Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo

Filipino politician
Date of Birth: 22.03.1869
Country: Philippines

Content:
  1. Early Life and Education
  2. Municipal Government
  3. Revolutionary Activities
  4. First President of the Philippines
  5. Philippine-American War
  6. Later Years and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, was born on March 22, 1869, in Cavite el Viejo (now Cavite), Cavite province. His family was well-to-do, with his father serving as a town mayor appointed by the Spanish colonial administration. Aguinaldo briefly attended Colegio de San Juan de Letran but did not complete his studies due to a cholera outbreak in 1882.

Municipal Government

At the age of 17, Aguinaldo became the head of Barangay Binakayan, Cavite el Viejo, to avoid military conscription. In 1895, at the age of 25, he became the first Municipal Governor-Captain of Cavite el Viejo.

Revolutionary Activities

In 1896, Spanish authorities imposed forced labor on natives, prompting a revolt led by Aguinaldo. The Spanish government offered an agreement promising reforms, and Aguinaldo agreed to disband his army. However, the promise was not fulfilled, and Aguinaldo was forced to flee to China.

When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, Aguinaldo contacted the Americans and was taken by their warship to Cavite. He quickly formed a 20,000-strong army, which fought alongside the Americans and defeated Spanish forces in several battles on Luzon Island.

First President of the Philippines

Aguinaldo established civil order and convened a Filipino congress, which declared the Philippine Republic and drafted a constitution. Aguinaldo became the first president of the republic.

Philippine-American War

When the United States, after defeating the Spanish, decided to occupy the Philippines, Aguinaldo resisted them fiercely. A three-year guerrilla war ensued. The Americans easily secured the coastlines, but Aguinaldo remained in control of the interior of Luzon, often inflicting heavy losses on the Americans. In March 1901, he was captured and renounced his struggle, becoming loyal to the United States.

Later Years and Legacy

In the 1930s, Aguinaldo led the "Veterans of the Revolution" and the "National Socialist Party." He ran for president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935 but was unsuccessful. During World War II, he was arrested by American forces on charges of collaboration with the Japanese but was later released under a general amnesty.

Emilio Aguinaldo was one of the youngest heads of state in the world during his presidency. He held the record as the longest-lived former Philippine president, living 63 years after he stepped down. He passed away on February 6, 1964, as one of the oldest politicians of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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