The Spanish Regime

March 17, 1521. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator accidentally landed in the island of Samar.

March 31, 1521. The first Catholic mass was held in Limasawa, an island in the south of Leyte.

April 27, 1521. Magellan died in the hands of a chieftain, Lapu-lapu, from his strong will to invade the island of
Mactan.

February 13 1565. Another group of explorers headed by General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, arrived in Cebu and
insisted their claim for the island.

June 3, 1571. After defeating Raja Sulayman in a battle in Bangkusay, Martin de Goiti claimed autonomy of
Manila.

June 24, 1571. Legazpi established Manila as the capital city with himself as Governor-General.

April 14, 1617. The Spanish fleet headed by Juan Ronquillo prevented the British attempt to invade Manila in the
battle of Playa-Homda.

October 3, 1646. For the second time, the Spanish fleet defeated the British warship in Manila Bay. This event is
commemorated in a yearly feast called " La Naval de Manila".

October 5, 1762. The British fleet defeated the Spanish warship allowing the British rule the country for two years.

March 17, 1764. The British surrendered the country to Spain after losing a battle during the seven-year war
between them.

October 31, 1829. Francisco Dagohoy, a cabeza de barangay of Bohol and the leader of the longest uprising (8
years), surrendered to the Spaniards.

September 6, 1834. Manila was opened to international trade leading to a remarkable transformation of its
economy.

February 15, 1889. The establishment of La Solidaridad, the newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena to voice
out the Filipinos cry for reforms.

September 18, 1891. Jose Rizal finished his novel El Filibusterismo following the first, Noli Me Tangere. Both
portrayed the struggling life of the Filipinos under the Spanish rule.

July 3, 1892. Jose Rizal established La Liga Filipina, a civic movement aimed at reuniting Filipinos to act together
for reforms and autonomy from the unjust administration of the Spaniards.

July 7, 1892. Jose Rizal was captured and exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao. There he served as a doctor, a scientist
and a teacher to the locals.

July 7, 1892. At the same day of Rizal’s capture, Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata and Valentin Diaz established
the "Katipunan", a revolutionary movement aimed to fight for freedom against Spain.

August 19, 1896. The Spaniards learned the Katipunan movement that resulted to a massive capture of many
Filipinos.
August 23, 1896. Bonifacio and his fellow Katipuneros tore their cedulas or residence certificates while shouting
"Long live the Philippines", during their preparation for battle. This was marked as the historic Cry of Balintawak.

August 25, 1896. The Katipuneros headed by Bonifacio had their first encounter with the Spanish civil guards and
infantrymen. Due to strong forces and large presence of the Filipino troops, both camps of the Spaniards retreated.
But in the end, Filipinos lost the battle when the latter came back with large number of fighters and stronger
ammunition.

Setember 12, 1896. A group of revolutionaries from Cavite were executed. They are now known as teh "Trece
Martires de Cavite" or the thirteen martyrs of Cavite.

December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad in Bagumbayan (now called Rizal Park) after being
held captive at fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

March 22, 1897. The Katipuneros elected a new set of officers to replace the Katipunan. This was held in Tejeros,
San Francisco de Malabon and was called the Tejeros Convention. Bonifacio diisolved the convention after Daniel
Tirona, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo, questioned his professional credibility as the director of the interior
without a Lawyer’s diploma. Aguinaldo’s group won and considered Bonifacio and his men enemies of the
revolution.

May 10, 1897. Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were excuted in Mt. Tala, Cavite after an unjust trial
headed by General. Mariano Noriel, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo.

April 23, 1897. A new Spanish Governor named Fernando Primo de Rivera arrived in Manila for the purpose of
minimizing the thriving rebellion of the Filipinos. He issued a decree to grant pardon to those who would surrender
to the Spanish government.

December 15, 1897. Primo de Rivera and Pedro Paterno signed the Truce of Biak-na-Bato allowing a temporary
ceasefire between the Spanish and the Filipinos.

December 27, 1897. Aguinaldo and his associates voluntarily moved to Hongkong for the amount of P800,000.

January 20, 1898. Periodic battles between the Filipinos and the Spaniards erupted due to mutual suspicion.
General Francisco Makabulos of Tarlac established a provisional goverment. The arrest and imprisonment of
suspected rebels continued and despite the Truce, the revolution persisted.

American Occupation

February 14, 1898. The Spaniards bombed the American fleet "Maine" in Havana, Cuba killing 246 people.

April 25, 1898. The United States declared war against Spain ordering Commodore George Dewy to attack the
spanish fleet in the Philippines.

May 1, 1898. Manila Bay turned into a massive battle field between United States and Spain. The Americans
defeated the Spanish fleet led by Admiral Patricio Montojo.

June 12, 1898. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who had returned from Hongkong, proclaimed Philippine independence
at his mansion in Kawit, Cavite.

August 13, 1898. A mock battle between the Spanish and the Americans occured forbidding the participation of
Filipino soldiers. Later, Manila was surrendered by Spain to the United States.
December 10, 1898. Without the knowledge of the Filipinos, Spain surrendered the Philippines (along with Puerto
Rico and Guam) to the United States in exchange of $20 million under the Treaty of Paris.

January 23, 1899. General Emilio Aguinaldo was sworn into office as the president of the Philippine Republic and
at the same time promulgated The Malolos Constitution.

June 5, 1899. General Antonio Luna was killed by soldiers from the Kawit Company in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

December 2, 1900. The young general, Gregorio del Pilar died while fighting against the Americans in the Battle of
Pasong Tirad (Tirad Pass).

March 23, 1901. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans headed by Col. Frederick Funston with the help
of some Filipinos in Palanan, Isabela.

October 16, 1907. The first Philippine Assembly was inaugurated at Manila Grand Opera House. Sergio Osmena
was elected as speaker and Manuel L. quezon as Majority Floor Leader.

Occtober 13, 1913. The Underwood-Simons Law took effect, allowing an open trade between the United States and
the Philippines.

August 29,1916. The Jones Law was signed allowing the existence of the Philippine Legislature and promising the
Philippine independence from the United States.

August 26, 1930. Crisanto Evangelista established the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP as a peasant’s
rebel movement and was later joined by farmers and even professionals.

December 7, 1933. Frank Murphy, the last American Governor, granted Philippine women the right to vote.

March 24, 1934. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Tydings McDuffie Act as to allow the drafting of the
Philippine Constitution and to establish the Philippine Commonwealth, an agreement to liberate the Philippines in
ten years.

March 23, 1935. Pres. Roosevelt approved the plebiscite on the constitution for the new Republic. Claro M. Recto
presided the Philippine Constitution, which was mainly patterned after the American Constitution, over the
Constitutional Convention.

September 18, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon was elected President of the Commonwealth and Sergio Osmena as the
Vice President.

World War II and the Japanese Occupation

December 7, 1941. The Japanese bombed the Pearl Harbor, a US military base in Hawaii. The Philippines wa
attacked ten hours after the bombing.

December 25 1941. General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila as an "open city" but the Japanese ignored and
still continued its attack.

March 29, 1942. Luis Taruc established the anti-Japanese guerilla movement HUKBALAHAP ( Hukbo ng Bayan
Laban sa Hapon).

April 9, 1942. On this day, the "Fall of Bataan" and the infamous "Death March" took place. Around 76,000
starving Americans and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the Japanese in Bataan. The Japanese led their captives on a
cruel hike from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’donnell in Capas, Tarlac. Around 7,000 to 10,000 men perished from
starvation during the ten-day march while some were luckily pulled out secretly by watching civilians.

May 6, 1942. Corregidor, the last U.S. Defense Base of Filipino-American troops under Jonathan Wainwright, fell
under Commander Homma of the Japanese Imperial Forces.

October 24, 1944. This day the prominent battle of Leyte Gulf took place, where the island of Leyte was filled
massively with an amphibious force of 700 vessels and 174,000 army and navy servicemen. By December 1944, the
islands of Leyte and Mindoro had been cleared of the Japanese.

September 2, 1945. Right after the war in the Pacific, Japan surrendered to the Americans. The Philippines later
was granted its independence but with over a million Filipino casualties. More than 60,000 Americans died and
300,000 Japanese lost their lives.

The Philippine Republic

April 30, 1946. The Tydings Rehabilitation Act was signed, giving the Americans equal freedom and previlige to
use the natural resources of the Philippines.

July 4, 1946. Manuel Roxas became the first President of the Philippine Republic.

March 14, 1947. The Treaty of General Relations was signed, allowing the US Military Bases to be installed in the
Philippines for 99 years.

April 17, 1948. Elpidio Quirino suceeded Manuel Roxas as the president when the latter died of heart attack.
Alarmed by the growing armed members of Hukbalahap Movement, Quirino tried to negotiate with its leader Luis
Taruc.

November 10, 1953. Ramon Magsaysay was elected the new President and Carlos P. Garcia as Vice President.
Known to be the leader of the poor, Magsaysay, initiated many local infrastracture projects and established special
courts to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.

May 17, 1954. Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc surrendered to the government, signalling the decline of the
movements threat.

March 17, 1957. President Ramon Magsaysay died in an airplane crash in Manunggal, Cebu.

November 11, 1961. Diosdado Macapagal won the presidential election and replaced President Carlos P. Garcia.

May 12, 1962. Soon after taking office, President Macapagal proclaimed June 12 as a national holiday in
commemoration of Philipine Independence instead of July 4. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who first proclaimed
Philippine independence in 1898, was the Guest of Honor at the first celebration of of Philippine Independence on
June 12, 1962.

August 8, 1963. President Macapagal signed the Agricultural Land Reform Code.

November 9, 1965. Ferdinand Marcos was elected the 6th president of the Philippine Republic. He made
extravagant spendings on public works, building roads, bridges, health centers, hospitals, schools and putting up
urban beautification projects.

August 8, 1967. The Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) was organized after a meeting in Manila.
December 26, 1968. Jose Maria Sison reestablished the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as a Stalinist-
Maoist Political Party.

November 11, 1969. Marcos was re-elected as president.

June 1, 1971. a bomb exploded at Plaza Miranda during a political rally of the Liberal Party. There were around 100
casualties and 10 deaths. Starting that time, the popularity of Benigno Aquino and his Liberal Party grew rapidly.
Marcos blamed the communists for suspicious bombing.

September 21, 1972. Marcos declared martial law under the proclamation No. 1801. Many opposition leaders
including Benigno Aquino, journalists and activists were detained in Fort Bonifacio under martial law.

100 significant events in Philippine history

Philippine history is made up of thousands of events that happened from the earliest period ever documented to the
present. This list includes only 100 major events that influenced Philippine history from the 14th century to the end
of the 20th century. Interestingly, the events included on this list represent major areas where the life of the nation
revolves like trade and commerce, religion, culture, literature and arts, education, various movements, wars and
revolutions, laws and government, and military. Moreover, the events mentioned here are crucial in understanding
the present and future of the Philippines as a nation.

1. Trading with the Chinese. 10th century. They dominated Philippine commerce from then on.

2. Arrival of Arab traders and missionaries. Mid-14th century. They conducted trade and preached Islam in Sulu that
later spread to other parts of the country.

3. Arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. March 1521. It marked the beginning of Spanish interest in the Philippines as
several Spanish expeditions followed.

4. First Mass in the Philippines. March 31, 1521. It was held in Limasawa, an island in Southern Leyte. Symbolized
the conversion of many Filipinos to Roman Catholicism.

5. Death of Ferdinand Magellan. April 27, 1521.

6. Landing of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Cebu. 1565. This marked the beginning of Spanish dominion in the
Philippines as Legazpi later established the seat of Spanish colonial government in Manila.

7. Blood Compact. March 1565. Spanish Captain General Legazpi and Rajah Sikatuna performed the blood compact
in Bohol as a sign of peace agreement between their parties.

8. First agreement for peace in the Philippines. June 4, 1565. Rajah Tupas and Legazpi signed this treaty of peace.
Through the treaty, Cebu would recognize the Spanish government, which, on the other hand, would provide
protection to Cebu in times of wars.

9. Construction of the Church and Convent of Santo Niño, the first Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines, in
Cebu by Rev. Father Andres de Urdaneta. 1565. This marked the beginning of Roman Catholicism in the
Philippines as Spanish priests from other religious orders followed. The priests played significant roles in
developing the country as a Spanish colony.

10. Shipbuilding. Early 1600s. Ships were built on Biliran Island and later in Cavite.

11. Longest Revolt in history. 1744-1829. Francisco Dagohoy led this longest uprising in Bohol against the Spanish
government.

12. British invasion of Manila. September 23, 1762. The British invaded and occupied Manila until March 1764,
when the Seven-Year War in Europe ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The treaty compelled the British
to return Manila and its environs to Spain.

13. Tobacco Monopoly. 1781. The Spanish government established this for business purposes. It served as a big
source of revenue for the Spanish government until it was closed in 1882. During the period, tobacco farms and
cigarette plants in the country increased and employed many Filipinos as farmers and factory workers.

14. Surnames for Filipinos. November 21, 1849. Governor Narciso Claveria y Zaldua issued a decree that provided
for the use of Spanish surnames by Filipinos to facilitate census, tax collection and administration.

15. Cofradia de San Jose. 1832-41. Founded as a religious cult which attracted many members and alarmed the
government. It was disbanded after one of its prominent leaders, Apolinario de la Cruz or Hermano Pule, was killed
by the government forces on November 4, 1841.

16. Quarantine Station. 1850s. The Spanish government established the Lazareto de Mariveles in Bataan as a way of
checking and sanitizing passengers and cargoes of foreign ships from contagious diseases before they could enter
Manila. The Americans continued this practice in 1902 by establishing quarantine services in ports of entry.

17. Sugar industry in the Philippines. 1859. Nicholas Loney from England pioneered the sugar industry that
contributed to the economic growth of Iloilo and Panay.

18. Cavite Mutiny. January 20, 1872. Sergeant Lamadrid led artillery regiments and some naval crews in capturing
the arsenal of Fort San Felipe in Cavite. The event was local in scope and easily quelled, but Spanish priests used it
to implicate their enemies in the clergy, resulting in the execution of Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and
Jacinto Zamora.

19. Execution of Burgos, Gomes and Zamora. February 17, 1872. The three priests, known in history as Gomburza,
were garroted by the Spaniards in connection with the Cavite Mutiny.

20. Founding of La Solidaridad. 1889. The Filipino propagandists in Spain established this as the organ of the
Propaganda Movement. Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar served as editors. It published essays and
articles in Spanish expressing the Filipino demands for reforms in the Philippines. One of the writers was Jose Rizal.

21. Telephone system. 1890. The first telephone system in the Philippines is inaugurated. In 1906 the government
put provincial telephone systems. In 1928 PLDT was granted franchise for the entire Philippines.

22. Establishment of Masonic Nilad Lodge or "Logia Central y Delegada." 1891. Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Moises
Salvador and Jose Ramos established this Masonic lodge that was approved by Grande Oriente Español on March
10, 1892. Other lodges followed. Many Katipuneros were members of the Masonry.

23. Construction of Manila-Dagupan Railroad. 1892. It hastened transportation from Manila to Dagupan. Used by
revolutionists and by American soldiers during the revolution. Another railroad was constructed in Iloilo in the early
1900s.

24 Founding of the Katipunan. July 7, 1892. Andres Bonifacio, Ladislaw Diwa and Teodoro Plata composed the
first triangle of the secret society.

25. Exile of Dr. Jose Rizal. July 17, 1892. Rizal arrived in Dapitan to serve his exile. This agitated many Filipinos to
fight the Spanish colonial government. The hero contributed much to the development of Dapitan during his exile.

26. Discovery of the Kati-punan. August 19, 1892. Its discovery led to the government’s crackdown on suspected
members and Bonifacio’s immediate declaration of war against the Spanish government.
27. Cry of Pugad Lawin. August 23, 1892. The Katipuneros gathered in Pugad Lawin, tore their cedulas and
declared war against Spain.

28. Battle of Pinaglabanan. August 31, 1896. The first battle between the Katipuneros and Spanish forces in San
Juan, Rizal. Over a hundred Katipuneros were killed.

29. Battle of Zapote Bridge. February 19, 1897. One of the major battles of the Philippine Revolution.

30. Tejeros Convention. March 22, 1897. The Kati-puneros belonging to the Magdaló and Magdiwang councils
changed the Kati-punan into a revolutionary government and elected its officers. Subsequent events resulted in the
execution of Andres Boni-facio in Maragondon.

31. Acta de Tejeros. March 24, 1897. Bonifacio nullified the results of the elections during the Tejeros Convention.

32. Naic Military Agreement. April 20, 1897. Bonifacio signed this document declaring the results of the elections
during the Tejeros Convention null and void and established its own army separate from the Revolutionary Army
formed during the convention. This led to his capture and later his execution in May of the same year.

33. Pact of Biyak-na-Bato. December 14, 1897. Signed by the Spanish government and the Filipino revolutionary
leaders. This provided for the secession of hostilities between the two parties and the voluntary exile of
revolutionary leaders in Hong Kong.

34. Uprising of Leon Kilat in Cebu. April 2, 1898. Leon Kilat (Pantaleon Villegas) led the uprising against the
Spaniards in Cebu, which was suppressed after a week with the arrival of reinforcements from Iloilo and Manila.
Leon Kilat continued his cause through guerrilla campaigns.

35. Battle of Manila Bay. May 1, 1898. The American naval fleets led by George Dewey fought against the Spanish
fleet under General Patrocinio Montojo. This signaled America’s colonization of the Philippines.

36. Proclamation of Philippine Independence. June 12, 1898. General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine
Independence in Kawit, Cavite. During the event, Marcha Nacional Filipina, which what would become the National
Anthem composed by Julian Felipe, was played by the band of San Francisco de Malabon and the Philippine
national flag was hoisted in public.

37. Bates Treaty Agreement. August 20, 1898. Signed in Mindanao between US Representative John C. Bates and
the Filipino Muslim leaders Rajah Muda, Datu Calbi, Datu Joakanain and the Sulu Sultan, the agreement signified
noninvolvement of the Muslims in the Filipino-American War.

38. Republic of Negros. November 5, 1898. Revolutionary forces under General Juan Anacleto Araneta proclaimed
the Republic of Negros.

39. Cry of Santa Barbara. November 17, 1898. The revolutionists led by General Martin Delgado waved the Filipino
flag and established the revolutionary government in Iloilo.

40. The Treaty of Paris. December 10, 1898. This was signed between the United States and Spain ceding Spanish
colonies, including the Philippines, to America. The Americans received the right to colonize the Philippines after
paying Spain $20 million.

41. Benevolent assimilation of the Philippines. 1898. President William McKinley proclaimed this as there was
nothing left to do with the Philippines after the Spanish-American War but to take it as a colony.

42. Assassination of General Antonio Luna. June 5, 1899. General Luna and his aide Col. Paco Roman were
assassinated by fellow revolutionists in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. This event is considered one of the tragedies of
the Revolution.

43. La Independencia newspaper published Jose Palma’s poem. September 3, 1899. The poem became the lyrics for
the Marcha Nacional Filipina of Julian Felipe, thereby completing a national anthem for the Philippines. On
September 22, 1943, the Commonwealth government adopted the flag and the anthem as national symbols.

44. Arrival of the Presbyterian Missionaries. April 21, 1899. They were the first group of Protestant missionaries to
arrive and established missions in the Philippines. They established the first Protestant University in the Philippines,
Silliman University, in August 1901.

45. Battle of Tirad Pass. December 2, 1899. General Gregorio del Pilar died in action while defending Tirad Pass
from the Americans soldiers.

46. Balangiga Massacre. September 28, 1890. About 180 Filipinos attacked 72 American soldiers and killed many
of them. Soon after, the Americans retaliated by killing every Filipino who refused to surrender and were capable of
carrying arms, including 10-year-old boys. America’s pacification policy turned Samar into a "howling wilderness."

47. Capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela. March 23, 1901. The American colonial government
considered this the end of the Revolution.

48. Public education system. 1901. The Philippine Commission passed Act 74 providing for the public education
system, which includes the use of English as the medium of instruction, free primary education and a normal school
for the training of teachers. The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines to serve as teachers. The normal school on
Taft Avenue in Manila is now known as the Philippine Normal University.

49. Antisedition Law. October 1, 1901. The American colonial government passed Act 292 to quell armed
nationalist sentiments during the era.

50. Founding of Union Obrero Democratica. 1902. This first labor federation in the country was established at
Teatro Variedades in Sampaloc, Manila, with Isabelo de los Reyes as president and Hermenigildo Cruz as secretary.
The organization celebrated Labor Day the following year.

51. Establishment of civil government. July 2, 1902. The US Congress signed the Cooper Bill that provided for the
establishment of a civil government in the Philippines.

52. Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). August 3, 1902. The first Filipino church
independent of Rome to be established with Gregorio Aglipay as the first bishop. It was a result of the
disparagement and prejudice felt by nationalistic priests.

53. Manila Electric Railway and Light Co. (Meralco). March 24, 1903. Granted franchise by the government to
supply Manila and its environs with electricity and the electric street-railway system.

54. Pensionado Law. August 27, 1903. Act 854 provided for scholarship of Filipino students to universities in the
United States and their return to the Philippines to serve in various fields, including government.

55. The first Labor Day rally in the Philippines. May 1, 1903. Organized by the Union Obrero Democratica de
Filipinas. Thousands of participants marched to Malacañan to publicly demand for working conditions.

56. Philippine Constabulary School. February 19, 1905. It was first established at the Santa Lucia Barracks in
Intramuros, transferred in 1908 in Baguio City as the Philippine Military Academy, and developed into a premier
military school.

57. Inauguration of the first Philippine Assembly. October 16, 1907. It served as the lower house of a bicameral
legislature with the Philippine Commission as the upper house.

58. Creation of the University of the Philippines. June 18, 1908. The country’s premier state university was created
by Act 1870.

59. First court case of libel. October 30, 1908. El Renacimiento published in its editorial "Aves de Rapina" (Birds of
Prey) about a man who preyed on his enemy the way an eagle, vulture, owl and a vampire do. American Secretary
of the Interior Dean C. Worcester felt alluded to in the article and sued the paper’s editor and publisher Teodoro M.
Kalaw and Martin Ocampo. Worcester won the case and the newspaper was
closed.

60. Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas. February 28, 1909. The first indigenous evangelical church in
the Philippines founded by Nicolas Zamora as a result of the separation of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

61. Iglesia ni Cristo. 1914. An indigenous church founded by Felix Manalo. Its leaders are often wooed by
politicians who are aware of the church’s tendency to vote by block.

62. Founding of Congreso Obrero de Filipinas. May 1, 1913. Organized by Hermenigildo Cruz, the organization
battled for an eight-hour working day, abolition of child labor, just labor standards for women and liability of
capitalists.

63. Flag Day. October 31, 1919. Proclaimed by the National Assembly.

64. National Federation of Women’s Clubs. 1921. It was organized primarily to advance the political rights of
Filipino women and later on developed into an organization of women leaders for national development. Among its
prominent members were Pilar Hidalgo Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda and Trinidad F. Legarda.

65. Radio stations. June 1922. First serviced Manila and Pasay before they expanded to the provinces. Most of the
stations were confiscated by the Japanese during the war.

66. Communist Party of the Philippines. August 27, 1930. Crisanto Evangelista established the Party, which later
merged with the Socialist Party of Pedro Abad Santos and composed the Hukbalahap during the Second World War.
The government declared it illegal.

67. Inauguration of Rizal Monument. December 29, 1930. The monument to Jose Rizal was inaugurated at the
Luneta (now Rizal Park).

68. Sakdalista movement. 1931. Underground socialist reform movement whose members were mostly peasants
against the antinationalist policies of the government.

69. Tydings-McDuffie Law. March 25, 1934. This law, signed by Theodore Roosevelt, provided for the
establishment of the transition period before America would eventually recognize Philippine Independence.

70. Inauguration of Commonwealth government. November 15, 1935. Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña took the
oath as President and Vice- President.

71. Commonwealth Constitution. 1935. Used to guide the Commonwealth government, cut off during the Japanese
period and was restored after the war until 1973, when President Marcos ratified a new one.

72. Law on Women’s Suffrage. December 14, 1937. For the first time, Filipino women were given the right to vote
during elections.

73. Japanese invasion. December 8, 1941. Japanese bombers attacked Clark Air Base and other American camps in
Baguio City, Manila and Davao. This signaled the beginning of the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines.

74. Oath-taking at Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor. December 30, 1941. Manuel Quezon took his second term of office
as President of the Commonwealth government.

75. New government under the Japanese. December 3, 1942. The Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas
(Kalibapi) was established and elected Jose P. Laurel as President of the Philippines. This party, however, lasted
only until 1945.
76. Tagalog as official language. June 7, 1940. President Manuel L. Quezon proclaimed Tagalog as one of the
official languages in the Philippines starting July 4, 1946. Tagalog later became known as the Filipino language.

77. Fall of Manila. 1942. The Japanese forces led by Masaharu Homma occupied Manila.

78. Fall of Bataan. April 9, 1942. General Edward P. King surrendered to spare the lives of battle weary and
outnumbered Filipino and American soldiers who were defending Bataan. They ran out of ammunition, supplies and
had no reinforcements.

79. Fall of Corregidor. May 6, 1942. General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered the entire USAFFE in the
Philippines to General Masaharu Homma of the Japanese Imperial Army.

80. Leyte landing. October 20, 1944. General Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte Gulf with Sergio Osmeña Sr. and
Carlos P. Romulo. This signaled the retaking of the Philippines from the Japanese soldiers. It was also a fulfillment
of MacArthur’s promise in 1942 when he said "I shall return."

81. Sergio Osmeña succeeded President Quezon as President of the Commonwealth. August 1, 1944. President
Quezon died of Tuberculosis while he was in the United States.

82. Makabayang Kalipunan ng mga Pilipino (Makapili). December 8, 1944. The Japanese used its members,
composed of Filipinos, to inform on guerrilla sympathizers. Many of its members were prosecuted after the war for
the atrocities they committed against the people.

83. Establishment of the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO). March 16. 1945. The CLO, first called Committee
of Labor Organizations, was a federation of labor organizations organized by former leaders of the Hukbo ng Bayan
Laban sa mga Hapon (Hukbalahap), which was forced to go underground when the government declared it illegal.

84. Liberation of Manila. 1945. The Americans entered Manila and liberated many Filipino and American internees
at the University of Santo Tomas. Manila was devastated after the war. General Douglas MacArthur turned over the
civilian government to Sergio Osmeña Sr.

85. United Nations membership. September 1945. The Philippines joined the United Nations.

86. Philippine Independence from America. July 4, 1946. America eventually let go of the Philippines.

87. Alto Broadcasting Network and DZXL-TV Channel 9. 1953. The first commercial television station that
developed into what is now ABS- CBN.

88. Death of President Ramon Magsaysay. March 17, 1957. The President’s plane crashed in Manunggal, Cebu. His
death grieved the Filipino people and caused an immediate transition of leadership in government.

89. Reestablishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines. December 27. 1968. Jose Ma. Sison reestablished
the old communist party.

90. Martial law. September 21, 1972. President Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081 declaring martial law
to "save the Republic" from crime and violence. Marcos abolished the Congress and created the semiparliament
Batasang Pambansa. It caused the takeover of many private businesses by the government, exile, disappearances and
imprisonment of individuals critical of the government.

91. Assassination of Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino. August 21, 1983. The senator was assassinated at the Manila
International Airport, now named in his honor.

92. COMELEC Employees’ Walk-Out. February 9, 1986. Thirty computer technicians of the Commission on
Elections walked out of their jobs after they were ordered to cheat the election returns in favor of President Marcos.

93. Military mutiny. February 23, 1986. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel V.
Ramos defected from the Marcos administration. People gathered at EDSA to protect them from pro-administration
soldiers. Two days after, President Marcos went on exile to Hawaii.

94. Oath-taking of Corazon C. Aquino, the senator’s widow, and Salvador H. Laurel as President and Vice-President
of the Philippines. February 25, 1986. They were sworn into office after the snap elections.

95. Return of presidential government. 1987. President Aquino appointed 48 members of the constitutional
convention to draft the Constitution that restored democracy and abolished the Batasang Pambansa.

96. Military coup. August 28, 1987. The Reform the AFP Movement (RAM), led by Col. Gregorio Honasan, staged
the coup, demanding the surrender of the Aquino government. The troops penetrated Camp Aguinaldo and Camp
Crame but were repulsed by government forces. There were other failed coup attempts by the RAM (one in 1986,
three attempts in 1987), Nationalist Army of the Philippines (NAP) in 1986, and the combined forces of RAM and
NAP on December 1, 1989.

97. Inauguration of President Fidel V. Ramos and VP Joseph E. Estrada. June 30, 1992. President Ramos and VP
Estrada were sworn in by Chief Justice Andres Narvasa at the Luneta Grandstand. FVR is the first president who
comes from the Protestant faith.

98. Biggest case of corruption. September 24, 1993. Former first lady Imelda Marcos was convicted for the first
time of corruption and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Few days earlier, the remains of former President Marcos
who died in 1989 in Hawaii was finally entombed at their family mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Sur.

99. First actor President of the Philippines. June 30, 1998. President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, best known as Erap,
took his oath as the 13th President of the Philippines in Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan.

100. End of the 20th Century and Millennium Watch. December 31, 2000. The Filipino Nation led by President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada joined the whole world in welcoming the new millennium. The President called on Filipinos
"to pray for global peace and brotherhood and to world as one in facing the challenges of the 21st Century."

STRUCTURES and FUNCTIONS Of Our GOVERNMENT

The Executive Branch- President of the Philippines. The President controls all the executive department, bureaus
and offices.

The President’s Term of Office-

6 years;

election every 2nd Monday of May;

Official Place of The President- Malacañang Palace

-nominates the head of the executive departments, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and officers of
the armed forces from the rank of colonel or nava; captain and other officers but the president seeks the consent of
the Commission on Appointment.
The President and the Cabinet

- Office of the Press Secretary

- Dept. of Agrarian Reform
- Dept. of agriculture
- Dept of Budget and Management
- Dept of Education
- Dept of Energy
- Dept of Environment and Natural Resources
- Dept of Finance
- Dept of Foreign Affairs
- Dept of Health
- Dept of Interior and Local Government
- Dept of Justice
- Dept of Labor and Employment
- Dept of National Defense
- Department of Public Works and Highways
- Dept of Science and Technology
- Dept of Social Welfare and Development
- Dept of Trade and Industry
- Dept of transportation and Communication

The President and the Armed Forces

President- commander in chief of all armed forces of the Philippines

- She can place the country under martial law for a period not exceeding 60 days.
- Section 18 of Article VII- A state of martial law does not suspend the operation of the constitution, nor
supplant the functioning of the civil courts or legislative assemblies, nor authorize the conferment of
jurisdiction on military courts and agencies over civilians where civil courts are able to function, nor
automatically suspend the privilege of the writ.
The president should submit a report in person or in writing to the congress within 48 hours from the proclamation
of martial law.

The President and the Power to Grant Amnesty

- power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons to those who have been convicted by the courts,
amnesty ( the act of pardoning)

The President and Foreign Loans

- may contract or guarantee loans on behalf of the country. However, this needs prior concurrence of the
Monetary Board (MB), the policy making body of the Central Bank of the Philippines.

The President and the Country’s Policies on Treaties\

- No treaty or international agreement is valid and effective unless concurred in by at least 2/3 of the
members of the Senate.
The President and the National Budget

- the president submits to Congress, within 30 days from the opening of every regular session, a budget of
the country’s proposed expenditures and the sources of these expenditures’ financing, including receipts
from existing and proposed revenue measures. This will be the basis of the general appropriation
act( official annual budget of the country)

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH #1

Unicameralism- have only one legislative chamber;

Disadvantages:

- control government spending and the elimination of redundant work done by both chambers.
- Double checks and balances that a bicameral affords, forcing a greater level of consensus on legislative
issues.
- Urban areas with large populations have more influence than sparsely populated rural ones.

BICAMERAL- consisting of 2 chambers of the legislative branch ( Upper House and Lower house of the House of
Representatives-Philippines)

ADVANTAGES:

- to check hasty and ill- considered legislation,

- training ground for future leaders
- provides a representation for both regional and national interests
- less susceptible to bribery and control of big interest groups or lobbyists
DISADVANTAGES:

- no assurance of better considered and better deliberated legislation

- produces duplication of efforts and serious deadlocks in the enactment of important measures
- all things being equal, it is more expensive to maintain than a unicameral.
- The excessive costs of senatorial elections have made it possible for only wealthy individuals to make it to
the Senate.

FUNCTIONS OF LAWS

- defines the rights and duties of the citizens

- imposes taxes
- appropriates funds
- defines crimes and provides for their punishments
- creates and abolishes government offices
- determines jurisdiction and function of created government offices
- regulates human conduct and the use of properly for the promotion of the common good
 CLASSIFICATION OF POWER OF CONGRESS

- general legislative power

- Specific power ( to impeach; impose taxes; declare the existence of a state of war)
- Implied powers( indirect)

SESSIONS OF CONGRESS
-Regular- Congress shall convene once every year on the 4 th Monday of July for its regular session until 30 days
before opening of its next regular session

- Special- takes place when the President class congress to a session, during the time that it is in recess, for
any important legislation
- Executive- secret meeting; or closed session if the issue involves national security

OFFICERS OF CONGRESS

- Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives ( administrative heads and presiding officers
of their respective chambers

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

- preside over their sessions

- preserve order and decorum
- decide all questions of order
- sign acts, resolutions, orders and warrants
- issue subpoenas
- appoint personnel and discipline them
ROLE OF CONGRESS IN BUDGET APPROPRIATION

- a udget is the financial program of the national government for a designated calendar year, consisting of
estimated revenues and expenditures
- previous calendar is used as basis
- The budget of expenditures and sources of financing which the President has to prepare and submit to
Congress is intended as a guide for the Congress to amount of appropriations and determine specific
governmental activities for which public funds should be spent.
- Appropriate public funds for the maintenance of the govt. and public needs
- Congress as direct rep0resentative of the people
- Legislative check upon the disbursing power
- government funds may be misused.
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

Judicial Power- power to apply the laws to contests or disputes concerning legally recognized rights or duties
between the State and private persons or between individual litigants in cases properly brought before the judicial
tribunals

Organization of Courts

Regular- courts of Appeals, Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court

1. Special- the Sandiganbayan; Courts of Tax Appelas

IMPORTANCE:

1. Confidence in the certain and even administration of justice

2. preservation of the government
3. respect for law and order

 (5) Pillars of criminal justice system

Law enforcement

Prosecution

Court

Correction

Community

There are actually five (5) pillars of criminal justice system, as follows; (1.) Community, (2.) The Law

Enforcement, (3.) The Prosecution Service, (4.) The Courts, (5.) The Correctional Institution.

If one of these pillars is dysfunctional, “wala tayong maasahan na hustisya!”

The five (5) pillars of the Philippine Criminal Justice System have important roles to play in the investigation,

prosecution and dispensation of justice of the alleged offenders or felons.

The first pillar is the COMMUNITY ( e.g., People & People’s Organizations). It refers to institutions, government,

and non-government agencies and people’s organizations that provide care and assistance to the victims or offended

party, during and after the onset of a victims’ rights case. The “community” has a significant role to assume in all

the phases of judicial involvement of offender as well as the protection process: the prevention of abuse, cruelty,
discrimination and exploitation, assistance of offenders who enter the criminal justice system and the acceptance of

the offenders upon his reintegration into the community,,, after he goes out of Correctional.

The second pillar is LAW ENFORCEMENT (e.g. PNP, NBI, PDEA, etc.) It involves government agencies

charged with the enforcement of penal laws. It is primarily responsible for the investigation and determination

whether an offense has been committed, and where needed, the apprehension of alleged offenders for further

investigation of the third pillar,,, Prosecution Service.

The PROSECUTION SERVICE (Public Prosecutor or Fiscal) refers to the National Prosecution Service (NPS).

The NPS is mandated to investigate and prosecute penal violations. It collates, evaluates evidence in the preliminary

inquest investigation and dismisses or files the case in court as indicated.

The Public Attorneys Office or private defense counsel, on the other hand, serves as the defender of offender who is

charged before the court and unable to hire the service of the retained lawyer.

The fourth pillar is the COURT (MTC, RTC) )which refers to the MTC and Regional Trial Courts designated to

handle and try the case and issue judgment after trial.

The fifth pillar is the CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM (NBP, CIW, BJMP) . It refers to institutions mandated to

administer both correctional and rehabilitation programs for the offenders. These programs develop the offenders or

convicts’ abilities and potentials and facilitate their re-integration into the community and normal family life.

The rehabilitation and recovery process involves the support of government agencies, non-government organizations

and most importantly the family and community so that the offender as well as the offended can heal and recover in

order to be able to cope and rebuild their lives.

NB: the fifth pillar is formerly called PRISON or PENITENTIARY, it is now called a CORRECTIONAL (e.g.

Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong) because the purpose of the law is to correct and rehabilitate the

convict as productive citizen of the country, after he goes out of prison, as he will commingle or return to the

community to live a new life as a normal person, not anymore as an ex-convict.

 Philippines Constitution

1. Article I
National Territory
2. Article II
Declaration of Principles and States Policy
3. Article III:
Bill of Rights
4. Article IV:
Citizenship
5. Article V:
Suffrage
6. Article VI :
Legislative power
7. Article VII:
Executive Department
8. Article VIII:
9. Judicial Department
ARTICLE X
10. Article XI:
11. Accountability of Public Officers
Article XII:
12. National Economy and Patrimony
13. Article XIII:
Social Justice and Human Rights
14. Article XIV:
Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports
15. Article XV:
The Family
16. Article XVI:
General Provisions
17. Article XVII:
Amendments and Revisions
18. Article XVIII:
Transitory Provisions

PNP jurisprudence is the study of revised penal code, criminal procedures and criminal evidence .

The Supreme Court of the Philippines (Filipino: Kataas-taasang Hukuman ng Pilipinas orKorte Suprema) is

the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate
Justices and 1 Chief Justice. Pursuant to the Constitution, the Supreme Court has "administrative supervision over
all courts and the personnel thereof".[1]

The Supreme Court complex occupies the corner of Padre Faura Street and Taft Avenue inManila, with the main
building directly fronting the Philippine General Hospital. Until 1945, the Court held office within Intramuros.
Functions

The powers of the Supreme Court are defined in Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution. These functions may be
generally divided into two – judicial functions and administrative functions. The administrative functions of the
Court pertain to the supervision and control over the Philippine judiciary and its employees, as well as over
members of the Philippine bar. Pursuant to these functions, the Court is empowered to order a change of venue of
trial in order to avoid a miscarriage of justice and to appoint all officials and employees of the judiciary. [10] The
Court is further authorized to promulgate the rules for admission to the practice of law, for legal assistance to the
underprivileged, and the procedural rules to be observed in all courts.[11]

The more prominent role of the Court is located in the exercise of its judicial functions. Section 1 of Article VIII
contains definition of judicial power that had not been found in previous constitutions. The provision states in part
that:

Judicial power includes the duty of courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting
to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the government.

The definition reaffirms the power of the Supreme Court to engage in judicial review, a power that had traditionally
belonged to the Court even before this provision was enacted. Still, this new provision effectively dissuades from the
easy resort to the political question doctrine as a means of declining to review a law or state action, as was often
done by the Court during the rule of President Ferdinand Marcos.[12] As a result, the existence of “grave abuse of
discretion” on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the government is sufficient basis to nullify state action.

The Revised Penal Code contains the general penal laws of the Philippines. First enacted in 1930, it remains in
effect today, despite several amendments thereto. It does not comprise a comprehensive compendium of all
Philippine penal laws. The Revised Penal Code itself was enacted as Republic Act No. 3815, and some Philippine
criminal laws have been enacted outside of the Revised Penal Code as separate Republic Acts.

Features

The Revised Penal Code criminalizes a whole class of acts that are generally accepted as criminal, such as the taking
of a life whether through murder or homicide, rape, robbery and theft, and treason.The Code also penalizes other
acts which are considered criminal in the Philippines, such as adultery, concubinage, and abortion. The Code
expressly defines the elements that each crime comprises, and the existence of all these elements have to be proven
beyond reasonable doubt in order to secure conviction.

Not all crimes in the Philippines are penalized under the Code. Certain acts, such as the illegal possession of
firearms, are penalized under special legislation contained in Republic Acts. The most notable crimes now excluded
from the Revised Penal Code are those concerningillegal drug use or trafficking, which are penalized instead under
the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 and later the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.[1][2]

One distinct aspect of the Revised Penal Code centers on its classification of aggravating, exempting and mitigating
circumstances, the appreciation of which affects the graduation of penalties. Penalties under the Revised Penal Code
are generally divided into three periods – the minimum period, the medium period, and the maximum period. In
addition to establishing the elements of the crime, the prosecution may also establish the presence of aggravating
circumstances in order to set the penalty at the maximum period, or mitigating circumstances to reduce the penalty
to its minimum period. The presence of both aggravating and mitigating circumstance, or the absence of such
circumstances, may result in the imposition of the penalty in its medium period. [3]

Several provisions of the Revised Penal Code have also been amended through Republic Acts. One of the more
consequential amendments came in 1997, with the passage of Republic Act No. 8353, the Anti-Rape Law of 1997.
[4]
 Prior to the 1997 amendments, rape had been classified as a crime against chastity and was defined as "having
carnal knowledge of a woman" under enumerated circumstances that indicated lack of consent.[3] Under the
amendments, rape was reclassified as a crime against persons. The definition was further expanded from mere
"carnal knowledge of a woman" and now included "an act of sexual assault by inserting his penis into other person's
mouth or anal orifice, or any instrument or object, into the genital or anal orifice of another person." Additional
circumstances by which the victim would be deemed incapable of giving valid consent were also integrated into this
new definition of rape.[4]

With the abolition of the death penalty in 2006, the highest penalty currently impossible under the Revised Penal
Code is reclusion perpetua, which ranges from 20 years and 1 day to 40 years imprisonment.[5][3] The penalty of life
imprisonment is not provided for in the Revised Penal Code, although it is imposed by other penal statutes such as
the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.[2]