There had been a total of five Republic established in the Philippines since 1899.

The First Republic was established on January 23, 1899 under the Malolos Constitution.

The Second Republic on October 14, 1943 under the Japanese- sponsored Constitution.

The Third Republic on July 4, 1946 under the 1935 Constitution.

The Fourth Republic on June 30, 1981 under the 1973 Constitution, as amended in a plebiscite in 1981 installing a modified
parliamentary system of government.

The Fifth Republic when the 1987 Constitution was put into full force and effect.

The Barangay System of Government

The Philippines has early settlements or villages before the coming of the Spaniards. These settlements were called barangay.
named after balangay, a Malayan word for "boat". The barangay is equivalent to a state, for it possessed the four basic
elements of statehood. However, some barangays joined together as "confederations" for the purpose of mutual protection
against common enemies.

Each barangay was ruled by a datu who served as a chief. In some places, chieftains were called rajah, or sultan. The datu
served as chief executive, law giver, chief judge, and military head. In the performance of his duties, however, he was assisted
by a council of elders (maginoos) as his advisers. The people of the barangay were divided into four classes, namely: the nobility
(maharlika), to which the datu belonged, the freemen (timawa), the serfs (aliping namamahay), and the slaves (aliping
sagigilid).in form under the presidential type. It was inaugurated on November 15, 1935, following the first national election
under the 1935 Constitution held on September 12, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña became President and Vice-
President, respectively.

The Spanish Colonial Government

On the discovery of the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, Spain had the possession of the country for almost four
centuries. Since the dawn of the Hispanic rule, the Philippines was indirectly ruled by the King of Spain through the Viceroy of
Mexico until 1821. When Mexico obtained her independence from Spain, the Philippines was ruled directly from Spain. Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi, the first governor-general, introduced the encomienda headed by an encomendero. An encomienda was
given as a gift to Spanish officers who helped in the pacification of the natives. The system was later replaced by the provinces,
cities, municipalities, and barrios.The government which Spain established in the Philippines was centralized instructure and
national in scope. The barangays were consolidated into towns (pueblos) each headed by a gobernadorcillo (little governor),
popularly called capitan, and the towns into provinces, each headed by an alcalde-mayor who represented the Governor-
General in the provinces. The power of the government was exercised by the Governor-General who resided in Manila. He was
Governor and Captain-General and Vice-Royal Patron. As Governor-General, he had executive, administrative, legislative and
judicial powers. As Captain-General, he was the Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces in the Philippines. As the vice
royal patron, he exercised certain religious powers. Because of these broad powers, the Governor-General enjoyed more
powers than the King of Spain himself. This was justified because of the distance of the Philippines from Spain. In the
administration of the Philippines, the Governor-General was assisted by many boards and officers, particularly the Board of
Authorities and the Council of Administration.
Governments during the Revolutionary Era

The Katipunan Government. The Katipunan was a secret society that initiated the Philippine Revolution
on August 26, 1896. It was organized by Andres Bonifacio. The central government of the Katipunan was
vested in Supreme Council a (Kataastaasang Sanggunian). In each province there was a Provincial
Council (Sangguniang Balangay) and in each town, a Popular Council (Sanggunian Bayan). The Judicial
Power was exercised by a Judicial Council (Sangguniang Hukuman).

The Katipunan was replaced by a government whose officials headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo were
elected in the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897.

The Biak-na-Bato Republic. On November 1, 1897, a republic was established by Gen. Aguinaldo in Biak-
na-Bato (now San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan). It had a constitution which was to take effect for two
years only. It declared that the aim of the revolutions was the "separation of the Philippines from the
Spanish monarchy and their formation into an independent state."

The Dictatorial Government. Following the outbreak of the Spanish-American War on April 25, 1898,
Gen. Aguinaldo established the Dictatorial Government on May 24, 1898. The most important
achievements of the Dictatorial Government were the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence at
Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898 and the reorganization of local governments.

The Revolutionary Government. On June 29, 1898, Gen. Aguinaldo established the Revolutionary
Government replacing the Dictatorial Government with himself as President. The aims of the new
government were "to struggle for the independence of the Philippines until all nations including Spain
will expressly recognize it" and "to prepare the country for the establishment of a real Republic."

The First Philippine Republic. A revolutionary Congress of Filipino representatives met in Malolos,
Bulacan at the call of the Revolutionary Government leading to the ratification of the Proclamation of
Philippine Independence made by Gen. Aguinaldo in Kawit on June 12, 1898. This event also led to the
promulgation of the very first democratic constitution in Asia. This event established a "free and
independent Philippine Republic" which was inaugurated on January 23, 1899 with Gen. Aguinaldo as
President. However, the Republic was not recognized by the family of nations. The First Philippine
Republic was short-lived due to the captive of Gen. Aguinaldo in April, 1901. Thus, the Malolos
Constitution which was promulgated to establish a Philippine Republic never had a chance to operate.
Nonetheless, the Philippine Revolution of 1896 served a mark in the history of Asian Nations as it was
the first war of independence fought by Asians against colonizers that gave birth to the first
constitutional democracy in Asia and the West Pacific.

Government During the American Regime

A day after Manila was captured in April 1898, the American military rule in the Philippines began. A Military
Government was established due to the existence of war. The US President served as the Commander-In-
Chief of the Armed Forces and his authority was delegated to the Military Governor who exercised as long as
the war lasted all powers of government - executive, legislative and judicial. The first American Military
Governor was General Wesley Merritt, the second was General Elwell E. Otis, and the third and last was
Major General Arthur MacArthur.

The Civil Government. The Spooner Amendment (on the Army Appropriation Act passed in the US Congress
on March 3, 1901) ended the military regime in the Philippines and brought about the inauguration of the
Civil Government in Manila on July 4, 1901.

From 1907 to 1916, the Philippine Commission acted as the upper house of the legislative branch with the
Philippine Assembly serving as the lower house. With the passage of the Spooner Law in 1916, these two
bodies gave way to the Philippine Legislature composed of the Philippine Senate and the Philippine House of
Representatives. The Philippines was represented in the United States by two Resident Commissioners.

The Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. The next stage in the political development of the
Filipinos was the establishment of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines pursuant to an act of
the United States Congress on March 24, 1934, commonly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Law. The law
provided for a transition period of ten years during which the Philippine Commonwealth would operate and
at the expiration of said period on July 4, 1946, the independence of the Philippines would be proclaimed and
established.

The new government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was a republican in form under the
presidential type. It was inaugurated on November 15, 1935, following the first national election under the
1935 Constitution held on September 12, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña became President and
Vice-President, respectively.

Japanese Sponsored Republic

Established in Manila on January 3, 1942, one day after its occupation, the Japanese Military Administration
terminated the sovereignty of United States over the Philippines. A civil government known as the Philippine
Executive Commission composed of Filipinos with Jorge B. Vargas as Chairman was organized by the military
forces of occupation. The commission exercised both the executive and legislative powers.

On October 14, 1943, the Second Republic of the Philippines known as the Japanese-sponsored Republic was
inaugurated with Jose P. Laurel as President. However, the laws enacted were subject to the approval of the
Commander- in-Chief of the Japanese Forces. The Judiciary remained at its form during the Commonwealth.
Thus, it functioned without independence.

The ultimate source of the Second Republic's authority was the Japanese Imperial Forces in the country.

The Third Philippine Republic

After the war, the Philippine Commonwealth was reestablished in Philippine soil in 1945. President Manuel
Roxas was elected as the Third President of the Commonwealth, first President of the Independent (Third)
Republic of the Philippines, and the fifth President of the Philippines. His term ushered the end of the
Philippine Commonwealth on July 4, 1946, and the birth of the Third Republic.

He was followed by Presidents Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia, and Diosdado Macapagal.
President Ferdinand Marcos became the last President of the Third Republic when he declared martial law in
1972.

Martial Law Era and the Fourth Philippine Republic

Flipping back the historical pages of the Philippine government, there were several instances when the
leaders of the country declared martial law to meet the national emergency. Martial law was imposed during
the Spanish colonization, the Second Republic under the presidency of Jose P. Laurel, on September 1972
during the presidency of President Marcos, during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President
Duterte. However, the martial law declared by President Ferdinand E. Marcos was the most historical.

Claimed as the last defense against the rising disorder caused by increasingly violent student demonstrations,
the alleged threats of communist insurgency by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the
Muslim separatist movement of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), President Marcos signed
Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the Philippines under Martial Law. The year before
the declaration of Martial Law, the 1971 Constitutional Convention was created. The resulting document was
the 1973 Constitution which superseded the 1935 Constitution.

Under the Martial Law, President Marcos governed the country through his powers as Commander-In-Chief
of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. His constituents called this as "Constitutional authoritarianism"

As Commander-In-Chief, he issued presidential decrees, proclamations, general orders, and letters of

instructions - all of which have the binding force of law.

On January 17, 1981, Ferdinand Marcos lifted Martial Law. He then proclaimed the "New Society which
ushered The Fourth Republic under the 1973 Constitution as revised in 1981. Marcos became the first
President of the Fourth Republic and the tenth President of the Philippines.

The Fifth Philippine Republic

In 1986, through a peaceful demonstration tagged as the EDSA People Power Revolution, President Corazon
Cojuangco-Aquino, the wife of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy Aquino, Sr., was successfully installed into
office as the 11th President of the Philippines. She served as the second and last President of the Fourth
Republic at the beginning of her term.
She faced both economic and political problems of the country. Her term as president began on February 25,
1986 after taking an oath of office at the Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila. She was the first woman to
session become president of the country.

A transitory Freedom Constitution was put into effect in the same year. With the enforcement of the 1987
Constitution the Fifth Republic was inaugurated. Thus, President Aquino became the first President of the
Fifth Republic. The 1987 Constitution brought back to life the presidential system of government.

She was followed by Fidel V. Ramos who took office in 1992 and immediately worked on the country's
recovery. Ramos initiated the Social Reform Agenda or SRA that was geared towards alleviating poverty.

A film actor, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, succeeded Ramos as president in 1998. He was a former mayor of San
Juan, Metro Manila and vice-president of Ramos. Estrada was placed into office by a wide margin of vote. He
gained support in the election for his promise to begin a pro-poor administration that his predecessors failed
to promote in their respective platforms.

Erap was ousted as President due to many issues during his administration and Vice-President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo assumed the office until the term ended in 2004. Serving Estrada's remaining term,
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ran for a full six-year term.

Arroyo promoted a "Strong Republic" under her presidency, which was geared toward vigorous economic
reforms. However, her administration was bombarded with several controversies and impeachment attempts
in the last five years.

On June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III was proclaimed as the 15th president of the republic
together with Jejomar Binay as Vice-President. Aquino is the eldest son of former president Corazon Aquino
and the assassinated former senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. Aquino's 6-year term is marked by both positive and
negative events.

Rodrigo Roa Duterte took his oath as the 16th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2016 . Duterte is a
lawyer and a politician. He is the former mayor and former 1st district congressman of Davao City in
Mindanao. He is the first president to come from Mindanao.