John Carlo C.

Ang
BSTM 1B
Philippine History
11/13/18

THE INFLUENCES OF AMERICA TO PHILIPPINES

In 1898, the United States declared war on Spain, ultimately resulting in what is
called the Treaty of Paris, in which the Spanish agreed to give up the islands of the
Philippines in exchange for $20,000,000. The Philippines had been ruled by the
Spanish for nearly years. During first years, there were some conflicts between
the U.S. and The Philippines. But during World War I, they came together and the
Filipinos fought alongside the Americans. After WWI ended, the U.S. continued to
rule over the Philippines, and gradually their relationship became much more
friendly. In 1934, the Tydings/McDuffie Law was passed, making the
Philippines commonwealth of the U.S. The United States agreed to give the
Philippines 10 years to prepare for their complete independence. But because of
WWII and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, that promise was not realized
until 1946. On July 4, 1946, the United States declared the Philippines an
independant nation. Now, the relation between Americans and Filipinos are very
friendly and warm. Filipinos love America and Americans. They often decorate
their jeepneys with american flags or “God Bless the USA.” They also enjoy
American music and clothing, while still retaining their own Filipino way of life.
When the United States took over the Philippines, the people began to be free to
join whatever religion they wanted. (During the Spanish rule, the Catholic church
was established as the national religion and was strongly enforced). Because of
this new found religious freedom, there began to be many different churches
besides Catholicism. Today, it’s remarkable to see just how many different
Christian churches there are in the Philippines, this religious diversity has become
a big part of the culture. Americans introduced the idea of free education to the
Philippine islands. The United States even sent teachers to help establish schools
where the Filipino children could have a free education. A large group of these
teachers were called “Thomasites,” named after the boat that they came on,
called Thomas. During this time, English began to be taught in the schools, and
this is the language that the teachers would use. Even today, most Filipinos can’t
help but mix in English words when they speak. “Taglish” has literally become part
of the culture. In fact, English is now the 2nd national language. Lots of English
words have made their way into the Tagalog language. Often they are
pronounced the same, but the dictionary spelling is Filipino-ized. The United
States not only had an impact on the government of the Philippines, but also the
cultural outlook. From American pop music, to the love for the arts, American
ideals are seen everywhere in the Philippines. For instance, the “Jeepney” is a
Philippine vehicle that is not only functional but expresses the creativity that
many Americans cherish as well. Following World War II, American Jeeps were
left on Philippine territory. The people then transformed these machines used
once for transporting soldiers and weaponry into a flashy, fun, cultural symbol.
The United States also left behind their language, and educational ethics. Nearly
92% of the Filipino population over the age of 10 is literate and many use English
as a second language.