EMILIO AGUINALDO (1899–1901)

Emilio Aguinaldo, (born March 22/23, 1869, near Cavite, Luzon, Philippines—died
February 6, 1964, Quezon City) was a Filipino leader and politician who fought first
against Spain and later against the United States for the independence of the
Philippines.

Contributions and Achievements:

 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)

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his
initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was
president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his death in 1944.
He was the first Filipino to head a government of the entire Philippines and is
considered the second president of the Philippines after Emilio Aguinaldo (1899–
1901), whom Quezon defeated in the 1935 presidential election.

Contributions and Achievements:

 First Senate president elected as President of the Philippines
 First president elected through a national election
 First president under the Commonwealth
 Created National Council of Education
 Initiated women’s suffrage in the Philippines during the Commonwealth
 Approved Tagalog/Filipino as the national language of the Philippines
 Appears on the 20-peso bill
 A province, a city, a bridge and a university in Manila are named after him
 His body lies within the special monument on Quezon Memorial Circle

JOSE P. LAUREL (1943–1945)

José Paciano Laurel y García, (March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959) was a Filipino
politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the President of the Japanese-occupied
Second Philippine Republic, a puppet state during World War II, from 1943 to 1945.
Since the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965), Laurel has
been officially recognized by later administrations as a former president of the
Philippines.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Since the early 1960s, Laurel 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 OSMEÑA (1944–1946)

Sergio Osmeña Sr. (September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and
politician who served as the fourth President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946.
He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon’s sudden death in
1944, Osmeña succeeded him at age 65, becoming the oldest person to assume the
Philippine presidency until Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 at age 71. A founder
of the Nacionalista Party, Osmeña was also the first Visayan to become president.

Contributions and Achievements:

 First Visayan to become president
 Joined with U.S. General 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

MANUEL ROXAS (1946–1948)

Manuel Acuña Roxas (January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer
and politician who served as the fifth President of the Philippines from 1946 until
his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the
 Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28, 1946, to July 4, 1946, and
became the first President of the Independent Third Philippine Republic after the
United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Inaugurated as the first president of the new Republic after World War II
 Reconstruction from war damage and life without foreign rule began during his
presidency
 Under his term, the Philippine Rehabilitation Act and Philippine Trade Act
laws were accepted by Congress
 Appears on the 100-peso bill

ELPIDIO QUIRINO (1948-1953)

Elpidio Rivera Quirino was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6 th
President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino
entered politics when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He
was then elected as a senator from 1925 to 1935.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Hukbalahap guerrilla movement active during his presidency
 Created Social Security Commission
 Created Integrity Board to monitor graft and corruption
 Quezon City became capital of the Philippines in 1948

RAMON MAGSAYSAY (1953–1957)

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino
statesman who served as the seventh President of the Philippines, from December 30,
1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automobile
mechanic by profession, Magsaysay was appointed military governor of Zambales
after his outstanding service as a guerrilla leader during the Pacific War. He then
served two terms as Liberal Party congressman for Zambales’s at-large district before
being appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Elpidio Quirino. He was
elected president under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He was the youngest to
be elected as president, and second youngest to be president (after Emilio Aguinaldo).
He was the first Philippine president born in the 20 th century and the first to be born
after the Spanish colonial era

Contributions and Achievements:

 Hukbalahap movement quelled during his presidency
 Chairman of the Committee on Guerrilla Affairs
 First president sworn into office wearing Barong Tagalog during inauguration
 Presidency referred to as the Philippines’ “Golden Years” for its lack of
corruption
 Philippines was ranked second in Asia’s clean and well-governed countries
during his presidency
 Established National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration
(NARRA) among other agrarian reforms

CARLOS P. GARCIA (1957–1961)

Carlos Polestico Garcia KR (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971), often referred to
by his initials CPG, was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official,
political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the
eighth President of the Philippines. A lawyer by profession, Garcia entered politics
when he became representative of Bohol’s 3 rd district in the House of
Representatives. He then served as a senator from 1945 to 1953. In 1953 he was
the running mate of Ramon Magsaysay in the 1953 presidential election. He then
served as vice president from 1953 to 1957. After the death of Magsaysay in
March 1957, he succeeded to the presidency. He won a full term in the 1957
presidential election. He ran for a second full term as president in the 1961
presidential election and was defeated by Vice President Diosdado Macapagal.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Known for “Filipino First Policy,” which favored Filipino businesses over
foreign investors
 Established the Austerity Program focusing on Filipino trade and commerce
 Known as the “Prince of Visayan Poets” and the “Bard from Bohol”
 Cultural arts was revived during his term
 First president to have his remains buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL (1961–1965)

Diosdado Pangan Macapagal (September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a
Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the ninth President of the
Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from
1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and
headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970. He was the father of Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, who followed his path as President of the Philippines from
2001 to 2010.
 Contributions and Achievements:
 Established the first Land Reform Law, allowing for the purchase of private
farmland to be distributed in small, inexpensive lots to the landless
 Placed the Philippine peso on the currency exchange market
 Declared June 12, 1898 to be Philippines’ Independence Day
 Signed the Minimum Wage Law
 Created the Philippine Veterans Bank

FERDINAND MARCOS (1965–1986)

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989)
was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, who served as the tenth president of the
Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981 and
kept most of his martial law powers until he was deposed in 1986, branding his rule
as “constitutional authoritarianism” under his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New
Society Movement). One of the most controversial leaders of the 20 th century,
Marcos’s rule was infamous for its corruption, extravagance, and brutality.

Contributions and Achievements:

 First president to win a second term
 Declared Martial Law on Sept. 22, 1972
 Increased the size of Philippine military and armed forces
 By 1980 the Philippine GNP was four times greater than 1972
 By 1986 the Philippines was one of the most indebted countries in Asia
 Built more schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, and other infrastructure than all
former presidents combined
 Only president whose remains are interred inside a refrigerated crypt

CORAZON AQUINO (1986–1992)

Maria Corazon “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (January 25, 1933 – August 1,
2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the eleventh president of the
Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986
People Power Revolution, which ended the two-decade rule of President Ferdinand
Marcos and led to the establishment of the current democratic Fifth Philippine
Republic.

Contributions and Achievements:

 First woman to be president of the Philippines or any Asian country
  Restored democracy
 Abolished the 1973 Marcos Constitution and ushered in the new Constitution
of the Philippines
 Reorganized the structure of the executive branch of government
 Signed the Family Code of 1987, a major civil law reform, and 1191 Local
Government Code, which reorganized 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
 On the new 500-peso bill together with her husband Benigno Aquino

Honors and Awards:

 100 Women Who Shaped World History
 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century
 65 Great Asian Heroes
 J. William Fulbright P

FIDEL V. RAMOS (1992–1998)

Fidel Valdez Ramos born March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR
and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12 th
President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military
officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second
lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for
revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during
his six years in office.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Oversaw Philippine economic growth
 Presided over celebrations of Philippine Independence Centennial in 1998
 Received British Knighthood from the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II
(Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George)
 Hosted the fourth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leader’s Summit in the
Philippines in 1996
 Philippine Stock Exchange became an international favorite during his
presidency
 Death penalty reinstated while he was in office
 Signed peace agreement with the rebel Moro National Liberation Front

JOSEPH ESTRADA (1998–2001)

Joseph Ejercito Estrada, born Jose Marcelo Ejercito Sr. April 19, 1937, also known
by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13 th
President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9 th Vice President of the
Philippines from 1992 to 1998, and the 26 th Mayor of the City of Manila, the
country’s capital, from 2013 to 2019. In 2001, he became the first Chief Executive in
Asia to be formally impeached and resigned from power. At the age of 86, he is
currently the oldest living former Philippine President.

Contributions and Achievements:

 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
 Among the “Magnificent 12” who voted to terminate the agreement that allows
for U.S. control of Clark Airbase and Subic Naval Base

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO (2001–2010)

Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal (born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her
initials PGMA and GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who previously served
as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010. She is the longest serving
president of the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos. Before her accession to the
presidency, she served as the 10 th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001
under President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, making her the country’s first female vice
president, despite having run on an opposing ticket. She was also a Senator from
1992 to 1998. After her presidency, she was elected as the Representative of
Pampanga’s 2nd district in 2010 and later became the Speaker of the House of
Representatives on 2018 to 2019. She was also serving in the congress as a Deputy
Speaker from 2016 to 2017 and from 2022 until 2023. She is one of the only 2
Filipinos to hold at least three of the four highest offices in the country: vice
president, president, and house speaker, alongside former President Sergio Osmeña.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Second female president of the country
 First and only female vice-president of the Philippines so far
 First president to take oath outside Luzon
 Former Economics professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, where later
president Benigno Aquino III was one of her students
 Ex-classmate of former U.S. President Bill Clinton at Georgetown University’s
Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she maintained dean’s list status
 Oversaw higher economic growth than the past three presidents before her
  Peso became the best-performing currency of the year in Asia in 2007
 eVAT Law was implemented under her term
 Currently on the 200-peso bill

BENIGNO AQUINO III (2010–2016)

Benigno Simeon Aquino III , (born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III February
8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy
was a Filipino politician who served as the 15 th President of the Philippines from
2010 to 2016. The son of assassinated politician Benigno Aquino Jr. and 11 th
President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino, he was a fourth-generation politician as
part of the Aquino family of Tarlac.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Created the no “wang-wang” (street siren) policy
 Appointed statesman Jesse Robredo to serve as secretary of Interior and Local
Government in 2010, where Robredo served until his death in 2012
 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
 Oversaw 7.1% growth of the Philippine economy in 2012

RODRIGO DUTERTE (2016–2022)

Rodrigo Roa Duterte (born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the
initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16 th
president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson of PDP–Laban,
the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency. Duterte is the first
president of the Philippines to be from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assume
office, beginning his term at age 71.

Contributions and Achievements:

 Oldest person to assume the office of presidency at the age of 71
 In July of 2016, a Pulse Asia Research survey found that Duterte had a trust
rating of 91%.
 Initiated an economic policy called “DuterteNomics,” which focused on
developing infrastructure and industry
  In December 2017, signed the TRAIN Law (Tax Reform for Acceleration and
Inclusion) in an attempt to simplify the country’s tax system
 Spearheaded the Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure program to stimulate the
economy and reduce poverty

FERDINAND “BONGBONG” MARCOS (2022–Present)

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. (born September 13, 1957), commonly
referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17 th and
current President of the Philippines. He previously served as a senator from 2010 to
2016. He is the second child and only son of tenth President, kleptocrat and dictator
Ferdinand Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

Contributions and Achievements:

 After he took the oath of office of president, Marcos appointed himself
Secretary of Agriculture to personally monitor and expand food and
agricultural programs.
 One of his first executive actions was to abolish the Presidential Anti
Corruption Commission.
 Starting in August 2022, the Marcos administration has been exploring ways to
boost the country’s military capabilities.
 Marcos has also been seeking ways to strengthen education and the economy,
which were both compromised during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 On the international stage, Bongbong Marcos is considered relatively pro-
American but seems open to closer ties with China.

PORTFOLIO IN
PHILIPPINE POLITICS
AND GOVERNANCE
DV JANE G. JUMANTOC
12- NARRA
MRS. RHODALYN I. FERNANDEZ