The OsRox Mission 1931-1933

The OsRox Mission (1931), headed by former Senate President Sergio

Osmeña and House Speaker Manuel Roxas, was a movement for self-
government and US recognition of Philippine independence. The mission won
the Hare – Hawes – Cutting Act, which both the Philippine Legislature and
Manuel Quezon rejected.

In December 1931, Osmena and Roxas left for the United States, after 30
odd years of independence agitation the OsRox succeeded in securing the
passage of the independence bill.

The Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act over the veto of President Hoover became law
on january 17,1993.

It is the first law setting a specific date for Philippine independence from the
United States. It was passed by Congress as a result of pressure from two
sources: American farmers, who, during the Great Depression, feared
competition from Filipino sugar and coconut oils; and Filipino leaders, who
were eager to run their own government.

The Act provided for the establishment of a ten year Commonwealth to serve
as a transition government before the proclamation of the Independence on
July 4,1946.

A constitutional Convention would be called to draft the constitution which

would provide certain stated limitations on autonomy.

The passage of an independence bill should have been the most dramatic
event in the history of filipino campaigns for independence but the rejection
of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act and the separation of Quezon to Osmena and
Roxas was more dramatic.

The Philippine Legislature ended up rejecting the OsRox Mission’s work for
the following reasons:

1. The provisions affecting the trade relations between the United States
and the Philippines would seriously imperil the economic, social and
 political institutions of the country and might defeat the avowed
purpose to secure independence for the Philippines at the end of the
transition period.
2. Immigration clause was objectionable and offensive to the Filipino
people.
3. The powers of the High Commissioner were too indefinite.
4. The military,naval and other reservations provided for in the act were
inconsistent with tru independence,violated dignity and were subject to
misunderstanding.

In november 1933, Quezon left for the United States as a head of a joint
legislative committee for the purpose of securing a better independence bill
which he is unable to do so he re run the act to a different name and called
it Tydings Mcduffie-Act Quezon brought it home and the people called him
HERO.

On May 1,1934 the Philippine Legislature unanimously accepted the Tydings-

McDuffie Act which eliminated provisions for military reservations.

The Independence in 1934 was a unique event in the history of colonialism

but The Philippine-American Context was much delayed.

The Clarke Amendment of Jones Act 1916 would have allowed the President
of the US to fix a date for the granting of Philippine Independence, it would
have bestowed independence in1920 if it was not blocked.

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.”

In 1934, The United States was the first nation to voluntarily relinquish
sovereignty over a colony , The United States took concrete actions to
prepare the Filipinos for Independence.

As early as 1901, The filipinos were allowed to assume electoral positions in

the municipal and provincial governments
A filipino was appointed as Chief Justice and prominent filipinos were sitting
in both the executive and legislative branches of the insular gov.

In 1916, all filipino bicameral legislatures had replaced the Philippine

Assembly.

An educational system was likewise set up, education for the masses and
not only for the colonial elite.

The appeal for independence of the Filipinos was constantly opposed by

washington authorities, who held the view that Independence was a merely
a matter of the heart a mistake emotionalism for which the filipinos were not
prepared Quezon however was consistent in wanting the reality of
Independence, The filipinos wanted to make their own destiny.

The United State has been faulted for giving the Philippines Independence
with a selfish eye to its own welfare, having identified the Ph as an economic
burden and a strategic liability the US freed itself from the Philippines.

Independence came to the Philippines as the result of a peaceful political

process.