Remembering our Past
1521 – 1946
By: Jommel P. Tactaquin
Head, Research and Documentation Section
Veterans Memorial and Historical Division
Philippine Veterans Affairs Office
The Philippine Historic Past
The Philippines, because of its geographical location, became embroiled in
what historians refer to as a search for new lands to expand European
empires – thinly disguised as the search for exotic spices. In the early
1400’s, Portugese explorers discovered the abundance of many different
resources in these “new lands” heretofore unknown to early European
geographers and explorers. The Portugese are quickly followed by the
Dutch, Spaniards, and the British, looking to establish colonies in the East
Indies.
The Philippines was discovered in 1521 by Portugese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan and colonized by Spain from 1565 to 1898. Following the Spanish
– American War, it became a territory of the United States. On July 4, 1946,
the United States formally recognized Philippine independence which was
declared by Filipino revolutionaries from Spain.
The Philippine Historic Past
Ferdinand Magellan
Born 1480 Sabrosa, Portugal
Died April 27, 1521 (aged 40–41)
Cebu, Philippines
Other names
Portugese: Fernão de Magalhães
Spanish: Hernando de Magallanes
Known for: Captained the first
circumnavigation of the world.
Although not the first to set foot on Philippine soil, the first well document
arrival of Europeans in the archipelago was the Spanish expedition led by
Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, which first sighted the mountains of Samara. At
Masao, Butuan, (now in Augustan del Norte), he solemnly planted a cross on the
summit of a hill overlooking the sea and claimed possession of the islands he had
seen for Spain. Magellan befriended Raja Humabon, the chieftain of Sugbu (present
day Cebu), and converted him to Catholicism. After getting involved in tribal
rivalries, Magellan, with 48 of his men and 1,000 native warriors, invaded Mactan
Island. Magellan seriously underestimated the strength of Datu Lapu-Lapu’s forces.
Grossly outnumbered he and 14 of his soldiers were killed.
1521 – (March 17) Magellan sighted the mountains of what is now Samar while on
a mission for Spain to find a westward route to the Moluccas Islands. On Easter
Sunday, March 31, 1521, at Masao, Butuan, (now in Augusan del Norte), he
solemnly planted a cross and claimed the island for Spain, naming them Islas de
San Lazaro.
Reference
Bergreen, Lawrence (October 14, 2003). Over The Edge of
the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation
of the Globe.
Reference
Zweig, Stefan, "Conqueror of the Seas – The
Magellan", 2007, ISBN 1406760064
Story of
The Philippine Historic Past
On the morning of April 27, 1521, Magellan sailed to Mactan to confront the
rebellious Datu Lapu-Lapu. During the resulting Battle of Mactan with hostile
natives led by Lapu-Lapu, Magellan was killed. His body was never recovered. A
shrine has been built in his honor near the battle site.
Reference
Statue of Lapu-lapu
Agoncillo, Teodoro (2006) Introduction to Filipino History.
Garotech Publishing, and David Hawthorne (1964).
Ferdinand Magellan. Doubleday & Company, Inc.
The Philippine Historic Past
Reference
Noone, Martín J. The Discovery and Conquest of the
Philippines 1521-1581, 1983
1565 – Colonization of the Philippines began with the arrival of Spanish
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi from Nueva España (present day Mexico) and
formed the first European settlements in Cebu. The colony was administered
through the Viceroyalty of Nueva España until 1821 when Mexican patriots seceded
from the Spanish Empire. After 1821, the colony was governed directly from Spain.
First Governor and Captain-General
Of the Philippines
In office
April 27, 1565 – August 20, 1572
Born 1502
Zumarraga, Guipuzcoa, Spain
Reference
De Morga , Antonio. (2004). “History of the Philippine
Islands". Volume 1 and 2. The Project Gutenberg, or go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Lopez_de_Legazpi
Died August 20, 1572
Manila, Philippines
Manila galleon or Galeones de Manila-Acapulco service was inaugurated
providing passage once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila
and Spain via Nueva España. This was made possible with the discovery of the
ocean passage by Andrés de Urdaneta, and continued until 1815 when the Mexican
Revolution put a permanent stop to the galleon trade route.
Reference
Kamen, Henry (2004). Empire: How Spain Became a World
Power, 1492-1763. Harper, Collins ISBN 0060932643
The Philippine Historic Past
Filipinos were the earliest Asians to cross the Pacific Ocean for the New
Saint Malo Settlement as appeared in
Harper's Weekly, 1883
World because of the Manila galleon trade between Nueva España and Las Islas
Filipinas from 1565 to 1815. Many jumped ship to escape brutal treatment after
having been “exploited and impressed into service” and “forced to become
woodcutters, shipbuilders, crewmen and munitions workers.” Filipinos, the majority
entering Louisiana directly by galleons from Mexico, followed the mule trail to
Veracruz and other Mexican ports and crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Louisiana
where they established settlements such as St. Malo on the swamps south of Lake
Borgne in St. Bernard County, and Manila Village on the marshland on Barataria
Bay in the Mississippi Delta by the Gulf of Mexico.
Reference
FILIPINOS: Forgotten Asian
Americans by Fred Cordova
1762 – (October 30) Archbishop Manuel Antonio Rojo del Rio y Vieyra, Bishop of
Sir William Draper
Born 1721, Bristol, United Kingdom
Died January 8, 1787
Known for: Conquer of Manila,
losing Minorca
Manila and representative of the Spanish Real Audencia, following the death of the
Gobernador-General, Don Pedro Manuel de Arandia, surrendered the Philippines to the
British pursuant to the agreement of Treaty of Paris at the end of Seven Years War. The
British ended their rule on April, 1762.
Reference
Tracy, Nicholas (1995), Manila Ransomed: The British Assault
on Manila in the Seven Year War, University of Exeter Press,
ISBN 0859894266, ISBN 9780859894265
The Philippine Historic Past
Martín de Goiti was a Spanish Basque Conquistador and founder of the city
of Manila. Goiti was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish colonization
of the East Indies in 1565. He was the leader of the expedition to Manila, ordered by
Miguel Lopes de Legaspi in 1569. There, he fought a number of battles against the
Muslim chieftain, Rajah Sulaiman III of Manila for control of lands and settlements.
Goiti is laid to rest in a tomb inside the San Agustin Church, in Intramuros.
Reference
Artist sketch of Manila Bay, circa 1800s
Noone, Martín J. The Discovery and Conquest of the
Philippines 1521-1581, 1983
1781 – One of the forty-six early settlers of Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina
de los Angeles, now the City of Los Angeles, probably was a Filipino by the name of
Antonio Miranda Rodriguez.
Reference
FILIPINOS: Forgotten Asian
Americans by Fred Cordova
Three most celebrated Ilustrados at
the end of 19th century: Jose Rizal,
Marcelo del Pilar and Mariano Ponce
The Philippine Historic Past
1863 – Queen Isabella of Spain decreed the establishment of a public school
system in the Spanish model leading to an increasing number of educated indios and
criollos or Insulares, (Spaniards born in the Philippines), creating a class of citizens
called Ilustrados.
The Ilustrados originally clamored for adequate representation to the Spanish
Cortes and later for independence. Jose Rizal, the most celebrated intellectual and
radical Ilustrado of the era, wrote the novels “Noli mi Tangere", and “El
Filibusterismo", which greatly inspired the movement for independence. The
Katipunan, a secret militant society, was founded by Andres Bonifacio. Its primary
purpose was the overthrow of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
On-line reference
On-line reference
http://people.cohums.ohiostate.edu/grimsley1/milhis/phil.htm
http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28063.html
1872 – Mass deportation occurred of nationalists to the Isla los Ladrones
La Solidaridad was an organization
created in 1888 in Spain to represent and
advocate the Filipino cause at the Spanish
parliament. They published a newspaper,
La Solidaridad, headed by Graciano
Jaena.
(present day Guam) and Europe creating a Filipino expatriate community of
reformers abroad. The community grew within the next generation of Ilustrados
taking graduate studies in European universities. They allied themselves with
Spanish liberals, most notably a certain Spanish senator named Morayta of Madrid
and formed La Solidaridad.
Reference
Schumacher, John N. (1973). The Propaganda Movement,
1881-1896: The creation of a Filipino Consciousness (1997 ed.)
Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
ISBN 9789715502092
The Philippine Historic Past
Graciano Lopez Jaena
The desire to form a purely Filipino organization was fulfilled on December 13,
1888 with the establishment in Barcelona of La Solidaridad. This organization was
sort of a rival of Morayta's Madrid group although the two organizations joined
together in a petition addressed to the Minister of the Colonies asking for
representation in the Cortes, abolition of censorship of the press, and prohibition of
the practice of deporting citizens merely through administrative orders. The
president of La Solidaridad in Barcelona was Rizal's cousin, Galicano Apacible.
Among the other officers were Graciano Lope Jaena, vice president, and Mariano
Ponce, treasurer. Rizal, in London at the time, was named Honorary President.
Unfortunately, Apacible could not hold the wrangling reformists together. It took the
prestige of Rizal and the political wisdom of Marcelo del Pilar to unite the Filipinos
in Spain and to coordinate their efforts.
Reference
Mariano Ponce
Marcelo del Pilar
Schumacher, John N. (1973). The Propaganda Movement,
1881-1896: The creation of a Filipino Consciousness (1997 ed.)
Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
ISBN 9789715502092
The Philippine Historic Past
1896 – In the last days of August, Bonifacio called Katipunan members to a
First Katipunan (Bonifacio’s)
flag first flown July 7,1892
mass gathering in Caloocan, where they decided to start a nationwide armed
revolution against Spain.The event was marked by a mass tearing of cedulas
(community tax certificates) accompanied by patriotic cries. The exact date and
location are disputed, but two possibilities have been officially endorsed by the
Philippine government: August 26 in Balintawak and later, August 23 in Pugad
Lawin. Thus the event is called the "Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of Pugad Lawin".
However the issue is further complicated by other dates such as August 24 and 25
and other locations such as Kankong.
Reference
Cristobal, Adrian (2005) [1997],
The Tragedy of the Revolution,
University of the Philippines
Press, ISBN 971-542-471-6
The Philippine Historic Past
1892 – (July) Jose Rizal was implicated in the activities of the nascent rebellion, was
deported to Dapitan in the province of Zamboanga, a peninsula of Mindanao. There he
built a school, a hospital and a water supply system, and taught and engaged in farming
and horticulture.
1896 - the rebellion fomented by the Katipunan had become a full blown
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y
Alonso Realonda
Born June 19, 1861
revolution, proving to be a nationwide uprising and leading to the first proclamation
of a democratic republic in Asia. To dissociate himself, Rizal volunteered and was
given leave by the Gobernador-General, Ramon Blanco, to serve in Cuba to
minister to victims of yellow fever. Blanco later was to present his sash and sword to
the Rizal family as an apology for the arrest of Rizal.
Before he left Dapitan, Rizal issued a refraction disavowing the revolution and
declaring that the education of Filipinos and their achievement of a national identity
were prerequisites to freedom.
Ramón Blanco y Erenas, marqués
de Peña Plata
(1833 – 1906)
Term: 1893-Dec 13, 1896
The Philippine Historic Past
Jose Rizal was imprisoned in the fort before
his execution.. The site features his cell and
other artifacts. Embedded onto the ground in
bronze, his final footsteps representing the
walk from his cell to the location of the actual
execution. Photography is prohibited inside the
building that houses artifacts of Rizal’s
imprisonment.
Rizal was arrested en route to Havana, imprisoned in Barcelona, and sent
back to Manila to stand trial. He was implicated in the revolution through his
association with members of the Katipunan and was to be tried before a military
tribunal for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy. During the entire passage, he was
unchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and had many opportunities to escape
but refused to do so. Rizal was convicted on all three charges and sentenced to
death. Blanco, who was sympathetic to Rizal, had been forced out of office, and
the friars had intercalated Camilo de Polavieja in his place, sealing Rizal's fate.
He was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to die by firing squad. While
awaiting execution, he was held in a cell at Fort Santiago where he wrote Mi
Ultimo Adios.
Reference
Zaide, Gregorio F. (2003) Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings
of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. Manila:
National Bookstore. ISBN 9710805207
The Philippine Historic Past
1896 – (December 30) Execution of Jose Rizal at
Bagumbayan (Luneta), present day site of Rizal Park, in the
City of Manila.
1897 – The Katipunan-Magdalo movement of Cavite
Record Photograph of the Execution of Jose Rizal (encircled)
under self-appointed general, Emilio Aguinaldo and another
Cavite faction, the Magdiwang, was embroiled in a power
struggle as to who would lead the formation of a
Revolutionary Government.
Andres Bonifacio, the original founder of the Katipunan, considered his
movement to be the Revolutionary Government, but nevertheless, he acquiesced and
presided over elections held during the Tejeros Convention held in Tejeros, Cavite
on March 22, 1897.
Andres Bonifacio y de Castro
Nov 30, 1863 - May 10, 1897
Away from his power base, Bonifacio lost the leadership to Aguinaldo and was
appointed by him to a lesser position in the revolutionary cabinet. Insulted,
Bonifacio declared the Convention null and void, and sought to return to his power
base in Morong (present-day Rizal Province), He and his party were intercepted by
Aguinaldo's men and violence resulted which left Bonifacio seriously wounded.
Bonifacio was charged, tried and found guilty of treason by a Cavite military
tribunal, and sentenced to death.
After some vacillation, Aguinaldo confirmed the death sentence and Bonifacio
was executed on May 10, 1897 in the mountains of Maragondon in Cavite, even as
Aguinaldo and his forces were retreating in the face of Spanish assault. Aguinaldo is
officially considered the first President of the Philippines.
Reference
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy
Mar 22, 1869 – Feb 6, 1964
Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984) Philippine
History and Government. National
Bookstore Printing Press
The Philippine Historic Past
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897,
Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers Encampment
Biak-na-Bato, Bulacan Dec 27, 1897
created a truce between Spanish Colonial Governor - General
Fernando Primo de Rivera and Emilio Aguinaldo to end the
Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries
were given amnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanish
government in return for which the Revolutionary Government
would go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong. Aguinaldo would
later use the money to purchase firearms.
Delegates to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato
Seated. L to R, Pedro Paterno, mediator, and General Emilio Aguinaldo.
Standing, L to R, rebel leaders Isabelo Artacho, Baldomero Aguinaldo,
Severino de las Alas, Antonio Montenegro and Vito Belarmino. (Paterno
became one of the founders, and Montenegro a founding member, of the
pro-American Partido Federal when it was organized on Dec. 23, 1900.)
Filipino exiles in Hong Kong, photo taken in
early 1898: Emilio Aguinaldo (arrow) led 36 other
revolutionary leaders including Gregorio del Pilar into
exile in the British colony
The Philippine Historic Past
1898 – (April 21) Start of Spanish-American War following
the sinking, on February 15 in Havana Harbor, of the battleship
USS Maine.
On-line reference
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War
http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
1898 - (May 19) Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines and he
Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers, 1898
Soldiers in dark uniforms were formerly indigenous
Spanish colonial troops who crossed over to the
revolutionary side.
immediately resumed revolutionary activities against the Spaniards,
now receiving verbal encouragement from emissaries of the U. S. In a
matter of months, revolutionary forces conquered nearly all of
Spanish-held territories, with the exception of Manila, which was
completely surrounded. The Filipinos now controlled the Philippines.
Aguinaldo also turned over 15,000 Spanish prisoners to the
Americans, offering them valuable intelligence.
The Philippine Historic Past
June 12 - Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain at his
house in Cavite El Viejo. The declaration, however, was not
recognized by the United States or Spain, as the Spanish government
ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris.
Tensions between the Philippine Revolutionary Government and the
American government existed because of the conflicting movements
for independence and colonization, aggravated by feelings of betrayal
on the part of Aguinaldo.
1899 – (March 23) The insurgent First Philippine Republic
Spanish Colonial Soldiers Prisoners of War
Cavite, 1897
formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Convention
in Malolos, Bulacan.
June 2 – The Malolos Congress declared war on the United
States, with Pedro Paterno, President of Congress, issuing a
Proclamation of War. The date marked the beginning of the PhilippineAmerican War, which ensued between 1899 and 1902.
On-line reference
Malolos Convention
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War
http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
The Philippine Historic Past
1899 – (February 4) Armed conflict began when a Filipino
soldier was shot by an American sentry at San Juan Bridge. In 2003,
the Philippine National Historical Institute found the incident actually
happened in Sociego and Silencio streets in Santa Mesa, Manila.
1901 – (March 23) Capture and surrender of Emilio Aguinaldo
Present day corner of Sociego and Silencio Streets, Santa
Mesa District, Manila. The National Historical Institute
placed two plaques (in English and in Filipino) marking this
spot as the scene of the first shot that sparked the
Philippine-American War. The plaque in English states:
"Here at 9:00 in the evening of February 4th, 1899, Private
William Grayson of the First Nebraska Volunteers fired the
shot that started the Filipino-American War.”
to the American forces in Palanan, Isabela, which effectively dissolved
the First Philippine Republic.
The Philippine Historic Past
Official end to the war. The Philippine Organic Act of July
1902 approved, ratified, and confirmed by U.S. President McKinley's
Executive Order establishing the Philippine Commission and
stipulated that a legislature would be established composed of a lower
house, the Philippine Assembly, which would be popularly elected,
and an upper house consisting of the Philippine Commission. The act
also provided for extending the United States Bill of Rights to
Filipinos.
On July 2 the Secretary of War telegraphed that the insurrection
against the sovereign authority of the U.S. having come to an end, and
provincial civil governments having been established, the office of
U.S. Military governor was terminate
Artist rendition of the capture of
Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela
On July 4 Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded to the U.S.
Presidency after the assassination of President McKinley on
September 5, 1901, proclaimed a full and complete pardon and
amnesty to all people in the Philippine archipelago who had
participated in the conflict. This date marked the beginning of
American annexation of the Philippines.
On-line reference
Macabebe Scouts who helped capture Emilio Aguinaldo
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War
http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
The Philippine Historic Past
From the very beginning, United States presidents and their
representatives in the islands defined their colonial mission as tutelage:
preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. Except for a small
group of "retentionists," the issue was not whether the Philippines would be
granted self-rule, but when and under what conditions.
Cultural Impact. Then U.S. President McKinley, in his
President William McKinley
William Howard Taft
25th. President
In office
Mar 4, 1897 – Sep 14, 1901
First Civil Governor
In office
Jul 4, 1901 - Feb 1, 1904
instructions to the First Philippine Commission in 1898 (more
popularly known as the Taft Commission), ordered the establishment
of a public school system and the use of the Philippine languages as
well as English for instructional purposes.
The American administrators, finding the local languages to be
too numerous and too difficult to learn and write teaching materials in,
ended up with a monolingual system in English with no attention paid
to the other Philippine languages except for the token statement
concerning the necessity of using them eventually for the system.
The Philippine Historic Past
The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August 12, 1901
Filipino students and Thomasite teacher (arrow), 1901
to establish a new public school system in the American model, to
teach basic education and to train Filipino teachers. The Philippines
had enjoyed a public school system since 1863, when a Spanish decree
first introduced public elementary education in the Philippines.The
Thomasites expanded and improved the public school system, and
switched to English as the medium of instruction.
The name “Thomasite” was derived from the transport vessel,
the USS Thomas that brought them to the shores of Manila Bay. By
1902, there will be a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines.
Students, Philippine Normal High School, ca. 1900s
The public school system introduced after the passage of the “Taft
Commission” in 1902 made it possible for a large number of
school-age Filipino to acquire education beyond the 6th grade.
Before the arrival of the Thomasites, some American soldiers
were used as teachers.
Reference
On-line reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomasites
Karnow, Stanley. In Our Image: America’s Empire in
the Philippines, Ballantine Books, Random House, Inc.,
March 3, 1990, ISBN 0-345-32816-7
The Philippine Historic Past
1932 – (December) United States Congress passed the Hare-HawesHerbert Clark Hoover
31st President of the United States (R)
In office
March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd President of the United States (D)
In office
March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945
Cutting Act with the premise of granting Filipinos independence. Provisions
of the bill included reserving several military and naval bases for the United
States, as well as imposing tariffs and quotas on Philippine exports. Finding
it too restrictive, it was vetoed by President Herbert Hoover but Congress
overrode his veto in 1933 and passed the bill. The bill, however, was
opposed by the then Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and was
also rejected by the Philippine Senate.
The Philippine Historic Past
1934 – (March 24) The Tydings–McDuffie Act (officially the
Philippine Independence Act; Public Law 73-127) was approved, a United
States federal law, which provided for self-government of the Philippines
and for Filipino independence (from the United States) after a period of 10
years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Milard Tydings and Alabama
Representative John McDuffie. Philippine Senate President Manuel Quezon
headed a "Philippine Independence mission" to Washington, DC that
successfully secured the act's passage in Congress.
The act provided for the drafting and guidelines of a Constitution for a
Signing of the Constitution of the Philippine
Commonwealth, Washington, DC, March 23, 1935
Seated left to right: George H. Dern, Secretary of War; President
Franklin Roosevelt, signing documents; Manuel L. Quezon,
Philippine Senate President.
10-year "transitional period" which became the government of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines before the granting of Philippine
independence, during which the United States would maintain military
forces in the Philippines. Furthermore, during this period the President of
the United States was granted the power to call into military service all
military forces of the Philippine government. The act also permitted the
maintenance of US naval bases within this region, for two years after
independence. The act reclassified all Filipinos that were living in the
United States as aliens for the purposes of immigration to America.
Filipinos were no longer allowed to come legally to the US as migrant
workers, and a quota of 50 immigrants per year was established.
Reference
Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,
All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4
The Philippine Historic Past
Manuel Quezon won the Philippine's first national presidential
election under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He obtained nearly
68% of the vote against his two main rivals, Emilio Aguinaldo and
Bishop Gregorio Aglipay.
1935 – (November 15) The Commonwealth of the Philippines was
Emilio Aguinaldo
Gregorio Aglipay
Manuel Luis Quezon y
Molina
Sergio Osmeña y Suico
Born Aug 19, 1878
Baler, Tayabas
Died Aug 1, 1944
Saranac Lake, New York
Born Sep 9, 1878
Cebu City
Died Oct 19, 1961
Quezon City, Philippines
officially inaugurated with Quezon as President of the Commonwealth of
the Philippines and Sergio Osmeña as Vice President. During this period,
the Commonwealth exercised semi-independence in its territories. It
marked the end of the colonial eras as well as the transition of the name
of the Philippines from the plural "Las Islas Filipinas" or "Philippine
Islands" of the Spanish and American colonial periods, to the singular,
"Philippines.“
The Philippine Historic Past
Pre-World War II Years (1939-40). The new government
embarked on ambitious nation-building policies in preparation for
economic and political independence. These included national defense
(such as the National Defense Act of 1935, which organized a
conscription for service in the country), greater control over the
economy, the perfection of democratic institutions, reforms in education,
improvement of transport, the promotion of local capital,
industrialization, and the “colonization” of Mindanao, which up to this
time have resisted any outside control of the predominantly muslim
population.
President Manuel L. Quezon deliver his inaugural
address, November 15, 1935. The ceremonies were
held on the steps of the Legislative Building in Manila.
The event was attended by a crowd of around 300,000.
However, other uncertainties, especially in the diplomatic and
military situation in Southeast Asia, in the level of U.S. commitment to
the future Republic of the Philippines, and in the economy due to the
Great Depression, proved to be major problems. The situation was
further complicated by the presence of agrarian unrest, and of power
struggles between Osmeña and Quezon, especially after Quezon was
permitted to be re-elected after one six-year term.
Reference
Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,
All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4
The Philippine Historic Past
1941 – (July 25) U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson
Philippine Scouts Soldiers, Fort McKinley, 1937
Established as an integral part of the United States
Army, they fought valiantly alongside American
troops in WWII.
requested that President Franklin D. Roosevelt issue orders calling the
military forces of the Commonwealth into active service for the United
States. Stimson explained, "All practical steps should be taken to
increase the defensive strength of the Philippine Islands.“ On July 31,
1941 the Philippine Department had 22,000 troops assigned, 12,000 of
whom were Philippine Scouts. The main component was the Philippine
Division, under the command of Major General Jonathan Wainwright.
Between July and December 1941 the garrison received 8,500
reinforcements consisting of additional aircrafts and crews for air
defense of the islands.
December 7 - Japan launched surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Ten
hours later, on December 8, Japanese aircrafts bombed Clark Airbase,
Sangley Point Naval Station and other military targets in the Philippines.
The Philippine Historic Past
The Commonwealth government drafted the Philippine Army into
the U.S. Army Forces Far East, which would resist Japanese invasion.
Gen Douglas MacArthur during ceremonies
inducting the Philippine Army Air Corps into the
USAFE. Camp Murphy, August 15, 1941
President Quezon declared Manila an open city to prevent its
destruction, and was eventually occupied by the Japanese on January 2,
1942. Meanwhile, battles against the Japanese continued on the Bataan
Peninsula, Corregidor, and parts of the Visayan Islands until the final
surrender of United States and Philippine forces.
Reference
On-line reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military history of
the Philippines
Manila declared “open city” to save it
from destruction.
Duffy, Bernard K; Carpenter,
Ronald H. (1997), Douglas
MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith,
Greenwood Press
The Philippine Historic Past
February 1942 – President Quezon and Vice President Osmeña
were escorted by troops from Manila to Corregidor, and later they were
evacuated to Australia and then to the United States. During this exile,
Quezon became ill with tuberculosis and died August 1, 1944 in in
Saranac Lake, New York. Vice President Osmeña replaced him as
president.
General Edward P.King surrenders American
and Filipino forces on Bataan. April 9, 1942
Image retrieved from http://www.history. Army.mil/books/
/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
1942 – (March 12) As the Battle of Bataan raged on, General
MacArthur, his family, and several USAFFE staff officers left Corregidor
for Mindanao aboard four PT boats and was eventually flown to
Australia where he broadcasted to the Filipino people his famous "I Shall
Return" promise. MacArthur's departure marked the end of the USAFFE
and by 22 March, the defending army was renamed United States Forces
in the Philippines (USFIP) and Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright was placed
in command.
The Philippine Historic Past
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of
Japan’s invasion of the Philippines. The capture of the Philippine Islands
was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the
resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast Asia flank.
Japanese soldiers guard Allied prisoners of war
captured after the fall of Bataan. April 9, 1942
Image retrieved from http://www.history. Army.mil/books/
/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
The Bataan Death March: All told,
approximately 5,000 – 10,000 Filipino and 600 –
650 American prisoners of war died.
Image retrieved from:
http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
1942 – (April 9) Fall of Bataan – Maj Gen. Edward P.King met
with Maj Gen. Kameichiro Nagano and after several hours of
negotiations, the remaining weary, starving and emaciated American and
Filipino defenders on the battle-swept Bataan peninsula surrendered. It
was the largest surrender in American and Filipino military history, and
was the largest American surrender since the American Revolution.
Reference
Morton, Louis (First Printed 1953) War in the
Pacific: THE FALL OF THE HILIPPINES
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402
On-line reference
http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/5
2/5-2_Contents.htm
The Philippine Historic Past
Fall of Corregidor - (May 6, 1942- After weeks of constant
Japanese bombardment, Lt. Gen Jonathan Wainwright finally surrendered
the Corregidor garrison at about 1:30 pm. Corregidor, the “Gibraltar of the
East” has fallen and marked the fall of the Philippines. More than two
brutal years occupation follows.
General Jonathan Wainwright negotiating with
Japanese General Homma the surrender of
Corregidor and all American forces in the
Philippines.
Image retrieved from http://www.history. Army.mil/books/
/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
Japanese soldiers hauling down the American
flag after the fall of Corregidor.
Image retrieved from http://www.history. Army.mil/books/
/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
American and Filipino soldiers surrenders in
front of Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor.
Image retrieved from http://www.history. Army.mil/books/
/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
Reference
Keats J. 1990. They Fought Alone. Time Life. ISBN
08099485559
(reissue of 1963 book on Fertig's guerrilla operation)
On-line reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_Parsons
The Philippine Historic Past
1943 – (October 14) The Second Philippine Republic, otherwise
Jose P. Laurel
known as the “Puppet Government” was established in October 14, 1943
under Japanese occupation. The Japanese-sponsored government headed
by President Jose P. Laurel with Benigno Aquino, Sr. as Vice President
proved to be unpopular. Laurel was not subsequently officially recognized
as a Philippine president until the administration of Diosdado Macapagal
(1961-1965)
1944 – (October 20) The campaign to liberate the Philippines began
with the landing of U.S. forces on the eastern shore of Palo, Leyte.south of
Luzon. General Douglas MacArthur came ashore to fulfill his promise to
the Filipino people of “I Shall Return.” The campaign, which included
fierce, and decisive land and naval battles in and around the Philippines
continued until the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.
General MacArthur returns to the Philippines
The Philippine Historic Past
Bombing of Manila by American aircrafts.
The Battle of Manila from 3 February to 3 March 1945 was
part of the Philippines' 1945 campaign. The one-month
battle, which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total
devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst urban
fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended almost three years
of Japanese military occupation.
Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita
surrenders all Japanese forces in the Philippines.
General Yamashita was tried and found guilty of war
crimes. On 23 February 1946, at Los Baños Prison Camp,
30 miles south of Manila, Tomoyuki Yamashita was
hanged.
Reference
Filipinos welcome the liberators
On-line reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manila_(1945)
Retaking the Philippines: America's Return to
Corregidor and Bataan, October 1944-March 1945 by
William B. Breur (1986) St. Martin’s Press
The Philippine Historic Past
On July 4, 1946, representatives of the United States of America and of
the Republic of the Philippines signed a Treaty of General Relations between
the two governments. The treaty provided for the recognition of the
independence of the Republic of the Philippines as of July 4, 1946, and the
relinquishment of American sovereignty over the Philippine Islands.
The Philippines celebrates its Independence Day in recognition of June
12, 1898, when the Philippines declared its independence from Spain,
although its independence was not recognized until July 4, 1946, by the United
States. From 1946 to 1962, the Philippines observed Independence Day on
July 4 each year. In 1961, President Diosdado Macapagal reverted the holiday
to the June 12 date, which up to that time had been observed as Flag Day in the
Philippines. In place of the former Independence Day, Macapagal created
Filipino-American Friendship on July 4.
The lowering of the Stars and Stripes and the
raising of the Philippine National Flag, Luneta
Park (now Rizal Park, Manila) July 4, 1946
Filipino historians point out that independence in 1946 came with
numerous strings attached. The U.S., for example, retained dozens of military
bases, including a few major ones. In addition, independence was qualified by
legislation passed by the U.S. Congress to ensure that the Philippines would
remain an economic ward of the U.S., for the time being.
Another burning issue is the Bell Trade Act, which prohibited the
Philippines from manufacturing or selling any products that might "come into
substantial competition" with U.S.-made goods. It further required that the
Philippine Constitution be revised to grant U.S. citizens and corporations equal
access to Philippine minerals, forests, and other natural resources. But the
Philippine government had little choice but to accept these terms for
independence. The U.S. Congress was threatening to withhold post-World War
II rebuilding funds unless the Bell Act was ratified. The Philippine Congress
obliged on July 2, 1946.
The Philippine Historic Past
20
EPILOGUE: The Philippines, throughout its recorded history, had endured colonization, wars, including a World War; natural
disasters with tragic consequences, and its own internal strife, which continue to the present time. It rose from the ashes and ruins
of WWII to slowly, but surely, gain its footing and takes its rightful place in the community of free nations and people. The Filipinos
are very much aware that freedom and the democratic process are crucial factors in nation-building. They are a proud people,
proud of their heritage, culture, their country, and the legacy of their forbearers that is for them to safeguard. This is true of any
race of people.
Cabildo Street, Manila, 1862
Spanish and a Filipina upper class, ca. 1890s
Town Fiesta, ca. 1898
Ermita Street Scene, ca. 1900
San Miguel Brewery, Manila, 1910