PhilippinePresidents:TheirAchievementsandContributions

Sinceindependencein1898andtheratificationofthePhilippineConstitutionintheFirstRepublic,therehave
been15presidents.StartingwithGeneralEmilioAguinaldoallthewaytooutgoingpresidentBenignoAquino,
thisarticledetailseachpresident'sparticularcontributionsandachievementswhileinoffice.

1. EmilioAguinaldo18991901
OnewaytorememberthefirstpresidentofthePhilippinesFirstRepublicistolookatthefivepesocoin.
Gen.EmilioAguinaldo'sfaceusedtogracethefivepesobill(whichisnotusedanymore).Thebackofthebillshows
himholdingthePhilippineflagatthecelebrationofthePhilippineIndependenceDay.
Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:
First(andonly)presidentoftheFirstRepublic(MaloloRepublic)
SignedthePactofBiaknaBato,creatingatrucebetweentheSpanishandPhilippinerevolutionaries
KnownasthePresidentoftheRevolutionaryGovernment
LedthePhilippinesintheSpanishPhilippineWarandtheAmericanPhilippineWar
Youngestpresident,takingofficeatage28
Longestlivedpresident,passingawayat94

2. ManuelL.Quezon19351944
After34yearsofInsularGovernmentunderAmericanrule,PhilippinevoterselectedManuelLuisQuezon
firstpresidentoftheCommonwealthofthePhilippines.HeisknownastheFatherofNationalLanguage(Amang
WikangPambansa).HediedoftuberculosisinSaranacLake,NewYork.
Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:
FirstSenatepresidentelectedasPresidentofthePhilippines
Firstpresidentelectedthroughanationalelection
FirstpresidentundertheCommonwealth
CreatedNationalCouncilofEducation
InitiatedwomenssuffrageinthePhilippinesduringtheCommonwealth
ApprovedTagalog/FilipinoasthenationallanguageofthePhilippines
Appearsonthetwentypesobill
Aprovince,acity,abridgeandauniversityinManilaarenamedafterhim
HisbodylieswithinthespecialmonumentonQuezonMemorialCircle
Acceptedsome1300jewishrefugees,thussavingtheirlivesfromthe"holocaust

3. JoseP.Laurel19431954
JosP.Laurel'spresidencyiscontroversial.Hewasofficiallythegovernment'scaretakerduringthe
JapaneseoccupationofWorldWarII.Criticizedasatraitorbysome,hisindictmentfortreasonwassupersededlater
byanamnestyproclamationin1948.
Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:
Sincetheearly1960s,LaurelconsideredalegitimatepresidentofthePhilippines
OrganizedKALIBAPI(KapisanansaPaglilingkodsaBagongPilipinas,orAssociationforServicetotheNew
Philippines),aprovisionalgovernmentduringJapaneseoccupation
DeclaredMartialLawandwarbetweenthePhilippinesandtheU.S./UnitedKingdomin1944
Withhisfamily,establishedtheLyceumofthePhilippines

4. SergioOsmea19441946

SergioOsmeawasthesecondpresidentoftheCommonwealth.Duringhispresidency,thePhilippines
joinedtheInternationalMonetaryFund.
ContributionsandAchievements:
Becamepresidentat65,makinghimtheoldestpersontoholdoffice
FirstVisayantobecomepresident
JoinedwithU.S.Gen.DouglasMAcArthurinLeyteonOctober20,1944tobeginrestorationofPhilippine
freedomafterJapaneseoccupation
PhilippineNationalBankwasrehabilitatedandthecountryjoinedtheInternationalMonetaryFundduringhis
presidency
BellTradeActwasapprovedbytheU.S.Congressduringhispresidency
Appearsonthe50pesobill

5. ManuelRoxas19461948

ManuelRoxaswasthefifthpresidentofthePhilippines:thethird(andlast)presidentunderthe
Commonwealth,andthefirstpresidentoftheThirdRepublicofthePhilippines.Heheldofficeforonlyoneyear,10
months,and18days.
ContributionsandAchievements:
InauguratedasthefirstpresidentofthenewRepublicafterWorldWarII
Reconstructionfromwardamageandlifewithoutforeignrulebeganduringhispresidency
Underhisterm,thePhilippineRehabilitationActandPhilippineTradeActlawswereacceptedbyCongress
Appearsonthe100pesobill

6. ElpidioQuirino19481953
ElpidioQuirinoservedasvicepresidentunderManuelRoxas.WhenRoxasdiedin1948,Quirinobecame
president.
ContributionsandAchievements:
Hukbalahapguerrillamovementactiveduringhispresidency
CreatedSocialSecurityCommission
CreatedIntegrityBoardtomonitorgraftandcorruption
QuezonCitybecamecapitalofthePhilippinesin1948

7. RamonMagsaysay19531957
RamonMagsaysaywasborninIba,Zambales.Hewasamilitarygovernorandanengineer.Hediedinan
aircraftdisasterwhileboardingthepresidentialplane.
ContributionsandAchievements:
Hukbalahapmovementquelledduringhispresidency
ChairmanoftheCommitteeonGuerillaAffairs
FirstpresidentswornintoofficewearingBarongTagalogduringinauguration
PresidencyreferredtoasthePhilippines'"GoldenYears"foritslackofcorruption
PhilippineswasrankedsecondinAsiascleanandwellgovernedcountriesduringhispresidency
EstablishedNationalResettlementandRehabilitationAdministration(NARRA)amongotheragrarian
reforms

8. CarlosP.Garcia19571961
Alawyer,poet,andteacher,CarlosP.GarciaalsoservedasaguerillaleaderduringthePacificWar.Bornin
Bohol,GarciaservicedasvicepresidentunderRamonMagsaysayandassecretaryofForeignAffairsforfouryears.
HebecamepresidentwhenMagsaysaydiedin1957.
ContributionsandAchievements:
KnownforFilipinoFirstPolicy,whichfavoredFilipinobusinessesoverforeigninvestors
EstablishedtheAusterityProgramfocusingonFilipinotradeandcommerce
KnownasthePrinceofVisayanPoetsandtheBardfromBohol
Culturalartswasrevivedduringhisterm
WasthefirstpresidenttohavehisremainsburiedattheLibinganngmgaBayani

9. DiosdadoMacapagal19611965

BorninLubao,Pampanga,DiosdadoMacapagalwasalawyerandprofessor.HisdaughterGloria
MacapagalArroyowasthe14th,andsecondfemale,presidentofthePhilippines.
ContributionsandAchievements:
EstablishedthefirstLandReformLaw,allowingforthepurchaseofprivatefarmlandtobedistributedin
inexpensive,smalllotstothelandless
PlacedthePhilippinepesoonthecurrencyexchangemarket
DeclaredJune12,1898tobePhilippinesIndependenceDay
SignedtheMinimumWageLaw
CreatedthePhilippineVeteransBank
Currentlyonthe200pesobill

10.

FerdinandMarcos19651986

BorninSarrat,IlocosNorte,FerdinandEdralinMarcoswasalawyerandSenatePresidentforthreeyears.
Hewaspresidentfor21years.Heruledundermartiallawandhisdictatorshipwasknownforitscorruptionand
brutality.MarcoswasremovedfromofficeafterthePeoplePowerRevolution.

ContributionsandAchievements:
Firstpresidenttowinasecondterm
DeclaredMartialLawonSept.22,1972
IncreasedthesizeofPhilippinemilitaryandarmedforces
By1980thePhilippineGNPwasfourtimesgreaterthan1972
By1986thePhilippineswasoneofthemostindebtedcountriesinAsia
Builtmoreschools,roads,bridges,hospitals,andotherinfrastructurethanallformerpresidentscombined
Theonlypresidentwhoseremainsareinterredinsidearefrigeratedcrypt

11. CorazonAquino19861992
ThefirstwomanpresidentofthePhilippinesandthefirstwomantobecomepresidentofanAsiancountry,
CorazonAquinowasborninPaniqui,Tarlac.ShewasaprominentfigureinthePeoplePowerRevolutionthat
broughtdownFerdinandMarcos'dictatorship.Herhusband,BenignoAquinoJr.,wasasenatorduringtheMarcos
regimeanditsstrongestcritic.HewasassassinatedwhileMarcoswasstillinpower.
ContributionsandAchievements:
FirstwomantobepresidentofthePhilippinesoranyAsiancountry
Restoreddemocracy
Abolishedthe1973MarcosConstitutionandusheredinthenewConstitutionofthePhilippines
Reorganizedthestructureoftheexecutivebranchofgovernment
SignedtheFamilyCodeof1987,amajorcivillawreform,and1191LocalGovernmentCode,which
reorganizedthestructureoftheexecutivebranchofgovernment
Initiatedcharitableandsocialactivitieshelpingthepoorandtheneedy
NamedWomanoftheYearin1986byTimemagazine
Onthenew500pesobilltogetherwithherhusbandBenignoAquino
Receivedhonorsandawardsincluding:100WomenWhoShapedWorldHistory,20MostInfluentialAsians
ofthe20thCentury,65GreatAsianHeroes,J.WilliamFulbrightPrizeforInternationalUnderstanding

12.FidelV.Ramos19921998
FidelV.RamoswasthechiefofstaffoftheArmedForcesofthePhilippinesbeforehebecamepresident.
Hewasalsoacivilengineer.Aspresident,herestoredeconomicgrowthandstabilityinthecountry,evenduringthe
AsianFinancialCrisisin1997.Heisthefirst,andsofartheonly,nonCatholicpresidentofthePhilippines.
ContributionsandAchievements:
OversawPhilippineeconomicgrowth
PresidedovercelebrationsofPhilippineIndependenceCentennialin1998
ReceivedBritishKnighthoodfromtheUnitedKingdombyQueenElizabethII(KnightGrandCrossofthe
OrderofSt.MichaelandSt.George)
HostedthefourthAsiaPacificEconomicCooperationLeader'sSummitinthePhilippinesin1996
PhilippineStockExchangebecameaninternationalfavoriteduringhispresidency
Deathpenaltyreinstatedwhilehewasinoffice
SignedpeaceagreementwiththerebelMoroNationalLiberationFront

13.JosephEstrada19982001
KnownasErap,JosephEstradawasthefirstpresidentwhohadbeenafamousfilmactor.Hispresidency
wascontroversial.Duringhisyearsinofficeeconomicgrowthwasslowandhefacedimpeachmentproceedings.He
wasoustedfromthepresidencyin2001.Hewaslaterconvictedofstealingfromthegovernmentbutwaspardoned.
Heranunsuccessfullyforpresidentin2010.
ContributionsandAchievements:
DuringhispresidencyMoroIslamicLiberationFrontheadquartersandcampswerecaptured
Joinedotherleadersandpoliticianstotrytoamendthe1987Constitution
CitedasoneoftheThreeOutstandingSenatorsin1989
AmongtheMagnificent12whovotedtoterminatetheagreementthatallowsforU.S.controlofClark
AirbaseandSubicNavalBase

14.GloriaMacapagalArroyo20012010
GloriaMacapagalArroyowasthe14th,presidentofthePhilippines(andthesecondfemalepresident).The
OakwoodMutinyoccurredduringherterm.Arroyooversawroadandinfrastructureimprovementsandhigher
economicgrowththatpresidentsbeforeher,buttherewasalsocontroversy.Thesocalled"HelloGarci"controversy
involvedrecordingsthatallegedlycapturedArroyoorderingtheriggingoftheelectionthatputherinoffice.In2005

Arroyofacedimpeachmentproceedingsrelatedtotherecordingsbuttheimpeachmentfailed.Aftershehadleft
officeArroyofacedadditionalchargesofelectionfraudandmisuseofstatefunds.
ContributionsandAchievements:
Secondfemalepresidentofthecountry
FirstandonlyfemalevicepresidentofthePhilippinessofar
FirstpresidenttotakeoathoutsideLuzon
FormerEconomicsprofessorattheAteneodeManilaUniversity,wherecurrentpresidentBenignoAquinoIII
wasoneofherstudents
ExclassmateofformerU.S.PresidentBillClintonatGeorgetownUniversitysWalshSchoolofForeign
Service,whereshemaintainedDeansliststatus
Oversawhighereconomicgrowththanthepastthreepresidentsbeforeher
PesobecamethebestperformingcurrencyoftheyearinAsiain2007
eVATLawwasimplementedunderherterm

15.BenignoSimeonAquinoIII20102016
BenignoAquinoIIIjoinedtheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenatebeforehispresidency.Heisthefirst
presidentwhoisabachelorheisunmarriedandhasnochildren.
Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:
InitiatedK12educationinthePhilippines
In2013,thePhilippineswinsitsfirstinvestmentgradecreditratingfromFitchRatings,similarupgradesfrom
othercreditratingagenciesMoodysandStandardandPoorsfollowlaterthatyear
ChangedthePhilippines'reputationas"thesickmanofAsia"to"brightestspotinAsia"oversawhigher
economicgrowththanhispredecessors
Signedalandmarklawmandatingthestateprovidefreecontraceptivestopoorcouplesandteachsex
educationinschools
FiledasuitataUNlinkedinternationalarbitrationtribunalintheHaguetoinvalidateChina'sclaimof
PhilippineclaimedterritoriesintheWestPhilippineSea

16.RodrigoRoaDuterte2016Present
RodrigoDuterteascendedtothepresidencythroughapopulistmovement.Hismaincampaignsloganwas
"changeiscoming"andvowedtofight/eradicatecriminalityanddrugswithin36months.
Achievements,ContributionsandLegacies:
ThePermanentCourtofArbitrationawardedalandmarkvictorytothePhilippines,ithaswononalmostall
ofitsargumentsagainstChina