A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINES

Mattheus Marcus Contreras

3,000 BC and 2,000 BC : Agricultural societies in Philippines began.

10th AD : Filipinos traded with China.
1380 : Muslim Arabs Merchants arrived at the Sulu Archipelago.
1542 : Spanish claim the islands.
1896 : Execution of Rizal; Civil and armed campaign for independence from Spanish
rule begins.
1898 : Revolutionary forces under Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim independence.
December 1898 : During brief Spanish-American War, US Navy destroys Spanish fleet
in Manila Bay. Spain cedes Philippines to US, which proclaims military rule.
1899 : Revolutionaries refuse to recognize US takeover, proclaim First Philippine
Republic with General Aguinaldo as president, launch armed struggle against US forces
known as Philippine-American War.
1901 : Emilio Aguinaldo captured.

1902 : Philippine-American War formally ends as US civil government replaces military

rule. Some independence forces fight on until defeat of Moro resistance in south
1913 : US establishes civil government to replace military rule
1907 : Elected Philippine assembly inaugurated under US rule.

1916 : US government promises Philippines greater autonomy, leading to

independence.

1935 : The Commonwealth of the Philippines is established under President Manuel

Quezon and the US promises independence in 10 years
1941 : Japan declared war on US and it’s allies. Japanese forces invade the islands.
1944 : Return of McArthur. The US retakes the islands
1946 : The US grants the new Republic of the Philippines full independence
1965 : Ferdinand Marcos becomes President
1969 : Marcos is reelected despite allegations of elections fraud, Vietnam protests
begin, Muslim separatists begin guerrilla war in the south
1972 : Marcos declares martial law, suspends parliaments, arrests opposition leaders,
and imposes censorship regulations
1973 : New constitution adopted granting Marcos broad powers
1981 : Marcos wins reelection, martial law lifted
1983 : Opposition leader Benigno Aquino killed as he returns to the Philippines from
exile
1986 : Marcos opposed in elections by Aquino’s widow Corazon, mass protests of
election results; exile of the Marcos family to Hawaii.
February 1987 : New Constitution passed
1992 : Aquino replaced as President by Defense Minister Fidel Ramos
1996 : Peace agreement signed with Muslim separatist group
1998 : Joseph Estrada, former film star, elected President
January 2000 : Impeachment trial against Estrada suspended, leading to mass protests
which replace Estrada with Vice-President Gloria Arroyo
April 2001 : Estrada found guilty of stealing more than 80 million dollars of state funds
during Presidency, but later pardoned
June 2004 : Arroyo elected to Presidency
2005 : Arroyo resists attempt to impeach her under allegations of vote-rigging, declares
a state of emergency in response to an alleged military coup
2007-2009 : Ethnic tensions mount between Islamic separatist groups and Christian
majority
2010 : Former President Corazon Aquino died.
2010 – 2016 : Beningo “Noynoy” Aquino, son of Corazon Aquino, elected President
2013 : The first “Super Typhoon” Yolanda ravaged Philippines resulting to many
casualties and destroyed infrastructures.
2016 to Present : Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the long-time mayor from Davao City, became
the first President from Mindanao and the oldest to be elected in the position
Bibliography

United States. CIA World Factbook: Philippines. , 2011. Web. 27 Jun 2011.

"Philippines Country Profile." 22/04/2011. BBC News. Web. 27 Jun 2011.

United States Department of State. Background Note: Philippines. , 2011. Web. 27 Jun
2011.

United States Library of Congress. A Country Study: Philippines. , 2011. Web. 27 Jun
2011.

1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. 1987. Web. 27 Jun 2011.

Maddex, Robert L. Constitutions of the World. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press,
2008. Print.

Bacani, Benedicto. Presidential System in the Philippines: Some Issues and

Concerns. Web. 8 Jul. 2011.