The Malolos Constitution

• The Malolos Congress


  Composed of eighty-five Filipinos who were considered as the most intelligent men in the country, met in a revolutionary congress at Barasoain Church
• The Malolos Congress


  1. Approved the independence of the Philippines

  2. Started drafting the constitution
• The committee that drafted the Malolos Constitution

  • Headed by Felipe Calderon and aided by Cayetano Arellano
  • It was the first republican constitution in Asia
• The Malolos Constitution was inspired by the constitutions of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, Belgium and France
• Approval of the Malolos Constitution

  1. Approved by the Malolos Congress on November 29, 1898

  2. Presented to President Aguinaldo and returned to Congress for amendments on December 1, 1898

  3. Approved by President Aguinaldo and formally adopted by the Malolos Congress on January 20, 1899
• The Malolos Constitution


  The first Philippine Constitution and the first republican constitution in Asia adopted by Philippine Republic
• The Malolos Constitution was inaugurated on January 21, 1899 and ended March 23, 1901 when Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans
• The first Philippine Republic

  Also called Malolos Republic, inaugurated on January 23, 1899 at Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan
• Emilio Aguinaldo took his oath of office as President after being proclaimed, then the constitution was read article by article and followed by a military parade
• Apolinario Mabini


  Elected as Prime Minister
• Cabinet Secretaries


  • Teodoro Sandico, interior
  • Baldomero Aguinaldo, war
  • Gen. Mariano Trias, finance
  • Apolinario Mabini, foreign affairs
  • Gracio Gonzaga for welfare
  • Aguedo Velarde, public instruction
  • Maximo Paterno, public works & communication
  • Leon María Guerrero for agriculture, trade & commerce
• The first Philippine Republic had a free press, with Antonio Luna and other Filipinos running an independent newspaper called "La Independencia"
• There was also free press in Manila and Cebu but the official newspaper of the government was called "El Heraldo de la Revolution"
• Filipino diplomats abroad

  • Felipe Agoncillo was the first Filipino diplomat who was sent to Paris and Washington to work for the recognition of the Philippine independence
  • There were also diplomats in Japan, England, France and Australia
• The first Philippine Republic

  • A democratic government with three branches - the Executive, Legislative and the Judicial branches
  • The executive powers were to be exercised by the president of the republic with the help of his cabinet
  • Judicial powers were given to the Supreme Court and other lower courts to be created by law
  • The Chief justice of the Supreme Court was to be elected by the legislature with the concurrence of the President and his Cabinet
• The First Philippine Assembly


  Composed of educated Filipinos from illustrious clans such as Sergio Osmeña and Manuel L. Quezon, convened to revived the issue of immediate independence for the Filipinos and this was expressed by sending political missions to the US Congress
• Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill


  Brought home by Osmeña-Roxas mission from the US Congress in 1931, which provided for a 10-year transition period before the granting of Philippine independence
• The passage of the independence bill resulted into a debate between PRO and ANTI whether to accept or to reject, and finally, it was rejected
• Tydings-McDuffie Act


  Authored by Sen. Millard Tydings and Rep. John McDuffie, a slightly amended version of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting bill signed by President Franklin Roosevelt on March 24, 1934
• The Tydings-McDuffie Act set July 4 after the tenth year of the commonwealth as date of Philippine independence, and this was accepted by the Philippine Legislature on May 1, 1934
• Salient features of the 1935 Constitution

  • A bicameral legislature composed of a senate and House of Representatives
  • The Senate composed of 24 Elected Senator and not more than one hundred twenty members who shall be appointed among the several provinces
  • The president is to be elected to a four-year term together with the Vice-President chosen for the same term and shall be elected by direct vote of the people
  • The executive power shall be vested in a President of the Philippines
• Rights of suffrage


  Extended to male citizens of the Philippines who are twenty-one years of age or over and are able to read and write who shall have resided in the Philippine for one year and six months in the municipality wherein they propose to vote
• Rights of Suffrage to Women

  The right of suffrage was extended to women within two years after the adoption of the constitution
• Approval of the 1935 Constitution

  The draft of the constitution was approved by the convention on February 8, 1935 and ratified by Pres. Roosevelt in Washington D.C on March 25, 1935
• The 1935 Constitution


  Provided the legal basis of the Commonwealth Government which was considered a transition government before the granting of the Philippine independence with American-inspired constitution
• Under Article VII, Section 1, the executive power shall be vested in a President of the Philippines.
• Rights of Suffrage to Women

  The right of Suffrage was under Article V, Section 1 extend of the right of suffrage to women within two years after the adoption of the constitution.