We now have a goodly number of agricultural and vocational schools. Enrollment in these schools has multiplied and soon an increasing number of youths will be leaving their doors properly equipped with vocational skills so essential in our economic development program.

The important role of private schools in the education of our youth deserves mention here. There are now throughout the archipelago 1,770 private educational institutions from the lower grades to university level, with over three-quarters of a million students. Were the government to shoulder their operation and maintenance, P60 million would still fall short of the money so required, excluding the cost of their buildings and equipment."

- Elpidio Quirino

Better sanitation has been achieved in diverse and effective ways. Stricter supervision over public eating places, markets, and slaughter houses has been enforced. Schools, industrial plants, and commercial houses have been subjected to systematic medical inspection. Immunization of the population against epidemic diseases has advanced where it is now willingly sought by everyone, young and old, rich and poor, healthy and infirm alike. We have spread the benefits of artesian well and sanitary facilities to more sectors, and have established an increasing number of hospitals, puericulture centers, charity clinics, and dispensaries"

- Elpidio Quirino

We have also progressed in the liquidation of the advances form the Special Funds. In the fiscal year 1952, repayments to the Special Funds aggregated P127,339,715.32, so that as of June 30 last year, only P25 million remained to be refunded. We are addressing ourselves to the eventual repayment of this balance and expect to do this before the close of the ensuing fiscal period.

Local government finances have also noticeably improved. Provincial and municipal governments realized an income of P74,192,000 in the fiscal year 1952. This figure compares favorably with their 1951 performance of P60,830,000. Collections of chartered cities reached P73,712,000, or an increase of P12,623,000 over the 1951 record of P61,089,000. The assessed value of taxable real property in the provinces, municipalities, and cities increased by over P176 million in a year’s time."

- Elpidio Quirino

The total combined production during 1949 of certain selected commodities, like palay, corn, sugar, copra, root crops, etc., amounted to 5,576,000 metric tons. In 1952 this had increased to 7,503,000 metric tons or an increase of 35 per cent in three years. The total area of land devoted to the production of all crops reached 5,326,000 hectares in 1952, which exceeds by 380,000 hectares the 1949 area. At the average of two workers to put one hectare of land into production, we cab see that there were approximately three-quarters of a million more farm laborers who found occupation during 1952, compared t those working in 1949."

-Elpidio Quirino

At no other comparable period has the workingman achieved greater gains for himself and his co-workers than during the past two or three years. These include: (1) raising his wage standard; (2) promotion of his safety against industrial injury and disease; (3) protection of employees sustaining injury or meeting death in line of duty; (4) improvement of working conditions of women and children; (5) expansion of national employment programs leading towards greater and more stabilized employment; (6) protection of prospective workers from illicit activities of employment agencies; (7) protection of workers against irresponsible union leadership; and (8) raising labor standards in general.

A vigorous and determined campaign to enforce the Minimum Wage Law in both urban and rural areas has been pursued to insure for the workers and full benefits of the law."

- Elpidio Quirino

The country’s major export industries began to recover. The processing of coconut products expanded and many of the sugar mills began to be restored and exports of these products began to recover. Some mining and timber firms resumed production.

During Quirino’s presidency, the country continued to receive support from US development aid and enjoyed the early years of the special relations covering trade adjustment, war damage payments, and an effort to promote domestic industrialization.

The import and exchange controls encouraged businessmen to produce products that replaced imports. The beginnings of industrial import substitution were promoted by the law promoting “new and necessary industries.”

The government also started to undertake mass housing for low and middle income earners. This program was under the People’s Housing Homesite Corp., a forerunner of the National Housing Authority. Thus begun housing projects designed to be amortized by citizens — Projects 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the Metro Manila area.

 - Elpidio Quirino 

President Quirino also created the Social Security Commission, making Social Welfare Commissioner Asuncion Perez chairman of the same. This was followed by the creation of the President's Action Committee on Social Amelioration, charges with extending aid, loans, and relief to the less fortunate citizens. Both the policy and its implementation were hailed by the people as harbingers of great benefits.

In 1950, at the onset of the Korean War, Quirino authorized the deployment of over 7,450 Filipino soldiers to Korea, under the designation of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea or PEFTOK.

In 1951, the Philippines signed the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States to deter the threat of communism that existed during the Cold War. The military alliance remains to this day a key pillar of American foreign policy in Asia that also includes defense pacts with Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia.

In fact, in 1953 the Philippines was well-positioned to become successful in economic development. The country then was the envy of many countries facing postwar reconstruction and development.

In 1934 Quirino became secretary of finance. He was also one of the drafters of the constitution approved on May 15, 1935. When the Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated on Nov. 15, 1935, he held the position of secretary of finance (1935-1936) and then became secretary of the interior (1936-1938). In 1941 he was elected as senator-at-large. When World War II broke out, Quirino refused to join the puppet government of José Laurel and became an underground leader of the Filipino resistance movement against the Japanese. He was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese military police in Ft. Santiago, and his wife, two daughters, and a son were murdered by the Japanese forces.

In 1945 Quirino became the leader of the majority in the Philippine Congress and then assumed the post of president pro tempore of the Senate. On the inauguration of the Philippine Republic in 1946, he occupied the post of vice president and first secretary of foreign affairs. In 1947 Quirino (who belonged to the class of landlords, compradors, and bureaucrat-capitalists) urged the adoption of the anomalous "parity amendment, " imposed by the U.S. government in exchange for independence, war damage payments, and other loans.

Quirino was elected president in 1949, when, according to historians and newspaper reports, widespread terrorism and violation of legal electoral processes occurred. He died on Feb. 29, 1956.