8th President of the Republic of the Philippines
December 30, 1957 – December 30, 1961
Carlos P. Garcia was born on November 4, 1896 in Talibon, Bohol to Policarpio Garcia who served as municipal mayor for four terms, and Ambrosia Polistico. Although he earned his degree in law, he rather worked as a teacher at Bohol Provincial High School where he became famous for his poetry and was known to be the “Prince of Visayan Poets” and the “Bard from Bohol”.
He started his political career as a congressman of the third district of Bohol for two terms from 1925 to 1931 and later ran and won as a governor of Bohol. In 1946, he became a member of congress and was elected as a senator for for three terms from 1941 to 1953.
Garcia ran as vice president and won together with Ramon Magsaysay as president in the 1953 presidential election. He was also appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay as Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
Garcia assumed the presidency for the remaining 8 months of President Ramon Magsaysay’s term after his death in a plane crash on March 17, 1957. Garcia was re-elected in the 1957 presidential election and served his full term as president. His administration was popularly known for his Filipino First Policy that favored Filipino businessman over foreign investors.
In 1961 election, he ran for a re-election but defeated by Diosdado Macapagal who served as his vice-president. Garcia retired to private life and entered the political scene again when he was elected as a delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention and chosen as its president on June 1, 1971. But unfortunately, he died of a heart attack on June 14, 1971 at the age of 74.
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