WEEK 4

U.S OCCUPATION TO
COMMONWEALTH
THE U.S CIVIL GOVERNMENT
War days are over that it was already time to
change government, from military shifting to a
civilian rule. On July 4 ,1901, right after
Aguinaldo’s capture, the U.S Civil Government
was inaugurated with William Howard Taft as
Civil Governor. However, the military rule , due to
the continuing resistance, still prevailed over
Southern Luzon until 1902, Northern Mindanao
until 1905 (after the execution of MacarioSakay),
and Southern Mindanao until 1914 (due to
Muslim resistance).
THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION
The history of the Philippine Commission
started on Jan. 31 ,1900 and is mentioned
earlier in the previous chapter. Its creation was
intended to function as the body that would
study the Philippine situation and
recommended to the U.S Congress necessary
measures to make the U.S administration in the
Philippines more effective.
With the first one w/c is the Schurman Commission, the
following were recommended to the American
Government:
a. The establishment of a territorial form of government
w/c will create a bicameral legislature that are elected
and appointed, provided that insurgency soon comes to
an end.
b. That once there is already the cessation of hostilities,
military rule would be withdrawn, and a civil
government must be established.
c. Conservation of natural resources
d. organization of autonomous local governments.
e. Provision of free primary schools.
f. Appointment of capable Filipinos to government
offices.
 On June 3, 1900, the right to exercise
legislative functions in the Philippines was
transferred to the second Philippines Commission
called as the Taft Commission, as it was presided by
William Howard Taft (his previous position before
becoming U.S Civil Governor).
During the Taft Commission,499 laws for the
Philippines were proposed to the U.S Congress and
have become applicable immediately. Gen. Arthur
MacArthur, in the last days of his military
administration, offered amnesty on June 21,1900.
The opportunity was grabbed by notable person
like T. Pardo de Tavera, Felipe Buencamino and
Pedro Paterno, who later created the pro-
American Federal party. Those who were
captured or surrendered but remained unyielding
were exiled to Guam and other destinations.
Mabini and Artemio Ricarte were some of them
The man responsible for the ending of the
Military Administration in the Philippines was
Sen. John Spooner who passed to the “Army
Appropriations Act” the provision that would
create a Civil Government in the Philippines.
This amendment is now called as the “Spooner
Amendment”.
THE TAFT ADMINISTRATION
Taft was the first Civil Governor of the
Philippines. His administration lasted from 1901-1904.
During his term, the ff. were some of his
accomplishments:
a. The passage of a relief fund for the Philippines w/c
amounted to $3 million as approved by Congress.
b. The American purchase of “Church Lands” from
the Vatican. Pope Leo XIII agreed to sell to the U.S
government the 423,000 acres of land that various
religious orders (e.g. Dominicans) possessed during the
Spanish period. These were some of the lands fought
for by landless Filipino farmers during the revolution.
 The lands that were denied by the friars from
the Filipinos were distributed by the Americans
to the landless farmers for low costs and
interest rates made payable for 25 years.
c. The assurance from the U.S that the
Philippines will be for Filipinos.
d. The passing of the Cooper act, or what is
called as the Philippine Bill of 1902, w/c
provided for:
1. The extension of the Bill of Rights (of the U.S.
Constitution) to the Philippines and the
Filipino except, only, for the trial by jury
court procedure;
2. The appointment of two Filipino Resident
Commissioners who shall function as
Philippine representatives to the U.S.
Congress;
3. The creation of a Philippine Assembly w/c
shall be composed of Filipinos elected by the
people. This shall serve as the lower house of
the bicameral legislature;
4. The retention of the Philippine Commission
(duly appointed by the Governor) w/c would
serve as the Upper House Legislature.
5. Conservation of natural resources.
 After the inauguration of the Civil
Government on July 4, 1901, w/ William
Howard Taft as Civil Governor, the office of
the Vice-Governor was likewise created on
August 29, 1901. On Sept. 1 of that year,
Cayetano Arellano was made Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court.
THE PHILIPPINE BILL OF 1902
The first stage in the development of the
Civil Government was done through the passage
of the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 w/c was
officially called as the Philippine Bill of 1902,
passed on July 1, 1902. It provided that a
Philippine Assembly would be created under
conditions that: a) complete peace is achieved; b)
census is made; c) a lapse of two years after the
publication of a census. It provided also for two
resident commissioners and the extension of the
Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution (except for
the right of trial by jury) for the Filipino people.
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL
In 1904, Luke E. Wright was made
Civil Governor replacing Taft. In the same
year, new nationalist political parties
emerged like that of Pedro Paterno’s
Independence Party and Pascual Poblete’s
National Party. In 1905, Wright assumed
the position of the Governor General as
resistance to American rule was finally over.
Wright governed from Feb. 1, 1904 to April
1, 1906. He was succeeded by Henry C. Ide
on April 2.
 The significant contribution of Ide was
the lifting of the ban on independence
parties that was instituted by Wright during
his term. He was replaced by James F. Smith
on Sept. 20, 1906. The most significant
events that took place during his term were
the election of the members of the Philippine
Assembly and the inauguration of this
legislative body.
THE PHILIPPINE ASSEMBLY
As the executive power was vested in the
Governor General, who also was the chairman
of the Philippine Commission, the legislative
power was partly vested in the Philippine
Assembly being the lower house of the
bicameral legislature, of w/c, the Philippine
Commission served as the Upper House.
The assembly was composed of Filipinos
elected by the people. From it would come the
two Resident Commissioners who would
represent the Philippines in the U.S. Congress.
These representatives were given the same
privileges as members of the U.S. House of
Representatives, except for the voting privilege.
The first two commissioners were Pablo Ocampo
and Benito Legarda.
The first law that passed the Philippine
Assembly was called as the Gabaldon Law. The law
created a budget for primary education in the
barrios.
The first leaders of the Philippine Assembly
were Sergio Osmena, who served as House Speaker,
and Manuel Luis Quezon as Majority Floor Leader.
Because of the outstanding performance of
Quezon, who was pushing for an independence
measure, he was sent as Resident Commissioner in
1909 replacing Ocampo, and partnering Legarda.
In the U.S., Quezon made impressive remarks
regarding the necessity for a Philippine
independence law. Both Filipinos and Americans
were impressed w/ Quezon. Late in 1909, a new
Governor was named, William Cameron Forbes,
replacing Smith on Nov. 11.
THE PRO-FILIPINO DEMOCRATS
From the beginning of the American civil rule
up to the time of Governor William Forbes the
Americans have continued to deny the reality that the
Philippines already needed a road for independence.
The Republicans, members of a U.S. political party,
never favored this idea. Presidents William McKinley
1897-1901, Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909, and
William H. Taft, 1909-12 were all republicans. It was
only on Nov. 1912 that events turned out differently
and the Democrats finally took office when Woodrow
Wilson defeated Taft. A new Governor in the
Philippines was the named, Francis Burton Harrison,
a Democrat, in Oct. 1913.
The ff. were the accomplishments of the Harrison
Administration:
a. Pres, Wilson assigned five Filipinos out of the
nine members of the Philippines Commission,
giving The Filipinos the majority of Upper House.
b. Harrison replaced American employees w/ the
Filipinos in government service making 89% of all
government offices occupied by Filipinos by 1913.
This made Wilson and Harrison very popular
among Filipinos but hated by many Americans since
many lost their jobs due to the “Pro-Filipino”
policies.
c. The Jones Bill of 1912:The bill that provided
for a complete independence in eight years, but
not able to pass the House of the
Representatives. This was the first set back of
Rep. William Atkinson Jones, a democrat. It
was submitted again in 1914, at the opening of
the next Congress, only to be amended by Sen.
Clarke of Arkansas who wanted it in two to
four years. It was a better proposal and it won
in the Senate w/ vice Pres. Marshall breaking
the 41 – 41 in this favor.
THE JONES LAW OF 1916
When the bill reached the House of
Representatives in 1912,and then in 1914, it was
debated heavily that it lasted up to 1916 when
finally Pres. Wilson signed it on August 29,1916,
without the Clarke amendment. The Jones law was
an American law w/c was officially called as the
Philippine autonomy Law. It contained the ff.
a. A separate Bill of Rights intended for the
Philippines
b. Definition of Filipino Citizenship
c. Continuation of representation through the
resident commissioners and
d. Provision for a budgetary system and
powers granted to the new Government
e. The creation of a bicameral (Congress)
legislature, abolishing Philippine Commission
and Assembly.
THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE MISSIONS
The first independence mission was composed of 40
members w/ Manuel L. Quezon as it’s leader. It
left Manila on Feb. 23, 1919. They were welcomed
by War Sec. Newton D. Baker who was a Philippine
independence sympathizer. However, the mission
failed w/o even meeting Wilson who was in Paris
that time. Later that year, in the Philippines, the
Congress passed a “Declaration of Purposes” w/c
reiterated Philippine aspiration for independence.
This was reinforced by a report that Gov.
Harrison made for the U.S Pres. w/c confirmed
that stable Gov’t. already exists in the Phil.
The end of the two terms of Pres. Wilson
gave way to the elections of another republican
Pres., Warren G. Harding. This also ended the
term of Gov. Harrison who, in Dec. 2, 1920,
expressed in his farewell address that the time
for Philippine independence had come, and
that due to the stable Gov’t. that already exists.
Pres. Harding believed otherwise.
THE WOOD-FORBES MISSION
When Pres. Warren Harding assumed
the presidency he formed a special American
mission to the Philippines w/c was tasked to
report on the state of affairs of the latter. This
mission was headed by former Gov. Forbes,
and the incoming Gov. Leonard Wood. This
was the Wood-Forbes Mission. After spending
four months in the Philippines, they were back
in the U.S on Dec. 8, 1921. The report that they
submitted to the President concluded that the
Filipinos were not yet prepared to assume the
responsibilities of independence.
CONTINUED MISSION FOR
INDEPENDENCE
To counter the claims of the Wood-
Forbes Mission, the Phil. Congress sent in 1922
a Second Independence Mission to the U.S. It
was jointly headed by Senate Pres. Manuel L.
Quezon and House Speaker Sergio Osmena.
They insisted that the Philippines was already
worthy of independence but, to no avail, Pres.
Harding declined. The third independence
mission in 1923 likewise failed.
1923 CABINET CRISIS
In 1923, a federal agent Ray Conley, who
was sent for a special mission had allegedly
violated some gov’t. protocols in the conduct of
his work. On this reason, Interior Sec. Jose P.
Laurel terminated his services. Gov. Wood did
not favor Laurel’s decision and, instead,
reinstated the agent. As a reaction, Laurel filed
his resignation from the Cabinet. For a strong
sign of protest, a mass resignation by the rest of
the Cabinet followed.
 From 1924-1930, the Philippines sent
their yearly fourth to the eighth independence
missions. All of them were unable to secure a
law, from the U.S Congress, that would provide
for the independence of the Philippines. They
were already many bills presented but none
was chosen.
THE OS-ROX MISSION
The Os-Rox Mission, w/c was also called the
Ninth Independence Mission of 1931, was headed
by Senate Pres. Pro-Tempore Sergio Osmena and
House Speaker Manuel Roxas. By this time many
American senators and congressmen have already
creating a law for Philippine Independence. One
of them was Sen. Harry Hawes who, together w/
Rep. Hare and Sen. Cutting, created the Hare-
Hawes-Cutting Act. This was favored by the
mission. By 1932, the US Congress had already
made approval signs for the HHC Act. However,
someone was not supportive, Senate Pres. Quezon.
THE 10TH INDEPENDENCE MISSION
Desperate enough to get the credit for
achieving the law w/c would give Filipino
people their independence, Senate Pres.
Quezon sent another (10th) independence
mission. He commissioned Benigno
Aquino to find him another law from
other American legislators. To Quezon’s
disappointment, Aquino defected to the
Os-Rox mission.
 By Jan. of 1933, the Hare-Hawes-Cutting
Act had already passed as a law in the Congress.
However, it was vetoed by Pres. Herbert Hoover
on Jan. 13. Persistent, the Congress passed it
again that Jan. Later, it was then signed into law
by Hoover. The last signature would have to
come from the Phil. Senate Pres. As expected,
Quezon made his maneuver.
Later, Quezon, Himself, left for the 11th
Independence Mission. In Paris, he met Roxas
and Osmena in oreder to settle an agreement. No
result was reached. On Oct. 17, 1933, Quezon
officially rejected the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Law.
THE TYDINGS-MC DUFFIE LAW
After the rejection of the Hare-Hawes
Cutting Law under Resolution No. 46, Quezon
led another mission to the U.S in the attempt of
securing another independence law. On March
24, 1934, a new independence measure called the
Tydings-Mc Duffie Law was passed in the
congress and signed into law by US Pres.
Franklin Roosevelt. The authors of this law were
Senator Millard E. Tydings and Congressman
John McDuffie. The law was only a revised copy
from the original Hare-Hawes-Cutting Law.
The only difference was the title & an elimination
of some military reservations. Under this law the
US shall:
a. Provide a 10 year transition period, during w/c
time shall be established the Commonwealth of the
Philippines;
b. Draft a constitution that is republican by nature
w/c includes a Bill of Rights;
c. Retain the Philippines as an American territory
during the transition period;
d. Make all the Filipinos owe allegiance to the US;
e. Ensure equal protection of civil & political
rights & economic privileges among Filipinos &
Americans alike;
f. Have the power, to the US Pres., to suspend any
contract or executive order made by the
Commonwealth once it becomes contrary to the
interest of the US;
g. Have the power, to the approval of US Pres., over
Commonwealth Laws pertaining to currency,
coinage, foreign trade ; immigration;
h. Create the US High Commission representing the
US Pres. Authorize Philippine representation to the
US through a resident commissioner;
i. Supervise & control Philippine foreign affairs;
j. Empower the US Supreme Court to review
important cases passed to the Commonwealth
Supreme Court, w/c includes cases pertaining to the
constitution;
k. Restrict Filipino immigration in the US
while not having any limit on the number of
Americans who would migrate to the
Philippines.
The Tydings-McDuffie Law was finally
accepted by the Philippine Legislature on May
1, 1934. The final signatures were made by
Speaker Sergio Osmena & Senate Pres. Manuel
L. Quezon.
LESSON XII

THE COMMONWEALTH OF
THE PHILIPPINES
MANUEL L. SERGIO
QUEZON OSMENA
THE 1935 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

On July 10, 1934 the Philippine

Legislature elected the representative to the
Constitutional Convention, the delegates’ task
was to draft the Constitution of the Philippines.
On July 30, it was inaugurated at the
Legislative Building in Manila. There were 202
members w/ Claro M. Recto as Pres., of the
Convention.
 On Feb.8, 1935, the Convention formally
approved a draft w/ 177-1 ratio in favor of
approval. On March 23, it was approved by the
US Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt & on May 14, it
was, through a plebiscite, ratified by the
Filipino people. The Constitution consisted 17
articles w/c included the Philippine territory,
The Bill of Rights, Citizenship & the three
branches of Gov’t., the executive (vested in the
Pres., of the Commonwealth as provided by
law); the Legislative (a unicameral National
Assembly) & the; Judiciary (vested in the
Supreme Court).
THE 1ST COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS

The first national election for the

President & the member of the National
Assembly was held on Sept. 17, 1935. In the
Presidential election three parties contested
block voting system. This were: the Coalition
Party w/ Quezon for Pres. & Osmena for Vice
Pres.; The Nacionalista Social Party w/ Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo for Pres.,& Reymundo
Melliza for Vice Pres.; The Republican Party w/
Bishop Gregorio Aglipay for Pres.,& Norberto
Nabong for Vice.
 The Coalition Party won the elections w/
Manuel L. Quezon as President & Sergio
Osmena as Vice President, together w/ an
overwhelming majority seat for the members of
the National Assembly.
b. The Philippine Army drafted able-bodied 20
yr. old men to be enlisted men & officers of the
armed forces. Army strength was more than
40,000;
c. Reserved Officer Training Corps or ROTC
courses were introduced in Colleges &
Universities;
d. The National Assembly enacted the 1st law of
the Commonwealth, the National Defense Act.
NATIONAL DEFENSE MEASURES

In accordance w/ the Philippine

Constitution that made the national defense of
the state “the prime duty of the government”,
the Commonwealth took the 1st steps to
national security:
a. Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur, w/ the permission
from the US War Department, was appointed
as field marshall of the newly created
Philippine army;
GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION

Quezon established the Government

Survey Board to study the existing institution
that time. Its resulted to the revamping of the
Executive Departments, Offices & Bureaus w/c
were either merged or abolished. The Finance
Department was Established. By 1914, there
were already 9 departments.
On economics, the administration put up
the National Economic Council for the
promotion of industries, crop production,
enterprise, tariffs & taxation.
 The National Development Company was
created for the mass production of staples like
rice & corn. The Agricultural & Industrial
Bank was established to help small farmers w/
convenient loans on easy terms. On education,
in Feb. 19, 1936, the National Council of
Education was created w/ Rafael Palma
(former U.P. Pres.) as its chairman.
The Court OF Appeals was likewise
created on Feb. 1, 1936 to aid in the speedy
disposition of cases. Justice Pedro Concepcion
became the 1st Presiding Justice of this new
court.
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE

When the democratic exercise of voting began

in the Philippines it initially did not include the
women as a part of the voting population. The US
itself had only recently allowed its women to vote.
And this was only during the term of Pres. Wilson.
To extend the stretch of democracy & recognize the
equal right of women in the building of the nation
the government ordered a plebiscite to be held for
the purpose of asking the society on whether or not
the women should be given the right to vote. On
April 30, 1937, the result was affirmative, believing
that the “Filipinas” must also respond to this call of
citizenship.
THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE

Manuel L. Quezon, on Nov. 13, 1936

created the institute of National Language. He
recommended that the Tagalog language be the
basis of the National Language as was proposed
by Jaime C. de Vera, the INL Chairman. On
Dec. 30, Quezon made the proclamation
between Filipino, based on Tagalog, as the
national language of the Philippines. Together
w/ Filipino, English & Spanish were also
proclaimed as 2nd and 3rd languages as proposed
by Jaime de Vera, a Visayan.
TRADE & COMMERCE

Due to the much restrictions that the Tyding-

McDuffie Law imposed upon the Commonwealth on
Trade & Commerce, Quezon made an official trip to
the US to remedy the problem. In the US., Pres.
Roosevelt created the Joint Preparatory Commission
on Philippine Affair (JPCPA). This commission dealt
on the mutual trade relations between the two
countries. As part of its operation, Commonwealth
gov’t sent a representative committee w/c would
study the existing trade relations between the
Philippines & the US. Francis Sayre, Asst. Sec. of
State, was named as its 1st chairman.
OTHER EVENTS

A monumental event took place in 1936

& this is the “Arnacal” Flight. For the first
time in history two Filipinos aviators, Antonio
Arnaiz & Juan Calvo, flew all the way from
Madrid to Manila establishing a new world
record. The gov’t of the republic of Spain
granted them the highest decorations reserved
for civilians. The 33rd International Eucharistic
Congress was held in the Philippines w/ the
celebrated arrival of His Holiness Pope Pius XI.
 The event took place from Feb.2-7, 1937 & was the first time that the
Pope of Roman Catholic Church visited & was heard in the Far East.
NEW CHARTERED CITIES

Before Commonwealth there were only

the cities of Manila & Baguio that exist. By
1941, 9 cities were added: Cebu, Iloilo, Davao,
Zamboanga, Bacolod, Quezon City, Tagaytay,
Kawit & San Pablo.
COMMONWEALTH PLEBISCITE

The plebiscite was in regard to the

restoration of the bicameral legislature, the
Senate & House of Representatives, & the
presidential term w/c was proposed to be 4
years w/ one reelection instead of 6 w/ no
reelection. The yes vote won overwhelmingly.
This was the 1st time Filipino women were
allowed to vote. The plebiscite results gave a
room for Quezon & Osmena to seek for another
election.
THE LAST PRE-WAR ELECTIONS

Adherent to the results of the plebiscite,

general elections were held on Nov. 11, 1941. At
this time, better diplomatic relations were being
reached between Japan & the USA. The election
made Manuel L. Quezon reelected as President
by an impressive majority over Juan Sumulong
of the popular Front Party, Pedro Abad Santos
of the Socialista & Camilo Moncado of the
Modernist Party. Osmena also made it to his 2nd
term. All 24 senators came from the Nacionalista
w/ Claro M. Recto leading.