The Grand Alliance was a political coalition in the Philippines that existed from 1959 to 1965. It was composed of members of the Progressive Party

Progressive Party (Philippines)

The Progressive Party of the Philippines , also known as the Party for Philippine Progress, was a reformist political party that existed in the late 1950s and the 1960s. It is considered to be the earliest form of a genuine alternative party to the then-dominant political pair of the Nacionalista...

 and defectors from the Nacionalista Party

Nacionalista Party

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in the Philippines today and was responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th century since its founding in 1907...

 and the Liberal Party

Liberal Party (Philippines)

The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...

.

Formation

In 1959, the Liberal Party, led by Vice-President Diosdado Macapagal

Diosdado Macapagal

Diosdado Pangan Macapagal was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970...

 and Senate President Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...

, negotiated with members of the Progressive Party for a possible alliance with the two parties. Under the terms of the negotiation, Manuel Manahan

Manuel Manahan

Manuel P. Manahan was a Filipino statesman, journalist, businessman, and rural development advocate. He was a key government official during the administration of President Ramon Magsaysay, best known for his stint as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission...

 and Raul Manglapus

Raul Manglapus

Raúl Sevilla Manglapus was a prominent post-World War II Filipino politician. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement in 1968 .He was appointed as the Philippines' youngest-ever foreign minister in 1957,...

 would be included in the senatorial slate of the Liberal Party for the 1959 senatorial elections. According to Macapagal, Manahan initially agreed to the coalition.

However, the Progressive camp wanted Senator Emmanuel Pelaez

Emmanuel Pelaez

Emmanuel Neri Pelaez was a politician and Vice-President of the Philippines.-Early life and career:Pelaez was born in Medina, Misamis Oriental to Gregorio Pelaez, Sr. and Felipa Neri. He was fourth among eight children: Rosario, Concepcion, Gregorio Jr., Emmanuel, Jose Ma., Lourdes , Antonio, and...

 and former Defense Secretary Jesus Vargas

Jesus M. Vargas

Jesus M. Vargas was a former soldier and served as Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines.-Early Life:Jesus Miranda Vargas was born on March 22, 1905 in Manila to Braulio Vargas and Petrona Miranda....

. This eventually found the support of Senator Ambrosio Padilla

Ambrosio Padilla

Ambrosio Bibby Padilla was a former Filipino basketball player and former elected member of the Senate of the Philippines. He was one of the most important figures in the Asian basketball development.Padilla was born as the eighth of eleven children of Dr. Nicanor Padilla and Ysabel Bibby...

 from the Liberal Party. Due to a disagreement with the terms, the proposed coalition broke down. According to Manglapus, this also resulted in Padilla being ousted from the Liberal Party.

With negotiations with the Liberal Party failing to move forward, the Progressive Party and defectors of both the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party formed the Grand Alliance (GA).

1959 election

The GA put up its own six-man slate for the 1959 senatorial elections. Manahan, Manglapus, and Vargas represented the Progressive wing of the alliance. Pelaez represented the Nacionalista wing, while Narciso Pimentel, Jr. and Osmundo Mondoñedo represented the Liberal wing.

By the end of the election, none of them were successful in acquiring a Senate seat.

Members

The following had served as members of the Grand Alliance:

• Vicente Araneta
• Rogelio de la Rosa
  Rogelio de la Rosa
  Regidor de la Rosa , better known as Rogelio de la Rosa, was one of the most popular Filipino matinee idols of the 20th century. He is also remembered for his statesmanship, in particular his accomplishments as a diplomat...
  
  
• Manuel Manahan
  Manuel Manahan
  Manuel P. Manahan was a Filipino statesman, journalist, businessman, and rural development advocate. He was a key government official during the administration of President Ramon Magsaysay, best known for his stint as the head of the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission...
  
  
• Raul Manglapus
  Raul Manglapus
  Raúl Sevilla Manglapus was a prominent post-World War II Filipino politician. He co-founded the reformist Progressive Party of the Philippines and the Christian Democratic Socialist Movement in 1968 .He was appointed as the Philippines' youngest-ever foreign minister in 1957,...
  
  
• Osmundo Mondoñedo
• Ambrosio Padilla
  Ambrosio Padilla
  Ambrosio Bibby Padilla was a former Filipino basketball player and former elected member of the Senate of the Philippines. He was one of the most important figures in the Asian basketball development.Padilla was born as the eighth of eleven children of Dr. Nicanor Padilla and Ysabel Bibby...
  
  
• Emmanuel Pelaez
  Emmanuel Pelaez
  Emmanuel Neri Pelaez was a politician and Vice-President of the Philippines.-Early life and career:Pelaez was born in Medina, Misamis Oriental to Gregorio Pelaez, Sr. and Felipa Neri. He was fourth among eight children: Rosario, Concepcion, Gregorio Jr., Emmanuel, Jose Ma., Lourdes , Antonio, and...
  
  
• Rodrigo Perez
• Narciso Pimentel, Jr.
• Francisco Soc Rodrigo
  Francisco Soc Rodrigo
  Francisco Soc Rodrigo was a Senator of the Third Congress , Fourth Congress , Fifth Congress , and Sixth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines...
  
  
• Jesus Vargas
  Jesus M. Vargas
  Jesus M. Vargas was a former soldier and served as Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines.-Early Life:Jesus Miranda Vargas was born on March 22, 1905 in Manila to Braulio Vargas and Petrona Miranda....