The Philippine Presidents
06/27/03
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On June 12, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo declaired that the Philippines was finally an independent nation. It is now 1998, a hundred years later, and we are comemorating this significant event in our country's history.
The Philippine centennial celebration has brough about a renewed awareness in our country's history and culture. In this particular subject, we would like to take-up the different Philippine presidents who contributed to our country's development as a nation.
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Emilio Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869 in Kawit, Cavite. He was born from Chinese and Filipino heritage. His parents were Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy.
He had a lot of experience being in the government. He was cabeza de barangay and municipal captain. He showed signs of being a born leader.
Aguinaldo met Bonifacio in a Katipunan meeting in Manila. Bonifacio was pleased with him and Aguinaldo got many men, including his on municipal police to join the Katipunan.
The Magdiwang and Madalo functions met in Imus, the Magdalo Capital on December 29, 1896. They agreed to form a new revolutionary government. They decided to elect the officers of this new government on March 22, 1897. The election would be held at the Tejeros Hacienda in General Trias, the Magdiwang Capital.
On March 22, the day of the election, Aguinaldo was leading a battle in Pasong Tamo near Dasmarinas. Though absent, the 28-year old Aguinaldo was elected President of the new revolutionary government.
The most important achievement Aguinaldo's dictatorship is the proclamation of the Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. Aguinaldo changed the dictatorship to a revolutionary government.
After the revolution against spain came the first Philippine Republic. It was inagurated in Malolos, Bulacan with Aguinaldo as president. It was the first democratic republic in Asia but lived only for two years and two months (January 23, 1899 - March 13, 1902). The Malolos constitution was the first democratic organic law ever made by Filipinos. Aguinaldo first turned it down on Mabini's advised but lated promulgated it after modifications.
The United States at that time, bought the Philippines for 20 000 000 dollars from the Spaniard during the Treaty of Paris. The Americans were now conquering the Philippines little by little.. On March 31, 1899, Gen. MacArthur captured Malolos, the capital. Aguinaldo was forced to move it to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. The last capital was in Palanan, Isabela . There, he was finally captured by Gen. Funston and two Filipinos who pledged their allegiance to the United States.
Aguinaldo died on February 6, 1964.
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Filipino statesman, Leader of the independence movement against the United States' annexation of the Philippines, and the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth established under United States tutelage in 1935.
Manuel Luis Quezon was born in the small town of Baler province of Tayaas on August 19, 1879. His parents are Lucio Quezon and Maria Dolores Molina. He spent his early years in his hometown among the common folk. He studied at the San Juan de Letran college where he finished Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of sixteen (16). He also took up law at the University of Santo Tomas but was cut off because he participated in the struggle for independence against the United States, led by Emilio Aguinaldo. After Aguinaldo surrendered in 1901, Quezon returned to the University and obtained his degree in 1903 and practiced law for a year.
Quezon was convinced that the only way to win independence was thrugh cooperation with the United States. He then ran for governor of Tayabas province in 1905. He served this post for two years before being elected as a representative of the newly established Philippine Assembly in 1907.
In 1909, Quezon was appointed Resident Commissioner for the Philippines. He was entitled to speak, but not to vote, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He fought vigorously for a speedy grant of independence by the United States. Quezon played a major role in obtaining Congress passage in 1916 of the Jones Act, which pledged independence for the Philippines without giving a specific date when it would take effect.
Quezon resigned as a commissioner and returned to Manila to be elected to the newly formed Philippine Senate in 1946. He subsequently served as its president until 1935. In 1922, he gained control of the Nacionalista party, which had previously been led by his rival Sergio Osmena.
Quezon fought for passage of the Tydings McDuffie Act(1934) which provided for full independence for the Philippines. Ten years prior to this independence, a commonwealth government was created and Quezon was to become the president in 1941.
As a President,Quezon believed that the government should be "more government and less politics". He tackled the huge problem of landless peasants in the countryside who still worked as tenants on large estates. He reorganized the islands military defense (aided by Gen. Douglas McArthur as his special adviser). He also promote the settlement and development of the large southern island of Mindanao, and fought graft and corruption in the government.
After Japan invaded and occupied the Philippines in 1942, he went to United States, where he formed a government in exile, served as a member of the Pacific war council, and signed the declaration of the United Nations against the fascist nation
He is best remembered as the "Father of the Philippine Language"
The Japanese military authorities knew that they had failed to win the Filipino's symphaty. but until the end, they had really tried to "tame" the Filipinos and gain their trust. They knew that the filipinos were freedom loving and finally they conceded that Japan will grant the Philippines' independence as long as it will recognize Japan's program of establishing a Greater East Asia co-prosperity sphrere. The Filipino leaders, knew that the independence promise was empty but they could not laugh for it would mean execution. They created the Preparatory Commision for Philippine Independence. The delegates were chosen and 5 days later, Jose P. Laurel was elected president.
With Laurel as president, the Republic tried to solve the grave economic and social prolems. Peace and order was in shambles due to the guerilla units. The lack of food was also a problem. Robbery was also a common problem during his administration. Laurel appealed to the guerillas not to aggravate the already bad situation.
People may think that Pesident Laurel was just a "puppet" of the Japanese. But at least, in his own little way, he became a "symbol" of Philippine independence.
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Sergio Osmena was the 2nd President of the Commonwealth. He became the President on August 1, 1944, right after thhe death of President Quezon.
During his term, Osmena's problems were mountainous. He was also not really free to make decisions because most, if not all, were made by MacArthur, who acted like a proconsul.
He always had been a peaceful and highly moral man, wanted peace not only within his party but more so for the country, for the national problems were of such magnitude and to solve these, it needed the unity and cooperation among the national leaders and the people.
It was hard being president for Osmena. This was not only for the country's problems but also that his political disciple, Roxas, wanted to be president as soon as possible and MacArthur had no symphaty on him.
On April 23, 1945, Roxas won over the aging Osmena who didn't even campaign for over 200,000 votes.
Even though it was hard for Osmena, he was also responsible for the rehabilitation of the Philippine government after the war.
