PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTS

General Emilio F. Aguinaldo (March 22, 1869 - February 6, 1964). He was 29

years old when he became Chief of State, first as head of the dictatorship he
thought should be established upon his return to Cavite in May 1898 from
voluntary exile in Hongkong, and then a month later as President of the
Revolutionary Government that Apolinario Mabini had persuaded him should
instead be instituted.
Aguinaldo's presidential term formally began in 1898 and ended on April 1, 1901,
when he took an oath of allegiance to the United States a week after his capture in
Palanan, Isabela. His term also featured the setting up of the Malolos Republic,
which has its own Congress, Constitution, and national and local officialdom -proving Filipinos also had the capacity to build.
Aguinaldo is best remembered for the proclamation of Philippine Independence
on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite.
Manuel L. Quezon (August 19, 1878 - August 1, 1944). He won the elections
held in September 1935 to choose the head of the Commonwealth Government. It
was a government made possible by the Tydings-McDuffie Law, which Quezon
secured from the U.S.
Quezon had emerged as the acknowledged leader of Philippine politics and
possessed the kind of background and experience that appealed to Filipinos. He
had a bachelor of arts degree, studied law, and landed fourth place in the 1903 Bar
examinations. He served in the revolution, fighting in Tarlac, Pampanga, and
Bataan, and ended up with the rank of major. He was appointed provincial fiscal
of Mindoro and Tayabas, his home province. He was elected governor of Tayabas
in 1905 and in 1907, first assemblyman from the province to the First Philippine
National Assembly. In 1909, he was appointed resident commissioner to the U.S.
and when he finished his term after eight years, he returned to the Philippines to
become President of the Philippine Senate, created by the Jones Law. He was also
top man of the ruling Nacionalista Party.
Quezon's term (1935 - 1944), though chiefly known for making Pilipino the
national language, tried to solve nagging problems inherited from the Spanish and
American administrations. He directed his main efforts to bring about political
stability, build up national defense against the threat of Japanese militarism, and
strengthen an economy that was extremely dependent upon the U.S. He was also
remembered for taking executive and legislative actions to implement his "social
justice" program aimed at the underprivileged.
The Commonwealth Government was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of
1941. Quezon and his government were forced to go into exile in the U.S. He died
on August 1, 1944, in New York.
Jose P. Laurel (March 9, 1891 - November 5, 1959). He was elected by the
National Assembly as President of the Republic on September 25, 1943 and
inducted on October 14, 1943. This unicameral assembly was created through the
sponsorship of the Japanese authorities.

Laurel's controversial Presidency during the Japanese Occupation (1943 - 1945)

overshadowed his achievements as legislator, jurist, writer, and administrator in
the pre-war struggle for independence. As an elected senator and later delegate to
the Constitutional Convention, he distinguished himself for his advocacy of
women's suffrage and his sponsorship of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. He
also became an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
Sergio Osmena (September 9, 1878 - October 19, 1961). He was elected Vice
President of the Philippines in 1935 and succeeded Quezon to the Presidency inexile.
Osmena was a notable figure in the struggle for independence. A lawyer, he
espoused the cause of independence through peaceful means as editor of the Cebu
newspaper El Nuevo Dia (New Day), which he founded in 1900. He served as
fiscal of Cebu and Negros Oriental. He was appointed governor of Cebu in 1904
and elected to the same post in 1906. In 1907, he was elected as representative of
Cebu and later became speaker of the first Philippine Assembly. In 1922, he was
elected as senator. He headed important government missions to the U. S.
Osmena returned to the Philippines on October 20, 1944, together with Gen.
Douglas MacArthur. In February 1945, he took the reins of government.
Manuel A. Roxas (January 1, 1892 - April 15, 1948). He was popularly known as
the "First President of the Third Republic." He won the elections by a slim
margin. He was inaugurated on July 4, 1946, the day the U.S. government granted
political independence to its colony.
Roxas was born in Capiz (now Roxas City), studied law at UP and graduated with
honors in 1913. He topped the Bar examinations in the same year, was employed
as private secretary to Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano, and taught law in 19151916.
His political career started when he was appointed as a member of the Capiz
municipal council. In 1919, he was elected as governor of Capiz. He was elected
as congressman in 1922, and in 1935, he was chosen as a delegate to the
Constitutional Convention. He was elected as a senator in 1941 and eventually
became Senate president.
The short-lived Roxas administration (1946 - 1948) embarked on a course that
resulted in what were considered as his greatest achievements, namely: the
ratification of the Bell Trade Act; the inclusion of the Parity Amendment in the
Constitution; and the signing of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement.
Roxas was not able to complete his presidential term; he died from a heart attack
at Clark Air base on April 15, 1948.
Elpidio Quirino (November 16, 1890 - February 28, 1956). Being the Vice
President, he took over the Presidency after Roxas' death. And, he managed to
retain the position after winning over Laurel in the infamous fraud-tainted 1949
elections.
Quirino was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, finished law studies at UP in 1915, and
hurdled the Bar examinations in the same year. His political career started with his

election as a representative of Ilocos Sur in 1919, then as a senator in 1925, and

again reelected in 1931. President Quezon appointed him as secretary of finance
and then secretary of the interior in the Commonwealth Government. As Roxas'
Vice President, he served concurrently first as secretary of finance and later as
secretary of foreign affairs.
The Quirino administration (1948 - 1953) focused on two objectives: 1) to regain
faith and confidence in the government; and 2) to restore peace and order. He was
more successful in the second objective - breaking the back of the Hukbalahap
Movement in Central Luzon. In addition, he was credited with sponsoring the
growth of industrial ventures, expanding irrigation, improving the road system,
and setting up the Central Bank and rural banking. It was also during his term that
the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty was approved on August 30, 1951.
Ramon Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957). He was largely famous
for his success in the peace campaign. He defeated Quirino in the 1953
presidential elections by an unprecedented margin of votes.
Popularly known as "the guy," Magsaysay was born in Iba, Zambales. He took up
mechanical engineering at UP but ended up with a commerce degree from Jose
Rizal College. He took a job as a mechanic in the bus company Try-Tran and rose
to become its branch manager. He attained fame as an able guerilla leader in
World War II and was subsequently named by MacArthur as military governor of
Zambales during the liberation. He was elected twice as a congressman after the
war. He was instrumental in having the U.S. Congress pass the G.I. Bill of Rights,
which accorded benefits to the Filipino war veterans. But his national prominence
resulted from being appointed defense secretary in the Quirino administration,
successfully fighting the Huks, and for being the friend of the common tao.
Many regard Magsaysay as the President whose heart truly bled for the common
man. He toured the barrios, opened up Malacanang to the public, solicited and
acted upon their complaints, built artesian wells and roads. He had Congress pass
the Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954, providing greater protection to tenants.
Death came to Magsaysay when his plane crashed at Mount Pinatubo in the early
morning of March 17, 1957.
Carlos P. Garcia (November 4, 1896 - June 1, 1971). He presided over the eight
months of Magsaysay's remaining term and went on to win the 1957 elections,
"the noisiest and the most expensive in Philippine history."
Garcia hailed from Talibon, Bohol. He finished his law studies at the Philippine
Law School in Manila. He passed the Bar examinations and was among the top
ten.
His election as Bohol representative to the National Assemblly in 1952 marked
his entry into Philippine politics and public service - one of the longest ever. He
was again reelected as a representative. In 1931, he started the first of this three
terms as governor of Bohol. In 1941, he was elected as a senator, but it was only
in 1945 that he took office because of World War II. He was again reelected as a
senator and in 1953, he became Vice President to Magsaysay. He was appointed
in a concurrent capacity as secretary of foreign affairs.

Garcia's administration (1957 - 1961) was anchored in his austerity program. It

was also noted for its Filipino First policy - an attempt to boost economic
independence.
Diosdado Macapagal (September 28, 1910). He defeated Garcia in the
presidential elections of November 14, 1961.
Mapacagal - who styled himself as the "poor boy" from Lubao (Pampanga) completed pre-law and Associate in Arts at UP; however, he was a law graduate
of the University of Santo Tomas. He was the topnotcher of the Bar examinations
in 1935. He then entered into a private law practice, teaching law at the side. In
1946, he was appointed Chief of the Legal Division of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and was eventually sent to the Philippine Embassy in Washington as
Second Secretary.
In 1949, he was elected as the congressman of the first district of Pampanga and
reelected in 1953. In 1958, he was elected as Vice President of the Philippines.
Macapagal's administration (1961 - 1965) is best remembered for resetting the
date of the celebration of Philippine Independence Day - from July 4 when the
U.S. turned over the reins of government in 1946 to the more correct date of June
12 when Aguinaldo declared independence in 1898. This single act overshadowed
the other distinguishing features of his administration, namely: the promotion of
the stability of the Philippine currency; the initiation of a socioeconomic program
aimed at the betterment of the poor; efforts to combat misdeeds in government,
and the launching of his version of agrarian reform.
Ferdinand E. Marcos (September 11, 1917 - September 28, 1989). He defeated
Macapagal in the 1965 presidential elections. And the two-decade era of Marcos
(1965 - 1986) began.
Marcos was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. He was a consistent scholar, took up
Law at UP, and graduated cum laude in 1939. At 19, he was charged with the
murder of a political enemy of his father. Thrown in jail, he reviewed for the
nearing Bar examinations and topped it. Defeated at a lower court, he argued his
own case in an appeal before the Supreme Court and won an acquittal. He joined
the guerilla forces at the outbreak of war.
Marcos entered politics with an eye to eventually capturing the presidency. In his
maiden campaign in 1949, he said: "Elect me your congressman now and I'll give
you an Ilokano President in 20 years." He won that election and was returned
thrice to Congress as Ilocos Norte's congressman. In 1959, he was elected to the
Philippine Senate and in 1963, he became its president. Completing the
presidential term in 1969, he won a reelection . In 1972, he declared martial law.
The rest is history.
Corazon C. Aquino (January 25, 1933). President from 1986 to 1992, she is
associated with the EDSA Revolt.
No one could have imagined that Cory Aquino would become a president of the
Philippines. Although she was born to the landed class in Tarlac, her background
was so disparate from the patterns that cut presidential figures. In 1946, her

family left for the U.S. and she enrolled at Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia.
She finished her junior and senior years at Notre Dame College in New York. In
1949, she entered Mount Saint Vincent College also in New York where she
finished a Bachelor of Arts course, major in French .
In 1953, she returned to the Philippines to take up law at the Far Eastern
University. But, the following year, she met and married Benigno Ninoy Aquino.
Subsequently, she became content to live in her husband's shadow and took the
role of wife and mother to her five children. However, Ninoy's assassination in
1983 swept aside this role and catapulted her to the top position of the country
after the tumultuous events which followed the EDSA revolution in February
1986.
She refused to run for reelection in the 1992 presidential elections; but instead
endorsed and worked very hard for her chosen candidate - Fidel V. Ramos.
Fidel V. Ramos ((March 18, 1928). He was the military hero of the February
1986 Philippine People Power Revolution and victor of the first multiparty
presidential elections in 1992, thus becoming the 12th President of the Republic
of the Philippines.
Ramos was born on March 18, 1928, and grew up in Lingayen, Pangasinan. His
father - Narciso Ramos - was a lawyer, a crusading journalist, a five-term
legislator of the House of Representatives, and later, secretary of foreign affairs.
The Ramos administration has anchored its governance on the philosophy of
"People Empowerment" as the engine to operationalize economic growth, social
equity, and national solidarity. It is focusing on a five-point program: peace and
stability; economic growth and sustainable development; energy and power
generation; environmental protection; and a streamline democracy.
The six-year term of Ramos (1992 - 1998) is looked upon with much hope and
optimism not only because of his clear vision of the future but also because of his
hands-on leadership style in meeting the challenges faced by the country. Because
of his leadership, the Philippines is expected to attain full political stability,
sustained economic development and social justice by the turn of the 21st century.

The Philippines has a lot of exciting and beautiful destinations to offer its visitors.
The county is an archipelago of 7,107 islands and it is no wonder that the
country's most popular destination is a beach. Below is a list of the most visited
places in the country:
Manila - the capital city of the Philippines. The term is synonymous to Metro
Manila - a mega metropolis with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is a
shopping paradise with mega shopping malls doting the metropolis every few
kilometers. Popular destinations are: The walled city of Intramuros, Manila
Cathedral and San Agustin Church, Makati, Malate, Tomas Morato and Libis in
Quezon City, The Fort, Malacanang Palace Museum,
Boracay, the most popular destination in the county. The nightlife is legendary.
the whole stretch of powdery white sand beach becomes a fiesta specially during
summer time. A succession of bars and restaurants line the beach font. Popular
daytime activities include, wind surfing, beach volleyball, scuba diving, snorkeling
and boat sailing.
Baguio City - the country's summer capital. Located 5 hours by car north of
Manila and on top of a mountain, it is the get-away destination of many who
wants to escape the heat of the City during summer. Places to see are: Baguio
Cathedral, Burnham park, Session road, Mine's View park, Camp John Hay and
The Mansion house.
Banaue Rice Terraces - considered as a wonder of the world, the rice terraces
carved on the mountainside is a Word Heritage Site by UNESCO. The terraces
have been hand made by the Igorot tribe for thousands of years and is one of the
most spectacular tourist attractions of the country.
Batanes Islands is a group of tiny islands and islets located at the most northern
tip of the Philippine archipelago. This beautiful and charming islands is inhabited
by friendly and gentle people called Ivatans. Since the area is frequently hit by
typhoons the landscape is wind swept and houses are made of thick stone walls
and thatched roofs that looks like medieval cottages.
Bohol Island is famous for its beautiful beaches and dive spots. It also boast of
having the smallest monkeys in the world and for having the picturesque
Chocolate hills.
Cebu - called the Queen City of the south. It is the second most important city
after Manila. The island of Mactan boast of beautiful beaches, dive spots and 1st
class facilities. Other tourist attractions of Cebu are: the Sto. Nio Basilica, Fort
San Pedro, the Lapu-lapu shrine and the Sinulog Festival held during January
every year.
Corregidor - the tadpole island at the mouth of Manila Bay. It is a historic site and
place of last resistance against the Japanese during Word War II. Places to see
are: the Eternal Flame Monument, the war memorial, Malinta Tunnel, Filipino
Heroes Memorial, Spanish lighthouse and the aviary and theme park.

Davao - located in southern part of the Philippines, in the island of Mindanao,

Davao is the regional center in this part of the country. It is famous for hosting the
Philippine eagle national center and the Pearl Farm beach resort.
Palawan is known for being the greenest province in the country with many ecofriendly destinations to offer. Some of the popular destinations are: Calauit
Wildlife Sanctuary, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, El Nido,
Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park and a lot more.
Pangasinan a province north on Manila, it boast of the Hundred Islands National
Park. A cluster of tiny islands and islets accessible by outrigger boats. Visitors
can enjoy a day at two of the bigger islands or stay overnight. Activities
Pangasinan offer are: swimming, diving, cave explorations and sightseeing.
Puerto Galera Beach is one of the most visited beaches in the country by local
and foreign tourists. Visitors have a choice of several beaches to stay and a
variety of accommodations to choose from. The more popular of the beaches are
White Beach, Coco Beach and Sabang.
Vigan City in Ilocos Sur is the most preserved Spanish colonial city in the
Philippines. The ancestral houses and the Catholic cathedral are the most visited
places. Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located approximately
400 kilometers north of Manila and can be reach by land or air.

The Philippine National Heroes

1. Dr. Jose Rizal - The National Hero.
2. Andres Bonifacio - The Great Plebian and Father of the Katipunan.
3. General Gregorio del Pilar - Hero of the Battle of Tirad Pass.
4. General Emilio Aguinaldo - President of the First Philippine Republic.
5. Apolinario Mabini - Sublime Paralytic and Brains of the Revolution.
6. GOMBURZA - Martyred Priests of 1872.
7. Trece Martirez - 13 Martyrs from Cavite.
8. Emilio Jacinto - Brains of the Katipunan.
9. General Antonio Luna - Cofounder of La Independencia .
10. Melchora Aquino (Tandang Sora) - Mother of Balintawak.
11. Graciano Lopez-Jaena - Greatest Filipino Orator of the Propaganda Movement.
12. Panday Pira - First Filipino Cannon-maker.
13. Mariano Ponce - Propagandist, Historian, Diplomat And Managing Editor of La
Solidaridad.
14. Gregoria de Jesus - Lakambini of Katipunan and Wife of Andres Bonifacio.
15. Fernando Ma. Guerrero - Poet of the Revolution.
16. Felipe Agoncillo - Outstanding Diplomat of the First Philippine Republic.
17. Rafael Palma - Cofounder of La Independencia and First UP president .
18. Juan Luna - Greatest Filipino Painter.
19. Marcelo H. Del Pilar - Greatest Journalist and Moving Spirit of the Propaganda
Movement.
20. Leona Florentino - First Filipino Poetess(from Ilocos Sur).
21. Pedro Paterno - Peacemaker of the Revolution.
22. Isabelo delos Reyes - Founder of Philippine Socialism.
23. Artemio Ricarte - Revolutionary General, known as Viborra.
24. Jose Palma - Wrote the Spanish Lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem.
25. Lakandola - Chief of Tondo, Friendly to the Spaniards.
26. Rajah Soliman - The Last Rajah of Manila.
27. Leonor Rivera - Cousin and Fiancee of Jose Rizal.
28. Marcela Mario Agoncillo - Maker of the First Filipino Flag.
29. Galicano Apacible - One of the Founders of Katipunan.
30. Jose Ma. Panganiban - Bicolandia's Greatest Contribution to the Historic
Campaign for Reforms.
31. Diego Silang - Leader of the Ilocano Revolt.
32. Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang - Continued the Fight After her Husband's Death.
33. Lapu-Lapu - Chieftain of Mactan Who Killed Magellan. First Filipino Hero.
34. Francisco Dagohoy - Leader of the Longest Revolt in Bohol.
35. Epifanio delos Santos - A Man of Many Talents; the Former Highway 54 is Now
Named After him (EDSA).
36. Francisco Baltazar - Prince of Tagalog Poets.
37. Teresa Magbanua - First Woman Fighter in Panay. Visayan Joan of Arc.
38. Trinidad Tecson - Mother of Biak-na-Bato.
39. Agueda Esteban - Wife of Artemio Ricarte Who Carried Secret Messages About
Spanish Troops.

40. Marina Dizon - Daughter of One of the Trece Martirez.

41. General Francisco Makabulos - Leader of the Revolt in Tarlac.
42. Julian Felipe - Composer of the Philippine National Anthem.

Philippine Provinces and Their Capitals:

Abra - Bangued
Agusan del Norte - Cabadbaran City
Agusan del Sur - Prosperidad
Aklan - Kalibo
Albay - Legazpi City
Antique - San Jose
Apayao - Kabugao
Aurora - Baler
Basilan - Isabela City
Bataan - Balanga City
Batanes - Basco
Batangas - Batangas City
Benguet - La Trinidad
Biliran - Naval
Bohol - Tagbilaran City
Bukidnon - Malaybalay City
Bulacan - Malolos City
Cagayan - Tuguegarao City
Camarines Norte - Daet
Camarines Sur - Pili
Camiguin - Mambajao
Capiz - Roxas City
Catanduanes - Virac
Cavite - Imus
Cebu - Cebu City
Compostela Valley - Nabunturan
Davao del Norte - Tagum City
Davao del Sur - Digos City
Davao Oriental - Mati City
Dinagat Islands - San Jose
Eastern Samar - Borongan City
Guimaras - Jordan
Ifugao - Lagawe
Ilocos Norte - Laoag City
Ilocos Sur - Vigan City
Iloilo - Iloilo City
Isabela - Ilagan
Kalinga - Tabuk City
La Union - San Fernando City
Laguna - Santa Cruz
Lanao del Norte - Tubod
Lanao del Sur - Marawi City
Leyte - Tacloban City
Maguindanao - Shariff Aguak

Marinduque - Boac
Masbate - Masbate City
Metro Manila - Manila
Misamis Occidental - Oroquieta City
Misamis Oriental - Cagayan de Oro City
Mountain Province - Bontoc
N egros Occidental - Bacolod City
N egros Oriental - Dumaguete City
Northern Samar - Catarman
Nueva Ecija - Palayan City
Nueva Vizcaya - Bayombong
Occidental Mindoro - Mamburao
Oriental Mindoro - Calapan City
Palawan - Puerto Princesa City
Pampanga - San Fernando City
Pangasinan - Lingayen
Quezon - Lucena City
Quirino - Cabarroguis
Rizal - Pasig City
Romblon - Romblon
Samar - Catbalogan City
Sarangani - Alabel
Shariff Kabunsuan - Datu Odin Sinsuat
Siquijor - Siquijor
Sorsogon - Sorsogon City
South Cotabato - Koronadal City
Southern Leyte - Maasin City
Sultan Kudarat - Isulan
Sulu - Jolo City
Surigao del Norte - Surigao City
Surigao del Sur - Tandag City
Tarlac - Tarlac City
Tawi-Tawi - Bongao
Zambales - Iba
Zamboanga del Norte - Dipolog City
Zamboanga del Sur - Pagadian City
Zamboanga Sibugay - Ipil