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Philippine Presidents: Their Achievements and Contributions

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Sinceindependencein1898andtheratificationofthePhilippineConstitutionintheFirstRepublic,
there have been 16 presidents. Starting with General Emilio Aguinaldo all the way to current
president Rodrigo Duterte, this article details each president's particular contributions and
achievementswhileinoffice.

1.EmilioAguinaldo18991901

OnewaytorememberthefirstpresidentofthePhilippinesFirstRepublicistolookatthefivepeso

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coin.Gen.EmilioAguinaldo'sfaceusedtogracethefivepesobill(whichisnotusedanymore).The
backofthebillshowshimholdingthePhilippineflagatthecelebrationofthePhilippine
IndependenceDay.

Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:

first(andonly)presidentoftheFirstRepublic(MaloloRepublic)
signedthePactofBiaknaBato,creatingatrucebetweentheSpanishandPhilippine
revolutionaries
knownasthePresidentoftheRevolutionaryGovernment
ledthePhilippinesintheSpanishPhilippineWarandtheAmericanPhilippineWar
youngestpresident,takingofficeatage28
longestlivedpresident,passingawayat94

2.ManuelL.Quezon,19351944

After34yearsofInsularGovernmentunderAmericanrule,PhilippinevoterselectedManuelLuis
QuezonfirstpresidentoftheCommonwealthofthePhilippines.HeisknownastheFatherof
NationalLanguage(AmangWikangPambansa).HediedoftuberculosisinSaranacLake,NewYork.

Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:

firstSenatepresidentelectedasPresidentofthePhilippines
firstpresidentelectedthroughanationalelection
firstpresidentundertheCommonwealth
createdNationalCouncilofEducation
initiatedwomenssuffrageinthePhilippinesduringtheCommonwealth
approvedTagalog/FilipinoasthenationallanguageofthePhilippines
appearsonthetwentypesobill
aprovince,acity,abridgeandauniversityinManilaarenamedafterhim
hisbodylieswithinthespecialmonumentonQuezonMemorialCircle

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acceptedsome1300jewishrefugees,thussavingtheirlivesfromthe"holocaust"

3.JosP.Laurel,19431945

JosP.Laurel'spresidencyiscontroversial.Hewasofficiallythegovernment'scaretakerduringthe
JapaneseoccupationofWorldWarII.Criticizedasatraitorbysome,hisindictmentfortreasonwas
supersededlaterbyanamnestyproclamationin1948.

Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:

sincetheearly1960s,LaurelconsideredalegitimatepresidentofthePhilippines
organizedKALIBAPI(KapisanansaPaglilingkodsaBagongPilipinas,orAssociationforService
totheNewPhilippines),aprovisionalgovernmentduringJapaneseoccupation
declaredMartialLawandwarbetweenthePhilippinesandtheU.S./UnitedKingdomin1944
withhisfamily,establishedtheLyceumofthePhilippines

4.SergioOsmea,19441946

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SergioOsmeawasthesecondpresidentoftheCommonwealth.Duringhispresidency,the
PhilippinesjoinedtheInternationalMonetaryFund.

ContributionsandAchievements:

becamepresidentat65,makinghimtheoldestpersontoholdoffice
firstVisayantobecomepresident
joinedwithU.S.Gen.DouglasMcArthurinLeyteonOctober20,1944tobeginrestorationof
PhilippinefreedomafterJapaneseoccupation
PhilippineNationalBankwasrehabilitatedandthecountryjoinedtheInternationalMonetary
Fundduringhispresidency
BellTradeActwasapprovedbytheU.S.Congressduringhispresidency
appearsonthe50pesobill

5.ManuelRoxas,19461948

ManuelRoxaswasthefifthpresidentofthePhilippines:thethird(andlast)presidentunderthe
Commonwealth,andthefirstpresidentoftheThirdRepublicofthePhilippines.Heheldofficefor
onlyoneyear,10months,and18days.

ContributionsandAchievements:

inauguratedasthefirstpresidentofthenewRepublicafterWorldWarII
reconstructionfromwardamageandlifewithoutforeignrulebeganduringhispresidency
underhisterm,thePhilippineRehabilitationActandPhilippineTradeActlawswereaccepted
byCongress
appearsonthe100pesobill

6.ElpidioQuirino,19481953

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ElpidioQuirinoservedasvicepresidentunderManuelRoxas.WhenRoxasdiedin1948,Quirino
becamepresident.

ContributionsandAchievements:

Hukbalahapguerrillamovementactiveduringhispresidency
createdSocialSecurityCommission
createdIntegrityBoardtomonitorgraftandcorruption
QuezonCitybecamecapitalofthePhilippinesin1948

7.RamonMagsaysay,19531957

RamonMagsaysaywasborninIba,Zambales.Hewasamilitarygovernorandanengineer.Hedied
inanaircraftdisasterwhileboardingthepresidentialplane.

ContributionsandAchievements:

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Hukbalahapmovementquelledduringhispresidency
chairmanoftheCommitteeonGuerillaAffairs
firstpresidentswornintoofficewearingBarongTagalogduringinauguration
presidencyreferredtoasthePhilippines'"GoldenYears"foritslackofcorruption
PhilippineswasrankedsecondinAsiascleanandwellgovernedcountriesduringhis
presidency
establishedNationalResettlementandRehabilitationAdministration(NARRA)amongother
agrarianreforms

8.CarlosP.Garcia,19571961

Alawyer,poet,andteacher,CarlosP.GarciaalsoservedasaguerillaleaderduringthePacificWar.
BorninBohol,GarciaservicedasvicepresidentunderRamonMagsaysayandassecretaryofForeign
Affairsforfouryears.HebecamepresidentwhenMagsaysaydiedin1957.

ContributionsandAchievements:

knownforFilipinoFirstPolicy,whichfavoredFilipinobusinessesoverforeigninvestors
establishedtheAusterityProgramfocusingonFilipinotradeandcommerce
knownasthePrinceofVisayanPoetsandtheBardfromBohol
culturalartswasrevivedduringhisterm
wasthefirstpresidenttohavehisremainsburiedattheLibinganngmgaBayani

9.DiosdadoMacapagal,19611965

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BorninLubao,Pampanga,DiosdadoMacapagalwasalawyerandprofessor.HisdaughterGloria
MacapagalArroyowasthe14th,andsecondfemale,presidentofthePhilippines.

ContributionsandAchievements:

establishedthefirstLandReformLaw,allowingforthepurchaseofprivatefarmlandtobe
distributedininexpensive,smalllotstothelandless
placedthePhilippinepesoonthecurrencyexchangemarket
declaredJune12,1898tobePhilippinesIndependenceDay
signedtheMinimumWageLaw
createdthePhilippineVeteransBank
currentlyonthe200pesobill

10.FerdinandMarcos,19651886

BorninSarrat,IlocosNorte,FerdinandEdralinMarcoswasalawyerandSenatePresidentforthree
years.Hewaspresidentfor21years.Heruledundermartiallawandhisdictatorshipwasknownfor
itscorruptionandbrutality.MarcoswasremovedfromofficeafterthePeoplePowerRevolution.
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ContributionsandAchievements:

firstpresidenttowinasecondterm
declaredMartialLawonSept.22,1972
increasedthesizeofPhilippinemilitaryandarmedforces
by1980thePhilippineGNPwasfourtimesgreaterthan1972
by1986thePhilippineswasoneofthemostindebtedcountriesinAsia
builtmoreschools,roads,bridges,hospitals,andotherinfrastructurethanallformer
presidentscombined
theonlypresidentwhoseremainsareinterredinsidearefrigeratedcrypt

11.CorazonAquino,19861992

ThefirstwomanpresidentofthePhilippinesandthefirstwomantobecomepresidentofanAsian
country,CorazonAquinowasborninPaniqui,Tarlac.ShewasaprominentfigureinthePeople
PowerRevolutionthatbroughtdownFerdinandMarcos'dictatorship.Herhusband,BenignoAquino
Jr.,wasasenatorduringtheMarcosregimeanditsstrongestcritic.Hewasassassinatedwhile
Marcoswasstillinpower.

ContributionsandAchievements:

firstwomantobepresidentofthePhilippinesoranyAsiancountry
restoreddemocracy
abolishedthe1973MarcosConstitutionandusheredinthenewConstitutionofthePhilippines
reorganizedthestructureoftheexecutivebranchofgovernment
signedtheFamilyCodeof1987,amajorcivillawreform,and1191LocalGovernmentCode,
whichreorganizedthestructureoftheexecutivebranchofgovernment
initiatedcharitableandsocialactivitieshelpingthepoorandtheneedy
namedWomanoftheYearin1986byTimemagazine
onthenew500pesobilltogetherwithherhusbandBenignoAquino

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Receivedhonorsandawardsincluding:
100WomenWhoShapedWorldHistory
20MostInfluentialAsiansofthe20thCentury
65GreatAsianHeroes
J.WilliamFulbrightPrizeforInternationalUnderstanding

12.FidelV.Ramos,19921998

FidelV.RamoswasthechiefofstaffoftheArmedForcesofthePhilippinesbeforehebecame
president.Hewasalsoacivilengineer.Aspresident,herestoredeconomicgrowthandstabilityin
thecountry,evenduringtheAsianFinancialCrisisin1997.Heisthefirst,andsofartheonly,non
CatholicpresidentofthePhilippines.

ContributionsandAchievements:

oversawPhilippineeconomicgrowth
presidedovercelebrationsofPhilippineIndependenceCentennialin1998
receivedBritishKnighthoodfromtheUnitedKingdombyQueenElizabethII(KnightGrand
CrossoftheOrderofSt.MichaelandSt.George)
hostedthefourthAsiaPacificEconomicCooperationLeader'sSummitinthePhilippinesin
1996
PhilippineStockExchangebecameaninternationalfavoriteduringhispresidency
deathpenaltyreinstatedwhilehewasinoffice
signedpeaceagreementwiththerebelMoroNationalLiberationFront

13.JosephEstrada,19982001

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KnownasErap,JosephEstradawasthefirstpresidentwhohadbeenafamousfilmactor.His
presidencywascontroversial.Duringhisyearsinofficeeconomicgrowthwasslowandhefaced
impeachmentproceedings.Hewasoustedfromthepresidencyin2001.Hewaslaterconvictedof
stealingfromthegovernmentbutwaspardoned.Heranunsuccessfullyforpresidentin2010.

ContributionsandAchievements:

duringhispresidencyMoroIslamicLiberationFrontheadquartersandcampswerecaptured
joinedotherleadersandpoliticianstotrytoamendthe1987Constitution
citedasoneoftheThreeOutstandingSenatorsin1989
amongtheMagnificent12whovotedtoterminatetheagreementthatallowsforU.S.control
ofClarkAirbaseandSubicNavalBase

14.GloriaMacapagalArroyo,20012010

GloriaMacapagalArroyowasthe14th,presidentofthePhilippines(andthesecondfemale
president).TheOakwoodMutinyoccurredduringherterm.Arroyooversawroadandinfrastructure
improvementsandhighereconomicgrowththatpresidentsbeforeher,buttherewasalso
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controversy.Thesocalled"HelloGarci"controversyinvolvedrecordingsthatallegedlycaptured
Arroyoorderingtheriggingoftheelectionthatputherinoffice.In2005Arroyofacedimpeachment
proceedingsrelatedtotherecordingsbuttheimpeachmentfailed.AftershehadleftofficeArroyo
facedadditionalchargesofelectionfraudandmisuseofstatefunds.

ContributionsandAchievements:

secondfemalepresidentofthecountry
firstandonlyfemalevicepresidentofthePhilippinessofar
firstpresidenttotakeoathoutsideLuzon
formerEconomicsprofessorattheAteneodeManilaUniversity,wherecurrentpresident
BenignoAquinoIIIwasoneofherstudents
exclassmateofformerU.S.PresidentBillClintonatGeorgetownUniversitysWalshSchoolof
ForeignService,whereshemaintainedDeansliststatus
oversawhighereconomicgrowththanthepastthreepresidentsbeforeher
pesobecamethebestperformingcurrencyoftheyearinAsiain2007
eVATLawwasimplementedunderherterm

15.BenignoSimeonAquinoIII,20102016

BenignoAquinoIIIjoinedtheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenatebeforehispresidency.Heis
thefirstpresidentwhoisabachelorheisunmarriedandhasnochildren.

Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:

initiatedK12educationinthePhilippines
in2013,thePhilippineswinsitsfirstinvestmentgradecreditratingfromFitchRatings,
similarupgradesfromothercreditratingagenciesMoodysandStandardandPoorsfollow
laterthatyear
changedthePhilippines'reputationas"thesickmanofAsia"to"brightestspotinAsia"
oversawhighereconomicgrowththanhispredecessors

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signedalandmarklawmandatingthestateprovidefreecontraceptivestopoorcouplesand
teachsexeducationinschools
filedasuitataUNlinkedinternationalarbitrationtribunalintheHaguetoinvalidateChina's
claimofPhilippineclaimedterritoriesintheWestPhilippineSea

16.RodrigoRoaDuterte,2016Present

RodrigoDuterte,formermayorofDavao,ascendedtothepresidencythroughapopulistmovement.
Hismaincampaignsloganwas"changeiscoming"andvowedtofight/eradicatecriminalityand
drugswithin36months.

Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:

thePermanentCourtofArbitrationawardedalandmarkvictorytothePhilippines,ithaswon
onalmostallofitsargumentsagainstChina
instigatedtheforeignpolicyshift,frombeingaproUSally,toamoreindependentstance
(oraproChinastance)

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