<P> Roxas succumbed to a heart attack in 1948, allowing Vice President Elpidio Quirino to rule the country for the next six years, after winning in 1949 . Quirino's Liberal government was widely seen as corrupt, and was easily beaten by his former Defense secretary Ramon Magsaysay in the 1953 election . Magsaysay, who oversaw the surrender of the longimplemented a "Filipino First" policy and an austerity program . Garcia was defeated by his Vice President, Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party, in 1961 . Macapagal initiated a return to a system of free enterprise not seen since the Quirino administration . However, Macapagal's policies faced a stiff opposition in Congress, where the Nacionalistas hold the majority . Macapagal was defeated in 1965 by Senator Ferdinand Marcos . </P> <P> Marcos' infrastructure projects was the feature policy of his term, he was the first president to be reelected, in 1969, although the election was tainted by violence and allegations that Marcos used the treasury to fund his campaign . However, significant protests, such as the First Quarter Storm, the communist and Moro insurgencies, and civil unrest, heightened . This made Marcos in 1972 declare martial law and suspend the constitution . A new constitution calling for a semi-presidential government was approved in 1973, but Marcos still ruled by decree until 1978, when the Interim Batasang Pambansa was elected . However, opposition groups, whose leaders mostly had already left in exile, boycotted the election, and Marcos still allowed martial law to continue . Marcos did end martial law in 1981, but opposition groups still boycotted the 1981 presidential election, which Marcos easily won . </P> <P> Opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. was slain upon his return to the country in 1983 . By this time, the government was marred by alleged rampant corruption and allegations of human rights violations . The opposition participated in the 1984 parliamentary election and won several seats, but not enough to topple Marcos' KBL . To counter growing opposition, Marcos called a snap election in 1986, the opposition nominated Benigno's widow Corazon as their candidate . Marcos was declared the winner, but the opposition refused to accept the result, alleging that the election was rigged . The People Power Revolution drove Marcos from power, and Aquino became president . Aquino ruled by decree in 1987 when a new constitution restoring the presidential system was approved . In the ensuing legislative election, the administration parties won most of the seats in Congress . </P> <P> Aquino's government was mired by coup attempts, high inflation and unemployment, and natural calamities, but introduced land reform and market liberalization . Aquino's administration also saw the pullout of the U.S. bases in Subic Bay and Clark . As the 1992 election grew closer, Aquino declined to run even though she could do so, and instead supported Ramon Mitra; she later backtracked and threw her support to Fidel V. Ramos, who later won albeit under controversial circumstances . Ramos had to face an ongoing energy crisis which had started during the Aquino administration which was resolved when Ramos issued contracts favorable to power producers . The Ramos administration hosted the 1996 APEC summit, reinstated the death penalty, signed a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front, and bore the brunt of the 1997 Asian financial crisis . He wanted to amend the constitution, but Aquino and other sectors opposed the measure and backed off . Ramos' vice president Joseph Estrada defeated the former's partymate Jose de Venecia and several others in the 1998 election in a comfortable margin; meanwhile de Venecia's running mate Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was elected vice president . </P>

Why is it important for an ordinary filipino to be aware of the philippine politics