First Philippine Republic
Encyclopedia
The Philippine Republic more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic was a short-lived insurgent revolutionary government
in the Philippines
. It was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution
on January 23, 1899 in Malolos
, Bulacan
, and endured until the capture and surrender of Emilio Aguinaldo
to the American forces on March 23, 1901 in Palanan
, Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic.
The establishment of the Philippine Republic was the culmination of the Philippine Revolution
against Spanish rule
. Independence
was declared on June 12, 1898. A dictatorial government headed by Emilio Aguinaldo
was proclaimed on 18 June, and replaced on 23 June by a revolutionary government, also headed by Aguinaldo. The Malolos Congress
convened on 15 September, and produced the Malolos Constitution
. That constitution was proclaimed on 22 January 1899, transforming the government into what is known today as the First Philippine Republic, with Aguinaldo as its president. In the meantime, on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris
had been signed, ending the Spanish-American War
. Article 3 of the treaty transferred the Philippines from Spain to the United States.
The Philippine–American War then ensued. Aguinaldo was captured by U.S. forces on March 23, 1901 and swore an oath accepting the authority of the United States over the Philippines and pledging his allegiance to the American government. On April 19, he issued a Proclamation of Formal Surrender to the United States, telling his followers to lay down their weapons and give up the fight, effectively ending the First Philippine Republic. Subsequently, the U.S. continued its annexation of the islands pursuant to the Treaty of Paris. The Philippines was under US sovereignty
until 1946, when formal independence was granted by the Treaty of Manila
.
The First Philippine Republic was formed after the Philippine Declaration of Independence
and the events of the collapse of the Spanish rule over the Philippines. It adopted the Constitución Política de la República Filipina
, drawn up by the Philippine Constitutional Convention in the Barasoain Church
in Malolos in 1899 to replace the dictatorial government set up by the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on July 7, 1897. The constitution was approved by delegates to the Assembly of Representatives
on January 20, 1899, and sanctioned by Aguinaldo the next day. The convention earlier elected Aguinaldo president on January 1, 1899, leading to his inauguration on January 23.
Considering that the Philippine-American War
which was to soon follow the adoption of the constitution would prevent the legislature from meeting, and considering that the government was not to survive that war, three parts of the constitution which effectively gave the President Aguinaldo unrestricted power to rule by decree
are of particular interest.
In 1899, after the Malolos Constitution
was ratified, the Universidad Literia de Filipinas was established in Malolos, Bulacan
. It offered Law as well as Medicine, Surgery and Notary Public; Academia Militar which was established on October 25, 1898; and The Instituto Burgos, an exclusive school for boys.
Following his capture at Palanan, Isabela, Aguinaldo, on April 1, 1901, announced allegiance to the United States, formally ending the First Republic and recognizing the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines.
However, Macario Sakay y de León continued resistance against the United States
following the official American declaration of the war's end in 1902 and assumed the presidency of the proclaimed First Philippine Republic, becoming its second unofficial president until he was arrested, convicted as a bandit and hanged by the U.S. military in 1907.
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution
Malolos Constitution
The Malolos Constitution was enacted on January 20, 1899 by the Philippine Malolos Congress, and established the First Philippine Republic. The original was written in Spanish, which became the first official language of the Philippines....
on January 23, 1899 in Malolos
Malolos City
City of Malolos is a 3rd class urban component city in the Republic of the Philippines. Malolos is considered as the 115th city in the country. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the seat of the provincial government...
, Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
, and endured until the capture and surrender of Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
to the American forces on March 23, 1901 in Palanan
Palanan, Isabela
Palanan is a remote 2nd class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 16,254 people in 2,837 households....
, Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic.
The establishment of the Philippine Republic was the culmination of the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
against Spanish rule
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
. Independence
Philippine Declaration of Independence
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo , Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the...
was declared on June 12, 1898. A dictatorial government headed by Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
was proclaimed on 18 June, and replaced on 23 June by a revolutionary government, also headed by Aguinaldo. The Malolos Congress
Malolos Congress
-Further reading:*Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library...
convened on 15 September, and produced the Malolos Constitution
Malolos Constitution
The Malolos Constitution was enacted on January 20, 1899 by the Philippine Malolos Congress, and established the First Philippine Republic. The original was written in Spanish, which became the first official language of the Philippines....
. That constitution was proclaimed on 22 January 1899, transforming the government into what is known today as the First Philippine Republic, with Aguinaldo as its president. In the meantime, on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
had been signed, ending the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Article 3 of the treaty transferred the Philippines from Spain to the United States.
The Philippine–American War then ensued. Aguinaldo was captured by U.S. forces on March 23, 1901 and swore an oath accepting the authority of the United States over the Philippines and pledging his allegiance to the American government. On April 19, he issued a Proclamation of Formal Surrender to the United States, telling his followers to lay down their weapons and give up the fight, effectively ending the First Philippine Republic. Subsequently, the U.S. continued its annexation of the islands pursuant to the Treaty of Paris. The Philippines was under US sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
until 1946, when formal independence was granted by the Treaty of Manila
Treaty of Manila (1946)
The Treaty of Manila is a treaty of general relations signed on July 4, 1946 in Manila, capital of the Philippines. Parties to the treaty were the governments of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines...
.
History
Philippine Declaration of Independence
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo , Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the...
and the events of the collapse of the Spanish rule over the Philippines. It adopted the Constitución Política de la República Filipina
Malolos Constitution
The Malolos Constitution was enacted on January 20, 1899 by the Philippine Malolos Congress, and established the First Philippine Republic. The original was written in Spanish, which became the first official language of the Philippines....
, drawn up by the Philippine Constitutional Convention in the Barasoain Church
Barasoain Church
Barasoain Church is a Roman Catholic church built in 1630 in Malolos City, Bulacan. Having earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines, and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the Church is proverbial for its historical...
in Malolos in 1899 to replace the dictatorial government set up by the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on July 7, 1897. The constitution was approved by delegates to the Assembly of Representatives
Malolos Congress
-Further reading:*Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library...
on January 20, 1899, and sanctioned by Aguinaldo the next day. The convention earlier elected Aguinaldo president on January 1, 1899, leading to his inauguration on January 23.
Considering that the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
which was to soon follow the adoption of the constitution would prevent the legislature from meeting, and considering that the government was not to survive that war, three parts of the constitution which effectively gave the President Aguinaldo unrestricted power to rule by decree
Rule by decree
Rule by decree is a style of governance allowing quick, unchallenged creation of law by a single person or group, and is used primarily by dictators and absolute monarchs, although philosophers such as Giorgio Agamben have argued that it has been generalized since World War I in all modern states,...
are of particular interest.
In 1899, after the Malolos Constitution
Malolos Constitution
The Malolos Constitution was enacted on January 20, 1899 by the Philippine Malolos Congress, and established the First Philippine Republic. The original was written in Spanish, which became the first official language of the Philippines....
was ratified, the Universidad Literia de Filipinas was established in Malolos, Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
. It offered Law as well as Medicine, Surgery and Notary Public; Academia Militar which was established on October 25, 1898; and The Instituto Burgos, an exclusive school for boys.
Philippine–American War
Tensions remained during the Philippine–American War. Aguinaldo and his men fled to Northern Luzón, trying to resist the American forces declaring the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898 with the preliminary statement inclusive of the Luzon and Visayas, with the exception of Mindanao and Sulu being independent sovereignty states, and as being allies against American encroachment.Following his capture at Palanan, Isabela, Aguinaldo, on April 1, 1901, announced allegiance to the United States, formally ending the First Republic and recognizing the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines.
However, Macario Sakay y de León continued resistance against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
following the official American declaration of the war's end in 1902 and assumed the presidency of the proclaimed First Philippine Republic, becoming its second unofficial president until he was arrested, convicted as a bandit and hanged by the U.S. military in 1907.
Cabinet
| OFFICIALS | NAME | |
| President President of the Philippines The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines... |
Emilio Aguinaldo | |
| Vice President Vice President of the Philippines -Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text... |
Mariano Trias | |
| Prime Minister Prime Minister of the Philippines The Prime Minister of the Philippines was the official designation of the head of the government of the Philippines from 1978 until People Power Revolution in 1986... |
Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899... |
|
| Pedro Paterno Pedro Paterno Pedro Alejandro Paterno y de Vera-Ignacio, also spelled Pedro Alejandro Paterno y Debera Ignacio was a Filipino politician, as well as a poet and novelist.His intervention on behalf of the Spanish led to the signing of the Pact of... |
||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899... |
|
| Felipe Buencamino | ||
| Minister of Finance and War | Mariano Trías Mariano Trías Mariano Trías y Closas is considered to be the first de facto Philippine Vice President of that revolutionary government established at the Tejeros Convention - an assembly of Philippine revolutionary leaders that elected officials of the revolutionary movement against the colonial government of... |
|
| Minister of Interior | Teodoro Sandico | |
| Severino de las Alas | ||
| Minister of War | Baldomero Aguinaldo Baldomero Aguinaldo Baldomero Aguinaldo y Baloy was a leader of the Philippine Revolution. He was the first cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, as well as the grandfather of Cesar Virata, a former prime minister in the 1980s.-Early life:Baldomero Aguinaldo was born in Kawit, Cavite... |
|
| Minister of Welfare | Gracio Gonzaga | |
| Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce | León María Guerrero Leon Maria Guerrero León María Guerrero y Leogardo was a writer, revolutionary leader, politician, the first licensed pharmacist in the Philippines, and one of the most eminent botanists in the country in his time.... |
|
| Minister of Finance | Hugo Ilagan | |
| Minister of Public Instruction | Águedo Velarde | |
| Minister of Public Works and Communications | Máximo Paterno | |