Who is the 8th President of the Philippines?
Today, November 4, 2020, we commemorate the 124th birth anniversary of the 8th President of the Philippines, Carlos Polestico Garcia.
Carlos P. Garcia was born in 1896 to parents Policronio Garcia and Ambrosia Polestico in Talibon.
He finished Bachelor of Laws in 1923 in the Philippine Law School, and in the same year, taught briefly in Bohol Provincial School. Aside from being a teacher, lawyer, and military leader, Carlos P. Garcia enjoyed poetry and was a chess enthusiast.
He became president upon succeeding Ramon Magsaysay on March 18, 1957. He was elected on a full four-year term on December 30, 1957, and ended on December 30, 1961.
Carlos P Garcia: 8th President of the Philippines
For today’s 80th (Aril 9, 2022) commemoration of the annual Day Of Valor, the National Museum Bohol pays tribute to the legacy of Carlos P Garcia – Bohol’s most illustrious son and the 8th President of the Philippines.
Carlos Polestico Garcia or CPG, known to the heart of his Bol-anon comrades as “Caloy” has exemplified an unwavering love, bravery and loyalty to our country. In the backdrop of his multifaceted character being a teacher, lawyer, economist and public servant, few people know he was once a Guerilla Leader who risked his life for his people to break free from oppressive invaders.
During the Japanese occupation of Bohol in the Second World War, a guerilla force consisting of dispersed soldiers and civilians have been established and took over the town of Talibon, with CPG acting as the high adviser. The Japanese attempted to capture him, and CPG, together with his family, barely escaped to seek refuge in Leyte. The Japanese, exasperated, burned down the Garcia house in Talibon on July 4, 1942. CPG displayed a powerful symbol of Filipino patriotism in times of adversity by rejecting to yield and collaborate with the Japanese military authorities.
After the war ended in 1945, just a year later on the 4th of July, Bohol became part of the independent Republic of the Philippines. CPG returned to public office as Senator of the Philippines until 1953. For four years, he coexisted as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Vice President to Ramon Magsaysay from 1953 to 1957. He succeeded as president after the death of Magsaysay in May 1957 and won a full term in the presidential election in the same year.
Together As One Philippines, let us honor the legacy of Carlos P Garcia and embody the bravery, principles, ideals, and endeavors of our Filipino war heroes.
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