Manuel Roxas (1892-1948)
was the last president of the
Commonwealth and the first
president of the Republic of
the Philippines. His administration
Manuel A.
demonstrated decisively that political
sovereignty without economic independence
encourages reaction, perpetuation of social
injustices, and exploitation.
Roxas
Roxas was committing the Philippines to the
side of the United States at the start of the
cold war in a speech at the Clark Air Force
Base when he suffered a heart attack on
The Fifth President of the April 14, 1948. Loyal to the United States to
Philippines the last, he died on American soil.
During World War II Roxas served in the
pro-Japanese government of José Laurel by
acquiring supplies of rice for the Japanese
Arts Appreciation
army. Although a court was established after
the war to try collaborators, Roxas was
1 Alpha
defended by his friend General Douglas
MacArthur. Roxas was elected president of
Mariecris L. Coronel
the Commonwealth in 1946 as the nominee
of the liberal wing of the Nacionalista Party
(which became the Liberal Party), and,
Prof. Jeffrey Tiquio when independence was declared on July 4,
he became the first president of the new
Manuel Roxas republic.
His Excellency’s Governance
When Manuel Roxas started his term as
the first president of the third republic,
he was left with the post-war state of
Philippines. Production decreased,
education diminished, unemployment
rate increased, interference from
America heightened, and the
HUKBALAHAP movement intensified.
Since this was the state of the country,
his inauguration speech centralized on
the rehabilitation of the country. In
exchange for 800 million dollars of
rehabilitation money, the Bell Trade Act
or the Philippine Trade Act was signed.
Along with that policy, others like the
General Amnesty and Military Bases
Agreement was implemented. Most
policies were manipulated by American
government officials who made the
policies more beneficial to the American
citizens. Issues like the Bell Trade Act
were highly criticized by people because
it allowed Americans to exploit the
Philippine’s natural resources. The
countrymen felt bought because that
right should have been exclusive to
Filipino citizens. The Military Bases
Agreement further angered the people
because it allowed the American military
to have their leased bases in the
Philippines till year 2045. Roxas had a
hard time managing people who did not
agree with his policies. People attempted
to murder him, but fortunately for him,
he was able to escape death.
Roxas Administration
 Domestic policies
 Economy
 Reconstruction after the war
 Agrarian Reform
 Amnesty Proclamation
 Civil War
 Foreign policies
 Treaty of General Relations
 United States military base
 Parity Rights Amendment
 Turtle and Mangsee Islands
Controversies
His administration was marred by graft and
corruption; moreover, the abuses of the
provincial military police contributed to the rise
of the left-wing (Huk) movement in the He studied law at the ‘University of the
countryside. His heavy-handed attempts to Philippines.’ He graduated in 1913 and aced the
crush the Huks led to widespread peasant bar examinations.
disaffection.
Roxas belonged to the lineage of Antonio Roxas
y Ureta, the brother of Domingo Roxas y Ureta,
who gave rise to the Róxas de Ayala and Zóbel
de Ayala clans.
The good record of the Roxas
administration was marred by notable
failures: the failure to curb graft and
corruption in the government (as evidenced
by the surplus war property scandal), the
Chinese immigration scandal, the school
supplies scandal and the failure to check and
stop the communist Hukbalahap movement.
Assassination attempt
The night before the plebiscite, Roxas narrowly
escaped assassination by Julio Guillen, a disgruntled
barber from Tondo, Manila, who hurled a grenade at
the platform on Plaza Miranda immediately after Family and
Roxas had addressed a rally.
Personal Life
Childhood & Early Life He married Trinidad de
Leon in 1921. She thus became the fifth First Lady
Manuel A. Roxas was born in Capiz (present- of the Philippines. They had two children, Gerardo
day Roxas City) in Capiz Province, on January
1, 1892, to Gerardo Roxas and Rosario
(Gerry) and Ruby. Gerardo grew up to be a senator
of the Republic of the Philippines
Acuña.Roxas.
Roxas died of a heart attack on the night of April 15,
1948. He was preparing to support the U.S. forces,
at the beginning of the Cold War, and had delivered
a speech at the ‘Clark Air Force Base’ the same day.

He was succeeded by Elpidio Quirino, his vice

president.