Presbyterianism—specifically the form that came to America as the Church of Scotland—came to the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. It was right after the Spanish-American War in 1898, when the islands came under American rule.

For the first time, Protestant missionaries were free to enter a country that had been tightly controlled by Catholic Spain.

In 1898 and 1899, American Protestant leaders formed the Evangelical Union of the Philippines, an agreement to divide the mission fields so that different denominations would not overlap.

The Presbyterians were assigned much of Northern Luzon, including the Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley.

Presbyterian missionaries quickly set about planting churches, schools, and hospitals. Their mission work emphasized education and health as much as preaching.

Some of their most lasting contributions were institutions like Ellinwood Bible School in Manila, Northern Christian College in Laoag, and even the early founding of Silliman Institute in Dumaguete before it was transferred to the Congregationalists.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Filipino ministers were being ordained, and the congregations were slowly moving toward local leadership rather than being run by foreign missionaries.

After World War II, Protestants in the Philippines moved toward unity. In 1948, Presbyterians joined with Methodists, Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ, and other groups to form the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines was one of the first united Protestant churches in the world, blending different traditions into a single national denomination.

Because of this merger, many Presbyterian congregations became part of the UCCP, though some remained independent.

Today, most of the historic Presbyterian presence in the Philippines is found inside the UCCP, which still carries elements of Presbyterian polity along with other Protestant practices. The UCCP is in working relationship with the Presbyterian Church (USA)—the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S.

Independent Presbyterian groups, including the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines and several Korean- and American-supported missions, also exist. These are more conservative—with traditional views on women in church leadership and are against LGBTQ persons.

The legacy of Presbyterianism lives on not only in congregations but also in schools, seminaries, and hospitals that continue to serve communities. Presbyterians helped shape Philippine Protestantism as a collaborative and ecumenical movement, committed to education, social witness, and unity.