History of Philippines in Timeline
The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It comprises 7,641 islands, totaling approximately 300,000 square kilometers. These islands are geographically divided into three main regions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. With a population exceeding 110 million, the Philippines ranks as the world's twelfth most populous nation.
1900: Forest cover decline
In 1900, forest cover was 70 percent of the Philippines' total land area.
1902: Establishment of American civilian government
After the fall of the First Philippine Republic in 1902, an American civilian government was established with the Philippine Organic Act.
1911: Wettest recorded typhoon
From July 14 to 18, 1911, the wettest recorded typhoon dropped 2,210 millimeters of rain in Baguio.
1919: First Filipino Feature Film
Local film-making in the Philippines began in 1919 with the release of the first Filipino-produced feature film: Dalagang Bukid (A Girl from the Country), directed by Jose Nepomuceno.
1924: Summer Olympic Games
The Philippines has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since 1924, except when they supported the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
1933: Sound films emerge
In the Philippines, sound films and larger productions emerged in 1933.
1934: Tydings-McDuffie Act Granted
In 1934, the Tydings–McDuffie Act granted a ten-year transition to independence.
1935: Commonwealth of the Philippines Creation
In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was created, with Manuel Quezon as president and Sergio Osmeña as vice president.
1935: "Republic of the Philippines" official title
In 1935, the official title "Republic of the Philippines" was included in the constitution as the name of the future independent state.
1942: Japanese occupation
Beginning in 1942, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by large-scale underground guerrilla activity.
1944: Defeat of the Japanese
In 1944, the Philippine resistance and Allied troops defeated the Japanese.
October 11, 1945: Philippines became a founding member of the United Nations
On October 11, 1945, the Philippines became a founding member of the United Nations.
July 4, 1946: Recognition of Independence by the United States
On July 4, 1946, the country's independence was recognized by the United States with the Treaty of Manila.
1946: Philippines became independent
In 1946, the Philippines gained independence after the United States retook the islands from the Japanese.
1946: End of Commonwealth Period
The introduction of women's suffrage during the Commonwealth period (1935–1946) signifies a progressive step towards gender equality in the Philippines.
1948: Population Growth
Between 1948 and 2010, the population of the Philippines increased almost fivefold from 19 million to 92 million.
1951: Mutual Defense Treaty signed with the United States
In 1951, the Philippines and the United States signed a Mutual Defense Treaty, marking a key aspect of their long-standing relationship.
1962: Decline in quality films
The 1962–1971 decade in the Philippines saw a decline in quality films, although the commercial film industry expanded until the 1980s.
1963: Science High Schools
Science high schools for talented students were established in the Philippines in 1963.
1965: Macapagal Lost Election to Marcos
In 1965, Macapagal lost the presidential election to Ferdinand Marcos.
1967: Global Supplier of Nurses
Since 1967, the Philippines had become the largest global supplier of nurses.
1971: Decline in quality films
The 1962–1971 decade in the Philippines saw a decline in quality films, although the commercial film industry expanded until the 1980s.
September 21, 1972: Declaration of Martial Law by Marcos
On September 21, 1972, Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law using the specter of communism and began to rule by decree.
1972: Martial Law Declared
In 1972, the Philippines experienced a period of martial law under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
1972: Winter Olympic Games Debut
The Philippines was the first tropical nation to compete at the Winter Olympic Games, debuting in 1972.
1973: Nuclear energy plans began
Plans to harness nuclear energy in the Philippines began during the early 1970s, during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos in response to the 1973 oil crisis.
1975: Philippines values relations with China
Since 1975, the Philippines has valued its relationship with China, which is its top trading partner, leading to significant cooperation between the two countries.
1976: Earthquake in the Moro Gulf
In 1976, a major earthquake occurred in the Moro Gulf.
1979: Filipino hip-hop origin
Filipino hip-hop, which originated in 1979, entered the mainstream in 1990.
1980: Summer Olympic Games Boycott
The Philippines supported the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
1981: End of Martial Law
Martial law, which began in 1972, ended in 1981 in the Philippines.
1982: Critically acclaimed films released
Critically acclaimed Philippine films include Himala (Miracle) and Oro, Plata, Mata (Gold, Silver, Death), both released in 1982.
August 21, 1983: Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr.
On August 21, 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated at Manila International Airport.
1984: Completion of nuclear power plant
In 1984, the Philippines completed Southeast Asia's first nuclear power plant in Bataan.
1984: Economic Contraction
In 1984, the economy contracted by 7.3 percent annually due to economic crashes.
1985: Economic Contraction
In 1985, the economy contracted by 7.3 percent annually due to economic crashes.
1985: Poverty Rate
The Philippines reduced its poverty rate from 49.2 percent in 1985 to 18.1 percent in 2021.
1986: Decline of CPP-NPA
After the return of democracy in 1986, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA), began to shrink militarily and politically.
1986: Chernobyl disaster
In 1986, the Chernobyl disaster and political issues prevented the commissioning of the nuclear power plant.
1986: People Power Revolution and Installation of Corazon Aquino
In 1986, the People Power Revolution forced Marcos to flee, and Corazon Aquino was installed as president.
1986: People Power Revolution
In 1986, the People Power Revolution overthrew Ferdinand Marcos.
1986: Government reforms
In 1986, the return of democracy and government reforms were initiated in the Philippines.
1987: Fifth Republic Constitution Enacted
In 1987, the constitution of the Fifth Republic was enacted, and the country has since been governed as a unitary presidential republic.
1990: Progress in Sanitation
Between 1990 and 2015, the Joint Monitoring Programme noted that "good progress" had been made in the Philippines regarding access to improved sanitation.
1990: Filipino hip-hop mainstream
Filipino hip-hop, which originated in 1979, entered the mainstream in 1990.
June 1991: Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
In June 1991, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo occurred.
1991: Law devolving powers to local governments
In 1991, a law was enacted in the Philippines to devolve some powers to local governments, representing steps towards decentralization.
1995: Military modernization program began
In 1995, the Philippines began a military modernization program to improve its defense capabilities.
1996: Peace agreement with Moro National Liberation Front
In 1996, the Moro National Liberation Front, one of Bangsamoro's largest separatist organizations, signed a final peace agreement with the Philippine government.
1996: First satellite bought
In 1996, the Philippines bought its first satellite as part of its space program.
1997: Onset of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis
In 1997, the onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis overshadowed Ramos's economic gains.
1999: Forest cover decline
In 1999, forest cover declined to about 18.3 percent in the Philippines.
1999: Visiting Forces Agreement with the US
In 1999, the Visiting Forces Agreement was signed between the Philippines and the United States, supplementing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
2000: Jade artifacts dated
In 2000 BC, jade artifacts were dated, with lingling-o jade items made in Luzon with raw materials from Taiwan.
January 20, 2001: Overthrow of Joseph Estrada
On January 20, 2001, Joseph Estrada was overthrown by the 2001 EDSA Revolution, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo succeeded him.
2003: Philippines designated a major non-NATO ally
In 2003, the Philippines was designated a major non-NATO ally by the United States.
2003: Observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation sought
Since 2003, the country has sought to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
2004: Alternative Education
In 2004, the government in the Philippines began offering alternative education to out-of-school children, youth, and adults to improve literacy; madaris were mainstreamed in 16 regions that year, primarily in Mindanao Muslim areas under the Department of Education.
2004: Presidential Election
In 2004, the presidential election occurred, but was tainted by electoral fraud allegations.
2007: SMS messages per day
In 2007, the Philippines sent an average of one billion SMS messages per day, highlighting the popularity of text messaging as a form of communication.
2009: Management of power grid
Since 2009, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has managed the country's power grid, providing overhead transmission lines across the country's islands.
2010: Population Growth
Between 1948 and 2010, the population of the Philippines increased almost fivefold from 19 million to 92 million.
2010: Pinoy pop influence
From 2010 to 2020, Pinoy pop (P-pop) was influenced by K-pop and J-pop.
2010: Protestant Population
In 2010, Protestants made up about 5% to 7% of the population in the Philippines.
2010: Philippines entered into the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement
The Philippines entered into the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement in 2010.
2012: Boracay called the best island in the world
In 2012, Travel + Leisure called Boracay the best island in the world, solidifying the Philippines' reputation as a popular tourist destination.
2012: Expanded military modernization program
In 2012, the Philippines expanded its military modernization program to build a more capable defense system.
2012: Scarborough Shoal standoff
In 2012, the Scarborough Shoal standoff occurred after China seized the shoal from the Philippines, leading to an international arbitration case.
2012: Income Inequality Decline
The Philippines' income inequality began to decline in 2012.
2013: Roman Catholic Population
As of 2013, the Philippines had the world's third-largest Roman Catholic population.
2014: Peace agreement with Moro Islamic Liberation Front
In 2014, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, another significant separatist organization in Bangsamoro, signed a final peace agreement with the Philippine government.
2015: Improved sanitation access
In 2015, the Joint Monitoring Programme noted that 74 percent of the Philippine population had access to improved sanitation and "good progress" was made between 1990 and 2015.
2015: Gold production
In 2015, the country's gold production reached 21 metric tonnes.
2016: Genetic Markers
A 2016 National Geographic project concluded that people living in the Philippine archipelago carried genetic markers in the following percentages: 53 percent Southeast Asia and Oceania, 36 percent Eastern Asia, 5 percent Southern Europe, 3 percent Southern Asia, and 2 percent Native American (from Latin America).
2016: Household access to drinking water and sanitation
As of 2016, ninety-six percent of Filipino households had an improved source of drinking water and 92 percent of households had sanitary toilet facilities.
2016: Launch of Diwata-1
In 2016, Diwata-1, the Philippines' first micro-satellite, was launched on the United States' Cygnus spacecraft.
2016: Election of Rodrigo Duterte
In 2016, Rodrigo Duterte was elected president.
2016: Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
In 2016, the Philippines and the United States signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, further strengthening their defense ties.
2017: Air Domestic Market
In 2017, the air domestic market in the Philippines was dominated by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.
December 2018: Road network length
In December 2018, the Philippines had 210,528 kilometers (130,816 mi) of roads in the country.
2018: Malasakit Centers
Since 2018, Malasakit Centers (one-stop shops) have been set up in several government-operated hospitals in the Philippines to provide medical and financial assistance to indigent patients.
2019: Railway footprint
As of 2019, the Philippines had a railway footprint of only 79 kilometers (49 mi), which it planned to expand to 244 kilometers (152 mi).
2019: Literacy Rate
In 2019, the Philippines had a basic literacy rate of 93.8 percent of those five years old or older, and a functional literacy rate of 91.6 percent of those aged 10 to 64.
2019: Universal Health Care Act
In 2019, the Universal Health Care Act was enacted by President Duterte in the Philippines, facilitating the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos in the national health insurance program.
2019: Higher Education Institutions
The Philippines has 1,975 higher education institutions as of 2019, of which 246 are public and 1,729 are private.
May 2020: ABS-CBN franchise denial
Before May 2020 Philippine government denial of ABS-CBN's franchise renewal, it was the country's largest network.
2020: Ethnic Groups
According to the 2020 census, the Philippines' largest ethnic groups were Tagalog (26.0 percent), Visayans (14.3 percent), Ilocano and Cebuano (both eight percent), Hiligaynon (7.9 percent), Bikol (6.5 percent), and Waray (3.8 percent).
2020: Population distribution
As of 2020, Calabarzon was the region with the greatest population in the Philippines, while the National Capital Region (NCR) was the most densely populated.
2020: Languages Spoken at Home
As of 2020, the top languages generally spoken at home in the Philippines are Tagalog, Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Cebuano, and Bikol.
2020: Pinoy pop influence
From 2010 to 2020, Pinoy pop (P-pop) was influenced by K-pop and J-pop.
2020: Urban population
In 2020, 54 percent of the Philippines' population lived in urban areas.
2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Reached the Philippines
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Philippines, causing nationwide lockdowns and a brief economic recession.
2021: Household Electrification Level
As of end-2021, the Philippines' household electrification level was about 95.41%.
2021: Installed Power Capacity
In 2021, the Philippines had a total installed power capacity of 26,882 MW, with 43 percent generated from coal.
2021: Olympic Gold Medal
In 2021, the Philippines received its first-ever Olympic gold medal with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz's victory in Tokyo.
2021: Entry of Dito Telecommunity
In 2021, the entry of Dito Telecommunity improved the Philippines' telecommunications service, breaking the PLDT-Globe Telecom duopoly.
2021: Total Water Withdrawals
In 2021, total water withdrawals in the Philippines amounted to 89 billion cubic meters.
2021: Tourism contribution to GDP
In 2021, tourism contributed 5.2 percent to the Philippine GDP, which was lower than the 12.7 percent contribution in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Internet Users
In early 2021, 67 percent of Filipinos (73.91 million) had Internet access; the overwhelming majority used smartphones.
2021: Leading causes of death
The Philippines' leading causes of death in 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, COVID-19, neoplasms, and diabetes.
January 2022: Women's National Football Team
The Philippines women's national football team qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, their first World Cup, in January 2022.
2022: AFP manpower
As of 2022, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had a total manpower of around 280,000.
2022: Number of national government-owned airports
As of 2022, the Philippines had 90 national government-owned airports, of which eight are international.
2022: Election of Bongbong Marcos
In 2022, Bongbong Marcos won the election.
2022: Second biggest exporter of nickel ore
In 2022, the Philippines was the world's second biggest exporter of nickel ore.
2022: Total water withdrawals increased
In 2022, the total water withdrawals in the Philippines increased to 91 billion cubic meters from 89 billion cubic meters in 2021.
2022: Health expenditure
Per-capita health expenditure in the Philippines in 2022 was ₱10,059.49 and health expenditures were 5.5 percent of the country's GDP.
2022: Dangerous country for journalists
The Philippines was listed as the seventh-most-dangerous country for journalists in 2022 by the Committee to Protect Journalists due to 13 unsolved murders of journalists.
2023: Forest cover estimate
According to official estimates, the Philippines had 7,000,000 hectares of forest cover in 2023.
2023: American citizens in the Philippines
Almost 300,000 American citizens live in the Philippines as of 2023.
2023: Expansion of protected areas
As of 2023, protected areas in the Philippines have been expanded to 7,790,000 hectares.
2023: Labor force size
As of 2023, the Philippines' labor force was around 50 million, and the unemployment rate was 3.1 percent.
2023: Life expectancy
Average life expectancy in the Philippines as of 2023 is 70.48 years (66.97 years for males, and 74.15 years for females).
2023: Education Budget
Education in the Philippines, a significant proportion of the national budget, was allocated ₱900.9 billion from the ₱5.268 trillion 2023 budget.
2023: Remittances from overseas Filipinos
In 2023, remittances from overseas Filipinos reached a record US$37.20 billion, accounting for 8.5 percent of the Philippines' GDP.
2023: International Visitors
In 2023, the Philippines attracted 5.45 million international visitors, which was 30 percent lower than the 8.26 million record in pre-pandemic 2019.
2023: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement (FTA)
In 2023, the Philippines entered into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement (FTA).
2023: Military Spending
In 2023, the Philippines spent US$477 million, equivalent to 1.4 percent of its GDP, on its military.
2023: Women's National Football Team
The Philippines women's national football team qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, their first World Cup, in January 2022.
January 2024: Gross International Reserves
As of January 2024, the Philippines' gross international reserves totaled US$103.406 billion.
July 1, 2024: Philippine population
As of July 1, 2024, the Philippines had a population of 112,729,484.
2024: Philippines ranked 104th in Global Peace Index
In 2024, the Philippines ranked 104th out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index.
2025: American citizens in the Philippines
By the year 2025, the number of American citizens living in the Philippines increased to 750,000.
2025: Estimated Nominal GDP
In 2025, the Philippine economy is estimated to have a nominal gross domestic product of US$507.7 billion, making it the world's 34th largest.
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