BLOG 4: ELPIDIO QUIRINO

LIFE BEHIND AN ICONIC LEADER/HERO: THE LATE ELPIDIO QUIRINO

Elpidio Quirino (born Nov. 16, 1890, Vigan, Phil.—died Feb. 29, 1956, Novaliches) was a political leader and the 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.

Quirino, 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.

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.

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.

Elpidio Quirino's career and achievements include:

Political career:

Quirino was a lawyer who served as a representative for Ilocos Sur's 1st district from 1919 to 1922, and as a senator from 1925 to 1935. He was also a member of the Philippine Independence Commission in 1934 and the 1935 Constitutional Convention. 

President of the Philippines:

Quirino served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. His administration was marked by postwar reconstruction, economic gains, and increased economic aid from the United States. He also established the Social Security Commission and the President's Action Committee on Social Amelioration. 

Foreign service:

Quirino was known as the "Father of Foreign Service" for his achievements as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and as President. He was able to increase economic aid from the United States and improve the Philippines' relations with the international community. 

Agrarian reform:

Quirino established the Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO) to accelerate the government's peasant resettlement program. 

Hukbalahap Movement:

Quirino appointed Ramon Magsaysay as secretary of national defense to suppress the Hukbalahap movement. 

REFERENCE/S: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elpidio-Quirino

https://phlconnect.ched.gov.ph/admin/uploads/da4902cb0bc38210839714ebdcf0efc3/04-Handout-3.pdf

https://web.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/2149118233!.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elpidio_Quirino

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