Philippine Politics And Governance
Political history of the Philippines Aspect of history surrounding the Philippines' politics Early polities in what is now the Philippines were small entities known as barangays , although some larger states were established following the arrival of Hinduism and Islam through regional trade networks. The arrival of Spanish settlers began a period of Spanish expansion which led to the creation of the Captaincy General of the Philippines , governed out of Manila . While technically part of New Spain , the Philippines functioned mostly autonomously. The reliance on native leaders to help govern led to the creation of an elite class known as the principalia . Spanish control was never firmly established over much of its claimed territory, with some inland and Islamic regions remaining effectively independent. Emilio Aguinaldo , who led the Philippine Revolution against Spain, and Manuel L. Quezon , President of the autonomous Commonwealth of the Philippines under the Unit