SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Grade 12

Philippine Politics and Governance

DIVISION ARALING PANLIPUNAN TOOLS

(DAPAT)
First Grading - Lessons 7 & 8

Evolution of Philippine Politics and Governance

Grade 12- Philippine Politics and Governance

Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and governance. i
Grade 12- Philippine Politics and Governance
Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and governance.
 INTRODUCTION

Philippine Politics and Governance had developed from a simple form to a

more complex and complicated system. It had evolved from the barangays of pre-
Hispanic times to the present form of government under the 1987 Constitution.
Early Philippine settlements had a government and civilization independent
from each other. The coming of the Spaniards led to the establishment of a
centralized government. Discontentment among the subjected people gave birth to
Philippine nationalism and subsequently to an independent country.
This module briefly outlines the developmental stages in the politics and
governance of the Philippines from the Pre-Spanish to the Fifth Philippine Republic.

YOUR TARGET

Philippine Politics and Governance

Through Time
Filipinos are entitled to know the history of the Philippines including the
development of politics and governance in the country.
Understanding the present situation of the country requires a deep knowledge
of what had happened in the past that may have led into the development of politics
and governance in the Philippines.

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 REMEMBER

There had been a total of five Republic established in the Philippines since
1899. The First Republic was established on January 23, 1899 under the Malolos
Constitution; the Second Republic on October 14, 1943 under the Japanese-
sponsored Constitution; the Third Republic on July 4, 1946 under the 1935
Constitution; the Fourth Republic on June 30, 1981 under the 1973 Constitution, as
amended in a plebiscite in 1981 installing a modified parliamentary system of
government; and the Fifth Republic when the 1987 Constitution was put into full
force and effect.

The Barangay System of Government

The Philippines has early

settlements or villages before the
coming of the Spaniards. These
settlements were called barangay,
named after balangay, a Malayan
word for “boat”. The barangay is
equivalent to a state, for it possessed
the four basic elements of statehood.
However, some barangays joined
together as “confederations” for the
purpose of mutual protection against
common enemies.
Eachwhich
The balangay, a Malayan word for boat, brought the Bornean datus in the Philippines barangay was ruled
led to early Filipino byknown
settlements a as barangay.
datu who served as a chief. In some
places, chieftains were called rajah, or
sultan. The datu served as chief executive, law giver, chief judge, and military head.
In the performance of his duties, however, he was assisted by a council of elders
(maginoos) as his advisers. The people of the barangay were divided into four
classes, namely: the nobility (maharlika), to which the datu belonged, the freemen
(timawa), the serfs (aliping namamahay), and the slaves (aliping sagigilid).

The Spanish Colonial Government

On the discovery of the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, Spain had
the possession of the country for almost four centuries. Since the dawn of the
Hispanic rule, the Philippines was indirectly ruled by the King of Spain through the
Viceroy of Mexico until 1821. When Mexico obtained her independence from Spain,
the Philippines was ruled directly from Spain.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first governor-general, introduced the
encomienda headed by an encomendero. An encomienda was given as a gift to
Spanish officers who helped in the pacification of the natives. The system was later
replaced by the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barrios.
The government which Spain established in the Philippines was centralized in

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 structure and national in scope. The barangays were consolidated into towns
(pueblos) each headed by a gobernadorcillo (little governor), popularly called
capitan, and the towns into provinces, each headed by an alcalde-mayor who
represented the Governor-General in the provinces.
The power of the government was exercised by the Governor-General who
resided in Manila. He was Governor and Captain-General and Vice-Royal Patron. As
Governor-General, he had executive, administrative, legislative and judicial powers.
As Captain-General, he was the Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces in the
Philippines. As the vice royal patron, he exercised certain religious powers. Because
of these broad powers, the Governor-General enjoyed more powers than the King of
Spain himself. This was justified because of the distance of the Philippines from
Spain. In the administration of the Philippines, the Governor-General was assisted
by many boards and officers, particularly the Board of Authorities and the Council of
Administration.
Governments during the Revolutionary Era
The Katipunan Government.
The Katipunan was a secret society
that initiated the Philippine Revolution
on August 26, 1896. It was organized
by Andres Bonifacio. The central
government of the Katipunan was
vested in a Supreme Council
(Kataastaasang Sanggunian). In each
province there was a Provincial
Council (Sangguniang Balangay) and
in each town, a Popular Council
(Sanggunian Bayan). The Judicial
Andres Bonifacio and the members of the Katipunan during the “Cry in Pugadlawin”.
Power was exercised by a Judicial
Council (Sangguniang Hukuman).
Photo courtesy of Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation
Retrieved from: www.philippinefolklifemuseum.org
The Katipunan was replaced by a
government whose officials headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo were elected in the
Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897.
The Biak-na-Bato Republic. On November 1, 1897, a republic was
established by Gen. Aguinaldo in Biak-na-Bato (now San Miguel de Mayumo,
Bulacan). It had a constitution which was to take effect for two years only. It declared
that the aim of the revolutions was the “separation of the Philippines from the
Spanish monarchy and their formation into an independent state.”
The Dictatorial Government. Following the outbreak of the Spanish-American
War on April 25, 1898, Gen. Aguinaldo established the Dictatorial Government on
May 24, 1898. The most important achievements of the Dictatorial Government were
the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence at Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898
and the reorganization of local governments.
The Revolutionary Government. On June 29, 1898, Gen. Aguinaldo
established the Revolutionary Government replacing the Dictatorial Government with
himself as President. The aims of the new government were “to struggle for the
independence of the Philippines until all nations including Spain will expressly
recognize it” and “to prepare the country for the establishment of a real Republic.”

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 The First Philippine Republic. A
revolutionary Congress of Filipino
representatives met in Malolos, Bulacan at the
call of the Revolutionary Government leading
to the ratification of the Proclamation of
Philippine Independence made by Gen.
Aguinaldo in Kawit on June 12, 1898. This
event also led to the promulgation of the very
first democratic constitution in Asia. This event
established a “free and independent Philippine
Republic” which was inaugurated on January
23, 1899 with Gen. Aguinaldo as President.
However, the Republic was not recognized by
the family of nations. The First Philippine
Republic was short-lived due to the captive of
Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph Gen. Aguinaldo in April, 1901. Thus, the
Malolos Constitution which was promulgated
to establish a
Philippine Republic never had a chance to operate. Nonetheless, the Philippine
Revolution of 1896 served a mark in the history of Asian Nations as it was the first
war of independence fought by Asians against colonizers that gave birth to the first
constitutional democracy in Asia and the West Pacific.

Government During the American Regime

A day after Manila was captured in April 1898, the American military rule in
the Philippines began. A Military Government was established due to the existence
of war. The US President served as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces
and his authority was delegated to the Military Governor who exercised as long as
the war lasted all powers of government – executive, legislative and judicial. The first
American Military Governor was General Wesley Merritt, the second was General
Elwell E. Otis, and the third and last was Major General Arthur MacArthur.
The Civil Government. The Spooner Amendment (on the Army Appropriation
Act passed in the US Congress on March 3, 1901) ended the military regime in the
Philippines and brought about the inauguration of the Civil Government in Manila on
July 4, 1901.
From 1907 to 1916, the Philippine Commission acted as the upper house of
the legislative branch with the Philippine Assembly serving as the lower house. With
the passage of the Spooner Law in 1916, these two bodies gave way to the
Philippine Legislature composed of the Philippine Senate and the Philippine House
of Representatives. The Philippines was represented in the United States by two
Resident Commissioners.
The Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. The next stage in the
political development of the Filipinos was the establishment of the Commonwealth
Government of the Philippines pursuant to an act of the United States Congress on
March 24, 1934, commonly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Law. The law provided
for a transition period of ten years during which the Philippine Commonwealth would
operate and at the expiration of said period on July 4, 1946, the independence of the
Philippines would be proclaimed and established.
The new government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was a republican

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 in form under the presidential type. It was inaugurated on November 15, 1935,
following the first national election under the 1935 Constitution held on September
12, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña became President and Vice-
President, respectively.

Japanese Sponsored Republic

Established in Manila on January 3,
1942, one day after its occupation, the
Japanese Military Administration
terminated the sovereignty of United
States over the Philippines. A civil
government known as the Philippine
Executive Commission composed of
Filipinos with Jorge B. Vargas as
Chairman was organized by the military
forces of occupation. The commission
exercised both the executive and
legislative powers.
On October 14, 1943, the Second
Republic of the Philippines known as the
Japanese-sponsored Republic was
inaugurated with Jose P. Laurel as
President. However, the laws enacted
were subject to the approval of the
Commander- in-Chief of the Japanese
Forces. The Judiciary remained at its form
during the Commonwealth. Thus, it
functioned without independence.
The ultimate source of the Second Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph
Republic’s authority was the Japanese
Imperial Forces in the country.
The Third Philippine Republic
After the war, the Philippine
Commonwealth was reestablished in
Philippine soil in 1945. President Manuel
Roxas was elected as the Third President
of the Commonwealth, first President of the
Independent (Third) Republic of the
Philippines, and the fifth President of the
Philippines. His term ushered the end of the
Philippine Commonwealth on July 4, 1946,
and the birth of the Third Republic. Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 He was followed by Presidents Elpidio Quirino,
Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia, and Diosdado
Macapagal. President Ferdinand Marcos became the
last President of the Third Republic when he declared
martial law in 1972.

Martial Law Era and the Fourth Philippine

Republic
Flipping back the historical pages of the Philippine
government, there were several instances when the
Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph leaders of the country declared martial law to meet
the national emergency. Martial law was imposed
during
the Spanish colonization, the Second Republic under the presidency of Jose P.
Laurel, on September 1972 during the presidency of President Marcos, during the
presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President Duterte. However, the martial
law declared by President Ferdinand E. Marcos was the most historical.
Claimed as the last defense against the rising disorder caused by increasingly
violent student demonstrations, the alleged threats of communist insurgency by the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the Muslim separatist movement of
the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), President Marcos signed Proclamation
No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the Philippines under Martial Law.
The year before the declaration of Martial Law, the 1971 Constitutional
Convention was created. The resulting document was the 1973 Constitution which
superseded the 1935 Constitution.

Under the Martial Law, President Marcos

governed the country through his powers as
Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. His constituents called this as
“constitutional authoritarianism”.
As Commander-In-Chief, he issued
presidential decrees, proclamations, general
orders, and letters of instructions – all of which
have the binding force of law.
On January 17, 1981, Ferdinand Marcos
lifted Martial Law. He then proclaimed the “New
Society” which ushered The Fourth Republic
under the 1973 Constitution as revised in 1981.
Marcos became the first President of the Fourth
Republic and the tenth President of the
Philippines.

A newspaper headline of President Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law.

Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph

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Analyze the evolution of Philippine politics and
 The Fifth Philippine Republic
In 1986, through a peaceful
demonstration tagged as the EDSA People
Power Revolution, President Corazon
Cojuangco-Aquino, the wife of former Senator
Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Sr., was
successfully installed into office as the 11 th
President of the Philippines. She served as
the second and last President of the Fourth
Republic at the beginning of her term.
She faced both economic and political
problems of the country. Her term as
president began on February 25, 1986 after
taking an oath of office at the Club Filipino in
San Juan, Metro Manila. She was the first
woman to become president of the country.
Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph
A transitory Freedom Constitution was
put into effect in the same year. With the
enforcement of the 1987 Constitution the Fifth
Republic was inaugurated. Thus, President
Aquino became the first President of the Fifth
Republic. The 1987 Constitution brought back
to life the presidential system of government.
She was followed by Fidel V. Ramos
who took office in 1992 and immediately
worked on the country’s recovery. Ramos
initiated the Social Reform Agenda or SRA that
was geared towards alleviating poverty.
A film actor, Joseph Ejercito Estrada,
succeeded Ramos as president in 1998. He
was a former mayor of San Juan, Metro Manila
and vice-president of Ramos. Estrada was Retrieved from: www.officialgazette.gov.ph

placed
into office by a wide margin of vote. He gained support in the election for his promise
to begin a pro-poor administration that his predecessors failed to promote in their
respective platforms.
Erap was ousted as President due to many issues during his administration
and Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the office until the term
ended in 2004. Serving Estrada’s remaining term, President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo ran for a full six-year term.
Arroyo promoted a “Strong Republic” under her presidency, which was
geared toward vigorous economic reforms. However, her administration was
bombarded with several controversies and impeachment attempts in the last five
years.
On June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III was proclaimed as
the 15th president of the republic together with Jejomar Binay as Vice-President.
Aquino is the eldest son of former president Corazon Aquino and the assassinated
former senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. Aquino's 6-year term is marked by both positive
and negative events.
Rodrigo Roa Duterte took his oath as the 16th president of the Philippines on
June 30, 2016. Duterte is a lawyer and a politician. He is the former mayor and
former 1st district congressman of Davao City in Mindanao. He is the first president

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 to come from Mindanao.

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