Chap 17 – Training for Self – Government
Philippine Commission passed the
( 1907 – 1921)
Promises of the Americans:
1. To give the Filipinos a wise and just
administration
2. To give the Filipinos civil liberties
3. To train the Filipinos in self –
government in preparation for
independence
Steps to train Filipinos for self – government:
1. Cooper Law or the Phil Bill of 1902
- The law responsible for the
creation of the Phil Assembly .
- It gave the Filipinos the right to
be represented in the law
making body exclusively for
Filipinos
2. Jones Law in 1916
- Both Houses of law making
bodies were handed exclusively
to the Filipinos “as soon as a
stable govt could be be
established therein”
3. Under Gov Gen Francis Burton
Harrison
- Gave the Filipinos greater
participation in govt
- Filipinos were employed in low
and high positions in govt. this
process is called Filipinization
4. Tydings McDuffie Act in 1934
- Provided for a transition govt
called the Commonwealth.
- At the end of the transition
period, the Phils would finally
be given her independence.
The Civil Service
Government Reorganization
1.
Municipal Code Act.
a. Municipal govt was to be
administered by the ff officials:
- Municipal Pres
- Municipal VP
- Municipal council
b. They are to be elected every 2 years
c. Qualified to vote:
- Males only
- 23 years old or more
- Resident of the municipality for
at least 6 months
- Had held a position in the govt
during the Spanish times or
owned a property worth P500 or
paid a tax of P30 a year
- Can speak English or Spanish
d. The women, poor and uneducated
were not given the same right
e. Effect of the Municipal Law - to
perpetuate the rule of the principalia
or the elite groups
2. The Phil Commission reorganized the
Provincial govt by passing the
Provincial Code Act.
a. The prov govt was to be
administered by a board composed
of a governor, treasurer and
supervisor
b. Governor - elected by qualified
voters
- 2 years term only
c. Treasurer and supervisor -
appointed only
1. The Philippine Commission assed the
Civil Service Act in 1900.
 a. All govt employees , whether in the eventually lead them to run the
municipal , provincial and national govt of their own.
govt shall be placed under the
administrative control of the Bureau
of Civil Service
The Harrison Appointment
b. They are to take competitive
examinations given by the Bureau 1. Americans diff views about Phil
of Civil Service independence:

a. Democratic Party – for Phil

2. Purpose of the law: independence

To minimize if not completely b. Republican Party – favors

eliminate political pull in government imperialists interests.
service.
- They were for the training of
3. Civil service also set up the merit Filipinos for self – govt first
system before granting independence

Merit system – positive qualities and 2. Woodrow Wilson

abilities of an individual is counted
when it comes to promotions. a. US Pres who was in favor of
granting independence to the
4. The influence of the Church and Phils
Politics was disregarded making the
Civil service system efficient and b. He sent an investigator to
professional. study the condition of the Phils

3. Henry Ford Jones – the

investigator.
Employment of Filipinos His report:

1. Highly educated and pro American a. The Filipinos has the capacity
Filipinos were given seats in the to govern themselves
Philippine commission.
b. He r3commended for the
- Like Pardo de Tavera abolition of the Phil
- Jose Luzuriaga etc Commission

2. Filipinos were represented in the 4. A new Governor General was

Supreme Court. appointed. His name is Francis
Burton Harrison .
- Cayetano Arellano – the 1st
Chief Justice a. He is sympathetic to the
Filipino aspirations
3. The number of qualified Filipino
employees in the civil service increased

Filipinization under Harrison

4. In the Prov and Municipal govts ,
practically all employees were Filipinos.
- It shows that Filipinos could
easily learn the Americans style
of governance which will
1. Harrison immediately worked for the
Filipinization of the national govt.
2. The number of Filipinos in the Phil
Commission was increased from 3 to 5.
 3. Other bureaus and departments,
Harrison appointed Filipinos instead of
Americans to occupy the high
administrative positions
4. At the end of Harrison’s term, the
number of Americans in the Phil govt
was only 6% of the total number of
employees
5. It was to Harrison that belonged the
honor of rapidly Filipinizing the
government.
6. This means that the Filipinos proved
themselves competent to run their own
govt.
Jones Law
1. US Representative William Atkinson
Jones introduced 2 bills in the US
Congress for Phil Independence.
2. Only 1 bill was approved by the US
Congress known as the Jones Act of
1916.
“ as soon as the stable govt could be
established therein, Phil independence
will be granted”
3. Significance of the Jones Law:
a. American people for the first time
committed themselves to Phil
Independence
b. It was the 1st indication of the
American govt of its desire to make
the Phils an independent country.
Importanct Provisions of the Jones Law
1. Promise of independence for the Phils
2. A govt must be patterned after the
United States
3. The govt must have 3 branches-
executive, legislative and judiciary
4. Executive branch
– headed by a Gov Gen.
- He must be an american
a. who shall be appointed by the Pres
of the United States with the
approval of the US Senate
b. Has a cabinet composed of dept
secretaries who are responsible to
him.
- Cabinet secretaries of Gov Gen
must be approved by the Phil
Senate
Vice Governor – must also be an
American
- Vice gov will automatically be
Sec of Public Instruction
5. Legislative Power
- Power to make laws are vested
in the Phil Legislature
- 2 houses:
a. Upper House ( or Senate)
b. Lower House ( House of
Representatives)
- They are elected by qualified
Filipino voters
6. Judicial Power
- Exercised by the Supreme
Court and such lower courts of
justice
- The Supreme Court Justices
were appointed by the Pres of
the US and approved by the
American Senate
7. Bill of Rights was the most important
provision of the Jones Law
- Freedom of the Press
- Freedom of Speech
- Freedom from Illegal search
- Freedom to assemble for redress
of grievances
- Other rights exercised by a
democratic countries
The Legislature
1. The Filipinos began to enjoy self -
government
2. Events:
a. With Phil Assembly of 1907, The
Filipinos shared with the Americans
the responsibility of making laws.
b. Then Jones Law of 1916 – all the
tasks of making laws are now in the
hands of the Filipinos
4. The govt then can be called to be run by
Filipinos under US authority
5. The significance of the Harrison
Administration—
- Larger Filipino participation in
govt but these people belonged to the
educated class.
Filipinization in the end meant
bureaucracy in the hands of the
illustrados or the Old Principalia class.

3. Phil Legislature under the Jones Law

was inaugurated in Manila on Oct 16,
1916.

a. They could pass laws but subject to

the vetoes of the American Gov Gen
and the US Pres

The Council of State

1. Composition:

Gov Gen – acting chairman

Osmena - Vice chariman
Members:
Senate pres
Members of the cabinet

2. Duties of the Council:

a. Advice the gov gen on matters of

public concern

b. To widen the powers and

participation of Filipino Pol leaders
in the govt

c. Policies of diff departments are

outlined and planned by the Council

3. BY the time Harrison left the Phils, the

Filipinos were administering their govt.

Exception –
The upper bracket of govt
service where final decisions were made
by the Gov Gen and the Vice Gov who
were all Americans