HISTORY AND COLONIAL

LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES

DURING THE AMERICAN

AMERICAN COLONIAL POLICY

They promised to train the Filipinos in

democracy and self-government. They
want the Philippines to stand on its own
as a free and independent nation.
They shared power with the Filipinos in
the government. Human Rights were
protected. They developed the economy,
improved hygiene and sanitation, and
introduced the public school system.

AMERICAN COLONIAL GOVERNMENT

Military Government(August 1898-July 1901)

Gen. Wesley Merritt

Gen. Elwell Otis
Gen. Arthur MacArthur

Civil Government (july 1901-August 1902)

The Philippine Commision

The american Gov. Gen. Together with the
Philippine Assembly or the Philippine Legislature
The commonwealth of the Philippines

CONTRIBUTIONS

Economic Progress:

Population Explotion
New Land Policy

Friars land were sold to Filipino farmers

Homestead Act of 1924 allowed Filipinos to own
up to 24 hectares of public land
Torrens titles were given to land owner
Free trade America
Improvement of Transportation and
Communications

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

We sold our raw materials cheap and

bought expensive manufactured goods
from america.
Colonial mentality
American capitalists and businessmen
controlled the new companies

FROM
COMMONWEALTH
TO REPUBLIC

THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

After the Filipinos lost the war to the Americans

in 1901, they did not stop fighting for
independence
The Filipinos carried on the fight in three ways:

Theater and Literature

Peasants revolts and communist party of the
Philippines
Peaceful pressure by the Filipino politicians ending
the establishment of the commonwealth of the
Philippines in 1935. (Political Campaign for
independence)

FREEDOM THEATER AND LITERATURE

Tagalog zaruelas became

popular(1902-1905)

Banned by the americans.

Tagalog writers wrote about the

sufferings of the people

Lope K. Santos wrote Bannag at Sikat in

1935
Amado V. Hernandez was both writer and
labor leader

PEASANT REVOLTS AND COMMUNIST PARTY

Peasant Revolts in Surigao, Nueva Ecija, Iloilo,

Negros Occidental, Pangasinan, Laguna and
Bulacan

Sakdalitas: peasant revolt that took place in 1935

Benigno Ramos: a popular writer and orator who founded
the newspaper and a political party named Sakdal

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)

Founded in Manila by Cristano Evangelista on August

1930
In 1931, they organized labor strikes throughout the
country

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE

After World War I, Filipino politicians united to

campaign for intermediate Philippine
Independence
Send independent missions in the US from
1919-1935 in the hope of urging the American
Congress to grant independence to the
Philippines
In 1932, the US Congress passed the HareHawes-Cutting Law. It was the first Philippine
Indipendence law passed by the US.

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE

But the HHC law did not push through.

Osmea & Quezon quarreled over it in the
Philippine Legislature.
Political debate took place between the group
of senate president Manuel Quezon who were
in favor of the HHC Law against the Anti- HHC
Law headed by Osmea & Roxas. This marked
the split of the Nacionalista Party
The HHC Law was rejected by the Philippine
Legislature in October 17, 1933

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE

In 1934, US Congress passed the

Tydings- Mcduffie Law
A transition government run by Filipinos
would be established. This was the
commonwealth of the Philippines.

1935 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

July 10, 1934. 202 delegates were elected to a

constitutional convention
The delegates met for the first time on July 30, 1934
Claro M. Recto was elected as convention president
On February 08, 1935, the new constitution was approved
by the majority of the delegates
March 23, 1935 Pres. Franklin Roosevelt signed the
constitution
The 1935 Constitution was ratified by the Filipino people
in a plebiscite on May 04, 1935
This constitution serve as the commonwealth of the
Philippines (Third Republic)

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

September 17, 1935: the first national

election was held
Manuel Quezon won as president and
Sergio Osmea as Vice president
November 15, 1935, the commonwealth
was inaugurated in Luneta
Manuel Quezon was re-elected for
another term on November 1941

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES

The commonwealth of the Philippines

existed from 1935-1946. It was semi
independent government of the
Filipinos under the American colony.