American Regime

• American Period lasted from 1898-1946.
• Social Progress include

  1. Education
  2. Religious Developments
  3. Rise of Aglipayan Church
• SOCIAL PROGRESS

  A.Education

  Spain

  1. Christianizing the pagan natives was more important than giving them an education.
  2. It was only in the closing of decades of Spanish rule that some system of public school education was introduced by Spain in the Philippines.

  United States

  1. “to educate, to train in the science of self- government”
  2. Americans made it a policy to teach English to the Filipinos.
• • In January 1901, the Taft Commission enacted Act No. 74 which established the Philippine public school system.
  • It provided free primary education and the establishment of a school to train Filipino teachers.
  • On August 23, 1901, the first group of 600 teachers from the United States arrived in Manila on board the transport ship Thomas.
  • These teachers came to be known as the Thomasites.
• • Elementary schools: 7-year course
  • High school: 4-year course
  • Those who finished high school could take up higher education in a public junior college or at the University of the Philippines which was created in 1908 by Act No. 1870 enacted by the Philippine Assembly and the Philippine Commission.
  • Filipino pensionados – bright young Filipino students
• Schools Built During American Period

  1. Philippine Normal School (1901)
  2. Siliman University (1901)
  3. Centro Escolar University (1907) which was Founded by Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna
  4. Philippine Women’s University (1919) established by Francisca T. Benitez
• “no people ever accepted the blessings of education with more enthusiasm than the Filipinos”

  Governor-General Frank Murphy, 1935
• • By 1935, there were 1,229,242 students enrolled in 7,330 public schools throughout the country.
  • The private schools, which numbered about 400, had a total student population of 97,500.
• Progresses in Religion

  • Introduction of Protestantism

  1. The Protestants sought to win the Filipinos through friendly persuasion. Presbyterians (1899) Baptists (1900) The Disciples of Christ (1905) Methodist Episcopalians (1908)
• Rise of the Aglipayan Church

  • On August 3, 1902, Philippine Independent Church was established in Manila.
  • Founder: Isabelo de los Reyes
  • He founded the Democratic Labor Union in July 1901.
  • Iglesia Filipina Independiente or Philippine Independent Church
  • De los Reyes proclaimed Father Gregorio Aglipay as the new church’s Supreme Bishop.
  • On October 17, 1902, Aglipay agreed to head the new church.
  • On January 18, 1903, he was formally consecrated as the Supreme Bishop.
  • The new church known as Aglipayan Church.
  • In 1939 census, 9.8% of the population, or 1,573,608 claimed to be Aglipayans.
• “The Philippines are ours not to exploit, but to develop, civilize, educate, and to train in the science of self-government” - WILLIAM MCKINLEY
• The American Colonial Government

  1. The Taft Commission
  2. Civil Government
  3. Philippine Bill of 1902
  4. Philippine Assembly
  5. Resident Commissioners
  6. The Filipinization of the Government
  7. The Jones Law of 1916
  8. The Wood-Forbes Mission
  9. The OSROX Mission
• In September 1901, Taft Commission was expanded to include three pro-American Filipino as members. They were Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, Benito Legarda, Jose Luzurriaga.
• Civil Government

  • Inaugurated on July 4, 1901.
  • William Howard Taft as the first Civil Governor.
  • Gov. Taft exercised both executive and legislative functions.
  • His policy “the Philippines for the Filipinos” made him popular among the Filipinos.
  • Taft served until December 1903.
• Philippine Bill of 1902

  • also known as the Cooper Act.
  • Sponsored by U.S. Representative Henry A. Cooper of Wisconsin.
  • On July 1, 1902, the Philippine Bill of 1902 was passed by Congress. It created the Philippine Assembly.
• 1st key provision of Philippine Bill of 1902 - ”Bill of right for the Filipinos”
• 5th Provision of Philippine Bill of 1902 - Conservation of the country’s natural resources for the Filipinos
• Philippine Assembly

  • On July 30, 1907, the first free national elections were held in the Philippines for members of all the Filipino lawmaking body.
  • Hundreds of candidates campaigned under many new political parties.
  • 80 delegates won, most of them came from the Nacionalista Party.
• 4th Key Provision of Philippine Bill of 1902 - Executive power would be exercised by the Civil Governor who would have several executive departments under him such as Interior, Public Information, Finance and Justice, and Commerce and Police.
• 2nd Key Provision of Philippine Bill of 1902 - The appointment of two Filipino resident commissioners to represent the Philippines in the U.S. Congress, but without voting rights
• 3rd Key Provision of Philippine Bill of 1902 - The establishment of a Philippine Assembly to be elected by the Filipinos two years after the publication of a census and only after peace has been completely restored in the country. The Philippine Assembly would be the lower house of the legislature while the Philippine Commission would be the upper house.
• Philippine Assembly

  Inaugurated on October 16, 1907 at the Manila Grand Opera House.
• Philippine Assembly

  Sergio Osmeña: Speaker
• Philippine Assembly

  Manuel L. Quezon: Majority Floor Leader
• The Taft Commission

  • Headed by Judge William Howard Taft.
  • Members: Luke E. Wright, Henry C. Ide, Dean C. Worcester, Bernard Moses
• The Taft Commission

  • Created on March 16, 1900.
  • Also known as The Second Philippine Commission.
• The Taft Commission

  • Establish a civil government in the Philippines.
  • To train the Filipinos in self-government.
• The Taft Commission

  • Guided by a set of instructions issued to it on April 7, 1900 by McKinley.
  • Those instructions were drafted by Secretary of War, Elihu Root.
• The Taft Commission

  “bear in mind that the government which they (the Commission) are establishing is designed not for our selfish satisfaction...but for the happiness, peace and

  prosperity of the people of the Philippine Islands, and the measures adopted should be made to conform to their customs, habits...”
• The Taft Commission

  • Arrived in Manila on June 3, 1900.
  • $1,000,000 for building, and repairing roads and bridges.
• Resident Commissioners

  • The Philippine Bill of 1902 gave the Filipinos the right to be represented by two Filipino resident commissioners in the United States Congress.
  • They could speak out for or against any bill in Congress affecting the Philippines.
  • They were Benito Legarda and Pablo Ocampo.
• Resident Commissioners

  • Manuel L. Quezon served from 1909 to 1916.
  • Considered one of the greatest Filipino resident commissioners.
  • Spoke out strongly against those they considered harmful to Filipino interests.
• The Filipinization of the Government

  • America made it a policy to appoint qualified Filipinos to government positions.
  • A number of prominent Filipinos were named to high positions. In 1903, there were more Americans (2,777) in the government than Filipinos (2,697).
  • In 1904, the number rose to 3,377 compared to 3,228 Americans.
• The Filipinization of the Government

  • Cayetano Arellano was named Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court.
  • Florentino Torres became Attorney General.
  • By 1908, Gregorio Araneta was named Secretary of Finance and Justice.
• The Jones Law of 1916

  • Signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 29, 1916.
  • Also known as the Philippine Autonomy Act.
  • Sponsored by U.S. Representative William Atkinson Jones of Virginia.
• The Jones Law of 1916

  • It contained American’s promise to give independence to the Philippines.
  • Gave the Filipinos greater participation in the government.
  • It defined the structure of the government, the powers and duties of the officials, and provided for a bill of rights for the Filipinos.
• The Jones Law of 1916

  • Executive Power: Governor-General (an American)
  • Appointed by the President of the United States.
  • Legislative Power: exclusive to the Filipinos
  • Created two houses: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Philippine Senate (upper house).
  • Judicial Power: Chief Justice (Filipino) and associate justices (Filipino and American)
  • Appointed by the President of the United States.
• The Jones Law of 1916

  • On October 3, 1916, elections were held for the new Philippine Legislature.
  • It was formally inaugurated on October 16, 1916.
  • Sergio Osmeña was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  • Manuel L. Quezon became President of the Senate.
• The Wood-Forbes Mission

  • Gen. Leonard Wood and Gov. Gen. W. Cameron Forbes stayed in the Philippines for four months.
  • In October 1921, the mission submitted its report to the president that the Filipinos were not yet prepared for independence and U.S. should not yet grant independence to the Philippines.
• The OSROX Mission

  • In November 1931, the Philippine Legislature sent a mission to the United States to work for the passage of an independence law.
  • U.S. Senator Harry B. Hawes filed an independence bill in the U.S. Congress, with U.S. Congressman Hare and U.S. Senator Cutting as co-sponsors.
  • The bill was approved in December 1932, but President Herbert Hoover, vetoed the bill.