CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY- UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

SUBJECT NO.: SOC SCI 012

SUBJECT SCHEDULE: MWF 4:30 – 5:30PM

SUBJECT TITLE: PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT WITH PHILIPPINE

CONSTITUTION

The Preamble, Article 1 National Territory, Declaration of

Principles Article 2 Section 1-6

LEADER: QUIAPO, VA

MEMBERS:
AVANZADO, LM
LUNA, JV
PACIFICO, JL
PADERANGA, AA
UGSIMAR, SM
 The Preamble

We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a

just and humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations,

promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our

prosperity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and regime of truth,

justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Meaning of Preamble

- Derived from the Latin preambulare which means “to walk before”. It is the prologue of

the constitution.

Definition

- the introductory part of a constitution or statute that usually states the reasons for and

intent of the law.

Importance of the Preamble

1. Sets down origin and purposes of Constitution

-provides the broad outline of, and the spirit behind the Constitution.

-tells us who are the authors of the Constitution and for whom it has been promulgated.

-states the general purposes which are intended to be achieved by the Constitution and

the government.

2. May serve as an aid in its interpretation

-aid in determining the meaning of vague or ambiguous provisions of the Constitution

proper.
Key points of the Preamble

A. Source of Constitution’s authority

1. The Filipino People – the Filipino people themselves are the source from which the

Constitution comes and being so, it is the supreme law of the land. Signifies oneness

and unity.

2. A sovereign people – Stresses the idea that the Filipino people in ordaining and

promulgating the Constitution do so on their own authority as a sovereign people and

not by virtue of the authority or permission given by a superior foreign power.

B. Belief in God stressed

-Declares and affirms belief in the existence of a Supreme Being that guides the destinies

of men and nation.

Changes in the Preamble

(1) The 1987 Preamble, consisting of 75 words is one of the world’s largest preambles. It has

15 words more than that of the 1973 Constitution.

(2) The phrase Almighty God replaced “Divine Providence” in the 1935 and 1973

Constitutions which was considered vague and impersonal. The latter term was used in the

1973 Constitution as a compromise to accommodate some atheists in the 1971

Constitutional Convention.
(3) Other amendments are the insertion of the ff. phrases and words

(a) To build a just and humane society

-establish a government and a society where inequalities and inequities in any form

do not exist.

(b) The rule of law

-the decree making power and equal application of the law.

(c) Aspirations

-to stand for the unrealized dreams of the nation as distinguished from “ideals”

which refer to accepted norms and sentiments.

(d) Truth

-to emphasize the constitutional policy of transparency in the administration of the

government.

(e) Love

-as a directive principle of the Preamble together with truth, justice, freedom,

equality and peace.

(4) The word independence in the 1935 text of the Preamble (which was almost exact

reproduction of the U.S. Constitution except for some alterations in phraseology) was

changed to “democracy” in 1973 Constitution.

(5) The words peace and equality were inserted in the 1973 Constitution in the view of the

turbulence and the waves of protest against “basic economic and social inequalities”.
The Preambles of the Philippines

The 1898 Preamble

We, the Representatives of the Filipino people, lawfully convened, in order to establish

justice, provide for common defense, promote the general welfare, and insure the benefits of

liberty, imploring the aid of the Sovereign Legislator of the Universe for the attainment of these

ends, have voted, decreed, and sanctioned the following

The 1935 Preamble

The Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence, in order to establish a

government that shall embody their ideals, conserve and develop the patrimony of the nation,

promote the general welfare, and secure to themselves and their posterity the blessings of

independence under a régime of justice, liberty, and democracy, do ordain and promulgate this

Constitution.

The 1973 Preamble

We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence, in order to

establish a Government that shall embody our ideals, promote the general welfare, conserve and

develop the patrimony of our Nation, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of

democracy under a regime of justice, peace, liberty, and equality, do ordain and promulgate this

Constitution.
The 1987 Preamble

We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a

just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations,

promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our

posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth,

justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Philippine Preamble’s comparison

1898 Preamble 1935 Preamble 1973 Preamble !987 Preamble

-use of the phrase -use of the phrase -use of the phrase -use of the phrase

Similarities “Filipino people” “Filipino people” “Filipino people” “Filipino people”

-the phrase in --the phrase in --the phrase in -the phrase in

order to establish order to establish order to establish order to build a

just humane

society and

establish
 *We, the *The Filipino *We, the *We, the

Differences Representatives people sovereign sovereign Filipino

of the Filipino Filipino people people

people

*Imploring the aid *Imploring the *Imploring the

*Lawfully of Divine aid of Divine aid of Almighty

convened Providence Providence God

* establish * establish a * establish a * build a just and

justice, provide government that Government that humane society,

for common shall embody their shall embody our and establish a

defense, promote ideals, conserve ideals, promote Government that

the general and develop the the general shall embody our

welfare, and patrimony of the welfare, conserve ideals and

insure the nation and develop the aspirations,

benefits of liberty patrimony of our promote the

* promote the Nation common good,

* imploring the general welfare, conserve and

aid of the and secure to * and secure to develop our

Sovereign themselves and ourselves and our patrimony

Legislator of the their posterity the posterity the

Universe for the blessings of blessings of * promote the

attainment of independence democracy under common good,

these ends, have under a régime of a regime of conserve and

voted, decreed, justice, liberty, justice, peace, develop our

and sanctioned and democracy, do liberty, and patrimony, and

the following ordain and equality, do secure to

promulgate this ordain and ourselves and our

Constitution. promulgate this posterity, the

Constitution. blessings of

independence and

democracy under

the rule of law and

a regime of truth,

justice, freedom,

love, equality, and

peace, do ordain

and promulgate

this Constitution.
 Article 1

The National Territory

The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters

embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or

jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the

seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between,

and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form

part of the interval waters of the Philippines.

Necessity of constitutional provision on National Territory

(1) Binding force of such provision under international law

(2) Value of provisions defining our territory

(3) Acquisition of other territories

National Territory of the Philippines

(1) The Philippine archipelago with all islands and waters embraced therein\

(2) All other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction

(3) The terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains including the territorial sea, the seabed, the

subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas thereof

(4) The internal waters

Meaning of archipelago

-archipelago derived from the Greek word pelagos meaning “sea”. It has been defined as a sea or

part of a sea studded with islands.

Other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction

(1) The phrase “all the other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal

title.

(2) The deletion of the words “by historic or legal title” is not to be construed as precluding

future claims by the Philippines to areas over which it does not actually exercise

sovereignty.

Three-fold division of navigable waters

(1) Inland or internal waters- often called as national waters

(2) Territorial Sea (supra)- belt of water outside and parallel to the coastline

(3) High or Open Seas- waters that lie seaward of the territorial sea

Article 2

Declaration of Principles and State Policies

Section 1. The Philippines is a democratic and republican state. Sovereignty resides in the people

and all government authority emanates from them.

- Section 1 adds the word “democratic” because the government, while essentially a

republican democracy, embodies some features of a pure democracy such as the initiative

and referendum.

Section 2. The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the

generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the

policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.
 - In accordance with the principle in the United Nations Charter binding all members to

“refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the

territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.

Section 3. Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the

Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the

State and the integrity of the national territory.

- A civilian, the President is the commander -in-chief of all armed forces of the

Philippines, the army, the navy, the air force, the constabulary, and the marines. As

commander-in-chief, he issues orders to the armed forces. Also determines budget and

defines the national policy on defense and security.

Section 4. The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people. The government

may call upon the people to defend the State and, in the fulfillment thereof, all citizens may be

required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal military or civil service.

- For self-preservation and to defend its territorial honor and integrity, the Philippines can

engage in a defensive war. In recognition of this fact, the Constitution has provided for

the above principle. The defense of the state is one of the duties of a citizen.

Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and

the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the

blessings of democracy.
 - Only when peace and order, security, and a life of dignity are established and maintained,

will political stability and economic prosperity become attainable and the people truly

enjoy the blessings of independence and democracy.

Section6. The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.

- The principle of the separation of Church and State being inviolable (secured or protected

from violation) is implied from the constitutional prohibitions that no law shall be made

respecting an establishment of religion. This simply means that the church is not to

interfere in purely political matters or temporal aspects of man’s life and the State, in

purely matters of religion and morals, which are the exclusive concerns of the other.

REFERENCES:

De Leon, H.S. (2002). Textbook on the Philippine Constitution (2002 ed.). Quezon City, Manila:

Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Nolledo, J.N. (1991). The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines (2009 revised ed.).

Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.

Librarian’s signature:____________________________________