Moroland between

the jones and the

tydings-mcduffie
act And moros
under the
commonwealth
government
 Moroland between
the jones and the
tydings-mcduffie act

Public Act No. 240 of the second

session of the 64th United States
Congress - the Jones Law - was a new
organic act for governing the
Philippines signed by President
Woodrow Wilson in August 1916.

The Jones Law had the effect in Moroland of accelerating

the Filipinization of the civil administration.

As agreed by Americans and Christian Filipino officials,

their overall policy is their integration into the mainstream of
Philippine life but was seriously obstructed due to:

1. The atmosphere of mutual suspicion between American

and Christian Filipino officials
2. Continued Moro resistance in their incorporation into the
Philippine State.
3. The priority is given to national economic development
and security consideration in Moroland

Suspicion and division between American and Filipino

Christian arouse over policy making and program
implementation with regard to Moro integration.
 The six-year service of Leonard
Wood as Governor- General (1921-
1927) reverse the head toward
strengthening Filipino authority in
Moroland nor did he significantly
increase Moro participation in
government. Instead, he tried to
replace Christian Filipinos with
Americans.

Moros had come to rely on the generally good

intentions of the Americans and felt they could trust the
Americans to carry on their promises. The Moros did not
trust Christian Filipinos. Gumbay Piang criticized both
American and Filipino Policy towards Moro.

Throughout the remainder of

the American regime in the
Philippines, the Moros petitioned
the authorities in Manila and
Washington to regard them as
different from the rest of the
people of the Archipelago, either
them as separate independence
or retain them under American
rule.
With the discontent of Moros with growing Christian
Filipinos, they also resorted to armed confrontation such
as:
Maranao Moros in Taguya, Lana revolted in 1923.
Uprising led by Datu Santiago in Parang, Cotabato in
1923-24.
Datu Tahil’s uprising in Sulu in 1927.
In May 1934, the US Congress. then dominated by
Democrats, passed the Tydings-McDuffie
Independence Act, called for constitutional convention
and commonwealth establishment where Filipino officials
would have full power over internal affairs.

The commonwealth was inaugurated in November 1935

with Manuel L. Quezon as the President and Sergio
Osmena as Vice President.
 Moros under the
Commonwealth
government

Preparation for the Commonwealth

Not completely devoid of Moro participation; but the
Moro population believed that the proposed
Commonwealth promised few benefits for them.
Some Moro leaders threw their support behind the
Philippine Independent Movement.
Hadji Butu, Hadji Gulamu Rasul, Datu Facundo mandi of
Zamboanga and Sultan Alauya Alonto of Ramain in Lanao
are the Moro leaders who were in favor of Philippine
Independence.
These leaders benefited from the Philippine State
system and have been appointed to national or
provincial officers or who had been closely associated
with christian filipinos in politics or business
In the unofficial Philippine Independence Congress in
February 1930, Datu Facundo Mandi introduced a
resolution in the Mindanao-Sulu section that stated the
eagerness of the Mohammedans of wanting the absolute,
complete and immediate independence of the Philippines.
He also stated that although Sultan Alauya complained that
the national attention and economic support were not
consistently given to Moroland, the sultan was still an eager
spokesman for independence.
According to Ralph Thomas, in his dissertation “Muslim
But Filipinos: The Integration of Philippine Muslims,
1917-1946” states that the ‘educated and datu-rank’
Moros were enormously disappointed with the
Tydings-McDuffie Act.
The election for convention delegates was the
first time Moros had joined in a Philippine
nationwide voting exercise.

Elected Delegates to the Constitutional

Convention held in July 1934
Arolas Tulawie and Jose Montano from Sulu
Datu Minandang Piang and Datu Blah
Sinsuat for Cotabato
Alauya Alonto and Tomas Cabili for Lanao

The letter of Hadji Abdul Kamid Bogabong

After the election he drafted a letter to the Governor-
General.
The letter dated July 13, 1934 and signed by 200
Maranao leaders represented the deep feeling of
many Moros.
Through the letter they sought their religious, political
and economic place in the new nation.
These requests were asked to be embodied in the
constitution and if this was not done, they wanted no
part of the Commonwealth Government.
The letter was not read in the Convention, though
the delegates from Lanao, Cotabato and Sulu did their
best to represent the interests of their Moro
constituents.
The Moroland provinces voted their approval of the
new constitution in the national plebiscite but many
votes came from Christian residents.
 Economic and Security Problem
The Commonwealth in 1935 was faced with a
depressed economy dependent upon free trade
with the United States.
The Mindanao Sulu region was seen as an
answer. It has vast underdeveloped agricultural
lands that could grow variety of new export
crops.
The region provided sample space for migrants
from northern and central provinces which they
promised relief from the population pressures
and concomitant problems in those places.
The threat to security was perceived arising from
two circumstances:
The existence of many non-christian groups in
the Mindanao Sulu region.
The Commonwealth Government solution: the
encouragement of substantial numbers of
Christian Filipinos to migrate to Mindanao and
Sulu.
The Commonwealth Government solution: the
encouragement of substantial numbers of Christian
Filipinos to migrate to Mindanao and Sulu.
Migration was part of the solution for both
economic and security problem of the nation
The Moros found themselves at a disadvantage
because they did not understand and want to
understand the land registration procedure
process strange to their nations of communal
rather than individual ownership of land
 President Quezon's Approach to Moro
Welfare and Mindanao Development

In the first session of the first national

assembly on June 16, 1936, President
Quezon clearly set forth the emphasis
of the Commonwealths Government’s
policy in Mindanao and Sulu.

The president mentioned about the

colonization and economic
development of Mindanao with its vast
and rich territory and untapped natural
resources, we should occupy and
guard it against avarice and greed.

Having established the priorities of economic

development a security (against an enterprising
nation that are looking for an outlet for their excess
population), President Quezon elaborated the third
priority, the welfare of the Moro inhabitants.

The first two priorities absorbed so much of the

resources and energies that there was little left over
for the advance and integration of Moro population.

Most Moros were feeling neglected and their sense

of alienation only deepened.
 The Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes by January
1937, had to meet the special needs of the Moros
administratively but had been abolished. The
“Commissioner for Mindanao and Sulu” was
appointed in its place.

There were other irritants in the position of the

Moros under Commonwealth Government.
The Government refused the official recognition
to any succesor to Sultan Jamal ul Kiram of Sulu,
who died in 1936.
Ended the official recognition of the civil titles
held by Moros and valued the as expressive of
their traditional social system.

The end of “special” did that mark the beginning of

equal consideration and protection for the Moros. It
was obvious that the Commonwealth Government
did not anticipate and so help them prepare for a
significant Moro contribution to nation-building.

Source:
Gowing, Peter G. (1977) Mandate in Moroland: The American Government of Muslim
Filipinos, 1899 - 1920. QC: Philippine Center for Advanced Studies

MSU GSC - CSSH History Department (n.d) Compilation Readings in History of Filipino
Muslims and Indigenous Peoples in Minsupala (HIS003)