Readings in Philippine History signed to officially end the Spanish-American War.
Indeed, the Americans
Reviewer for the Final Exam
Topics:
Philippine Organic Act of 1902
1. Historical Background
2. Important Provisions Contained in the Philippine Bill of 1902 or
Philippine Organic Act of 1902
Philippine Organic Act of 1902
Historical Background
While the Filipinos were eager to immediately obtain complete
independence, understandably after more than 300 years of colonial rule, this
prospect was immediately derailed as the Americans began to show their true
colors, especially during the Mock Battle of Manila in August 1898. Side by
side with Aguinaldo’s leadership (initially under a dictatorial government,
followed by a revolutionary government, and ultimately the Philippine
Republic), the Americans also established their own government in the
country. The day after the Mock Battle of Manila, the Americans established
a military government with General Wesley Merrit as the Military Governor
on August 14, 1898. This military government was later transformed into a
civil government on July 04, 1901 with William Howard Taft (who was to
become a US Secretary of War and US President) as the inaugural Civil
Governor (this title would later become Governor-General).
It was becoming clear to the Filipinos that the Americans did not
really come as liberators, but as new colonizers. This has been apparent on
many instances even prior the Philippine-American War, but it was most
flagrantly evident when the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 was
began to forge legal bases to rule the country. The first law passed by the US
Congress regarding the Philippines was the Philippine Organic Act of 1902
or Philippine Bill of 1902 (or informally called as the Cooper Act of 1902).
It was passed by the US Congress on July 01, 1902. This organic act was to
serve as the fundamental law of the Philippine Islands under the American
rule. That is, the Cooper Act was essentially to function as the constitution of
the country. The only thing that prevents us from calling it as a full pledge
constitution was the fact that it was subordinate to the American constitution,
and that it did not undergo the procedures required for the enactment of
constitutions.
Important Provisions Contained in the Philippine Bill of 1902 or
Philippine Organic Act of 1902
The Most Salient Provisions
The following are the most important provisions contained in this
organic act:
1. It approved, ratified, and confirmed the previous actions of the US
President (referring to McKinley) on three occasions: (1) the creation
of the Philippine Commission on April 7, 1900, (2) the establishment
of the office of the Civil Governor and Vice-Governor on June 21,
1901, and (3) the creation of four executive departments on
September 06, 1901. Meaning, all these offices would continue to
exist under the Cooper Act unless otherwise provided by a law. The
same section that provided the preceding provisions also provided
that the President of the United States was given the authority to
appoint the Civil Governor, Vice-Governor, Members of the
Commission, and the Heads of the Executive Departments, which
appointments needed the concurrence of the Senate (Sec. 1,
Philippine Bill of 1902).
2. It also determined the political status of the natives by declaring that
those who were Spanish subjects and inhabitants of the archipelago
on April 11, 1899 and were residing in the islands on July 01, 1902,
together with their children born after the first date mentioned, as the
citizen of the Philippine Islands (not American citizens) (Sec.4,
Philippine Bill of 1902).
3. This law extended the American Bill of Rights to the Filipinos with
few exceptions, such as trial by jury, the right to keep and bear arms,
a militia force, and just compensation for private property taken for
public use (eminent domain) (Sec. 5, Philippine Bill of 1902).
4. It also provided for the appointment of two non-voting resident
commissioners to the US Congress (this is similar to the
representatives on the Spanish Cortes) (Sec. 8, Philippine Bill of
1902).
5. Under this organic law, the Roman Catholic Church ceased to be the
official religion of the archipelago (Sec. 5, Philippine Bill of 1902).
6. Perhaps, the most significant provision of this law is the establishment
of a wholly Filipino elected legislative body to be called the
Philippine Assembly, which would serve as the lower house of the
bicameral Philippine Legislature, the upper house of which was the
Philippine Commission. The Cooper Act, however, placed certain
requirements prior to the establishment of the Philippine Assembly.
It provided that two years of peace must be maintained after the
completion and publication of a census. It further added that the
composition of the said assembly may not be less than fifty but not
more than a hundred, with each provinces having at least one
representative (Sec. 7, Philippine Bill of 1902).
Prepared by:
Julius E. Aquino, LPT
Part-time Faculty, CNU-CCAS
References (Chicago Manual of Style)
1. Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People. 8th ed. Quezon
City, Philippines: R. P. Garcia Publishing Co., 1990, 213-231.
2. Robertson, J.A. The Effect in the Philippines of the Senate "Organic
Act.” The Journal of Race Development 6, 4 (1916): 370-387.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/29738167. Accessed December 05,
2023.
3. Webster, Sydney. The New Philippine Government. The North
American Review 6, 4(1902): 299-308.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25119296. Accessed December 05,
2023.
4. Official Gazette. Philippine Organic Act of 1902. Official Gazette.
Accessed December 05, 2023.
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-philippine-
organic-act-of-1902/
5. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The History of
the First Philippine Assembly (1907-1916). National Historical
Commission of the Philippines. Accessed December 05, 2023.
https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-history-of-the-first-philippine-assembly-
1907-1916/
6. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The Philippine
Bill of 1902: Turning Point in Philippine Legislation. National
Historical Commission of the Philippines. Accessed December 05,
2023. https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-philippine-bill-of-1902-turning-point-
in-philippine-legislation/