PREAMBLE

Changes, Amendments and Insertions

In the 1935 constitution the words used were The Filipino people
signifying that they [the Filipinos] were represented, whereas in the
1973 and 1987 constitution it was changed to We, the sovereign
Filipino people thus, the Filipino people themselves are the source
from which the constitution comes.
The phrase Almighty God replaced Divine Providence in the 1935
and 1973 Constitution which was considered vague and impersonal.
Also, it was used as a compromise to accommodate some atheist in
the 1971 Constitutional Convention.
The phrase Common Good was used to refer to all the people in
place of general welfare which is not as inclusive as it may be
interpreted to refer only to the welfare of the greater majority.
The word freedom was used instead of liberty because the latter
word it does not cover freedom from want, fear and ignorance.
to build a just and humane society, to stress that the purpose is not
only to establish a government but also such society where inequalities
or inequities in any form do not
exist.
the rule of law, to prevent authoritarian rule, as what had happened
under the Marcos regime.
aspirations, to stand for the unrealized dreams of the nation as
distinguished from ideal which refer to accepted norms and
sentiments;
truth, to emphasize the constitutional policy of transparency in the
administration of the governments: and
love, to bind the Filipino people and make them show more
compassion, concern and understanding for one another especially
during critical times when the country is confronted by vexing sociopolitical economic problems. (human fraternity or brotherhood.)
independence, was changed to democracy in 1973 Constitution for
the reason that the term denotes the idea of a colonial status. In the
1987 constitution, it [independence] was restored to stress our being
an independent nation, free to build and chart our own destiny, in our
own time in our own way.

peace and equality, was inserted in 1973 Constitution in view of the

turbulence and the waves of protest against basic economic and
social inequalities at the time of the framing.

Sources of Constitutions Authority:

1. The Filipino People The constitution begins with the words, We the
sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God and ends
with the words, ...do ordain and promulgate this Constitution. Thus, the
Filipino people themselves (not just their representatives) are the source
from which the Constitution comes and being so, it is the supreme law
of the land.
- The use of the term Filipino people was retained to
signify oneness and solidarity of the Filipinos
2. A sovereign people The Filipino people were called sovereign to stress
that they ordain and
promulgate the Constitution on their own
authority as a sovereign people and not by virtue of the
authority or
permission given by a superior foreign power.
Belief in God Stressed:
We Filipinos are intensely religious peole and we acknowledge God as
the source of our authority. We also recognized the fact that with the help of
God, we will be able to achieve the ideals and aspirations to which we are
committed.
National Purposes and aims in adopting the Constitution:
1. To build a just and humane society; and
2. To establish a Government that shall:
a. embody our ideals and aspirations;
b. promote the common good;
c. conserve and develop our patrimony; and
d. Secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of independence
and democracy...peace