The First Philippine Republic

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For this episode, I want to return to a somewhat familiar story, but you might not recognize it as such because our time with it was an indirect one, looking at it from the lens of a specific person’s story: a story that wasn’t well preserved or prioritized but one that found a place in my heart, striking a chord I couldn’t ignore. And it was a fairly recent string of episodes at that. 

It was the story of Teresa Magbanua, a fighter for Filipino independence who momentarily knew success before luck and its current would change. Because we were focused on her, we missed some other details and events that did not happen before her eyes, and fair enough on that front--well, fair enough to me. Whether or not it was objectively right isn’t the point. It was a story I wanted to tell, but it was not the full story of Filipino independence nor the story of the revolution beyond the role Teresa played in those conflicts. To that end, in no way can it be said to be the story of the First Philippine Republic. It couldn’t have been given the scope of the effort, the various fronts, and all the pieces moving about. 

But with the First Philippine Republic Day coming on January 23rd, a relatively new working holiday in the Philippines, the time has seemingly come to tell you about it, to tell you about the first constitutional republic in Asia, a title it has despite only lasting two years. It was a moment of triumph in Filipino history that is often overshadowed by all that came afterwards.

Once again, though, to give you the entire story is beyond the means of this podcast, which is meant to give you brief episodes and jump to various topics as they come up. Different mediums can serve different purposes, and I think that is the purpose of this one. Because it does have its merits: a superficial examination might peak your interest, and it means this topic is no longer as ignored as it once was, but if you do want more, you will have to look elsewhere or make your own podcast that can go deeper into it. For now, all I can give you is an under-discussed glimpse into the Filipino spirit, but we should start somewhere, I suppose.

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To tell the story of what is popularly known as the Malolos Republic, we need to go back to the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire, and despite what my previous episodes might have led you to believe, it wasn’t a simple story. It wasn’t an unabashed victory on behalf of the Filipino side. In fact, a key revolutionary leader by the name of Emilio Aguinaldo was actually forced into exile in Hong Kong when the war came to a perceived end in 1897. But when the tides changed in favor of the Philippines--however brief it might have been--the chance for independence was seized, which is what led to this small republic.

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But I’m getting ahead of myself a bit. Because the aforementioned Emilio Aguinaldo is an important figure. Undoubtedly. He was the first and youngest President of the Philippines for his leadership under this particular republic and was offered up as a potential national hero of the Philippines, a title that comes with a great deal of weight and significance. He was born the seventh of eight children in Kawit, and much like Teresa Magbanua, he came from a somewhat comfortable background from what I could piece together. His father was the appointed municipal governor, and Emilio was able to attend college until an outbreak of cholera derailed his studies. 

You know, I’ve noticed something. Here we have yet another hero without so humble of origins but was willing to create a change despite the immense personal risk and current comfort. It’s becoming a bit of a theme among Filipino heroes.

From there, Aguinaldo became a freemason and shortly that same year he entered into another secret organization, the ‘Katipunan,’ the same organization behind the Philippine revolution. From there, the historical ball was set in motion. And Aguinaldo’s role in the revolution grew greatly until he took on both a central role and the notice of the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. By then, Aguinaldo’s military successes had felt like distant dreams in the face of present retreats.

Aguinaldo's exile in Hong Kong was a condition of the ceasefire of sorts. It seemed as if the war had come to a complete end, but it wasn’t that clear cut. The revolutionary dream remained alive in the hearts of his countrymen, but it would take more time and more strategy to fully get it right.

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Except time wasn’t something they would have. War between Spain and the US came in April of 1898, and Spanish defeats by the hands of the US Navy gave Aguinaldo the chance to return to the Philippines, first to establish a dictatorial government on May 24, 1898 just as a sort of placeholder. Somebody had to be in charge, after all. This wasn’t a power grab by the opportunistic fool; this was strictly a practical thing. And Aguinaldo was already a recognized leader, enough so that American Commodore George Dewey recognized the appeal of bringing Aguinaldo back to the Philippines to help take Manila from the Spanish. Yes, for all the troubles that would come later, it was Dewey that put Aguinaldo in the position to lead this small republic for its short life.

But perhaps Dewey didn’t know how far this was going to go. Perhaps he didn’t know that Aguinaldo had brought with him a draft constitution that hadn’t had a chance to be, and that in many ways, it represented the hope of what would come after. Aguinaldo just needed to act, now. He needed to get things into some sort of order.

On June 12, from his family estate in Cavite, Aguinaldo promulgated the Philippine Declaration of Independence, and with that set and a few other details in place, on June 23, Aguinaldo replaced the short-lived dictatorial government with a revolutionary government with himself as the president, anticipating one more shift to a full republic once a proper constitution could be written and finalized. 

Oh and mot by him, mind you, but by partly-elected and partly-appointed officials making up the Malolos Congress. It was convened on September 15th of that year to specifically to write a constitution.

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Now, it brings me no joy to remind you that the 1898 Treaty of Paris was also this year, having been signed in December and eagerly acted upon. With it, the Philippines was transferred from Spain--though that claim was at least dubious at this point--to the United States. In theory, ratification of that treaty could have taken time. In theory, it might not have meant anything. The United States might have recognized this republic because it might have seen itself in this colony struggling to overthrow its rulers just as they had over 100 years before. Regardless, it wasn’t a reason to stop working. The Congress could plan for the worst and the best. As in, they could fortify their defenses and prepare a new government.

The Malolos Constitution was proclaimed on January 22, 1899. And this is the document that created the First Philippine Republic, selecting Aguinaldo as its president. Or confirming it. Really, he had the role in the bag since the first of the month. There had been no other clear contenders for the role, considering he had been presiding over this fledgling nation for a while already and doing a fair job of it at that.

To that end, there was plenty of reason to trust him and to give him the power to rule by decree, continuing what had been before--an arrangement that he had so effectively used to their benefit and was just a practical thing at that point.

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Now, there’s two more parts to this story. So in the next two episodes, I want to go into what was actually in that constitution and follow it up by how the republic fell. For that, you’ll have to stick around and subscribe.

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This has been a production of Miscellany Media Studios with music licensed from the Sounds like an Earful music supply. Thanks for listening! Find more information about our shows at miscellanymedia.online or follow us on Twitter @miscellanymedia for updates on current and future projects.

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Sources:

Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1997). Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic. University of the Philippines Press. Manilla: Philippines.

Agoncillo, Teodor A. (1990). History of the Filipino people (8th ed.). Quezon City: Garotech.

"Emilio Aguinaldo". Malacaňan Palace Presidential Museum and Library. http://malacanang.gov.ph/emilio-aguinaldo/