The first president of the Philippine Republic, officially recognized by the Philippine government, is Emilio Aguinaldo. He became the inaugural president under the Malolos Republic, also known as the First Philippine Republic, which was formally established in 1899 and remained active until 1901

. Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, and his presidency marked the first organized government of the Philippines as a republic

. There is some historical debate about whether Andrés Bonifacio, leader of the Katipunan revolutionary society, should be considered the first president because he led a revolutionary government starting in 1896. However, Bonifacio's government was a secret society transformed into a revolutionary government and not officially recognized as a republic by the Philippine government

. In summary:

• Emilio Aguinaldo is officially recognized as the first president of the Philippine Republic (First Philippine Republic, Malolos Republic) from 1899 to 1901.
• Andrés Bonifacio is considered by some historians as a proto-president or leader of a revolutionary government but is not officially recognized as the first president of the Philippine Republic.