Carlos P. Garcia

Carlos P. García
8th President of the Philippines 4th President of the Third Republic
In office March 17, 1957 – December 30, 1961
Vice President	None (Mar 17 – Dec 30, 1957) Diosdado Macapagal (1957–1961)
Preceded by	Ramón Magsaysay
Succeeded by	Diosdado Macapagal
1st President of the 1971 Philippine Constitutional Convention
In office June 1, 1971 – June 14, 1971
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Succeeded by	Diosdado Macapagal
5th Vice President of the Philippines
In office December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957
President	Ramón Magsaysay
Preceded by	Fernando López
Succeeded by	Diosdado Macapagal
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957
President	Ramon Magsaysay
Preceded by	Joaquin Miguel Elizalde
Succeeded by	Vacant Post later held by Felixberto Serrano
Senator of the Philippines
In office May 25, 1946 – December 30, 1953
Governor of Bohol
In office December 30, 1933 – December 30, 1941
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Bohol's Third District
In office 1925–1931
Preceded by	Teodoro Abueva
Succeeded by	Filomeno Caseñas Orbeta
Personal details
Born	(1896-11-04)November 4, 1896 Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
Died	June 14, 1971(1971-06-14) (aged 74) Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines
Resting place	Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig, Philippines
Political party	Nacionalista Party
Spouse(s)	Leonila Dimataga
Children	Linda Garcia-Ocampos
Alma mater	Silliman University[1] Philippine Law School
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Carlos Polistico García (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader. He became the eighth President of the Philippines.

Early life [edit]

García was born in Talibon, Bohol, to Policronio García and Ambrosia Polistico (who were both natives of Bangued, Abra).

García grew up with politics, with his father serving as a municipal mayor for four terms. He acquired his primary education in his native Talibon, then took his secondary education in Cebu Provincial High School. Initially, he pursued his college education at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, and later studied at the Philippine Law School (now Philippine College of Criminology) where he earned his law degree in 1923. He was among the top ten in the bar examination.^[1]

Rather than practice law right away, he worked as a teacher for two years at Bohol Provincial High School. He became famous for his poetry in Bohol, where he earned the nickname "Prince of Visayan Poets" and the "Bard from Bohol".

Marriage [edit]

In 1924 he married to Leonila Dimataga they had a daughter namely Linda Garcia-Ocampos.

Descendants [edit]

• Teodoro P. Garcia Sr
• Teodoro P. Garcia Jr
• Dominique Marie L. Garcia (Born 1988)
  • Mother of Jace Jotham M. Cortez Garcia (Born 2009)
• Timothy Daniel L. Garcia (Born 1989)
• Raphael L. Garcia (Born 1992)

Political career [edit]

He started his political career in 1925, scoring an impressive victory running for congressman representing the third district of Bohol. He was elected for another term in 1928 and served until 1931. He was elected governor of Bohol in 1933 but served only until 1941 when he successfully ran for the Philippine Senate but his term cut short during World War II. He took the post when Congress convened in 1945 after the Philippines was liberated from the Japanese.

Vice Presidency [edit]

See Also: Presidency of Ramon Magsaysay

García was the running mate of Ramón Magsaysay in the presidential election of 1953. He was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs by President Ramón Magsaysay, for four years concurrently serving as vice president.

As secretary of foreign affairs, he opened formal reparation negotiations in an effort to end the nine-year technical state of war between Japan and the Philippines, leading to an agreement in April 1954. During the Geneva Conference on Korean unification and other Asian problems, García as chairman of the Philippine delegation attacked communist promises in Asia and defended the U.S. policy in the Far East. In a speech on May 7, 1954, the day of the fall of Dien Bien Phu, García repeated the Philippine stand for nationalism and opposition of communism.

García acted as chairman of the eight-nation Southeast Asian Security Conference held in Manila in September 1954, which led to the development of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, known as SEATO.^[2]

Presidency [edit]

Economy of the Philippines under
President Carlos Garcia
1957–1961

Population
1957	22.68 million
Gross Domestic Product
1957	Php 189,457 million
1961	Php 224,430 million
Growth rate, 1957-61	4.54 %
Per capita income
1957	Php 8,353
1961	Php 7,927
Total exports
1957	Php 35,980 million
1961	Php 39,845 million
Exchange rates
1 US US$ = Php 2.64 1 Php = US US$ 0.38
Sources: Philippine Presidency Project Malaya, Jonathan; Eduardo Malaya. So Help Us God... The Inaugurals of the Presidents of the Philippines. Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Accession [edit]

Vice President Carlos P. García was inaugurated as the 8th President of the Philippines upon Magsaysay's death on March 17, 1957. at the Council of State Room, Executive Building, Malacañan Palace. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Ricardo Paras on March 17, 1957.

At the time of the sudden death of President Ramon Magsaysay, Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Carlos P. García was heading the Philippine delegation to the SEATO conference then being held at Canberra, Australia.^[3] Having been immediately notified of the tragedy, Vice President García enplaned back for Manila. Upon his arrival he directly repaired to Malacañang Palace to assume the duties of President. Chief Justice Ricardo Paras, of the Supreme Court, was at hand to administer the oath of office. President García's first actions dealt with the declaration of a period of mourning for the whole nation and the burial ceremonies for the late Chief-Executive Magsaysay.^[3]

Outlawing Communism [edit]

After much discussion, both official and public, the Congress of the Philippines, finally, approved a bill outlawing the Communist Party of the Philippines. Despite the pressure exerted against the congressional measure, President Carlos P. García signed the said bill into law as Republic Act No. 1700 on June 19, 1957.^[3][4] With this legislative piece, the sustained government campaign for peace and order achieved considerable progress and success.^[3]

Republic Act No. 1700 was superseded by Presidential Decree No. 885, entitled "Outlawing Subversive Organization, Penalizing Membership Therein and For Other Purposes." In turn, Presidential Decree 885 was amended by Presidential Decree No. 1736, and later superseded by Presidential Decree No. 1835, entitled, "Codifying The Various Laws on Anti-Subversion and Increasing the Penalties for Membership in Subversive Organization." This, in turn, was amended by Presidential Decree No. 1975. On May 5, 1987, Executive Order No. 167 repealed Presidential Decrees Nos. 1835 and 1975 as being unduly restrictive of the constitutional right to form associations.^[5]

On September 22, 1992, Republic Act No. 1700, as amended, was repealed by Republic Act No. 7636.^[6]

Filipino First Policy [edit]

President García exercised the Filipino First Policy, for which he was known. This policy heavily favored Filipino businessmen over foreign investors. He was also responsible for changes in retail trade which greatly affected the Chinese businessmen in the country. In a speech during a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives on September 18, 1946, President Garcia said the following:

Austerity Program [edit]

In the face of the trying conditions of the country, President García initiated what has been called "The Austerity Program". García's administration was characterized by its austerity program and its insistence on a comprehensive nationalist policy. On March 3, 1960, he affirmed the need for complete economic freedom and added that the government no longer would tolerate the dominance of foreign interests (especially American) in the national economy. He promised to shake off "the yoke of alien domination in business, trade, commerce and industry." García was also credited with his role in reviving Filipino cultural arts.^[2] The main points of the Austerity Program were^[3]:

1. The government would tighten up its controls to prevent abuses in the over shipment of exports under license and in under-pricing as well.
2. There would be a more rigid enforcement of the existing regulations on barter shipments.
3. Government imports themselves were to be restricted to essential items.
4. The government also would reduce rice imports to a minimum.
5. An overhauling of the local transportation system would be attempted so as to reduce the importation of gasoline and spare parts.
6. The tax system would be revised so as to attain more equitable distribution of the payment-burden and achieve more effective collection from those with ability to pay.
7. There would be an intensification of food production.

The program was hailed^[3] by the people at large and confidence was expressed that the measures proposed would help solve the standing problems of the Republic.^[3]

Bohlen–Serrano Agreement [edit]

During his administration, he acted on the Bohlen–Serrano Agreement which shortened the lease of the US Bases from 99 years to 25 years and made it renewable after every five years.

1961 Presidential Election [edit]

At the end of his second term, he ran for re–election in the Presidential elections in November 1961, but was defeated by Diosdado Macapagal, Vice President under him, but belonged to the opposing Liberal Party – in the Philippines the President and the Vice President are elected separately.

Cabinet [edit]

Post-presidency and death [edit]

President García's tomb at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

After his failed re–election bid, García retired to Tagbilaran to live as a private citizen. On June 1, 1971, García was elected delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention. The convention delegates elected him as the President of the Convention. However, just days after his election, on June 14, 1971, García died from a fatal heart attack. He was succeeded as president of the Convention by his former Vice President, Diosdado Macapagal.

García became the first president to have his remains lie in-state at the Manila Cathedral and the first president to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

References [edit]

• Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. National Bookstore Printing Press. 

External links [edit]

Works written by or about Carlos P. Garcia at Wikisource

• Media related to Carlos P. Garcia at Wikimedia Commons
• Carlos P. Garcia on the Presidential Museum and Library

v t e Presidents of the Philippines First Republic 1 Emilio Aguinaldo Commonwealth 2 Manuel L. Quezon 4 Sergio Osmeña 5 Manuel Roxas Second Republic 3 José P. Laurel Third Republic 5 Manuel Roxas 6 Elpidio Quirino 7 Ramon Magsaysay 8 Carlos P. Garcia 9 Diosdado Macapagal 10 Ferdinand E. Marcos Fourth Republic 10 Ferdinand E. Marcos 11 Corazon C. Aquino Fifth Republic 11 Corazon C. Aquino 12 Fidel V. Ramos 13 Joseph Ejercito Estrada 14 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 15 Benigno S. Aquino III

v t e Vice Presidents of the Philippines Commonwealth 1 Sergio Osmeña Third Republic 2 Elpidio Quirino 3 Fernando Lopez 4 Carlos P. Garcia 5 Diosdado Macapagal 6 Emmanuel Pelaez 7 Fernando Lopez Fourth Republic 8 Arturo M. Tolentino 9 Salvador H. Laurel Fifth Republic (1986-2004) 10 Salvador H. Laurel 11 Joseph Ejercito Estrada 12 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 13 Teofisto Guingona 14 Noli L. De Castro 15 Jejomar C. Binay