CONSTITUTIONS OF THE
PHILIPPINES
01 02 03 04
1897 1899 1935 1943
Constitution Constitution Constitution Constitution
07 06 05
1987 1986 1973
Constitution Constitution Constitution
1899 MALOLOS
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
PHILIPPINES
The Malolos Republic
• the first democratic government of the country
• includes management of social services, education,
creation of an army, a monetary system, and diplomatic
activities
1899 Malolos Constitution
• known as Constitución Política de Malolos
• First Philippine Constitution
• the first republican constitution in Asia
• written by Felipe Calderon and Felipe Buencamino
• Emilio Aguinaldo as the President of the Constitution
Key Features of the
1899 Constitution
• The constitution was based on democratic principles,
advocating for popular sovereignty, representative
government, and the separation of powers.
• It included a comprehensive Bill of Rights, guaranteeing
fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech, press,
religion, assembly, and petition.
• The constitution established a tripartite system of
government, dividing power among the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches.
• The constitution affirmed the nation's sovereignty and
independence.
• It guaranteed religious freedom and separation of Church and State.
• It recognized the importance of social justice and the promotion of
the general welfare.
• It adopted a presidential system, with the President as the head of
state and government.
Malolos Congress
June 12, 1898
• independence was declared at Cavite el Viejo (Kawit)
September 15, 1898
• Malolos Congress inaugural session at Barasoain Church
• Delegates elected officers and ratified the declaration of the
independence
October 25, 1898
• Felipe Calderon, together with Felipe Buencamino, drafted
the constitution inspired by the other constitutions
November 29, 1898
• the constitution was approved by the Malolos Congress
and forwarded to President Aguinaldo for approval
January 21, 1899
• the amendments were made and are finally approved
Malolos Constitution as the
First Philippine Republic
It was inaugurated on January 23, 1899, with Emilio Aguinaldo as the
first president at Barasoain Church, followed by the reading of the
Malolos Constitution and the taking of the oath of the loyalty by the
Army
Preamble of the Constitution
We, the Representatives of the Filipino People, legally convened to
establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general
welfare and ensure the blessings of liberty, imploring the aid of the
Sovereign Lawgiver of the Universe in order to obtain these objectives,
have voted, decreed and approved the following political constitutions.
Main Features of the
1899 Constitution
• It was based on democratic traditions in which the
government formed was “popular, representative, and
responsible” with three distinct branches — the executive,
the legislative, and the judicial
• It is called for a presidential form of government with the
president elected for a term of four years by the majority of
the Assembly convened as a constituent assembly
• It recognized the freedom of religion and the separation of
the Church and the State
• It emphasized and safeguarded the basic civil rights of not
only Filipinos but foreigners, through a Bill of Rights
Was the
Constitution ever
implemented and
enforced?
Malolos Constitution as a
short-lived government
It was never implemented because of the ongoing war. The
Philippines became practically a US colony on December 10, 1898,
when Spain and the US signed the Treaty of Paris, which transferred
sovereignty to the Philippines
February 1899
• Philippine-American War began
March 1901
• Malolos Republic ceased to exist
July 1901
• establishment of the first civil government in the islands
