 1997)

President of the Republic of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965. He asked

Congress to pass the Agricultural Land Reform Code, which abolished share
tenancy and installed a leasehold system in its place; it finally passed on August 8,
1963. This was a significant step toward resolving the agrarian problem. It was
during his presidency that Independence Day was moved from July 4 to June 12,
the date when General Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence in Cavite.

7. CARLOS P. GARCIA (1896 – 1971)

President of the Philippines from 1957 to 1961. Remembered for his Filipino
First Policy. He was among the founders of the Association for Southeast Asia
(1963), the precursor of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

8. CORAZON COJUANGCO AQUINO (1933 – )

President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. With Salvador Laurel as

running mate, she led the opposition that overthrew the authoritarian government
of Marcos, who went into exile after the successful People’s Power revolution of
1986. She first established a revolutionary government under the Freedom
Constitution, later replaced by the Constitution of 1987, which served as the basis
for reestablishing democracy.

9. ELPIDIO QUIRINO (1890—1956)

President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. As vice president during

Manuel Roxas’s term, he was also secretary of foreign affairs. He became
president when Roxas died in 1948. He was elected president in his own right in
1949.

10. GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (1947 – )

 President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2004. She served as vice president
under President Estrada and became president when he was forced to step down for
malfeasance, through the People’s Power II revolution. PGMA has confronted
some of the same obstacles as did her father, President Diosdado Macapagal, when
he tried to clean up corruption in government. Her government continues enjoy
political legitimacy in the face of opposition.

11. FIDEL V. RAMOS (1928 – )

President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1997. As head of the Constabulary

under President Marcos, he was instrumental in helping to design and implement
martial law. Together with General Ponce Enrile and the RAM, he defected from
the government in 1986 and joined the People’s Power revolution that ousted
Marcos from power. His presidency is remembered for better integrating the
national economy in the global scheme.

12. SERGIO OSMEÑA, SR. (1878 – 1961)

The first Filipino national leader under the American regime as speaker of
the Philippine assembly and the second president of the Philippines (1944-1946).

13. BENIGNO AQUINO III (1960 – )

President of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. Was elected to a six-year

term in May 2010.

14. EMILIO AGUINALDO (1869 – 1964)

 The president of the first Philippine republic (1899). He started as a member
of the Magdalo Chapter of the Katipunan in Cavite, then was elected president of
the revolutionary government at the Tejeros Convention on March 22,1897, and,
later, Biak-na-Bato Republic. He proclaimed Philippine independence at Kawit on
June 12, 1898. His capture foreshadowed the end of large-scale armed resistance to
American rule.

15. JOSEPH ESTRADA (1937 – )

President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001. During his term in office,
he was arrested and stood trial at a congressional impeachment hearing on charges
of accepting bribes and corruption. While this trial was aborted when the senators
voted 11 to 10 not to open incriminating evidence against him, he was ousted from
power anyway as a peaceful People’s Power II revolution arose and called for his
resignation.

16. MANUEL ROXAS (1892 – 1948)

The last president of the Philippine Commonwealth and the first president of
the republic (1946 – 1948).
 JUSTIFICATION

I believe that every president in the Philippine electoral history became

worthy of their position during their days. For me, there is no such thing as “best”
of “worst” president since they’re all just doing their jobs. It’s just that they all
differ from their own perspectives and ways. Therefore, I have ranked the sixteen
presidents of the Philippines depending upon the contributions they’ve made to our
country during their terms as the president.

Among all the presidents we had, I have selected President Ferdinand

Marcos as my number one president. During his times, our country was an
incredibly rich country. Philippines is one of the fast developing country, not only
in Asia but to the western countries as well. During his administration, Marcos
made things easily for Filipinos from food, transportation, and many more. Before,
the discipline remains in our country, wherein almost all of the Filipinos were
afraid to commit crimes. He led the Philippines in a better direction by
implementing countless projects, yet he is being bullied by other people just to
discredit his many good works.

Even though many people are considering him as a dictator, who have set
our country to extreme violence, and a thief, who plunder Philippines for his own
wealth, he have done so many things for the betterment of our country. A lot of
people tend to just focus on a person’s negative side, neglecting the good things he
did. Instead of putting all their eyes on Marcos’ great leadership and efforts he put
on our country, they’ve got brainwashed with other people’s criticisms towards
Marcos. All he ever wanted is for our nation is to be great again. The only reason
why people disagree with him is because he took a lot of action towards discipline.