Eighth President of the Philippines

Era
Fourth President of the Third Republic
Constitution Amended 1935 Constitution
Predecessor Ramon Magsaysay
Successor Diosdado Macapagal
March 1, 1957, Malacañan Palace,
Manila (aged 61)
Inauguration
December 30, 1957, Independence
Grandstand, Manila (aged 62)
Carlos P. Garcia Capital Quezon City
First term: March 18, 1957-December Diosdado Macapagal (December 30,
30, 1957 (succeeded) Vice-President
1957-December 30, 1961)
Second term: December 30, 1957- Ricardo M. Paras (April 2, 1951-
Chief Justice
December 30, 1961 (elected) February 17, 1961)
Eulogio Rodriguez (January 22, 1957-
Senate President
April 5, 1963)
Speaker of the Daniel Z. Romualdez (January 27, 1958-
House December 30, 1961)

García was born in Talibon, Bohol, to Policronio García and Ambrosia Polístico, who
were both natives of Bangued, Abra. García grew up with politics, with his father serving as a
municipal mayor for four terms. He pursued his college education at Silliman
University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, and later studied at the Philippine Law
School where he earned his law degree in 1923. He was among the top ten in the bar
examination.

On 24 May 1933, he married Leonila Dimataga, and they had a daughter, Linda García-
Campos. After his failed re–election bid, García retired to Tagbilaran to resume as a private
citizen. On 14 June 1971, García died from a fatal heart attack.

I. Politics (Administration)
At the time of President Magsaysay's sudden death on 17 March 1957,Vice President
García enplaned back for Manila. Upon his arrival he directly repaired to Malacañang Palace to
assume the duties of President. President García's first actions dealt with the declaration of a
period of mourning for the whole nation and the burial ceremonies for the late President
Magsaysay.

II. Economics
Recovering from the World War II is almost finished yet the country is experiencing
several economic challenges.The flow of imports had greatly increased making the Philippines
heavily dependent of imported products. Imports coming from the United States were also
allowed to enter the country without tariffs, the Philippines also promised not to change its
exchange rate from $1 is to Php2.

III. Programs (Reforms)

Filipino First Policy, law that was passed by the Garcia administration, to give local
businessmen more priority over foreign investors.Products of Filipino businessmen were also
preferred over foreign products.The Austerity Program was implemented by Garcia in order to
curt the rampant graft and corruption within the country. The program centered on wise
spending, industry, thrift, trustworthiness, integrity and honesty.
 The Garcia administration also put emphasis on cultural revival, due to the colonization
of many countries he felt that the revival of the Filipino culture was needed. The award was
given to Filipino artists, scientist, historians and writers. Bohlen-Serrano Agreement passed
during his term, was a law that shortened the original 99 year lease of US bases here in the
Philippines to 25 years; the agreement was renewable for periods only up to 5 years.

IV. National Issues

Corruption was also widespread in the country since he had just inherited the
Magsaysay administration. Several cases of corruption were found within the government
offices during his administration.

V. Transnational Issues
The focus of the Garcia administration is on the economic independence from foreign
interest.Garcia was criticized by foreign countries, especially the United States for his anti-
foreign policies.

On November 4, 1896, Carlos P. Garcia, eighth President of the Philippines, was born in
Talibon, Bohol, to Policronio García and Ambrosia Polístico, who were both natives of Bangued,
Abra.

García grew up with politics, with his father serving as a municipal mayor for four terms. He
acquired his primary education in his native Talibon, then took his secondary education in Cebu
Provincial High School. Initially, he pursued his college education at Silliman University in
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, and later studied at the Philippine Law School where he
earned his law degree in 1923.

Known as the "Father of First Filipino Policy", Garcia put the rights of Filipinos above those of
foreigners, favoring Filipino businessmen over foreign investors, although allowing foreigners to
invest capital up to 40 percent in business or industry.

He was famous for his poetry in Bohol, where he earned the nickname "Prince of Visayan
Poets" and the "Bard from Bohol".

Garcia was among the top 10 in the Bar examinations in 1923. Instead of practicing law
right away, he served as a teacher for two years at the Bohol Provincial High School
prior to entering politics.

Garcia entered politics in 1925, scoring an impressive victory to become Representative

of the Third District of Bohol. He was elected for another term in 1928 and served until
1931. He was elected Governor of Bohol in 1933, but served only until 1941 when he
successfully ran for Senate, but he was unable to serve due to the Japanese occupation
of the Philippines during the Second World War. He assumed the office when Congress
re-convened in 1945 after the end of the war.

Garcia was the running mate of Ramon Magsaysay in the 1953 presidential election in
which both men won. He was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs by President
Magsaysay, and for four years served concurrently as Vice-President
 After finishing Magsaysay's term, Garcia was elected as president in the election in
November 1957. His administration was characterized by its austerity program and its
insistence on a comprehensive nationalist policy.

His administration also acted on the Bohlen–Serrano Agreement which shortened the
lease of the United States Bases from 99 years to 25 years and made it renewable after
every five years.

He was also responsible for changes in retail trade which greatly affected the Chinese
businessmen in the country. He was also credited with reviving Filipino cultural arts.

Ninth President of the Philippines

Diosdado Macapagal
December 30, 1961 – December 30,
1965
Era
Fifth President of the Third Republic
Constitution Amended 1935 Constitution
Predecessor Carlos P. Garcia
Successor Ferdinand E. Marcos
December 30, 1961, Quirino Grandstand,
Inauguration
Manila (aged 51)
Capital Quezon City
Vice-President Emmanuel Pelaez (1961-1965)
Cesar Bengzon (April 28, 1961-May 29,
Chief Justice
1966)
Eulogio Rodriguez (January 22, 1957-
April 5, 1963)
Senate President
Ferdinand E. Marcos (April 5, 1963-
December 30, 1965)
Daniel Z. Romualdez (January 22, 1962-
Speaker of the March 9, 1962)
House Cornelio T. Villareal (March 9, 1962-
December 30, 1965)

Diosdado Pangan Macapagal (September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was
the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965. A native of Lubao, Pampanga,
Macapagal graduated from the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas,
after which he worked as a lawyer for the government.He died of heart failure, pneumonia,
and renal complications, in 1997, at the age of 86.

I. Politics (Administration)
In the 1961 presidential election, Macapagal ran against Garcia's re-election bid,
promising an end to corruption and appealing to the electorate as a common man from humble
beginnings.He defeated the incumbent president with a 55% to 45% margin.His inauguration as
the president of the Philippines took place on December 30, 1961.
II. Economics
Exchange controls were lifted and the Philippine peso was allowed to float on the free
currency exchange market.The peso devalued from P2.64 to the U.S. dollar, and stabilized at
P3.80 to the dollar, supported by a $300 million stabilization fund from the International
Monetary Fund.

III. Programs (Reforms)

The following programs were created during his administration; opened Malacanang to
the Public however it didn’t last long because people started to only loft around, dismissed
corruption in the government when the official couldn’t justify his sudden acquisition of wealth,
changed the date of the Philippine Independence from June 12 to July 4, Agricultural Land
Reform Code of 1963 which abolished share tendency on rice and corn farmlands and
establishment of a leasehold system where farmers would pay rentals to landlords instead of
harvests.

IV. National Issues

The Stonehill Scandal involving numerous congressmen and businessmen accused for
graft and corruption within the government though several programs passed.

V. Transnational Issues
On September 12, 1962, during President Diosdado Macapagal's administration, the
territory of eastern North Borneo (nowSabah), and the full sovereignty, title and dominion over
the territory were ceded by the then reigning Sultan of Sulu, HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E.
Kiram I, to the Republic of the Philippines. The cession effectively gave the Philippine
government the full authority to pursue their claim in international courts.

Diosdado P. Macapagal (1910-1997) was the fifth president of the Republic of the
Philippines. He was instrumental in initiating and executing the Land Reform
Code, which was designed to solve the centuries-old land tenancy problem, the
principal cause of the Communist guerrilla movement in central Luzon.
Diosdado Macapagal was born on Sept. 28, 1910, the son of poor tenant farmers. In
1929 he entered the University of the Philippines, where he received an associate in
arts degree in 1932. Meanwhile he worked part time with the Bureau of Lands.
Macapagal was constantly forced to interrupt his schooling for lack of funds. His
brother-in-law Rogelio de la Rosa, with whom he acted in and produced Tagalog
operettas, helped him continue his education. Macapagal entered the University of
Santo Tomas in Manila, receiving his bachelor of laws degree in 1936, his master of
laws degree in 1941, and doctor of laws degree in 1947. He also received a doctorate in
economics in 1957.

Early Career and Government Service

In 1941 Macapagal worked as legal assistant to President Quezon and as professor of

law in the University of Santo Tomas. A claim is made that he served as an intelligence
agent for the guerrillas during the Japanese occupation, but this period of his life has
not been well documented.
In 1946 Macapagal served as assistant and then as chief of the legal division in the
Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1948 he was second secretary to the Philippine
embassy in Washington and in 1949 became counselor on legal affairs and treatises in
the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1949 he was elected representative of the first
district of Pampanga Province on the ticket of the Liberal party. In 1953 he was the only
Liberal party member to win reelection.
Macapagal attained worldwide distinction in 1951, when, as chairman of the Philippine
UN delegation, he conducted a debate with Soviet foreign minister Andrei Vishinsky. In
November 1957 Macapagal was elected vice president, receiving 116,940 more votes
than the total received by the elected president, Carlos P. Garcia. In December
Macapagal became the titular head of the Liberal party. In spite of his rank as vice
president and because he belonged to the opposition party, Macapagal was treated as
a complete outsider; he was barred from Cabinet meetings and was assigned routine
ceremonial duties. Consequently, Macapagal denounced the graft and corruption in the
Garcia administration and toured the country campaigning for the next election.
On Jan. 21, 1961, Macapagal was chosen as Liberal party candidate for president.
Rallying the masses in the villages and towns, he elaborated a familiar motif in his
speeches: "I come from the poor…Let me reap for you the harvest of the poor. Let us
break the chain of poverty…"

Performance as President

Macapagal became president on Nov. 14, 1961, defeating Garcia. In his inaugural
statement he declared: "I shall be president not only of the rich but more so of the poor.
We must help bridge the wide gap between the poor man and the man of wealth, not by
pulling down the rich to his level as Communism desires, but by raising the poor
towards the more abundant life." With his naivetéand paternalistic attitude, Macapagal
vowed to open Malakanyang Palace, the presidential residence, to all the citizens. He
canceled the inaugural ball and issued a decree forbidding any member of his family or
of his wife's to participate in any business deals with the government. He dismissed
corrupt officials and started court action against those who could not explain their
sudden acquisition of wealth. He changed the date that Filipinos celebrate their
independence to June 12 from July 4. In 1898, Filipino revolutionaries had declared
independence from Spain on June 12; July 4 was the date the Philippines were
declared independent by the United States after World War II.
Macapagal aimed to restore morality to public life by concentrating on the elevation of
the living standard of the masses. Addressing Congress in 1962, he formulated the
objectives of his socioeconomic programs as, first, the immediate restoration of
economic stability; second, the alleviation of the common man's plight; and third, the
establishment of a "dynamic basis for future growth." Unfortunately, Macapagal's friends
in the oligarchy and the privileged minority in Congress and business soon began
parading their lavish wealth in conspicuous parties, junkets, and anomalous deals.
On Jan. 21, 1962, Macapagal abolished the economic controls that had been in
operation since 1948. He devalued the Philippine peso by setting its value according to
the prevailing free market rate instead of by government direction. He lifted foreign
exchange controls and reduced tariff rates on essential consumer goods. Seeking to
remedy the problem of unemployment, he took steps to decentralize the economy and
at the same time encourage commerce and industry in the provinces. He also proposed
decentralization in government by investing greater power in provincial and local
governments as a step essential to the growth of democratic institutions. He also
suggested the establishment of eight regional legislatures with power to levy taxes.

Land Reform Program

To ameliorate the plight of the Filipino peasant in the face of vast population growth,
Macapagal instituted a public land clearance program to make new farmlands available
for immediate use. The product of his concern for the impoverished majority was the
Land Reform Code of Aug. 8, 1963, which sought to replace the abusive and unjust
tenancy system inherited from colonial times by the leasehold system, affording full
government protection to the leaseholder. The positive result obtained in 1966
demonstrated the value of the land reform program in materially improving the local
living conditions of the rural poor.

Foreign Policy

Macapagal's foreign policy displayed an eccentric course. On the one hand, he affirmed
that he would never recognize Communist China despite what the United States or
other nations might decide. On the other, he criticized in May 1962 the United States
support of Laos neutralists as "a species of sophistry that can only weaken the defense
of the free world."
In June 1962 Macapagal registered a claim of Philippine sovereignty over British North
Borneo (Sabah). In July he proposed the establishment of a greater Malayan
confederation which would supersede the British-sponsored plan for the Federation of
Malaysia. This would be a step toward ultimate establishment of a Pan-Asian Union.
Macapagal initiated the Manila Accord of July 31, 1963, signed by himself, President
Sukarno of Indonesia, and Abdul Rahman of Malaya; on August 6 the three chiefs of
state issued the Manila Declaration toward the establishment of Maphilindo, designed to
set up closer ties between the three countries in their collective fight against
neocolonialism. This plan broke up with the formation on Aug. 1, 1964, of the
Federation of Malaysia by the Malayan and British governments.
Although Macapagal prided himself in being the "conscience of the common man," he
failed in preventing his administration from being wrecked by the Stonehill scandal of
1962, which revealed massive government corruption and racketeering that involved
almost the whole bureaucracy and Congress. Despite Macapagal's so-called
incorruptibility, he failed to solve decisively the major social and economic problems of
the nation. He lost his bid for re-election in 1965 to Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled for the
next 20 years. However, Macapagal's political legacy lives on in his daughters, both of
whom followed him into politics: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino senator, and
Cielo Macapagal-Salgado is vice-governor of Pampanga, her father's home province.
Macapagal also had two sons, Arturo and Diosdado, Jr.
He died in Manila on April 21, 1997 of heart failure. He was 86.