Module 4

My learning targets

•
The Philippines after Second World Identify different effects of the Second World War
to the country.

War and the Philippine Presidents

• Analyze the problems and challenges face by the
from 1946—1972 newly independent republic after the Second
World War.

• Discuss the economic problems after the war and

the Filipinos’ response to these problems.

• Write an essay about the policies and contribution

of the admired president of the Philippines.

• Appreciate the different government administra-

tions of the country from 1946 to 1972.

• Enumerate the contributions of the presidents of

the country from 1946 to 1972.
 Figure This Out!
When the US began its offensive against Japan in
1944, the Americans gradually regained the islands in the Pa-
cific. General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his historic promise “I
shall return,” when his forces landed in Leyte on October 20,
1944. This battle took place in the Leyte Gulf where American
forces successfully defeated the Japanese forces.
With the end of the Second World War, the Philippines,
like many other Asian countries achieved independence from its
foreign colonizers. However, this was not the end of the chal-
lenges had to face as an independent country.

THE END OF WAR

Before long, on January 3, 1945, the Americans were able to enter Manila. They triumphed over this war,
so that on July 4, 1945, General Douglas McArthur proclaimed the independence of the Philippines from the Jap-
anese. The war completely ended on September 2, 1945, when the Japanese signed the agreement to surrender
after the bombing on its two cities—Nagasaki and Hiroshima– in August 1945.
The Philippines was left helpless because of the damag-
es caused by war. Many Filipinos were killed and many were
left with no property. A big part of the Philippines was dam-
aged, especially Manila, including some important buildings,
churches, schools and hospitals. It was said that Manila, next
to Warsaw, Poland, was perhaps the most gravely damaged
city because of the war then.
While the arrival of MacArthur came the return of the
Philippine Commonwealth, led by President Sergio Osmeña.
Under his leadership, the resolution of the problems caused
by the war became a great challenge. Many rice fields and
farms were destroyed, industries were paralyzed, and busi-
nesses closed. There was nearly no production in the country
for a long period of time which brought about lack of work
and poverty.

Another big problem of the Osmeña administration was the issue of collaboration. The Americans ordered
the investigation and prosecution of the former collaborators of the Japanese. Because of this, Osmeña was cau-
tious in appointing positions in the newly established government. Those who were involved in the Japanese
government were not appointed to government positions. Many who were accused of collaboration were im-
prisoned. Although in the beginning, the Filipinos had strong feelings about the collaborators, eventually, they
no longer considered them as enemies. Instead of thinking of them as allies of the Japanese government, it was
thought that the collaborators only aimed to help ease the cruelty of the Japanese colonizers toward the Filipinos.
Challenges of a Newly Independent Country
The Philippines accepted, without hesitation, the aid and support offered by the Americans because of the
pitiful conditions of the country after the Second World War. President Manuel Roxas signed the Rehabilitation
Act that provided the payment of war damages by the Americans.
After the proclamation of the Philippine independence on July 4, 1946, Representative Jasper Bell of Mis-
souri sponsored a bill providing free trade between the United States and the Philippines within a span of 20
years, from 1954 to 1974, wherein products from the Philippines and the United States will be taxed an annual
tariff of 5% until it reaches 100% in 1974. This was called as the “Bell Trade Act”
In relation to this, President Truman of the United States issued and made into law the Tydings Rehabilita-
tion Act on April 30, 1946. Under this law, the United States will pay $620,000,000 dollars as war damages, but it
will not pay more than $500 if the Filipinos will not be approve an amendment to the 1935 constitution. This
amendment is called as the Parity Rights.
The Parity Rights Amendment gives equal rights to Filipinos and Americans in the development of our
country’s natural resources, like agricultural lands, mines, forest, including benefits derived from the waters,
minerals, carbon and other natural resources of the country. Through President Roxas’ persuasion and encour-
agement, the Philippines approved the Parity Rights Amendment through a plebiscite on March 11, 1947.
Still during the term of President Roxas, the Military Bases Agreement was signed in March 14, 1947. This
agreement allowed the United States to used several places in the Philippines as military bases. Although the
Philippines gained several concessions in the American used of the military bases, the jurisdiction of the bases
was controlled by the Americans.
Even justice was denied in their own country. The
crimes committed by the Americans in the military ba-
ses were tried in American military courts. The Filipinos
had bitter experiences in the military bases causing
them to protest against the continuity of these bases.
Thus, the term of the agreement lasted only until 1999
because the Senate disapproved its extension.
Many Filipinos were against the Parity and Military Bases Agreement. They felt that these agreements
would only broaden the control and power of the Americans in our country. During the first years after the
Second World War, the Filipinos were hand-tied and tongue-tied to reject the dictates of the Americans, thus
making the Filipinos feel like foreigners in their own country. Almost all of the provisions had corresponding
benefits to the Americans. The unequal and just concessions tied with the rehabilitation program for war dam-
ages caused anger and protest that further ignited the Huk uprising.
The American occupation affected the lives, attitude, and outlook of the Filipinos. Once of the lasting in-
fluences of the Americans is the so-called “colonial mentality.” Colonial mentality is an attitude of preferring,
patronizing and prioritizing foreign goods and services. This attitude brought the influx and overflow of Ameri-
can goods in the Philippines.
These challenges were faced by Filipinos with determination, unity and great trust in God. These chal-
lenges served as inspiration to most Filipinos to strive harder for a better future ahead.
THE THIRD REPUBLIC
At the end of the Second World War, the Philippines achieved its independence. The US recognized the
Philippines as a separate and independent country on July 4, 1946. Along with this came the inauguration of he
Third Republic of the Philippines on April 23, 1946 when Manual Roxas was elected as the first president of the
Third Republic. Elpidio R. Quirino was elected as the vice president.

A. The Roxas Administration

Upon the beginning of the administration of Manuel Roxas in 1946, the country faced the challenge of
recovering from the war. The country struggled to get back on its feet because apart from the destruction of
infrastructure, roads, and bridges, almost 80 percent of schools were destroyed and transportation was para-
lyzed. Production also declined because of the destruction of rice fields and plantation. Adding to these prob-
lems was low morale of the people because of the loss of their loved ones and livelihood. A great amount of
money was needed in order to rebuild the city.

The Roxas administration continued the country’s relations with

the US in belief that it be a great help to the country’s recovery. The Bell
Trade Act, Tydings Rehabilitation Act, and the Military Bases Agreement,
which were all pro-American laws, were implemented during Roxas ad-
ministration.
To resolve the country’s economic problems, the Roxas administra-
tion: (a). facilitated the electrification of the country; (b) advocate voca-
tional training; (c) established easy term-loans; (d) encourage American
capitalist to invest in the Philippines and (e) investigated the condition of
the country’s natural resources which led to the recommendation for the
establishment industries that would protect and enhance the natural re-
sources of the Philippines.
Also during his term, President Roxas focused on the expansion of production geared towards industrial
and agricultural development. Many corporations or organizations that intended to protect the interest of farm-
ers were established. Some of these are as follows:
A. National Rice and Corn Corporation C. National Abacca and other Fibers Corporation
B. National Coconut Corporation D. National Tobacco Corporation

President Roxas organized Rehabilitation Finance Corporation (RFC) to assist individuals and private com-
panies in rebuilding their lives and business after the war.
The term of President Roxas suddenly ended April 15, 1948 in Clark Air Base in Angeles City. After his
speech, he suffered a heart attack that causes his unexpected death. Vice President Elpidio Quirino succeeded
him.
B. The Quirino Administration
With the death of Roxas, his vice president, Elpidio R. Quirino took over as president. In the following
election in 1949, Quirino won his second term as the second president of the Third Republic of the Philippines,
Quirino continued to solve the problems of the Roxas administration. Foremost of which was the issue
of poverty brought about by the low salary of workers and the lack of livelihood with the gradual departure of
American businesses. This result in loss of homes and rise of talks about insurrection.
The Quirino administration focused mainly on economic devel-
opment through industrialization. To promote its program fully on im-
proving quality of life of Filipinos, it implemented the following:
1. the development of irrigation systems for farming across the coun-
try.
2. the construction of roads, particularly the farm to market roads ,to
facilitate transportation.
3. the conduct of weekly feedback via radio and newspapers about
the activities of the Quirino administration.
4. the establishment of the Presidential Action Committee on the So-
cial Amelioration or PACSA to meet the needs of the poor.
5. the opening of the rural banks that loaned capital for farmers
6. the establishment of the Central Bank of the Philippines
7. the issuance of the Magna Carta of Labor and the Minimum Wage
Law to improve the status of workers.
Despite the efforts to improve the condition of the country’s economy, the citizen continued to suffer
hardships because of inadequate supply of rice, high prices of basic commodities, and unemployment. Conse-
quently, on February 1950, Quirino went to the US to seek financial assistance. In response, the US sent a mis-
sion to the Philippines, the Bell mission or the United States Economic survey led by Daniel W. Bell. The mission
aimed to investigate the economic situation of the country. After three months of investigation, the mission pro-
posed the:
1. use of scientific methods of farming to improve farming system;
2. setting minimum wage, so workers could live well;
3. increase of the citizens’ taxes to increase government revenues;
4. creation of new industries; and
5. increase of technical and financial assistance from the US government.
With the end of Quirinos term, the problems of the country had not been fully addressed. His leadership
faced controversies such as electoral fraud and misuse of government funds for buying costly items. Quirino’s
presidency ended when he lost in the following election.
C. The Magsaysay Administration
In the election of 1953, Quirino lost, and Ramon F.
Magsaysay, former secretary of National Defense, was hailed
as the third president of the Third Republic. He became
known for successfully suppressing the Huks. Because of this,
he was called “Defender of Democracy” and “Champion of
the Masses”
Many of the problems of the Roxas administration re-
mained unsolved during the Magsaysay regime. The country
had not yet fully recovered from damages causes by war. In-
surrection also became a hindrance to maintaining order in
the country, as well as issues regarding land reform.
“Happiness and stability for the common man” - this was Magsaysay’s program as president. He vowed to
develop the barrios because he believed that “what is good for the common people is good for the entire na-
tion.” To achieve this goal, he carried out the following:
Achievement Explanation

1. Development of the barrios He distributed land under the Land Reform Act of 1955. The farmers were also given loans to be
able to buy farming equipment. Roads and bridges were repaired in order to speed up the flow of
products to barrios which helped improve the condition of the farmers.

2. Implementing laws that With the following laws and agreements, Magsaysay became popular to the Filipinos.
gave more opportunities to
a. Republic Act No. 1160 (National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration) - this law
improve their standard of
gave the farmlands to farmers in Palawan and Mindanao.
living
b. Republic Act No. 1990 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) - establishes the relations and
rights of the farm workers (kasama) and landlords

c. Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) -
establishment of a financial system that would help small farmers regarding loans and form-
ing cooperatives

d. Laurel—Langley Agreement—removing some of the provisions of the free trade that was
stated in the Bell Trade Act.. so that it might not be said that the US no longer control over
the value of peso, and lessening the privileges of the Americans that were included in the
previous agreement.

3. Creation of the Complaints Malacañang was opened to the people bringing them closer to the government and for the
and Action Committee president to be able to personally listen to their grievances. Magsaysay showed the value for
the common citizens which caused them to love him more.

4. Ratification of Land Reform In this Law, tenants had hope for owning lands.
Act of 1955

5. Cooperation with other Through this, the Philippines established relations with neighboring countries.
Asians to establish the
South East Asia Treaty Or-
ganization. (SEATO)
 President Magsaysay did not finish the four-year term set by the Constitution that should be served by an
elected president. Magsaysay died when the airplane he was riding from Cebu to Manila crashed Mount Ma-
nunggal on March 17, 1957. Many people mourned the sudden death of Magsaysay. His sudden death abruptly
stopped his good beginnings. Carlos P. Garcia, the vice president that time, continued Magsaysay’s term.
D. The Garcia Administration

With only eight months left in his term, Magsaysay was re-
placed by Carlos P. Garcia. Garcia won as president in the elections in
November of 1957, with Diosdado Macapagal as vice president.
With Garcia’s presidency, the Philipines was said to be in dire
financial straights. Austerity became the center of his programs. The
import of foreign products, which were depleting the country’s dollar
reserves, also went stricter administration. Through these, the gov-
ernment was able to sustain local businesses and products.
During his t erm, President Garcia launched the following:
a. Austerity Program—it was the main objective of the administration to make Filipinos live a good and
thrifty lifestyle. The government would be frugal and wise in its finances, people would work
properly, and investments should benefit the people.
b. Filipino First Policy—this policy gave priority to Filipinos in the use and exploration of the country’s
natural resources. Also, he emphasized the development and support of local products.
c. Filipin Retailer’s Fund Act of 1955—this provided loans for Filipino retailers
d. NAMARCO (National Marketing Corporation) - The Agency supported small Filipino entrepreneurs.
e. Bohlen-Serrano Policy—reducing the duration of the lease of military base to 25 years (from 99
years agreed upon) and seizing control over Olongapo from the Americans.
With the end of Garcia’s term, despite criticisms on his programs against foreign affairs, his efforts of giv-
ing Filipinos the opportunity to create livelihood that were not dependent on the economy of other country
became clear. The austerity program may have also helped to decrease corruption and fraud in the govern-
ment.
E. The Macapagal Administration
During the election of November 14, 1961, then vice president Diosdado P. Macapagal defeated Garcia and
was hailed as the fifth president of the Third Republic.
Among the biggest challenges during his administration was the country’s lack of economic stability. The
value of peso continued to drop during this time. Poverty and unemployment were still widespread.
Like the previous presidents, Macapagal aimed to raise
the standard of living of the people. His administration focused
on addressing problems on lack of livelihood, low salary of la-
borers, the need for low-cost housing and stabilizing the econ-
omy.
“Nothing is impossible if you want to happen.” This
quote suits the life of President Diosdado Macapagal. Who
says that the poor man from Lubao, Pampangga cannot be-
come the president of the Philippines? Because of his perse-
verance, intelligence, and love for country, he was able to suc-
ceed and become the president of the country in 1961.
The following were some of the contributions of the Macapagal administration:
Achievement Explanation

1. Republic Act 3844 or the Argi- Through this law, the rights over the land tilled by the farmers were transferred to them. This also
cultural Land Reform Code of paved way for the creation of the farmer’s bill of rights which promoted their welfare in the coun-
1963. try.

2. Independence Day was reset This is to recognize the declaration of Independence of the Filipinos. On the other hand, July 4 was
to June 12 from July 4 which declared as Filipino-American Friendship Day.
the Americans had formerly
set

3. Formal staking of claim over Macapagal defended the territory which was recognized as part of the country. This claim may
Sabah affect the Philippine’s relations with Malaysia; however the president stood by the claim.

4. The country became a mem- The MAPHILINDO aimed to extend friendship of the Philippines to Asian countries and strengthen
ber of the MAPHILINDO its status as a free nation. This relationship with the Philippines’ “neighbor” is expected to be
(Malaysia, Philippines, Indo- fruitful.
nesiaa)

Macapagal was able to finish his term. However, many of the country’s problems were not solved during
his administration. He was not able to fulfill his promise of change; on the contrary, the value of peso began to
drop at the time. In 1965, election, Macapagal was defeated by for presidency by then –senator Ferdinand E.
Marcos.
F. The Marcos Administration
The election that took place on November 19,
1965 paved way for the victory of Ferdinand Edralin
Marcos as the sixth president of the Third Republic.
Ferando Lopez from the Nationalista Party won as
vice president.
Upon Marcos’ presidency, the country was
faced with economic problems. The last administra-
tion’s problem was turned over to Marcos’ term. Ad-
dressing the primary needs of the citizens such as
livelihood, house, and a good standard of living, was a
challenge to the Marco presidency.
Marcos’ first term was fruitful because it focus on addressing the people’s needs. Among the projects im-
plemented were infrastructure—building of roads, bridges, hospitals, and cultural centers. Attention was also
given to responding problems in Mindanao.

Achievement Explanation

1. Green Revolution Citizens were encouraged to plant vegetables and other crops in vacant lots. This project aimed to
give families additional income.

2. Programs that helped farm- These programs helped increase the production of farmers
ers such as Masagana 99,
miracle rice and irrigation

3. Development of intellectual The Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Cen-
and cultural knowledge ter, and the Manila Coconut Palace were built. These are venues for shows and programs that
promote culture. Arts and culture were developed and this attracted tourists.
4 Expansion of foreign affairs This was done through:

a. Establishing relations with socialist and communist countries like China and Russia

b. Holding the Manila Summit Conference in October of 1966 was attended by countries in Asia
and Australia

c. Joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1967 which aimed to develop the liveli-
hood, cultural, and social aspects of member countries.

Because of these, Marcos was able to establish good foreign relations. These paved way for in-
creasing opportunities to improve the country’s economy.

Marcos’ fist four years as president were fruitful. With the help of the programs he implemented, the im-
age of the Philippines to other countries improved. The country’s economy was also in a better condition. De-
spite the controversies associated with the Marcos administration, he won again as president of the country in
the 1969 elections.
 Manila Coconut Palace Folk Arts Theater

Cultural Center of the Philippines

During Marcos’ second term, the country’s situation changed. Poverty was a great challenge to the people.
Marcos thrived to fulfill his promise to improve the livelihood of each citizen, but he did not succeed. the lack of
livelihood, chaos brought about by laborers on strike, widespread incidents of crime, and industries that did not
progress were more apparent to the people. Boycotts, rallies and demonstration became an everyday sight in
the different places in Manila. There were also talks about widespread corruption in the government, human
rights abuses, and the abuse of power by officials.
The Marcos administration addressed the
problems that were hindrances to the implemen-
tation of development programs. He used these
to justify placing the Philippines under martial
law on September 21, 1972.
Name: ________________________________________ NOTE: PLEASE PASS ONLY THE ANSWER SHEET
Grade and Section: ______________________________ PART; NOT THE WHOLE MODULE (AP-6)

Activity 1. Identify which president of the Third republic implemented the policy or program described in each
number. Write the letter that corresponds to the correct answer on the blank.

A. Manuel Quezon D. Carlos P. Garcia

B. Elpidio R. Quirino E. Diosdado Macapagal
C. Ramon Magsaysay F. Ferdinand Marcos

______ 1. Filipino First Policy ______ 8. Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954

______ 2. Military Bases Agreement ______ 9. Giving Amnesty to the Huks
______ 3. Land Reform Tenure ______10. Masagana 99
______ 4. Resetting Independence Day to June 12
______ 5. President’s Action Committee on Social Amelioration
______ 6. Austerity
______ 7. Formal claim of Sabah

Activity 2. Write F on the blank if the sentence states a fact, and O if its an opinion.
________ 1. All the presidents were elected by the citizens
________ 2. No presidential term was repeated except that of Marcos because he was the only one trusted by
the people.
________ 3. Magsaysay had the best program in solving insurrection in the country.
________ 4. The program Filipino First by President Garcia helped awakened nationalism among the Filipinos.
________ 5. President Roxas implemented laws that were called pro-Americans in order to get financial aid
needed to rebuild the country from the destructions caused by war.
________ 6. Magsaysay’s opening of Malacañang to the people who wanted to speak to him did not help be-
cause this gave rise to the people’s dependence on the help of the government.
________7. The program Masagana 99 of President Marcos was the best program for farmers.
________8. Giving amnesty to the Huks during President Quirino’s term did not succeed this failed to grant the
request of the rebels.
________ 9. Relations with other countries and joining international associations such as the SEATO and
MAPHILINDO are important for the improvement of the country’s economy.
________ 10. Shortening the lease of US Military Bases in the country was the greatest contribution of President
Carlos P. Garcia.
Activity 3. Analyze the problems below. Identify which program of the presidents would address these prob-
lems. Give a brief explanation of your answer. Write your answer on the blanks.
1. Small Filipino businessmen struggled because of the entry of imported products
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Farmers did not have their own land
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Citizens continued to live in fear because of incidents of killing by rebels.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Poverty, lack of livelihood, and scarcity in other needs
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Citizens’ distrust towards the government
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
 PERFORMANCE TASK
For your last task in this lesson, choose a president among those dis-
cussed, composed a short essay about his programs and policies and his con-
tributions to the development of the Philippines as well as the Philippine soci-
ety. Put it in a bond paper. Be guided by the information in the box. You can
do additional research if necessary.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Provide some valuable information about your choice of president.

2. Present an overview about the president.
3. Enumerate his policies that contributed greatly to the development of the economy.
4. Present evidence that such policies or projects did help the country.
5. Draw a conclusion of his achievement.
6. If done, you may submit it together with your module or send it in my email:
renequinamot@slsdb.edu.ph

7 6 5 4

Organization Information is in logical , Students presents infor- Readers had difficulty Sequence of information is
interesting sequence mation in logical sequence following work because difficult to follow.
which reader can follow which readers can follow student jumps around

Content Students demonstrates full Student is at ease with con- Student is uncomforta- Students doesn't have grasp
Knowledge knowledge (more than tent but fails to elaborate ble with content and is in information; students
required) able to demonstrate cannot answer questions
basic concepts about subjects

Grammar and Presentation has no mis- Presentation has no more Presentation has three Work has four or more
Spelling spellings or grammatical than two misspellings and misspellings and or spelling errors and / or
errors or/ grammatical errors grammatical errors grammatical errors