1. Philippine Politics and Governance
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
Lesson 5.5
The Contemporary
Government of the
Philippines: Third, Fourth,
and Fifth Republics

2. What do you
know about the
country’s
previous
administrations?
2

3. Which president
are you most
familiar with?
Why?
3

4. What are the
qualities of a
good
administration?
4

5. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Republics
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● The contemporary Philippine government is influenced
by the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Republics.
● The three coincide with the Philippines’
formal independence as a sovereign state from July
1946 to present.

6. The Third Philippine Republic
● It was inaugurated following
the departure of Japanese
forces and the end of the
Commonwealth period
(1946).
● The Philippines’ sovereign
state status was widely
recognized by the United
Nations and other states.
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7. The Third Philippine Republic
Government Structure under the 1935 Constitution
● The 1935 Constitution was reinstated after the
Japanese occupation, and it provided the republic’s
framework.
● The Third Republic operated under a presidential
government with three branches, which was largely
patterned after the American government.
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8. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
1. Roxas Administration
(1946–1948)
● needed to rehabilitate the war-
torn country
● implemented neocolonial, pro-
American policies (e.g., parity
amendment)
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9. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
2. Quirino Administration
(1948–1953)
● continued Roxas’ policies
● enacted social amelioration
programs and negotiated
with communist insurgents
● experienced legitimacy
issues due to corruption
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10. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
3. Magsaysay Administration
(1953–1957)
● won by a landslide with his
populist campaign
● enacted several pro-masses
and pro-farmer policies
● died in a plane crash in 1957
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11. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
4. Garcia Administration
(1957–1961)
● continued Magsaysay’s
nationalist policies
● implemented the Filipino First
policy that prioritized Filipino
industries and products
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12. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
5. Macapagal Administration
(1961–1965)
● also ran on a populist
campaign as the “Poor Boy
from Lubao”
● enacted a combination of
reformist and nationalist
policies
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13. The Third Philippine Republic
The Politics of the Early
Philippine Independence
6. Marcos Administration
(1965–1972)
● marked by widespread
corruption in its first term
● implemented martial law
and established a
dictatorship before the end
of the second term in 1972
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14. The Third Philippine Republic
Persistent problems in the Third Republic:
● caciquism (rule of few rich local chiefs and bosses
through corruption and violence)
● rampant electoral fraud and violence
● populism and the rise of traditional politicians
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15. The Fourth Philippine Republic
● The declaration of martial law
effectively put the country under
the military’s direct control.
● It paved the way for the
dictatorial Fourth Republic.
● Marcos railroaded the ratification
of the 1973 Constitution that
established his “constitutional
authoritarianism.”
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16. The Fourth Philippine Republic
Authoritarian Government Structure under
the 1973 Constitution
● hybrid/semi-presidential government consisting of:
○ a president (head of state)
○ a prime minister (head of government)
○ a parliament/national assembly
○ a judiciary
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17. The Fourth Philippine Republic
Authoritarian Government Structure under
the 1973 Constitution
● transitory provisions:
○ allowed Marcos to issue any proclamation and decree
○ put the creation of the parliament on his hands
● 1981 Amendments:
○ poured all the executive powers in the 1935 and 1973
Constitutions under the president (Marcos)
○ gave Marcos the power to appoint a prime minister and
dissolve the parliament
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18. The Fourth Philippine Republic
Authoritarian Government Structure under the
1973 Constitution
● final outcome: a dictatorship
○ Marcos practiced executive supremacy.
○ The National Assembly acted as a rubber stamp
congress.
○ The judiciary merely affirmed Marcos’s decrees.
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19. The Fourth Philippine Republic
The Politics of
Marcos Dictatorship
● void of checks and balances
● marked by repression and
human rights violations,
corruption, and cronyism
● rigged the 1981 rigged
elections to make the
dictatorship look democratic
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20. The Fifth Philippine Republic
● In the 1980s, opposition against Marcos’s atrocities
heightened.
● Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. was assassinated.
● The snap elections resulted in conflicting outcomes.
● The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution overthrew
Marcos’s rule and instated Corazon Aquino as president.
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21. The Fifth Philippine Republic
Government Structure under the 1987 Constitution
● According to Velasco (1997), the 1987 Constitution
established the Fifth Republic with the twin goals of:
○ “demarcosification” (removing remnants of
dictatorship and preventing another one)
○ democratization (promoting accountability and
protecting freedom)
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22. The Fifth Philippine Republic
Government Structure under the 1987 Constitution
● The 1987 Constitution reestablished a presidential
government with three separate branches with more
innovations like:
○ safeguards against martial law
○ a multi-party system
○ a party-list system for sectoral representation
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23. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
1. Corazon Aquino
Administration (1986–1992)
marked by multiple coup
d’etat attempts but
managed to peacefully
transfer power
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24. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
2. Ramos Administration
(1992–1998)
tried to address
socioeconomic problems
with neoliberal reforms
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25. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
3. Estrada Administration
(1998–2001)
● won a landslide victory
because of his populist
image
● impeached and later on
convicted of plunder
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26. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
4. Arroyo Administration
(2001–2010)
mangled with several
corruption and
legitimacy issues and
dismal popularity ratings
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27. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
5. Benigno Aquino III
Administration (2010–2016)
won on a “clean
government” campaign
but failed to even out
inequality and elite
dominance in the country
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28. The Fifth Philippine Republic
The Post-Marcos
Electoral Politics
6. Duterte Administration
(2016–2022)
won on a campaign
against illegal drugs,
infamously known as
“the war on drugs”
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29. The Fifth Philippine Republic
● While the Fifth Republic has restored liberal democratic
institutions, deep-seated political problems still exist.
○ Caciquism and the elite maintain dominance.
○ Pre-Marcos, Marcos-era, and new political dynasties are
still in power.
○ Social inequality continues to worsen.
○ Authoritarian policies erode checks and balances and
human rights.
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30. Wrap-Up
● The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Republics coincide with
the Philippines’ formal independence as a sovereign
state. As such, the events during these republics are
crucial in Philippine nation- and state-building.
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31. Wrap-Up
● The Third Republic was established in 1946 and
operated under the provisions of the 1935
Constitution. It had a presidential government
consisting of three branches of the government.
Persistent problems during the Third Republic
included the rise of local chiefs or caciques,
widespread plunder, electoral fraud and violence,
social inequality, and the rise of populist traditional
politicians.
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32. Wrap-Up ● The Fourth Republic was established following
Marcos’s declaration of martial law and dubious
ratification of the 1973 Constitution that
established a hybrid or semi-presidential
government featuring Marcos’s supremacy. The
Fourth Republic was marked by repression, human
rights violations, corruption, and cronyism.
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33. Wrap-Up
● The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution toppled
Marcos dictatorship and established the Fifth
Republic under the 1987 Constitution. The
Republic has then operated under a presidential
government with extra constitutional innovations
for the purposes of “demarcosification” and
democratization. Currently, it still suffers from
persistent political problems including caciquism,
political dynasties and clans, social inequality, and
the rise of populist, authoritarian leaders.
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