Government Structure: American Period (1900-1946)

American period began during the Spanish American war in 1898, when the United States
defeated Spain and Spain ceded possession of the Philippines to the United States upon the
signing the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.

There were three kinds of government that were established by the Americans in the Philippine
archipelago during the American period. These are the Military government, the Civil Government
and the Commonwealth government.

(timeline)

Military Government

The U.S. military commander governed the Philippines under the authority of the U.S. president as
Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces.

United States President

-the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Military Governor
-Chief Executive

Functions exercised by the Military Governor: (martial law)

1. executive
2. legislative
3. judicial
*Basically, the Philippines was under martial law.

US Presidents:
-William McKinley (1898-1901)
-Theodore Roosevelt (1898-1900)

Military Governors:
-Gen. Wesley Meritt (1898-1901)
-Gen. Elwell Otis (1898-1900)
-Gen. Arthur McArthur (1900-1901)

The passage of the Spooner amendment was a significant milestone in the development of U.S.–
Philippine policy because it allowed the president to govern the Philippines by authority of
Congress and not by his wartime authority as commander in chief.

Spooner Amendment, congressional amendment to the Army Appropriations Act of 1901 that
called for the end of the U.S. military government in the Philippines.

Filipinos fought the imposition of American rule, and it was believed in the United States that their
resistance was due to the harshness of military government. The Spooner Amendment authorized
Pres. William McKinley to supplant military rule with civilian government, which was inaugurated in
July 1901.
 The former Military Government was ended by the Spooner Amendment; giving the way to the
new Civil Government that was inaugurated in the 4th day of July, year 1901.

Civil Government:

The highest authority in this government is the Civil Governor which was later change to the title of
Governor-general on the 6th day of February, year 1905. Judge H. William Taft became the first
Civil-Governor; he was followed by Luke F. Wright who became the first American to have the title
of Philippine Governor-General.

Between September 1900 and August 1902, it issued 499 laws, established a judicial system,
including a supreme court, drew up a legal code, and organized a civil service.The 1901 municipal
code provided for popularly elected presidents, vice presidents, and councilors to serve on
municipal boards. The municipal board members were responsible for collecting taxes,
maintaining municipal properties, and undertaking necessary construction projects; they also
elected provincial governors.

-inaugurated on the 1st of July 1901

Civil Governor
-the highest authority in the civil government
-was later changed to Governor-General on the 3rd of February
1905

Legislative function
-was transferred to the Philippine Commission in 1901
- ratified by the Philippine Bill of 1902

Judiciary System
-The Supreme Court (Between September 1900 and August 1902)
-499 laws issued, legal code and civil service organized
The 1901 municipal code provided for popularly elected presidents, vice presidents, and
councilors to serve on municipal boards. The municipal board members were responsible for
collecting taxes, maintaining municipal properties, and undertaking necessary construction
projects; they also elected provincial governors.

A highly centralized public school system was installed in 1901, using English as the medium of
instruction. This created a heavy shortage of teachers, and the Philippine Commission authorized
the Secretary of Public Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from the U.S.A. — the
so-called Thomasites. Free primary instruction that trained the people for the duties of citizenship
and avocation was enforced by the Taft Commission per instructions of President McKinley.[54]
Also, the Catholic Church was disestablished, and a considerable amount of church land was
purchased and redistributed.

Jones law provided for the establishment of a Bicameral legislative

Jones Act, formally Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, statute announcing the intention of
the United States government to “withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands as soon as
a stable government can be established therein.”
One of the most significant sections of the Jones Act replaced the Commission with an elective
Senate and, with minimum property qualifications, extended the franchise to all literate Filipino
males. The law also incorporated a bill of rights.

Tydings-McDuffie Act, also called Philippine Commonwealth and Independence Act, (1934),
the U.S. statute that provided for Philippine independence, to take effect on July 4, 1946, after a
10-year transitional period of Commonwealth government signed by U.S. Pres. Franklin D.
Roosevelt on March 24, 1934, and was sent to the Philippine Senate for approval.

-a transition government for ten years before the grant of the

Commonwealth Philippine independence
-governed the Philippines from 1935 to 1946
- a republican form under the presidential type of government

Nacionalista Party
- dominated the unicameral legislature by the 1935 Constitution

1940 Constitutional Amendment

-restored the bicameral legislature

-The Commonwealth government functioned in exile during World

War II in Washington D.C; it was re-established in Manila after the
war in the year 1945.

During its more than a decade of existence, the Commonwealth had a strong executive and a
Supreme Court. Its legislature, dominated by the Nacionalista Party, was at first unicameral, but
later bicameral. In 1937, the government selected Tagalog – the language of Manila and its
surrounding provinces

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was the administrative body that governed the Philippines
from 1935 to 1946, aside from a period of exile in the Second World War from 1942 to 1945 when
Japan occupied the country. was established by the Tydings–McDuffie Act. The Commonwealth
was designed as a transitional administration in preparation for the country's full achievement of
independence.

Meanwhile, in the 15th day of November year 1935, the Philippine Government was inaugurated;
the first national election followed under the constitution of 1935 that was held on the 12th day of
September year 1935. The National Election had made Manuel L. Quezon as the President of the
Philippines.

The Commonwealth Government in the Philippines was a republican form under the presidential
type of government.

This government functioned in exile during World War II in Washington D.C; it was re-established
in Manila after the war in the year 1945.