The Moro Province

Moro Province is the name of the province of the Philippines consisting of the current provinces/regions of Zamboanga,
Lanao, Cotabato, Davao, and Jolo. It was later split into the current provinces/regions organized under the Department of Mindanao
and Sulu, along with Agusan, Bukidnon and Surigao but excluding Lanao.

The province is governed under a civil government that has an executive, judicial and legislative branch and is divided into
military districts.

Executive - The governor serves also as the commander of the Army Department of Mindanao-Jolo. Most of the district governors
and their deputies are members of the American military. In 1913, the military governor was replaced by a civil governor.

Legislative - The Moro Council serves as the legislative body of the province. This Council "consisted of the governor, a state
attorney, a secretary, a treasurer, a superintendent of schools, and an engineer." The governor and its members were appointed by
and with the consent of the Philippine Commission.

Judicial - Justice was administered for the province by two (2) Courts of First Instance, Justice of the Peace Courts and by the
Municipal Courts.

Zamboanga City

The chief officials of the city were the mayor and two other members were appointed by the governor of the Moro Province.
Like the municipality, the city also had a City Board which exercised legislative, executive and administrative powers.

First Mayor – Christopher Frederick Bader (January 2, 1912- February 28, 1914), who was later resigned and replaced by
Victoriano Tarrosa (March 1, 1914- October 15, 1914)

Education under the Moro Province gave emphasis on the training of the Filipino as a teacher. Night school was
established, Provincial school was put up and Vocational School was set up.

In terms of agriculture, the lands were given to the landless and those who inherited the land without legal title were allowed
to apply on. Protection of agricultural plants were raised and natives were allowed to sell their production in the market through the
Mindanao Exchange.

The liquor law was amended which made it more convenient for the people in Zamboanga to enjoy in liquor business.
Commerce flourished in the Moro Province and there was an increase of exports in Zamboanga between 1910-1913. Foreign and
domestic trade improved. Immunization and vaccination against diseases were introduced throughout the province.

Districts

The province was divided into five districts, with American officers serving as district governors and deputy governors. These
districts included: Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Jolo, and Zamboanga. The district government is composed of the governor, the
secretary, and the treasurer who were all appointed by the provincial governor.

The district officials also form as the District Board which had the power to enact ordinances although subject to the approval
of the Legislative Council. The following are the functions and powers of the Board:

 prevention of criminality and lawlessness;

 settlement of tribal feuds through mutual understanding;
 initiation of community cooperation in health and sanitation programs;
 eradication of vice; and
 the systematization of administrative efforts on the local level.

Tribal Wards

The districts were sub-divided into tribal wards, with major datus serving as ward chiefs and minor datus serving as deputies,
judges, and sheriffs. The head of the tribe has the power to sub-divide his wards and appoint deputies into these sub-wards with the
approval of the district governor.

Christian communities

The tribal wards were applied on Muslim communities. Meanwhile, for the Christian communities, were merged organized
into regular municipalities. The government of each municipality is composed of a president, vice-president and a municipal council.
The President and half of the councilors were elected by qualified voters and the other half is appointed by the district governor.
History

After the dissolution of the Republic of Zamboanga and others part of Mindanao are under American rule, the American civil
government led by Governor William Howard Taft authorized the creation of the Moro Province that includes "all of the territory of the
Philippines lying south of the eight parallel of latitude, excepting the island of Palawan and the eastern portion of the northwest
peninsula of Mindanao." The Province was created by the virtue of Act No. 787 in June 1, 1903. Major General Leonard Wood, with
the capacity of commander of the Army Department of Mindanao-Sulu was appointed governor of the province in August 6, 1903.

Governors Term

Major General Leonard Wood July 25, 1903–April 16, 1906

Major General Tasker Howard Bliss April 16, 1906–February 3, 1909
Colonel Ralph Hoyt June 30, 1909–September 6, 1909
Captain Charles Hagedon September 6, 1909–November 9, 1909
Major General John J. Pershing November 9, 1909–December 15, 1913
Frank Carpenter December 15, 1913–July 23, 1914

Military to Civilian Government

By 1913, Governor Pershing agreed that the Moro Province needed to transition to civil government. This was prompted by
the Moro's personalistic approach to government, which was based on personal ties rather than a respect for an abstract office. To the
Moros, a change of administration meant not just a change in leadership but a change in regime, and was a traumatic experience.
Rotation within the military meant that each military governor could serve only for a limited time. Until 1911, every district governor and
secretary had been a military officer. By November 1913, only one officer still held a civil office – Pershing himself. In December 1913,
Pershing was replaced as governor of Moro Province by a civilian, Frank Carpenter.

Dissolution

On July 23, 1914, the Moro Province was officially replaced by an agency named the Department of Mindanao and Sulu
including the whole island of Mindanao except Lanao. The agency was tasked to administer all Muslim-dominated areas in the
territory. Frank Carpenter remained as governor of the agency.

What is the Moro Province?

By Clem M. Bascar

Many of us tend to believe that the Moro Province was a political creation of the inhabitants of Mindanao and Sulu. On the
contrary, it was created by the Americans through Philippine Commission Act No. 787 or the “ 1903 Act Providing for the
Organization and the Government of the Moro Province which comprised Mindanao and Sulu. It was an administrative structure
which the Americans organized to govern the Moros of Mindanao and Sulu separate from the Civil Government they established for
the Christian Filipinos in the Visayas and Luzon. The term “”Moro Province” was used to refer to all the territories comprising
Mindanao and Sulu as differentiated from the Philippine Islands, the colonial possession of Spain which was ceded and sold to the
United States for $20-million under Article III of the December 10, Treaty of Paris. In fact the Philippine Assembly never had any
representative from Mindanao and Sulu because these territories were classified as inhabited by the Moros and other non-Christian
tribes. So as directed by then President Theodore Roosevelt, the general election for the choice of delegates to a popular assembly
of the people of the territory of the Philippine Islands not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes was called by James F.
Smith, Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, on March 30, 1907 and was known as the Philippine Assembly without any
member elected from Mindanao and Sulu.

After the abolition of the military government established by the United States for the government of the Philippine Islands based on
the Laws of War, the First Philippine Commission was installed on September I, 1900, The Military Governor-General Wesley Merritt,
gave up a portion of his authority with the inauguration of a civil governor on July 4, 1901. General Merritt relinquished all civil power
except as to the Moro Province which lasted until September, 1914.

But why did the Americans organize the Moro Province? On page 65 of the book written by Salah Jubair, entitled “Bangsamoro, A
Nation Under Endless Tyranny,” he disclosed that the main reason given by the Americans for the change of approach from non-
intervention to direct intervention with the creation of the Moro Province was to “prepare the Moros for integration into the body politic
of the colonial government.”

So this again, supports our assertion that Mindanao and Sulu were never considered parts of the Philippine Islands, the colonial
possession of Spain which was ceded and sold to the United States under Article III of the December 10, 1898 Treaty of Paris. In fact
this historical fact was confirmed officially by the Americans in the Bates Treaty of August 20, 1899 and the Carpenter Memorandum
of March 22, 1915. How Mindanao and Sulu became eventually parts of the Republic of the Philippines. Please ask the Americans
and the Spaniards.

Perhaps the best persons to explain why Mindanao and Sulu are now de facto political subdivisions of the Republic of the Philippines
are the members of the GRP Peace Panel.