MPA

102
History and Context
of the Development of
Public Administration
in the Philippines
Presented by:

Rica Aira P. Santiago

Hana Jel Lagrata
Angelica Wycoco
 Contents of this presentation

Part 1
 The Philippines: A Brief Background
 Pre-Colonial Era in the Philippines
 Philippine Bureaucracy during the Spanish Colonial Regime

Part 2:
 Short-Lived Philippine Republic: Beginnings of a Professional Civil Service
 American Colonial Regime and the Philippine Commonwealth
 Japanese Interregnum, 1942–1945

Part 3:
 Independence Period and the Establishment of the Institute of Public Administration
 Administrative Values in the Philippines
 Reflections on the Origin of Public Administration as a Study in the Philippines
The Philippines:
A Brief Background
 Philippines:

Luzon
112,771,528
Philippine population as of September 300,000 km2
11, 2022
115,800 square miles consist of around
7,641 islands
Visayas  81 Provinces endowed with a landscape characterized by
 coastal mangroves, fertile plains, tropical jungles,
146 Cities
rugged mountains drained by small river systems,
 1,488 Municipalities and active volcanoes
 42,046 Baranggays
Religion in Philippines
Mindanao  Christianity – 92.2%
—80.6% Roman Catholic
—8.2% Protestant
—3.4% Other Christian
 Islam – 5.6%
 None / Others – 2.2%
Philippine government system
 333 years
until a successful revolution
in 1896 when it declared
independence on June 12,
1898.

First republican state in Asia

1899 Constitution or informally known as the Malolos Constitution, was the constitution of the 
First Philippine Republic. It was promulgated on 21 January 1899, the constitution placed limitations
on unsupervised freedom of action by the chief executive which would have hampered rapid
decision making. As it was created during the fight for Philippine independence from Spain,
however, its Article 99 allowed unhampered executive freedom of action during wartime
 48 years
In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth (Manuel
Quezon) was established under the supervision of
the Americans to prepare the islands for
independence. A constitution was then framed and
ratified, which established a presidential system
under a unitary government with three co-equal
branches of government, the executive, a
bicameral legislature, and the judiciary.
Emilio Aguinaldo
who is officially recognized as the first and
the youngest president of the Philippines and
the first president of a constitutional republic
in Asia.
The political system and structure under the 1935
constitution was restored and the country
continued to adopt a presidential form of
government.

the Philippine capital, Manila, was among the “the

most completely devastated capital city in the world”
next to Warsaw in Poland.

Two-party system – an electoral system adopted in US where

two parties dominate the political field in all three levels of
government.
Marcos Regime
December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986

In September 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos,

barred under the constitution from seeking re-
election as president after two terms, proclaimed
martial law, abolished the legislature, adopted a
new constitution, and ruled the country by decree.

Under martial law the regime was able to reduce violent urban crime,
collect unregistered firearms, and suppress communist insurgency in
some areas. At the same time, a series of important new concessions
were given to foreign investors, including a prohibition on strikes by
organized labour, and a land-reform program was launched.
 Marcos Regime
In January 1973 Marcos proclaimed the ratification of
a new constitution based on the 
parliamentary system, with himself as both president
and prime minister

Under a parliamentary system, executive power

emanates from the legislative branch invested in
parliament, and governments hold office and remain in
power so long as they enjoy the confidence of the
parliament.
 1987 Constitution
The 1987 Constitution was the 6th constitution since the proclamation of
independence on 1898. It was largely modeled on the American
Constitution which had so greatly influenced the 1935 Constitution, but it
also incorporated Roman, Spanish, and Anglo law.
The 1987 Constitution established a representative democracy with power
divided among three separate and independent branches of government:
the Executive, a bicameral Legislature, and the Judiciary. There were three
independent constitutional commissions as well: the Commission on Audit,
the Civil Service Commission, and the Commission on Elections.
President Aquino subsequently proceeded to
submit the adoption and ratification of a new
constitution that was approved by the Filipino
people in 1987 through Proclamation No. 9, s.
1986
Integrated into the Constitution was a full Bill of Rights, which
guaranteed fundamental civil and and political rights, and it provided
for free, fair, and periodic elections. In comparison with the weak
document that had given Marcos a legal fiction behind which to hide,
this Constitution seemed ideal to many Filipinos emerging from 20
years of political repression and oppression.
Constitutional Reform in the Philippines

 In 1997, President Fidel Ramos introduced a charter

change proposal a year before the expiration of his
term. 
 Ramos’ successor, Joseph Estrada, replaced the phrase
“charter change” with the phrase “Constitutional
Correction for Development” in order to win public
support for the changes.
 Arroyo allegedly support Charter Change and shift the
country’s form of government into a parliamentary
system
 Duterte won in 2016 on a platform of Federalism that
would require the amendment of the constitution
 02
Pre-Colonial Era in
the Philippines
How Pre-Colonial Era in the Philippines looks like?
Pre-Colonial Era in the Philippines
Pre-Colonial form of government
Pre-Colonial form of government
 Pre-Colonial form of government
 Corpuz (1957: 107) suggests that the origins of local government in the Philippines
are perhaps rooted in this kind of arrangement.
 The barangay was the typical community in the whole archipelago. It was the basic
political and economical unit independent of similar others. Each embraced a few
hundreds of people and small territory. Each was headed by a chieftain called the
rajah, datu, sultan, apo or lakan.
Rajah Colambu – King of Limasawa in 1521, brother of Rajah Siagu of Butuan
Rajah Humabon – King of Cebu, rival of Datu Lapu-Lapu.
Sultan Kudarat – Sultan of Maguindanao.
Lakan Dula or Lakandula – King of Tondo, one of the last princes of Manila.
Datu Lapu-Lapu – King of Mactan Island. 
Apo Noan – Chieftain of Mandani (present day Mandaue) in 1521.
Rajah Sulaiman III – One of the last King of Manila
Datu Urduja – Female Leader in Pangasinan.
 Hierarchy of status
The social structure comprised a petty nobility

Rulers
the ruling class which was started to Maharlikas
accumulate land that it owned
an intermediate class of freemen,
privately or administered in the
who had enough land for their
name of the clan or community
livelihood or rendered special
service to the rulers and who did not
have to work in the field
Ruled
This include timawas, the serfs who
shared the crops with the petty nobility
and also the slaves and semislaves who
work without having definite share in
the harvest.
 Aliping namamahay
 Aliping sagigilid
 Philippine Bureaucracy
during the Spanish Colonial
Regime
03
 Spanish Colonial Regime
● During the colonization of Spaniards in the Philippines, they form a centralized
government and divided into two units; the Central Government in which the King
entrusted the colony to the governor-general, who has the highest position in the
government and the Royal Audiencia, who has the equivalent power of the supreme
court in today’s Philippine government.
● The Recidencia and Visitador were the special courts that investigated on the conduct of
the governor-general and other high-ranking Spanish officials.
● The provinces were divided into two; Alcaldia, which recognized Spain’s possession
over the land and Corregimiento, where the people had not succumbed to its ruling
power.
● Ayuntamiento or the city government was the center of the society, religion, culture, and
business.
● The pueblo or town was governed by the gobernadorcillo, the highest position for
Filipino politicians
● And the Cabeza de Barangay governed the barrios.
LGU in the Philippines under the imperial of Spain
 Spanish Colonial Regime
● The governor-general had power over church. The friars, on the other hand, played an
important role in the government. The Archbishop was only most powerful in the church, it
seemed that the church exercised more power than the government and because of this, the
government in the Philippines was called “Frailocracia” a government controlled by friars.
● The administrative system that the Spanish colonial rule installed was largely subservient to
the church which actively meddled in the making of policies and their implementation or
execution.
● At the same time, the administrative system was also built on the framework of serving
private interests with the “practical objective of increasing the royal estate through tributes,
monopolies, fees and fines”
● Appointment in the public offices and positions were based on grants, favor or merit called
“merced” from the King and on the basis of sale to the highest bidders and practically resulted
in a corrupt bureaucracy based on patronage instead of merit.
 Spanish Colonial Regime
● The administrative system that these practices spawned brought about two remarkable attitudes
among the administrators. These involved outright indifference and a lack of commitment to
public office, while keeping the appearance of obedience to established and formal political and
administrative policies and rules.
● Two outstanding philosophies or principles guided bureaucratic conduct during that period and are
succinctly expressed in the Spanish phrases, no se haga novedad or “do not commit or introduce
any innovations on royal prescriptions,” and obedezco pero no cumplo or “I obey but do not
enforce or comply”
● The practice continues today with both politicians and bureaucrats proclaiming support or
advocacy for one thing, only to do another.
● It was thus understandable that these, aside from other abusive and exploitative practices
committed by Spanish civilian and military officials, and abetted or aggravated by the friars,
would result in instability and alienation among the native population, which brought about
countless numbers of Filipino revolts during more than three centuries of Spanish misrule.
End of presentation Thank
Rica Aira P. Santiago
You!