Who was the first vice president of the Philippines?

Sergio Osmeña became the first vice president when the Commonwealth government began on 15 November 1935.

How many people are in the vice-presidential sequence?

The Office of the Vice President’s historical display represents Sara Duterte and thirteen predecessors. Some published lists also count Arturo Tolentino’s disputed February 1986 claim, so this collection includes all fifteen biographies and labels the disagreement.

Who is the current vice president of the Philippines?

Sara Duterte has served as vice president since 30 June 2022. This answer was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.

Can the president appoint a vice president?

When the office becomes vacant, the 1987 Constitution allows the president to nominate a member of Congress, who takes office after separate majority confirmation by both chambers.

How many vice presidents later became president?

Six: Sergio Osmeña, Elpidio Quirino, Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Political collection · Philippines

1935–present · Fourteen recognised officeholders · One disputed claim

Vice Presidents of the Philippines, 1935–Present

Fifteen biographies explain the fourteen people represented in the Office of the Vice President’s historical sequence and Arturo Tolentino’s disputed 1986 claim—without treating two incompatible successions as equally settled.

A national mandate with limited fixed powers

The vice president is elected nationwide and stands first in presidential succession, yet the Constitution assigns few permanent duties beyond those rules. Influence therefore depends on electoral independence, cabinet work, relations with the president and the possibility of succession. The archive includes Arturo Tolentino because some published lists count his brief 1986 proclamation, while later constitutional recognition established Salvador Laurel as the vice president who served through the democratic transition.

01
Six vice presidents later became president
Osmeña, Quirino, Garcia and Arroyo succeeded during vacancies; Macapagal and Estrada won the presidency in later elections.
02
Separate voting creates independent mandates
Voters can elect a president and vice president from rival tickets, making the second office a coalition partner, critic or future challenger.
03
Cabinet authority is delegated, not automatic
Agriculture, foreign affairs, housing, social welfare and education became important vice-presidential portfolios only through presidential appointment.
04
Vacancy rules changed under the 1987 Constitution
Earlier successions left the office empty. The current charter allows a president to nominate a member of Congress for confirmation by both chambers.
05
The 1972–1986 break requires careful labels
The earlier office disappeared under the authoritarian constitutional order, and the disputed 1986 proclamation cannot be merged with the later Aquino–Laurel settlement.
06
Regional careers become national constituencies
Iloilo, Bohol, Misamis Oriental, Makati, Bicol and Davao leaders used a nationwide vote to carry strong local bases into executive politics.

Fifteen biographies · 1878–present

Vice Presidents of the Philippines, 1935–Present

Six vice presidents later became president

Separate voting creates independent mandates

Cabinet authority is delegated, not automatic

Vacancy rules changed under the 1987 Constitution

The 1972–1986 break requires careful labels

Regional careers become national constituencies

Meet the officeholders—and the disputed claimant—across nine decades of constitutional change

Read the constitutional rules, elections and successions behind the office

Philippine vice presidents: quick answers

How the collection was checked