CHAPTER 8

THE AMERICAN RULE

1. War of the Philippine Independence form the United States

FFThere was a popular belief among the supporters of Manifest Destiny that the US had the God-given
right to help oppressive countries and build democratic nations.

 Manifest Destiny & Benevolent Assimilation; Concept:

 Manifest Destiny - is a divine right that the white giving reason the spread westward of American
influence westward of the Pacific Ocean bringing with it Government, Economy and Christianity.

 Benevolent Assimilation - it is succinctly stated that " future control, disposition, and government
of the Philippines Islands were ceded to the United States and the Military Government is to take
the whole of the ceded authority.
 The Policy of Manifest Destiny. (In the Philippines)
 The Americans believed it as their mission to:
1) Civilize the Filipinos,
2) to Educate and train them for Democracy, and
3) to make them better Christian. This was the so called Manifest Destiny

 American soldier with two other members of the U.S. shot and killed a man who happens to be a filipino
soldier.

 Aguinaldo declared war. This turn out to be to be the seven-year Filipino-American War (1899-1906).

 The American fleet started bombarding the Filipino fort north of San Juan del Monte. In the afternoon of
that day, the fierce battle of La Loma near the Chinese cemetery ensued.

 In kalookan a fierce battle followed, with the American once again victorious. Undismayed by his defeat,
Luna prepared for a Plan for a recapture of Manila by burning American occupied houses in tondo and in
Binondo.

 General Luna's tragic end:

 General Luna, after attending the meeting with his fellow patriots who were already planning to
make peace with the American (which he vehemently opposed) was stabbed to death by
Aguinaldo's Body guard. He received about 40 wounds.

 The Secretary of the Interior in his circular informed the Provincial chiefs of Luna's death and said
that:
 a) it was caused by Luna's insulting and assaulting of the President's bodyguards, and

b) the Plan of Luna to take over the Presidency from Aguinaldo,

 At Tirad Pass, Gen. Del Pilar with 60 riflemen, stood guard to intercept the American soldiers and give
Aguinaldo sufficient time to escape.

 Pasong Tirad was 4,500 feet high.

 Only eight (8) men escaped alive to relate the tragic news to Aguinaldo.

 Aguinaldo's capture (March 23, 1901, in Palanan, Isabela):

 Pretending to be the reinforcement with five American prisoners, the Macabbebe Scouts were
able to enter Aguinaldo's Camp. Aguinaldo and his men met them and even gave them food.

 At a given signal, the Macabebes suddenly opened fire. Tal Placido, a fat powerful man grabbed
Aguinaldo from behind.

2. A Government under America

 Although the Filipino-American war was still in progress.

 Second Philippine Commission (Taft Commission):

 He gave the Commission the Legislative and Executive authority to put up a Civilian Commission.

 His Policy, the Philippines for the Filipinos, laid the foundations or the Democratic Government
during his administration

 Cooper Act (Philippine Organic Act of 1902):

 The first Congressional law about the government of the Philippines

 Provided:
(a) for the extension of the United states Bill of Rights for the Filipinos.

(b) It also guaranteed the establishment of an elective Philippine Assembly after the
proclamation of complete peace.

 Though thousand of Filipinos surrendered as a result of American peace propaganda, some military
commanders refused to lay down their arms.

 The Tagalog Republic:

  Organized their Resistance forces in the Rizal-Cavite-Laguna-Batangas area by formally
establishing the Philippine Republic or what Sakay referred to as the Tagalog Republic.

 This Assembly would serve as a training ground for self government and the first step towards
independence.

 The Americans and the Philippine Constabulary arrested and disarmed Sakay and his men. They
were charged with ladronism or Banditry and other crimes such as rape, kidnapping and murder.

 In accordance with the provision of Brigandage Act, the court sentenced General Macario Sakay
and Colonel Lucio De Vega to die by public hanging.

 The other officers were sentence to long prison terms.

 The Philippine Assembly:

 The first Bill passed by the Philippine Assembly was the (Gabaldon Law). Which appropriated P1
Million for Barrio Schools.

 Pursuant to the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 (Also known as Cooper Act), two Filipino resident
Commissioners represented their countrymen in the US Congress. They took part in the debate in
Congress but were not given the privilege to vote.

 (The Jones Law) provided a Bicameral Philippine Legislature with the Upper house (Senate) and a
Lower House (House o Representative).

 The Nacionalista and Democrata Parties Join forces in a common cause against the governor
general and to work the recognition of the country's independence.

 The OS-ROX Mission (Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act):

 The HHC Act, divided the Philippine Congress into two opposing camps - the Anti's and the Pros

 The Antis, led by Senate President Quezon, opposed the acts because of its
objectionable features.

 The Pros headed by Senator Osmena and Speaker Roxas upheld it on the ground that it
was the best independence measures.

 The HHC Act provided the following:

1. The granting of Philippine Independence after 12 years but reserving military and naval
bases for the United states;
 2. The control of the currency system and the conduct of foreign affairs by the US president;

3. American goods were allowed free entry into the Philippines;

4. The Bill also directed the U.S. to retain land for military and other reservations

 TYDINGS – MCDUFFIE LAW:

 A new Independence measure called Tydings-McDuffie Law was passed and signed, it closely
resembled the HHC Act. The Philippine Legislature accepted the law.

 THE TYDINGS-McDUFFIE LAW PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING:

1) A ten-year transition period under the Commonwealth of the Philippines;

2) Preparatory to the granting of Absolute and Complete Independence on July 4, 1946;

3) Also included were an annual quota of 50 Filipino immigrants to America.

4) Control of the currency, coinage, foreign trade;

5) Foreign relations by America and representation of one Filipino resident

commissioner in America and an American High Commissioner in the Philippines;

6) The Law also authorized the Philippine Legislature to call a Constitutional Convention
to draft the Constitution of the Philippines; and

7) That the Constitution be approved by the American President and ratified by the
people in a plebiscite.

 The Drafting of the Constitution:

 The Constitution was overwhelmingly ratified by the People with a total of 1,213,046 in favor and
those against only 44,963.

3. The American Legacy

 The first American newspaper to appear in the Philippines was the Bounding Billow, published at irregular
intervals on board Dewey's Flagship Olympia.

 The First American daily newspaper to be published in Manila was the American Soldier.

 The American used their stay in the Philippines to teach us their way of life and the principles of
Democracy. Individual freedom respect for rights and liberties of the people.

 They enhanced the knowledge of the Filipinos on democratic ways and institutions.
  They Organized the Civil Courts, including the Supreme Court.

 Local Government were established in towns and provinces under the control of American Troops.

4. Philippine Independent Church

 To bring back with the Spanish side with a promise of autonomy for the Philippines.

 The proposal was accepted and thus the Iglesia filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church) was
founded. Aglipay was consecrated Supreme Bishop by the Bishops of Manila, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Isabela,
Cagayan, Pangasinan & Abra.

5. The Colorums

 The remnants of Hermano Pule's Cofradia de San Jose retreated to the mountains of Tayabas and Laguna
mountains of San Cristobal.

 This group came to be known as Colorums, a corruption of the latin phrase et saecula saeculorum (world
without end) used at mass to end certain prayers.

 They were characterized by religious fanaticism, which was combination of catholic devotion, hero-worship
and folk superstitions.

 In Tarlac, the colorums worshipped Jose Rizal and Apo Ipe Saivador. They believed that the two leaders
would resurrect and saved them.

 When Aguinaldo surrendered to the Americans, he went to the mountains and begin his guerilla
operations. Soon he organized his group and called it Santa Iglesia or Holy Church.

6. Land Tenure system

 The hacienda system introduce during the Spanish period, kept the peasants in bondage. The landlord -
tenant relations ensued even after the institution of a democratic government.

 TENANTS were either: a) Inquilinos or b) Kasama.

A. INQUILINOS (Cash tenants) - paid yearly rent for using a piece of land.

 He was often required to give various services to the haciendero for free.

 Refusal to work or to contribute to the expenses could mean outright dismissal from the
hacienda.
  It became customary for the children of the tenants to serve the landlords as domestic
servants to help their parents pay the interest on debts incurred due to cash advances.

B. KASAMA (Sharecropper) -provided the labor on the hacienda where he shared the harvest on a
50-50 basis with his landlord or Hacendero, after deducting the expenses incurred in planting and
in harvesting.

 Like the Inquilino, he was expected to render personal services to the landowner, at the
landowner's discretion.

7. The First labor Group

 Organized the first labor union in the Philippines, the Union de Litografos e Impresores de Filipinas

 Soon after its founding, the members decided to reorganize themselves into the Union Obrera
Democratica (U.O.D.) a federation of small unions of Printers, lithographer, cigarmakers, tailors and
shoemakers which demanded higher wages and workers benefit.

8. The Communist Party of the Philippines

 COMMUNISM - is a concept of society in which the major resources and means of production are
communally owned. Theoretically, there would be equal sharing of the benefits of production.

 This ideology involves the abolition of individual ownership of property. It advocates the revolution of the
working masses to overthrow the capitalist society so that the classless society be achieved.

 When some officials were arrested, soon after, Antonio Ora, a CPP Central Committee member was
arrested in Manila.

9. Sakdalism

 In campaign meetings and through their paper, the Sakdalistas opposed colonial education in the country, in
particular Camilo Osias grade school "Readers".

 Bulacan and hauled down the American and Philippine flags and raised the red Sakdal flag. Other
Sakdalistas did the same in Cavite, Laguna, Rizal.

 As a result, Sakdalista influence greatly diminished in the countryside.