By
Published: July 20, 2010

During the first term of President Ferdinand Marcos, he listed the following to be the achievements during his administration;

  1. Increased rice and corn production to the point of self-sufficiency with the initiation of the Green Revolution and the introduction of “miracle rice.”
  2. The construction of roads and bridges, more than those built under all his predecessors combined, including a substantial portion of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway that would link Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
  3. The construction of more school houses than under any preceding administration.
  4. The revival of intellectual renaissance through the First Lady’s patronage and involvement in the arts.
  5. The rehabilitation of irrigation systems; the intensification of the cooperative movement, and the vigorous implementation of land reform.

There were, however, still many problems which confronted the Marcos administration especially during the middle period of his second presidential term, after his reelection in 1969. These problems included,

  1. The worsening of peace and order situation
  2. The rising prices of commodities
  3. The increasing unemployment
  4. The spread of squatters and housing problems
  5. The perennial school crisis
  6. The overstaying Chinese
  7. The integration of the so-called cultural minorities
  8. The question of the American military bases
  9. The Sabah question

All these problems taken together and the danger of an outbreak of rebellion, prompted President Marcos to declare martial law in the Philippines.