History of the Philippine

Government
• Prehispanic
• Spanish Government
• American
• Japanese
• Postwar
Prehispanic
The Philippines was composed of
settlements, each called barangay
(consisting of more or less 100 families,
named after balangay, a Malayan word
meaning “boat”. Every Baranggay was
virtually a state, for it possessed the four
basic elements of statehood. At times,
however, barangays joined together as
confederations/ sanduguan mainly for the
purpose of mutual protection against
common enemies
• Datu- Each barangay was ruled by a
chief called datu, rajah, sultan or hadji
• Usually assisted by council of elders,
maginoos/agorang which served as
his advisers.
Spanish
• Spain’s title to the Philippines
• Discovered by Magellan in 1521
• Consummated by its conquest by Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi who is the first
Governador-Heneral in the Philippines
• Until it was terminated in 1898, when by
the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was
ceded by Spain to the United States
• 1899 Malolos Republic
• Japanese-Sponsored Constitution
• 1935 Constitution
• 1973 Constitution
• Freedom Constitution-1987 Constitution

Philippine Constitutions
• Based on the constitutions of Mexico, Belgium, Guatemala, Costa
Rica, Brazil, France
• Known as the Revolutionary Government, First republican
constitution in Asia and the First Philippine Republic
• Composed of executive, legislative and judiciary
• The Assembly of Representative exercises the legislative power

1899 Constitution
American
• Started with the Military Government
under Wesley Merritt. The authority was
delegated to the military governor who
exercised as long as the war lasted, all
powers of the government – Executive,
Legislative, and Judicial
Civil Government
• The Government was headed by a civil
governor . The American Governor
General was given legislative powers as he
was the President.
Commonwealth Government
• This is a ten year transition period
before the Americans gave the
Filipinos their freedom.
1943 Constitution
• Established on January 3, 1942 on the day after its
occupation
• On 1943, Jose P. Laurel was inaugurated as the
President
• On 1945, P. Laurel proclaimed the dissolution of the
Republic
• Written in 1934 and adopted by the
Commonwealth (1935-1946)
• Later used in the Third Republic: as approved by
the Preparatory Committee on Philippine
Independence

1935 Constitution
 Republic of the Philippines

Third Republic of the Philippines

• Manuel Roxas
• Elpidio Quirino
• Ramon Magsaysay
• Carlos P. Garcia
• Diosdado Macapagal
Martial Law Era
• Ferdinand Marcos
• Benigno Aquino, Jr.
• EDSA Revolution
• Parliamentary
• President –symbolic head and PM as the
head of the government

1973 Constitution/Martial Law

Fifth Republic of the Philippines
• Corazon Aquino
• Fidel Ramos
• Joseph Estrada
• EDSA II
• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
• Benigno Aquino III
• Transitory constitution by Pres. Aquino
• The President has the legislative power for
the mean time until such time that the new
constitution is ratified and prescribed.

Freedom Constitution- 1987

Constitution
6th Republic ????