EVOLUTION OF

PHILIPPINE
POLITICS AND
GOVERNANCE
 PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Thank you for another

life to enjoy, another day to learn, and a

new set of things we will experience. As

we go through our lessons today, may let

us be instruments to do good things.

Help us be obedient, honest, and kind to

one another. Amen

Most Essential Learning
Competencies
Analyze the evolution of Philippine
politics and governance
Objectives:
1. Identify and describe the presidents
of the Philippines
2. Analyze their contributions,
achievements, and challenges
3. Evaluate the impact of their
presidencies on Philippine governance
 1. Emilio
Aguinaldo
1899–1901
One way to remember the first
president of the Philippines First
Republic is to look at the five peso
coin. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's face
used to grace the five peso bill
(which is not used anymore). The
back of the bill shows him holding
the Philippine flag at the
celebration of the Philippine
Independence Day. He led the
Filipinos in fighting against the
Spaniards and the Americans.
Contributions and Achievements:
• first (and only) president of the First Republic
(Malolos Republic)
• signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, creating a truce
between the Spanish and Philippine
revolutionaries
• known as the President of the Revolutionary
Government
• led the Philippines in the Spanish-Philippine War
and the American-Philippine War
• youngest president, taking office at age 28
• longest-lived president, passing away at 94
 2. Manuel L.
Quezon
1935–1944
After 34 years of Insular
Government under American
rule, Philippine voters elected
Manuel Luis Quezon as the
first president of the
Commonwealth of the
Philippines. He is known as
the “Father of National
Language” (Ama ng Wikang
Pambansa). He died of
tuberculosis in Saranac Lake,
Contributions and Achievements:
• first Senate president elected as President of the Philippines
• first president elected through a national election
• first president under the Commonwealth
• created National Council of Education
• initiated women’s suffrage in the Philippines during the
Commonwealth
• approved Tagalog/Filipino as the national language of the
Philippines
• appears on the twenty-peso bill
• a province, a city, a bridge and a university in Manila are
named after him
• his body lies within the special monument on Quezon
Memorial Circle
 3. José P.
Laurel 1943–
1945
José P. Laurel's presidency is
controversial. He was officially
the government's caretaker
during the Japanese
occupation of World War II.
Criticized as a traitor by some,
his indictment for treason was
superseded later by an
amnesty proclamation in
1948.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Since the early 1960s, Laurel considered a
legitimate president of the Philippines
• Organized KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod
sa Bagong Pilipinas, or Association for Service to
the New Philippines), a provisional government
during Japanese occupation
• Declared Martial Law and war between the
Philippines and the U.S./United Kingdom in 1944
• With his family, established the Lyceum of the
Philippines
 4. Sergio
Osmeña
1944–1946
Sergio Osmeña was the
second president of the
Commonwealth. During
his presidency, the
Philippines joined the
International Monetary
Fund.
Contributions and Achievements:
• became president at 65, making him the oldest person
to hold office
• first Visayan to become president
• joined with U.S. Gen. Douglas McArthur in Leyte on
October 20, 1944 to begin restoration of Philippine
freedom after Japanese occupation
• Philippine National Bank was rehabilitated and the
country joined the International Monetary Fund during
his presidency
• Bell Trade Act was approved by the U.S. Congress
during his presidency
• appears on the 50-peso bill
 5. Manuel
Roxas 1946–
1948
Manuel Roxas was the
fifth president of the
Philippines, the third (and
last) president under the
Commonwealth, and the
first president of the Third
Republic of the
Philippines. He held office
for only one year, 10
Contributions and Achievements:
• inaugurated as the first president of the
new Republic after World War II
• reconstruction from war damage and life
without foreign rule began during his
presidency
• under his term, the Philippine Rehabilitation
Act and Philippine Trade Act laws were
accepted by Congress
• appears on the 100-peso bill
 6. Elpidio
Quirino
1948–1953
Elpidio Quirino
served as vice
president under
Manuel Roxas. When
Roxas died in 1948,
Quirino became
president.
Contributions and Achievements:
•Hukbalahap guerrilla movement
active during his presidency
•Created Social Security Commission
•Created Integrity Board to monitor
graft and corruption
•Quezon City became capital of the
Philippines in 1948
 7. Ramon
Magsaysay
1953–1957
Ramon Magsaysay was
born in Iba, Zambales. He
was a military governor
and an engineer. He died
in an aircraft disaster
while boarding the
presidential plane.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Hukbalahap movement quelled during his presidency
• Chairman of the Committee on Guerrilla Affairs
• First president sworn into office wearing Barong Tagalog
during inauguration
• Presidency referred to as the Philippines' "Golden Years"
for its lack of corruption
• Philippines was ranked second in Asia’s clean and well-
governed countries during his presidency
• Established National Resettlement and Rehabilitation
Administration (NARRA) among other agrarian reforms
 8. Carlos P.
Garcia
1957–1961
A lawyer, poet, and
teacher, Carlos P. Garcia
also served as a guerrilla
leader during the Pacific
War. Born in Bohol, Garcia
serviced as vice president
under Ramon Magsaysay
and as secretary of Foreign
Affairs for four years. He
became president when
Contributions and Achievements:
• Known for “Filipino First Policy,” which
favored Filipino businesses over foreign
investors
• Established the Austerity Program focusing
on Filipino trade and commerce
• Known as the “Prince of Visayan Poets” and
the “Bard from Bohol”
• Cultural arts was revived during his term
• First president to have his remains buried at
the Libingan ng mga Bayani
 9. Diosdado
Macapagal
1961–1965
Born in Lubao,
Pampanga, Diosdado
Macapagal was a lawyer
and professor. His
daughter Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo was
the 14th and second
female president of the
Contributions and Achievements:
• Established the first Land Reform Law, allowing
for the purchase of private farmland to be
distributed in small, inexpensive lots to the
landless
• Placed the Philippine peso on the currency
exchange market
• Declared June 12, 1898 to be Philippines’
Independence Day
• Signed the Minimum Wage Law
• Created the Philippine Veterans Bank
 10. Ferdinand
Marcos, Sr.
1965–1986
Born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte,
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was a
lawyer and Senate President
for three years. He was
president for 21 years. He
ruled under martial law and his
dictatorship was known for its
corruption and brutality.
Marcos was removed from
office after the People Power
Contributions and Achievements:
• First president to win a second term
• Declared Martial Law on Sept. 22, 1972
• Increased the size of Philippine military and armed
forces
• By 1980 the Philippine GNP was four times greater than
1972
• By 1986 the Philippines was one of the most indebted
countries in Asia
• Built more schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, and other
infrastructure than all former presidents combined
• Only president whose remains are interred inside a
refrigerated crypt
 11. Corazon
Aquino
1986–1992
The first woman president of
the Philippines and the first
woman to become president of
an Asian country, Corazon
Aquino was born in Paniqui,
Tarlac. She was a prominent
figure in the People Power
Revolution that brought down
Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship.
Contributions and Achievements:
• First woman to be president of the Philippines or any Asian
country
• Restored democracy
• Abolished the 1973 Marcos Constitution and ushered in the new
Constitution of the Philippines
• Reorganized the structure of the executive branch of
government
• Signed the Family Code of 1987, a major civil law reform, and
1191 Local Government Code, which reorganized the structure
of the executive branch of government
• Initiated charitable and social activities helping the poor and
the needy
• Named “Woman of the Year” in 1986 by Time magazine
• On the new 500-peso bill together with her husband Benigno
 12. Fidel V.
Ramos 1992–
1998
Fidel V. Ramos was the chief-
of-staff of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines before he
became president. He was also
a civil engineer. As president,
he restored economic growth
and stability in the country,
even during the Asian Financial
Crisis in 1997. He is the first,
and so far only, non-Catholic
president of the Philippines.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Oversaw Philippine economic growth
• Presided over celebrations of Philippine Independence
Centennial in 1998
• Received British Knighthood from the United Kingdom by Queen
Elizabeth II (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and
St. George)
• Hosted the fourth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leader's
Summit in the Philippines in 1996
• Philippine Stock Exchange became an international favorite
during his presidency
• Death penalty reinstated while he was in office
• Signed peace agreement with the rebel Moro National Liberation
Front
 13. Joseph
Estrada
1998–2001
Known as "Erap," Joseph Estrada
was the first president who had
been a famous film actor. His
presidency was controversial.
During his years in office,
economic growth was slow and he
faced impeachment proceedings.
He was ousted from the
presidency in 2001. He was later
convicted of stealing from the
government but was pardoned.
He ran unsuccessfully for
Contributions and Achievements:
• During his presidency Moro Islamic Liberation
Front headquarters and camps were captured
• Joined other leaders and politicians to try to
amend the 1987 Constitution
• Cited as one of the Three Outstanding Senators in
1989
• Among the “Magnificent 12” who voted to
terminate the agreement that allows for U.S.
control of Clark Airbase and Subic Naval Base
 14. Gloria
Macapagal
Arroyo 2001–2010
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was
the 14th president of the
Philippines (and second female
president). The Oakwood
Mutiny occurred during her
term. Arroyo oversaw road and
infrastructure improvements
and higher economic growth
than presidents before her, but
there was also controversy.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Second female president of the country
• First and only female vice-president of the Philippines so far
• First president to take oath outside Luzon
• Former Economics professor at the Ateneo de Manila University,
where later president Benigno Aquino III was one of her students
• Ex-classmate of former U.S. President Bill Clinton at Georgetown
University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she
maintained dean’s list status
• Oversaw higher economic growth than the past three presidents
before her
• Peso became the best-performing currency of the year in Asia in
2007
• eVAT Law was implemented under her term
• Currently on the 200-peso bill
 15. Benigno
Aquino III
2010–2016
Benigno Aquino III joined
the House of
Representatives and the
Senate before his
presidency. He was the first
bachelor president, as he
was unmarried and had no
children.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Created the no "wang-wang" (street siren) policy
• Appointed statesman Jesse Robredo to serve as
secretary of Interior and Local Government in 2010,
where Robredo served until his death in 2012
• Initiated K-12 education in the Philippines
• Renamed the Office of the Press Secretary to
Presidential Communications Operations Office and
appointed new officers
• Suspended allowances and bonuses to Government
Owed and Controlled Corporation and Government
Financial Institution board members
• Oversaw 7.1% growth of the Philippine economy in 2012
 16. Rodrigo
Duterte 2016–
2022
Before he became president,
Rodrigo Duterte was a member
of the House of Representatives
and later the mayor of Davao
City. He had a long history of
making inflammatory remarks
about human rights, his fellow
international leaders, the
Catholic Church, and other
controversial subjects.
Contributions and Achievements:
• Oldest person to assume the office of presidency at the
age of 71
• In July of 2016, a Pulse Asia Research survey found that
Duterte had a trust rating of 91%.
• Initiated an economic policy called "DuterteNomics,"
which focused on developing infrastructure and industry
• In December 2017, signed the TRAIN Law (Tax Reform
for Acceleration and Inclusion) in an attempt to simplify
the country's tax system
• Spearheaded the Build! Build! Build! infrastructure
program to stimulate the economy and reduce poverty
17. Ferdinand
Marcos, Jr.
2022–Present
Before becoming
president, Bongbong
was the governor of
Ilocos Norte, a member
of the House of
Representatives, and a
senator.
Contributions and Achievements:
• After he took the oath of office of president, Marcos
appointed himself Secretary of Agriculture to personally
monitor and expand food and agricultural programs.
• One of his first executive actions was to abolish the
Presidential Anti Corruption Commission.
• Starting in August 2022, the Marcos administration has been
exploring ways to boost the country's military capabilities.
• Marcos has also been seeking ways to strengthen education
and the economy, which were both compromised during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
• On the international stage, Bongbong Marcos is considered
relatively pro-American but seems open to closer ties with
China.