Elpidio Quirino

president of Philippines
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Elpidio Quirino, (born Nov. 16, 1890, Vigan, Phil.—died Feb. 28,
1956, Novaliches), political leader and second president of the
independent Republic of the Philippines.

After obtaining a law degree from the University of the Philippines,

near Manila, in 1915, Quirino practiced law until he was elected a
member of the Philippine House of Representatives in 1919–25 and a
senator in 1925–31. In 1934 he was a member of the Philippine
independence mission to Washington, D.C., headed by Manuel
Quezon, which secured the passage in Congress of the Tydings–
McDuffie Act, setting the date for Philippine independence as July 4,
1946. He was also elected to the convention that drafted a constitution
for the new Philippine Commonwealth. Subsequently he served as
secretary of finance and secretary of the interior in the Commonwealth
government.
 Tydings-McDuffie Act, signing ofPres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the
Philippine Commonwealth and Independence Act on March 24, 1934.
Standing behind him (left to right) are Wyoming Democratic Sen. Joseph
O'Mahoney, Secretary of War George H. Dern, Filipino Sen. Elpidio Quirino,
Filipino leader and future president Manuel Quezon, Maryland Democratic
Sen. Millard E. Tydings, and Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs C.F.
Cox.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
After World War II, Quirino served as secretary of state and vice
president under the first president of the independent Philippines,
Manuel Roxas. When Roxas died on April 15, 1948, Quirino succeeded
to the presidency. The following year, he was elected president for a
four-year term on the Liberal Party ticket, defeating the Nacionalista
candidate.
 QuirinoEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

0000214229-wtfvid007-109
President Quirino’s administration faced a serious threat in the form
of the Communist-led Hukbalahap (Huk) movement. Though the
Huks originally had been an anti-Japanese guerrilla army in Luzon,
the Communists steadily gained control over the leadership, and,
when Quirino’s negotiations with Huk commander Luis Taruc broke
down in 1948, Taruc openly declared himself a Communist and called
for the overthrow of the government. By 1950 the Huks had gained
control over a considerable portion of Luzon, and Quirino appointed
the able Ramon Magsaysay as secretary of national defense to
suppress the insurrection.
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Quirino’s six years as president were marked by notable postwar

reconstruction, general economic gains, and increased economic aid
from the United States. Basic social problems, however, particularly in
the rural areas, remained unsolved; Quirino’s administration was
tainted by widespread graft and corruption. The 1949 elections, which
he had won, were among the most dishonest in the country’s history.
Magsaysay, who had been largely successful in eliminating the threat
of the Huk insurgents, broke with Quirino on the issue of corruption,
campaigning for clean elections and defeating Quirino as the
Nacionalista candidate in the presidential election of 1953.
Subsequently, Quirino retired to private life.

This article was most recently revised and updated by  Amy Tikkanen,
Corrections Manager.
LEARN MORE in these related Britannica articles:


 Ramon Magsaysay

President Elpidio Quirino appointed Magsaysay secretary of defense to deal with

the threat of the Huks, whose leader, Luis Taruc, in February 1950 established a
People’s Liberation Army and called for the overthrow of the government.
Magsaysay then carried out until 1953 one of the most…

Hukbalahap Rebellion

Hukbalahap Rebellion, (1946–54), Communist-led peasant uprising in central Luzon,

Philippines. The name of the movement is a Tagalog acronym for Hukbo ng Bayan
Laban sa Hapon, which means “People’s Anti-Japanese Army.” The Huks came close
to victory in 1950 but were subsequently defeated by a combination…

Luis Taruc

Luis Taruc, Philippine leader (1942–54) of the communist Huk (Hukbalahap)

movement. The son of poor peasants, Taruc studied at the University of Manila for
two years (1932–34) and then became involved in the cause of the Philippines’
landless peasants.…
HISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
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Elpidio Quirino

Elpidio Quirino (1890-1956) was the second president of

the Philippine Republic. During his administration, the
Philippines passed through a period of revolutionary
turmoil marked by widespread corruption, demoralization,
economic crisis, and political terrorism.
Elpidio Quirino was born on Nov. 16, 1890, in Vigan, Ilocos Sur,
the son of the warden of the provincial jail. Quirino taught
school while studying at Vigan High School and then went to
Manila, where he worked as junior computer in the Bureau of
Lands and as property clerk in the Manila police department. He
graduated from Manila High School in 1911 and also passed
the civil service examination, first-grade.
After graduating from the College of Law, University of the
Philippines, in 1915, Quirino served as law clerk in the
Philippine Commission and then as secretary to Senate
president Manuel Quezon. In 1919 Quirino won the post of
congressional representative from the first district of Ilocos Sur.
He opposed Sergio Osmeña, the leader of the Nacionalista
party, and joined Quezon's Collectivista faction of the party. In
1925 Quirino was elected to the Senate. Quezon appointed him
chairman of the Committee on Accounts and Claims and of the
Committee on Public Instruction and to other important
congressional bodies. In 1931 Quirino was reelected to the
Senate. In the controversy surrounding the Hare-Hawes-Cutting
Law of 1933, he sided with Quezon.
In 1934 Quirino became secretary of finance. He was also one
of the drafters of the constitution approved on May 15, 1935.
When the Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated on Nov.
15, 1935, he held the position of secretary of finance (1935-
1936) and then became secretary of interior (1936-1938). In
1941 he was elected as senator-at-large. When World War
II broke out, Quirino refused to join the puppet government of
José Laurel and became an underground leader of the Filipino
resistance movement against the Japanese. He was captured
and imprisoned by the Japanese military police in Ft. Santiago,
and his wife, two daughters, and a son were murdered by the
Japanese forces.
In 1945 Quirino became the leader of the majority in the
Philippine Congress and then assumed the post of president
pro tempore of the Senate. On the inauguration of the Philippine
Republic in 1946, he occupied the post of vice president and
first secretary of foreign affairs. In 1947 Quirino (who belonged
to the class of landlords, compradors, and bureaucrat-
capitalists) urged the adoption of the anomalous "parity
amendment, " imposed by the U.S. government in exchange for
independence, war damage payments, and other loans.
When President Manuel Roxas died on April 15, 1948, Quirino
succeeded him as president of the republic. For his weakness
in tolerating rampant graft and corruption in his party, permitting
immorality in the armed forces, and neglecting the impoverished
plight of the majority of Filipinos, he was very unpopular, and in
1953 he was defeated by Ramon Magsaysay.
As president, Quirino was many times justly accused by Filipino
nationalists of being extremely pro-American and even
subservient to alien economic interests. To maintain peace and
order for the sake of national unity, he granted amnesty to the
Huk guerrillas on June 21, 1948; but this measure proved futile
in solving the deep-rooted social injustice and exploitation
inherent in the country's semifeudal economy. Although Quirino
saw the need for increasing the appeal for loans from
the United States and establishing controls to protect local
Filipino industries and conserve natural resources, he failed to
act vigorously and sincerely in implementing drastic agrarian
reforms.
Quirino was elected president in 1949, when, according to
historians and newspaper reports, widespread terrorism and
violation of legal electoral processes occurred. He died on Feb.
29, 1956.
Further Reading
Standard references on Quirino's career and achievement
include Sol H. Gwekoh, Elpidio Quirino: The Barrio School
Teacher Who Became President (1949), and Hernando J.
Abaya, Betrayal in the Philippines (1946) and The Untold
Philippine Story (1967).
Encyclopedia 1080

Volume 0%
00:00

01:04

Additional Sources
Espinosa-Robles, Raissa, To fight without end: the story of a
misunderstood president, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines:
Ayala Foundation, 1990.
Lopez, Salvador P., Elpidio Quirino: the judgment of
history, Manila: President Elpidio Quirino Foundation, 1990.
Quirino, Carlos, Apo Lakay: the biography of President Elpidio
Quirino of the Philippines, Makati, Metro Manila: Total Book
World, 1987.
Romulo, Carlos P., The Philippine presidents, Quezon City:
New Day Publisher

Elpidio Quirino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Rivera and the surname
or paternal family name is Quiríno.

His Excellency

Elpidío R. Quiríno

6th President of the Philippines

In office
 April 17, 1948 – December 30, 1953

Vice President None (1948–1949)

Fernando Lopez (1949–1953)

Preceded by Manuel Roxas

Succeeded by Ramon Magsaysay

2nd Vice President of the Philippines

In office

May 28, 1946 – April 17, 1948

President Manuel Roxas

Preceded by Sergio Osmeña

Succeeded by Fernando Lopez

Secretary of Foreign Affairs

In office

September 16, 1946 – January 6, 1950

President Manuel Roxas

Himself

Preceded by Post established

Succeeded by Felino Neri

Secretary of Finance

In office

May 28, 1946 – November 24, 1946

President Manuel Roxas

Preceded by Jaime Hernandez

Succeeded by Miguel Cuaderno

In office

July 25, 1934 – February 18, 1936

President Manuel L. Quezon

Preceded by Vicente Encarnacion

Succeeded by Antonio de las Alas

Secretary of the Interior

In office

1935–1938

President Manuel L. Quezon

Preceded by Severino de las Alas

Succeeded by Rafael Alunan

4th President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines

In office

July 9, 1945 – May 25, 1946

President Sergio Osmeña

Preceded by José Avelino (acting)

Succeeded by Melecio Arranz

 Senator of the Philippines

In office

July 9, 1945 – May 28, 1946

Senator of the Philippines from the First Senatorial District

In office

1925 – November 15, 1935

Served with:

Isabelo de los Reyes (1925–1928)

Melecio Arranz (1928–1935)

Preceded by Santiago Fonacier

Succeeded by Position abolished

Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Ilocos

Sur's 1st District

In office

1919–1925

Preceded by Alberto Reyes

Succeeded by Vicente Singson Pablo

Personal details

Born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera

November 16, 1890

Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Captaincy General of the

Philippines

Died February 29, 1956 (aged 65)

Novaliches, Quezon City, Philippines
 Resting place Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig, Philippines

Political party Liberal Party

Other political Nacionalista (before 1945)

affiliations

Alicia Syquia
Spouse(s)

(m. 1921; died 1945)

Relations Cory Quiríno (granddaughter)

Monique Lagdameo (great-granddaughter)

Children Tomas Quiríno

Armando Quiríno

Norma Quiríno

Victoria Quiríno-González

Fe Angela Quiríno

Alma mater University of the Philippines

Profession Lawyer

Elpidío Rivera Quiríno (born Elpidío Quiríno y Rivera; November 16, 1890 –

February 29, 1956) was a Filipino politician of ethnic Ilocano descent who served as the
sixth President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quiríno entered politics when he became a representative
of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as senator from 1925–1931. In
1934, he became a member of the Philippine independence commission that was sent
to Washington, D.C., which secured the passage of Tydings–McDuffie Act to American
Congress. In 1935, he was also elected to the convention that drafted the 1935
constitution for the newly established Commonwealth. In the new government, he
served as secretary of the interior and finance under President Manuel Quezon's
cabinet.
After World War II, Quiríno was elected vice-president in the 1946 election,
consequently the second and last for the Commonwealth and first for the third republic.
 After the death of the incumbent president Manuel Roxas in 1948, he succeeded the
presidency. He won the president's office under Liberal Party ticket,
defeating Nacionalista vice president and former president José P. Laurel as well as
fellow Liberalista and former Senate President José Avelino.
The Quiríno administration was generally challenged by the Hukbalahaps, who
ransacked towns and barrios. Quiríno ran for president again in 1953 but was defeated
by Ramon Magsaysay.

Contents

 1Early life and career

 2Personal life
 3Congressional career
o 3.1House of Representatives
o 3.2Senate
 4Vice-presidency
 5Presidency
o 5.1Administration and Cabinet
o 5.2First term (1948–1949)
 5.2.1Accession
 5.2.2New capital city
 5.2.3HukBaLaHap
 5.2.4Fireside chats
 5.2.5Impeachment attempt
 5.2.6Romulo becomes President of the UN General Assembly
 5.2.71949 presidential election
o 5.3Second term (1949–1953)
 5.3.1Baguio Conference
 5.3.2HukBaLaHap continued re-insurgence
 5.3.3Peace campaign
 5.3.41951 midterm election
 5.3.51953 presidential election
o 5.4Domestic policies
 5.4.1Economy
 5.4.2Social program
 5.4.3Agrarian reform
 5.4.4Integrity Board
o 5.5Foreign policies
 5.5.1Korean War
 5.5.2Quirino-Foster Agreement
 6Post-presidency and death
 7Memorials
 8Notes
 9References
 10External links
Early life and career[edit]
Elpidío Quiríno was born on November 16, 1890 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. He was the third
child of Don Mariano Quebral Quiríno of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur and Doña Gregoria
Mendoza Rivera of Agoo, La Union.[1] Gregoria gave birth to Quiríno in the Vigan town
jail, where the family lived while Mariano worked as its warden. [1] Quiríno was baptized
on November 19, 1890.[2] Quiríno spent his early years in Aringay, La Union. He studied
and graduated from his elementary education to his native Caoayan, where he became
a barrio teacher. He received secondary education at Vigan High School, then went to
Manila where he worked as junior computer technician at the Bureau of Lands and as
property clerk in the Manila police department. He graduated from Manila High School
in 1911 and also passed the civil service examination, first-grade. [citation needed]
Quiríno attended the University of the Philippines in Manila. In 1915, he earned his law
degree from the university's College of Law, and was admitted to the bar later that year.
He was engaged into the private practice of law. During his early years as an adult he
was inducted into the Pan Xenia Fraternity, a professional trade fraternity in the
University of the Philippines, in the year 1950.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]
Quiríno was married to Alicia Syquía (1903–1945) on January 16, 1921. The couple had
five children: Tomas, Armando, Norma, Victoria, and Fe Angela. On February 9, 1945,
his wife and three of their children (Armando, Norma and Fe Angela) were killed by
Japanese troops as they fled their home during the Battle of Manila.[3] His
brother Antonio Quirino was the owner of Alto Broadcasting System, which later merged
with Chronicle Broadcasting Network to form the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.[4]
His daughter, Victoria, became the youngest hostess of Malacañang Palace, at 16
years old, when Quiríno ascended to the presidency on April 17, 1948. She married
Luis M. Gonzalez in 1950, who became Philippine ambassador to Spain from 1966–
1971.

Congressional career[edit]
House of Representatives[edit]
Quiríno was engaged in the private practice of law until he was elected as member of
the Philippine House of Representatives from 1919 to 1925, succeeding Alberto Reyes.
In 1925 he was succeeded as congressman by Vicente Singson Pablo.
Senate[edit]
Quiríno was elected as Senator from 1925 to 1931 representing the First Senatorial
District. He then served as Secretary of Finance and Secretary of the Interior in the
Commonwealth government.[citation needed]
In 1934, Quiríno was a member of the Philippine Independence mission to Washington,
D.C., headed by Manuel L. Quezon, that secured the passage in the United States
Congress of the Tydings–McDuffie Act. This legislation set the date for Philippine
independence by 1945. Official declaration came on July 4, 1946. [citation needed]
Before the Second World War, Quiríno was re-elected to the Senate but was not able to
serve until 1945.
After the war, the Philippine Commonwealth Government was restored. The Congress
was likewise re-organized and in the Senate and Quiríno was installed was Senate
President pro tempore.[citation needed]

Vice-presidency[edit]

President Elpidio Quirino weeps beside the coffin of his predecessor, Manuel Roxas during the latter's wake in
1948

Soon after the reconstitution of the Commonwealth Government in 1945,

Senators Manuel Roxas, Quiríno and their allies called for an early national election to
choose the president and vice president of the Philippines and members of the
Congress. In December 1945, the House Insular Affairs of the United States
Congress approved the joint resolution setting the date of the election on not later than
April 30, 1946.
Prompted by this congressional action, President Sergio Osmeña called the Philippine
Congress to a three-day special session. Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No.
725, setting the date of the election on April 23, 1946. The act was signed by President
Osmeña on January 5, 1946.
Quiríno was nominated as Senate President Manuel Roxas' running mate. The tandem
won the election. As Vice-President, Quiríno was appointed Secretary of Foreign
Affairs.

Presidency[edit]
Presidential styles of
Elpidio R. Quirino

Reference style His Excellency

 Spoken style Your Excellency

Alternative style Mr. President

Quiríno's five years as president were marked by notable postwar reconstruction,

general economic gains and increased economic aid from the United States.
Administration and Cabinet[edit]
Office Name Term

President Elpidio Quirino 1948–1953

Vice-President Fernando López 1949–1953

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Elpidio Quirino (acting) April 17, 1948 – January 6, 1950

Felino Neri January 6, 1950 – May 1950

Carlos P. Romulo May 1950 – 1951

Joaquín Miguel Elizalde April 18, 1952 – December 30, 1953

Secretary of the Interior Sotero Baluyut September 21, 1948 – 1951

Secretary of Finance Miguel Cuaderno April 17, 1948 – January 2, 1949

Pío Pedrosa January 5, 1949 – September 12,

1951

Aurelio Montinola, Sr. April 18, 1952 – December 30, 1953

Secretary of Justice Roman Ozaeta May 28, 1946 – September 1948

Sabino Padilla September 17, 1948 – June 1949

Ricardo Nepomuceno July 1949 – July 1950

Jose Bengzon December 15, 1950 – September

1951
 Oscar Castelo April 18, 1952 – August 1953

Roberto Gianzon August 1953 – December 30, 1953

Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Plácido Mapa September 21, 1948 – 1950

Fernando López December 14, 1950–1953

Secretary of Public Works and Communications Ricardo Nepumoceno April 17, 1948 – 1949

Prospero Sanidad February 21, 1950 -1951

Sotero Baluyot January 6, 1951 – 1952

Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Pablo Lorenzo May 6, 1952 – 1953
Communications

Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports Prudencio Langcauon September 1948 – September 13,
1950

Pablo Lorenzo September 14, 1950 – April 3, 1951

Teodoro T. Evangelista May 18, 1951 – September 30, 1951

Sr.

Cecilio Putong April 18, 1952 – December 30, 1953

Benito Pangilinan September 22, 1953

Secretary of Labor Primitivo Lovina September 21, 1948 – December 21,

1950

Jose Figueras December 21, 1950 – December 30,

1953

Secretary of National Defense Ruperto Kangleon April 17, 1948 – August 31, 1950

Ramon Magsaysay December 14, 1950 – February 28,

1953

Oscar T. Castelo March 1, 1953 – December 19, 1953

 Secretary of Health and Public Welfare Antonio Villarama April 17, 1948 – December 31, 1949

Juan S. Salcedo December 14, 1950 – November 10,

1953

Administrator of Social Services Asunción A. Pérez May 6, 1952 – 1953

Secretary of Trade and Industry Cornelio Balmaceda September 21, 1948 – February 12,
1949

Placido L. Mapa February 12, 1949 – December 30,

1953

Executive Secretary Emilio Abello April 21, 1948 – September 14, 1948

Teodoro T. Evangelista September 16, 1948 – May 8, 1951

Sr.

Marciano Roque February 2, 1952 – December 29,

1953

Budget Commissioner Pío Joven 1948–1953

First term (1948–1949)[edit]

Accession[edit]

Vice-President Elpidio Quirino was inaugurated as the 6th President of the Philippines on April 17, 1948 at the
Council of State Room, Executive Building, Malacañan Palace.

Quirino assumed the presidency on April 17, 1948, taking his oath of office two days
after the death of Manuel Roxas. His first official act as the President was the
proclamation of a state mourning throughout the country for Roxas' death. Since Quiríno
was a widower, his surviving daughter, Victoria, would serve as the official hostess and
perform the functions traditionally ascribed to the First Lady.
New capital city[edit]
On July 17, 1948, the Congress approved Republic Act No. 333, amending
Commonwealth Act No. 502, declaring Quezon City the capital of the Philippines in
place of Manila.[5] Nevertheless, pending the official transfer of the government offices to
the new capital site, Manila remained to be such for all effective purposes. [5]
HukBaLaHap[edit]
The term HukBaLaHap was a contraction of Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon (in
English: The Nation's Army Against the Japanese Soldiers), members of which were
commonly referred to as Huks.
With the expiration of the Amnesty deadline on August 15, 1948, the government found
out that the Huks had not lived up to the terms of the Quiríno-Taruc agreement. Indeed,
after having been seated in Congress and collecting his back pay allowance. [5] Luis
Taruc surreptitiously fled away from Manila, even as a number of his followers had
either submitted themselves to the conditions of the Amnesty proclamation or
surrendered their arms. In the face of countercharges from the Huk to the effect that the
government had not satisfied the agreed conditions, President Quirino ordered a
stepped-up campaign against dissidents, restoring once more an aggressive policy in
view of the failure of the friendly attitude previously adopted. [5]
Fireside chats[edit]
To bring the government closer to the people, he revived President Quezon's "fireside
chats", in which he enlightened the people on the activities of the Republic by the
periodic radio broadcasts from Malacañan Palace.
Impeachment attempt[edit]
Riding on the crest of the growing wave of resentment against the Liberal Party, a move
was next hatched to indict President Quirino himself. [5] Led by Representative Agripino
Escareal, a committee composed of seven members of the House of Representatives
prepared a five-count accusation ranging from nepotism to gross
expenditures. Speaker Eugenio Pérez appointed a committee of seven, headed by
Representative Lorenzo Sumulong to look into the charges preparatory to their filing
with the Senate, acting as an impeachment body. Solicitor General Felix Angelo
Bautista entered his appearance as defense counsel for the chief executive. [5] Following
several hearings, on April 19, 1949, after a rather turbulent session that lasted all night,
the congressional committee reached a verdict completely exonerating the President.
Quirino waving to the crowd

Romulo becomes President of the UN General Assembly [edit]

Great honor[5] was paid the Philippines when, in September 1949, the Fourth General
Assembly of the United Nations elected delegate Carlos P. Romulo as its President.
The first[5] Oriental to hold the position, Romulo was strongly supported [5] by the Anglo-
Saxon bloc, as well as by the group of Spanish-speaking nations, [5] thus underscoring
the hybrid nature of the Filipino people's culture and upbringing. [5]
1949 presidential election[edit]
Main article: 1949 Philippine presidential election

Incumbent President Elpidio Quirino won a full term as President of the Philippines after
the untimely death of President Manuel Roxas in 1948. His running
mate, Senator Fernando López won as Vice President. Despite factions created in the
administration party, Quirino won a satisfactory vote from the public. It was the only time
in Philippine history where the duly elected president, vice president and senators all
came from the same party, the Liberal Party. The election was widely criticized as being
corrupt,[6] with violence and fraud taking place.[7] Opponents of Quirino were beaten or
murdered by his supporters or the police and the election continues to be seen as
corrupt.[8]
Second term (1949–1953)[edit]
President Elpidio Quirino was inaugurated for his first full term as President of the Philippines on December 30,
1949 at the Independence Grandstand (now Quirino Grandstand), Manila.

Baguio Conference[edit]
In May 1950, upon the invitation of President Qurino, through the insistent suggestion of
United Nations President Carlos P. Romulo, official representatives of India,
Pakistan, Ceylon, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia met in the city of Baguio for a
regional conference sponsored by the Philippines.[5] China and Korea did not attend the
conference because the latter did not contemplate the formation of a military union of
the Southeast Asian nations. On the other hand, Japan, Indonesia, China, and others
were not invited because, at the time, they were not free and independent states. Due
to the request of India and Indonesia, no political questions were taken up the
conference.[5] Instead, the delegates discussed economic and, most of all, cultural,
problems confronting their respective countries. Strangely enough however, the Baguio
Conference ended with an official communiqué in which the nations attending the same
expressed their united agreement in supporting the right to self-determination of all
peoples the world over. This initial regional meet held much promise of a future alliance
of these neighboring nations for common protection and aid. [5]
HukBaLaHap continued re-insurgence[edit]
Quirino's administration faced a serious threat in the form of the
communist HukBaLaHap movement. Though the Huks originally had been an anti-
Japanese guerrilla army in Luzon, communists steadily gained control over the
leadership, and when Quirino's negotiation with Huk commander Luis Taruc broke down
in 1948, Taruc openly declared himself a Communist and called for the overthrow of the
government.
Peace campaign[edit]
With the Communist organization estimated to still have more than 40,000 duly
registered members by March 1951, the government went on with its sustained
campaign to cope with the worsening peace and order problem. [5] The 1951 budget
included the use of a residue fund for the land resettlement program in favor of the
surrendered HUKS. The money helped maintain the Economic Development Corps
(EDCOR), with its settlements of 6,500 hectares in Kapatagan (Lanao) and 25,000
hectares in Buldon (Cotabato). In each group taken to these places there was a nucleus
of former Army personnel and their families, who became a stabilizing factor and
ensured the success of the program. Indeed, less than ten percent of the Huks who
settled down gave up this new lease in life offered them by the government. [5]
To promote the smooth restructuring of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the military
were made to undergo a reorganization. [5] Battalion combat teams of 1,000 men each
were established. Each operated independently of the High Command, except for
overall coordination in operational plans. A total of 26 Battalion Combat Teams were put
up. New army units were also established, such was the first Airborne Unit, the Scout
Rangers, the Canine Unit, and the Cavalry Unit. These units all showed considerable
ability.[5]
1951 midterm election[edit]
Main article: 1951 Philippine general election

After a sweep by the Liberals in 1949, many Filipinos doubted the election result. This
brought a sweep by the Nacionalistas in the 1951 elections. There was a special
election for the vacated Senate seat of Fernando Lopez, who won as Vice President in
1949. The Liberals won no seats in the Senate.
1953 presidential election[edit]
Main article: 1953 Philippine presidential election

Quirino ran for re-election to the presidency with José Yulo as vice president in 1953
despite his ill health. His Defense Secretary, Ramon Magsaysay, resigned his office and
joined the Nacionalista Party. Other prominent Liberalists, like Vice President Fernando
López, Ambassador Carlos P. Romulo, Senators Tomás Cabili and Juan Sumulong,
also bolted Quirino's party.
On August 22, 1953, Nacionalista and Democratic Parties formed a coalition to ensure
Quirino's full defeat. On election day, Quirino was defeated by Ramon Magsaysay with
a majority vote of 1.5 million.
Domestic policies[edit]
Economy of the Philippines under
President Elpidio Quirino
1948–1953

Population

1948  19.23 million

Gross Domestic Product (1985 constant prices)

1948  Php 99,628 million

1953 Php 146,070 million

Growth rate, 1948–53 9.32 %

Per capita income (1985 constant prices)

1948  Php 5,180

1953  Php 7,596

Total exports
 1948  Php 35,921 million

1953  Php 34, 432 million

Exchange rates

1 US US$ = Php 2.00

1 Php = US US$ 0.50

Sources: Philippine Presidency Project

Malaya, Jonathan; Eduardo Malaya. So Help Us God... The Inaugurals of the

Presidents of the Philippines. Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Economy[edit]
Upon assuming the reins of government, Quirino announced two main objectives of his
administration: first, the economic reconstruction of the nation and second, the
restoration of the faith and confidence of the people in the government. In connection to
the first agenda, he created the President's Action Committee on Social Amelioration or
PACSA to mitigate the sufferings of indigent families, the Labor Management Advisory
Board to advise him on labor matters, the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives Financing
Administration or ACCFA to help the farmers market their crops and save them from
loan sharks, and the Rural Banks of the Philippines to facilitate credit utilities in rural
areas.
Social program[edit]
Enhancing President Manuel Roxas' policy of social justice to alleviate the lot of the
common mass, President Quirino, almost immediately after assuming office, started a
series of steps calculated to effectively ameliorate the economic condition of the people.
[5]
 After periodic surprise visits to the slums of Manila and other backward regions of the
country, President Quirino officially made public a seven-point program for social
security, to wit:[5]

1. Unemployment insurance
2. Old-age insurance
3. Accident and permanent disability insurance
4. Health insurance
5. Maternity insurance
6. State relief
7. Labor opportunity
President Quirino also created the Social Security Commission, making Social Welfare
Commissioner Asuncion Perez chairman of the same. [5] This was followed by the
creation of the President's Action Committee on Social Amelioration, charges with
extending aid, loans, and relief to the less fortunate citizens. Both the policy and its
implementation were hailed by the people as harbingers of great benefits. [5]
Agrarian reform[edit]
See also: Land reform in the Philippines

As part of his Agrarian Reform agenda, President Quirino issued on October 23, 1950
Executive Order No. 355 which replaced the National Land Settlement Administration
with Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO) which takes over the
responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery Equipment Corporation and the Rice and
Corn Production Administration.[9]
Integrity Board[edit]
To cope with the insistent clamor for government improvement, President Quirino
created the Integrity Board to probe into reports of graft and corruption in high
government places. Vice-President Fernando Lopez was most instrumental, through his
courageous exposés, in securing such a decision from President Quirino. [5]
Foreign policies[edit]

Photograph of President Truman in the Oval Office, evidently receiving a cane as a gift from the President of
the Philippines, Elpidio Quirino, as another man (most likely ambassador Joaquín Elizalde) looks on.

Quirino's administration excelled in diplomacy, impressing foreign heads of states and

world statesmen by his intelligence and culture. In his official travels to the United
States, European countries, and Southeast Asia, he represented the Philippines with
flying colors. During his six years of administration, he with his Foreign Secretary Helen
Cutaran Bennett was able to negotiate treaties and agreements with other nations of
the Free World. Two Asian heads of state visited Philippines–President Chiang Kai-
shek of the Republic of China in July 1949 and President Sukarno of Indonesia in
January 1951.
In 1950, at the onset of the Korean War, Quirino authorized the deployment of over
7,450 Filipino soldiers to Korea, under the designation of the Philippine Expeditionary
Forces to Korea or PEFTOK.
While I recognise the United States as a great builder in this country, I have never
surrendered the sovereignty, much less the dignity and future of our country.

— Elpidio Quirino[10]
In 1951, the Philippines signed the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States to
deter the threat of communism that existed during the Cold War. The military alliance
remains to this day a key pillar of American foreign policy in Asia that also includes
defense pacts with Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia.
Korean War[edit]
On June 25, 1950, the world was astonished to hear the North Korean aggression
against the independent South Korea. The United Nations immediately took up this
challenge to the security of this part of the world. Carlos P. Romulo soon stood out as
the most effective spokesman for the South Korean cause. [5] On behalf of the
government, Romulo offered to send a Philippine military contingent to be under the
overall command of General Douglas MacArthur, who had been named United Nations
Supreme Commander for the punitive expedition. The Philippines, thus, became the
first country to join the United States in the offer of military assistance to beleaguered
South Korea.[5]
President Quirino took the necessary steps to make the Philippine offer. On a purely
voluntary basis, the first contingent – the Tenth Battalion Combat Team – was formed
under Col. Azurin, and dispatched to Korea, where its members quickly won much
renown for their military skill and bravery. The name of Captain Jose Artiaga, Jr.,
heroically killed in action, stands out as a symbol of our country's contribution to the
cause of freedom outside native shores. Other Philippine Combat Teams successively
replaced the first contingent sent, and they all built a name for discipline, tenacity, and
courage, until the truce that brought the conflict to a halt. [5]
Quirino-Foster Agreement[edit]
By the time of the creation of the integrity board, moreover, the Bell Mission, led by
Daniel W. Bell, an American banker, and composed of five members, with a staff of
twenty workers, following their period of stay in the Philippines, beginning in July 1950,
finally submitted its report on October of the same year. [5] The Report made several
proposals, most noteworthy, of which were that the United States on, President Quirino
gamely and patriotically,[5] took in the recommendations and sought to implement them.
Thus in November 1950, President Quirino and William Chapman Foster, representing
the United States Government, signed an agreement by virtue of which the former
pledged to obtain the necessary Philippine legislation, in keeping with the Bell Mission
Report, while envoy Foster promised the necessary by the same Report. [5]
However, much as he tried to become a good president, Quirino failed to win the
people's affection. Several factors caused the unpopularity of his administration,
namely:[11]

 Failure of government to check the Huk menace which made travel in the provinces

unsafe, as evidenced by the killing of former First Lady Aurora Quezon and her companions
on April 28, 1949 by the Huks on the Bongabong-Baler road, Baler, Tayabas (now part
of Aurora province);
 Economic distress of the times, aggravated by rising unemployment rate, soaring prices
of commodities, and unfavorable balance of trade.

Post-presidency and death[edit]

The former tomb of Elpidio Quirino at the Manila South Cemetery

Following his failed bid for re-election, Quirino retired from politics to private life in 1953.
He offered his dedication to serve the Filipino people, becoming the "Father of Foreign
Service" in the Republic of the Philippines.
Quirino died of a heart attack during the leap year day of February 29, 1956 at his
retirement house in Novaliches, Quezon City. He was buried at Manila South
Cemetery in Makati. On February 29, 2016, his remains were relocated and reinterred
at a special tomb site in the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig, in time for the 60th
death anniversary of his death.[12]

Memorials[edit]

A memorial to Quirino in Hibiya Park, Tokyo, Japan

There are a number of memorials dedicated to Quirino. Quirino Avenue in Manila is

named for him, as is the LRT station located there. The Novaliches-Ipo Road where his
retirement home is situated was renamed as Quirino Highway. There is also a Quirino
Grandstand in Manila's Rizal Park.
In 2016 a memorial to him was established in Hibiya Park, Tokyo, Japan.[13][14][15]

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b "President Elpidio Quirino's 125th birth anniversary".  BusinessMirror. November
10, 2015. Retrieved August 6,2020.
2. ^ Catholic Church, Conversion of St. Paul, the Apostle (Vigan, Ilocos Sur) (November 19,
1890). "Registros parroquiales, 1713-1994". Family Search. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
3. ^ Bunye, Ignacio R. (May 24, 2015).  "Bunye: Battles that changed the course of history
(Epilogue)". Sun.Star. Retrieved  August 6,  2017.
4. ^ Vanzi, Sol Jose (November 1, 2003). "ABS-CBN's 50th Year Celebrates Philippine
Television".  The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Molina, Antonio. The Philippines: Through the
centuries. Manila: University of Sto. Tomas Cooperative, 1961. Print.
6. ^ Lana's dirty secrets Archived September 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Philippine
Center for Investigative Journalism Retrieved June 14, 2017
7. ^ Hedman, Eva-Lotta & Side, John Philippine Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century:
Colonial LegaciesRetrieved June 14, 2017
8. ^ Taylor, RH The Politics of Elections in Southeast AsiaRetrieved June 14, 2017
9. ^ "Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Organizational Chart". Archived from the
original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved  October 23,  2010.
10. ^ "Elpidio Quirino". Retrieved  August 9,  2009.
11. ^ Quoted from Zaide, Gregorio (1956). "25".  Philippine Political and Cultural History: the
Philippines since British Invasion. 2  (1957 Revised ed.). Manila, Philippines: McCullough Printing
Company. p. 25.
12. ^ "Elpidio Quirino reinterred at Libingan ng mga Bayani after 60 years". GMA News. February
26, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
13. ^ Hibiya Park plaque to honor late Filipino leader Quirino May 22, 2016 Japan
Times Retrieved June 14, 2017
14. ^ Japan honors former PH president Elpidio Quirino in Hibiya Park June 14, 2016 Philippine
Primer Retrieved June 14, 2017
15. ^ Kobayakawa, Yohei Philippine leader who forgave war criminals gets Tokyo memorial June
20, 2017 Asahi Shimbun Retrieved June 14, 2017

References[edit]
 Zaide, Gregorio (1956). Philippine Political and Cultural History: the Philippines since
British Invasion (1957 Revised ed.). Manila, Philippines: McCullough Printing Company.
 Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. National Bookstore
Printing Press.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Elpidio
Quirino.
 Wikisource has original
works written by or about:
Elpidio Quirino

The Quirino Administration (April 17, 1948 – December 30, 1953)

President Elpidio Quirino’s goal as chief executive, as stated in his first State of the
Nation Address, revolved around strengthening the people’s confidence in the
government and the restoration of peace. In order to achieve these, the Chief Executive
travelled around the country to inspect firsthand the condition of the nation.

President Elpidio
Quirino delivering his First State of the Nation Address on January 24, 1949.
President Quirino established the Action Committee on Social Amelioration
through Administrative Order No. 68, in order to efficiently promote the welfare of
citizens in the rural districts. He established the Social Security Study Commission by
virtue of Executive Order No. 150, to investigate socio-economic problems of the
working class and formulate legislation developing social welfare. The Labor
Management Advisory Board, established by Executive Order No. 158, formulated labor
policies and conducted studies on the ways and means of preventing, minimizing, and
reconciling labor disputes. The Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Financing
Administration, established by Republic Act. No. 821, assisted farmers in securing credit
as well as developing cooperative associations to efficiently market their agricultural
commodities.

The Quirino administration reached out to the leaders and members of Hukbo ng Bayan
Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) and the Pambansang Kaisahan ng mga
Magbubukid (PKM) to negotiate peace and put an end to the insurgency. In 1948,
through Proclamation No. 76, the government granted amnesty to the insurgents that
surrendered arms. The negotiation failed to persuade HUKBALAHAP leader Luis Taruc
and other rebel leaders, as they conceded to register but never disarm. From 1950 to
1953, Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay and President Quirino exerted
efforts in reforming the nation’s Armed Forces and promoting welfare of citizens in the
rural areas through the Economic Development Corps (EDCOR) [12] and Land Settlement
and Development Corporation (LASEDECO)[13]. This resulted to a considerable
improvement to the country’s insurgency problem. There were over 25,000 armed
communists in early 1950—two thirds of which had either been captured, killed, or had
voluntarily surrendered; an estimated 60,000 firearms were surrendered or captured. [14]
President Elpidio Quirino shaking hands with Huk Leader Luis Taruc upon issuing amnesty to the rebel
group on the condition that they disarm on June 21, 1948. The negotiation will eventually collapse on

The Quirino administration came to a close in the presidential elections of 1953. It was a
battle between incumbent Liberal Party of President Elpidio Quirino against the
charismatic Nacionalista candidate Ramon Magsaysay. It was a landslide victory for
Ramon Magsaysay, who gained 2,912,992 votes or 68.9% of the electorate.

President-elect
Ramon Magsaysay tries out the presidential chair, on the invitation of President Elpidio Quirino, when
Magsaysay arrived to fetch the latter on inaugural day. Taken on December 30, 1953. (Photo taken fro
THE NATION DURING
ELPIDIO QUIRINO’S
PRESIDENCY, 1948 TO
1953
Crossroads (Toward Philippine Economic and Social Progress) by Gerardo P. Sicat
(The Philippine Star) November 11, 2015
 

(Nov. 16 will be the 125th birthday anniversary of the second president of the Republic. It would be
useful to remember how his presidency relates to our present condition.)

2nd President of the Republic: succession from vice-presidency. Elpidio Quirino is one of the
least known among Philippine presidents as time moves on. He succeeded to the presidency
unexpectedly when Manuel A. Roxas, the first president, died on the third year of his four-year term.

Quirino’s presidency was eventful and positive for the nation. He won a close election on his own in
1949. His accomplishments do not match the low reputation that is associated with his presidency.

Fate is often cruel when historic times lead to the appearance on the scene of more dynamic
personalities. Ramon Magsaysay, the third president, is a more remembered figure, though he was
president for even a shorter period, less than three years. (He was killed in a plane crash.)

The most important achievements of Magsaysay happened when he was Quirino’s defense
secretary. In that post, Magsaysay broke the back of the communist Huk rebellion, capturing the
members of the central politburo and committing them to jail.

Thus, the early communist threat to the young republic was reduced to a manageable distraction in
subsequent years even beyond the Quirino years.
In his day, Quirino was highly vilified by a virulent press, making his administration look corrupt when
it was quite effective in its pursuit of goals. He was ridiculed for choices he probably was not fully
aware of, two expensive items in the Malacanang household as it was being renovated – a new bed
and an orinola.

Very eventful times. When the Republic was inaugurated in 1946 with Quirino as vice-president,
the Philippine economy had been devastated. Gross output was 30 per cent of the 1940 GDP.
Agriculture and industry were either in a state of injury or devastation.

When he took over as president in 1948, the economy was on course for a rapid recovery, helped
along by continuing large US (military) expenditure at the end of the war and by US rehabilitation
assistance in the form of war damage payments.

America’s version of Marshall plan (not so-called because of very special political and economic
relations) was the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1947. This US law enabled the appropriation of
$520 million for the rehabilitation of the economy – to finance the restoration of destroyed public
infrastructure facilities and to award war damage payments for the rehabilitation of properties and
businesses destroyed.

(For those who think today this amount of dollar aid was small, consider this. The purchasing power
of the dollar of 1940 that was used to evaluate the war damage is worth at least 15 times that of the
US dollar of 2015.)

War damage payments helped to speed up the rehabilitation of the economy. These payments
contributed immensely to economic rebuilding and to new development. Being quickly disbursed
payments within a period of three years until 1950, they provided direct income flows to the
recipients.

Economic imbalances. The beginnings of macroeconomic imbalances happened during Quirino’s

time. Tax revenues and other government receipts were not enough to cover the large expenditure
on rehabilitation and development. Foreign grants (mostly US payments) helped to fill the gap.

Despite the abundance of American economic expenditures and aid, the demand for foreign goods
far outstripped the country’s inflows of dollar resources. The magnitude of the reconstruction plus the
insatiable want to restore peace time levels of consumption produced this imbalance.
The exchange rate, pegged at the old pre-war and pre-independence value of two to one, also
encouraged excessive spending. At about this time, in 1949, the newly created Central Bank opened
its doors and the governor (the former secretary of Finance), Miguel Cuaderno, recommended the
imposition of import controls.

Later, as conditions tended to worsen, import controls were assisted by more stringent exchange
controls. The uses for the allocation of dollars had to be prioritized.

Investments and export recovery. Investments and recovery were helped however by the heavy
inflows of assistance from the US.

Infrastructure reconstruction was rapid. Public edifices destroyed by the war were rebuilt with public
war damage money. Major roads and bridges, ports and school-buildings were restored. Public
utilities were restored.

Private housing and business investments were stimulated by the war damage payments. Damaged
businesses – in agriculture, industry, manufacturing and commerce – were assisted in part by the
quickly disbursed war damage payments.

New domestic infrastructure projects also came into being. Hydroelectric power began to be
harnessed. The Ambuklao Dam in Luzon and the Maria Cristina Falls were harnessed to produce
electricity.

The country’s major export industries began to recover. The processing of coconut products
expanded and many of the sugar mills began to be restored and exports of these products began to
recover. Some mining and timber firms resumed production.

During Quirino’s presidency, the country continued to receive support from US development aid and
enjoyed the early years of the special relations covering trade adjustment, war damage payments,
and an effort to promote domestic industrialization.

The import and exchange controls encouraged businessmen to produce products that replaced
imports. The beginnings of industrial import substitution were promoted by the law promoting “new
and necessary industries.”

The government also started to undertake mass housing for low and middle income earners. This
program was under the People’s Housing Homesite Corp., a forerunner of the National Housing
 Authority. Thus begun housing projects designed to be amortized by citizens — Projects 1, 2, 3 and
4 in the Metro Manila area.

The housing displacements during the war and continuous migration to cities haunt us even today. A
future in self-financed mass housing was begun during Quirino’s time.

Optimistic future. Although new problems were emerging for the country, there was a lot of
optimism in 1953. The economic rehabilitation was carried well forward. New horizons for
development were opening up.

In fact, in 1953 the Philippines was well-positioned to become successful in economic development.
The country then was the envy of many countries facing postwar reconstruction and development.

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CONDITION OF THE PHILIPPINES
When President Manuel Roxas died on April 15, 1948, Quirino
succeeded him as president of the republic. For his weakness in
tolerating rampant graft and corruption in his party, permitting
immorality in the armed forces, and neglecting the
impoverished plight of the majority of Filipinos, he was very
unpopular, and in 1953 he was defeated by Ramon Magsaysay.

After the war, Quirino was elected vice-president in 1946

election, consequently the second and last for the
Commonwealth and first for the third republic. After the death
of the incumbent president Manuel Roxas in 1948, he
succeeded the presidency. In what was claimed to be a
dishonest and fraudulent 1949 presidential election, he won the
president’s office under Liberal Party ticket, defeating
Nacionalista vie and former president José P. Laurel as well as
fellow Liberalista and former senate president José Avelino.

PRIMARY PROBLEMS

Poverty was present specifically by the starvation problems of

the people in the Mountain Province. Wages of people cannot
compensate with the expenses of th people and the prices of
the products due to inflation. Famrlands were also disturbed by
locusts and plagues of rats which render crops and was useless
for the farmers. Housing was a huge problem since the war
destroyed several sites in the rural areas which cannot be
renovated for future use. Unemployment was also evident
because the Americans were gradually decreasing their
business in the Philippines.

PROMISES DURING THE ELECTIONS AND INAUGURATION

Quirino promised that he will help in rebuilding, repairing and

replacing the existing system in the country since it was after
the war and everything was back to step one. He promised to
solve the unemployment problems that were eminent then. He
also intends to increase the wages of the people so as people
can purchase and not just produce so as to decrease the
inflation rate. Quirino would see to it that prices will be
controlled in the market and there will be no overpricing on
products. His administration will prioritize on the industrializing
the country and using the talents and abilities of the citizens for
the development of the Philippines.

LAWS AND PROGRAMS

Because the Philippines was still undergoing postwar

reconstruction, Quirino focused on two main objectives. His
first objective was to fix the economy of his administration. To
achieve this goal, he established PACSA (President’s Action
Committee on Social Amelioration), ACCFA (Agricultural Credit
Cooperatives Financing Administration), Labor Management
Advisory Board, and the Rural Banks of the Philippines. These
were made to alleviate the sufferings of poor families, help the
farmers market their products, advice him on matters
concerning labor, and facilitate utilities in rural areas
respectively. His second objective was to restore the faith and
confidence of the people in the government body of the
Philippines. To do this, he revived former president Quezon’s
“fireside chats” which updated the people about the
government via live radio broadcast from the Malacanang
palace.

Contrasting to the treatment towards HUKBALAHAP members

during Roxas’ administration, he vindicated them during his
term. He granted amnesty to them on June 21, 1948.
Besides concluding peace with Japan, Quirino did many
achievements during his term. Industrial ventures heightened,
irrigation improved, and the road system developed. He also
set up the Central Bank and Rural banking.

BENEFICIARIES OF THE LAWS AND PROGRAMS

Many people were benefited by his programs and policies.

PACSA was beneficial for financially challenged families; ACCFA
aided farmers in selling what they harvested; Labor
Management Advisory Board guided him on matters regarding
labor; Rural Banks helped countrymen in the rural areas
manage their finances; “Fireside chats” updated Filipinos about
operations in the government; and Amnesty granting to the
HUKBALAHAP members was beneficial for them because they
were finally liberated from consequences resulting from their
actions against the government.

HOLES AND SHORTCOMINGS OF THE LAWS

Problems were still faced in the implementation in some of his

programs or policies. One of which is the granting of amnesty
to HUKBALAHAP members. Despite the liberation of the HUKS,
terrorism was still soaring. The disparity between the military
and the HUKS was still not settled. Besides his lack of skill in
settling major disputes in the country, his failure to recognize
poverty problems was also critiqued. Although he tapped the
need to increase loan appeal from the Americans and
established controls to protect local industries, he was not able
to implement agrarian reforms.

ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES

Quirino’s administration was bombarded with controversies.
The major controversy surrounding his governance was his bid
for a second term in office in 1949. Next to the elections in
1969 (wherein Ferdinand Marcos won as president), the
elections wherein Quirino won was believed to be the most
corrupt. He was also the first president to undergo an
impeachment trial because he allegedly purchased a very
expensive Golden Orinola using government money. Along with
these controversies, Quirino was also critiqued for permitting
immorality in the armed forces, neglecting the problems of the
masses, and involving himself to the American government
which made him compliant to international economies. Because
of these flaws, Ramon Magsaysay reigned in the next national
elections.

SUMMARY OF GOVERNANCE

When Quirino’s administration started, postwar reconstruction

was still undergoing and the HUKS were still creating riot in the
country. The economy was fluctuating because of the rise in
the unemployment rate and inflation; and problems regarding
housing, education, poverty and farmland intensified. To solve
the problems in the country, he promised to repair the existing
system. He also plans to control the prices and make producers
consumers too. PACSA, ACCFA, Labor Management Advisory
Board, Rural Banks, “Fireside chats”, and HUKBALAHAP
amnesty were the programs/policies he established during his
administration. Unfortunate families, farmers, his
administration, HUKBALAHAP members, and the general public
were benefited from this. Problems like the uprising of the
HUKS still resumed during his time despite the amnesty. He
was also not able to remedy the problems of the masses.
Controversies like cheating in the elections and using
government money to purchase a Golden Orinola made the
people despise his administration.
 GRADE (DLSU SYSTEM)

Quirino’s grade will be 1 because although he implemented

many programs and policies to recover the Philippines from its
post-war condition, it was not enough to cover his flaws. He
was a corrupt president and he was also closely tied with the
American government. He tarnished the presidential history
because he was the first president to undergo an impeachment
trial.
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