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Asia and Oceania

Philippines
Last reviewed: 12 October 2009

Country information

History

Recent history

Following World War II the Philippines gained independence from the United States of America in 1946. It retained close ties with the former colonial power, including a Mutual Defence treaty and, until 1992, the presence of US military bases in the Philippines.  Philippine political, administrative and legislative structures are closely based on their American counterparts. However politicians are drawn almost exclusively from the wealthy elite, many of them descended from Spanish settlers, and beneath the democratic veneer many aspects of the Spanish-era feudal structure remain.

In 1972 President Marcos, then nearing the end of his second elected term, declared Martial Law. The pretext was a series of bombings in Manila, some of which were later alleged to have been staged. During the next 14 years cronyism, corruption and patronage - never far from the surface in Philippine politics – became blatant. Marcos remained in power until 1986, when he was overthrown by the non-violent People Power Revolution – also known as the EDSA Revolution after the highway where protestors gathered. Marcos fled to Hawaii, where he died in 1989.

Marcos was succeeded by President Corazon Aquino, whose husband and vocal opponent of Marcos, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, was assassinated in 1983. President Aquino supervised the introduction of a new constitution and the restoration of democratic politics, but she failed to tackle the vested interests of the political elite. Her Presidency was characterised by repeated coup attempts. The long running communist insurgency continued, as did the armed struggle for an independent Moro nation on the southern island of Mindanao. However Aquino’s term did see agreement reached with the US to withdraw from their military bases in the Philippines.  

President Aquino’s successor, Fidel V. Ramos, was an ex-General whose switch of allegiance played a key role in the People Power Revolution. His Presidency (1992-1998) was characterised by relative peace and prosperity until the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which affected the Philippines along with neighbours including Thailand and Indonesia. Ramos reoriented the Philippines towards Asia in general and ASEAN in particular. He initiated successful peace talks with the Moro National Liberation Front (although splinter group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vowed to continue the armed struggle) and began talks with the communists.

Joseph Estrada, an ex-movie star with a populist pro-poor manifesto, was elected President in 1998. He quickly gained a reputation for corruption and incompetence. Impeachment proceedings brought against him by the House of Representatives were blocked by the Senate, leading to massive street protests (EDSA II). Estrada was deposed in January 2001 and was later charged with plunder. His conviction in 2007 was followed swiftly by a pardon.

In line with the Constitution, Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as President. She initially promised not to stand for re-election but later changed her mind and was elected for a full term in the 2004 Presidential Elections. Allegations that these elections were rigged have persisted.

Longer historical perspective

The earliest inhabitants of the Philippines arrived from the Asian mainland around 30,000 years ago. They settled in scattered communities, developing distinctive languages, customs and traditions. Although displaced and discriminated against by later waves of settlers, many of these communities survive, with over 100 ethnolinguistic groups recognised by the Philippine National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

The majority of Filipinos trace their ancestry from Malays who began arriving in the islands around 3000 BC. By the 14th century the Philippines engaged in extensive trade with China, India, Indonesia and Japan. Islam was introduced by Arab traders from Indonesia and became the dominant religion in the south.

In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan and his expedition became the first Europeans to visit the Philippines. Involvement in a conflict between two local leaders led to Magellan’s death, but members of the expedition went on to complete the first circumnavigation of the world.

The first permanent Spanish settlement in the Philippines was established in 1565. Spanish rule continued for over 300 years, apart from a brief period during the Seven Years War when the British occupied Manila and assumed sovereignty from 1762 - 1764. The Spanish integrated the Philippines into their global trading routes, created a nation-wide administrative system of provinces, municipalities and villages that survives largely unchanged and introduced Western-style education. They also introduced Catholicism, which was widely adopted.  

Throughout the period of Spanish rule there were sporadic localised attempts to overthrow the colonial government. A nationalist movement developed in the late nineteenth century, led mainly by educated Filipinos who had spent time in Europe including national hero Jose Rizal. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. In 1898 the Spanish-American War initially led the Americans to ally themselves with the Philippine revolutionaries but the US later excluded them from the capture of Manila. At the end of the war Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States of America in return for $20 million, leading to a new round of hostilities between the US and the revolutionaries.  

By 1901 the US had defeated the rebels and begun a series of reforms aimed at preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. These included a switch to English as the official language, disestablishment of the Catholic Church and the introduction of a civil government, as well as an elective political system. In 1935 the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established, with a plan for transition to full independence after 10 years.

World War II interrupted these plans. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines began 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941. By May 1942 US and Filipino troops were defeated, although resistance by guerrilla groups continued throughout the war. US troops returned to retake the islands in October 1944 and the Japanese formally surrendered on 2 September 1945. An estimated 1 million Filipinos were killed during the war and the historic Walled City of Manila (Intramuros) was devastated by aerial bombardment.

Elections were held in April 1946 and Manuel Roxas became the first President of the independent Republic of the Philippines on 4 July 1946.  

BBC News Country Timeline: Philippines

Country information

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See Also

Useful Links

• BBC News Country Timeline: Philippines
• UKTI Country Profile Philippines

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Copyright 2009 Foreign & Commonwealth Office