A G L A N C E A T S E L E C T E D
PHILIPPINE POLITICAL

CARICATURE IN ALFRED
MCCOY’S PHILIPPINE
CARTOONS:PHILIPPINE
CARICATURE OF THE
 AM
 A MERICAN ERA (1900 -1941)
 

BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR 

Alfred McCoy
• JR
JRW
W pr
prof
ofes
esso
sorr of Hist
Histor
ory
y at ththee Univ
Univer
ersi
sity
ty of Wis
isco
cons
nsin
in Madi
Madiso
son.
n.
Who
Wh o sp
spec
ecia
iali
lize
ze at so
sout
uthe
heas
astt asia
asia..
•

He has writtetten and test

estif
ifiied on Phili
lip
ppine pololit
itiica
call his
isttory, opi
opium
trafficking
traffick ing and underwo
underworldrld crimes.
crimes.
• Majo
Ma jori
rity
ty hi
hiss work
workss and
and re
resesear
arch
ch focu
focuse
sess on Phil
Philip
ippipine
nes.
s.
• Author of The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, Phillippine
Cart
Cartoo
oon,
n, Clos
Closer
er th
than
an Brot
Brothe
hersrs and
and many
many momore
re..
Alfredo R oces
oces
• Artist-writer from the known Roces clan in
Philippine print media.
• Co-author of Political Caricature of American
Era.
• Known Journalist in Manila Times.
 

Politcal cartoons and caricature are rather

recent art form which veered away from the
classical art by exaggerating human features and
 poking it subjects.
subject s.
• Wherein such art genre and technique
 became part of the
t he print media as a form of
social and political commentary.
• Cartoon became an effective tool of
 publicizing
 publicizin g opinions through heavy use of
 symbolism. Whuch is different from verbose
written editorial.
• It captures the imagination of the readers. It
inevitably shape the public opinio and is
worthy of historical examination.
 

The Caricatures
 

As Demobilized American Soldiers filled the

insular civil service and American corporation
won the major development projects, Filipino
nationalists saw themselves becoming
economic aliens on their land. Filipino
nationalists became increasingly concerned
with economic issue.

Shown here as E.R.R&L. Co., Meralco was

Manila’s major public utility and largest
American investment in the Philippines
wherein, Filipino nationalist were correctly
concerned allowing such public service
remain in American hands. The company
charged the highest rail fares in Asia which
force most of the people to walk to work.

Under the circumstances the cartoon’s image

of Meralco dragging Juan dela cruz along the

neck
frameasishe
novomits peso from his emaciated
overstatement.
 

In 1913 Filipinos found themselves facing a

serious discrimination in both wages and
 positions.

 Since the Bureau of Education was the

colony ‘s largest public employer, most
Filipinos were hired as school teachers.
 Although therir qualifications were now
equal or better than those of old American
teachers, the Filipinos confronted an
institutional racism which gave them lower
wages, larger classroom and fewer privileges.
 

American Worker
Worker or Filipino Worker
Worker (picture on right) refers
not to a ten fold difference in Filipino and American manual
wages with the colony, but to a more fundamental inequality.
inequality. The
difference in wages and working conditions between two
countries. While stevedor on the San Francisco docks earned
$5.00 a day (10 Peso) for easy mechanized labor, the Filipino
earned only 1 peso for hauling sacks hand under Manila’s
tropical sun.

The cartoon saririze the rise of co-education at the

University of theuniversities
While Catholic Philippinesremained
campus at Ermita.
single sex or
sexually segregated but UP follows the american
antecedents.
It show wild courtship scenes in class. One couple
exchange
woman in vows of love,
front reads another
a love embraces
letter. Only theand the
unattractive young lady bothers with the lesson.
 

This picture was published by Lipang Kalabaw om August 24,1997

24,199 7
we can see Uncle Sam rationing porridge to politicians and members
of the Progressia Party (Known as Federalista) while the Nacionalista
 Progressia
 Party look on and wait for their turn. Which only depicts the patronage

of the United States being coveted by politicians from either of the

 party.
 

 A N A L D
Y SUR
UIRSI N
OFG T
THH EE A
POMLEI RTII CC A
ANL C
PA R II O
ER CADT U R E

• The transition from the Spanish Colonial period

peri od to the

demonstrated strands of changes and shifts in Culture, Society and

 politics.
• Americans drastically introduced democracy to the Nascent nation
and consequences were far from the ideal.
• It is also the perid wherein different manifestatiin of modernity
moderni ty like

real healthcare,
to the Filipinos. modern transportation and media whete introduced
• Americans ushered in a more open and free press.
• The post Filipino american period in the
th e Philippines were
experienced different by Filipino coming from different classes.
 

• Principalia class experience prosperity with the

opening up of the Philippine economy to the
United State. But poor filipino remained poor,
desperate and victims of repression.

THE C AR
ARTOON
TOON IL LUSTR ATE AND
DEPICTS
The cartoon illustrate not
only the opinion of certain
media outfits, the Philippine
society during
Period but alsoAmerican
a broad image
of society and politics under
United State.
We see the price that
Filipinos paid for the modeled
democracy after American.
Patronage also became
influential and powerful not
only between clients and
 patrons but also between
bet ween the
new formed political parties
composed of elites and U.S
T he transitions from Catholic centered
Spanish Filipino Society to an imperial
American assimilated one such as
motorized vehicles which resulted in
increasing the colorum, unlicensed
vehicles and rampant traffic violations
of traffic rules.
In addition is what Mccoy called
“sexual revolution”that occurred in
1930’s where in young peiple
disturbed the conservative mindset of
Filipinos by engaging daring sexual
activities.
Lastly the cartoons illustrated the conditions of the Poor Filipino
in the Philippines governed by the U.S. More so, how police
opress the poor Filipinos while china monopolize goods. The
cartoon depicts the reality. How american control Filipinos