who is the first president of the philippines

The first officially recognized president of the Philippines is Emilio Aguinaldo.

However, there is an ongoing historical debate:

• Emilio Aguinaldo is formally listed by the Philippine government and most history books as the first President of the Philippines, serving during the First Philippine Republic (Malolos Republic) starting in 1899.

• Some historians argue that Andrés Bonifacio should be considered the first president because, as leader of the Katipunan, he transformed it into a revolutionary national government (often called the “Tagalog Republic”) and acted as its president from August 24, 1896.

So, in school textbooks and official records, the answer is Emilio Aguinaldo , but in many modern discussions and forums, you will also see the view that Andrés Bonifacio was the first revolutionary president of a Filipino government.