Presidents of the Philippines

and Their Achievements

and Contributions
Since independence in 1898 and the ratification of the Philippine Constitution in the First
Republic, 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 achievements while in office.

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.

Contributions and Achievements:

 first (and only) president of the First Republic (Malolo 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 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,
New York.

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treason was superseded later by an amnesty proclamation in 1948.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 months, and 18 days.

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 Magsaysay died in 1957.

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
 was the 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 Philippines.

Contributions and Achievements:

 established the first Land Reform Law, allowing for the purchase of private farmland to be
distributed in inexpensive, small 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 Veteran’s Bank
10. Ferdinand Marcos, 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
Revolution.

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
 the 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. Her husband,
Benigno Aquino Jr., was a senator during the Marcos regime and its strongest critic. He was
assassinated while Marcos was still in power.

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 Aquino
Received honors and awards including:

 100 Women Who Shaped World History

 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century
 65 Great Asian Heroes
 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding
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 the 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 president in 2010.

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 the second female
president). The Oakwood Mutiny occurred during her term. Arroyo oversaw road and
infrastructure improvements and higher economic growth that presidents before her, but there
was also controversy. The so-called "Hello Garci" controversy involved recordings that allegedly
captured Arroyo ordering the rigging of the election that put her in office. In 2005 Arroyo faced
impeachment proceedings related to the recordings but the impeachment failed. After she had
left office Arroyo faced additional charges of election fraud and misuse of state funds.

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 current 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 is the first president who is a bachelor; he is unmarried and has 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-present

After initially dismissing the idea he would run for president, Duterte reversed course and threw
his hat into the race in late 2015. Among other promises, he said he would establish a new
federal parliamentary government and revive the country's steel industry.
However, the substance of his campaign was quickly overshadowed by a series of outrageous
statements. He insisted he would massacre criminals and refused to apologize for a joke about
the rape of an Australian missionary. His brashness invited comparisons to Donald Trump, who
was simultaneously running his own unfiltered campaign for president in the United States.
The strategy proved effective, as Duterte nearly doubled the votes compiled by his two closest
opponents. In May 2016, he was officially named the 16th president of the Philippines, and the
first from its southern island of Mindanao.

Contribution and Achievements:

 Duterte’s war on drugs is one of his most important works that he undertook as the President
of the Philippines.. Although many accuse him of human rights violation and extra judicial
killings he was able to eradicate the menace and make the city free from drugs
 Using city funds, he also had a drug rehabilitation and treatment center built at the cost of
₱12-million. It provides 24-hour services. In 2003, he floated a plan that provided a monthly
allowance of ₱2,000 to drug addicts who personally approached him and promised to give
up the habit.
 As a President, he also started a war on crime. During his tenure the crime rate went down
drastically. While in 1985, the rate was triple digit figure per 1000 people, from 1999 to 2005,
it became 8.0 cases 1000. Because of his ruthless eradication of criminals he has been
dubbed as ‘The Punisher’ by Times Magazine.
 AIR POLLUTION-
THE SILENT KILLER

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WHAT’S IN THE AIR WE BREATHE

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