Philippine History

1
The Republic of the Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines

This lesson focuses on the establishment of the Republic of the Philippines and
the different presidents under the Philippine Republic. It also presents the
declaration of Martial Law. The achievements and problems of each
administration are also covered.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Discuss the establishment of the First Philippine Republic.
2. Evaluate the achievements and problems of each president’s
administration.
3. Appreciate the efforts of different presidents of the Philippines.
4. Commit yourself to be a participative member of the Philippine
society.

Philippine
Presidents:

1. Emilio Aguinaldo – 1st Philippine Republic

(1899-1901)
2. Manuel L. Quezon- 1st Commonwealth
(1935-1944) president and 2nd Philippine
President
3. Jose P. Laurel – 2nd Philippine Republic
(1943-1945)
4. Sergio Osmena – 2nd American
Commonwealth president1944-1946
5. Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948)
6. Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953)
7. Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)
8. Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)
9. Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965)
10. Ferdinand E Marcos (1965-1986)
11. Ma. Corazon Aquino (1986-1900)
12. Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)
13. Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2001)
14. Ma. Gloria Arroyo (2001-2010)
15. Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)

Course Module
The Philippine Republic
The First Philippine Republic, popularly known as Malolos Republic,
was inaugurated at the Barosoain Church on January 23, 1899. This was also
the first republic in Asia. Emilio Aguinaldo took his oath of office as the
President of the Republic. He stated the aspiration of the nation “to live under
the democratic regime of the Philippine Republic, free from the yoke of foreign
domination.” The people rejoiced; appropriate festivities marked the day
throughout the land.

Emilio Aguinaldo (1899-1901)

 The first and only president of the First
Republic (Malolos Republic)
 signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, creating a
truce between the Spanish and Philippine
revolutionaries
 known as the President of the Revolutionary
Government
 led the Philippines in the Spanish-Philippine
War and the American-Philippine War
 youngest president, taking office at age 28
 longest-lived president, passing away at 94

Manuel L Quezon (1935-1944)

 1st President of the Commonwealth of the

Philippines
 Known as “Father of the National Language”
 1st Senate President elected through national
election
 2nd president under the Commonwealth
 Created the National Council of Education
 approved Tagalog/Filipino as the national
language of the Philippines
 Philippine History
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The Republic of the Philippines

Jose P. Laurel (1943-1945)

 considered caretaker of the government during

the Japanese occupation of World War II in the
Philippines.
 since the early 1960s, Laurel was considered a
legitimate president of the Philippines
 organized KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa
Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas, or Association
for Service to the New Philippines), a
provisional government during Japanese
occupation
 declared Martial Law and war between the
Philippines and the U.S./United Kingdom in
1944
 with his family, established the Lyceum of the Philippines

Sergio Osmena (1944-1946)

 2nd president of the Republic of the Philippines

 became president at 65, making him the oldest
person to hold office
 first Visayan to become president
 joined with U.S. Gen. Douglas McArthur in
Leyte on October 20, 1944 to begin restoration
of Philippine freedom after Japanese
occupation
 Philippine National Bank was rehabilitated and
the country joined the International Monetary
Fund during his presidency
 Bell Trade Act was approved by the U.S.
Congress during his presidency
 appears on the 50-peso bill

Course Module
Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948)

 Fifth president of the Philippines: the third

(and last) president under the
Commonwealth, and the first president of
the Third Republic of the Philippines. He
held office for only one year, 10 months, and
18 days.
Achievements:
 Ratification of the Bell Trade Act
 Inclusion of the Parity Amendment in the
Constitution
 Signing of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement
 Rehabilitation and reconstruction of war-
ravaged Philippines
 Improvement of the ruined economy
 Adopted the pro-American policy
Problems:
 Graft and corruption in the government, as evidenced by the “Surplus
of War Property Scandal,” “Chinese Immigration Quota Scandal,”
“School Supplies Scandal”;
 Failure to check the Communist HUK movement

Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953)

 Served as vice president under Manuel

Roxas. When Roxas died in 1948, he
became the president
 Main Objectives:
 Economic reconstruction of the nation
 Restoration of the faith and confidence of
the people in the government
 Created integrity Board to monitor graft
and corruption
 Created Social Security Commission
 Quezon City became capital of the
Philippines in 1948
 Problems:
 Lack of Funds
 HUK Problem: Terrorism and Disruption of Peace and order.
 Graft and corruption in his government
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The Republic of the Philippines

 Wasteful spending of the people's money in extravagant junkets

abroad

Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)

 He was a military governor and an engineer

 first president sworn into office wearing the
Barong Tagalog during inauguration
 chairman of the Committee on Guerilla Affairs
Achievements:
 his term was referred to as the Philippines’
“Golden Years” because of the absence of
corruption
 Philippines was ranked second in Asia’s clean
and well-governed countries during his
presidency
 Established Agrarian Reform and the NARRA (National Resettlement
and Rehabilitation Administration)
 Savior of democracy in the Philippines
 Man of the Masses
 Stopped the HUK communist rebellion
 Constructed roads, bridges, irrigation canals
 Established the SEATO: Southeast Asia
 Imposed high moral standard for public officials
Problems:
 Impending projects
 Lack of enough funds
 Graft and corruption

Course Module
Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)

 Served as vice-president under Ramon

Magsaysay
 Secretary of foreign affairs
 Was named president when Magsaysay died in
1957
Achievements:
 The Filipino First Policy put the rights of
Filipinos above those of foreigners
 boosted the economy and obtained greater
economic independence
 revived old Filipino cultural traditions
 established the Austerity Program focusing on Filipino trade and
commerce
Problems:
 Graft and corruption
 Lack of treasury funds
 Huge national debt
 Impending projects

Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965)

Achievements:
 Suppressed graft and corruption
 Stimulated the economy
 Established the 1st Land Reform Law, allowing
the purchase of private farmland to distribute
the excess, small lots to the farmers
 Declared June 12, 1898 as Philippines
Independence day.
 Formed the Maphilindo (Malaysia, the
Philippines and Indonesia) through a foreign
policy which paved the way for the creation of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)
 Signed the Minimum Wage Law
 Elected as president of the constitutional convention in 1971 that
drafted the 1973 constitution
Problems:
 Acute problem in unemployment
 Widespread mass poverty
 Graft and corruption problem
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The Republic of the Philippines

 Lack of treasury funds

 a number of his reforms were blocked by the Nacionalista, dominating
the Senate and House of Representatives

Ferdinand E Marcos (1965-1986)

 Was Senate President for three years

 Was president of the Philippines for 21 years
 first president to win 2nd term
 declared martial law on September 22, 1972
 Achievements (1964-1969):
 Immediate construction of roads, feeder roads
and permanent bridges,
 A generator with an electric power capacity of
one million kilowatts (1,000,000 kW),
 Water services to eight regions and 38
localities
 Revitalized the judiciary, the national defense
posture and the fight against smuggling,
criminality, and graft and corruption in the
government
 Mobilized the manpower and resources of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines
 Hired technocrats and highly educated persons to form part of the
cabinet
 North Diversion Road (now, North Luzon Expressway) was
constructed with the help of the AFP engineering construction
battalion
 Vietnam War; over 10,450 Filipino soldiers were sent to South
Vietnam under the designation of Philippines Civil Affairs Assistance
Group (PHLCAAG)
Events during 1969-1972:
 Re-elected because of his impressive performance
 Philippines experienced higher inflation rate and devaluation of the
Philippine peso in 1969
 Oil-producing Arab countries decided to cut back oil production, in
response to Western military aid to Israel in the Arab-Israeli conflict,
resulting in higher fuel prices worldwide.
 Communal violence in Mindanao resulted in 100,000 refugees,
burning of hundreds of homes, and the death of hundreds of
Christians and Muslims in Cotabato and Lanao.
Course Module
  An economic crisis brought by external and internal forces, a restive
and radicalized studentry demanding reforms in the educational
system, a rising tide of criminality, subversion by the re-organized
Communist movement, and secession in the south
 President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Proclamation No.889
suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus on August 21,
1971 following the bombing in Plaza Miranda during the
proclamation rally of the Liberal Party

Martial Law
“It is easier perhaps and more comfortable to look back to the solace of a
familiar and mediocre past. But the times are too grave and the stakes too high
for us to permit the customary concessions to traditional democratic
processes.”
— Ferdinand
Marcos, January 1973

Events:
 September 21, 1972, President Marcos declared Martial Law by virtue
of Proclamation No. 1081;
 Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil
liberties;
 Closed down Congress and media establishments;
 Ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists;
 Constitutional convention in 1970 to replace the colonial 1935
Constitution;
 The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form
of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos
to stay in power beyond 1973.
Events during 1981-1986:
 June 16, 1981, six months after the lifting of martial law, the first
presidential election in twelve years was held
 President Marcos ran and won a massive victory over the other
candidates
 Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated at the Manila International
Airport in August 1983 upon his return to the Philippines after a long
period of exile
 Philippine economy suffered a great decline after the Aquino
assassination
 Political troubles also hindered the entry of foreign investments and
foreign banks stopped granting loans to the Philippine government
 Economy experienced negative economic growth in 1984 and
continued to decline despite the government's recovery efforts. There
has been a rampant practice of graft and corruption within the
government and Marcos' lack of credibility
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The Republic of the Philippines

 Marcos himself diverted large sums of government money to his

party's campaign funds
 Unemployment rate ballooned from 6.30% in 1972 to 12.55% in 1985
Downfall of Marcos:
 Rampant corruption
 Political mismanagement by his relatives and cronies
 Notorious nepotist, appointing family members and close friends to
high positions in his cabinet
 Marcos's health deteriorated rapidly due to kidney ailments Results of
the snap election in 1986 that lead to a massive, multisectoral
congregation of protesters, and the gradual defection of the military to
Aquino led by Marcos' cronies, Enrile and Ramos
 The "People Power movement" drove Marcos into exile, and installed
Corazon Aquino as the new president

Ma. Corazon Aquino (1986-1900)

 First woman president of the Philippines and

the first woman to become president of an
Asian country
Events during her term:
 Established Presidential Commission on Good
Government (PCGG)
 Issued Proclamation No. 3, which established a
revolutionary government
 Implemented a program of reconciliation
 Retained the presidential form of government
Established Presidential Commission on Good
Government (PCGG)
 Issued Proclamation No. 3, which established a revolutionary
government
 Implemented a program of reconciliation
 Signed the Family Code of 1987, a major civil law reform, and 1191
Local Government Code, which organized the structure of the
executive branch of government
 initiated charitable and social activities helping the poor and the
needy
 named “Woman of the Year” in 1986 by Time magazine
 Retained the presidential form of government
 Received honors and awards including:
Course Module
 o 100 Women Who Staged World History
o 20 Most influential Asians of the 20th century
o 65 Great Asian heroes
o J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding

Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

 the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the

Philippines before he became president
Achievements:
 Established Presidential Commission on Good
Government (PCGG)
 Issued Proclamation No. 3, which established a
revolutionary government
 Implemented a program of reconciliation
 Retained the presidential form of government
 oversaw Philippine economic growth
 received British Knighthood from the United
Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St.
Michael and St. George)
 signed peace agreement with the rebel Moro National Liberation
Front

Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2001)

 The first president who had been a famous film

actor
 His presidency was controversial
Achievements:
 Erap para sa Mahirap Project
 Strengthened bilateral ties with neighboring
countries; Visiting Forces Agreement with the
United States, which was ratified in the Senate
 Had a strong economic team
 during his presidency Moro Islamic Liberation
Front headquarters and camps were captured
 joined other leaders and politicians to try to amend the 1987
Constitution
 cited as one of the Three Outstanding Senators in 1989
 Philippine History
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The Republic of the Philippines

 among the “Magnificent 12” who voted to terminate the agreement

that allows for U.S. control of Clark Airbase and Subic Naval Base

Problems:
 The Philippine Daily Inquirer; “bias, malice and fabrication" against
him
 Libel suit against the country's oldest newspaper the Manila Times
over a story that alleged corruption in the awarding of a public works
project
 Corruption charges and impeachment trial in the senate in 2001

Ma. Gloria Arroyo (2001-2016)

 2nd female president of the Philippines

Achievements:
 Construction of schools, classroom facilities,
books for students and scholarships to poor
families;
 The balancing of the budget;
 Automation of the electoral process;
 A just end to the peace process; and
 Closure to the divisiveness among the Edsa 1,
2 and 3 forces
Problems:
 Oakwood Mutiny on July 27, 2003 led by Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV, and
Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala of the Phil. Navy
 “Hello Garci Tape”
 Manila Peninsula Rebellion
 NBN ZTE Deal
 Impeachment complaints
 Extra-judicial killings

Course Module
 Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)

 joined the House of Representatives and the

Senate before his presidency.
 He is the first president who is a bachelor; he
is unmarried and has no children.
Programs:
 Fiscal sustainability and macroeconomic
stability
 Private and Public Partnership ( PPP )
 Ease in doing business, for both local and
foreign investors
 Investment in people – giving Filipinos health
care, education and the skills necessary to become productive
participants in the economy
 initiated K-12 education in the Philippines
 renamed the Office of the Press Secretary to Presidential
Communications Operations Office and appointed new officers
 suspended allowances and bonuses to Government Owed and
Controlled Corporation and Government Financial Institution board
members

Assignment

1. Discuss the events that lead the EDSA Revolution.

2. Describe the result of the EDSA Revolution.

References:
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1990). History of the Philippines. Garo Tech Books
Inc.: Quezon City
Malabuyoc, Edwin (2008). Philippine History. Jimsy Publishing House:
Malabon City