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Instinct

Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing innate (inborn) elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a corresponding clearly defined stimulus. Any behaviour is instinctive if it is performed without being based upon prior experience (that is, in the absence of learning), and is therefore an expression of innate biological factors. Sea turtles, newly hatched on a beach, will instinctively move toward the ocean. A marsupial climbs into its mother's pouch upon being born. Other examples include animal fighting, animal courtship behaviour, internal escape functions, and the building of nests. Though an instinct is defined by its invariant innate characteristics, details of its performance can be changed by experience; for example, a dog can improve its listening skills by practice.

Instincts are inborn complex patterns of behaviour that exist in most members of the species, and should be distinguished from reflexes, which are simple responses of an organism to a specific stimulus, such as the contraction of the pupil in response to bright light or the spasmodic movement of the lower leg when the knee is tapped. The absence of volitional capacity must not be confused with an inability to modify fixed action patterns. For example, people may be able to modify a stimulated fixed action pattern by consciously recognizing the point of its activation and simply stop doing it, whereas animals without a sufficiently strong volitional capacity may not be able to disengage from their fixed action patterns, once activated.

Instinctual behaviour in humans has been studied.

Jean Henri Fabre
Jean Henri Fabre (1823–1915) is said to be the first person to study small animals (other than birds) and insects, and he specifically specialized in the instincts of insects. Fabre considered an instinct to be a linked set of behaviours that an organism undergoes unconsciously in response to external conditions.

Insect and animal behaviour
Fabre concluded a significant difference between humans and other animals is that most animals cannot reason. He came to this conclusion after observing how insects and wild birds continued to repeat a certain behaviour in response to a novel situation. While these instinctive behaviours appeared complex, the insects and animals did not adjust their behaviour despite it not helping them in that novel situation.

The following are some insect and animal behaviours that Fabre observed and labelled "instinctive", for they do not involve reasoning:
 * Maternal instincts
 * Metamorphosis
 * Mimicry
 * Molting
 * Playing dead
 * Taxis

Fixed patterns
Fabre believed instincts were "fixed patterns", meaning these linked sets of behaviours do not change in response to novel environmental situations. One specific example that helped him arrive at this conclusion is his study of various wasp species. All of the wasp species he studied performed a certain pattern of behaviour when catching their prey, which Fabre called a fixed pattern. Then Fabre intervened in the wasps' process of catching prey, and only one of the species adjusted their behaviour in response to this unfamiliar interception. Fabre explained this contradiction by arguing that any individuals which stray from the norms of their species are merely an exception, while also admitting that there could be some room for growth within a species' instincts.

Fabre's belief that instincts are fixed opposes the theory of evolution. He rejected that one species could evolve into another, and also rejected that the consciousness humans possess could be achieved through the evolution of unconscious traits.

Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920) is known for founding the first psychology laboratory, which occurred in 1879 at the University of Leipzig. He was able to draw conclusions about instinct from his careful observations of both animal and human behaviour.

Unconscious processes
To better explain Wundt's research, Claudia Wassman analyzed a large collection of sources. This included some of the earlier journals Wundt wrote, which pondered the idea of unconsciousness more than his later and more known research. Her paper concludes that he believed unconscious processes (which he called "instinctive movements") were the result of sensations and emotions, and these unconscious processes were building blocks towards consciousness.

Facial expressions
An example of what Wundt studied to arrive at his conclusions regarding unconscious processes includes the facial expressions babies made in response to the sensations of sweet, sour, and bitter tastes. He concluded these facial expressions were the result of the babies trying to avoid unpleasant emotions because there was something unpleasant in their mouths, and that these instincts (which he uses interchangeably with reflexive movements) only became innate because past generations learned it and it benefited their survival.

Natural selection
The process by which Wundt explained the existence of instincts is natural selection. More specifically, his research suggests natural selection causes small changes in the nervous system over time. These changes bring about hereditary drives in organisms, which are then responsible for any unconscious processes. Another thing to note is that Wundt used the terms unconscious processes, reflexive movements, and instinctive movements interchangeably, often grouping them together.

Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud considered that mental images of bodily needs, expressed in the form of mental desires, are called instincts.

William McDougall
In the early 20th century, there was recognized a "union of instinct and emotion". William McDougall held that many instincts have their respective associated specific emotions. As research became more rigorous and terms better defined, instinct as an explanation for human behaviour became less common. In 1932, McDougall argued that the word instinct is more suitable for describing animal behaviour, while he recommended the word propensity for goal-directed combinations of the many innate human abilities, which are loosely and variably linked, in a way that shows strong plasticity.

Abraham Maslow
In the 1950s, the psychologist Abraham Maslow argued that humans no longer have instincts because we have the ability to override them in certain situations. He felt that what is called instinct is often imprecisely defined, and really amounts to strong "drives". For Maslow, an instinct is something which cannot be overridden, and therefore while the term may have applied to humans in the past, it no longer does.

Konrad Lorenz
An interest in innate behaviours arose again in the 1950s with Konrad Lorenz and Nikolaas Tinbergen, who made the distinction between instinct and learned behaviours. Our modern understanding of instinctual behaviour in animals owes much to their work. For instance, there exists a sensitive period for a bird in which it learns the identity of its mother. Konrad Lorenz famously had a goose imprint on his boots. Thereafter the goose would follow whoever wore the boots. This suggests that the identity of the goose's mother was learned, but the goose's behaviour towards what it perceived as its mother was instinctive.

Frank Beach
In a conference in 1960, chaired by Frank Beach, a pioneer in comparative psychology, and attended by luminaries in the field, the term instinct was restricted in its application. During the 1960s and 1970s, textbooks still contained some discussion of instincts in reference to human behaviour. By the year 2000, a survey of the 12 best selling textbooks in introductory psychology revealed only one reference to instincts, and that was in regard to Sigmund Freud's referral to the "id" instincts. In this sense, the term instinct appeared to have become outmoded for introductory textbooks on human psychology.

The book Instinct: An Enduring Problem in Psychology (1961) selected a range of writings about the topic.

Richard Herrnstein
In a classic paper published in 1972, the psychologist Richard Herrnstein wrote: "A comparison of McDougall's theory of instinct and Skinner's reinforcement theory—representing nature and nurture—shows remarkable, and largely unrecognized, similarities between the contending sides in the nature–nurture debate as applied to the analysis of behavior."

F. B. Mandal proposed a set of criteria by which a behaviour might be considered instinctual: (a) be automatic, (b) be irresistible, (c) occur at some point in development, (d) be triggered by some event in the environment, (e) occur in every member of the species, (f) be unmodifiable, and (g) govern behaviour for which the organism needs no training (although the organism may profit from experience and to that degree the behaviour is modifiable).

In Information Behavior: An Evolutionary Instinct (2010, pp. 35–42), Amanda Spink notes that "currently in the behavioral sciences instinct is generally understood as the innate part of behavior that emerges without any training or education in humans." She claims that the viewpoint that information behaviour has an instinctive basis is grounded in the latest thinking on human behaviour. Furthermore, she notes that "behaviors such as cooperation, sexual behavior, child rearing and aesthetics are [also] seen as 'evolved psychological mechanisms' with an instinctive basis." Spink adds that Steven Pinker similarly asserts that language acquisition is instinctive in humans in his book The Language Instinct (1994). In 1908, William McDougall wrote about the "instinct of curiosity" and its associated "emotion of wonder", though Spink's book does not mention this.

M. S. Blumberg in 2017 examined the use of the word instinct, and found it varied significantly.

In humans
Among possible examples of instinct-influenced behaviour in humans are the following.

 * 1) Congenital preparedness for developing fear of snakes and spiders was found in six-month-old babies.
 * 2) Infant cry is believed to be a manifestation of instinct. The infant cannot otherwise protect itself for survival during its long period of maturation. The maternal and paternal bond manifest particularly in response to the infant cry. Its mechanism has been partly elucidated by observations with functional MRI of the parent's brain.
 * 3) The herd instinct is found in human children and chimpanzee infants, but is apparently absent in the young orangutans.
 * 4) Hormones are linked to specific forms of human behaviour, such as sexuality. High levels of testosterone are often associated in a person (male or female) with aggressiveness. Decrease in testosterone level after the birth of a child was found among fathers.
 * 5) Hygiene behaviour in humans was suggested to be partly instinctive, based on emotions such as disgust.
 * 6) Maternal bond or maternal instinct is when a mother develops a relationship to a child to provide for its well-being. Maternal oxytocin is the hormone and neuropeptide thought to be responsible for predisposing women to showing bonding behavior and bonding.
 * 7) Self-preservation in people generally is when we have the instinct to survive.
 * 8) Fight-or-flight response in human beings has been said to be a particular response to the arising harmful event, attack or threat to survival.
 * 9) Cooperation behavior or social instinct has been postulated as an instinct necessary for the future survival of people.
 * 10) Resistance towards change is the difficulty experienced by a person when they are trying to push against the suggestions made to change behavior or accept certain treatments regardless of whether it will improve their condition or not, it allows for instinctive gratification.
 * 11) Adaptive behaviour to environment is an inherited innate phenotypic characteristic, whether inherited as instincts intricately, or as a neuropsychological capacity that furthers learning. Examples are mating, searching for food, situational awareness, establishing the pecking order and vocalizations.

Reflexes

Examples of behaviours that do not require thought include many reflexes. The stimulus in a reflex may not require brain activity but instead may travel to the spinal cord as a message that is then transmitted back through the body, tracing a path called the reflex arc. Reflexes are similar to fixed action patterns in that most reflexes meet the criteria of a fixed action pattern. However, a fixed action pattern can be processed in the brain as well; a male stickleback's instinctive aggression towards anything red during his mating season is such an example. Examples of instinctive behaviours in humans include many of the primitive reflexes, such as rooting and suckling, behaviours which are present in mammals. In rats, it has been observed that innate responses are related to specific chemicals, and these chemicals are detected by two organs located in the nose: the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE).

Maturational
Some instinctive behaviours depend on maturational processes to appear. For instance, we commonly refer to birds "learning" to fly. However, young birds have been experimentally reared in devices that prevent them from moving their wings until they reached the age at which their cohorts were flying. These birds flew immediately and normally when released, showing that their improvement resulted from neuromuscular maturation and not true learning.

In evolution
Imprinting provides one example of instinct. This complex response may involve visual, auditory, and olfactory cues in the environment surrounding an organism. In some cases, imprinting attaches an offspring to its parent, which is a reproductive benefit to offspring survival. If an offspring has attachment to a parent, it is more likely to stay nearby under parental protection. Attached offspring are also more likely to learn from a parental figure when interacting closely. (Reproductive benefits are a driving force behind natural selection.)

Environment is an important factor in the evolution of innate behaviour. A hypothesis of Michael McCollough, a positive psychologist, explains that environment plays a key role in human behaviours such as forgiveness and revenge. This hypothesis theorizes that various social environments cause either forgiveness or revenge to prevail. McCollough relates his theory to game theory. In a tit-for-tat strategy, cooperation and retaliation are comparable to forgiveness and revenge. The choice between the two can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on what the partner-organism chooses. Though this psychological example of game theory does not have such directly measurable results, it provides an interesting theory of unique thought. From a more biological standpoint, the brain's limbic system operates as the main control-area for response to certain stimuli, including a variety of instinctual behaviour. The limbic system processes external stimuli related to emotions, social activity, and motivation, which propagates a behavioural response. Some behaviours include maternal care, aggression, defense, and social hierarchy. These behaviours are influenced by sensory input — sight, sound, touch, and smell.

Within the circuitry of the limbic system, there are various places where evolution could have taken place, or could take place in the future. For example, many rodents have receptors in the vomeronasal organ that respond explicitly to predator stimuli that specifically relate to that individual species of rodent. The reception of a predatory stimulus usually creates a response of defense or fear. Mating in rats follows a similar mechanism. The vomeronasal organ and the main olfactory epithelium, together called the olfactory system, detect pheromones from the opposite sex. These signals then travel to the medial amygdala, which disperses the signal to a variety of brain parts. The pathways involved with innate circuitry are extremely specialized and specific. Various organs and sensory receptors play parts in this complex process.

Instinct is a phenomenon that can be investigated from a multitude of angles: genetics, limbic system, nervous pathways, and environment. Researchers can study levels of instincts, from molecular to groups of individuals. Extremely specialized systems have evolved, resulting in individuals which exhibit behaviours without learning them.

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User:BL~enwiki/testing

can i do that?

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Talk:Cirque (disambiguation)

I don't know the Terry Carr novel --- does the title refer to either a circus or a glacial valley? If so, wouldn't it be redundant? -- hike395 01:38, 5 Aug 2003 (UTC)

All these other meanings are pretty obscure - I think the landform should "own" the unadorned term, move the rest to a cirque (disambiguation)-type page. Stan 12:59, 31 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Renaming this page
The move suggested by Stan in 2004 is so long overdue. Essentially all references to "cirque" on WP refer to the landform, so this page should be moved to "Cirque (disambiguation)" and "Cirque (landform)" renamed to "Cirque". This fits the guidelines in Disambiguation.

In the course of writing dozens of geological (volcano, glacier, etc.) articles recently, I've gotten so sick of having to paste in cirque every time I need to refer to cirques. It's time this huge annoyance was ended. I'm going to go ahead and do this, since 3 yrs have passed with no dissenting opinions.

--Seattle Skier 08:00, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

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User:Petosirisus

Web site developer from Norway, born November 15, 1959 in Bærum.

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Disease outbreak

In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. The number of cases varies according to the disease-causing agent, and the size and type of previous and existing exposure to the agent. Outbreaks include many epidemics, which term is normally only for infectious diseases, as well as diseases with an environmental origin, such as a water or foodborne disease. They may affect a region in a country or a group of countries. Pandemics are near-global disease outbreaks when multiple and various countries around the Earth are soon infected.

Definition
The terms "outbreak" and "epidemic" have often been used interchangeably. Researchers Manfred S. Green and colleagues propose that the latter term be restricted to larger events, pointing out that Chambers Concise Dictionary and Stedman's Medical Dictionary acknowledge this distinction.

Outbreak investigation
When investigating disease outbreaks, the epidemiology profession has developed a number of widely accepted steps. As described by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these include the following:
 * Identify the existence of the outbreak (Is the group of ill persons normal for the time of year, geographic area, etc.?)
 * Verify the diagnosis related to the outbreak
 * Create a case definition to define who/what is included as a case
 * Map the spread of the outbreak using Information technology as diagnosis is reported to insurance
 * Develop a hypothesis (What appears to be causing the outbreak?)
 * Study hypotheses (collect data and perform analysis)
 * Refine hypothesis and carry out further study
 * Develop and implement control and prevention systems
 * Release findings to greater communities

The order of the above steps and relative amount of effort and resources used in each varies from outbreak to outbreak. For example, prevention and control measures are usually implemented very early in the investigation, often before the causative agent is known. In many situations, promoting good hygiene and hand-washing is one of the first things recommended. Other interventions may be added as the investigation moves forward and more information is obtained. Waiting until the end of an investigation to implement prevention and control measures is a sure way to lose ones job. In outbreaks identified through notifiable disease surveillance, reports are often linked to laboratory results and verifying the diagnosis is straight forward. In outbreaks of unknown etiology, determining and verifying the diagnosis can be a significant part of the investigation with respect to time and resources. Several steps are usually going on at any point in time during the investigation. Steps may be repeated. For example, initial case definitions are often established to be intentionally broad but later refined as more is learned about the outbreak. The above list has 9 steps, others have more. Implementing active surveillance to identify additional cases is often added. Outbreak debriefing and review has also been recognized as an additional final step and iterative process by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Types
There are several outbreak patterns, which can be useful in identifying the transmission method or source, and predicting the future rate of infection. Each has a distinctive epidemic curve, or histogram of case infections and deaths.
 * Common source – All victims acquire the infection from the same source (e.g. a contaminated water supply).
 * Continuous source – Common source outbreak where the exposure occurs over multiple incubation periods
 * Point source – Common source outbreak where the exposure occurs in less than one incubation period
 * Propagated – Transmission occurs from person to person.

Outbreaks can also be:
 * Behavioral risk related (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, increased risk due to malnutrition)
 * Zoonotic – The infectious agent is endemic to an animal population, infection is transferred to humans.

Patterns of occurrence are:
 * Endemic – a communicable disease, such as influenza, measles, mumps, pneumonia, colds, viruses, and smallpox, which is characteristic of a particular place, or among a particular group, or area of interest or activity.
 * Epidemic – when this disease is found to infect a significantly larger number of people at the same time than is common at that time, and among that population, and may spread through one or several communities.
 * Pandemic – occurs when an epidemic spreads worldwide.

Condition for Declaring an Outbreak Over
By convention, a communicable disease outbreak is declared over when a period of twice the incubation period of the infectious disease has elapsed without identification of any new case, however, for organisms with a short incubation period (e.g. fewer than ten days), a period of three times the incubation period is preferred.

Outbreak legislation
Outbreak legislation is still in its infancy and not many countries have had a direct and complete set of the provisions. However, some countries do manage the outbreaks using relevant acts, such as public health law. World Health Organization member states are obligated by International Health Regulations to report outbreaks. WHO member states are holding a special session in November 2021 to consider the International Treaty for Pandemic Preparedness and Response to establish further legal obligations in managing disease outbreaks.

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Philippine Independent Church

The Philippine Independent Church (Malayang Simbahan ng Pilipinas; Nawaya a Simbaan ti Filipinas), officially referred to by its Spanish name Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an independent Christian denomination, in the form of a nationalist church, in the Philippines. Its nationalist schism from the Roman Catholic Church was proclaimed during the American colonial period in 1902, following the end of the Philippine–American War, by members of the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina due to the pronounced mistreatment of Filipinos by Spanish priests and partly influenced by the unjust executions of José Rizal and Filipino priests and prominent secularization movement figures Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, during earlier Spanish colonial rule when Roman Catholicism was the state religion in the country.

Prolific Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo described the Philippine Independent Church as "the only living and tangible result of the Philippine Revolution." Ever since its inception, the IFI/PIC Aglipayanism is widely characterized as a schismatic, rather than a heretical movement, although the church itself and its congregation distance themselves from the "schismatic" description and prefers the term "independence" instead. Despite not being in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, the Philippine Independent Church universally maintains and adheres to the core set of beliefs and practices of broader catholicity.

The Philippine Independent Church is the country's first and oldest wholly Filipino-led independent Christian church. Its central office is located at the National Cathedral of the Holy Child in Ermita, Manila. It is ecumenically in full communion with the worldwide Anglican Communion, the third largest Christian communion in the world, while still maintaining its independence as per their concordat and does not require from either the acceptance of all doctrinal opinions. Although marked with Anglican influence, the Philippine Independent Church had come to develop its own liturgy, traditions, and theology distinct from Anglicanism. Originally professing to Trinitarianism, the Philippine Independent Church adopted a Unitarian theological doctrine during its earliest years but has reverted to Trinitarinism since 1947 to present.

Gregorio Aglipay and the Philippine Revolution
Gregorio Aglipay was an activist and Roman Catholic priest from Ilocos Norte, who would later be excommunicated by then Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda, for "usurpation of ecclesiastical jurisdiction" by joining Emilio Aguinaldo's libertarian movement and suspicion in possibly fomenting schism with the Pope (then Pope Leo XIII) in 1899 at the height of the Philippine–American War.

During the earlier Philippine Revolution, Aglipay and his former college schoolmate and fellow anti-friar Isabelo de los Reyes (also known as Don Belong), an ilustrado author, journalist, and labour activist who was in exile in Spain at the time, acted to reform the Filipino Catholic clergy which was then dominated and controlled by Spanish friars ("frailocracy") as Roman Catholicism was the state religion at the time of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. At the time, almost all native Filipino priests were already prohibited from administering a parish since 1870 and were just coadjutors or assistants to the Spanish friars. Native priests were also denied consecration to the episcopacy. Then-President Emilio Aguinaldo persuaded Aglipay to head the native Filipino clergy by appointing him military vicar general of the Philippine Revolution in 1898, wishing to overthrow the spiritual power of the Spanish friar-bishops.

Aglipay was a member of the Malolos Congress, the lone member coming from the religious sector, although he also represented his home province, as well.

Aglipay was also a guerrilla leader during the Philippine–American War, with the rank of lieutenant-general. He was also the convener of the Filipino Ecclesiastical Council (Paniqui Assembly) on October 23, 1899, months following his excommunication, in response to the manifesto of former Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini, who first came up with the idea of urging the Filipino clergy to organize a Filipino "national church" as inspired by the secularization movement, but not necessarily a schism from Rome. The idea received support from Aguinaldo. The assembly was attended by 28 native Filipino priests, thus, the short-lived national church was materialized. However, it was disestablished in 1901 following the dissolution of the First Philippine Republic.

Post-excommunication and establishment by Isabelo de los Reyes and the Unión Obrera Democrática
Following the end of the Philippine–American War, Isabelo de los Reyes, together with the members of Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina, formally founded and publicly proclaimed the commencement of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (abbreviated as IFI and translated to "Philippine Independent Church" in English) on August 3, 1902, at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Quiapo, Manila. The new church faced opposition from the colonial government, which sought to maintain the status quo. The church was later incorporated with the then-Insular Government of the Philippines as a religious corporation sole in 1904. The new church rejected the spiritual authority and infallibility of the Pope and abolished the celibacy requirement for priests, allowing them to marry. At that time, even before Aglipay joined the movement, all of its clergy were former Roman Catholic priests, mostly from the Ilocos Region, with some of whom became the church's first ever nominated and elected bishops by its earliest batch of clergy and laity who mostly belong to various political parties in Manila. Among the first elected bishops was former Roman Catholic priest and vicar forane Pedro Brillantes. The elected bishops then formed the church's first Supreme Council of Bishops. De los Reyes also formed an Executive Committee for the church from the staff of the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina who drafted the church's early first two Fundamental Epistles, which were later approved by the Supreme Council of Bishops. The elected bishops were then consecrated by the other priests as justified in accordance with the Fundamental Epistles. The first ever bishop to be consecrated in the IFI was Pedro Brillantes, whose consecration took place on October 20, 1902, and proclaimed Bacarra, Ilocos Norte as his episcopal seat. All of the former Roman Catholic clergy who joined the movement were later declared excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church.

Isabelo de los Reyes was the chief initiator of the separation and suggested in absentia that Gregorio Aglipay, knowing that he was influential with the Filipino clergy, should be the founding head, or Obispo Maximo (Supreme Bishop), of the church which was unanimously agreed by the members present in the proclamation. De los Reyes' desire to form a new church was conceptualized upon his repatriation to the Philippines from Spain in 1901 after his talks in 1899 with Giuseppe Francica-Nava de Bontifè, then the Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, to request the Holy See in looking into the conditions of the Philippines had failed. By then, the country had changed from Spanish rule to American. Although the American concept of separation of church and state was introduced in the Philippine Constitution of 1899, Spanish friars were still in control of the parishes all throughout the country, and de los Reyes feared that American clergy would sooner or later replace the Spanish, instead of native Filipinos. Along with the American colonization was the arrival of the American Protestant missionaries in the Philippines starting in 1901.

De los Reyes managed to rally enough people from his organization, Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina, the first modern labor union federation in the country wherein he was its first president, to materialize an independent and purely Filipino-led church "conserving all that is good in the Roman Church and eliminating all the deceptions which the Romanists had introduced to corrupt the moral purity and sacredness of the doctrines of Christ." At the time, he had the necessary logistics needed to form a new Filipino-led church, but one: an equipped and empowered bishop to head it.

At first, the already-excommunicated Aglipay was reluctant, as he was initially against a schism and was faithful to the magisterium. He believed that all means of reaching an understanding with Rome should be exhausted first before declaring any schism. Doubting that Aglipay might not take the leadership, the church elected its first batch of bishops, with Pedro Brillantes as the first ever to be consecrated. However, after Aglipay's talks with Jesuit and American Protestant leaders quickly backfired when both were dismissive and would not allow native Filipino priests to lead their respective churches, he eventually accepted de los Reyes' offer to head the independent church and was proclaimed as a bishop by the Supreme Council of Bishops of the newly-formed church on September 6, 1902, while also serving as the de facto "supreme bishop" until he was finally consecrated to the position by his fellow other bishops on January 18, 1903. Thus, the denomination also became known as the "Aglipayan Church", after its first supreme bishop.

Aglipay celebrated his first mass as the de facto Supreme Bishop on October 26, 1902 in Tondo, Manila. During his first mass, Apolinario Mabini, who was in exile at the time and in bad health condition, sent a letter of encouragement to the new church. Isabelo de los Reyes himself would later be formally excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1903. De los Reyes assumed the role of the de facto principal theologian, as well as a lay leader, in the church. On October 1, 1902, Aglipay headed the signatories, approval, and promulgation of the very first and short-lived temporary Constitution of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Subsequently, Aglipay also formally signed the third to sixth and last Fundamental Epistles. In late 1902, the church opened a seminary which was later renamed Seminario Central de Mabini (predecessor of present-day Aglipay Central Theological Seminary), named after Apolinario Mabini, at Nancamaliran West, Urdaneta, Pangasinan. The IFI was able to gain roughly three to five million followers on its first year of separation from the Roman Catholic Church.

Immediately after accepting the post, Aglipay demanded both then Governor-General William Howard Taft and Roman Catholic Church authorities to turn-over the church buildings to him on September 27, 1902, starting with the Manila Cathedral, but got rejected. A five-year campaign resulted in the acquisition of nearly one-half of Roman Catholic Church properties in the country by Aglipay's followers. However, in 1906, the then-conservative Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that all property that had been occupied by Aglipay's followers had to be returned to the Roman Catholic Church. The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the decision in 1909. The Aglipayan Church was then forced to move to makeshift quarters, with only a handful of followers able to retain the occupied buildings.

Developing early theology
On October 28, 1903, the IFI adopted the Doctrina y Reglas Constitucionales (DRC), which replaced the Fundamental Epistles as the doctrinal foundation and governing rules of the Church, with slight revisions in 1918 and 1940.

Aglipay, like José Rizal, later became a Freemason in May 1918. Although not a Mason himself, de los Reyes — who created a distinct doctrine, liturgy, and organization for the Philippine Independent Church — drew on aspects of their theology and worship, which was then approved formally by Aglipay. De los Reyes was supported by Miguel Morayta, Grand Master of the Spanish Orient Lodge of Freemasonry in Madrid. The Jesuit historian John N. Schumacher contended that Morayta and other non-Filipino Masons and laymen pushed Aglipay and de los Reyes towards schism from the Roman Catholic Church because of their resentment towards the activities of Catholic religious orders in the Philippines, rather than any simple admiration and encouragement for Filipino nationalism. Aglipay in 1929 titled de los Reyes, who remained a layman, as an Obispo Honorario (Honorary Bishop).

From 1902 to 1907, the Church was Trinitarian and largely followed Catholic forms of worship. It reformed the Latin Tridentine liturgy, and the Mass in its earliest days was said both in Spanish and the vernacular. Aglipay and de los Reyes later amended their theology, coming to reject the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Trinity, officially becoming theologically Unitarian in 1907. Aglipay and de los Reyes' Unitarian, rationalist, and progressive theological views were already evident in the church's Catecismo de la Iglesia Filipina Independiente (1905), Oficio Divino (1906), and the novena, Pagsisiyam sa Birhen sa Balintawak (1925), as well as its English translation, Novenary of the Motherland (1926). However, a significant number of the Church's population refused to accept the new Unitarian theology, and continued to profess Trinitarianism.

De los Reyes held the position of Honorary Bishop until his death on October 10, 1938. There were claims that he allegedly recanted and returned to the Catholic Church two years before his death. However, his son, Isabelo de los Reyes Jr., who later became Supreme Bishop, vehemently denied the claims. Aglipay, meanwhile, was Supreme Bishop until his own death on September 1, 1940.

Ecumenism, factionalism, and schism into offshoot Aglipayan sects
From its early years, two principal factions coexisted uneasily within the IFI and had become even more apparent after Isabelo Sr. and Aglipay's death: one Unitarian (led by Aglipay's successor and former personal secretary, cleric-turned-politician, and second supreme bishop, Santiago Fonacier – who was elected after Aglipay's death in accordance with the constitution of the church and was faithful to Aglipay and Isabelo Sr.'s theology), and the other, Trinitarian (led by Isabelo de los Reyes Jr. – the church's then-general secretary who was elected the fourth supreme bishop in 1946).

Before being elected, Fonacier initially committed to steer the IFI back to Trinitarism, however during his tenure, his theological and doctrinal stance was evidently still leaning towards his predecessor's Unitarian beliefs. On January 21, 1946, Fonacier was ousted from his position after a unanimous decree by the church's Supreme Council of Bishops due to controversies regarding certain decisions he imposed, which were deemed allegedly unconstitutional. A schism developed at the tail-end of Fonacier's term, and the Unitarian faction left the church, claiming the right to the name and possession of church properties. Under Isabelo Jr.'s leadership, the church's affiliation with revolutionary movements were severed and abrogated, coupled with his pursuit for ecumenism.

On August 4, 1947, a year after the granting of full independence of the Philippines from the United States, the IFI General Assembly under Isabelo Jr. petitioned the House of Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, one of the member churches of the Anglican Communion, to bestow the IFI with valid apostolic succession. Although a significant number of native Filipino Roman Catholic priests have joined the IFI during its inception, however, there were no bishops who joined the movement since the Roman Catholic Church had consecrated no native Filipino bishops before and by the time the IFI broke away, therefore the church lost the historic episcopate of apostolic succession. The Roman Catholic Church started consecrating Filipinos in 1906 as enticement for the rest of the Filipino clergy not to affiliate with the movement. First supreme bishop Gregorio Aglipay had previously sought bestowal of apostolic succession from other denominations abroad for years before his death, but failed due to his Unitarian theological beliefs and past revolutionary activities. Historically, IFI Bishops prior to the bestowal of apostolic succession were generally addressed and referenced only as "Monsignors" and their "bishop" consecration and designation only served as a title or position as high-ranking clergy whose roles were to head certain dioceses.

On August 5, 1947, the IFI Church officially adopted both a new Constitution and Canons and Declaration of Faith and Articles of Religion that were Trinitarian. According to the latter document, "the Doctrine and Constitutional Rules of the Philippine Independent Church, adopted on October 28, 1903, and subsequently amended, and the Fundamental Epistles of the Philippine Independent Church, are henceforth not to be held as binding either upon the clergy or laity of the church in matters of doctrine, discipline or order, wherein they differ in substance contained from the new Declaration of Faith or the Articles of Religion. They are, however, to be valued as historical documents promulgated by the founders of the church when they were seeking to interpret the Catholic faith in a manner understood by the people. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the church has sought to eradicate such errors of judgement and doctrine as crept into its life and official documents in times past".

The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America then granted the IFI petition during their meeting in November 1947. On April 7, 1948, at the Episcopal Pro-Cathedral of Saint Luke in Manila, the Trinitarian IFI had its bishops, namely: de los Reyes Jr., Manuel Aguilar, and Gerardo Bayaca (third supreme bishop), reconsecrated and bestowed upon the historic apostolic succession from the Anglican line by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America led by then Missionary Bishop Norman S. Binsted, acting for the Presiding Bishop, and assisted by fellow Episcopal Church bishops Robert F. Wilner and Harry S. Kennedy. Former President Emilio Aguinaldo acted as a sponsor for the three IFI bishops. The Trinitarian IFI then sued the Unitarian faction for sole rights to the name and property of the original IFI.

After prolonged litigation, in 1955, the more dominant Trinitarian faction was finally awarded by the Supreme Court the right to the name and possessions of the original IFI. The IFI then entered into full communion with the entire Anglican Communion in 1961 through the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The Episcopal Church assisted in coming up with the IFI liturgical books with a Filipino missal. The missal shows a marked Anglican influence while retaining the form of the Catholic Mass. Consequently, the IFI officially published The Filipino Missal and The Filipino Ritual in 1961, replacing the Oficio Divino which was first published in 1906. The church later signed a concordat of full communion with the Church of England in October 1963, the Scottish Episcopal Church in December 1963, and the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht in 1965. Fonacier's group, on the other hand, remained Unitarian, and eventually became known as the "Independent Church of Filipino Christians" (ICFC) which would later become a member of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF). However, they would soon fragment into other minor groups.

In the late 1960s, the church youth sector had begun criticizing the complacency of church leaders especially about making a clear stand regarding the semi-feudal and semi-colonial conditions of the Philippine society. As a result, Supreme Bishop de los Reyes Jr. recognized the youth's clamor to reclaim the church's nationalist heritage by allowing the organization of the first ever National Youth Assembly in 1969, marking the beginning of youth activism and reawakening of revolutionary nationalism, while still asserting their role to promote ecumenism.

On October 10, 1971, the 33rd death anniversary of Isabelo de los Reyes Sr., his son and then-supreme bishop Isabelo Jr. died of a heart attack, aged 71, while officiating a mass in the María Clara Christ Church in Santa Cruz, Manila. He was buried at the María Clara Christ Church on October 17 after having lain in state for one full week at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral which he had built in Taft Avenue, Manila. De los Reyes was succeeded in office by the church's then-general secretary, Macario V. Ga.

In 1973, the first reunification attempt between the IFI and ICFC was initiated during the administrations of Macario V. Ga (IFI's fifth supreme bishop) and Vicente K. Pasetes (ICFC's supreme bishop at that time). Although Santiago Fonacier, who served as ICFC consultant emeritus already at the time, was not physically part of the whole negotiation due to old age, he was represented by his son Anos J. Fonacier, a lawyer and entrepreneur. The said reunification attempt failed when the majority of the ICFC clergy, including Fonacier's legal counsel and son-in-law Rizalino R. Pablo, did not conform to the agreement of reconciliation due to their firm adherence to their Unitarian beliefs. In 1974, Pasetes finally reconciled with the IFI and brought with him four other ICFC bishops and a fair number of priests to the IFI fold which culminated in a memorandum of agreement that was signed between IFI's Ga and Pasetes himself. However, a segment of ICFC clergy refused to recognize the agreement. With the return of Pasetes to IFI, the remaining ICFC clergy elected a new ICFC supreme bishop in 1975.

In October 1977, the IFI Church adopted a new set of Constitution and Canons, as approved by the General Assembly held in May of the same year, wherein the supreme bishop shall only be elected for a term of six years without immediate re-election starting in 1981. Then in 1981, a faction of the church called the "Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente" or the "Philippine Independent Catholic Church" (ICFI/PICC), led by then-supreme bishop Macario V. Ga (who was on his 9th year in office) and priest Armando L. de la Cruz, who claimed to have maintained the "original catholic ethos and doctrine of the original nationalist independent church", was formed.

Ga was a known staunch supporter of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos which caused tension to a number of bishops and laity who were critical of Marcos and his dictatorship, thus marking the rekindling of the aforementioned clergymen's revolutionary nationalist roots. The opposing faction of clergy and laity rallied the election of Abdias R. de la Cruz, then the Bishop of Aklan and Capiz and concurrent general secretary, as the new supreme bishop in the 1981 General Assembly. Ga, refusing to step down, then filed a petition at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an attempt to nullify the election of de la Cruz. Ga also questioned the authenticity of the adopted 1977 Constitution and Canons after a few years from approval. However, even after a motion for reconsideration, both the SEC and the Court of Appeals executed the decision in favor of de la Cruz and the 1977 Constitution and Canons in 1985 and 1987, respectively.

Ga's faction subsequently got their name registered separately in the SEC. The IFI later responded by asking the Court to prevent the faction from using the name "Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente", an exact same name in one of the former's SEC-registered recognized alternative names. The SEC reviewed and later revoked the certificate of incorporation of the ICFI and ordered to change its name to avoid confusion with the IFI and all of its dioceses, who had registered the "Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente" name first, years before Ga's faction, therefore deemed the rightful owner.

The ICFI/PICC appealed and the case reached the Supreme Court. However, because of technicalities, the latter ruled to close and terminate the case. Eventually, in a compromise agreement to avoid further conflict with the IFI, the ICFI/PICC and its chapters/dioceses registered once again in the SEC in a different name in 2014 but only with a slight modification and variation from the previous one, as well as with their Visayas archdiocese correspondingly changing their diocesan name in the SEC to "Eastern Visayas Independent Catholic Church" (EVICC), headed by their metropolitan archbishop Valiant O. Dayagbil, a former IFI priest himself. Ultimately, later in 2019, the entire group has since been formally known as the "International Conference of Philippine Independent Catholic Churches of Jesus Christ", which has been in concordat with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a non-member province of the Anglican Communion, since 2020.

In the latter half of the 1990s, Ga voluntarily reconciled with the IFI, which led to the signing of a memorandum of agreement that paved the way for the mass return of a fair number of congregation and clergy in the Ilocos Norte and Cotabato areas. However, Armando de la Cruz, who was already the ICFI/PICC's duly elected supreme metropolitan archbishop, was adamant on the reunification. Unlike the IFI wherein the Supreme Bishop is only allowed to have a non-consecutive six-year term, Armando de la Cruz of the ICFI/PICC has a lifetime term as supreme metropolitan archbishop. Ga's return to the IFI resulted in another breakaway group from the ICFI/PICC that was established in 1995 under the name "Aglipayan Christian Church Inc. (Legion of Mary)", which is based in Davao City.

In 1995, the concordat of full communion between the IFI and the Church of Sweden was signed. On February 17, 1997, the IFI also signed a concordat of full communion with the newly-autonomous Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP).

Present day
IFI congregations are also found throughout the Philippine diaspora in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. The World Council of Churches and the church itself recorded to have a number of roughly 6 to 7 million adherents. According to some sources, the church is the second-largest single Trinitarian Christian denomination in the Philippines, after the Roman Catholic Church (some 80.2% of the population), comprising about 6.7% of the total population of the Philippines. By contrast, the 2010, 2015, and 2020 Philippine Census recorded only 916,639, 756,225, and 1,458,992 members in the country, respectively, or about 1% of the population. Winning large numbers of adherents in its early years because of its nationalist roots, Aglipayan numbers gradually dwindled through the years due to factionalism and doctrinal disagreements. At present, there are at least 30 splinter groups and more — who broke away from and not in communion with the IFI (mainstream Aglipayan) — still bearing and carrying the "Aglipayan" name and tradition.

Unlike the Roman Catholic Church and several other Christian denominations, the church does not discourage its members from joining Freemasonry. Some of the members of the church, like the founders de los Reyes and Aglipay, are political activists, often involved in progressive groups and advocating nationalism, anti-imperialism, social justice, democracy, labor rights, as well as opposing extrajudicial killings. They have often been victims of enforced disappearances and been branded as leftists by the government for being aligned with progressive groups, specifically after Alberto Ramento, the ninth supreme bishop, was killed in 2006 for being an anti-government critic.

The church then created the "Ramento Project for Rights Defenders" (RPRD), the IFI's human rights advocacy and service arm for South–Central Luzon, in Ramento's honor. The church also has another development institution called the "Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development" (VIMROD). As per the 1947 Declaration of Faith and Articles of Religion (DFAR), the church itself claims to be "not an ally with any particular school of political thought or with any political party, asserting that its members are politically free". Contrary to popular belief, the rule on the separation of church and state in the Philippines does not necessarily mean that the IFI Church is prohibited in human rights advocacies. The church has also managed to build schools from pre-school to college, and cemeteries in some areas of the country managed by its respective dioceses.

While people outside the IFI Church collectively refer to the members as "Aglipayans", members of the church themselves recently prefer to collectively refer to themselves as "Filipinistas", "Pilipinhons", "IFIans", and "Independientes". They would sometimes brand themselves as the "Native Filipino Catholic Church" to distinguish themselves from adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. The members prefer to refer every August 3 of the year as their "proclamation anniversary" of independence from Rome rather than founding anniversary as they claim to continue adhering to the concept of catholicity, indicating continuity of faith and practice from Early Christianity, despite separating from the authority of the See of Rome. They also refer to Isabelo de los Reyes as "proclaimer" and Gregorio Aglipay as the "first supreme bishop", rather than founders.

Worship and liturgy
The main Sunday liturgy is the Eucharist or the Holy Mass, which is spoken and celebrated in the vernacular. The Eucharistic liturgy of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente resembles that of the Roman Missal, with elements taken from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, such as the Collect for Purity, the positioning of the Sign of Peace before the Offertory, the Eucharistic Prayers, and the Prayer of Humble Access. Just like the Roman Catholic Church, the IFI Church does the sign of the cross in left to right motion. The church professes both the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed, but uses the latter most of the time. The church also believes and administers the seven sacraments. The IFI Church declares that the Four Marks of the Church ("one, holy, catholic, and apostolic") is present within their church, thus claiming to be an independent jurisdiction of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Orders of service and ceremonies are contained in The Filipino Ritual and The Filipino Missal. Although not officially accepted by the church's biblical canon, the seven deuterocanonical books are regarded by the IFI as "worthy of veneration and source of wisdom". The church does not adhere to sola scriptura. The church generally affirms the authority of both Scripture and Tradition and believes that faith and reason are equal. Clergy celebrants are assisted by young male and female altar servers (locally referred as "sacristan") and acolytes. The church does not have a prescribed dress code for mass attendees. The church follows the yearly IFI Liturgical Ordo Calendar wherein the liturgical seasons, observances, and traditions closely resemble to that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Aglipayans strongly adhere in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and communion is distributed under both kinds through intinction. However, they are non-committal in belief regarding transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and sacramental union. Aglipayans maintain that the belief in the real presence does not imply a claim to know how Christ is present in the Eucharistic species (the consecrated bread and wine) and is left to mystery. Moreover, belief in the real presence does not imply belief that the consecrated Eucharistic species cease to be bread and wine. Church members are taught that the Eucharistic species do not necessarily change into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ during consecration but Christ's body and blood become really present and are really given in the entire Eucharistic liturgy. Furthermore, Aglipayans believe that one receives the body and blood of Christ by faith, asserting instead that Christ is present in the Eucharist in a "heavenly and spiritual manner". Nonetheless, Aglipayans have never formally questioned the theological doctrine of transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and sacramental union.

Being a nationalist church, Aglipayans employ Filipino national symbols in their liturgical practices, such as the use of national colors and motifs, the singing of the national anthem, and the displaying of the national flag in the sanctuary since 1907. During the American occupation, the Flag Law of 1907 or Act No.1696 — an act to prohibit the display of flags, banners, emblems, or devices used in the Philippine islands for the purpose of rebellion or insurrection against the authorities of the United States and the display of Katipunan flags, banners, emblems, or devices and for other purposes — was passed on September 6, 1907, by the Philippine Commission. At the time, the United States flag used to be the official flag of the Philippines until October 1919 when the law was repealed by the Philippine Legislature. By the time that the Flag Act was enacted, as an act of protest, the IFI clergy led by Gregorio Aglipay designed their clerical vestments with images and colors of the Philippine Flag and used it during their mass celebrations. Subsequently, the clerical vestment designs inspired by the Philippine Flag colors and symbols are still practiced up to this day by the IFI in honor to its nationalist and revolutionary heritage. At present, since the implementation of the Republic Act No. 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines in 1998, there has been no recorded or documented reports of violations made by the IFI in the Section 34 of the aforementioned law.

Aglipayans are also adherents to praying the rosary. They also practice house church. The church does not hold as dogma the Immaculate Conception (the church rather celebrates its feast simply as the "Feast Day of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary") or the Assumption (August 15 is instead celebrated as the Feast Day of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary); but these may be believed privately. The IFI's tradition of celebration of the First Communion varies from the Roman Catholic Church. IFI sometimes allow infant communion depending on the parents' discretion, but conventionally, one receives their first communion at the age of 7 or 8, which is generally considered the age of reason, preferably after a session/s of "religious instructions". Contrary to popular belief, the IFI also administers the Sacrament of Penance, although auricular confession is rarely practiced since not all priests can administer it – only those who are authorized by their bishops the faculties to hear confession. Albeit not required, Aglipayans, at their discretion, may confess their sins individually only through an authorized priest at the altar rail, in a reconciliation room within the church, or in sight of others waiting in the row for the same purpose (but at some distance to not break the seal of confession), instead of a confessional box. By practice, Aglipayans usually join general/public confession "directly to God" during the Eucharist or Holy Mass. Aglipayans also repudiate the traditional concept of purgatory. The purgatory, as a physical place that the IFI believes in, is on Earth. The IFI also has their own process of exorcism, but is not considered a sacrament and has no specific prescribed formula, nor an "office of exorcist". Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, wherein a priest has to undergo specialized training and authority, all ordained IFI priests with "strong spiritual discernment" can perform exorcism, as long as they consulted their respective diocesan bishops and after a careful medical examination to exclude the possibility of mental illness, and should only be done as a last resort. Although not mandatorily coercive, the church also highly encourages its members to practice tithing as the minimum standard form of "Christian giving back". The church does not prescribe a standard amount during the collection of alms (offerings) in the Holy Mass.

The IFI Church places a strong emphasis on the participation of the laity in worship, liturgy, and policy-making. Laypeople are often involved in leading prayers, reading scripture, and serving as Eucharistic ministers.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente views their history of liberation from the Roman Catholic Church during the colonial era in the Philippines as comparable to that of the story of Exodus which can be found in the religious book of the same name in the Bible.

Apostolic succession
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) rejects the exclusive right to valid apostolic succession by the Petrine Papacy. The IFI believes that apostolic succession emphasizes the collective authority of all the apostles, not just Peter. Therefore, the IFI strongly suggests that the succession of authority in the Early Church did not derive solely from Peter but from all the apostles.

Bishops of the IFI derive their unbroken line of apostolic succession from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (TEC) of the Anglican line, which was first bestowed upon them on April 7, 1948. The Anglican line traces its succession from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Moreover, the Old Catholic Churches recognizes the validity of Anglican orders through the 1931 Bonn Agreement wherein a full communion was established between the Old Catholic Churches and to all churches of the Anglican Communion to which TEC is a member of.

The Old Catholic Church also began co-consecrating bishops of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente after a full communion was established between the two churches on their own right on September 21, 1965, therefore, the IFI also traces their succession from the Old Catholic lineage. According to the principle of ex opere operato, certain ordinations of and by Old Catholic bishops are still recognised as being valid and has never been formally questioned by the Holy See.

Priesthood and ministry
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente maintains the historic threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons. The aforementioned three orders of ministers have distinct vestments from one another. Their vestment varies according to the liturgy being celebrated.

Clerical celibacy is optional. It allows its priests to marry, rejecting mandatory clerical celibacy while committing to marital chastity. Priests may also remain unmarried.

Priests are also sometimes referred to as presbyters. An aspiring priest is required to complete a bachelor's degree in Theology from one of the church's officially organized seminaries.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente has two classification of deacons — the Transitional Deacon (one who is waiting to be ordained for priesthood), and the Permanent (Perpetual) or Vocational Deacon (one who has specialized ministry and not necessarily be ordained to priesthood).

Priests and deacons (except for Permanent/Vocational Deacons) are not allowed to accept salaries from employment or appointment in an office outside the church without the written permission of their diocesan bishops. Bishops as well are not allowed to do such endeavors without the written permission of the Executive Commission. Spouses of the aforementioned clergy are not subject to such policy and are given liberty to earn income on their own. The vow of poverty is not stated in the Constitution and Canons, although priests are strictly mandated to always put their ministry on top priority wherein it should not be compromised when permitted to have an occupation outside the church.

Albeit controversial, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente also allows the ordination of women. In February 1997, Rosalina V. Rabaria of the Diocese of Aklan and Capiz became the first woman to be officially ordained priest in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. On May 5, 2019, Emelyn Dacuycuy of the Diocese of Batac became the first woman to be consecrated bishop in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, further asserting their belief in women's inclusion and breaking the tradition of patriarchy in the clergy. The date and venue of Dacuycuy's consecration coincided with Gregorio Aglipay's date and place of birth. The church as a whole also refers to itself using female pronouns.

Unlike the Roman Catholic Church and most Anglican churches, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente currently does not have nuns or religious sisters. Some members of the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC) in certain dioceses wear veils and religious habits similar to that of the religious sisters, during mass, as a "sign of reverence". During Lenten season, a group of WOPIC members called nobisyas (literally translated to novice in English) render 40-day church services as their pamamanata (act of penance) and wear veil as "an honorable way to imitate Mary, mother of Jesus", same thing with the seven women "dolorosas". The IFI used to have nuns when the Episcopal Sisters of St. Anne in Mindanao and the Episcopal Sisters of Mary the Virgin in Luzon accepted IFI women into their religious orders for sisterhood training in the 1960s. The IFI sisters later established their own order: the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus in the 1970s, having their base at the Episcopalian St. Andrew's Theological Seminary, and unlike its priests wherein clerical celibacy is optional, the IFI nuns adhere to the vow of chastity in celibacy; as well as the other traditional vows of poverty and obedience. However, due to insufficient institutional patronage, the congregation eventually disbanded, with some of them joining back to the Episcopalian sisters in Luzon.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente has priests who are military chaplains of the Philippine Army Chaplain Service, and has also launched a ministry for seafarers and their families, the Mission to Seafarers PH.

A clergy member cannot be in political office or be involved in political election while continuing ministry as ordained. The clergy member must seek the approval of his/her bishop at least two months before the filing of candidacy. A clergy member upon applying his/her certificate of candidacy is considered resigned. An ordained who had joined an electoral contest, being an official candidate and lost, may be admitted again to the ministry and apply for a reinstatement to the Supreme Council of Bishops (subject for approval) as long as he/she completes a one-year refresher course in one of the IFI's seminaries. On the other hand, an ordained who won an election may also be admitted again to the ministry and apply for a reinstatement to the Supreme Council of Bishops, after he/she officially ends his/her political tenure and must not concurrently hold a political position, as long as he/she also completes a one-year refresher course.

Minor orders in the church include subdeacons and acolytes. Furthermore, the church has non-ordained commissioned lectors, and lay readers/lay ministers/or lay preachers in every diocese.

Saints
Generally, all of the church's faithful deceased in "Heaven" are considered to be saints, but some are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation.

Just like the Roman Catholic Church, IFI members are Marian devotees and devotees of saints, especially Catholic saints. However, several saints canonized by Rome after the 1902 schism are not recognized by the IFI Church and its members. Meanwhile, Popes (or Bishops of Rome) universally canonized as saints before the 1902 schism are widely acknowledged by the IFI Church. The IFI Church also celebrates All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day every November 1 and 2, respectively. While veneration of saints is formally practiced, deification of saints on the other hand is condemned by the Church as blasphemy.

In the liturgical calendar of the IFI, the Monday after All Saints' Day is designated as "Commemoration Day for the Martyrs and Confessors of the IFI".

During the early days of the schism particularly in 1903, the church, led by Aglipay together with a number of bishops, canonized José Rizal and the Gomburza priests. However, the church has since revoked their sainthood in the 1950s and already ceased to recognize them as saints up to this day, although they still recognize them as national heroes and early IFI martyrs.

Contraception
Aglipayan bishops joined public demonstrations in support of the Reproductive Health Bill, a legislation advocating for contraception and sex education to reduce the rate of abortion and control rapid population growth that the Roman Catholic Church and several other Christian denominations objected to on moral grounds.

Stance on abortion
Although supportive of the Reproductive Health Bill, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente strongly opposes non-"medically necessary" induced abortion.

LGBTQ rights
In 2017, the church's position on the LGBTQ+ community changed to an extent wherein the church leadership acknowledged, apologized, and released a statement in which it states, among other things, that the IFI has, for many times, "shown indifference, and have made the LGBTQ+ people feel less human, discriminated against, and stigmatized." The statement – dubbed "Our Common Humanity, Our Shared Dignity" – stresses the church's position that it "must openly embrace God's people of all sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions (SSOGIE)." Moreover, although the church is still opposed to the holy matrimony of same-sex couples, the statement stresses that the IFI is "offering their Church as a community where LGBTIQ+ people can freely and responsibly express themselves, pronouncing God's all-inclusive love."

This apology statement's groundwork first came up in 2014, when a gay member articulated during the church plenary his query about the church's plans for sexual minorities. This led to discussions among the newly-elected set of national youth officers, led by an openly gay president and a lesbian executive vice-president, which would later be succeeded by another openly gay president. The church's position on LGBTQ+ persons was approved by the Supreme Council of Bishops and officially adopted by the entire church in February 2017. The church has now fully committed to accepting LGBTQ+ people as part of their congregation, and their ministry.

On February 24, 2023, the church ordained Wylard "Wowa" Ledama, a trans woman and registered nurse-turned-seminarian, to the diaconate as the church's and country's first ordained trans clergy. She was assigned at the National Cathedral. This move by the church was met with mixed reactions from other denominations.

Views on divorce
Although no official statement yet from the Church as a whole, church officials expressed openness to the passage of the Divorce Bill in the Philippines. However, they clarified that it should not be misconstrued as a disregard to the "sanctity of marriage", but as a matter of practicality. They further stated that while they believe that couples are duty-bound to keep their marriage vows, divorce may be used as a last resort, when psychological and incompatibility problems make it difficult for both partners to live together.

According to the officials, the IFI's stance on the controversial subject stems from its teachings that emphasize the "people's rights for freedom, dignity, and integrity, which also means encouraging the society to be responsive to the realities of time and to recognize that there have been unions that were wrong". They further clarified that the church will still "guide" couples on not resorting to divorce, if possible.

Response to red-tagging
Several church officials are advocates against the culture of impunity and as a result, a number of advocates have been recipients of accusations by government personnel tagging them as alleged enablers and sympathizers of insurgents and terrorists ("red-tagging"). The church released a statement strongly condemning such allegations. A number of church officials also urged Congress to probe the red-tagging incidents and conduct an impartial investigation.

Organization
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente is an episcopally-led, synodically-governed church. The General Assembly is the highest policy-making body while the Executive Commission is the highest policy-making body in the absence of the General Assembly. The church leadership is autocephalous and is led by the Supreme Bishop, similar to a presiding bishop in other denominations. The Supreme Bishop heads the Executive Commission. The 14th and current Supreme Bishop is Joel Porlares, who was elected on May 9, 2023.

The church has three predominant clergy and laity councils: the Supreme Council of Bishops (SCB), the Council of Priests (COP), and the National Lay Council (NCL).

There are three mandated major sectoral organizations of the laity (lay organizations) in the church under the National Lay Council: the Youth of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (YIFI), the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC), and the Laymen of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (LIFI).

Meanwhile, the priests also have their own sectoral organization: the National Priests Organization (NPO). Other sectoral organizations in the church include, the Clergy Spouses Organization (CSO), and the nonsanctioned Clergy Children Organization (CCO). Just like the Roman Catholic Church, the IFI also have pious associations.

The Philippine Independent Church is primarily organized into dioceses. In every diocese, there is a cathedral containing the cathedra of a bishop. A diocese is composed of parishes and missions. A parish and mission may have outstations. Parishes and missions in every diocese are geographically grouped into vicariates.

Names
Iglesia Filipina Independiente is the official and full legal name of the Philippine Independent Church, while the latter is its English translation as specified in the church's Constitution and Canons.

Aside from the previously disputed Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente, or Philippine Independent Catholic Church in its English translation, other legally recognized names in which the denomination may alternatively be known are: Iglesia Catolica Apostolica Filipina Independiente or Philippine Independent Catholic Apostolic Church, Iglesia Aglipayana or Aglipayan Church, Iglesia Catolica Aglipayana or Aglipayan Catholic Church, and Iglesia Independiente Aglipayana or Aglipayan Independent Church.

All aforementioned names are duly registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission with SEC Registration No. PW-611, as a religious corporation sole, originally incorporated in 1904 during the Insular Government of the Philippines period and got registered at the SEC in 1936, same year when the SEC was first formed. The names Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Philippine Independent Church, and Aglipayan Church are much more commonly used.

Notable churches
Owing to its roots in the Roman Catholic tradition, the structure of the church buildings, as well as the outstation chapels, of the Philippine Independent Church do not differ significantly from Roman Catholic church buildings in the Philippines.

Cathedral of the Holy Child (National Cathedral)
Located along Taft Avenue, the Cathedral of the Holy Child in Ermita, Manila, is the National Cathedral of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and the seat of the supreme bishop. Designed by architect Carlos Arguelles, construction of the church began in 1964 and was inaugurated on May 8, 1969, to commemorate the 109th birth anniversary of its first supreme bishop, Gregorio Aglipay. The church is made largely of bare concrete and wood and has been noted for having a suspended block with sloping trapezoidal walls and textured with horizontal grooves all throughout, suspended with a triangular block.

María Clara Parish Church
Named after the main heroine in Rizal's Noli Me Tángere, the María Clara Parish Church (formerly the María Clara Christ Church) in Santa Cruz, Manila, was originally built as a wooden structure in 1923 before it was expanded and rebuilt as a concrete structure in the 1950s. When the original national cathedral of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in Tondo was destroyed during World War II, the María Clara Parish Church became the temporary office of the supreme bishop before relocating in 1969 to the present-day Cathedral of the Holy Child. The original statue of the Virgin of Balintawak is housed in the María Clara Parish Church. While the administration of the church building is under the Diocese of Greater Manila Area, the property itself is owned by the de los Reyes family. The current resident and parish bishop of the church is retired bishop Gregorio de los Reyes, son of Isabelo Jr. and grandson of Isabelo Sr.

Seminaries
The Aglipay Central Theological Seminary (ACTS) in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan is the regional seminary of the church serving the North-Central and South-Central Luzon Dioceses. ACTS offers Bachelor of Theology and Divinity programs for members who aspire to enter the ordained ministry. These are four-year study programs with curriculum focusing on biblical, theological, historical, and pastoral studies, with reference to parish management and development, and cultural and social context.

The St. Paul's Theological Seminary (SPTS) in Jordan, Guimaras is the regional seminary of the Church serving the Visayas and Mindanao Dioceses.

The St. Andrew's Theological Seminary (SATS) in Quezon City is run by the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, serving both its church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.

Another seminary is planned to be established at Cabadbaran City in Mindanao.

Churches in communion
The church enjoys full communion with the Protestant Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church in the United States since September 22, 1961.

Other churches the IFI is in full communion with include (mostly members of the Anglican Communion): the Church of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Union of Utrecht, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, the Church in the Province of the West Indies, the Church of the Province of Central Africa, the Church of the Province of West Africa, the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Anglican Church of Tanzania, the Church of North India, the Church of South India, the Church of Pakistan, the Church of the Province of Myanmar, the Church of Ceylon (extra-provincial), the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Church of Ireland, the Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church (extra-provincial), the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church of Uganda, the Anglican Church of Rwanda, the Anglican Church of Burundi, the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church (extra-provincial), the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, the Old Catholic Church of Austria, the Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic, the Old Catholic Church of Germany, the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, the Polish National Catholic Church of America, the Old Catholic Church of Croatia, the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, and the Church of Sweden.

Current ecumenical relations with the Roman Catholic Church
On August 3, 2021, during the IFI's 119th Proclamation Anniversary and as part of celebrating 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, Roman Catholic Church leaders from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) signed two documents with the IFI "for more ecumenical cooperation amidst diversity." Although the IFI still remains to be independent from the Holy See, in the first joint statement, both IFI and Roman Catholic Church leaders "ask and pray for mutual forgiveness for any injuries inflicted in the past" and "strive for the healing and purification of memories among its members". In addition, the first statement also notes that the IFI as well, "strives to reach out for healing and reconciliation with other separated Churches founded in the Aglipayan tradition".

The second joint statement, on the other hand, is an expression of mutual recognition by both churches, emphasizing the "mutual recognition of baptisms" between the IFI and the Roman Catholic Church. The Trinitarian baptismal formula of the IFI has already been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church in its list of validly administered baptisms by other Christian churches. For years, IFI officials had been seeking the recognition of their baptismal rites by the Roman Catholic Church, notably the blessing of Pope Francis during his state visit to the Philippines in 2015, in order to ease inter-denominational marriages, so that Aglipayans will not be obliged anymore to be baptized as Roman Catholics before they could marry Roman Catholics.

Then-IFI Supreme Bishop Rhee Timbang gave a copy of the IFI's liturgical book and directory to CBCP Secretary-General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin during the liturgical launching of the two documents at the IFI National Cathedral.

Further, the IFI accepts baptized individuals from the Roman Catholic Church who wanted to join their church without the requirement of performing another baptism from their end. They are being accepted through the IFI Rite of Reception officiated by the bishop or in his/her absence, by the priest or deacon, after a necessary catechism course to be taken.

Other ecumenical relations
The IFI is a member of inter-church associations such as the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), Council of Churches of East Asia (CCEA), United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The church maintains ecumenical ties with other denominations who are also conciliar members of the aforementioned organizations, such as the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) which is an IFI covenant church partner.

Supreme bishops

 * Gregorio Aglipay – first supreme bishop of the church and vicar-general of the Revolutionary Government from 1898 to 1899. The only cleric-delegate present during the creation of the Malolos Constitution.
 * Alberto Ramento – ninth supreme Bishop of the IFI; assassinated in 2006 for being a government critic and an active campaigner against human rights violations in the Philippines.
 * Ephraim Fajutagana – twelfth supreme bishop of the IFI from 2011 to 2017 and former chairperson of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.
 * Rhee Timbang – thirteenth supreme bishop of the IFI from 2017 to 2023.
 * Joel Porlares – fourteenth and current supreme bishop of the IFI since 2023.

Church officials

 * Don Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr. – also known as Don Belong; a prominent Filipino politician, writer, and labour activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He proclaimed the establishment of the IFI. He is often called the "Father of Filipino Socialism" for his writings and activism with labour unions, most notably the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina. He was also the first to translate the Bible in Ilocano. He was a lay leader and the de facto principal theologian of the IFI during its early years. He became an Honorary Bishop in 1929, while his son, Isabelo Jr., would later become supreme bishop in 1946.
 * Gardeopatra Quijano – dentist, educator, and feminist writer. National President of the Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC) (1975–1977). Daughter of IFI Bishop Juan P. Quijano.

Bureaucrats

 * Felipe Buencamino, Sr. – lawyer; co-writer of the Malolos Constitution and Secretary of Foreign Relations of the First Philippine Republic. One of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception.
 * Alexander Gesmundo – jurist; 27th and incumbent Chief Justice of the Philippines since 2021.
 * Cesar Virata – fourth Prime Minister of the Philippines (1981–1986) under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos dictatorship to becoming Prime Minister in 1981. He concurrently was Finance Minister throughout the '80s. He is the grandnephew of the first Philippine President, Emilio Aguinaldo.

Literary artisans

 * Hermenegildo Cruz – writer, who later became a member of the Philippine Assembly. A prominent member of Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina and one of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception.
 * José Garvida Flores – patriot, prolific Ilokano writer and playwright from Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Composed "Filipinas, Nadayag a Filipinas", which is sung during services of the IFI.
 * Rafael Palma – prominent writer, bureaucrat, and lawyer-turned-politician from Manila; fourth President of the University of the Philippines.
 * Pascual H. Poblete – writer and linguist, remarkably noted as the first translator of José Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere into the Tagalog language. A prominent member of Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina and one of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception.
 * Lope K. Santos – playwright, writer, poet, politician, and nationalist. Born in Pasig and raised in Pandacan, Manila, he introduced the now-obsolete Abakada Tagalog spelling reform in 1940. Also known by the moniker, the "Father of the Filipino Grammar".
 * Vicente Sotto – dramatist, writer, journalist, foremost anti-friar, the fiery Publisher–Editor of "Ang Suga" and "El Pueblo", and the prominent founder of the Filipino Church in Cebu, who later became a politician; grandfather of actor-politician Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and actor-comedian Vic Sotto; great-grandfather of Pasig mayor Vico Sotto.
 * Aurelio Tolentino – prominent Pampango writer, dramatist, and one of the early and founding members of the secret society Katipunan. The foremost advocate of the establishment of the Filipino Church in Pampanga.

Military and revolutionary figures

 * Edgar Aglipay – retired police officer with the rank of general; Chief of the Philippine National Police from 2004 to 2005 and Chief Deputy Director-General of the National Capital Region Police Office from 1998 to 2000 and 2001 to 2002; chairman emeritus of DIWA Partylist; descendant of Gregorio Aglipay.
 * Baldomero Aguinaldo – a revolutionary general and prominent member of the Katipunan; leader of Katipunan's Magdalo faction; elected President of the Comite de Caballeros (Gentlemen's Committee) of the IFI in Kawit, Cavite; had initially organized a local lay organization within the IFI in Binakayan, Kawit in 1904 which later became the splinter group Iglesia de la Libertad in 1938; cousin of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and grandfather of Cesar Virata.
 * Mariano Álvarez – a revolutionary general and prominent member of the Katipunan from Noveleta, Cavite; leader of Katipunan's Magdiwang faction.
 * Pascual Álvarez – a revolutionary general and inaugural Director of the Interior of the Tejeros Revolutionary Government; nephew of Mariano.
 * Santiago Álvarez – a revolutionary general and the chief commander of the historic revolutionary forces at Dalahican, Cavite; nicknamed Kidlat ng Apoy ("Lightning of Fire") and the "Hero of the Battle of Dalahican"; son of Mariano.
 * Melchora Aquino – a revolutionary who became known as Tandang Sora ("Old Sora") because of her age (84) when the 1896 Philippine Revolution broke out. She gained the titles "Grand Woman of the Revolution" and "Mother of Balintawak" for her contributions to the independence movement. She was among the Church's most prominent and devoted followers in Caloocan.
 * Ladislao Diwa – one of the co-founders and high-ranking officials of the Katipunan from Cavite City; later became part of the revolutionary army when he joined the revolutionary troops in Cavite during the Philippine Revolution.
 * Leandro Fullon – a revolutionary general who fought during both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. Appointed as commanding general of all Filipino forces in the Visayas and became the liberator of Antique province. Later established and became the first Filipino governor of the Revolutionary Provincial Government of Antique.
 * Mariano Noriel – a revolutionary general who fought during both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He led Filipino advance troops before the American army landed in Intramuros in 1898. He was the first president of the laymen organization of the IFI in Bacoor, Cavite.
 * Paciano Rizal – a revolutionary general, appointed as brigadier general, during both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War; led the Battle of Calamba in Laguna. He was one of the foremost advocates of the establishment of IFI in Biñan, Laguna sometime in 1903 to 1904 after his retirement; popularly known as the older brother of José Rizal.

Physicians

 * Dominador Gómez – nationalist and medical doctor, who later became a labor leader, writer, and a member of the Philippine Assembly. A prominent member of Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina and one of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception.

Politicians

 * Crispin Beltran – legislator and labour leader, also known as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Labour". A member of the 13th Congress of the Philippines as party-list representative and former chair of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), he was a major figure in contemporary Filipino history.
 * Nicolas Buendia – assemblyman of Bulacan's first district from 1935 to 1941, 8th Governor of Bulacan, and senator from 1941 to 1946. One of the first and pioneering members of the IFI during its inception.
 * Rhodora Cadiao – incumbent provincial Governor of Antique (since 2015).
 * Mariano Marcos – lawyer, Japanese collaborator, and politician from Ilocos Norte. A Congressman from 1925 to 1931. He is best known for being the father of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
 * Salvacion Z. Perez – former Governor of Antique from 2001 to 2010; daughter of former Associate Justice Calixto Zaldivar.
 * Gedeon G. Quijano – former Governor of Misamis Occidental and physician. The longest-serving governor in the history of the province. Son of IFI Bishop Juan P. Quijano.
 * Calixto Zaldivar – former representative of the Lone District of Antique (1934–1935), former provincial Governor of Antique (1951–1955), and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1964–1974). Also a former president of the National Lay Organization of the IFI.

Supreme bishops

 * Santiago Fonacier – second supreme bishop of the IFI from 1940 to 1946 who seceded and formed the offshoot Independent Church of Filipino Christians (ICFC); also served as Member of the Philippine Assembly from Ilocos Norte's 1st district from 1912 to 1916 and senator of the 1st senatorial district from 1919 to 1925.

Presidents

 * Emilio Aguinaldo – first President of the Philippines. With his influence, together with other Caviteño revolutionary generals and officers, the IFI gained a stronghold in Cavite. His cousin, Baldomero, was the president of Comité de Caballeros (Gentlemen's Committee) of the IFI in Kawit; while his youngest sister Felicidad, his wife Hilaria del Rosario, and his mother Trinidad Famy were officers of the Comisión de Damas (Women's Commission) of the church. Subsequently reverted to Roman Catholicism in later life.
 * Ferdinand Marcos – former president and dictator of the Philippines (1965–1986); son of Mariano. Baptized and raised Aglipayan, but subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism to marry Imelda Romualdez of Leyte.

Entertainment personalities

 * Marian Rivera – television and film actress, model. Baptized in a Catholic denomination in Spain, which is not validly recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, and became an adherent to the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and practitioner of the Aglipayan faith upon moving to the Philippines; re-baptized in the Roman Catholic Church to marry fellow actor Dingdong Dantes in 2014, seven years before the mutual recognition of baptisms between the IFI and the Roman Catholic Church.

Lawyers

 * Ferdinand Topacio – renowned lawyer known for his controversial high-profile cases involving clients who are high-ranking government officials and celebrities. Born and raised Aglipayan, but subsequently converted to Iglesia ni Cristo in middle age.

Other politicians

 * Juan Ponce Enrile – politician, bureaucrat, and lawyer, known for being a multi-termed senator; assemblyman of Cagayan from 1984 to 1986; assemblyman of Region II from 1978 to 1984; member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Cagayan's 1st district (1992–1995); 37th Secretary of Justice; 15th Minister of Defense; 21st President of the Senate of the Philippines; and incumbent Chief Presidential Legal Counsel since 2022. Baptized and raised Aglipayan, but converted to Roman Catholicism at age 20.
 * Bayani Fernando – former congress representative, former mayor of Marikina, and former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Later converted to Roman Catholicism.

title: Philippine Independent Church