Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Why Philippines is considered a unique nation?There are four reasons: Religion Filipinos are predominantly Christians Political Historya. Philippines is the first
Republic in Asia, being the first to achieve independence by revolution and establish a
Republic led by General Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898 1901.
Cultural HeritageWe are assimilated of four heritages, to wit:a. Indigenous Asiab. The
Europeanc. Latind. American heritage Geographically, Philippines especially Filipinos
are by race and culture a harmonious blend of the East and the West. Natural Resources
Philippines is one of the richest counties of the world.
Why Philippines is considered as the Melting Pot of People and Culture? Our country
occupies a good geographical position It is the crossroads of the worlds culture and
races. It is the meeting place of all aviation, shipping, and trade routes in the orient.
Land area of the Philippines: Philippines is an archipelago of 7,100 islands with a total
land area of 115,707 sq. m. or 299,681 sq.km. In terms of the land area, Philippines is
almost as large as Italy, larger than New Zealand, twice as big as Greece and very much
larger than Britain.
Land area of the Philippines: Luzon Philippines largest island with a total land area of
40, 814 sq. m., which is bigger than Hungary and Portugal. Mindanao Second largest
island, with total area of 38,906 sq. m., which is bigger than Austria. Visayas 3rd
largest island with a total land area of 36, 087 sq. m.
Physical Features: Highest mountain Mt. Apo (9,600 ft. High in Mindanao) Lowest
Spot Philippine Deep, situated off the Pacific coast of the archipelago with 37, 782 ft.
deep, lower than the Marianas Deep with only 35,640 ft. Deep. San Juanico Strait the
narrowest strait in the world between Samar and Leyte. Manila Bay one of the finest
harbors in the Asian World, with the historic Corregidor Island standing guard as its
entrance.
Filipino Image: As Filipino, during the Third Republican Era (1946-72), Philippines had
the freest press in Asia, the best schools and colleges, and the most progressive business
environment in the region. During the Commonwealth Period under President Manuel L.
Quezon, the Filipino is not inferior to any man of any race; his physical, intellectual, and
moral qualities are as excellent as those proudest stocks of mankind.
Filipino Image:A Nation of many Languages: Filipinos are known for their talent in
languages. This is exemplified by Dr. Jose Rizal, who knew 22 languages. Philippines
have 55 languages, and 147 dialects according to the findings of the Summer Institute of
Linguistics of the University of North Dakota, headed by Dr. Richard S. Pittman. From
the previous study of Dr. H. Otley Beyer in the year 1916, he listed only 43 major
languages and 87 dialects.
Filipino Image: Filipinos are the only English and Spanish speaking nation in Asia.
Filipinos are the most literate Nation in Southeast Asia. Women in the Philippines enjoy
the greatest freedom and highest status among women in Asia; economically, politically,
and socially considered equal with men.
Names given for Philippines: Long before the coming of Magellan, Philippines was
already known to the early Chinese traders and geographers. Various records and artifacts
antedate Sino- Philippines contacts to 3rd Century A.D., they gave the names for
Philippines as: Ma-yi appears in Sung Dynasty sources in 982 A.D.
Names given for Philippines: Chau-Ju-Kua, a Chinese trader Official gave a detailed
account of his trip to various islands in the Philippines in the year 1225, wherein he
called the country as Ma-i. Another Pre-Hispanic Sino Writer, Wang-Ta- Yuan in 1349,
who wrote his travels to Ma- i, Mintolang (Mindanao), Malilu (Manila); Sulu
and Pishoye(Visayas).Ma-i = is generally accepted to refer to the island of Mindoro in
Luzon, because of its gold and proximity to the mainland China.
Names given for Philippines: The official name Filipinas wasgiven to the archipelago
in 1543 bythe ill-starred Spanish explorer RuyLopez de Villalobos, in honor ofPrince
Felipe (Philip) of Asturias, wholater became King Philip II, thegreatest King of Spain.
Names given for Philippines:The name first appeared in the raremap published at Venice
in 1554 byGiovanni Battista Ramusio, an ItalianGeographer in the most
popularcollection of early travels andvoyages at the time.
Names given for Philippines: Until it was later Anglicized to Philippine Islands during
the American Colonial regime, and then to the name of Republic of the Philippines
after the decolonization in 1946.
Other Names given for Philippines:a. Gems of the Eastb. Treasure Islands of the Pacificc.
Isles of Feard. Isles of Hopee. Orphans of the Pacificf. Land of the Morningg. Pearl of the
Orient
Origin of the Filipinos:1. The Friar Historians Ideas The ancestors of the Filipinos
sprang out of the soil like wild plants. They were created by the sun. They were
produced from the base metals by the magic act of ancient alchemists (herbalists).2.
Myths and Legends
Origin of the Filipinos:3. The Dawn Man and the Migration Theory The cave-man,
dawn-Man type who was similar to the Java Man, Peking Man, and other Asian homo
Sapiens of 250,000 years ago this is the theory of H. Otley Beyer. The aboriginal
pygmy group, or the Negritos, who came between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago.
Origin of the Filipinos: The Sea-faring tool-using Indonesian group, who came about
5,000 to 6,000 years ago. The Sea-faring more civilized Malays who brought the Iron
Age culture and introduced new industries like iron metal smiting, pottery-making, clothweaving by loom, and jewelry making.4. Core Population Theory: According to this
theory, people of the prehistoric Southeast Asia belonged to the same racial unit.
Origin of the Philippines:1. The idea of the theologians during the Spanish era, such as:
Fr. Colin, Fr. Sta. Ines and Fr. Delgado advancing the Theological View that Philippines
is part of Gods creation.2. Legends and Myths
Origin of the Philippines:3. Scientific Theories, that Philippines is: Part of the lost
continent (lost pacific called as Lemuria or Mu) Volcanic Origin (Dr. Bailey Willis, a
geologist who maintained the theory that Philippines is a volcanic origin). Land-bridge
theory
History of the Philippines The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with
the arrival of the first humans via land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first
recorded visit from the West is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan on Homonhon Island,
southeast of Samar on March 16, 1521.
Prior to Magellans arrival, there were Negritotribes who roamed the isles but they were
latersupplanted by Austronesians. These groupsthen stratified into: hunter-gatherer
tribes,warrior-societies, petty plutocracies andmaritime oriented harbor principalities
whicheventually grew into kingdoms, rajahnates,principalities, confederations and
sultanates.States such as the Indianized Rajahnate ofButuan and Cebu, the dynasty of
Tondo, theaugust kingdoms of Maysapan and Maynila, theConfederation of Madyaas, the
sinifiedCountry of Mai, as well as the MuslimSultanates of Sulu and Maguindanao.
These small states flourished from asearly as the 10th century AD, despitethese kingdoms
attaining complexpolitical and social orders, as well asenjoying trade with areas now
calledChina, India, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam,and Indonesia, none encompassed thewhole
archipelago which was to becomethe unified Philippines of the twentiethcentury. The
remainder of thesettlements was independent Barangaysallied with one of the larger
nations.
* Spanish colonization andsettlement began with the arrival ofMiguel Lpez de Legazpis
expedition in1565 who established the first permanentsettlement of San Miguel on the
island ofCebu. The expedition continuednorthward reaching the bay of Manila onthe
island of Luzon in 1571, where theyestablished a new town and thus began anera of
Spanish colonization that lasted formore than three centuries.
Spanish rule achieved the political unification ofalmost the whole archipelago, that
previouslyhad been composed by independent kingdomsand communities, pushing back
south theadvancing Islamic forces and creating the firstdraft of the nation that was to be
known as thePhilippines. Spain also introduced Christianity,the code of law, the oldest
Universities and thefirst public education system in Asia, thewestern European version of
printing, theGregorian calendar and invested heavily on allkinds of modern
infrastructures, such as trainnetworks and modern bridges.
The Philippine Revolution against Spain began in April 1896, but it was largely
unsuccessful until it received support from the United States, culminating two years later
with a proclamation of independence and the establishment of the First Philippine
Republic. However, the Treaty of Paris, at the end of the Spanish American War,
transferred control of the Philippines to the United States. This agreement was not
recognized by the Philippine Government which, on June 2, 1899, proclaimed a
Declaration of War against the United States.
U.S. colonial rule of the Philippines started in 1905 with very limited local rule. Partial
autonomy (commonwealth status) was granted in 1935, preparatory to a planned full
independence from the United States in 1946. Preparation for a fully sovereign state was
interrupted by the Japanese occupation of the islands during World War II.
With a promising economy in the 1950sand 1960s, the Philippines in the late1960s and
early 1970s saw a rise ofstudent activism and civil unrest againstthe corrupt dictatorship
of PresidentFerdinand Marcos who declaredmartial law in 1972.
Because of close ties between United States andPresident Marcos, the U.S.
governmentcontinued to support Marcos even though hisadministration was well-known
for massivecorruption and extensive human rights abuse.The peaceful and
bloodlessPeople Power Revolution of 1986, however,brought about the ousting of
Marcos and areturn to democracy for the country. The periodsince then, however, has
been marked bypolitical instability and hampered economicproductivity.
Prehistory The earliest archeological evidence for man in the archipelago is the 40,000year-old Tabon Man of Palawan and the Angono Petroglyphs in Rizal, both of whom
appear to suggest the presence of human settlement prior to the arrival of the Negritos
and Austronesian speaking people.
Prehistory The Negritos were early settlers but their appearance in the Philippines has
not been reliably dated. and they were followed by speakers of the Malayo-Polynesian
languages, a branch of the Austronesian languages, who began to arrive in successive
waves beginning about 4000 B.C.E, displacing the earlier arrivals.
By 1000 B.C. the inhabitants of the Philippine archipelago had developed into four
distinct kinds of peoples: tribal groups, such as the Aetas, Hanunoo, Ilongots and the
Mangyan who depended on hunter-gathering and were concentrated in forests; warrior
societies, such as the Isneg and Kalingas who practiced social ranking and ritualized
warfare and roamed the plains; the petty plutocracy of the Ifugao Cordillera Highlanders,
who occupied the mountain ranges of Luzon; and the harbor principalities of the
estuarine civilizations that grew along rivers and seashores while participating in transisland maritime trade.
Around 300700 C.E. the seafaring peoples of the islands traveling in balangays began
to trade with the Indianized kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago and the nearby East
Asian principalities, adopting influences from both Buddhism and Hinduism.
Spanish Settlement and Rule (1565- 1898) Early Spanish expeditions Ferdinand
Magellan arrived in the PhilippinesIn 1521. Parts of the Philippine Islands were known to
Europeans before the 1521 Spanish expedition around the world led by Portuguese-born
Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was not the first Europeans in the Philippines.
Magellan landed on the island called Homonhon, claiming the islands he saw for Spain,
and naming them Islas de San Lzaro. He established friendly relations with some of the
local leaders especially with Rajah Humabon and converted some of them to Roman
Catholicism.
In the Philippines, they explored many islands including the island of Mactan. However,
Magellan was killed in a battle he led there against the ruling datu Lapu-Lapu. Over the
next several decades, other Spanish expeditions were dispatched to the islands. In 1543,
Ruy Lpez de Villalobos led an expedition to the islands and gave the name Las Islas
Filipinas (after Philip II of Spain) to the islands of Samar and Leyte. The name was
extended to the entire archipelago in the twentieth century.
Spanish settlement Colonization began when Spanish explorer Miguel Lpez de Legazpi,
arrived from Mexico in 1565 and formed the first European settlements in Cebu. In 1571,
the Spanish occupied the kingdoms of Maynila and Tondo and established Manila as the
capital of the Spanish East Indies. Spanish power was further consolidated after Miguel
Lpez de Legazpis conquest of the Confederation of Madya-as, his subjugation of Rajah
Tupas the King of Cebu and Juan de Salcedos ransacking of the Chinese warlord
Limahongs pirate kingdom in Pangasinan .
This grab for power eventually culminatedwith the mass murder and exile of theroyal
families of the Dynasty of Tondo andthe Kingdom of Maynila when theTondo
Conspiracy of 1587-1588 failed inwhich a planned grand alliance with theJapanese
admiral Gayo, Butuans last rajahand Bruneis Sultan Bolkieh, would haverestored the old
aristocracy. Its failureresulted in the hanging of Agustn de Legazpi(great grandson of
Miguel Lopez de Legazpiand the initiator of the plot) and theexecution of Magat Salamat
(the crown-prince of Tondo).
The fragmented nature of the islands made iteasy for Spanish colonization. The
Spanishthen attempted to bring political unificationto the Philippine archipelago via
theconquest of the various states but they wereunable to subjugate the sultanates
ofMindanao and the tribes and highlandplutocracy of the Ifugao of Northern Luzon.The
Spanish introduced elements ofwestern civilization such as the code of law,western
printing and the Gregorian calendaralongside new food resources such as
maize,pineapple and chocolate from Latin America.
From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was governedfrom Mexico City via the Royal
Audiencia ofManila, before it was administered directly fromMadrid after the Mexican
revolution. TheManila Galleons which linked Manila to Acapulcotraveled once or twice a
year between the 16thand 19th centuries. The Spanish military fought offvarious
indigenous revolts and several externalcolonial challenges, especially from the
British,Chinese pirates, Dutch, and Portuguese.Roman Catholic missionaries converted
most ofthe lowland inhabitants to Christianity andfounded schools, universities, and
hospitals. In1863 a Spanish decree introduced education,establishing public schooling in
Spanish.
In 1898, as conflicts continued in the Philippines, the USS Maine, having been sent to
Cuba because of U.S. concerns for the safety of its citizens during an ongoing Cuban
revolution, exploded and sank in Havana harbor. This event precipitated the Spanish
American War. After Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish squadron at
Manila, the U.S. invited Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines, which he did on May 19,
1898, in the hope he would rally Filipinos against the Spanish colonial government. By
the time U.S. land forces had arrived, the Filipinos had taken control of the entire island
of Luzon, except for the walled city of Intramuros. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared
the independence of the Philippines in Kawit, Cavite, establishing the First Philippine
Republic under Asias first democratic constitution.
A German squadron arrived in Manila and engaged in maneuvers which Dewey seeing
this as obstruction of his blockade, offered war after which the Germans backed down.
The German Emperor expected an American defeat, with Spain left in a sufficiently weak
position for the revolutionaries to capture Manilaleaving the Philippines ripe for
German picking.
In the Battle of Manila, the United States captured the city from the Spanish. This battle
marked an end of Filipino-American collaboration, as Filipino forces were prevented
from entering the captured city of Manila, an action deeply resented by the Filipinos.
Spain and the United States sent commissioners to Paris to draw up the terms of the
Treaty of Paris which ended the SpanishAmerican War. The Filipino representative,
Felipe Agoncillo, was excluded from sessions as the revolutionary government was not
recognized by the family of nations. Although there was substantial domestic opposition,
the United States decided to annex the Philippines.
In addition to Guam and Puerto Rico, Spain was forced in the negotiations to hand over
the Philippines to the U.S. in exchange for US$20,000,000.00. U.S. President McKinley
justified the annexation of the Philippines by saying that it was "... a gift from the gods"
and that since "they were unfit for self-government, ... there was nothing left for us to do
but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize
them", in spite of the Philippines having been already Christianized by the Spanish over
the course of several centuries. The first Philippine Republic resisted the U.S.
occupation, resulting in the Philippine-American War (18991913).
American period (18981946) Filipinos initially saw their relationship with the United
States as that of two nations joined in a common struggle against Spain. However, the
United States later distanced itself from the interests of the Filipino insurgents. Aguinaldo
was unhappy that the United States would not commit to paper a statement of support for
Philippine independence. Relations deteriorated and tensions heightened as it became
clear that the Americans were in the islands to stay.
Philippine-American War Hostilities broke out on February 4, 1899, after two American
privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan, a Manila suburb. This
incident sparked the Philippine-American War, which would cost far more money and
took far more lives than the SpanishAmerican War. Some 126,000 American soldiers
would be committed to the conflict; 4,234 Americans died, as did 16,000 Filipino soldiers
who were part of a nationwide guerrilla movement of indeterminate numbers. At least
one million Filipinos lost their lives as a direct result of the war, with as many as 200,000
who died as a result of the cholera epidemic at the wars end. Atrocities were committed
by both sides.
guerrilla commands in each of several military zones. The general population, caught
between Americans and rebels, suffered significantly.
Aguinaldo was captured at Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901 and was brought to
Manila. Convinced of the futility of further resistance, he swore allegiance to the United
States and issued a proclamation calling on his compatriots to lay down their arms,
officially bringing an end to the war. However, sporadic insurgent resistance continued in
various parts of the Philippines, especially in the Muslim south, until 1913.
In 1900, President McKinley sent the Taft Commission, to the Philippines, with a
mandate to legislate laws and re-engineer the political system. On July 1, 1901, William
Howard Taft, the head of the commission, was inaugurated as Civil Governor, with
limited executive powers. The authority of the Military Governor was continued in those
areas where the insurrection persisted. The Taft Commission passed laws to set up the
fundamentals of the new government, including a judicial system, civil service, and local
government. A Philippine Constabulary was organized to deal with the remnants of the
insurgent movement and gradually assume the responsibilities of the United States Army.
Insular Government (1902-1935) Flag of the United States, 1896-1908. The Philippine
Organic Act (1902) was a constitution for the Insular Government, so called because
Philippine civil administration was under the authority of the U.S. Bureau of Insular
Affairs. This government saw its mission as one of tutelage, preparing the Philippines for
eventual independence. On July 4, 1902 the office of Military Governor was abolished
and full executive power passed from Adna Chaffee, the last military governor, to Taft,
who became the first U.S. Governor-General of the Philippines.
United States policies towards the Philippines shifted with changing administrations.
During the early years of territorial administration, the Americans were reluctant to
delegate authority to the Filipinos, but an elected Philippine Assembly was inaugurated in
1907, as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the appointive Philippine
Commission becoming the upper house. When Woodrow Wilson became U.S. President
in 1913, a new policy was adopted to put into motion a process that would gradually lead
to Philippine independence. The Jones Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1916 to serve
as the new organic law in the Philippines, promised eventual independence and instituted
an elected Philippine senate.
In socio-economic terms, the Philippines made solid progress in this period. In 1895,
foreign trade amounted to 62 million pesos, 13% of which was with the United States. By
1920, it had increased to 601 million pesos, 66% of which was with the United States. A
health care system was established which, by 1930, reduced the mortality rate from all
causes, including various tropical diseases, to a level similar to that of the United States
itself.
Slavery, piracy and headhunting were all suppressed, but not extinguished. An
educational system was established which, among other subjects, provided English as a
lingua francaso that the islands 170 linguistic groups could communicate with one
another and the outside world. While prior to the coming of the Americans, Spanish was
spoken by some segments of Philippine society, the language was unpopular. At the end
of the Spanish era, less than ten percent of the Christianized population was fully literate
in the language and those who spoke it were limited to the urban centers and the elite.
The 1920s saw alternating periods of cooperation and confrontation with American
governors-general, depending on how intent the incumbent was on exercising his powers
vis- -vis the Philippine legislature. Members to the elected legislature lobbied for
immediate and complete independence from the United States. Several independence
missions were sent to Washington, D.C. A civil service was formed and was gradually
taken over by Filipinos, who had effectively gained control by 1918.
Philippine politics during the American territorial era was dominated by the
Nacionalista Party, which was founded in 1907. Although the partys platform called for
"immediate independence", their policy toward the Americans was highly
accommodating. Within the political establishment, the call for independence was
spearheaded by Manuel L. Quezon, who served continuously as Senate president from
1916 until 1935.
Frank Murphy was the last Governor-General of the Philippines (193335), and the first
U.S. High Commissioner of the Philippines (193536). The change in form was more
than symbolic: it was intended as a manifestation of the transition to independence.
Commonwealth The Great Depression in the early thirties hastened the progress of The
Philippines towards independence. In the United States it was mainly the sugar industry
and labour unions that had a stake in loosening the U.S. ties to The Philippines since they
could not compete with the Philippine cheap sugar (and other commodities) which could
freely enter the U.S. market. Therefore, they agitated in favor of granting independence to
the Philippines so that its cheap products and labour could be shut out of the United
States. In 1933, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a
Philippine Independence Act over President Herbert Hoovers veto.
Though the bill had been drafted with the aid of a commission from the Philippines, it
was opposed by Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, partially because of
provisions leaving the United States in control of naval bases. Under his influence, the
Philippine legislature rejected the bill. The following year, a revised act known as the
Tydings-McDuffie Act was finally passed.
The act provided for the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines with a
ten-year period of peaceful transition to full independence. The commonwealth would
have its own constitution and be self-governing, though foreign policy would be the
responsibility of the United States, and certain legislation required approval of the United
States president.
World War II and Japanese occupation Japan launched a surprise attack on the Clark Air
Base in Pampanga, Philippines on December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. Aerial bombardment was followed by landings of ground troops on Luzon.
The defending Philippine and United States troops were under the command of General
Douglas MacArthur. Under the pressure of superior numbers, the defending forces
withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula and to the island of Corregidor at
On January 2, 1942, General MacArthur declared the capital city, Manila, an open city
to prevent its destruction. The Philippine defense continued until the final surrender of
United States-Philippine forces on the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942 and on Corregidor
in May of the same year. Most of the 80,000 prisoners of war captured by the Japanese at
Bataan were forced to undertake the infamous Bataan Death March to a prison camp 105
kilometers to the north. It is estimated that about 10,000 Filipinos and 1,200 Americans
died before reaching their destination.
President Quezon and Osmea had accompanied the troops to Corregidor and later left
for the United States, where they set up a government in exile. MacArthur was ordered to
Australia, where he started to plan for a return to the Philippines.
Their effectiveness was such that by theend of the war, Japan controlled onlytwelve of
the forty-eight provinces. Oneelement of resistance in the Central Luzonarea was
furnished by the Hukbalahap(Filipino: "Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mgaHapon") ("Peoples
Army Against theJapanese"), which armed some 30,000people and extended their control
overmuch of Luzon.
The occupation of the Philippines by Japanended at the end of the war. The
Americanarmy had been fighting the so-calledPhilippines Campaign since October
The Philippines suffered great loss oflife and tremendous physicaldestruction by the time
the war wasover. An estimated 1 million Filipinoshad been killed, a large portionduring
the final months of the war,and Manila was extensively damaged.
The Philippine Trade Act, passed as aprecondition for receiving war rehabilitationgrants
from the United States, exacerbated thedependency with provisions further tying
theeconomies of the two countries. A militaryassistance pact was signed in 1947
grantingthe United States a 99-year lease ondesignated military bases in the country
(thelease was later reduced to 25 years beginning1967).
World War II had left the Philippinesdemoralized and severely damaged. The taskof
reconstruction was complicated by theactivities of the Communist-supportedHukbalahap
guerrillas (known as "Huks"), whohad evolved into a violent resistance forceagainst the
new Philippine government.Government policy towards the Huksalternated between
gestures of negotiation andharsh suppression.
Though this relieved population pressure in the north, it heightened religious hostilities.
Nevertheless, he was extremely popular with the common people, and his death in an
airplane crash in March 1957 dealt a serious blow to national morale.
Garcia successfully negotiated for the United States relinquishment of large military
land reservations. However, his administration lost popularity on issues of government
corruption as his term advanced.
Marcos era and martial law (19651986) Macapagal ran for re-election in 1965, but was
defeated by his former party-mate, Senate President Ferdinand Marcos, who had
switched to the Nacionalista Party. Early in his presidency, Marcos initiated ambitious
public works projects and intensified tax collection which brought the country economic
prosperity throughout the 1970s.
His administration built more roads (including a substantial portion of the PanPhilippine Highway) than all his predecessors combined, and more schools than any
previous administration. Marcos was re- elected president in 1969, becoming the first
president of the independent Philippines to achieve a second term.
Martial law Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist
insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972 by virtue of
Proclamation No. 1081. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil
liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of
opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics senators Benigno
Aquino, Jr., Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno.
The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the
Philippines was experiencing. Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was
implemented. Many political opponents were forced to go into exile. A constitutional
convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the colonial 1935 Constitution,
continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of martial law. The
new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from
presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973.
Marcos claimed that martial law was theprelude to creating a "New Society" based
onnew social and political values. The economyduring the 1970s was robust, with
budgetaryand trade surpluses. TheGross National Product rose from P55 billion in1972 to
P193 billion in 1980. Tourism rose,contributing to the economys growth.However,
Marcos, his cronies and his wife,Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, wilfully engaged inrampant
corruption.
Fourth Republic Appeasing the Roman Catholic Church, Marcos officially lifted martial
law on January 17, 1981. However, he retained much of the governments power for arrest
and detention. Corruption and nepotism as well as civil unrest contributed to a serious
decline in economic growth and development under Marcos, whose health declined due
to lupus.
The political opposition boycotted the 1981 presidential elections, which pitted Marcos
against retired general Alejo Santos. Marcos won by a margin of over 16 million votes,
which constitutionally allowed him to have another six-year term. Finance Minister Cesar
Virata was elected as Prime Minister by the Batasang Pambansa.
In 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated at the Manila
International Airport upon his return to the Philippines after a long period of exile. This
coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and began a succession of events,
including pressure from the United States, that culminated in a snap presidential election
in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquinos widow, Corazon Aquino.
International observers, including a U.S. delegation, denounced the official results. Gen.
Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile withdrew their support for Marcos.
A peaceful civilian-military uprising, now popularly called the People Power Revolution,
forced Marcos into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as president on
Progress was made in revitalizingdemocratic institutions and respectfor civil liberties, but
Aquinosadministration was also viewed asweak and fractious, and a return tofull political
stability and economicdevelopment was hampered byseveral attempted coups staged
bydisaffected members of thePhilippine military.
He legalized the Communist Party and laid the groundwork for talks with communist
insurgents, Muslim separatists, and military rebels, attempting to convince them to cease
their armed activities against the government. In June 1994, Ramos signed into law a
general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, and Philippine military and police
personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting the insurgents.
In October 1995, the government signed an agreement bringing the military insurgency
to an end. A peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a major
separatist group fighting for an independent homeland in Mindanao, was signed in 1996,
ending the 24-year
However, an MNLF splinter group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front continued the
armed struggle for an Islamic state. Efforts by Ramos supporters to gain passage of an
amendment that would allow him to run for a second term were met with large-scale
protests, leading Ramos to declare he would not seek re-election.
He enjoyed widespread popularity, particularly among the poor. Estrada assumed office
amid the Asian Financial Crisis. The economy did, however, recover from a low -0.6%
growth in 1998 to a moderate growth of 3.4% by 1999. Like his predecessor there was a
similar attempt to change the 1987 constitution. The process is termed as CONCORD or
Constitutional Correction for Development.
Unlike Charter change under Ramos and Arroyo the CONCORD proposal, according to
its proponents, would only amend the restrictive economic provisions of the constitution
that is considered as impeding the entry of more foreign investments in the Philippines.
However it was not successful in amending the constitution.
In March 21, 2000 President Estrada declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) after the worsening secessionist movement in Midanao The
government later captured 46 MILF camps including the MILFs headquarters, Camp
Abubakar. In October 2000, however, Estrada was accused of having accepted millions of
pesos in payoffs from illegal gambling businesses.
He was impeached by the House of Representatives, but his impeachment trial in the
Senate broke down when the senate voted to block examination of the presidents bank
records. In response, massive street protests erupted demanding Estradas resignation.
Faced with street protests, cabinet resignations, and a withdrawal of support from the
armed forces, Estrada was forced from office on January 20, 2001.
Arroyos initial term in office was marked by fractious coalition politics as well as a
military mutiny in Manila in July 2003 that led her to declare a month-long nationwide
state of rebellion. Arroyo had declared in December 2002 that she would not run in the
May 2004 presidential election, but she reversed herself in October 2003 and decided to
join the race.
She was re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30,
2004. In 2005, a tape of a wiretapped conversation surfaced bearing the voice of Arroyo
apparently asking an election official if her margin of victory could be maintained. The
tape sparked protests calling for Arroyos resignation.
1935 (Commonwealth Period) The 1935 Constitution was ratified on May 14, 1935.
Preamble The Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence, in order to
establish a government that shall embody their ideals, conserve and develop the
patrimony of the nation, promote the general welfare, and secure to themselves and their
posterity the blessings of independence under a regime of justice, liberty, and democracy,
do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.
1973 Martial Law [The 1973 Constitution was ratified on January 17, 1973 in
accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 1102 issued by President Ferdinand E.
Marcos]. This is known as the Martial Constitution..
of Filipino liberals exiled in 1872 and students attending Europes universities, the
organization aimed to increase Spanish awareness of, the needs of its colony, the
Philippines and to propagate a closer relationship between the colony and Spain.
Its prominent members included Jos Rizal, author of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, Graciano Lpez Jaena, publisher of La Solidaridad, the movements
principal organ, Mariano Ponce, the organizations secretary and Marcelo H. del Pilar.
Creation of a public school system independent of the friars; Abolition of the polo
(labor service) and vandala (forced sale of local products to the government); Guarantee
of basic freedoms of speech and association; Equal opportunity for Filipinos and
Spanish to enter government service.
What are the factors that led to propaganda movement in the Philippines? There are two
major factors that led to propaganda movement in the Philippines during our early history
from 1800 1889. Such as: To expose the defects and abuses of the Spanish
Government; Aimed to seek reforms to remedy the defects and abuses of Colonial
government.
Filipinization of the Philippine parishes and expulsion of the friars. Human rights of
Filipinos, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to meet and
petition for redress of grievances.
To further illustrate: In February 17, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and
Jacinto Zamora (Gomburza), these priests, were executed by the Spanish colonizers on
charges of subversion. The charges against Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were
their alleged complicity in the uprising of workers at the Cavite Naval Yard.
The ilustrados led the Filipinos quest forreforms. Because of their education andnewly
acquired wealth, they felt moreconfident about voicing out populargrievances. However,
since the ilustradosthemselves were a result of the changesthat the Spanish government
had beenslowly implementing, the group couldnot really push very hard for the reformsit
wanted.
The ilustrados did not succeed ineasing the sufferings of the Filipinos;but from this group
another factionarises called the intelligentsia. Theintelligentsia also wanted reforms;but
they were more systematic andused a peaceful means called thePropaganda Movement.
Katipunan The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by antiSpanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, which aimed primarily to gain independence from
Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrs Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night of July 7, when Filipino writer
Jos Rizal was to be banished to Dapitan. Initially, Katipunan was a secret organization
until its discovery in 1896 that led to the outbreak of Philippine Revolution.
The word "katipunan", literally meansassociation, comes from the root word "tipon",an
indigenous Tagalog word, meaning "society"or "gather together" Its official
revolutionaryname is Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangangKatipunan ngg mg Anak ngg
Bayan (English: g High and Honorable Society of the Children ofthe Nation, Spanish:
Suprema y VenerableAsociacin de los Hijos del Pueblo). Katipunanis also known by its
acronym, K.K.K..
Being a secret organization, its membersare subjected to utmost secrecy and areexpected
to abide with the rulesestablished by the society. Aspirantapplicants were given standard
initiationrites to become members of the society.At first, Katipunan was only open to
maleFilipinos; later, women were accepted inthe society.
The Katipunan had its own publication,Kalayaan (Liberty) that had its first andlast print
on March 1896. Revolutionaryideals and works flourished within thesociety, and
Philippine literature wereexpanded by its some prominentmembers.
In planning the revolution, Bonifaciocontacted Rizal for his full-fledgedsupport for the
Katipunan in exchangefor a promise of Rizals liberty fromdetainment by rescuing him.
On May1896, a delegation was sent to theEmperor of Japan to solicit funds andmilitary
arms.
Influence of the Propaganda Movement A late 19th century photograph of leaders of the
Propaganda Movement: Jos Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce. The
Katipunan and the Cuerpo de Compromisarios were, effectively, successor organizations
of La Liga Filipina, founded by Jos Rizal, as part of the late 19th century Propaganda
Movement in the Philippines. Katipunan founders Andrs Bonifacio, Ladislao Diwa, and
Teodoro Plata were all members of La Liga and were influenced by the nationalistic
ideals of the Propaganda Movement in Spain.
Marcelo H. del Pilar, another leader of the Propaganda Movement in Spain, also
influenced the formation of the Katipunan. Modern-day historians believe that he had a
direct hand in its organization because of his role in the Propaganda Movement and his
eminent position in Philippine Masonry; most of the Katipunans founders were
freemasons.
The Katipunan had initiation ceremonies that were copied from masonic rites. It also had
an order of rank, similar to that of freemasonry. Rizals Spanish biographer Wenceslao
Retaa and Filipino biographer Juan Raymundo Lumawag saw the formation of the
Katipunan as Del Pilars victory over Rizal: "La Liga dies, and the Katipunan rises in its
place. Del Pilars plan wins over that of Rizal. Del Pilar and Rizal had the same end, even
if each took a different road to it."
The Katipunan had initiation ceremonies that were copied from masonic rites. It also had
an order of rank, similar to that of freemasonry. Rizals Spanish biographer Wenceslao
Retaa and Filipino biographer Juan Raymundo Lumawag saw the formation of the
Katipunan as Del Pilars victory over Rizal: "La Liga dies, and the Katipunan rises in its
place. Del Pilars plan wins over that of Rizal. Del Pilar and Rizal had the same end, even
if each took a different road to it."
On the night of July 7, 1892, when Rizalwas banished and exiled to Dapitan inMindanao,
Andrs Bonifacio, a memberof the La Liga Filipina, founded theKatipunan in a house in
Tondo, Manila.Bonifacio did established the Katipunanwhen it was become apparent to
anti-Spanish Filipinos that societies like the LaLiga Filipina would be suppressed
bycolonial authorities.
He was assisted by his two friends, Teodoro Plata(brother-in-law) and Ladislao Diwa,
plus ValentnDaz and Deodato Arellano. The Katipunan wasfounded along Azcarraga St.
(now Claro M. RectoAvenue) near Elcano St. in Tondo, Manila. Despitetheir reservations
about the peaceable reformationthat Rizal espoused, they named Rizal honorarypresident
without his knowledge. The Katipunan,established as a secret brotherhood
organization,went under the name Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ngg
mgg Anak ngg Bayan(Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children ofthe Nation)
The Katipunan had four aims, namely: to develop a strong alliance with each and every
Katipuneros to unite Filipinos into one solid nation; to win Philippine independence by
means of an armed conflict (or revolution); to establish a republic after independence.
The rise of the Katipunan signalized theend of the crusade to secure reformsfrom Spain
by means of a peacefulcampaign. The Propaganda Movementled by Rizal, del Pilar,
Jaena and othershad failed its mission; hence, Bonifaciostarted the militant movement for
independence