The Philippines

under the Americans

John Christian S Jardin,
Ed.D.
Palawan State

The Philippines are ours not

to exploit but to develop, to
civilize, to educate, to train in
the
science
of
selfgovernment
- President McKinley

American Colonial Policy

They promised to train the Filipinos in
Democracy and Self-Government.
They shared power with the Filipinos
in the government. Human Rights
were protected. They developed the
economy, improved hygiene and
sanitation, and introduced the public
school system.

American Colonial Government

Military Government (August 1898-July 1901)
Gen. Wesley Merritt
Gen. Elwell Otis
Gen. Arthur MacArthur (Father of Douglas
MacArthur)
Civil Government (July 1901-August 1902)
The Philippine Commission
The American Gov. Gen. together with the
Philippine Assembly or the Philippine
Legislature
The Commonwealth of the Philippines

The Schurman Commission (Philippine

Commission)
- January 20, 1899 (Jacob Schurman, Admiral
George Dewey, Gen. Elwell Otis, Charles Denby
and Dean C. Worcester
- Studied the history, culture, government
and society t of the Philippines
Recommendations:
a.Establishment of public schools
b.Establishment of Civil authority
c.Implementation of needed reforms and
recognition of rights and liberties of the people
d.Honest and liberal government participated

Establishment of Civil Government

- Established in July 4, 1901
- Inaugurated by William Howard Taft
(head of Philippine Commission)
- Four Executive Departments
(Interior, Commerce and Police, Finance
and Justice, and Public Instruction)
- American Business (Constantino)

Administrative Reforms during the Civil

Government
Cooper Act (Philippine Bill of 1902)
- Institutionalization of Civil government of
the Philippines
- First organic law for the Philippines (Sen.
Henry Cooper)

Provisions:
a. Bill of Rights, which guaranteed Filipinos
the right of free speech, press and freedom to
petition for the redress of grievances;
b. Appointment of two Filipino resident
commissioners without voting rights to
represent the country in the US Congress;
c. Establishment of Philippine Assembly to be
elected by Filipinos two years after the
publication of census and only after peace has
been restored completely in the country; and
d. Exercise of the civil power of the governor
who would have several departments

National Census of 1903

- Official Census Day on March 2, 1903 with
Gen. J.P. Sanger as the Director .
- note down all the information about the
people and the country;
- completed and published on March 28, 1905
Development of Political Parties
- First political party was the Federal Party
(founded by Trinidad Pardo T. de Tavera (1900)
- based on the annexation of the Philippines
as one of the states of America
- Nacionalista Party (1901), Liberal Party
(1902) and Democrata Party (1902) campained

Juciary
Cayetano Arellano as the first
Supreme Court Chief Justice
Inauguration of the First Philippine
Assembly
- October 16, 1907 at the Grabd
Opera House
- Sergio Osmena as the Speaker and
Manuel Quezon as the Majority Floor
Leader
- Gabaldon Act (allotment of 1M for
the establishment of barrio schools in

Contributions of the Americans to

the Philippines
Economic Progress:
Population Explosion
New Land Policy
Friars land were resold to Filipino
farmers
Homestead Act of 1924 allowed
Filipinos to own up to 24 hectares of
public land
Torrens titles were given to the land
owner

Contributions of the Americans to

the Philippines
Agriculture Increase
In 1902, the Bureau of Agriculture became the
first govt agency in the Philippines
Free Trade America
Business Flourished
New Industries
Improvement
of
Transportation
and
Communications
Better Budget
New Banks
International Exhibitions and Meetings

Economic Problems
We sold our raw materials cheap
and
bought
expensive
manufactured goods from America.
Colonial Mentality
Labor and peasant unrest spread in
1920s and 1930s
American
Capitalists
and
businessmen controlled the new
companies

Other American contributions

Religious Freedom
Training in Democracy
Free Education
Better Health Service
Introduction of the English Language
Free Press
Democratic Family Life and Social Classes
Emancipation of Women
Recreation, Movies, Theater, Arts and
Science

Political Campaign for

Independence

o After World War I, Filipino politicians united

to campaign for immediate Philippine
Independence.
o Sent independent missions in the US from
1919-1935 in the hope of urging the
American Congress to grant independence
to the Philippines.
o In 1932, the US Congress passed the HareHawes-Cutting Law. It was the first
Philippine Independence law passed by the
US. The law was passed after the 1931
OSROX mission of Sen. Sergio Osmea
and House Speaker Manuel Roxas.

Political Campaign for Independence

oIn 1934, US Congress passed the
Tydings-McDuffie Law.
oThe law provided that the
Philippines
would
be
independent in ten years time.
oA transition government run by
Filipinos would be established.
This was the Commonwealth of
the Philippines.