Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.

It is ranked 15th largest in the world by land area.

Located in the northern region of the archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the
country's capital city, Manila, as well as Quezon City, the country's most populous city. With a population of 53
million as of 2015, it is the fourth most populous island in the world (after Java, Honshu, and Great Britain), having
about 53% of the country's total population.Luzon may also refer to one of the three primary island groups in the
country. As such, it includes the Luzon mainland, the Batanes and Babuyan groups of islands to the north, Polillo
Islands to the east, and the outlying islands of Catanduanes, Marinduque, Masbate, Romblon, Mindoro and
Palawan, among others, to the south.Luzon was originally inhabited by Negrito people before Austronesians from
Taiwan displaced them. The Austronesian groups were divided further into two types of nations; coastal maritime
states or highlander civilizations based on the mountains and which had built up plutocracies based on agriculture,
plutocracies such as the Igorot Society which is responsible for building the Banaue Rice Terraces. Meanwhile, the
maritime states were split among Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, Muslim principalities, and ethnoreligious tribes, who
had trading connections with Borneo, Malaya, Java, Indochina, India, Okinawa, Korea, Japan and China before the
Laguna Copperplate Inscription / BAYBAYIN
 The recorded history of the Philippines begins with the creation of the Laguna
Copperplate Inscription (LCI) in 900, the first written document found in an ancient
Philippine language. The inscription itself identifies the date of its creation, and on its
deciphering in 1992 moved the boundary between Philippine history and prehistory
back 600 years. The Philippines is classified as part of the Indosphere and the
Sinosphere, making its many cultures sophisticated and intermixed. Prior to the LCI,
the earliest record of the Philippine Islands corresponded with the arrival of
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
 (Filipino: Inskripsyon sa Binatbat na Tanso ng Laguna, Malay: Prasasti keping
tembaga Laguna; often shortened into the acronym LCI), a legal document inscribed
on a copper plate in 900 AD, is the earliest known written document found in the
Philippines.
 The plate was found in 1989 by a laborer near the mouth of the Lumbang River in
Wawa barangay, Lumban municipality, Laguna province. The inscription, written in
a mix of the Old Malay language using the Old Kawi script, was first deciphered by
Dutch anthropologist and Hanunó'o script expert Antoon Postma in 1992.
 It shows heavy Indian cultural influence (by way of Srivijaya) present in the
Philippines prior to European colonization in the 16th century.
Indian Influences
 The Indian influences on Filipino life are primarily reflected in the Philippines languages, particularly in
Tagalog.
 The large number of terms of Sanskrit origin does not necessarily mean that there was direct contact between
Hudhod hi Aliguyon – Ifugaos
Alim – Ifugaos
Pre-Colonial Clothing
 During this pre-colonial era historuians have found out that the “Barong Tagalog” (dress of the
tagalog) already existed. The earliest Baro o Baro ng Tagalog was worn by the natives of the
Ma-I (The Philippines name before) just before they were coloninzed by the Spaniards. The men
1543
 The Island were named Las Phelipinas by Ruy de Villalobos, and the population was organized into
pueblos or town, pagan practices were suppressed and Catholic Christianity was introduced; and
central government was established in the colonial capital of manila.
1565
June 21, 1574
- Manila was given the title La Insigne y siempre Leal ciudad – Distinguished and ever loyal city

First Pampanga Revolt (1585)

1591
 first governor in the Philippines

Agrarian Revolt (1745-1746)

 Filipino landowners in Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna revolted against Spanish rule. Their
revolt was due to the land grabbing by Spaniards who took over their ancestral lands.
 Lian and Nasugbu – the first spark of revolt.

Silang’s Revolt (1762-1763)

 Diego Silang and his wife led the famous revolt in Ilocos
 December 14, 1762-Diego Silang proclaimed the independence of his people and made vigon the capital
of free ilocos.
 May 28, 1763- diego silang was killed by an assassin
 Miguel Vicos is the assassin who shoot silang in his back and died in the arms of his wife.
The Religious Revolt of Hermano Pule (1840-1841)
 Apolinario de la Cruz (Hermano Pule) - from Barrio Pandak, Lukban, Tayabas (Quezon)
 Apolinario started his own religion in Lucban, it was called the Cofradia de San Jose (Confraternity of
St. Joseph).
 But the Spanish officials did not allow any other religion. So they banned his religion.
 Thousands of Filipinos in Tayabas, Laguna, Batangas, and Manila had already joined it.
 Philippine under Spanish Rule
 The Spanish accomplished little in the Philippines. They introduced Catholicism, established a Walled
City in Manila but ultimately they were disappointed because they couldn't find spices or gold (gold
was only discovered in large quantities after the Americans arrived). The primary purpose of the
Philippines was to trade New World silver for Chinese silk
 The Spanish were able to gain control of the coastal areas of the northern and central islands, but not
the southern islands, where Islam was deeply rooted, and the jungle interior and highlands, where
indigenous tribes, including headhunters, were able to repel Spanish incursions. The most high-status
and affluent groups of people were Chinese entrepreneurs, lured by business opportunities, and
Spanish officials. They intermarried with the local population, producing a new and distinctive culture.
 The Philippines was administered by the Viceroyalty of New Spain in present-day Mexico but in
many ways the Philippines was ruled by Catholic church. Most Filipinos had little contact with the
Spanish other than through the church. Their acceptance of Christianity acted both to pacify the
population and bond them with the Spaniards. The church also acted as an administrative body.
 The Spanish introduced the idea of land holding to native people—many of whom previously had
limited notions about private property—and took control of large swaths of land owned for centuries
by native groups. This way many native Philippine people came to live on land that was owned by the
Spanish or people with close ties to the Spanish and they became tenants or paid laborers.
 Life in the Spanish Philippines
 Manila was the heart of the Spanish colony in the Philippines. Much of the international trade
conducted by Spain in Asia was linked to Manila somehow and most of the rich and powerful had their
homes here.
 The Spaniards in Manila lived in the walled city of Intramuros. The governor, administartors, friars,
merchants, military officials, priests and soldiers from Spain and some of their families all resided
within the walls. Outside the walls was a a polyglot community of Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese and
other foreigners. Those that profited the most from trade and other economic activities, primarily the
Spanish elite, wore fine silks, traveled around un elegant coaches, wore gold chains and gem-stubbed
rings and were looked after by an army of servants.
 What went on the Philippines was similar to what happened in Latin America. The Spanish seized
land and established huge plantations which made rich men out of landowners. Some of the indigenous
people mixed with the Spanish, some were overwhelmed by them. Both groups adopted Catholicism.
 Other groups like the Igorot resisted. The Spanish burned Igorot villages, destroyed their crops and
raped their women, yet in 350 years of Spanish occupation the Igorot were never conquered.
 The Spanish were not as harsh on the local people of the Philippines as they were in Latin America but
they did make an effort to stamp out traditions and customs they regarded as “works of the devil.”
Large Numbers of people were untouched by the Spanish occupation.
May 1, 1898
 Dewey defeated the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Manila Bay
 The first battle of the Spanish-American war took place in the Philippines on May 1, 1898. In a matter
of hours, Commodore Dewey’s Asiatic Squadron defeated the Spanish squadron under Admiral
Patricio Montojo. The US squadron took control of the arsenal and navy yard at Cavite. Dewey cabled
Washington, stating that although he controlled Manila Bay, He needed 5,000 additional men to seize
Manila itself.
May 25, 1898
 McKinley issued a call for 75,000 for volunteers. The first army expedition left San Francisco for
Manila
June 18, 1898
 Emilio Aguinaldo issued a proclamation establishing a revolutionary government and a message to
foreign powers announcing that the government
August 12, 1898
 Capitulation of Manila to the Americans
 In the New York Times reported that a peace, protocol had been signed in the Washington that
afternoon between the US and the Spain, suspending hostilities between the two nations. The full text of
the protocol was not made public until November 5, but Article 3 read: “The United States will occupy
and hold the City, Bay and Harbor of Manila, pending the conclusion of a treaty of peace, which shall
determine the control, this position and government of the Philippines.” After conclusion of this
agreement, US President McKinley proclaimed a suspension of hostilities with Spain.

August 23, 1898

 Philippine Revolution begins
 Aguinaldo disbanded the organized army and resorted to guerilla warfare

January 22, 1899

 Malolos Constitution was promulgated

February 4, 1899
 Filipino-American was began
 Fighting erupted between forces of the United State and those of the Philippine Republic
Bacame known as the Second Battle of Manila
March 31, 1899
 Malolos fell into the hands of Americans
 The Capture of Malolos alternately known as the Battle of Malolos
 General Arthur MacArthur Jr.’s division advanced to Malolos along the Manila, Dagupan Railway.
By March 30, American forces were advancing on Malolos. Meanwhile, the Aguinaldo Gvernment had
moved its seat from Malolos to San Isidro, Nueva, Ecija.

May 2, 1899
 The Schurman Commission arrived in Manila
 The Schurman Commission also known as the First Philippine Commision was established by the United
State President William McKinley on January 20, 1899, and tasked to study the situation in the
Philippines and make recommendations on how the US should proceed after the sovereignty of the
Philippines was ceded to the US by Spain on December 10, 1898, following the treaty of paris of 1898.

June 2, 1899
 The First Philippine Republic offiacially declared was against the United State
March 16, 1900
 The Second Philippine Commission, appointed by President McKinley and headed by future president
William Howard Taft, was granted legislative as well as limited executive powers. The Commission
established a civil service and a judicial system which included a Supreme Court, and a legal code was
drown up to replace of obsolete Spanish ordinances. The new laws provided for popularly elected
politicians to serve on municipal boards. The municipal board members were responsible for collecting
taxes, maintaining municipal properties, and undertaking necessary construction projects; they also
elected provincial governors.

May 5, 1900
 General Arthur McArthur succeeded General Merritt as commander of that American Army

June 3, 1900
 The Taft Commission arrived in Manila
 The Taft Commission also known as Second Commission (Filipino: Ikalawang komisyon ng Pilipinas)
was established in United State President William McKinley on March 16, 1900.

June 21, 1900

 General McArthur issued a proclamation of amnesty to all who renounced the Filipino aspiration for
independence and accepted American rule
March 10, 1901
 The Taft commission conducted provincial sorties in Southern Luzon. They visited 18 provinces and
returned to manila in May 3

March 23, 1901

 Aguinaldo was captured in Palanan, Isabela

April 19, 1901

 Aguinaldo swore allegiance to the US Government

August, 1901
 The Taft commission conducted another provincial sortie to establish civil government in several towns in
Northern Luzon

August 21, 1901

 The military transport S.S. Thomas arrives in Manila with 540 American School Teachers abroad

April 27, 1902

 Vicente Lukban, The last recognized rebel leader was capture
July 4, 1902
 President Roosevelt declared the Philippines pacified and granted amnesty rebels. Military rule
formally ended

December 23, 1902

 Taft left Manila to succeed Elihu Root as Secretary of War

US Colony
Civil government was established by the Americans in 1901, with William Howard Taft as the first American
Governor-General of the Philippines. English was declared the official language. Six hundred American teachers
were imported aboard the USS Thomas. Also, the Catholic Church was disestablished, and a substantial amount
of church land was purchased and redistributed. Some measures of Filipino self-rule were allowed, however. An
elected Filipino legislature was established in 1907.
When Woodrow Wilson became U.S. President in 1913, there was a major change in official American policy
concerning the Philippines. While the previous Republican administrations had predicted the Philippines as a
perpetual American colony, the Wilson administration decided to start a process that would slowly lead to
Philippine independence. U.S. administration of the Philippines was declared to be temporary and aimed to
develop institutions that would permit and encourage the eventual establishment of a free and democratic
government. Therefore, U.S. officials concentrated on the creation of such practical supports for democratic
government as public education and a sound legal system. The Philippines were granted free trade status, with the
U.S.
In 1916, the Philippine Autonomy Act, widely known as the Jones Law, was passed by the U.S. Congress. The
law which served as the new organic act (or constitution) for the Philippines, stated in its preamble that the
ultimate independence of the Philippines would be American policy, subject to the establishment of a stable
government. The law placed executive power in the Governor General of the Philippines, appointed by the
President of the United States, but established a bicameral Philippine Legislature to replace the elected Philippine
Assembly (lower house) and appointive Philippine Commission (upper house) previously in place. The Filipino
House of Representatives would be purely elected, while the new Philippine Senate would have the majority of its
members elected by senatorial district with senators representing non-Christian areas appointed by the Governor-
General.
The 1920s saw alternating periods of cooperation and confrontation with American governors-general,
depending on how intent the official who holds an office was on exercising his powers vis-à-vis the
Philippine legislature. Members to the elected legislature lost no time in lobbying for immediate and complete
independence from the United States. Several independence missions were sent to Washington, D.C. A civil
service was formed and was regularly taken over by Filipinos, who had effectively gained control by the end
of World War I.

When the Republicans regained power in 1921, the trend toward bringing Filipinos into the government was
inverted. Gen. Leonard Wood, who was appointed governor-general, largely replaced Filipino activities with
a semi military rule. However, the advent of the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s and the
first aggressive moves by Japan in Asia (1931) shifted U.S. sentiment sharply toward the granting of
immediate independence to the Philippines.

In 1934, the United States Congress, having originally passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a
Philippine Independence Act over President Hoover's refusal, only to have the law rejected by the
Philippine legislature, finally passed a new Philippine Independence Act, popularly known as the
Tydings-McDuffie Act. The law provided for the granting of Philippine independence by 1946.
U.S. rule was accompanied by improvements in the education and health systems of the Philippines; school
enrollment rates multiplied fivefold. By the 1930s, literacy rates had reached 50%. Several diseases were
virtually eliminated. However, the Philippines remained economically backward. U.S. trade policies
encouraged the export of cash crops and the importation of manufactured goods; little industrial
development occurred. Meanwhile, landlessness became a serious problem in rural areas; peasants were
often reduced to the status of serfs.
The Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon, fought 9 January – 15 August 1945, was a land battle of the Pacific
Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony the
Philippines, and allies against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and
Filipino victory. The Allies had taken control of all strategically and economically important
locations of Luzon by March 1945, although pockets of Japanese resistance held out in the
mountains until the unconditional surrender of Japan. While not the highest in U.S. casualties, it
is the highest net casualty battle U.S. forces fought in World War II, with 192,000 to 205,000
Japanese combatants dead (mostly from starvation and disease), 10,000 American combatants
killed, and between 120,000 and 140,000 Filipino civilians and combatants killed.
July 26, 1941
 General Douglas MacArthur brought the 12,000 strong Philippine Scouts under his command with the
16,000 American soldiers stationed in the Philippines. Even these combined forces were poorly trained
and equipped for an adequate defense of the islands against a Japanese invasion.

December 8, 1941
 Japan invaded the Philippines. Clark Air Base in Pampanga was first attacked and also Nichols
Field outside Manila was attacked
 Japanese attacked Philippines after the bombing of Pearl Harbor 10 hours earlier

December 22, 1941

 The Japanese forces landed at the Lingayen Gulf and continued on to Manila.
General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an open city on the advice of commonwealth President
Manuel L. Quezon to avoid its destruction

December 23, 1941

 General Douglas MacArthur, Head of the Allied forces, withdrew from Manila and relocated to
Bataan
.
December 25, 1941
 On the advice of President Quezon, General MacArthur declared Manila an open cityand removed the
Commonwealth government to Corregidor.

December 26, 1941

 General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila as an Open city on the advice of President Manuel L.
Quezon to avoid further destruction

December 27, 1941

Japanese bombed Manila

January 2, 1942
 Manila was occupied by the Japanese.
 MacArthur retreated with his troops to Bataan while the commonwealth government withdrew to
Corregidor Island before proceeding to the United States.
 Japanese captured Manila and US Naval Base in Cavite. Japanese Military Administration
Activated bringing Philippine firmly under Japanese control.
January 3, 1942
 Proclamation issued by the Imperial Japanese Government as to immediate used of war notes issued by
the Japanese

March 4, 1942
 Postal Office in Manila re-opened under Japanese Administration

April 3, 1942
 Japanese attacked American and Filipino troops in Bataan

April 9, 1942.
 The joint American and Filipino soldiers in Bataan finally surrendered
 MacArthur escaped to Corregidor then proceeded to Australia.
 The 76,000 captured soldiers were forced to embark on the infamous "Death March" to a prison camp
more than 100 kilometers north. An estimated 10,000 prisoners died due to thirst, hunger and exhaustion.

October 20, 1944

 General MacArthur discharged his promise to return to the Philippines on October 20, 1944. The
landings on the island of Leyte were accomplished massively with an amphibious force of 700 vessels
and 174,000 army and navy servicemen. Through December 1944, the islands of Leyte and Mindoro
were cleared of Japanese.
October 23-26, 1944
 Battle of Leyte Gulf resulted in a deceived US Naval victory. This encounter almost destroyed the entire
Japanese Fleet and signaled the beginning of the liberation of the Philippines.

October 25, 1944

 Lt. General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Supreme Commander of the Japanese troops in Manila ordered the
kamikazes (Japanese Suicide Bombers) only to fail miserably.

December 8, 1944
 President Laurel and cabinet members moved to Baguio City upon orders from Yamashita

December 15, 1944

 US troops invaded Mindoro

January, 1945
 Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita moved his headquarters from Manila to Baguio in Anticipation of becoming
invasion of the allied forces
January 3, 1945
 Gen. Douglas MacArthur placed in command of all US ground forces and Administration Chester
Nimitz in Command of all naval forces in preparation of planned assaults including Japan

January 9, 1945

 The Americans landed unopposed at the Lingayen Gulf on Luzon and closed on Manila. The Japanese
fought desperately, street by street, to hold the city. From February 3 to 23, its liberation took almost a
month. When at last the fighting ended in the old Spanish citadel of Intramuros, Manila was in ruins.

January, 1945
 Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita moved his headquarters from Manila to Baguio in Anticipation of becoming
invasion of the allied forces

January 3, 1945
 Gen. Douglas MacArthur placed in command of all US ground forces and Administration Chester
Nimitz in Command of all naval forces in preparation of planned assaults including Japan
January 9, 1945

 The Americans landed unopposed at the Lingayen Gulf on Luzon and closed on Manila. The Japanese
fought desperately, street by street, to hold the city. From February 3 to 23, its liberation took almost a
month. When at last the fighting ended in the old Spanish citadel of Intramuros, Manila was in ruins.

Japanese Occupation of the Philippines

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines (Filipino: Pananakop ng mga Hapones sa Pilipinas;
Japanese: 日本のフィリピン占領; Hepburn: Nihon no Firipin Senryō) occurred between 1942 and 1945,
when Imperial Japan occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.

The invasion of the Philippines started on 8 December 1941, ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As
at Pearl Harbor, American aircraft were severely damaged in the initial Japanese attack. Lacking air cover,
the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew to Java on 12 December 1941. General Douglas
MacArthur was ordered out, leaving his men at Corregidor on the night of 11 March 1942 for Australia,
4,000 km away. The 76,000 starving and sick American and Filipino defenders on Bataan surrendered on 9
April 1942, and were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March on which 7,000–10,000 died or
were murdered. The 13,000 survivors on Corregidor surrendered on 6 May.
Japan occupied the Philippines for over three years, until the surrender of Japan. A highly effective
guerilla campaign by Philippine resistance forces controlled sixty percent of the islands, mostly jungle
and mountain areas. MacArthur supplied them by submarine, and sent reinforcements and officers.
Filipinos remained loyal to the United States, partly because of the American guarantee of
independence, and also because the Japanese had pressed large numbers of Filipinos into work details
and even put young Filipino women into brothels.

General MacArthur kept his promise to return to the Philippines on 20 October 1944. The landings on
the island of Leyte were accompanied by a force of 700 vessels and 174,000 men. Through December
1944, the islands of Leyte and Mindoro were cleared of Japanese soldiers. During the campaign, the
Imperial Japanese Army conducted a suicidal defense of the islands. Cities such as Manila (the second
most destroyed Allied city in WWII) were reduced to rubble. Between 500,000 and 1,000,000
Filipinos died during the occupation.

Japanese invasion of Lingayen Gulf

The Japanese invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino: Paglusob ng mga Hapones sa Golfo ng
Lingayen) was the key point in the Japanese plan for the conquest of the Philippines. Preparations
had already been made by the Attack on Clark Field and the landings of Japanese forces at five
points in northern and southern Luzon and Mindanao in early/mid December 1941, with the IJAAF
seizing air fields and basing aircraft for ground support, and the Imperial Japanese Navy
establishing seaplane bases at the Camiguin Island, Legaspi, and Davao. The main landing of
Japanese forces targeted Lingayen Gulf, with its proximity to the Philippine capital of Manila, and
Lamon Bay on the opposite coast to the south.

The Battle of Rosario

To oppose the Japanese advance on Manila, General Wainwright stationed the Philippine 26th
Cavalry along the coastal road north of Rosario at the hamlet of Damortis. Receiving reports that the
Japanese were advancing on bicycles and by light motor vehicles, Wainwright also dispatched a
platoon of five tanks. When the 26th Cavalry encountered forward elements of the Japanese 48th
Reconnaissance and 4th Tank Regiments, it fell back to the hamlet of Damoritis, where defensive
positions had been established. However, with its command tank destroyed and the remaining four
were damaged by Japanese 47-mm anti-tank guns, the outnumbered and outgunned 26th Cavalry
withdrew, leaving Damortis under complete control of the Japanese by 1900.
Rosario then became the center of American resistance. Earlier in the afternoon, Wainwright had
ordered Brig General Clyde A Selleck to take the Philippine 71st Division to Damortis to hold the
junction of the Rosario-Baguio road east of Rosario. However, by the time Selleck arrived at Rosario,
he learned that the Japanese were advancing from both Damortis and Agoo. By evening, the survivors
of the 26th Cavalry reached Rosario with the Japanese in close pursuit. At 2000, the Japanese tanks
penetrated the 26th Cavalry rear guard, causing considerable casualties and it was only by blocking a
bridge a few miles west of Rosario by a burning tank that the Americans managed to slow the
Japanese attack and prevent a panicked rout. The center of Rosario was the scene of a pitched battle
between troops of the Philippine 71st Division and a part of Colonel Yanagi’s 47th Infantry.
However, fortunately for the Americans, much of Yanagi’s force had been ordered back for the
capture of San Fabian, enabling the Philippine forces to escape.

Thus, within one day of landing, the Japanese had secured a large section of the Lingayen Gulf
coastline, and advanced north, south and east. To the north, they had joined with Colonel Tanaka’s
forces from northern Luzon and to the south had occupied Rosario. The only opposition had come
from the Philippine 26th Cavalry, whose poorly equipped troops and outnumbered were unable to
slow the Japanese advance.
February 22-25, 1896
 People power revolution-The People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA
Revolution and the Philippine Revolution of 1986 or simply EDSA 1986) was a series of
popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in the capital city of Manila from February
22–25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and
alleged electoral fraud. The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of
dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 21-year totalitarian rule, and the restoration
of democracy in the Philippines.
 It is also referred to as the Yellow Revolution due to the presence of yellow ribbons during
demonstrations following the assassination of Filipino senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. in
August 1983. It was widely seen as a victory of the people against two decades of totalitarian,
repressive rule by Marcos, and made news headlines as "the revolution that surprised the world".
 The majority of the demonstrations took place on a long stretch of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue,
more commonly known by its acronym EDSA, in Metro Manila from February 22–25, 1986.
They involved over two million Filipino civilians, as well as several political and military groups,
and religious groups led by Cardinal Jaime Sin, the Archbishop of Manila, along with Catholic
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the Archbishop of
Cebu. The protests, fueled by the resistance and opposition from years of corrupt governance by
Marcos and his cronies, culminated with the dictator and his family fleeing Malacañang
Palace to exile in Hawaii. Ninoy Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, was immediately installed
as the eleventh President as a result of the revolution.
September 21, 1972
 Proclamation No. 1081 was the document which contained formal proclamation of martial law in
the Philippines by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, As announced to the public on Sept. 23, 1972 (Batas
Militar)
 Marcos defended the declaration stressing the need for extra powers to quell the rising wave of
violence allegedly caused by communists. The emergency rule was also intended to eradicate the
roots of rebellion and promote a rapid trend for national development. The autocrat assured the
country of the legality of Martial Law emphasizing the need for control over civil disobedience
that displays lawlessness. Marcos explained citing the provisions from the Philippine
Constitution that Martial Law is a strategic approach to legally defend the Constitution and
protect the welfare of the Filipino people from the dangerous threats posed by Muslim rebel
groups and Christian vigilantes that places national security at risk during the time. Marcos
explained that martial law was not a military takeover but was then the only option to resolve the
country’s dilemma on rebellion that stages national chaos threatening the peace and order of the
country. The emergency rule, according to Marcos’s plan, was to lead the country into what he
calls a “New Society”.
August 21, 1983
 The assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., former Philippine Senator, took place on Sunday,
August 21, 1983 at the Manila International Airport (later renamed Ninoy Aquino International
Airport in his honor). A longtime political opponent of President Ferdinand Marcos, he had just
landed in his home country after three years of self-imposed exile in the United States when he was
shot in the head while being escorted from an aircraft to a vehicle that was waiting to transport him to
prison. Also killed was Rolando Galman, who was later implicated in Aquino's murder.
 Aquino was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967 and shortly thereafter began speaking out against
Marcos's authoritarian rule. He was imprisoned on trumped up charges shortly after Marcos's 1972
declaration of martial law. In 1980, he suffered a heart attack in prison and was allowed to leave the
country two months later by Marcos's wife, Imelda. He spent the next three years in exile near Boston
before deciding to return to the Philippines.
 Aquino's assassination is credited with transforming the opposition to the Marcos regime from a small,
isolated movement into a national crusade. It is also credited with thrusting Aquino's widow, Corazon
Aquino, into the public spotlight and her running for president in the snap election of 1986. Although
Marcos was officially declared the winner of the election, widespread allegations of fraud and illegal
tampering on Marcos's behalf are credited with sparking the People Power Revolution, which resulted
in Marcos fleeing the country and conceding the presidency to Corazon Aquino.
September 12, 2007
 Impeachment of erap
 The trial of Philippine president Joseph Estrada took place between 2001 and 2007 at the
Sandiganbayan. Estrada, popularly called Erap, was ousted from office in 2001 during a popular
uprising in Metro Manila after an aborted impeachment trial in which he was charged with plunder and
perjury. Soon after his ouster, the same charges were filed against him at the Sandiganbayan.
 After a lengthy trial, the Sandiganbayan ruled Estrada not guilty of perjury while ruling him as guilty
of plunder and sentenced him to reclusión perpetua. All of his co-accused were acquitted.
 A few months after the January 2001 popular uprising that ousted Estrada, the Philippine Ombudsman
filed two charges at the Sandiganbayan on April 4, 2001; one for plunder and the other for perjury. The
plunder case consisted of four separate charges: acceptance of 545 million pesos from proceeds of
jueteng, an illegal gambling game; misappropriation of 130 million pesos in excise taxes from tobacco;
receiving a 189.7-million-peso commission from the sale of the shares of Belle Corporation, a real-estate
firm; and owning some 3.2 billion pesos in a bank account under the name Jose Velarde. The minor charge
of perjury is for Estrada under-reporting his assets in his 1999 statement of assets, liabilities and net
worth and for the illegal use of an alias, namely for the Jose Velarde bank account.
August 23, 2010
 The Manila hostage crisis, officially known as the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident, took place
when a disgruntled former Philippine National Police officer named Rolando Mendoza hijacked a
tourist bus in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines on August 23, 2010. The bus carried 25 people: 20
tourists, a tour guide from Hong Kong, and four local Filipinos. Mendoza claimed that he had been
unfairly dismissed from his job, and demanded a fair hearing to defend himself.
 Negotiations (which were broadcast live on television and the internet) broke down dramatically
about ten hours into the stand-off, when the police arrested Mendoza's brother and thus incited
Mendoza to open fire. The bus driver managed to escape, and declared "Everyone is dead" before he
was whisked away by policemen. Following a 90-minute gun battle, Mendoza and eight of the
hostages were killed and several others injured.
 The Philippine and Hong Kong governments conducted separate investigations into the incident.
Both inquiries concluded that the Philippine officials' poor handling of the situation caused the eight
hostages' deaths. The assault mounted by the Manila Police District (MPD), and the resulting
shoot-out, have been widely criticized by pundits as "bungled" and "incompetent", and the Hong
Kong Government has issued a "black" travel alert for the Philippines as a result of the affair.
 On April 12, 2018, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte publicly apologized for the incident on
behalf of his country.
October 4, 2012
 Philippines Ex-President is Arrested in Hospital on New Charges (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo)
 Manila, Former president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines was arrested Thursday
afternoon on curroption charges related to allegations misuse of 8.8 million dollars in state lottery
funds during her administration
 Mrs. Arroyo, who is now a member of congress, checked herself into a government medical facility
after the warrant was issued and shortly befire it was served. Police offiecials said she was arrested
while in a hospital bed. It was unclear whether she would be transferred to a jail cell.
 “Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is now under arrest and in detention, under the custody
of the Philippine National Police,” Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel said after the warrant was
served.
 Mr. Coronel said Mrs. Arroyo was suffering from dehydration and hypertension. She was in the
same hospital suite where she spent about eight months under detention on separate charges of
rigging an election. She was released in July after a judge found evidence against her to be weak.
 Mrs. Arroyo is under investigation in connection with a variety of corruption offenses said to have
been committed during her time as president, from 2001 to 2010. Additional charges are expected to
be filed in the coming months. She has maintained that she is innocent of all allegations against her.
The new charges are related to accusations that Mrs. Arroyo and members of her administration
repeatedly stole money from the national lottery between 2008 and 2010.
September 19, 2014
 Bagyong ondoy-MANILA, Philippines – Five years ago on September 26, Tropical Storm Ondoy
(international name: Ketsana) ravaged Luzon, submerging areas like Metro Manila in floods at
record-breaking levels.
 Ondoy, then combined with the enhanced southwest monsoon, caused damages to infrastructure and
agriculture at a cost of P11 billion ($246 million*).
 It's been 5 years since Ondoy hit the country, yet it will always be remembered because of its impact. It
is even often compared to other typhoons that have followed, yet most have failed to match Ondoy's
record.
 In Metro Manila, the most affected areas in terms of flooding were Pasig City, Quezon City, City of
Manila, Caloocan City, Muntinlupa City, and Marikina City, with the highest height of flood ranging
from knee to neck level, up to roof top.

April 8, 2015
 Arroyo seeks house arrest
 MANILA, Philippines – If former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada was allowed to be placed under
house arrest while on trial for plunder, then so can former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
  Arroyo, who is now representative of the 2nd district of Pampanga, is currently detained at the
Veterans Memorial Medical Center over a P366-million plunder charge.
 She is suffering from "multiple cervical spondylosis" or the wearing off of the bones. The defense
said Arroyo remains in a delicate condition.

June 30, 2016

 President Rodrigo Duterte, war on drugs.
 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has carried out a “war on drugs” that has led to the deaths of
over 12,000 Filipinos to date, mostly urban poor. At least 2,555 of the killings have been attributed
to the Philippine National Police. Duterte and other senior officials have instigated and incited the
killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity.
 Large-scale extrajudicial violence as a crime solution was a marker of Duterte’s 22-year tenure as
mayor of Davao City and the cornerstone of his presidential campaign. On the eve of his May 9,
2016 election victory, Duterte told a crowd of more than 300,000: “If I make it to the presidential
palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you
better get out because I'll kill you.”
September 19, 2018
 Bagyong Ompong
 MANILA, Philippines – The number of people killed by Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) climbed
further to 81 on Wednesday, September 19, with most of the fatalities still coming from the
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
 The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also said over a million residents
have been affected by the typhoon. Local officials were prompted to declare a state of calamity in
several areas as strong winds and intense rain from Ompong left devastating damage.
 Ompong has maximum winds of 205 km/h and gustiness of up to 285 km/h. Though it is not a
super typhoon under PAGASA's classification system, it remains a powerful tropical cyclone with a
huge diameter of 900 kilometers.
 Stormy weather is being experienced in Signal Nos. 2, 3, and 4, while there are occasional rains and
gusty winds in areas under Signal No. 1. PAGASA warned that serious floods and landslides are
possible, while many trees could get uprooted and homes made of light materials may be damaged.
 More than 4,800 passengers have been stranded in various ports. Domestic and international flights
have been canceled.