MODULE 6 THE PREAMBLE

I. Overview
The learners will be able to know about the preamble, its relevance and
importance.

II. Objectives
1. Define Preamble;
2. Discuss the object & value of the preamble;
3. Identify the Source of Constitution’s authority;
4. Identify each of the national aims & purposes of the constitution in the
preamble.
5. & discuss the changes in the Preamble.

III. Content Outline

1987 Philippine Constitution Preamble:
We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to
build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our
ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our
patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence
and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love,
equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Preamble
-is derived from the latin word preambulare which means to walk before.
-it is an introduction and or prologue to the main subject.

Preamble not essential in a constitution

Technically speaking, the Preamble forms an integral part of our constitution. Of itself
alone, it cannot be invoked as a source of private right enforceable by the courts or of any
governmental power not expressly granted or at least, clearly implied therefrom.

It is significant to take note that majority of the Constitutions of the world contain a
preamble.

Object & Value of Preamble

1) It sets down the origin and the purposes of the constitution
While a preamble is not a necessary part of the constitution, it is advisable to have
one. In the case of the Constitution of the Philippines, the Preamble which is couched in
general terms, provides the broad outline of and the spirit behind the constitution.
*It serves two very important ends:
a. Tells us who are the authors of the constitution and for whom it has
been promulgated;
b. It states the general purposes which are intended to be achieved by the
Constitution and the government established under it and certain basic principles
underlying the fundamental charter.
2) May serve as an aid of interpretation
The preamble has a value for the purpose of construction or interpretation of the
meaning of constitutional provisions.
It may interpret those vague and or ambiguous terms.

Source of Constitution’s Authority

1) The Filipino people
-to signify their oneness and solidarity. It is different from the term people of the
Philippines which may refer to the entire body of inhabitants, a mere aggrupation of
individuals including aliens.
2) Sovereign people
-the intention is to stress that Filipino People; in ordaining and promulgating the
Constitution, do so on their own authority as a sovereign people and not by virtue of the
authority or permission given by a superior foreign power.
Belief in God is stressed
Our Preamble is in the form of collective prayer. The Filipinos are intensely religious
people. In imploring the aid of Almighty God, they declare and affirm their belief in the
existence of a Supreme Being that guides the destinies of men and nations. They
acknowledge the overruling power of God over the affairs of nations and all human
beings. They recognize the fact that with the help of personal God to whom they are all
accountable, they will be able to achieve the ideals and aspirations to which they are
committed, particularly in laying a strong foundation for building a just and humane
society which is not possible in a Godless society. In a sense, they acknowledge God as
the source of their authority.
The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian and partly Muslim nation in Asia and
East Pacific Region.
National purposes and aims in adopting the Constitution
As set forth in the Preamble, they are:
1) To build a just and humane society and
2) To establish a Government that shall:
a. embody our ideals and aspirations;
b. promote the common good;
c. conserve and develop our patrimony;
d. secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy
under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace
Changes in the Preamble
1) The Preamble consisting of 75 words, is one of the world’s longest preambles. It has
15 words more than that of the 1973 Constitution.
2) The phrase Almighty God replaced Divine Providence in the 1935 and 1973
Constitutions which was considered vague and impersonal.
3) Common good is used to refer to all the people in place of general welfare which is
not as inclusive as it may be interpreted to refer only to the welfare of the greater
majority and freedom instead of liberty because the latter word does not cover
freedom from want, fear and ignorance.
4) Other amendments are insertion of the following phrases and words:
a. To build a just and humane society;
b. The rule of law;
c. Aspirations;
d. Truth
e. Love;
5) The word independence in the 1935 text of the Preamble (which was almost an exact
reproduction of the Preamble of the US Constitution except for some alterations in
phraseology was changed to democracy in the 1973 Constitution for the reason that
the term denotes the idea of a colonial status (which was existing at the time of the
adoption of the 1935 constitution) and it is long after 1946 when the Philippines had
become legally independent from the United States. It is restored to stress our being
an independent nation, free to build and chart our own destiny, in our own time and in
our own way.
6) The words peace and equality were inserted in the 1973 Constitution in view of the
turbulence and the waves of protest against basic economic and social inequalities
then prevailing in the country at the time of the framing of the same. These conditions
continued to exist up to the last days of the Marcos regime.