History of the Philippines (1946–1965)

The years from 1946 to 1965 were important for the Philippines as it began its journey as an independent country. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines became its own nation, no longer under the control of another country. This time is known as the Third Republic of the Philippines, a period full of new beginnings and challenges.

During these years, the country was led by different leaders who worked to build a strong and peaceful nation. One of these leaders was Diosdado Macapagal, who served as president from 1961 to 1965. Under his leadership, many changes happened to improve the lives of people and the country's future.

The Third Republic ended in 1973 with the ratification of the 1973 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, marking the close of an important chapter in the Philippines' story. This time was full of efforts to grow and develop the nation after gaining independence.

Recognition of independence

Not to be confused with Philippine Declaration of Independence or Independence Day (Philippines).

See also: Treaty of Manila (1946) and Republic Day (Philippines)

The United States granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946. In line with the Philippine Independence Act, also known as the "Tydings–McDuffie Act", President Harry S. Truman officially recognized the Philippines' independence on that day.

On the same day, leaders from the United States and the Philippines signed a treaty. This treaty confirmed the Philippines' independence and marked the end of American control over the islands. However, the U.S. kept several military bases in the country, and some laws passed by the U.S. Congress affected the new nation. For example, the Bell Trade Act allowed the U.S. to set limits on certain goods from the Philippines and required equal access to the country's natural resources for American citizens and businesses.

Independence Day shifted

Main article: Independence Day (Philippines)

Today, the Philippines celebrates Independence Day on June 12, marking Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration of independence from Spain in 1898. From 1946 to 1961, the country celebrated Independence Day on July 4. Later, President Macapagal changed the date back to June 12, making it a public holiday and renaming the July 4 celebration as Philippine Republic Day.

Roxas administration (1946–1948)

When the Congress of the Philippines met in 1945, lawmakers elected in 1941 chose Manuel Roxas as Senate President. In the Philippine national elections of 1946, Roxas ran for president as the candidate of the liberal wing of the Nacionalista Party. He received strong support from General MacArthur. His rival was Sergio Osmeña, who decided not to campaign, believing the people already knew his reputation. In the election on April 23, 1946, Roxas won with 54 percent of the votes, and the Liberal Party gained a majority in the legislature. When the Philippines became independent from the United States on July 4, 1946, Roxas became the first president of the new republic.

In March 1947, an agreement allowed the United States to keep using some military bases in the Philippines for 99 years. Roxas believed this helped the country's defense and kept peace in the Pacific region. Although he succeeded in getting aid money from the United States after independence, he had to accept trade limits for Filipinos and special rights for U.S. property owners and investors. His time in office was affected by accusations of unfair practices, and problems with the provincial military police helped the left-wing Hukbalahap movement grow in rural areas. Roxas’s efforts to stop the Huks caused many farmers to feel unhappy.

During his time, the Turtle Islands and Mangsee Islands were transferred from the United Kingdom to the Philippines. Roxas’s term ended early due to a health issue while he was speaking at Clark Air Base on April 15, 1948. He was succeeded by his vice president, Elpidio Quirino.

Quirino administration (1948–1953)

Elpidio Quirino became president of the Philippines on April 17, 1948, just after the death of Manuel Roxas. He was elected in a contest that many thought was unfair. During his time as president, the country faced challenges from a group called the Hukbalahap, who wanted to change the government through force.

Quirino worked on rebuilding the country after World War II and received help from the United States. However, many problems, especially in the countryside, were not fixed, and his time as president was seen as full of unfair practices. When war broke out in Korea in 1950, Filipino soldiers were sent to help. Quirino tried to be re-elected in 1953 but lost to Ramon Magsaysay.

His daughter Vicky often helped with duties usually done by a First Lady because Quirino did not have a wife.

Magsaysay administration (1953–1957)

In the 1953 election, Magsaysay became president, beating the current leader Elpidio Quirino. He was helped quietly by American officials and money. When he took office, he wore a barong tagalog, a traditional Philippine shirt, which no president had done before.

As president, Magsaysay was a strong friend of the United States and spoke out against unfair ideas during the Cold War. He helped start the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, also called the Manila Pact of 1954, to support peace in parts of Asia and Oceania. During his time in office, he opened Malacañang Palace to the public, making it feel like a "house of the people."

Magsaysay was known for his honesty. Once, after a test flight in a new plane from the Philippines Air Force (PAF), he asked how much the flight cost and paid for it himself with a personal check.

On March 16, 1957, Magsaysay traveled to Cebu City to speak at schools. That night, he boarded a plane to return to Manila. Sadly, early on March 17, the plane was reported missing and later found to have crashed on Mount Manunggal in Cebu. Most everyone on board did not survive, except for one newspaperman, Nestor Mata. At the time, Vice President Carlos P. Garcia was visiting Australia and became president for the rest of Magsaysay's term.

About 2 million people came to honor Magsaysay at his burial on March 22, 1957.

Garcia administration (1957–1961)

After President Ramón Magsaysay died in a plane crash on March 17, 1957, Carlos Garcia became the president. He was later elected to a full term in the Election 1957.

During his time as president, Garcia worked on an agreement that reduced the lease time for U.S. bases in the Philippines from 99 years to 25 years. He also supported a policy called "Filipino First," which helped local businesses grow by giving them better chances than foreign companies. He made changes that affected many business owners, especially those from China. Garcia tried to be careful with money during his presidency. In the Election 1961, he tried to be elected again but lost to Diosdado Macapagal, who had been his vice-president but was from a different political party.

Macapagal administration (1961–1965)

In the 1961 presidential election, Diosdado Macapagal ran against another leader and won by a close vote. He tried to help the country's economy grow by letting the value of the Philippine peso change freely in international markets. However, some groups in government stopped many of his plans.

During his time as president, Macapagal made important changes to farming laws to help people who worked the land. He also moved the celebration of the Philippines' independence from July 4th to June 12th, the day in 1898 when a leader named Emilio Aguinaldo announced freedom from Spain. Macapagal lost his bid for another term in 1965 to Ferdinand Marcos, who was then a senator.