Emilio Aguinaldo (1899–1901)

Examining the five peso coin will help you recall the first president of the Philippines' First
Republic. The five peso bill, which is no longer in circulation, once featured General Emilio
Aguinaldo's portrait. On the reverse of the piece, he is seen hoisting the Philippine flag during a
celebration of Philippine Independence Day.
His accomplishments include leading the Philippines in both the American and Spanish-
Philippine Wars and signing the Biak-na-Bato Pact, which established a ceasefire between the
Spanish and Philippine insurgents.

Manuel L. Quezon (1935–1944)

The people of the Philippines chose Manuel Luis Quezon to be the first president of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines following 34 years of Insular Government under American
control. The “Father of National Language” (Ama ng Wikang Pambansa) is how many refer to
him. He passed away in Saranac Lake, New York, from TB.
His accomplishments include founding the National Council of Education, granting women the
right to vote in the Philippines under the Commonwealth, and recognizing Tagalog/Filipino as
the country’s official language.

Jose P. Laurel (1943–1945)

The presidency of José P. Laurel is a contentious one. During the Japanese occupation of World
War II, he served as the official caretaker for the government. He was criticized by some as a
traitor, and in 1948, an amnesty proclamation replaced his treason accusation.
In 1944, he declared martial law and sparked a war between the Philippines and the United
States and the United Kingdom. He also organized KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa
Bagong Pilipinas, or Association for Service to the New Philippines), a temporary government
during Japanese occupation. In 1944, he founded the Lyceum of the Philippines with his family.

Sergio Osmeña ( 1944–1946)

The Commonwealth’s second president was Sergio Osmeña. The Philippines became a member
of the International Monetary Fund during his administration.
His efforts are Combined with American ones. During his administration, the Philippines joined
the International Monetary Fund, the Philippine National Bank was repaired, and the U.S.
adopted the Bell Trade Act. General Douglas McArthur arrived in Leyte on October 20, 1944, to
start the process of restoring Philippine freedom following Japanese rule.
Manuel Roxas (1946–1948)
The third (and final) president of the Philippines under the Commonwealth, Manuel Roxas also
served as the country’s first president of the Third Republic of the Philippines. He was only in
office for a year and ten months and eighteen days.
During his presidency, the Philippines’ war damage was rebuilt, and the country was freed from
foreign dominion. Congress also approved the Philippine Rehabilitation Act and Philippine Trade
Act statutes during his administration.

Elpidio Quirino (1948–1953)

Elpidio Quirino was Manuel Roxas’s vice president. Quirino took over as president following
Roxas’s death in 1948.
His accomplishments include founding the Hukbalahap guerilla group, which was active
throughout his presidency, the Social Security Commission, the Integrity Board, which kept an
eye on graft and corruption, and the 1948 designation of Quezon City as the Philippine capital.

Ramon Magsaysay (1953–1957)

Iba, Zambales is the birthplace of Ramon Magsaysay. He was an engineer as well as a military governor.
While boarding the presidential airplane, he perished in an aircraft accident.
His contributions: National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) was established,
among other agrarian reforms; the Hukbalahap movement was put an end to during his presidency; the
Philippines was ranked second in Asia’s clean and well-governed countries during his presidency; his
administration was known as the country’s “Golden Years” due to its lack of corruption.

Carlos P. Garcia (1957–1961)

Carlos P. Garcia was a teacher, lawyer, and poet who led guerrillas in the Pacific War. Garcia, a
Bohol native, held positions as secretary of foreign affairs for four years and as vice president
under Ramon Magsaysay. As President Magsaysay passed away in 1957, he took over.
During his administration, the Cultural Arts were revitalized, and he established the Austerity
Program that focused on Filipino trade and business.

Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965)

Diosdado Macapagal was a lawyer and lecturer who was born in Lubao, Pampanga. Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, his daughter, served as the Philippines’ 14th and second female president.
His contributions included establishing the first Land Reform Law, which permitted the landless
to receive private farmland in small, affordable lots; putting the Philippine peso on the exchange
market; declaring June 12, 1898, as Philippine Independence Day; signing the Minimum Wage
Law; and founding the Philippine Veterans Bank.

Ferdinand Marcos (1965–1986)

Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, an Ilocos Norte native, practiced law and served as Senate President
for three terms. 21 years were spent as president. He imposed martial law and had a notoriously
corrupt and cruel government. Marcos’s presidency was terminated following the People Power
Revolution.
His contributions included building more schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, and other
infrastructure than all previous presidents combined; making the Philippine military and armed
forces larger; increasing the country’s GDP to four times its 1972 level by 1980; being the only
president whose remains are kept in a refrigerated crypt; and making the Philippines one of the
most indebted nations in Asia by 1986.

Corazon Aquino (1986–1992)

Paniqui, Tarlac is the birthplace of Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines
and the first female head of state in an Asian nation. She played a significant role in the People
Power Revolution that ended the tyranny of Ferdinand Marcos.
Benigno Aquino Jr., her spouse, was a senator and a vocal opponent of the Marcos
administration. While Marcos was still in office, he was assassinated.
Her contributions included signing the Family Code of 1987, a significant civil law reform, and
the 1191 Local Government Code, which reorganized the executive branch of government,
abolishing the Marcos Constitution of 1973 and bringing in the new Constitution of the
Philippines, and starting social and charitable initiatives to aid the underprivileged.

Fidel V. Ramos (1992–1998)

Prior to taking office as president, Fidel V. Ramos served as the Armed Forces of the Philippines’
chief of staff. He was a civil engineer as well. Even in the midst of the 1997 Asian Financial
Crisis, he brought stability and economic prosperity back to the nation while serving as
president. He is the Philippines’ first—and so far only—non-Catholic president.
During his presidency, the Philippine Stock Exchange gained international recognition, the death
penalty was reinstated, he oversaw the country’s economic growth, presided over the celebration
of the country’s centennial of independence in 1998, hosted the fourth Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation Leader’s Summit in the Philippines in 1996, and signed a peace agreement with the
rebel Moro National Liberation Front.

Joseph Estrada (1998–2001)

Joseph Estrada, aka “Erap,” was the first president to have been a well-known actor in motion
pictures. His administration generated controversy. The economy expanded slowly while he was
in government, and he was the subject of impeachment proceedings. In 2001, he was removed
from office as president. He was later found guilty of robbing the government, but his sentence
was overturned. In 2010, he made an unsuccessful presidential run. His efforts during his
presidency included joining other lawmakers and leaders to attempt to modify the 1987
Constitution after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s headquarters and camps were taken.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010)

The second female president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, served as its
fourteenth leader. She was in office when the Oakwood Mutiny happened. Arroyo presided over
greater economic growth and the construction of roads and infrastructure than any previous
president, but she was not without controversy.
Her contributions: she oversaw faster economic growth than the previous three presidents, the
peso became Asia’s best-performing currency in 2007, the eVAT Law was implemented during
her term, and she was a former professor of economics at the Ateneo de Manila University,
where president Benigno Aquino III later studied.

Benigno Aquino III (2010–2016)

Prior to becoming president, Benigno Aquino III was a member of the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Being single and childless, he was the first president to be a bachelor. His
efforts resulted in the creation of the “wang-wang” (street siren) program and the appointment of
statesman Jesse Robredo, who served as secretary of Interior and Local Government until his
death in 2012.
Renamed the Office of the Press Secretary to the Presidential Communications Operations Office
and appointed new personnel; suspended incentives and allowances for board members of
government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions; and
started K–12 schooling in the Philippines. Oversaw the Philippine economy’s 7.1% expansion in
2012

Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022)

Rodrigo Duterte served as mayor of Davao City and a member of the House of Representatives
prior to being elected president. He had a lengthy history of voicing strong opinions on
contentious issues, including the Catholic Church, human rights, and other world leaders.
His contributions: in July 2016, a Pulse Asia Research survey revealed that Duterte had a 91%
trust rating; he launched “DuterteNomics,” an economic policy centered on the development of
industry and infrastructure; in December 2017, he signed the TRAIN Law (Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion), aiming to streamline the nation’s tax code; and he spearheaded the
Build! Construct! Construct! Infrastructure initiative to boost the nation’s economy and fight
poverty.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (2022–Present)

The former president Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos are the parents of Bongbong Marcos. Born
in 1966, Bongbong and his sister Imee were among the kids that waited for the Beatles to show
up at the palace for a welcome due to a misunderstanding between their mother and the band,
which turned into the “Manila incident.”
His contributions: He eliminated the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission as one of his first
executive measures. The Marcos government began looking into measures to strengthen the
nation’s military capabilities in August 2022. Marcos has also been looking for methods to
improve the economy and education, both of which were weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic.