Nacionalista Party


The Nacionalista Party is a political party in the Philippines that is the oldest existing party in the country and in Southeast Asia. It was responsible for leading the country throughout most of the 20th century since its founding in 1907; it was the ruling party from 1935 to 1946, 1953 to 1961, and 1965 to 1978, and also was one of the two dominant political parties throughout the existence of the History of the [Philippines (1946–1965)|Third Republic].
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Ideology

The Nacionalista Party was initially created as a Filipino nationalist party that supported Philippine independence until 1946, when the United States Treaty of [Manila (1946)|granted independence to the country]. Since then, many scholarly articles that dealt with the history of political parties during the Third Republic agreed that the party has been increasingly populist, although some have argued they have conservative tendencies because of their opposition to the Liberal Party and the Progressive Party.

History

American Insular to Commonwealth era

The party was organized as a vehicle for Philippine independence, advocating self-rule; and espousing this advocacy through representation in the Philippine Assembly of 1907–1916, and in the succeeding Philippine Legislature of 1916–1935. The ranks of Nationalist politicians rose to prominence through the Commonwealth of the Philippines spanning 1935–1941, ending when political parties were replaced by a singular and monolithic KALIBAPI Party during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

Roxas and Quirino presidencies: 1946–1953

Break-away of the "Liberal" wing and 1946 elections

Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, and their allies called for an early general election, which elects the president, vice president, and members of the Congress, and lobbied it to their allies in the United States Congress. In December 1945, the House Insular Affairs Committee of the US Congress approved the joint resolution, setting the election date by April 23, 1946.
Prompted by this congressional action, President Sergio Osmeña called the Philippine Congress to a three-day special session. Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No. 725, setting the election date on April 23, 1946. President Osmeña signed the act on January 5, 1946.
The Nacionalista Party was divided into two factions: the Conservative wing, also known as the pro-Osmeña wing, and the Liberal wing, which was led by Roxas and Quirino. On January 3, 1946, Osmeña announced his re-election bid. But the Liberal wing became the Liberal Party and was officially founded on January 19, 1946, with its leaders Roxas and Quirino as party nominees for president and vice president, respectively.
On January 22, 1946, former Rizal congressman and Senator Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez was nominated as Osmeña's running mate for vice president in a convention held at Ciro's Club in Manila. But the tandem of Osmeña and Rodriguez was defeated by Roxas and Quirino of Liberal.

Opposition to the Roxas and Quirino Administrations

After the victory of the Liberals, Nacionalista only won 1 of 8 seats in the Senate election|1947 Senate election], by Camilo Osias. In the 1949 presidential elections, Nacionalista fielded former "collaborator" and political veteran Jose P. Laurel, with former Senator and Supreme Court Associate Justice Manuel Briones as his running mate. Even though the Nacionalistas had the advantage of the Liberals' divide, with Quirino running for his own full term and Senator José Avelino running with another wing, Quirino prevailed against Laurel. Former general and future diplomat Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray considered the 1949 edition as the dirtiest election in Philippine electoral history. In the senate election of the same year, anti-American Claro M. Recto only managed to win after an election protest.

Magsaysay presidency: 1953–1957

Recruitment of Magsaysay vs. Quirino

Former President and then-Senator Jose P. Laurel initially had intentions to seek the Nacionalista's nomination for president in 1953 but did not go through with it. He then proposed to endorse then-Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay, whose successful anti-insurgency and anti-communist initiatives had strained his relations with President Quirino and the Liberal Party. But Senate President Camilo Osías sought the presidential nomination but ultimately lost to Magsaysay. This prompted Osias to jump to the Liberal Party. In the convention, Senator Carlos P. Garcia of Bohol was picked to be his running mate, defeating Jose Zulueta.

Support from Democrats

Also, the country's ambassador to the United Nations, Carlos Romulo, and incumbent Vice President Fernando Lopez, who founded the Democratic Party from the Liberal Party and originally intended to run for president and vice president, respectively, withdrew, and Lopez sought a place in the Senate. The tandem of Magsaysay and Garcia won the election in 1953. In the 1953 Senate elections, only Lorenzo Tañada won from a party other than Nacionalista or Democratic, while in 1955, the Nacionalistas swept all eight candidates.

Garcia presidency: 1953–1957

After Magsaysay's 1957 [Cebu Douglas C-47 crash|plane crashed on Mt. Manunggal] while riding a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Carlos Garcia assumed the presidency for the last months of Magsaysay's unfinished term. He won a re-election in 1957, but for the first time in the electoral history of the Philippines, Garcia had a vice president who did not have the same party or his opponent's running mate as Garcia's running mate; Jose P. Laurel's son and former House Speaker Pepito Laurel was defeated by Kapampangan Congressman Diosdado Macapagal.
Juan Pajo, the then-governor of Bohol, held the Bible on which Garcia took oath, breaking the tradition wherein it is held by presidential spouses. A faction led by Manuel Manahan and Raul Manglapus formed a pro-Magsaysay faction due to dissatisfaction of members of the Nacionalista Party over the "cold treatment" given to them by allies of Garcia. The faction later became the Progressive Party.

Macapagal presidency: 1961–1965

In 1961, incumbent President Garcia lost his opportunity for a second full term as president of the Philippines to Vice President Diosdado Macapagal. Also, Senator Gil Puyat, Garcia's running mate, lost to Senator Emmanuel Pelaez and was behind Serging Osmeña, the son of the party's founder. Jose Roy and Lorenzo Sumulong are those Nacionalistas who managed to gain seats.

Marcos presidency: 1965–1986

1965 elections: Rise of Ferdinand Marcos

In April 1964, Senate President Ferdinand Marcos resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Nacionalista ship. He cited President Macapagal's unfulfilled promise of not running for re-election as the main reason for leaving his former party. Before quitting his former party, Marcos served as its party president. Also, incumbent Vice President Pelaez sought nomination, but Marcos prevailed in the 1964 Convention, with controversies like coercion and massive vote buying. By selecting Quirino's former Vice President Fernando Lopez, also a former Liberal, as his running mate, Marcos defeated Macapagal in the three-way 1965 elections.

1969 elections: Marcos retained

Tarlac Governor Ninoy Aquino, a former Nacionalista stalwart under Ramon Magsaysay and Marcos' frat mate, became a Liberal in 1959 and won a senate seat in 1967. Aquino became a vocal opponent of Marcos for the next decade.
Ramon Magsaysay's brother Genaro was recruited by the Liberal Party from the Nacionalista Party to be Serging Osmeña's running mate. Magsaysay won a senate seat as a Nacionalista in 1965. Marcos was reelected for a second term. He was the first and last Filipino president and Nacionalista president to win a second full term. His running mate, incumbent Vice President Lopez, was also elected to a third full term as vice president.
But Marcos's second term was characterized by social unrest, beginning with the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which was already underway during the second inauguration. Opposition groups began to form, with "moderate" groups calling for political reform and "radical" groups who espoused a more radical-left ideology.

1971: The Plaza Miranda bombing

After what happened with the Plaza Miranda bombing, the Liberals won five seats, and the Nacionalistas won three seats by Eva Estrada Kalaw, Ernie Maceda, and Alejandro Almendras.
In Marcos' 1971 State of the Nation Address, there is a sign in his speech that if the country's condition worsens, it is time to declare martial law.
Marcos also suspended the writ of habeas corpus by virtue of Proclamation No. 889, through which he assumed emergency powers.
Marcos's second term effectively ended a little under two years and nine months later, when Marcos announced on September 23, 1972, that he had placed the Philippines under martial law.

1978 elections: Elections under Martial Law and Fourth Republic

For the incoming 1978 parliamentary elections, some Nacionalista members joined the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, a regime-controlled coalition akin to the Japanese occupation's KALIBAPI. With many preferring not to be involved, the Nacionalistas went into hibernation.

1981: Alejo Santos

With the lifting of Martial Law by Proclamation 2045 on January 17, 1981, Jose Roy was asked by Marcos to find an opponent against him, as Lakas ng Bayan and the United Nationalist Democratic Organization declared a boycott on the election as early as April. As the opposition, UNIDO, the main opposition umbrella group, wanted to clean the voters' list, revamp the Commission on Elections, launch a nationwide campaign, and have them be accredited as a minority party. Marcos did not accept the demands, which led UNIDO to call for a boycott. This caused Marcos to be reportedly dismayed, as he could not legitimize the election without a viable opposition candidate.
The Nacionalista Party chose former Defense Secretary and Bulacan governor Alejo Santos as their standard bearer. Santos, who was appointed by Marcos as chairman of the board of the Philippine Veterans Bank, had Francisco Tatad, Marcos' former information minister, as his campaign manager. Ultimately, Marcos won in a landslide.

1983: Together with UNIDO

After the assassination of their former member Ninoy Aquino, former Marcos loyalist and son of Jose P. Laurel, Salvador "Doy" Laurel led the Nacionalista to join UNIDO, thus becoming the main opposition against the dictatorship. Marcos called a snap election in 1986, thus giving Laurel a chance to be the face of the opposition to match Marcos. In the UNIDO convention with a jam-packed 25,000 delegates, Laurel had UNIDO's support, but unfortunately for him, Ninoy's spouse Cory, ran under her own campaign. Due to Manila Archbishop Jaime Sin's plea of sliding down for Laurel, he agreed, and the two teamed up.

1986: Snap election

As the Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, and PDP–Laban united under UNIDO, they fielded Cory Aquino and Doy Laurel as their official nominees for president and vice president, respectively, for the 1986 election. In the said election, violence was rampant, and cheating scandals and controversies arose, with COMELEC officers walking out of the PICC, the place where COMELEC transmission of data happens.
Lt. Col. Gringo Honasan, backed by former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, had plotted a coup d'état to seize Malacañang and kill Marcos and his family. It also gave way for the success of the People Power Revolution on February 25.

Corazon Aquino to Estrada's presidencies: 1986–2001

Under first Aquino administration

Years later, in the late 1980s, the party was revived under the leadership of Laurel, who resigned as Secretary of Foreign Affairs due to conflict with President Cory Aquino.

1992 elections

In preparation for the 1992 elections, in 1990, the party had three candidates to seek the presidential nomination. These are Vice President Laurel, businessman and Marcos crony Danding Cojuangco, and former Defense Minister and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. Some of the Nacionalistas, including the son of their late stalwart Vicente Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte, said that Cojuangco is the strongest candidate, as the latter can grab the Solid North vote.
In the 1991 convention, the party nominated Laurel for president and selected Eva Kalaw to be his running mate. But after the party nomination, a pro-Danding Cojuangco/Marcos faction broke away and established the Nationalist People's Coalition led by Amang Rodriguez's son Isidro in 1991. The tandem of Laurel and Kalaw is in last place in that election All of the Nacionalistas who won seats in the lower house joined Jose De Venecia's Rainbow Coalition. The party almost returns to hibernation for the next few years, with Valenzuela congressman Antonio Serapio as its only member in both chambers of Congress.

Arroyo presidency: 2001–2010

2001 elections

Homobono Adaza, former Bureau of Immigration commissioner, was running under the Nacionalista banner. The party did not join either the People Power Coalition or Pwersa ng Masa. Adaza's platform was to make the Marcos family liable for their 600 million wealth question. But even though Adaza lost, in the House of Representatives, Nacionalista joined de Venecia's Sunshine Coalition.

2003

In 2003, Doy Laurel searched for the next leader of the party, and he saw former House Speaker and Senator Manny Villar. Villar at that time was an independent politician who was previously affiliated with Lakas and Estrada's LAMMP. He then tapped Villar as chairman. Laurel died in the United States in January 2004. Villar later assumed party presidency after the latter's death.

2004 elections

Even though the party did not field any candidate in legislative and executive positions nationally, in 2004, the party, with the new leadership under its party chairman and president, Senator Villar, supported then-incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, daughter of Diosdado Macapagal, who defeated their 1957 vice presidential candidate and stopped Carlos Garcia's reelection bid in 1961.

2007 elections

For the 2007 elections, then-Senate President Villar led the Nacionalista into joining the opposition against Arroyo, the Genuine Opposition, to match the administration's TEAM Unity. But another re-electionist, Ralph Recto, moved away from the Nacionalista Party and joined with the admin camp. Villar pushed his re-election bid into victory.
Also, by 2007, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan is expected to merge with the party. KBL chairman Vicente Millora, who advocated a two-party system return, said the KBL is willing to merge with the Nacionalista Party if the two-party system is revived.

2010 elections

In 2008, Manny Villar topped presidential surveys, despite the naked conflict of interest accusations at that time surrounding the C-5 Road extension project. In the same year, he declared that he intended to run for president in the 2010 Philippine presidential election. Until 2009, Villar still held the top spot in surveys for preferred presidential bets. But due to the death of former President Cory Aquino, her son, Senator Noynoy Aquino, began earning favor until finally surpassing him at around the tail end of the year. During the election period, both candidates had a tight race, with the popularity of Manny Villar's jingle for his presidential campaign, Naging Mahirap, prompting the creation of various memes on the internet. He also used the slogan Tapusin ang Kahirapan.
Controversy over dominant minority status
In the 2010 general election, the Nacionalista and the Nationalist People's Coalition formed an alliance after it was approved by the Commission on Elections on April 12, 2010. Villar chose Senator Loren Legarda, who is a member of the NPC, as his running mate. This was formally approved by COMELEC through a resolution but on April 21, 2010, was blocked by the Supreme Court after a suit filed by an opposing party, the Liberal, calling the move a deliberate attempt at acquiring the dominant minority party status. On May 6, 2010, the Supreme Court nullified the merger, therefore making the Liberal the dominant minority party. It was based on a resolution by the COMELEC that political parties had to be registered and accredited prior to a cut-off date of August 17, 2009.
Senate slate
Villar organized the Senate slate of his ticket, composed of Pia Cayetano, Bongbong Marcos, Susan Ople, former Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, former news reporter and congressman Gilbert Remulla, former military captain Ramon Mitra III, and Adel Tamano. They have also got Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People's Reform Party, Gwen Pimentel of PDP–Laban, activist Liza Maza, who is running independent, and Bayan Muna member and NDF member Satur Ocampo.
Cancelled alliance with KBL
On November 20, 2009, the Nacionalista forged an alliance with the KBL at the Laurel House in Mandaluyong. Bongbong Marcos was later on removed as a member by the KBL National Executive Committee on November 29. As such, the party broke its alliance with the KBL due to internal conflicts within the party, though Marcos remained part of the Nacionalista's senatorial line-up, and his family members were sworn in as members of the Nacionalista Party.
'Villaroyo' rumors
At the start of the campaign for 2010, President Arroyo had a -53 trust rating. This resulted in low survey ratings for the standard bearer of the administration, then Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Rumors started to speculate that Manny Villar was a "secret candidate" of Arroyo, thus earning them both the "Villaroyo" title, combining their surnames respectively. Villar denied the accusation, and his ratings plummeted, with Joseph Estrada now placed second, surpassing him.
Furthermore, the reopening of the issue of the C-5 project affected his survey ratings, with Satur Ocampo, one of the members of his senate line-up, saying that he should face senate hearings about the issue.
Villar eventually lost to then-senator Noynoy Aquino, the son of former senator Ninoy Aquino and former president Corazon Aquino, while Legarda lost to Makati mayor Jejomar Binay.

Noynoy Aquino to Rodrigo Duterte's presidency: 2010–2022

2013

Nacionalista forged a coalition with the Liberal Party, Nationalist People's Coalition, Sonny Angara's Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Risa Hontiveros' Akbayan, and Magdalo led by Antonio Trillanes, who is also a Nacionalista member. The coalition became the Team PNoy. Nacionalista members fielded are Trillanes, Villar's wife Cynthia, and Alan Peter Cayetano. The three won seats in the senate.

2016

On an April 2015 cruise from Manila to Japan, the Nacionalista Party were supposed to decide on their plans for 2016. However, they were not able to form a consensus on what to do. In May, Cynthia Villar said that they are considering adopting Grace Poe as their candidate. By July, Trillanes said that it is possible, but not with the inclusion of Chiz Escudero, her running mate. By September, she said that if Rodrigo Duterte decides to run for the presidency, the Nacionalistas might support him.
By 2016, Alan Peter Cayetano, Bongbong Marcos, and Antonio Trillanes originally aspired to get the Nacionalista's nomination for the presidency. But the three ran as candidates for vice president instead, and when PDP–Laban's Rodrigo Duterte substituted Martin Diño, the three sought to be selected as Duterte's running mate, with Cayetano being the one picked in November. At first, Cayetano was originally proposed by Mar Roxas' campaign team to be the latter's running mate. However, the Liberal Party decided to pick then-representative Leni Robredo, the widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, as Roxas' running mate instead. On the other hand, Marcos was tapped by Miriam Defensor Santiago as her running mate in October 2015.
With multiple members angling for the vice presidency, Cynthia Villar said that the party wouldn't impose a stance on whom to support for the presidency if two or more members were to run for the vice presidency. Duterte won, but Cayetano only finished third, with Marcos as second.
In 2022, while campaigning for Isko Moreno, a former Nacionalista, Duterte's former strategist Lito Banayo revealed that Duterte originally planned to run under the Nacionalista banner, but due to Cayetano, Marcos, and Trillanes' ambition, he jumped to PDP–Laban, Cory Aquino's former party.

2019

Nacionalista fielded re-electionist Cynthia Villar and Bongbong's older sister, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, to be senatorial candidates under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago. Both senators won.

Bongbong Marcos' presidency: 2022–present

2022

In late 2021, Bongbong Marcos left the Nacionalista Party and joined Partido Federal ng Pilipinas to start his presidential bid.
In October of the same year, one of its top officials, Senator Ralph Recto, endorsed Manila Mayor Isko Moreno's presidential run, as he stated that Nacionalista members are open to endorsing any candidate and did not have any unified endorsement.
But before May 2022, Manny Villar endorsed the tandem of Bongbong Marcos and presidential daughter Sara Duterte. Despite this, Recto stuck to supporting Moreno.

2025

In 2024, the Nacionalista Party forged an alliance with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and joined the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition alongside PFP, NPC, and NUP. Nacionalista fielded Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar, Imee Marcos, and Ariel Querubin as candidates, but Marcos initially declined coalition membership and endorsement from her younger brother, President Bongbong Marcos, and Querubin later chose to run under the Riding-in-tandem Team alongside independent Bonifacio Bosita. In February 2025, during the campaign, Marcos appeared with the coalition and was reintroduced by her brother. However, she left Alyansa for good on March 26, citing reasons based on the arrest of former President Duterte. Villar and Marcos were later endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte.

Nacionalista presidents

As of 2026, there have been a total of 5 Nacionalista presidents. Those who won the presidency under other parties are not included.
#Name PortraitProvincePresidency
start date		Presidency
end date		Time in office
2
TayabasNovember 15, 1935August 1, 1944
4
CebuAugust 1, 1944May 28, 1946
7
ZambalesDecember 30, 1953March 17, 1957
8
BoholMarch 18, 1957December 30, 1961
10
Ilocos NorteDecember 30, 1965September 21, 1972

Electoral performance

Legislative elections

1916–1935

In 1916, the House of Representatives was still called the Philippine Assembly.
Senate electionsSenate Seats won+/–ResultHouse /
Assembly election		House Seats won±Result
1916N/AWon1916 13Won
1919Won1919 5Won
1922 51922 19
1925 4Won1925Won
1928 5Won1928 7Won
1931 1Won1931 3Won
1934 1Won1934 21

1941–1971: Bicamercal Commonwealth to Third Republic

The Senate was abolished from 1935 until 1941.
Senate
elections		Senate
seats		+/–ResultPresidentResult+/–House
seats		House
elections
1941N/AWonManuel QuezonWon 31941
1946 3LostManuel RoxasLost 601946
1947 4LostManuel RoxasLost 601946
1949 4LostElpidio QuirinoLost 21949
1951 8WonElpidio QuirinoLost 21949
1953 2WonRamon MagsaysayWon 21953
1955 6WonRamon MagsaysayWon 21953
1957 1WonCarlos P. GarciaWon 511957
1959 1WonCarlos P. GarciaWon 511957
1961 4LostDiosdado MacapagalWon 81961
1963 2Diosdado MacapagalWon 81961
1965 1WonFerdinand E. MarcosLost 361965
1967 4WonFerdinand E. MarcosLost 361965
1969 2WonFerdinand E. MarcosWon 501969
1971 1WonFerdinand E. MarcosWon 501969

Independent Nacionalista

"Independent Nacionalista," or denoted as "Nacionalista " on candidate lists, refers to politicians who had aligned themselves with the Nacionalista Party but did not win its nomination or run under its label. This term was used during the Third Philippine Republic, which had a two-party system. In the current Fifth Republic and under the multi-party system, candidates are no longer identified in this manner.

Notable Nacionalistas

Past

Throughout their careers, many of the country's politicians, statesmen, and leaders were, in whole or in part, Nacionalistas. Notable names include the following:
Presidents
Vice Presidents
Senators

Others

Most of these individuals embody solid political traditions of economic and political nationalism that are pertinent today, even with the party's subsequent decline.

Current party officials

Some members of the House of Representatives and Senate include—but are not limited to—the following:

Nacionalista-affiliated parties

Candidates for Philippine general elections

2010

Presidential ticket

For senator

2013

For senator

All members ran under the administration coalition, Team PNoy.

2016

For vice president

Three members ran for vice president albeit as independent candidates.

For senator

2019

For senator

All candidates ran under the administration coalition, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

2022

For senator

2025

For senator

All candidates ran under the administration coalition, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Running for Senator albeit as independent candidate

20th Congress Members

Senate

House of Representatives

District Representatives

Partylist allies