President Carlos P. Garcia Day in Bohol Date in the current year: November 4, 2024

Carlos P. Garcia was born on November 4, 1896 in the municipality of Talibon, Bohol. His father served as municipal mayor for four terms, so Garcia’s family wasn’t new to politics. Garcia graduated from law school in 1923 and was among the top ten passers in the bar exam that year. However, instead of practicing law, he worked as a high school teacher for two years and then began his political career.

In 1925, Garcia was elected to the House of Representatives from the third district of Bohol. He served for two consecutive terms until 1931. He then served as governor of Bohol from 1933 to 1941. In 1941, Garcia was elected to the Senate, but the newly elected Senate could not convene due to the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. During World War II, Garcia refused to surrender to the Japanese occupiers and engaged in guerrilla warfare.

After the war ended, Garcia served as senator until 1953. He was Ramon Magsaysay’s running mate in the 1953 presidential and vice presidential elections, which the pair won, defeating Elpidio Quirino and José Yulo. For four years, Garcia served as both vice president and secretary of foreign affairs. One of his greatest achievements as foreign secretary was ending the technical state of war between the Philippines and Japan.

On March 17, 1957, President Magsaysay died in a plane crash. The next day, Garcia was sworn in as acting president. In November 1957, he participated in the presidential elections and was elected for a full term. However, his running mate Jose Laurel Jr. lost to Diosdado Macapagal, the first time in the electoral history of the Philippines that the winning candidates were from different parties.

During his presidency, Garcia outlawed communist organizations in the Philippines and introduced and implemented the Filipino First policy, which favored Filipino-owned businesses over their foreign counterparts and promoted Filipino-made products. He also initiated the Austerity Program, shortened the lease of American military bases (the Bohlern-Serrano Agreement), and supported the establishment of the International Rice Research Institute.

Garcia ran for a second term in the 1961 presidential election, but lost to his vice president, Diosdado Macapagal. After losing the election, Garcia retired to Tagbilaran and spent most of the last decade of his life as a private citizen. However, he briefly resumed his political career after his election to the Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971. Garcia was sworn in as the President of the Convention on June 1, 1971, but died of a heart attack on June 14.

Two years after his death, the birthday of Carlos P. Garcia was declared a special non-working holiday in his home province of Bohol. It is marked by commemorative ceremonies and other events and activities to honor the legacy of the only Philippine president to hail from Bohol.