The American Occupation

Introduction
• At the end of the
Filipino-American
war in 1902,
Mckinley was still
unsure of what to
do with the
Philippines that
seem to have
suddenly fallen
on American lap.
• The Philippines is
ours not to
exploit but to
develop, to
civilize, to
educate, and to
train in the
science of self-
government.
 Benevolent Assimilation
• First
The United State cannot return the Philippines to Spain
as this manifest cowardice and humiliation in the part
of the Americans.
• Second
cannot grant the Philippines to France or Germany
since these country are competitors in the Asian
trade.
• Third
the Filipinos are still incapable of governing themselves
and this might result in greater chaos.
• Fourth
There in no other option but to take the entire
archipelago
American Governance in the
Philippines

Military Government

Civil Government
Military Government
• Prevent the outbreak
of insurgencies and
rebellion of the
Filipinos and
suppress Filipino
nationalism
• Headed by a military
governor as a
representative of the
President of the
United States of
 Military Governors of the
Philippines

Gen. Wesley Meritt Gen. Elwell Otis Gen. Arthur MacArthur

(1898) (1898-1900) (1900-1901)

• Main responsibility is to maintain

peace in order in the country
 Accomplishment of the Military
Government
• Peace and order is
experience in the
country.
• Implemented the
Thomasites American educational
system.
• Manila is open to world
trade.
• Local governance in
Filipino troops who surender to
the Americans
the municipal and
Philippine Commissions
• Sent by President
McKinley to gather
ample knowledge on
the Philippines
• Reiterated the good
intention of the
United States for the
Filipinos in exchange
that they will accept
U.S. sovereignty in
their homeland.
Schurman Commission
(January 20, 1899)
The first commission was
chaired by Dr. Jacob G.
Schurman, president of Cornell
University. Thus it became
known as the Schurman
Commission. Their group
arrived in the Philippines on
February 4, 1899. The
commission proposed the
following:

Jacob Schurman
1. Establish civil governments in areas were
peace and order had been restored
2. Set up a bicameral legislature with members
of the lower house to be all elective
3. Appoint American and Filipino member of the
Upper house to head the cabinet
4. Preserve Philippine natural resources
5. Create a civil service system
6. Assign highly qualified Filipinos to important
government positions
The US Congress adopted all the
recommendation of the Schurman commission.
 Taft Commission
(June 3, 1899)
• On March 16, 1900, United
States President William
McKinley appointed the
then Judge William Howard
Taft to head the second
Philippine Commission,
which would also be
known as the Taft
Commission.
William H. Taft
• Taft would become Governor-General
of the Philippines and later, the
president of the U.S.
• McKinley wanted to hasten the
transition of the Philippine military
government into a civil one.
• The Taft Commissions was given
executive and legislative powers it
could use to achieve the President’s
objective.
• The Commission arrives in the
Philippines on June 3, 1900.
• It began legislative work on September
1,
• the first law it passed set aside $2 million
for the construction of roads and bridges.
• From September 1900 to August 1902,
the Commission was able to enact 440
pieces of legislation for the Philippines.
• Some of these laws included the
Municipal and Provincial codes,
• which established municipal and
provincial governments all over the
country, and laws organizing the
Philippine Constabulary and the
countries judicial system.
• Aside from enacting laws the
commissions also visited various
provinces and help it in the
government peace efforts.
 Spooner Amendment
(March 2,1901)
• The modification sponsored
by Senator John C. Spooner,
allowed the US president to
fully administer the
Philippines. Thus, the
military government of the
Philippines was replaced
with a civil one albeit
temporary pending the
legislation of permanent
colonial government by the
Sen. John C. United States.
Spooner
 Civil Government (1901-1935)

The Civil government of the Philippines was inaugurated on July 4, 1901 in Manila
and William Howard Taft serve as the First Civil governor of the Philippines.

• The objective of the Civil government

is to train the Filipinos to self
governance.
Civil Governors of the
Philippines

“The Philippines
is for the
Filipinos
William H. Taft (1901)
William H. Taft
(1901-1904)
First civil governor of the
Philippines
Civil Government under Taft
• The Philippine civil government was
inaugurated on July 4, 1901, with William
Howard Taft as its first governor, the
powers and duties of a governor were
passed on to Taft. The Taft Commission
continuing functioning as legislative body.
• Cayetano Arellano was the first Filipino to
hold a high position of government he
was named Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court on May 28, 1899.
• Gregorio Araneta was
appointed as Secretary of
Justice and finance.
• Trinidad Pardo de Tavera,
• Benito Legarda, and Jose
Luzuriaga were selected as
members of the Philippine
Commissions.
Cayetano Arellano Gregorio Araneta
Chief Justice Secretary of Finance
Luke Edward Wright Francis Burton
(1904-1905) Harrisson (1913-1921)
Leonard Wood Frank Murphy
(1921-1927) (1933-1935)
 Accomplishment of the Civil
Government
• The Filipinos were given opportunity to
participate in the Government .
• Friar land was distributed to the
Filipino farmers by the Americans.
• Health and sanitation was given
priority.
• Teaching of the English language to
the Filipinos
• The ideology of democracy was
instilled to the Filipinos.
Conclusion
ACTIVITY
Venn Diagram
Compare and
Contrast the Spanish
and American
Governance of the
Philippines.