American and Japanese

Occupation in the Philippines

“ Why did the Americans come to the
Philippines?
▪ The Spanish-American War

▪ New Lands

▪ American Bases

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▪ The Filipinos did not know that the Americans wanted to make the
Philippines a colony. That was why Aguinaldo and the other leaders
welcomed the Americans at the beginning.

▪ The Filipinos declared their own independence on June 12,1898. But

the Americans took away their independence and made them a
colony again.

▪ The Filipinos won the revolution against Spain. But Spain gave the
Philippines to the United States.
Philippines as the US Colony
▪ Civil government was established by the Americans in 1901, with William
Howard Taft as the first American Governor-General of the Philippines.

▪ English was declared the official language.

▪ Six hundred American teachers were imported aboard the USS Thomas.

▪ The Catholic Church was disestablished, and a substantial amount of church

land was purchased and redistributed.
The Road towards
Philippine
Independence

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Jones Law (Philippine Autonomy Act)
▪ The law was approved by President Woodrow Wilson after it was proposed by
William Atkinson Jones, an American congressman.

▪ The law stated the right of the Filipinos to attain freedom in the near future.

▪ The law which served as the new organic act (or constitution) for the
Philippines, stated in its preamble that the ultimate independence of the
Philippines would be American policy, subject to the establishment of a stable
government.
Tydings-McDuffie Act
▪ This law was proposed by Milliard Tydings and congressman John McDuffie of
the US signed by FD Roosevelt with revision from Hare- Hawes-Cutting Act.

▪ It stated the 10-year preparation for the Philippine independence through a

commonwealth government.

▪ The law provided for the granting of Philippine independence by 1946.

The Commonwealth Government
May 14, 1935 Election
➢ Manuel L. Quezon

3 Branches of the Government

▪ Executive (president)
▪ Legislative (senate and congress)
▪ Judiciary (DOJ)
 Education

▪ Public schools were opened.

▪ First teachers were called: Thomasites,
because they came on board the USS
Thomas.
▪ Medium of instruction: English.
▪ Education was free for all.
▪ Education was a mean of giving an
orientation toward the democracy.
▪ Emphasized on democracy and
importance of people participation in
decision making.
▪ The curriculum gave importance to
technical and vocational skills.
 Religion

▪ Protestantism was introduced.

▪ There was a separation of the

church and state.

▪ Freedom of religion was

practiced.
 Transportation and Communication

▪ Improved.

▪ American built roads, streets, and

bridges.

▪ The new means of transportation

and communication helped make
the movement of products and
services more efficient.
 Entertainment

▪ Hollywood movies became

more popular.

▪ New kinds of music and dance

were introduced like rock n
roll, boogie, jazz, tango, cha-
cha, polka, and rhumba.
 Health and Sanitation

▪ Filipinos learned the value of

cleanliness, and healthy
practices.

▪ They were taught proper

hygiene to make them healthy
and be free from contagious
diseases.
 Clothing

▪ Men: Suits, Polo shirts, ties,

and jeans.

▪ Women: Dresses, High-

heeled shoes, and handbag.
 Attitude

▪ We developed a stronger
beliefs in rights and freedom.

▪ “Pagmamano” was replaced

by kissing the cheeks of
parents and elders as a sign
of respect.

▪ Caused great marks of

colonial mentality among
many Filipinos.
 Language

▪ The English language was

widely taught all over the
country.

▪ Filipinos adopted American

names like Charlie, Anna,
Francis, and Cherry.
 Second World War (1939 – 1945)
▪ Second World War was the war between the allied nations (US, Britain, China, France and Soviet
Union) and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan).

▪ December 08, 1941 (Pacific Time) Japan made a sneak attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United
States.

▪ Few hours later, Japanese fighter planes appeared in Philippine skies.

▪ They bombed different places in the Philippines (i.e. Davao City, Tuguegarao, Baguio, Iba, Tarlac,
Clark Air-Field).

▪ General Douglas MacArthur, the commander of US Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), could
not stop the Japanese invasion.
 The Commonwealth in Exile
▪ President Roosevelt wired Pres. Quezon to escape to the United States.

▪ President Quezon, his family, and War Cabinet secretly left Corregidor and went in exile at
Washington, DC.

▪ President Quezon died of illness on August 1, 1944 and he was succeeded by Vice President
Osmeña.

▪ General Douglas MacArthur was also ordered to leave by Pres. Roosevelt. (I shall return!)
The Fall of Bataan and Corregidor

➢ Bataan: April 09, 1942 headed by

Gen. Eduard P. King.

➢ Corregidor: May 06, 1942 headed

by Gen. Jonathan Wainwright.

➢ Visayas and Mindanao: May 10,

1942 headed by Gen. William
Sharp.
 Death March

▪ Some 62,000 Filipino soldiers and

11,000 American troops were forced
to March from 7 to 11 days without
food, water or medicine.

▪ They marched 120 kilometers from

Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell
in Capas, Tarlac.
 Japanese
Occupation

21
January 2, 1942 to July 5, 1945
▪ Imposed curfew black-outs, rationing and censorship.
▪ They punished Filipinos for any hostile acts against Japanese soldiers. – One
Japanese is equivalent to 10 Filipinos.
▪ They banned the shortwave radio so Filipinos and Americans could not hear
news from abroad.
▪ They circulated money with Japanese script called Mickey Mouse Money.
▪ Political parties, elections, and public assemblies were put to a halt.
▪ School, printing presses, telegraph, and radio stations were closed down.
▪ Japanese controlled food, medicine and other supplies.
 Japanese Administrators
Japanese Atrocities ▪ Masaharu Homma – 1st
Japanese Military
▪ Deaths of Filipino Soldiers and Civilians. Governor
▪ Damage to property, goods and services. ▪ Tomoyoki Yamashita –
Last Japanese Military
▪ Murder, torture and rape of civilians. Governor

▪ Looting, burning and destruction of property. Puppet Government

▪ Rape, sex slaves. Jose P. Laurel (president)

 Liberation of the Philippines

▪ October 20, 1944 the American liberation forces landed in Palo, Japanese
Leyte with 650 ships and four army divisions. surrendered on
August 15, 1945
▪ Gen. MacArthur returned as he promised. – V-J Day.

▪ New US Air Force fighter planes shot down the Japanese

kamikaze pilots.

▪ July 05, 1945 General MacArthur announced the liberation of the

Philippines.

▪ President Osmeña installed at Malacañang Palace.

 Japanese Influences
▪ Promote and enrich the Filipino
culture.

▪ To learn and adopt Nihongo and to

stop using English language.

▪ Importance of basic education

through elementary education.

▪ The curriculum promotes vocational

skills.

▪ To develop love for work.

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