Professional Documents
Culture Documents
"Ang Magiting na Heneral" Emilio Aguinaldo - 1st Philippine President (January 23,
1899 – April 1, 1901)
Controversially dubbed by some as the Philippine president who sold the Philippines
independence, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's symbolic face can be found in the old 5-peso
bill which is no longer used in the Philippines.
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel L. Quezon (November 15, 1935 – August 1, 1944)
As the “Father of National Language” (Ama ng Wikang Pambansa in Tagalog),
Manuel Luis Quezon is Philippine president known to have died of a common man's
disease, tuberculosis in his last few days in Saranac Lake, New York according to a
wiki biography.
You can find an interesting and unique memorabilia of his life-
sized wax statue inside the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, a place named
after his own and called Q.C. Rotonda. With many firsts under his biography
according to wikipedia, below is a list.
Contributions and Achievements:
• first Senate president elected as one of the Philippine Presidents in his time
• won as the first president through a (nation-wide) national election
• first president under the Commonwealth
• created the National Council of Education
• initiated women’s rights in the Philippines during the Commonwealth regime
• made Tagalog / Filipino as the national language of the Philippines, hence he is
called "Ama ng Pambansang Wika"
• he is in the current twenty-peso bill
• to his legacy, his name was made as the remembering name of Quezon Boulevard,
Quezon Avenue, Quezon province, Quezon City, Quezon Bridge and MLQU and
MLQHS respectively in Manila
• his remains still lie at the Rotonda monument in Quezon Memorial Circle
Jose P. Laurel
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña (August 1, 1944 – May 28, 1946)
Sergio Osmeña - the second Philippine president and of the Commonwealth regime
whose face appears in the 50-peso bill.
Contributions and Achievements:
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Roxas (May 28, 1946 – April 15, 1948)
He was the fifth Philippine president but was considered as
the third and last president under the Commonwealth era making him the next first
leader of the Third Republic of the Philippines (R.P.). Shortlived as he served for
some reason, he only assumed office for a very short period of 1 year, 10 months and
18 days to be exact.
Contributions and Achievements:
• was inaugurated as the new and first president of the new Republic because the
Philippines was finally free after the WW II
• in his time, the country has started reconstruction from war damage and the
Philippines started breathing without foreign rule
• under his term, the Philippine Rehabilitation Act and Philippine Trade Act laws
were accepted by the congress
• he is in the 100 peso bill
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Quirino (April 17, 1948 – December 30, 1953)
Served first as the vice president of Manuel Roxas in his time and assumed to become
the next leader and Philippine president when the latter died in 1948.
Contributions and Achievements:
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon Magsaysay (December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957)
Born as a native of Iba, Zambales, he was a military governor, and engineer. He died
on a plane crash on Dec. 1957, boarding the presidential plane named “Mt. Pinatubo".
Contributions and Achievements of Ramon Magsaysay:
Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos P. Garcia (March 18, 1957 – December 30, 1961)
A well renowned country lawyer in his time, Carlos P. Garcia
was a critically acclaimed poet, teacher and self-proclaimed guerilla leader.
Born in the province of Bohol, like Elpidio Quirino, he was the vice president of the
former Philippine president in his time, Magsaysay.
He also served as the secretary of Foreign Affairs for 4 years until he became
president when Magsaysay died in 1957.
Contributions and Achievements:
• adopted the “Filipino First Policy”
• he established the Austerity Program focusing on Filipino trade and commerce
• recognized and dubbed as the “Prince of Visayan Poets” and the “bard from Bohol”
• cultural arts was strongly promoted during his term of tenure which was his nature
as a leader
• the first president whose remains were buried in the "Libingan ng mga Bayani"
Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Macapagal (December 30, 1961 – December 30, 1965)
Born in Lubao, Pampanga, like his latter clan, the 2nd female
Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Diosdado Macapagal, was another
lawyer and a professor in his time.
Contributions and Achievements:
• established the first Land Reform Law
• was popular with farmers in his time
• he placed the Philippines currency – peso, on the currency exchange market
• declared June 12 in 1898 as the Philippines’ official Independence Day
• Minimum Wage Law signatory
• signatory to the creation of the Philippine Veteran’s Bank
He was president for 21 years and was sent out of his office
after the People Power Revolution. His wife, Imelda Marcos was a popular icon in his
reign for owning so much of a signature shoe collection from all over the world.
He had the most controversial terms of all Philippine presidents especially during his
time when he declared and used Martial Law to remain in tenure as the highest
government official in the country. He was the first ousted president due to excessive
and oppressive use of power and was the first to voluntarily flee out of office because
of EDSA People Power.
He was indeed one of the best military and political tactician and brightest president
who ever lived to retain the longest reign using his power and knowhow in Philippine
laws as a lawyer. His wealth, still unknown even to his grave. He was ousted and so
are his alleged ill-gotten wealth rumored and found in numerous Swiss accounts.
Contributions and Achievements:
• awakened the Filipino to put up the EDSA revolution during the 80's
• the first president to win a second term
• he declared Martial Law on Sept. 22, 1972 to which in my time I am born and called
martial law baby
• empowered and increased military population to fuel his dictatorship intents in the
armed forces
• led the Philippines in 1986 to become one of the most indebted countries in Asia
thru IMF Worldbank funds
• the only president who had a record of building more schools, roads, bridges,
hospitals and infrastructures than all former presidents did, combined
• the only president whose remains interred inside a refrigerated crypt to preserve his
legacy by the family
• brought back the song "tie a yellow ribbon" and turned the color
yellow as a symbol for freedom and democracy
• first female president of the Philippines and Asia simultaneously
• she’s known to bring back democracy in the country through a peaceful revolution
known in world history as EDSA revolution
• initiated the abolition of the repressive 1973 Marcos Constitution and brought about
the making of the new Constitution of the Philippines for the FIlipino people
• became popular with the term "filipino people" in her reign as Philippine president
• signatory to Family Code of 1987 and 1191 Local Government Code
• she always initiated charitable and social activities helping the poor and the needy
• being compared and cited as a modern-day Joan of Arc by political critics
• her face appears in the latest 500 peso bill together with her husband Ninoy Aquino
• one of 100 Women of the world Who Shaped History
• 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century
• one of 65 Great Asian Heroes
• recipient of J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding
Gen. Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos (June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998)