Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr.

YEARS IN SERVICE: December 30, 1961 – December 30, 1965

Who is Diosdado Macapagal?

Diosdado Macapagal was a prominent Filipino who held the position of sixth vice president between
1957 and 1961 and the ninth president of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965. He oversaw the 1970
Constitutional Convention while serving as the 1st District representative for Pampanga in the Philippine
House of Representatives from 1949 to 1957. Prior to entering politics, he played a significant role in the
Philippine foreign service and participated covertly in the anti-Japanese resistance during the Allied
liberation against the Japanese. Numerous initiatives to eradicate corruption in the government were
launched during his time as president of the Philippines. Still, many of them were thwarted by a
Congress that the rival Nacionalista Party controlled. 

What are his contributions to our country? 

During his presidency, Macapagal worked to improve the Philippine economy as well as fight graft and
corruption. He encouraged exports, passed the country's first land reform law, opened up the peso's
foreign exchange market to free trade, and aimed to stop income tax evasion, particularly by the
wealthiest families, which was costing the treasury millions of pesos annually. His reforms, however,
were stymied by a Nacionalista-controlled Senate and House, and he lost to Ferdinand Marcos in the
1965 presidential elections.

Where did he focus his best efforts?

There were several options for achieving the national objective of economic and social advancement
with prosperity spreading to the majority. First, there was the option of choosing between a democratic
or a totalitarian system—the latter of which was more common in communist nations. Given the
Filipinos' long-standing commitment to the democratic process, the decision was simple in this regard.
However, with the democratic mechanism, the next option was either free enterprise or maintaining the
control system. When he said before Congress on January 22, 1962, "the task of economic development
belongs principally to private enterprise and not to the government," Macapagal encapsulated the
essence of free enterprise in everyday terms.

When did he start in politics?

At the request of the Pampanga provincial political leaders, who wanted Macapagal to run for the
Pampanga 1st district in the House of Representatives, President Quirino called Macapagal back from his
position in Washington. The incumbent representative for the district, Amado Yuzon, was opposed by
the government despite being close friends with Macapagal because of his support for communist
organizations. Following an election campaign that Macapagal characterized as friendly and free of
personal jabs, he won with a resounding victory in 1949. A representative in the second and third
Congresses, he was re-elected in the 1953 election.

How did Diosdado Macapagal promote and practice independence?

By changing the date of Philippine Independence Day, Macapagal made an appeal to nationalist feelings.
In honor of the declaration of independence from Spain on that date in 1898, he signed a proclamation
on May 12 designating Tuesday, June 12, 1962, as a special public holiday.