DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY Mid

La Union Campus
City of San Fernando, La Union College of Education
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Name: BASILIO, FRANCIA NEIL TUMBAGA Year & Section: BSE 1C

Subject: Readings in Philippine History (GECC 106) Date Submitted: April 13, 2021

MODULE 4: Economic and Political Issues in the Philippines

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.A

PRESIDENTS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND REPUBLIC

NAME OF PRESIDENT BIRTHPLACE BIRTHDATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

General Emilio Kawit, Cavite March 22, 1869 -He was the one who declared
Aguinaldo y Famy Philippine Independence from
Spain on June 12, 1898.

-Signed the Pact of Biak-na-

Bato, creating a truce between
the Spanish and Philippine
revolutionaries

-He also led the Philippines in

the Spanish-Philippine War and
the American-Philippine War

Manuel Luis Quezon Baler, Tayabas (now August 19, 1878 -Creation of National Economic
Antonio y Molina Quezon) Province Council that advised the
government in economic and
financial matters.

-Establishment of Agricultural
and Industrial Bank to aid small
farmers by providing loans.

-Establishment of National
Council of Education through
Executive Order No. 19 on
February 19, 1936. The council
was given funds for opening and
maintaining public schools.

-Advocating women’s suffrage

-Adoption of Tagalog (Filipino),

as the National Language per
recommendation by the
Institute of National League.

Jose Paciano Laurel Tanauan, Batangas March 9, 1891 -Despite being President, Laurel
y Garcia was not able to do much since
the Japanese continued control
the government and the
country.
 Sergio Osmeña Cebu city September 9, 1878 -Rehabilitation of the Philippine
National Bank

-Foreign Relations Office

-International Banking

-Bell Trade Act

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.B

PRESIDENTS OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC

NAME OF BIRTHPLACE BIRTHDATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

PRESIDENT

Manuel Acuña Roxas City January 1, 1892 -Establishment of the Philippine

Roxas Rehabilitation Finance Corporation that
is responsible for granting loans and
constructions of 12,000 houses

-Creation of the Central Bank of the

Philippines

-Passage of Republic Act No. 1946 or the

Tenant Act

-Providing amnesty to Filipino

collaborators during the Japanese period

-Proclaiming Hukbong Laban sa Hapon

(HUKBALAHAP), a Communist guerilla
against Japanese, is illegal

-Improving the sugar industry

Elpidio Rivera Vigan, Ilocos November 16, 1890 He is known as the Father of
Quirino Sur Industrialization of the Philippines for
his efforts to improve the country’s
economy. Notable achievements
include:

-Improving Philippine Industry

-Increased the aid from the United

States

-Administered Economic Mobilization

-Improving Rice Planting

-Establishing the minimum wage law

Ramon del Iba, Zambales August 31, 1907 His administration was cited to be the
Fierro Philippines’ Golden Years since it
Magsaysay improved the status of the country.
Notable achievements include:

-Establishment of National Resettlement

and Rehabilitation Administration, which
was responsible of giving 65,000 acres of
land to 3,000 indigent people
 -Republic Act no. 119 (Agricultural
Tenancy Act of 1954) – provided security
of tenure of tenants

-Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act

1951) – creation of Land Tenure
Administration, which was responsible
for acquisition and distribution of large
tenanted rice and corn lands.

-Republic Act no. 821(Creation of

Agricultural Credit Cooperative
Financing Administration) – provided
tenants loan with low interest rates.

Carlos Polistico Talibon, Bohol November 4, 1896 -Inaugurated an austerity program to

Garcia eliminate graft and corruption

-Improved the economy by popularizing

“Filipino First Policy”, a policy of giving
priority to Filipino over foreigners

-Initiated cultural revival through:

• Creation of Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Centennial Commission that was
responsible for acquisition of
Rizal’s writing and memorabilia
• Sponsoring an annual Republic
Cultural Awards
• Supporting the world tours of
Bayanihan Dance Troupe
• Wearing Barong Tagalog during
special occasions

Diosdado Pangan Lubao, September 28, 1910 -Republic Act No. 3512- an act creating
Macapagal Pampanga Fisheries Commission

-Republic Act No. 3518- an act creating

the Philippine Veteran’s Bank

-Republic Act No. 3844- an act ordaining

the Agricultural Land Reform Code and
to institute land reforms in the
Philippines

-Republic Act No. 4166- an act changing

the date of Philippine Independence
from July 4 to June 12. Moreover, July 4
was declared as Republic Day.

-Republic Act No. 4180- an act amending

the Minimum Wage Law to benefit
workers

-The creation of economic alliance

MAPHILINDO composing Malaysia,
Philippines, and Indonesia

Ferdinand Sarrat, Ilocos September 11, 1917 -Improving the Philippine National
Emmanuel Edral Norte Railway
Marcos
 -Building the Light Rail Tansit (LRT),
Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Lung
Center, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant,
Film Center of the Philippines, and San
Juanico Bridges

-Building 80,000 classrooms and 6,000

kilometers of roads

-Food sufficiency through the green and

blue revolution. Green revolution under
Masagana 99 program aimed to increase
rice production. On the other hand, blue
revolution aimed to increase marine
resources.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.C

PRESIDENTS OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC

NAME OF BIRTHPLACE BIRTHDATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

PRESIDENT

Maria Corazon Paniqui, Tarlac January 25, 1933 -The restoration of democracy to the
Suumulong country
Cojuangco-
-Presidential Proclamation 131 and
Aquino Executive Order on July 22, 1987,
which dealt about land reforms

-The creation of Family Code of 1987

and Administrative Code of 1987

-Enactment of 1991 Local Government

Code that devolves some national
government powers to the Local
Government Units (LGUs)

-The creation of the 1987 Constitution

and the inauguration of the fifth
Republic of the Philippines

Fidel Valdez Lingayen, Pangasinan March 18, 1928 -Peaceful resolution of the internal
Ramos armed conflict with the Communist
Party, National Democratic Front, New
People’s Army, and Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF)

-Granting of amnesty to rebel military

offices and members of Reform the
Armed Forces Movement (RAM) led by
Colonel Gregorio Honasan

-Creating the Presidential Anti-Crime

Commission (PACC) on July 7, 1992.
The commission was headed by Joseph
Estrada.

-Protection of Overseas Filipino

Workers Through Migrant Workers and
Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995
 -Creating the National Centennial
Commission (NCC) to foster spirit of
oneness and identity as a people and
nation

-Building of circumferential road

known C-5, Manila Skyway, and NAIAA
terminal II

-Launched Social Reform Agenda

Jose Marcelo Manila, Philippines April 19, 1937 -Creation of the Presidential Anti-
Ejercito Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF),
which was headed by Panfilo Lacson

-New building for the orphanage of the

Association de Damas De Filipinas

-Metrostar or the MRT III was finally

opened

Maria Gloria San Juan, Rizal April 5, 1947 -The “Strong Republic” Nautical
Macapagal- Highway: linking the fragmented island
Arroyo through The RoRo (roll-on, roll-off)
network of ships and barges

-The Halsema Highway that connected

Cordillera Administrative Region,
Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra,
Apayao, and Kalinga

-The Star Tollway that directly linked

Manila to Batangas

-Holidays were moved either to

Monday or Friday to create three-day
weekends

-Solid Waste Management Act (RA

9003)- an act to create a system of
proper treatment of waste disposal

Benigno Manila, Philippines February 8, 1960 -Created the no "wang-wang" (street

Simeon siren) policy
Cojuangco
Aquino III -Initiated K-12 education in the
Philippines

-Renamed the Office of the Press

Secretary to Presidential
Communications Operations Office and
appointed new officers

-Suspended allowances and bonuses to

Government Owed and Controlled
Corporation and Government Financial
Institution board members

-Oversaw 7.1% growth of the Philippine

economy in 2012
 -Executive Order No. 1, creating the
Truth Commission. The commission is
tasked to investigate various anomalies
and issues including graft and
corruption allegations against the past
administration, government officials
and their accomplices in the private
sector during the last nine years.

-Executive Order No. 2, ordering the

immediate removal of all midnight
appointments made by the previous
administration for violating the 60-day
constitutional ban on presidential
appointments before a national
election.

-Executive Order No. 3, an executive

order revoking Executive Order No.
883, signed by former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo that automatically
promoted lawyers in government
executive service to the rank of Career
Executive Service Officer III (CESO III).

Rodrigo Roa Maasin, Southern March 28, 1945 -Significant poverty reduction and
Duterte Leyte economic inclusion

-The campaign against illegal drugs

-Sanctioning of abusive utilities

-Breakup of some oligarchies

-Savvy fiscal management

-Train Law

-Bangsamoro Organic Law

- Free Tertiary Education Law

-Cutting the red tape

-Aggressive Infrastructure Plan

-Environmental Rehabilitation and

Policies
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.D

Reaction Paper

The term of Rodrigo Duterte as president began on June 30, 2016 following his inauguration
as the Sixteenth President of the Philippines (Sixth President of the Fourth Republic), succeeding
Benigno Aquino III. His term is expected to end exactly six years later. At this point, Duterte is now
on his fifth year of presidency. During this long journey of him, the Duterte Administration has
achieved several milestones that many Filipinos give thank for, but it has also done very badly in
some other fields as well. The article entitled “Duterte Promise Checklist: Major accomplishments,
failures” that we read tackles about the accomplishments or failures, as the title suggests, of this
administration so far. It gives brief informative discussion about several programs and actions
executed by this administration that garnered mixed praise and criticism from the people.

Firstly, the article discusses the administration’s “Bloody War on Drugs” which I strongly do
not condone since this program is morally and legally unjustifiable. The objective is commendable,
but the means to get there is wrong and has a large-scale violation of human rights. Among the
massive death rates, some of those have been specifically targeted or were inadvertently shot. And
sadly, some of those cases have not been properly investigated. The lack of transparency from law
enforcement agencies and those misencounters that resulted to death of innocent people make this
program condemnable. Secondly, the article talks about the Tax Reform Law that signed by Duterte
on his second year in office. The aim of this law is to fund social services programs, and those funds
can be obtained by imposing higher taxes to some specific products which is I think a further burden
for poor Filipino people. While the goal of this program is very commendable, which is to raise public
revenues to improve social services and economic outcomes in the future, there are still some useful
considerations that the government should create in putting up tax policy. Furthermore, the
composition consecutively mentions several laws and programs that I personally appreciate and
praise due to its essential benefits to each and every Filipino. These are the Bangsamoro Organic
Law, the Free Tertiary Education Law, cutting the red tape, the Administration’s Aggressive
Infrastructure Plan, and those several essential Environmental Policies that were implemented.
These have undoubtedly helped millions of Filipinos, and therefore I can see these as huge
accomplishments of the reigning administration. On the flip side, Duterte’s inability to ease EDSA’s
traffic problem, his resistance to gather international support for the ruling of the West Philippine
Sea, his lack of respect for rule of law and human rights, as well as his lack of transparency for firing
officials at a time due to corruption are what I am loathing to this administration. I consider these
as huge failures on the side of the president. It is also a huge shame for the administration if we talk
about the Coco Levy fund for the farmers that never happened. The poor coconut farmers feel
betrayed, and I really feel sad for them for they were not able to receive what they have expected.
Lastly, Duterte also thought of shifting to federalism type of government, but he has given up on this
idea. Personally, federalism could work in our country since every region has its own problems that
need a very specific and concise solution. This appropriate solution can only be given by the people
who can experience the problem first-hand. Therefore, issues of local concern should be governed
by smaller subdivisions, states, and cities since they themselves are affected by the problem and
they know it better. Either ways, the president already dropped this idea, so opinions about this
should also be halted.

In conclusion, the Duterte Administration is filled with accomplishments that deserve a

celebration from the benefitting Filipino people, but it is also tainted with failures and anomalies.
No administration is perfect— it always has moles that deserve criticisms. Nevertheless, its main
focus should and must be the betterment of the country and its people.