Life in the Philippines during American Colonization

Changes in Living Under the Americans

• House designs evolved to include bungalows, chalets, and apartments
• Construction shifted to concrete and steel for durability
• Attics became popular in cooler areas like Baguio and Tagaytay
• Flush toilets and indoor plumbing were introduced, a holdover from Spanish influence
• Modern technologies were integrated into homes

Infrastructure

• The construction of bridges, roads, and schools facilitated community development

Education

• Shift from religious-based education to general education, particularly focusing on democracy
• Education became accessible to all, with free public schools
• Co-education was introduced, allowing both boys and girls in the same classes
• Elementary education (7 years), secondary education (4 years), vocational, and normal schools were established
• Free school supplies encouraged enrollment
• Subjects like democracy, English, history, civics, hygiene, health, music, vocational arts, and proper conduct were taught
• Thomasites, American teachers, arrived via the USS Thomas on August 23, 1901
• American soldiers initially served as English teachers
• The Bureau of Education was founded in 1901
• The Philippine Normal School (now Philippine Normal University) was established to train teachers
• The Philippine School of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines) offered vocational training
• The Philippine School of Arts and Trade (now Technological University of the Philippines)
• The Philippine Nautical School (now Philippine Merchant Marine Academy) was founded
• Adult education programs were initiated
• Siliman University (1901), National University, Centro Escolar University (CEU) (1907), University of the Philippines (1908), University of Manila (1913), and Far Eastern University (FEU) (1933) were established, while UST and Ateneo De Manila continued operations
• In 1903, talented Filipinos were sent to the U.S. as government-sponsored students, known as pensionados, to study and later share their knowledge in the Philippines

Religion

• Freedom of religion was practiced, but Catholicism remained prominent

Protestantism

• Protestantism was introduced: Presbyterian (1899), Baptist (1900), Disciples of Christ (1901), and Seventh Day Adventist (1905)
• Religious organizations engaged in charitable activities by building schools, hospitals, and churches
• By 1928, there were 130,000 members
• The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Aglipay Church) was founded on August 3, 1902, by Isabelo De Los Reyes

Transportation and Communication

• Roads and bridges were constructed; the Manila-Dagupan Railway was continued
• MERALCO (Manila Electric Company) was introduced in 1905
• Ports were improved to accommodate ships carrying passengers and goods
• The first airplane arrived in the country in 1911
• PATCO – Phil Aerial Taxi Co. (now PAL) initiated commercial flights to Baguio and Parcale
• The Ilo-ilo-Negros Air Express Co. began flights from Manila to Bacolod, Ilo-Ilo, Davao, etc., in 1933
• Telephone service was installed in 1905
• The Bureau of Post introduced postal services like letters, telegrams, airmail, and money orders, boosting convenience
• Modern machinery was introduced, advancing industries
• Many factories, such as sawmills, sugar mills, and tobacco factories, were established

Economy and Trade

• Improvement in fisheries, woodworking, and mining
• Cottage industries like weaving in Ilocos, ceramics in Laguna and Rizal, furniture making in Bulacan, and shoe production in Marikina thrived

Banks in the Philippines

• American Bank, the first American Bank, was established in 1901, lasting four years
• The Philippine Postal Savings Bank was founded in 1916, along with the Philippine National Bank (PNB)
• The United States enacted policies to enable poor Filipinos to own farmland.
• The Homestead Act of 1924 enabled Filipinos to own up to 24 hectares of public land
• Some of this land came from friar estates
• The Torrens System, under Land Registration Act 496, was implemented in February 1903 to provide land titles
• Free Trade policies were enacted to improve the Philippine economy, removing trade restrictions between the Philippines and the U.S.

Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909

• Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909 removed tariffs or taxes on Philippine products exported to the U.S., except for rice, sugar, and tobacco
• Tariffs on rice remained, while quotas were set for sugar and tobacco.
• Industries developed due to new machinery
• Factories opened in Manila and other areas.
• Fishing, woodworking, and mining progressed.
• Cottage industries thrived, improving the livelihoods of many Filipinos.

Trade and the American Banks

• The American Bank, the first American bank, was established in 1901
• The Philippine Postal Savings Bank was founded in 1916, and the Philippine National Bank continues to operate today

Agricultural Policies

• U.S. policies aimed to give poor Filipinos access to farmland
• The Homestead Act of 1924 allowed many Filipinos to own public land up to 24 hectares
• The Torrens System, under the Land Registration Act 496, provided land titles
• Free Trade policies were enacted to improve the Philippine economy

Underwood-Simmons Act (1913-1934)

• Full free trade was established between the Philippines and the U.S.
• All limits and taxes on Philippine exports to the U.S. were removed

Positive effects of the Free Trade policy

• Progress in industry, transportation, and communication

Negative effects of the Free Trade policy

• Local industries suffered losses
• Filipinos neglected trade with other countries
• Colonial mentality developed

Cultural Influences from America

• English became more commonly spoken
• Sports like basketball, volleyball, softball, and tennis were popularized
• American names were adopted, such as Jim, Timothy, John, Mary, Cristy, and Julie
• American songs and dances like the cha-cha, boogie, and rumba became popular
• American-style clothing became common
• American holidays like the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving were celebrated

Journey to Independence – The Philippine Bill of 1902 (Cooper Act)

• Based on a proposal by U.S. Representative Henry Allen Cooper
• It was the first law passed by the U.S. Congress concerning the administration of the Philippines

Key Provisions of the Philippine Bill of 1902

• Granting Filipinos rights like equality before the law, the right to life and liberty, property ownership, protection from imprisonment for debt, and freedom of expression, speech, assembly, religion, and servitude, except for legal punishment
• Maintaining the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the legislature and establishing the elected Philippine Assembly as the lower house
• The Governor-General exercised executive power along with executive departments
• Providing for two Filipino Resident Commissioners (Pablo Ocampo and Benito Legarda were the first) to represent the Philippines in the U.S. Congress Protecting the Philippines' natural resources for the benefit of Filipinos

The Philippine Assembly

• Elections for the Philippine Assembly were held on July 30, 1907
• Eighty members were elected, mostly from the Nacionalista Party
• Sergio Osmeña Sr. was elected Speaker
• Manuel L. Quezon served as the majority floor leader
• The Assembly was inaugurated at the Manila Grand Opera House on October 16, 1907
• The upper house of the Assembly was composed of Americans and Filipinos, while the lower house was entirely Filipino
• The Assembly passed the Gabaldon Act, allocating Php1M for building schools in barrios and funding for banks for farmers, infrastructure improvements, and communications

Jones Act (Philippine Autonomy Act) of 1916

• August 19, 1916, authored by Representative William Atkinson Jones offered for independence once Filipinos had a stable government
• The bill outlined civil rights
• Freedom of religion, speech, and assembly
• Guaranteed legal protection
• Mandated the U.S. listing two Filipino resident commissioners in the U.S. Congress
• Scheduled elections for the new legislature, the Philippine Legislature, on October 16, 1916.
• Manuel L. Quezon became president of the Philippine senate
• Sergio Osmeña Sr. being speaker of the House of Representatives

Policy of Filipinization by Governor-General Harrison

• The appointment of Filipinos to positions of authority began with Governor-General William Taft
• Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison supported Filipino self-rule because he believed in Filipino capability to the government
• Harrison kept Filipino employees over American Workers in the government
• January 1917, Harrison appointed an all-Filipino cabinet
• Gave Quezon and Osmeña special supervisory roles
• Made Harrison an honorary Filipino citizen

Independence Missions

• The Philippine Legislature released the Declaration of Purposes on March 17, 1919, expressing the Filipino desire for independence.
• An independence commission was created to study the possibility of sending an independence mission to the United States
• The independence missions petitioned the U.S. Congress to pass legislation granting independence to the Philippines.
• Key members of these missions included Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio M. Osmeña Sr., Manuel A. Roxas, Benigno Aquino Sr., and others
• The first mission was led by Manuel L. Quezon. Although aided by Harrison, the petition to President was denied
• 12 more missions failed afterwards

Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act of 1933

• Authored by Butler Hare, Harry B. Hawes, and Bronson M. Cutting
• This law would grant independence to the Philippines after a 10-year Commonwealth period
• The Philippine president was to be elected by the people
• Osmeña and Roxas supported this law; Quezon opposed for three reasons
  • Retention of U.S. lands in the Philippines for military use
  • Limitation of Filipino immigration to the U.S. to 50 per year whereas there was no such limitation on Americans immigrating to the Philippines
  • Limitation of Philippine products entering the U.S. vs there was no such limitation for U.S. products entering into the Philippines
  • The imposition of tariffs on Philippine products entering the U.S. after independence