"Parity rights" granting U.S.

citizens and
corporations rights to Philippine natural
resources equal to (in parity with) those of
Philippine citizens, contrary to Article XIII in
the 1935 Philippine Constitution,
necessitating a constitutional amendment.
The Bell Act, or Philippine Trade Act of
1946 as this law is generally known,
required the amendment of the Philippine
Constitution so as to allow American
citizens and corporations to exploit the
natural resources and operate public
utilities, which privilege was restricted to
Filipino citizens and corporations
The Military Assistance Agreement also
was signed in March 1947. This treaty
established a Joint United States Military
Advisory Group to advise and train the
Philippine armed forces and authorized the
transfer of aid and matériel--worth some
US$169 million by 1957.
A 1947 Military Bases Agreement gave the
United States a 99-year lease on a number
of Philippine military and naval bases in
which U.S. authorities had virtual territorial
rights. In August 1951, a mutual defense
treaty (MDT) was signed between
representatives of the Philippines and the
United States.