First Philippine Republic

The arrival of Aguinaldo at Malolos on January 23, 1899 for the inauguration of the first Philippine Republic

Article by: Danielle

On this date, January 23, 2024, marks the 125th anniversary of the proclamation of The First Philippine Republic. The event took place at the Barasoain Church at Malolos, Bulacan on the 23rd of January 1899. It was the first republican constitution in Asia and came about as part of the uprising against the Spanish Empire and the Spanish-American War. The First Philippine Republic succeeded the revolutionary government of the Philippines.

The First Republic's foundation can be traced in the 1896 Revolution against the Spaniards, which was sparked by Andres Bonifacio of the Katipunan along with its member from Manila and other provinces (i.e. Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija).An internal conflict and differences occurred with its members—followed by the death of the Supremo, Andres Bonifacio (who was accused of "treason")—The leadership then fell at the hands of Emilio Aguinaldo.

At the first phase of the revolution—both Filipino and Spanish forces were unable to come to a successful end, A temporary agreement was made at the Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel de Mayumo Bulacan on December 15, 1897 (disestablishing the Republic of Biak-na-Bato) between the two sides for the hostilities that happened. Aguinaldo then was sent to exile in Hong Kong in exchange for P400,000. The truce ended in a bad state as both sides were just buying time and resources to resume the armed conflict. Aguinaldo then returned along with his fellow revolutionaries to the Philippines mid year of 1898 to continue the revolution as the Spanish-American war broke out.

Philippine independence from Spain was formally declared on June 12, 1898—with Aguinaldo waving the Philippine flag from his balcony in Kawit, Cavite. Six days later, a Dictatorial Government was established, with the responsibility of assisting the country's needs. On the advice of Apolinario Mabini, Aguinaldo issued another decree replacing the dictatorial government with a revolutionary one on June 23, 1898—to avoid the suspicion of provinces on Aguinaldo’s leadership.

On September 15, 1898, in Malolos, Bulacan—with people of all classes scattered throughout the streets and houses and government buildings displaying the Philippine flag—the revolutionary Congress officially convened in Barasoain Church to draft the Philippine Constitution through the decree issued by the Philippine Revolutionary Government.

The Congress was established with representatives from each of the Philippines' provinces, both elected and appointed. This was the first time the Filipino people would have their own nation—it was intended to serve as a bridge for a new national government. Presenting as a democracy in the process of turning into a republic. For this reason, Mabini wanted to avoid drawing attention from the provinces' representatives to the "tyrannical government" (the Dictatorial Government that was in place back then).

During the Congress's opening session, Aguinaldo gave a speech instructing the Congress to draft the Philippine Constitution. There was already a draft constitution written by Mabini which had already been distributed throughout the archipelago by Aguinaldo early in July 1898 to gather feedbacks, but it was hold as the Revolutionary Government concentrated on tricking the United States, considering that the Spanish Forces had surrendered to the Americans on August 13, 1898, inside Intramuros.

The committee was formed to design the Constitution; however, because most Congress members were devout Catholics, Mabini's draft was rejected because it was anti-clerical. Paterno proceeded to present his own proposal, which was rejected as well since it is plagiarised from the Spanish Republican Constitution. In substitute of Apolinario Mabini and Pedro Paterno's proposal to the Malolos Congress, Felipe Calderon and Felipe Buencamino's work was selected. Following an extensive debate in the later half of 1898 (i.e the separation of church and state). The Spanish-American War came to an end on December 10, 1898, when the 1898 Treaty of Paris was signed, transferring the Philippines from Spain to the United States.

On January 20, 1899, the Malolos Congress officials accepted the written constitution. Aguinaldo ratified it the next day, and on January 23, 1899—by the virtue of Malolos Constitution (Constitución Política de 1899) officially established the First Philippine Republic. Being only the spacious establishment at the time, Barasoain has hosted the historical event.

In commemoration, the “Araw ng Republikang Filipino, 1899” has been remembered every 23rd of January through the proclamation of the late president Benigno Aquino III—with what Maloleños observed as the “Fiesta Republica” to highlight the significance of becoming a Republic.