AMERICAN INFLUENCE

AMERICAN INFLUENCE
Brief History
• For almost half a century, the United States governed the Philippines.
As a colonial power, the United States pursued policies which it
rightfully believed would promote the social and material wellbeing of
the Filipino.
• One such policy was the introduction of the American system of
education, and so pervasive and far-reaching was its impact and
influence on the life and culture of the Filipino during and after the
colonial period that it is generally regarded as the "greatest
contribution" of American colonialism in the Philippines.
• The American military forces began to establish schools.
• First school was opened in the Corregidor Island in May 1898.
• They occupied Manila on August 13, 1898, they reopened seven school.
• The number of American soldiers-turned-teachers was not sufficient
and there were only a few Filipinos who knew English. To solve the
problem, the colonial authorities decided to import American
professional teachers.

• The Thomasites were a group of nearly 500 American teachers who

travelled from the United States to the newly occupied territory of the
Philippines on the transport ship USS Thomas, who arrived in Manila in
August 1901.
• 346 men and 180 women, hailing from 43 different states and 193
colleges, universities, and normal schools.
• At the time, the Thomasites were offered $125 a month (equivalent to
$3,842 in 2019).
Assignments
• After being quarantined for two days after their arrival on August 21,
1901, the Thomasites were finally able to disembark from the
USS Thomas.
• Stayed at the walled city Intramuros, Manila before given initial
provincial assignments which included
- Albay - Zambales - Pangasinan
- Catanduanes - Aparri - Batangas
- Camarines Norte - Jolo - Tarlac
- Camarines Sur - Negros - Bataan
- Sorsogon - Cebu - Bulacan
- Masbate - Dumaguete - Samar
• The Thomasites taught the following subjects: English, agriculture,
reading, grammar, geography, mathematics, general courses, trade
courses, housekeeping and household arts (sewing, crocheting and
cooking), manual trading, mechanical drawing, freehand drawing and
athletics (baseball, track and field, tennis, indoor baseball
and basketball).
• American public school system in the Philippines consisted of three
levels: a seven-year elementary school, a four-year high school, and a
university.
• American authorities solve the problem of the lack of teachers was the
institution of the pensionado program in 1903.
• Under this program, selected Filipino students were sent as government
scholars to the United States for further studies.
• Render government services: some were given technical jobs in the
colonial bureaucracy and assigned to teach in public schools

Goal of American in the Philippine Education

Goal: To spread democracy and formation of Good citizens.
Focus: Academic English language and literacy.

Hierarchy of Educational Process of American System in Philippines

• The curriculum was
Tertiary Education
based on the ideals
and traditions of
Secondary Education
American and
Hierarchy of values.
Primary Education
 • The PRIMARY LEVEL or “Elementary” consisted of 7 years in school.
Subjects to be Taught:
1. GMRC
2. Civics
3. Hygiene and Sanitation
4. Geography
• The SECONDARY LEVEL or “High School” consisted of 4 years in
school.
Subjects to be Taught:
1. Arithmetic
2. Geography
3. Science (Plant Life, Physiology and Sanitation)
4. English
• The TERTIARY or “college” level were opened with a teacher’s Training
curriculum appropriate for elementary mentors.
• The purpose was to replace the soldiers and the “Thomasites Educator.

2 Aspect of Training
Body Training Singing, drawing, handwork, and physical
education
Mental Training English (Reading, Writing, Conversation,
Phonetics and Spelling

• In 1940, several changes were made in the Philippine educational

system by virtue of the Educational Act of 1940. Under this law, the
elementary course was reduced from 7 years to 6 years. The minimum
age for admission to Grade 1 was raised to 7 Years old.

Law that supports the Educational System in Philippines during American

Regime
1. Education Act of 1901- Laid to the foundation of Philippine public
school system and made English as the language of instruction
2. Educational Act No. 74 (1901)- Established the Free public Education
3. Educational Act No. 3162 and 3196- Educational reform regarding
methods and techniques of teaching, supervision, teacher training and
curriculum and Evaluation of teaching learning
 4. Republic Act 9155 - Establishing Authority and Accountability,
Renaming Department of Education, Culture and sports as the
Department of Education and for other purposes.

List Of Some Thomasite Teachers

Edwin Copeland

First dean of UP College of Agriculture

and founder of the University of the
Philippines at the Los Baños.

Carter G. Woodson
African-American historian. From
1903 to 1907, Woodson served as
a school supervisor in
the Philippines, which had
recently become an American
territory.

• Austin Craig, an American expert on Jose Rizal.

• Abraham Van Heyningen Hartendorp (A.V.H. Hartendorp), the founder
and publisher of the Philippine Magazine
• Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman - Was the founder of Silliman
University
• Frank Russell White - Was the founder of Tarlac Provincial High School
(now Tarlac National High School), the oldest public high school in the
Philippines

Schools and Universities that was Build During the American Regime

1. Philippine Normal School (1901)

2. National University (1900)

3. Siliman University (1901)

4. Negros Oriental High School (1902)

5. Iloilo Normal School(1902)

6. St. Paul University Dumaguete (1904)

7. Zamboanga Normal School (1904)

8. Filamer Christian University (1904)

9. Central Philippine University (1905)

10. University of Manila (1914)

11. Cebu Normal School (1915)

12. Philippine Women University (1919)

13. Far Eastern University (1933)

 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION
Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City

AMERICAN INFLUENCE
TO PHILIPPINE
EDUCATION

SUBMITTED BY:

MELINDO, RHEAMAE S.
CUIZON, ROSE MARIE E.

SUBMITTED TO:

DR. ALTHEA R. ARENAJO

PROFESSOR