ARIMAN PRINCESS

LESSON LEARN 4.2

1899 saw the introduction of the Malolos Constitution, the first constitution of the
Philippines. It was drafted during the brief period of the Philippine Republic’s
independence and was signed in Malolos, Bulacan on January 21, 1899 by President
Emilio Aguinaldo. The Malolos Constitution established a democratic government
with a bicameral legislature and a provision to elect a president. It was known for
introducing democratic reforms and for being the first republican constitution in Asia
– constituting a major milestone for freedom in the region.

The Philippines has had a total of six constitutions since the Proclamation of
Independence on
June 12, 1898. In 1899, the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine Constitution—
the first
republican constitution in Asia—was drafted and adopted by the First Philippine
Republic, which
lasted from 1899 to 1901In 1899, the Malolos Constitution was drafted in the
Philippines as the first and only constitution of the short-lived First Philippine
Republic. It was written while Emilio Aguinaldo was in power, as a way to define the
country’s form of government. The document established three branches of
government (legislative, executive, and judicial) as well as civil and political rights for
Filipino citizens. It declared Filipinization in all aspects of life and limited foreign
power in the nation.
The Philippines was granted a new Constitution in 1935, which declared the country
as a commonwealth and established a bicameral legislature. This Constitution was
ratified during the administration of President Manuel Quezon, who was elected in
1934. It set in motion the transition to independence, which was granted on July 4,
1946. This Constitution also declared Filipino as the official language of the country
and established Filipino culture as the basis of all laws.
After the American occupation of the Philippines in 1902, the United States
government imposed its own government on the Philippines via the US-sponsored
Philippine Organic Act of 1902. This was replaced by the 1935 Constitution, which
established a commonwealth government headed by Manuel L. Quezon as the
Commonwealth President. The 1935 Constitution was based on the US Constitution
and included a bicameral legislature, an executive branch, and an independent
judiciary. It also granted Filipinos civil and political rights and established Filipino as
the national language.