DIOSDADO MACAPAGALDec 30 1961 – Dec 30 1965

SHORT BIOGRAPHYDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

• Born on September 28 1910, in Lubao, Pampanga

• He was the second of four children in a poor family

• His parents were Urbano Macapagal (a poet) and RomanaPangan Macapagal (a schoolteacher)

• He was a distant descendant of Don Juan Macapagal, a princeof Tondo, who was a great-grandson of the last reigning Rajah ofSelurong, Rajah Lakandula

• Because of his roots in poverty, he was known as the “Poor boyfrom Lubao”

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

• Macapagal excelled in his studies at local public schools,graduating valedictorian at Lubao Elementary School,and salutatorian at Pampanga High School

• He finished his pre-law course at the University of the Philippines,then enrolled at Philippine Law School in 1932

• While in law school, he gained prominence as an orator anddebater

• Returning to Pampanga, he joined boyhood friend Rogelio de laRosa in producing and starring in Tagalog operettas patternedafter classic Spanish zarzuelas

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

• In 1938, he married Purita dela Rosa with whom he had twochildren: Cielo and Arturo

• Macapagal was able to raise enough money to continue hisstudies at the University of Santo Tomas

• In 1936, he topped the bar with a passing score of 89.95%

• He earned his Master of Laws degree in 1941, a Doctor of CivilLaw degree in 1947, and a PhD in Economics in 1957

FIRST FAMILYDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

EARLY CAREERDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

EARLY CAREER

• After passing the bar examination, Macapagal was invited tojoin an American law firm as a practicing attorney, a particularhonor for a Filipino at the time

• He was assigned as a legal assistant to President Manuel L.Quezon in Malacañan Palace

• During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World WarII, Macapagal continued working in Malacañan Palace as anassistant to President José P. Laurel

• After the war,Macapagal worked as an assistant attorney withone of the largest law firms in the country, Ross, Lawrence, Selphand Carrascoso

EARLY CAREER

• In 1946, President Roxas appointed him to the Dept. of ForeignAffairs as the head of its legal division

• In 1948, President Quirino appointed Macapagal as chiefnegotiator in the successful transfer of the Turtle Islands inthe Sulu Sea from the United Kingdom to the Philippines

• That same year, he was assigned as second secretary to thePhilippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.

• In 1949, he was elevated to the position of Counselor on LegalAffairs and Treaties, at the time the fourth highest post in thePhilippine Foreign Office

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• President Quirino recalled Macapagal from his position inWashington to run for a seat in the House ofRepresentatives representing the 1st District of Pampanga

• He won a landslide victory in the1949 election

• He also won re-election in the 1953 election, and served asRepresentative in the 2nd and 3rd Congress

• He was consistently selected by the Congressional Press Club asone of the Ten Outstanding Congressmen during his tenure

• In his second term, he was named Most Outstandinglawmaker of the 3rd Congress

Pieces of legislation which Macapagal promoted were:

MINIMUM WAGE LAW

RURAL HEALTH LAW

RURAL BANK LAW

BARRIO INDUSTRIALIZATION LAW

NATIONALIZATION OF RICE AND CORN INDUSTRIES

VICE-PRESIDENCY

• In the 1957 general election, the Liberal Party draftedRepresentative Macapagal to run for Vice President as therunning-mate of José Yulo

• While Yulo was defeated by Carlos P. Garcia of the NacionalistaParty, Macapagal was elected Vice President in an upsetvictory, defeating the Nacionalista candidate, José B. Laurel, Jr.,by over eight percentage points

• A month after the election, he was also chosen as the head ofthe Liberal Party

• Macapagal served out his four-year vice presidential term as aleader of the opposition

PRESIDENCY, 1961-’65DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

COUNTRY DATADIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

PROMISES DURING ELECTION AND INAUGURATION

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

HIS PROMISES

• Macapagal promised a program for the socio-economic aspectof society wherein he would return free and private enterprises

• He declared that he would be the president of both the rich andthe poor. He promised to erase that line between the wealthyand the unfortunate. Mostly by elevating the poor’s status tohave a more copious life

“I shall be president not only of the rich but more so of the poor. We must help bridge the wide gap between the poor man and the man of wealth, not by

pulling down the rich to his level as Communism desires, but by raising the poor towards the more abundant life.”

HIS PROMISES

• The Malacanang Palace is to be opened to the public

• Restoration of morality to the public by alleviating the stature of the masses

• Promised to end corruption, and establish anti-terrorism

THE CABINETDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

CABINET

CABINET

PRIMARY PROBLEMSDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

• Low living standards of the masses• Lack of economic stability• Unemployment• Devaluation of the Philippine Peso• Revocation of 350 midnight appointments from

the Garcia administration

Garcia appointed 350 people into certain positions before he steppeddown as president (A FEW HOURS BEFORE) Most controversial positionwas the central bank governor. This act was against the Saligang Batas

LAWS AND PROGRAMSDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

• Opened Malacanang to the Public; however it didn’t lastlong because people started to only loft around

• Dismissed corruption in the government• Changed date of Philippine Independence to June 12• Agricultural Land Reform Code of 1963

• Abolished shared tendency on rice and corn farmlands andestablishment of a leasehold system

OTHER HIGHLIGHTSDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

• Initial beatification of Rizal Park;• Development of “Miracle” (IR-8 variety) rice by the

International Rice Research Institute in 1964;• Commencement of construction of South Expressway;• Construction of tenement buildings for the poor;• Sale of houses to AFP enlisted men and officers;• The filing of claims to Sabah on June 22, 1962;• Elected President of 1971-1972 Constitutional Convention

ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIESDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

• Graft and Corruption (STONEHILL SCANDAL)• Rise in consumer goods prices• Peace and order issues• Macapagal’s privileged subjects in congress and business

paraded their lavish wealth in conspicuous parties andanomalous deals

STONEHILL CONTROVERSY

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

The Administration's campaign against corruption was testedby Harry Stonehill, an American expatriate with a $50-millionbusiness empire in the Philippines. Macapagal's Secretary ofJustice, Jose W. Diokno investigated Stonehill on charges of taxevasion, smuggling, misdeclaration of imports, and corruptionof public officials. Diokno's investigation revealed Stonehill's tiesto corruption within the government. Macapagal, however,prevented Diokno from prosecuting Stonehill by deporting theAmerican instead, then dismissing Diokno from the cabinet.Diokno questioned Macapagal's actions, saying,

"How can the government now prosecute the corrupted when it has allowed the corrupter to go?"

RISE IN CONSUMER GOODSDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

Under pressure from the US Government and internationalfinancial institutions, Macapagal reversed Garcia-eraeconomic policies with economic liberalization policies.

Lifting of foreign exchange controls: Under Garcia, foreign(mostly American) companies in the Philippines had beenprohibited from taking their profits back to the US. Macapagallifted the controls, allowing foreign businesses to send theirprofits home. This resulted in a shortage of foreign exchange.The government was then forced to seek foreign loans toavoid a exchange crisis.

FLOATING PESODIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

Under Garcia, the Peso had a fixed exchange rate, to keeplow prices for domestically-produced goods and food.Macapagal allowed the Peso to “float” on currencyexchange markets, causing a nearly-100% devaluation of thePeso, leading to increased consumer prices, hurting Filipinoconsumers.

Lifting of import controls: Under Garcia, foreign imports werelimited, to encourage domestic production by Philippinebusinesses. Macapagal lifted these limits, with the result thatforeign imports flooded in, hurting domestic industries andagriculture. But US businesses were happy.

FOREIGN POLICIESDIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

MAJOR LEGISLATION SIGNED

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

• Republic Act No. 3512 – An act creating A fisheries commission defining itspowers, duties and functions, and appropriating funds therefore

• Republic Act No. 3518 – An act creating the Philippine Veterans' Bank, andfor other purposes

• Republic Act No. 3844 – An act to ordain the agricultural land reform codeand to institute land reforms in the Philippines, including the abolition oftenancy and the channeling of capital into industry, provide for thenecessary implementing agencies, appropriate funds therefor and for otherpurposes

• Republic Act No. 4166 – An act changing the date of PhilippineIndependence day from July 4 to June 12, and declaring July 4 asPhilippine Republic Day, further amending for the purpose section twenty-nine of the revised administrative code.

• Republic Act No. 4180 – An act amending republic act numbered sixhundred two, otherwise known as the minimum wage law, by raising theminimum wage for certain workers, and for other purposes

1965 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

1965 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

• Towards the end of his term, Macapagal decided to seek re-election to continue seeking reforms which he claimed werestifled by a "dominant and uncooperative opposition" inCongress

• With Senate President Ferdinand Marcos, a fellow member of theLiberal Party, unable to win his party's nomination due toMacapagal's re-election bid, Marcos switched allegiance to therival Nacionalista Party to oppose Macapagal

• Macapagal was defeated by Marcos in the November 1965polls

CONCLUSION

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

Diosdado Macapagal was chosen by the people of thePhilippines to be their president in 1961 and his term ended in1965. Considered to be incorruptible by most during the time,he may have served as an inspiration to his people. That’s whyhe included the need for the country to have a good grasp ofgood morals and ethics. He also wanted to end corruption,poverty, homelessness, and other various problems thatplagued the common man. During his entire term however,none of what he promised or wanted was really achieved. Thismakes him look quite bad as a leader of the country contraryto what he was supposed to be seen as. He’s the type ofperson who’s more on talk rather than action.

CONCLUSION

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

The devaluation of the Philippine Peso started during his termwhich makes him, in the eyes of some, the root of a lot oftoday’s problems in the country. Other than that, he returnedfree trade and free enterprise to the country which crushedlocal goods and businesses which continue to suffer up totoday. When it came to his promises to the common man, thefarmers in particular. He was unable to give them the landthey needed because aside from having no specific timetable as to when they were to receive the land, thegovernment didn’t have the money to purchase the land fromthe hacienderos which was to be distributed to the farmers inthe first place. Basically, he made really good speeches andthe country didn’t “die” when he was in power but he wasn’table to do anything great that problems were removed.

CONCLUSION

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

His economic policy was called decontrol, which describedthe administration of Macapagal. It was called decontrolbecause he allowed the foreign products to enter freely in ourcountry. He also established the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Unfortunately, his term and his leadership are now seen aseither unproductive to the country or were the root causes ofthe continuing fall of the Philippine economy today. That iswhy he is rated just high enough to pass but not high enoughto be considered a good president.