POLITICAL HISTORY

OF THE PHILIPPINES
Pre-Spanish Government
• The basic unit of government during this period was the barangay or
“balangay”.
• The barangay was headed by a datu or rajah

Roles of the datu:

* Chief executive
* Legislator
* Judge of the village and
* Commander of the warriors
- Although the datu exercised great powers, he was not
an absolute ruler.

The datu have to consult the elders or the “maginoos”

of the village.
Laws in the barangay were either oral or written.
Government During the Spanish Regime
• Spanish claimed ownership of the Philippines by the virtue of
Magellan’s discovery of the islands in 1521.
• Formal colonization and integration into the Spanish empire
commenced during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
• Under the Spanish rule, the national or central government
was headed by the Spanish governor general who was the
head of the Spanish colonial government in the country.
Roles of the Governor-general
 Vice Royal Patron over religious affairs
 Chief executive
 Legislator
• Actos acordados was the term that pertains to the laws
enacted by the governor-general.
 Governor-general has the power of “cumplase”.
• Cumplase was the power to decide which law or royal decree
should be implemented or disregarded in the colony.
• Below the national government were the local government
units like the provinces, towns, cities and barangays.
Provinces (alcadias) = headed by an alcalde mayor or provincial governor
Towns (pueblos) = headed by gobernadorcillo or town mayor
Barangays (barrios) = headed by a cabeza de barangay
City (ayuntamiento) = governed by a cabildo or city council

Take note: During the Spanish Regime, Filipinos had no actual participation
in the administration of the country.
On the whole, Spanish colonial administration was corrupt and inefficient
because the governor general exercised absolute powers.
GOVERNMENT DURING REVOLUTIONARY ERA
Stablishments of the government during
Revolutionary Era in Philippine History

• Katipunan Government
• Biyak na bato Republic
• Dictorial Government
• Revolutionary Government
• Malolos Republic
Katipunan Government
• On July 7, the Katipunan, or KKK, was secretly founded.
• Andres Bonifacio and some of his friends founded it in 1892 at 72 Azcarraga St.,
Tondo, Manila.
The formation of this secret society signaled the beginning of a militant movement
for the country's independence from Spain through radical or violent means. The
Katipunan, on the other hand, was a government in its own right. The central
government was established in the Kataastaasang Sanggunian, led by a Supremo or
President, who was assisted by a Supremo or President Secretaries, treasurers,
comptrollers, and fiscal officers Each province had a Sangguniang Bayan, or council.
There is a Provincial Council and a Sangguniang Balangay or Popular Council in
each municipality. The revolutionary movement's judicial power was wielded by the
Sangguniang. Hukuman, who sentenced the members who violated the secrets of
the Katipunan and even resolved disagreements between and among its members.
The Biak-na-Bato Republic.
• October 1897, Aguinaldo called a meeting of revolutionary generals and leaders in Biak-na-Bato to
discuss strategies for advancing their libertarian battle against the invaders while also establishing
the Biak-na-Bato Republic.

• On November 1, 1897,, the Republic was established under a constitution that Isabelo Artacho and
Felix Ferrer copied verbatim from Jimaguayu, Cuba.

• The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which put an end to the Philippine uprising against Spain on December 15,
1897, marked the end of this republic. 

• The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which put an end to the Philippine uprising against Spain on December 15,
1897, marked the end of this republic.
A Supreme Council, which included a President, Vice-President, and the
secretaries of military, foreign affairs, the interior, and treasury, was in
charge of running the country. This council had the authority to make
decisions that were binding on every Filipino, to order the collection of
taxes from the populace, and to oversee and control military activities for
the Republic. The President was granted executive authority by the Biak-
na-Bato constitution. However, a Supreme Council of Grace and Justice
was given authority over the judiciary. In order to safeguard the freedoms
and rights of the Filipino people, it also included a Bill of Rights.
The Dictatorial Government
• Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, the latter's advisor, persuaded Aguinaldo to establish a dictatorial
administration because the nation was not prepared for a republic (Agoncillo, 1990). Aguinaldo
officially established a dictatorship on May 24, 1898, with himself serving as the head of state.

• The declaration of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898, in Cavite El Viejo, now Kawit, during
the interim period before the republic had been established, was one of this dictatorship's most
notable achievements.

Aguinaldo continued the battle against Spain after hisThe establishment of a Filipino government was
thought necessary after the return from exile in Hong Kong.According to the aforementioned edict,
AguinaldosDictatorship was not yet established and was only temporary.
The Revolutionary Government
• The order of June 18, 1898, which allowed for the reconstruction of administrations in regions
already freed from Spanish domination, was written by Mabini for Aguinaldo's signature in order to
elect delegates from each province, which compose the country's legislative body.

• By means of the Decree of June 23, 1898, Aguinaldo converted his authoritarian rule into a
revolutionary one on Mabini's advice.

• The Malolos Congress was likewise established under the terms of this ordinance 15th July 1898

Apolinario Mabini was Aguinaldo's go-to advisor following the declaration of Philippine Independence.
The members of Aguinaldo's cabinet were by assigning secretaries and staff for each of the following
departments: justice, education, police, navy, and commerce; foreign affairs; war; and public works.
Agriculture, finance, hygiene, and manufacturing
The Republic of Malolos
• In accordance with the orders of June 18 and 23, Aguinaldo called the Revolutionary Congress on
September 15, 1898, at the Darasoain Church in Malolos.

• On November 29, 1898, the Malolos Congress members approved the draft.

• On January 21, 1898, President Aguinaldo declared it to be the fundamental law of the Philippines.

• On January 23, 1899, the First Philippine Republic, often known as the Malolos Republic, was
proclaimed.

• (1990, Agoncillo). Additionally, a Permanent Commission was established, which would act as the
legislature whenever Congress was not in session.
The Malolos Congress elected Pedro Paterno as its leader. The adoption of
the Malolos Constitution and the confirmation of the proclamation of
Philippine independence were notable accomplishments for the Philippines
during this revolutionary assembly. The Mabini Plan, the Paterno Plan, and
the Calderon Plan were the three constitutional versions that the Malolos
Congress examined. But the group in charge of crafting the constitution
decided for the Calderon Plan. According to the Malolos Constitution, the
Assembly of Representatives, which is made up of delegates chosen in
accordance with the legislation, was given legislative authority by the
government. The lawmaking body would elect the President of the Republic.
Judicial power was vested in the Supreme Court and the lower courts, which
were to be established by legislation. The Supreme Court Chief Justice was to
be elected by the legislature, with the approval of the President and Cabinet.
The constitution of the First Philippine-Republic,
nonetheless, was unique for thefollowing reasons:
• 1. It made the legislative branch of government superior to both the
executive andlegislative departments
• 2. It provided for a Permanent Commission that shall serve as the
lawmaking bodywhen the Assembly of Representatives was not in
session; and
• 3. It established a unicameral lawmaking body.Meanwhile, the Filipino-
American hostilities broke out when the US annexed the countryby
virtue of Spains defeat in the Spanish-American War in Cuba. The First
PhilippineRepublic was short-lived. The capture of Aguinaldo by
Colonel Funston in April 1901, signaledthe demise of the first
constitutional democracy in Asia.
Governments During the American Regime
Military Government
• American governance of the country commenced on April 14, 1898,
when Manila was captured from the Spaniards.
• The American military rule of the country lasted until 1901.
The Civil Government.
• The Army Appropriation Act, passed by the US Congress on March 2, 1901
• Civil government was inaugurated in Manila on July 4, 1901, with William
Howard Taft as Civil Governor.
• As the Chief Executive of the Philippines, Taft remained the President of
the Philippine Commission, which was the country's legislature from 1901
to 1907.
• On July 1, 1902, US Congress passed the Cooper Act or the Philippine Bill of
1902, the first statute concerning the government of the Philippines
• American Civil Government lasted until 1935
The Commonwealth Government
• Tydings-McDuffie Act, also called Philippine Commonwealth and
Independence Act, (1934), the U.S. statute that provided for Philippine
independence, to take effect on July 4, 1946, after a 10-year transitional period
of Commonwealth government
• A constitutionalwas heald by virtue of an act passed by the Philippine
legislature by May 5, 1934
• Convention started its Work on july 30, 1934 with Claro M. Recto as President
• constitution was approved by the convention on February 8, 1935, which was
approved by the president Roosevelt of the ÚS on March 23, 1935
• Qualified filipino voters ratified this constitution in the plebiscite held on May
14, 1935.
• The Commonwealth Regime was inaugurated on November 15, 1935,
after the first national election under the 1935 Constitution, with
Manuel L, Quezon as president, and Sergio Osmeña, as Vice-president.
• With the outbreak of World War II, the Commonwealth Regime
operated in exile in Washington D. C. from 1942 to 1944. Gen. Douglas
MacArthur restored the regime in a Manila on February 27, 1945 with
Osmeña as its new president.
The Commonwealth of the Philippines
• The administrative body that governed the Philippines from 1935 to
1946, aside from a period of exile in the Second World War from 1942 to
1945 when Japan occupied the country. It was established following the
Tydings–McDuffie Act to replace the Insular Government, a United
States territorial government. The Commonwealth was designed as a
transitional administration in preparation for the country's full
achievement of independence. Its foreign affairs remained managed by
the United States.During its more than a decade of existence, the
Commonwealth had a strong executive and a Supreme Court.
• Its legislature, dominated by the Nacionalista Party, was at first
unicameral, but later bicameral. In 1937, the government selected
Tagalog – the language of Manila and its surrounding provinces – as
the basis of the national language, although it would be many years
before its usage became general. Women's suffrage was adopted and
the economy recovered to its pre-Depression level before the Japanese
occupation in 1942.In 1946, the Commonwealth ended and the
Philippines claimed full sovereignty as provided for in Article XVIII of
the 1935 Constitution.
Form of Government under Japanese Rule
• 1942-1945
• part of the Constitution of 1935 was suspended
• Bataan Death March

THE JAPANESE MILITARY ADMINISTRATION

• General Masaharu Homma (commander of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the
Philippines)
• June 03, 1942
THE PHILIPPINES EXECUTIVE COMMISSION
• it was established on January 23, 1942
• it was created as a temporary care taker government of the Greater Manila area and
eventually of the whole Philippines during Japanese occupation of the country during
World War II.
• Jorge Vargas as chairman

THE JAPANESE SPONSORED REPUBLIC

• KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas)
• PCPI (Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence)
• Headed by Jose P. Laurel
 EXECUTIVE (President)
 LEGISLATIVE (National Assembly)
 JUDICIAL (Supreme Courts and other lower courts)

- The second Philippine Republic which was sponsored by the

Japanese was established on October 14, 1943 with Jose P.
Laurel as the President but still the final source of power and
authority was the Japanese official.
 PRESIDENTS OF THE
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
AFTER THE JAPANESE
LIBERATION
 Third Philippine Republic was established on July 4, 1946.

Manuel Roxas
 First President of the 3rd Republic
 He rehabilitated the country
Elpidio Quirino
 His administration pledged to
accomplish two principal objectives:
1. Economic reconstruction of the
country.
2. Restoration of people’s trust and
confidence in the government.
 He created cooperatives to help the
farmers in marketing their corps
 He also established rural banks.
Ramon Magsaysay

 Most popular leader during his time

 First president who focused on
development of barrios
 He initiated the Land Reform Act
(RA 1400)
Carlos P. Garcia
• Presidential term: March 18, 1957 –
December 30, 1961
• Garcia first instituted the policy with the
issuance of Resolution No. 202 of the
National Economic Council on August 28,
1958. The policy dictates that Filipinos
would have preference over non-Filipinos in
receiving foreign exchange.
• Carlos P. Garcia (1896-1971) was the fourth
president of the Republic of the Philippines.
He was noted for the enunciation of the
Filipino First Policy, intended to complete
and guarantee Philippine economic
independence and sovereignty.
Diosdado Macapagal
• Presidential term: December 30, 1961 – December
30, 1965
• As president, Macapagal worked to suppress graft
and corruption and to stimulate the Philippine
economy. He introduced the country's first land
reform law, placed the peso on the free currency
exchange market, and liberalized foreign
exchange and import controls.
• June 12 was not always our official Independence
Day. It was made-so on May 12, 1964, by then-
president Diosdado Macapagal. Macapagal
moved the celebration to June 12 in order to
commemorate Emilio Aguinaldo's original
proclamation of Philippine independence from
Spain on the same date in 1898.
Ferdinand Marcos
• December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986
• Ferdinand Marcos is the longest-serving
president, having been in office for 20
years, 57 days (7,362 days). Miguel Malvar
is the shortest-serving president, serving
for 1 year, 15 days (380 days).
• Marcos, who thereafter ruled by decree,
curtailed press freedom and other civil
liberties, abolished Congress, controlled
media establishments, and ordered the
arrest of opposition leaders and militant
activists, including his staunchest critics
Senators Benigno Aquino Jr.
Corazon Aquino
 February 25, 1986 - June 30, 1992
 First female President of the Philippines
 responsible in the restoration of democratic
practices and institutions in the Philippines
 July 6, 1987, The Family Code of the
Philippines (Executive Order no. 209)
 July 25, 1987, Executive order No. 292, also
known as the Administrative Code of 1987.
Fidel Ramos
 June 30, 1992 - June 30, 1998
 served as secretary of National Defense
(1988-1991)
 Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (1986-1988)
 known for his program Philippines 2000
 implemented Economic Strategy - Medium
Term Economic Development Plan, Social
Agenda Reform, and creation of the CHED
Joseph Estrada
 June 30, 1998 - January 20, 2001
 widened the coverage of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP)
 Created the Pasig River Rehabilitation
Commission
Glorria Arroyo
• January 20, 2001 – June 30, 2010
• She served the remainder of her
predecessor Joseph Estrada's term after
he was deposed, and she was elected to
a full second term in 2004 which
ended in 2010.
• As a legislator, Arroyo filed over 400
bills and authored or sponsored 55
laws during her tenure as senator,
including the Anti-Sexual Harassment
Law, the Indigenous People's Rights
Law, and the Export Development Act.
Benigno “Nonoy” Aquino
• June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2016
• Aquino introduced reforms on the
Philippine education program by
introducing the K-12 curriculum by
signing into law the Enhanced Basic
Education Act in 2013. This added
two years to the basic education
system; which became known as the
Senior High School stage.
Rodrigo Duterte
• June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022
• Rodrigo Duterte's tenure as the 16th
President of the Philippines, succeeding
Benigno Aquino III, began with his
inauguration on June 30, 2016, following
his landslide victory in the 2016
presidential election, and ended on June
30, 2022.
• Duterte increased infrastructure spending
and launched Build! Build! Build!, an
ambitious building program. He initiated
liberal economic reforms to attract foreign
investors and reformed the country's tax
system.
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