Chronicles
1945, Feb 24. The Battle of Manila ends. The Japanese surrender to the US.
1945, Feb 27. MacArthur hands over Malacanang Palace to Osmena.
1945, Mar 22. The families of pro-Japanese President Laurel and Speaker Aquino leave The Country for Japan to seek refuge.
1945, Jun 5. The Congress elected in 1941 convenes for the first time. Manuel Roxas (Jan 1, 1892 - Apr 15, 1948) is chosen Senate President; Elpidio Quirino (Nov 16, 1890 - Feb 28, 1956), Senate President pro-tempore; Jose Julueta, Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Prospero Singson, Speaker pro-tempore of the House of Representatives.
1945, Jul 5. General MacArthur announces the liberation of the Philippines.
1945, Aug 6. The Americans drop an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan.
1945, Aug 9. The Americans drop an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan.
1945, Aug 15. Japan accepts defeat.
1945, Sep 12. President Laurel is arrested by the US army and first confined in Sugamo prison, located in the outskirts of Tokyo; later he is sent back to the Philippines. Other collaborators are shipped to the Iwahig penal colony in Palawan for judgment.
1945, Dec. Manuel Roxas separates from the Nacionalista Party of Sergio Osmena Sr and joins the Liberal Party.
1946, Apr 20. The last presidential election under the Commonwealth is held; Roxas wins over Osmena by approximately 200,000 votes. Roxas' running mate, Elpidio Quirino, is elected Vice-President.
1946, Jul 4. The US declares the Independence of the Philippines.
1946, Sep 30. The Amended Tenancy Act is promulgated. It accommodates the landlords, thereby increasing the dissatisfaction of the peasants and workers. In the sequel the Huks of central Luzon continuously expand their armed struggle to the provinces of Bataan and Zambales.
1947, Jan 28. President Roxas issues an amnesty proclamation to collaborators and releases Claro M. Recto, Jose P. Laurel, Benigno Ramos, Jose Vargas, and Jose C. Zulueta, among others.
1947, Mar 6. President Roxas declares the Hukbalahap illegal, as it is alleged to have been organized and maintained to commit sedition and to overthrow the government by force. In the following months, the Huks lay low and occupy themselves with the organization of urban workers and the activation of labor unions. Labor unions are integrated into the Congress of Labor organization, headed by Jose and Jesus Lava.
1947, Apr 15. President Roxas dies from a heart attack at Clark Air Field, Pampanga during a visit to the US military installation. He is succeeded by his Vice-President Elpidio Quirino.
1947, Apr 17. Quirino takes his oath of office as President of the Philippines. He promises the restoration of people's faith in the government by solving the most pressing problem, the rebellion in central Luzon, through negotiation with the rebels.
1947, Jun 21. President Quirino issues an proclamation promising amnesty to the rebels on the condition that they present themselves with all arms and ammunition to the duly constituted authorities.
1947, Aug 15. The Huks change their name to Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (Liberation Army Movement) and establish 6 regional commands, 4 more than originally.
1947, Sep 8. The Philippine representative to the Far Eastern Commission, Carlos P. Romulo, signs the Japanese Peace Treaty. The Philippines is to obtain large reparations from Japan.
1950, Aug 31. President Quirino appoints Ramon Magsaysay (Aug 31, 1907 - Mar 17, 1957) Secretary of National Defense. Magsaysay is also the choice of the US as he is believed to be a leader who can recapture the people's confidence, and who furthermore is undoubtedly loyal to the US.
1950, Oct 21. President Quirino suspends the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus to be able to detain communists beyond the legal 6 hour limit for filing charges. The credit for the arrest of numerous communist leaders like Commander Arthur or Taciano Rizal, Faustino Tenorio, Paulino Huertas, and Casto Alenjandrino among others, goes to Magsaysay who is built up by the American Edward Landsdale, a CIA operative.
1951, Aug. The National Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL) is founded to insure free and honest elections. Jaime Ferrer is the first NAMFREL director. The organization is funded by the CIA. Landsdale prepares for the presidential candidacy of Magsaysay in the 1953 election.
1953, Nov 10. Ramon Magsaysay is elected President. Magsaysay garners 2,912,992 votes while Quirino obtains only 1,315,991. Magsaysay views as his responsibility to give personal attention and render on-the-spot solutions to people's everyday problems. He remains very receptive to any policy suggested to him by Landsdale.
1953, Dec 30. Magsaysay takes his oath of office.
1954. President Magsaysay designs the Agricultural Tenancy Act as his land reform program. This act allows tenants to shift from share tenancy to leasehold, reduces land rentals and prohibits ejection of tenants except for just cause as determined by the Court of Agrarian Relations.
1954, Jul 21. The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty is signed in Manila, creating the South East Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO). The organization aims to stop communist expansion in the area. Aside from the Philippines, the only other Southeast Asian member is Thailand. Other members are the United States, Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
1954, Dec 15. The Laurel-Langley Agreement is signed by the main negotiators, former President Jose P. Laurel and James L. Langley. This agreement opens the entire Philippine economy to US corporations.
1955. The Land Reform Act passes, which provides that private agricultural land with an area of more than 300 hectares, if owned by an individual, or 600 hectares, if owned by a corporation, can be expropriated.
1957, Mar 17. President Magsaysay dies in a plane crash in Cebu. Vice-President Carlos P. Garcia assumes the presidency.
1957, Nov 14. A presidential election is held with Carlos P. Garcia (Nov 4, 1896 - Jun 14, 1971), of the Nacionalista Party, Jose Yulo of the Liberal Party, Manuel Manahan of the Progressive Party of the Philippines, and Claro M. Recto of the Lapiang Makabansa. Garcia wins the election by over 600,000 votes against his closest rival, Jose Yulo.
1958, Aug 28. The National Economic Council officially promulgates the "Filipino first" policy calling for preferential treatment for Filipinos. The policy is not favored by the US.
1959. In elections for 8 of the 24 senators, Ferdinand Marcos (Sep 11, 1917-Sep 28, 1989) of the Liberal Party gets the most votes. The man most closely associated with Garcia, Juan Pajo, is badly defeated, foreshadowing the fate of President Garcia in the coming election.
1961, Nov 7. Diosdado Macapagal is elected President with 651,626 votes over Garcia. Emmanuel Pelaez is elected Macapagal's Vice-President.
1961, Dec 30. Diosdado Macapagal and Emmanuel Pelaez take their oaths of office.
1962, Jan 21. President Macapagal lifts exchange controls, eliminates licenses on imports and leaves as the only requirement for imports coverage by a letter of credit, accompanied by a special time deposit. The value of the peso floats in the free market. All this is seen as adversely affecting the Philippine economy. The unlimited flow of imported consumer goods subjects local products to crippling competition. Devaluation invites foreign investors due to the high buying power of the dollar.
1965, Nov 9. In presidential elections, Ferdinand Marcos wins with 3,554,840 votes over Diosdado Macapagal with 3,187,752. Marcos' running mate, Fernando Lopez, is elected Vice-President.
1965, Dec 30. Marcos and Lopez are sworn into office.
1967, Aug 16 to 20. Mt Taal erupts for 4 days
1967. In Mindanao, Nur Misuari organizes the Muslim National League, a secessionist movement.
1968, Aug 2. At 4:30, a strong earthquake on Luzon destroys the Ruby Apartment Tower in Santa Cruz, Manila, burying hundreds.
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