Philippines

Historical overview

The Philippines was colonised by Spain from 1565 and passed to the United States after the Spanish–American War, when the Treaty of Paris of 1898 transferred sovereignty for a payment of US$20 million. A revolution against Spain led by Andrés Bonifacio’s Katipunan had already produced a declaration of independence at Kawit on 12 June 1898 and the Malolos Republic, but the United States refused to recognise Philippine independence and fought the Philippine–American War (1899–1902). The colonial regime under the United States later moved gradually toward self-government through the Philippine Assembly, the Jones Act of 1916 and the Tydings–McDuffie Act of 1934, which created the Commonwealth in 1935 under Manuel Quezon. Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 was followed by full independence on 4 July 1946. Under Ferdinand Marcos, martial law was declared in 1972; it was formally lifted in 1981, but authoritarian rule continued until the 1986 EDSA People Power uprising restored civilian democracy under Corazon Aquino. The 1987 Constitution established a presidential republic with a bicameral Congress, and the EDSA II protests of January 2001 ended the presidency of Joseph Estrada. Historians continue to debate the causes of the Philippine–American War, the extent of Japanese wartime collaboration and the scale of martial-law abuses, so the record should be read through archival documents and scholarly work rather than a single narrative.

Key historical timeline

1. 1565Miguel López de Legazpi establishes the first permanent Spanish settlement in the islands, at Cebu.
2. 1892Andrés Bonifacio founds the Katipunan, a secret society dedicated to independence from Spain.
3. 1896–98The Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule spreads across the islands.
4. 12 June 1898Emilio Aguinaldo proclaims Philippine independence at Kawit, Cavite.
5. 10 December 1898The Treaty of Paris transfers the Philippines from Spain to the United States.
6. 23 January 1899The Malolos Republic, the First Philippine Republic, is inaugurated under the Malolos Constitution.
7. 1899–1902The Philippine–American War is fought between Filipino forces and the United States.
8. 1935The Commonwealth of the Philippines is inaugurated under Manuel Quezon.
9. 1942–45Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
10. 4 July 1946The Republic of the Philippines is proclaimed as an independent state.
11. 21 September 1972Ferdinand Marcos declares martial law.
12. 21 August 1983Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino is assassinated at Manila International Airport.
13. 22–25 February 1986The EDSA People Power uprising leads to the departure of Marcos and the installation of Corazon Aquino.
14. 2 February 1987The 1987 Constitution is ratified by plebiscite.
15. 20 January 2001Joseph Estrada is removed and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is sworn in after the EDSA II protests.

Archive notes

Archive and research links

National Archives of the Philippines – national repository of public records and government documents.

Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines – official publication of presidential proclamations, executive orders and laws.

Human Rights Violations Victims’ Claims Board – records and decisions relating to martial-law-era claims.

Editorial note: Estimates of martial-law deaths, detentions and torture vary by source and should be attributed to named investigations or institutions rather than presented as uncontested figures. The 1896–98 revolution, the Philippine–American War and the EDSA events should each be documented with primary sources from several perspectives.