Section 7 – Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era

The Philippines was in

a better condition under the
Americans as compared to
that under the Spaniards.
Despite of that, freedom was
not immediately accorded to
the Filipinos. Some
Americans and Filipinos used
political cartoons to show the
changing mores of the time
under the American rule.
Using cartoons was a subtle way of expressing discontent with American administration.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At engaging with this section, learners must have:

1. Identified the significance of political cartoons during the American period;

2. used political cartoons as a form of political expression;

3. explained the importance of political cartoons to the grand narrative of Philippine

history;

4. evaluated the relevance of political cartoons to the present time.

Topics

 Significance of Political Cartoons During the American Era

 Background of the Authors and the Document
 Use of Political Cartoons During the American Colonization

Learning Resources

 Collection of Political Cartoons by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo Reyes Roces

  Drawings/sketches of caricature depicting present political, economic and socio-
cultural Philippine situations
 Drawing paraphernalia
 Laptop and social media websites
 Activity sheets, Comic strip

Time Frame: Week 6 (November 15-19, 2021)

Pre- Activity

Instructions: Analyze the political caricature below. What message does it want to convey?
Write your insights.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Explore!

Background of the Authors

During the American era, political cartoons gained popularity as a form of expression.
Many artists made use of cartons as political commentaries to expose the ills of the American
colonial government. Alfred McCoy provided an analysis of the pressing problems and issues
of American colonialism manifested in political cartoons. Together with Alfred Reyes Roces
an artist, they compiled many political cartoons by Filipino artists depicting the Philippine
during the American rule.

Alfred McCoy was born on June 8, 1945 in Massachusetts, USA. He earned his BA
in European Studies from Columbia College in 1968. He finished his MA in Asian Studies at
the University of California in Berkely in 1969 and his PhD in Southeast Asian History at
Yale University in 1977. He studied Philippine political caricatures to understand the social
and political contexts of the Philippines during the American period and later worked with
Alfredo Roces, his co-author of Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American
Era. Though McCoy did not create any political caricatures, his interest in them urged him to
compile such caricatures from various sources to produce a single collection.

Alfredo Reyes Roces was born on April 29, 1923. He was a painter, an essayist and a
versatile artist who is considered to be a permanent figure in Philippine art. His paintings
started with a figurative style but soon began to amalgamate expressionism, Fauvism, and
impressionism. Several newspapers in Manila like The Independent and The Philippine Free
Press and Bag-Ong Kusog, a leading periodical in Cebu included political cartoons in their
editorials.

The Philippines Free Press was founded in 1906 by Judge W.A. Kincaid but and was
taken over by McCullough Dick due to bankruptcy. The newspaper was published in both
Spanish and English. It featured investigative articles regarding the country’s development. It
had a personal tone since it was not tied to a political party. It also advanced integrity,
democracy and Philippine national progress.

Lipang-Kalabaw was launched in the same year as Philippine Free Press. It was
published in Tagalog and Spanish containing satiric cartoons. All throughout its publication,
it maintained anonymity by not having a masthead and by having the artists and writers use
pen names. This gave artists and writers agency on how on how they wanted to express
themselves.

The Independent was founded in 1915 by the Father of Cebuano Letters, Vicente
Sotto, one of the militant and aggressive advocates of immediate independence. It was a
weekly newspaper published in English and Spanish which served as a forum for the
discussion of political issues. It was also where Amorsolo began his career as the “angriest of
Manila’s political cartoonists.”

In Cebu, one popular newspaper was the Bag-Ong Kusog which literally means “New
Force” Bag-Ong Kusog was known for highlighting the conditions in Cebu prior to the war. It
often talked about the differences between the Spanish and American colonial governments.
This newspaper depicted the breakdown of hallowed customs and social practices due to
American influence. It focused on criticism of co-education introduced by the Americans,
which endangered the virtue of women.

Historical Background of the Political Cartoons

The Spanish colonial period in the Philippines was characterized by strict censorship
resulting in a lack of political liberty and minimal avenues for expressing political views.
Spanish censorship banned non-religious publications, thus compelling newspaper
publications to be distributed underground. However, the transition to the American colonial
period provided leeway in the publication of independent newspapers. Initially, newspapers
were scrutinized by the government to ensure that they did not contain anti-American
sentiments which were branded as subversive and were confiscated. As such, the four
decades of the American colonial rule became a formative period in Philippine history.

Censorship was loosened when a civil government was established in 1901. This gave
Filipinos the right to publish without prior censorship of the government. Two months after
strict censorship was removed, Rafael Palma launched El Renacimiento (Rebirth) which
became the most influential of the early nationalist newspapers campaigning for the right to a
free press. Whenever the Americans felt offended with any publication, they used libel and
sedition laws to obstruct the developing hostilities. After facing two libel suits, El
Renacimiento had to discontinue. Nevertheless, Martin Ocampo and Fernando a. Guerrero
established a new publication, La Vanguardia, in the same office and survived until World
War II as one of Manila’s leading newspapers. (Asuncion & Cruz, 2019).

Let’s Do It!

Exercise 2.7.1

On the use of Caricatures

Name________________________Course/Yr./Sec._________Date
submitted_________________

Instructions: During the American colonization period, cartoons were made according to
their purpose: economic, political and socio-cultural. From the compilation of caricatures
made by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo Roces, give an example for each of the classifications of
caricatures (economic, political and socio-cultural) and explain the message being conveyed
to the readers.

Source:

 McCoy, A. & Roces, A. R. (1985). Philippine Cartoons: Political caricature of the

American era 1900-1941. Quezon City, Philippines: Vera Reyes

1. economic

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________

2.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________

3.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.7.3

Time to Draw or Sketch

Instructions: Sketch your own caricature depicting any present political, economic or socio-
cultural situation in the Philippines. Provide a short explanation for the symbolisms that you
used.

Caricature:
Explanation:

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.7.4 Assessing the Importance of Primary Sources in Understanding the Grand
Narrative of Philippine History

Instructions: Give three reasons why political cartoons made by Filipinos during the
American rule are important to the grand narrative of Philippine history

1.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 2.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.7.5 Funny Comics

Instructions: Comic strips are widely used to convey political commentaries, aside from
caricatures. In 2014, the website Dead Balagtas became popular because of its online comic
strip series called Komiks, Kasaysayan at Katatawanan which humorously presented the
different valuable points in Philippine History. Access the website on
https://deadbalagtas.wordpress.com for some samples.

Draw your own humorous comic strip with at least four scenes depicting any political,
social and cultural issue in the Philippines at present..

______________________________________

Title
Reference

McCoy, A. &Roces, A. R. (1985). Philippine cartoons: Political caricature of the American

Era 1900-1941. Quezon City, Philippines: Vera Reyes.

Section 8 - Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood

During the American rule, Filipino

government officials had grievances against
the governance of Governor Wood which led
to a Cabinet Crises in 1923. They were
discontented with the way they were
governed. The highlights on how the
grievances reflected the nature of the
American colonial government is the main issue of this section.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, the learners must have:

1. identified the circumstances behind the grievances of Filipinos against Governor

Wood;

2. justified the importance of the grievances against Governor Wood to the grand
narrative of Philippine history; and

3. explained the relevance of the grievances against Governor Wood to the present
time.

Topics

 Grievances of Filipinos against Governor Leonard Wood

 Background of the Author and the Document
  The Cabinet Crisis of 1923

Learning Resources

 Social Media Websites

 Laptop and other gadgets
 Activity sheets

Time Frame: Week 6 (November 15-19, 2021)

Pre-Activity

Instructions: List down in the form of a manifesto, your grievances against the government
either with the current administration (national, provincial or municipal) or any member of
the government (executive, legislative, or judiciary)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Explore!

Background of the Author

G r e g o r i o
was born on May 25, 1907 in Pagsanjan, Laguna, is one of the famous historians
of all time. His works serve as basis of many Philippine history textbooks. A
handful of these works became essential secondary sources in studying
historiography, making him the “Dean of Filipino Historiographers.” He
obtained his BA and PhD degrees from the University of Santo Tomas and his MA degree
from the University of the Philippines.

Gregorio Zaide taught in various schools including the University of the Philippines,
University of Santo Tomas, University of Manila, Far Eastern University, and University of
Hawaii. He became professor emeritus of history at the Far Eastern University after his
retirement in 1964.

Aside from being active in the academe, he was also one of the founders of the
International Association of Historians of Asia and served as president for three years. He
was also active in Philippine politics. He served as mayor of Pagsanjan, Laguna from 1971-
1975. (Asuncion & Cruz, 2019).

Historical Background of the Document

Governor Leonard Wood first arrived in the Philippines in 1903 after rendering his
services in Cuba. He was appointed as governor of the Moro Province which comprised the
southern islands of Mindanao. At the same time General Wood was also in charge of five
districts and was the commanding general President Warren Harding commissioned the
Wood-Forbes Mission, headed by former Governor General W. Cameron Forbes and General
Wood. The mission’s aim was to assess if the Philippines, could already be declared an
independent nation, following the Filipinization policy implemented by the administration of
Francis Burton Harrison. The policy allowed Filipinos to be actively involved in running the
government as part of the American policy of benevolent assimilation. The findings of the
mission showed that the Philippines still needed the Americans. As a response US President
Calvin Coolidge appointed Major General Leonard Wood to be the Governor General of the
Philippine Islands in 1923. Wood’s appointment was greatly accepted by the Filipinos
considering his role in the liberation of Cuba, giving Filipinos high hopes for political
emancipation.

However, Wood was responsible for reversing the Filipinization policy implemented
by Burton. He issued Executive Order no. 37 which nullified laws creating the Board of
Control, which was dominantly composed of Filipinos, was tasked to oversee the sale and
management of stocks in government-owned and controlled corporations. In an
unprecedented move Governor Wood tried to dissolve the Board of Control where he
occupied a minority position and could never get the consent from the Senate President and
the House Speakers to enable the government to administer or conduct business.
 Such attempt generated tension between Filipino administrators and the Governor
General which was further aggravated by the Cabinet Crisis of 1923, stemming from the Ray
Conley case, a secret service detective accused of accepting bribery and having mistresses.
The case was brought forward and was given the final decision of suspension by Jose P.
Laurel as the Secretary of Interior. However, this was disregarded by General Wood, which
prompted the Filipino leaders to protest against the action in relation to the defiance of the
Philippine Autonomy Act or the Jones Law that provided Filipinos legislative power. Such
led to the resignation of five Filipino cabinet secretaries of the department led by Secretary
Laurel. It was followed by the resignation of Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and House
Speaker Manuel Roxas as members of the Council of State. These resignations caused the
Cabinet Crisis of 1923.

The growing executive-legislative tension became more personal as the Governor

blatantly exercised his veto power in most of the legislations passed by the Philippine
legislature. Such developments led to the drafting of Filipino Grievances Against Governor
Wood, which was approved by the Commission on Independence on November 17, 1926.
(Asuncion and Cruz, 2019)

Exercise 2.8.1 Loyalty Check

Name_______________________Course/Yr.Sec.______________Date
submitted______________

Instructions:

1. Which do you think was the most pressing and critical among the points included in the
Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood? Explain its impact to the relationship of the
United States and the Philippines?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.8.2 History Repeats Itself

Instructions: Read and understand carefully the list of grievances of the Filipinos
against Governor Wood which led to the Cabinet Crisis of 1923. The Crisis was
characterized by the tension between the American-led executive branch of
governor and the Filipino-dominated legislative branch of government. A tension between the
executive and legislative branches of government has always been noted in Philippine
politics. In the administration of President Duterte, the tension seems to be evident. Compare
and contrast the Cabinet Crisis of 1923 to the conditions and situations that persist during the
term of President Duterte. Explain your observation in at least 300 words.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.8. 3

Assessing the Importance of Primary Sources in Understanding the Grand Narrative of PH

Instructions: Give three reasons why Filipino grievances against Governor Wood is
important to the grand narrative of Philippine history.

1._________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

2._________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________
3.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

Reference

 Gripaldo, R.M. (1994). The Quezon-Wood Controversy, 1921-1927. In Quezon-

Winslow Correspondence and Other Essays. Manila, Philippines: De la Salle
University Press. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/9979775/The Quezon-
Wood_Controversy_1921-27_1994