1954-1965 1986-2001







The Philippines 1965-1986


Administration . Ferdinand Marcos won the presidency in elections of 1965 and was reelected in 1969. Following massive student protests and a Communist terrorist campaign launched by the Maoist NPA (New People's Army), in 1972 President Marcos proclaimed martial law. In 1973 a new constitution was adopted. Parliament was reshaped; from 1976 to 1978 Batasang Bayan (Temporary Legislative Body), from 1978 to 1984 Interim Batasang Pambansa (Interim National Assembly), from 1984 to 1986 Batasang Pambansa (Regular National Assembly). Elections were held in 1978, martial law lifted in 1981. In 1981, again elections were held. In 1986, President Marcos was ousted by the EADS Revolution (People's Power).
Opponents claimed that the elections of 1969 were fraudulent; from 1972 to 1986 the Philippines were a dictatorship, a camouflage democracy.

Domestic Events . In 1968 the Maoist CPP-M split from the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) which had been founded in 1930 and by 1965 had been rather insignificant. In 1969 the New People's Army (NPA), affiliated to the CPP-M, began a terrorist campaign aiming at overthrowing the political system. The NPA struggle peaked in the early 1980es.
In 1967 Ferdinand Marcos had the Jabidah Unit, consisting of Muslim recruits from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, formed, which was intended to destabilize Malaysian control of recently annexed Sabah (Operation Merdeka), historically a dependency of the Sultanate of Sulu (which now formd part of the Philippines). When ASEAN was formed later in 1967, the Jabidah Unit, not yet operational, became a liability; on March 18th 1968 the 200 recruits were massacred outside their barracks on Corregidor (Jabidah Massacre; Whitman). In response, the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) was established, which began a militant campaign for political independence of a Moro Nation; in 1976 negotiations between the Filipino government and the MNLF were held. Iin 1981 the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, intent to continue the armed struggle, split from the former
Following the lifting of the martial law in 1981, Filipino Senator Benigno Aquino, an opponent of President Marcos living in exile in the U.S. since 1980, decided to return. Upon arrival at Manila International Airport on Aug. 21st 1983 he was assassinated. The assassination was widely blamed on the Marcos regime, and triggered a mass movement People's Power, led by Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, which in 1986 ousted President Marcos.

Foreign Policy . Under President Marcos, the Philippines was a loyal ally of the United States, which supported Marcos in his attempt to suppress the Communist NPA terror campaign.
In 1967 President Marcos briefly planned to contest Malaysia's control of Sabah. Also in 1967 did the Philippines join ASEAN as one of its founder nations.
In 1975, the Philippines severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and established diplomatic relations with the PR China. Diplomatic Relations with the USSR were established in 1976. Following the unification of Vietnam in 1975, the Philippines and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam established diplomatic relatiions in 1976.

The Economy . President Marcos began with an ambitious development plan, focussed in improving the country's infrastructure (roads, bridges, power stations) and even utilized the army in order to accomplish his goals. The introduction of a hybrid rice resulted in the expansion of rice production (1965 4.0 million metric tons, 1986 9.2 million metric tons, IHS p.202); in 1968 the Philippines achieved self-sufficiency in rice production.
The Philippines was affected by the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967, as merchant vessels to or from had to take the route around Africa or through the Panama Canal, and by the Oil Crisis of 1973-1981.
In 1973, the Filipino National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) was created. Four Year Development Plans 1974-1977, Five Year Development Plans 1978-1982, 1983-1987.

Social History . Jan Lahmeyer gives the population estimates for the Philippines in 1965 as 31.7 million, in 1986 as 55.8 million.

Cultural History . Philippine Athletes participated in the Summer Olympics of Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976 and Los Angeles 1984. The Philippines boycotted the Summer Olympics held in Moscow 1980. Manila hosted the 11th Southeast Asian Games in 1981.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		Timeline, from BBC News
Philippines, from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam
Moro Islamic Liberation Front, from Global Security
Articles History of the Philippines 1965-1986, ASEAN, Constitution of the Philippines, Philippine Elections, Batasang Bayan, Interim Batasang Pambansa, Regular Batasang Pambansa, Ferdinand Marcos, Jose Maria Sison, Benigno Aquino Jr., Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Islamic Insurgency in the Philippines, New People's Army, Communist Party of the Philippines, Foreign Relations of the Philippines, Southeast Asian Games, Philippines at the 1968 Summer Olympics, Philippines at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Philippines at the 1976 Summer Olympics, Philippines at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, from Wikipedia
Corregidor Massacre 1968, by Paul F. Whitman (= Jabidah Massacre)
Overview of Sino-Philippine Relations, from Embassy of the P.R. China in the Philippines
DOCUMENTS World Statesmen : Philippines, by Ben Cahoon
Historical Population Statistics : The Philippines, from Population Statistics (Jan Lahmeyer)
REFERENCE IHS : International Historical Statistics : Africa, Asia & Oceania 1750-2000, edited by B.R. Mitchell, Basingstoke : Palgrave MacMillan 4th ed. 2003
Article : Philippines, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 pp.609-610, 1967 pp.618-619, 1968 pp.620-621, 1969 pp.600-601, 1970 pp.610-611, 1971 pp.586-588, 1972 pp.549-550, 1973 pp.537-538, 1974 pp.545-546, 1975 pp.547-548, 1976 pp.553-554, 1977 p.555, 1978 p.581, 1979 pp.571-572, 1980 pp.569-570, 1981 pp.570-571, 1982 pp.572-573, 1983 pp.565-566, 1984 pp.564-565, 1985 pp.518-519, 1986 pp.513, 759 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : The Statesman's Year-Book 1970-1971 pp.1233-1238, 1975-1976 pp.1238-1243, 1976-1977 pp.1235-1240, 1978-1979 pp.982-987, 1979-1980 pp.988-993, 1980-1981 pp.989-994, 1981-1982 pp.992-997, 1983-1984 pp.984-989, 1984-1985 pp.984-989, 1985-1986 pp.984-989, 1986-1987 pp.984-989 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : The World in Figures 1st ed. 1976 pp.192-193, 2nd ed. 1978 pp.192-193, 4th ed. 1984 pp.192-193 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : Americana Annual 1967 pp.536-537, 1968 pp.531-532, 1969 pp.533-534, 1970 pp.537-538, 1971 pp.533-534, 1972 pp.533-534, 1973 pp.535-536, 1974 pp.466-467, 1976 p.448 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : Yearbook on International Communist Affairs 1976 pp.359-372 (Justus M. van der Kroef), 1980 pp.291-295 (J.M. v.d.K.) [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on November 14th 2006, last revised on April 15th 2007

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