Timeline of Philippine Constitution

The 1897 Constitution of Biak-na-Bato -November 1, 1897

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15, 1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial
Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the
Philippine Revolution.

https://www.philippine-history.org/biak-na-bato.htm

The 1899 Malolos Constitution

-First republican constitution in Asia
-Basic civil rights, separated the church and state
-Assembly of Representatives -Parliamentary republic as the form of government
-President was elected for a term of four years

http://msc.edu.ph/centennial/malolos.html
Acts of the United States Congress
-fundamental political principles and established the structure, procedures, powers and duties of the
Philippine government.
- during the American Occupation, the Philippines was governed by the laws of the United States of
America. Organic Acts were passed by the United States Congress for the administration of the
Government of the Philippine Islands.

Philippine Organic Act of 1902

-Philippine Bill of 1902 Philippine

Autonomy Act of 1916

-Jones Law
The Jones Law was an Organic Act passed by the United States Congress. The law replaced the
Philippine Organic Act of 1902 and acted as a constitution of the Philippines from its enactment until
1934, when the Tydings-McDuffie Act was passed. The Jones Law created the first fully elected
Philippine legislature.

Tydings–McDuffie Act (1934)

-Unicameral National Assembly
The Tydings–McDuffie Act, officially the Philippine Independence Act, is an Act of Congress that
established the process for the Philippines, then an American territory, to become an independent country
after a ten-year transition period.

Constitution of the Philippines (1935)

–President was elected to a six-year term without re-election
-Independent electoral commission

May 14, 1935, the plebiscite on the constitutional draft was held and the Filipino people voted to ratify
the 1935 Constitution with 96 percent backed in its favor.
A constitutional plebiscite held in the Philippines on 14 May 1935 ratified the 1935 Philippine
Constitution which established the Philippine Commonwealth.

In 1934, the United States Congress passed the Philippine Independence Act, which set the parameters for
the creation of a constitution for the Philippines. The Act mandated the Philippine Legislature to call for
an election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention to draft a Constitution for the Philippines. The
1934 Constitutional Convention finished its work on February 8, 1935. The Constitution was submitted to
the President of the United States for certification on March 25, 1935. It was in accordance with the
Philippine Independence Act of 1934. The 1935 Constitution was ratified by the Filipino people through a
national plebiscite, on May 14, 1935 and came into full force and effect on November 15, 1935 with the
inauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Among its provisions was that it would remain the
constitution of the Republic of the Philippines once independence was granted on July 4, 1946.

During World War II the Japanese-sponsored government nullified the 1935 Constitution and appointed
Preparatory Committee on Philippine Independence to replace it. The 1943 Constitution was used by the
Second Republic with Jose P. Laurel as President.

Upon the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, the 1935 Constitution came back into effect. The
Constitution remained unaltered until 1947 when the Philippine Congress called for its amendment
through Commonwealth Act No. 733. On March 11, 1947 the Parity amendment gave United States
citizens equal rights with Filipino citizens to develop natural resources in the country and operate public
utilities. The Constitution, thereafter, remained the same until the declaration of martial law on September
23, 1972.

The 1943 Constitution

The 1943 Constitution was the constitution of the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic of the Philippines
(1943-1945). It was recognized as legitimate and binding only in Japanese-controlled areas of the
Philippines but was ignored by the United States government and the Philippine Commonwealth
government in-exile.
A draft constitution was formed by the Preparatory Commission for Independence, consisting of 20
members from the KALIBAPI. The Preparatory Commission, led by José P. Laurel, presented its draft
Constitution on September 4, 1943, and three days later, the KALIBAPI general assembly ratified the
draft Constitution.

-Marcos declaration of Martial law

-Strong executive power

The 1973 Constitution

-parliamentary-style government

On 17 January 1973, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 1102 certifying and proclaiming that the 1973
Constitution had been ratified by the Filipino people and thereby was in effect.
The 1973 Constitution , composed of a preamble and 17 articles, provides for the shift from presidential
to parliamentary system of government.

The 1986 Freedom Constitution

-Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation № 3 as a provisional constitution

Proclamation No. 3, s. 1986. Signed on March 25, 1986: Declaring a national policy to implement
reforms mandated by the people protecting their basic rights, adopting a provisional Constitution, and
providing for an orderly transition to a government under a new constitution.

Constitution of the Philippines (1987)

-The Constitution is divided into a Preamble and 18 parts called Articles.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/