Mark Anthony D. Abenir, MCD

Department of Social Sciences

University of Santo Tomas

EARLY AGITATIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE

Agitations for Independence

Independence Missions

Failed

OSROX & Quezon

Hare-Hawes-Cutting

Tydings-McDuffie

Constitutional Convention

1935 Constitution

Independence Missions• On Feb. 28, 1919, 40 men under the leadership of

Quezon went to US under a mission to convince Pres. Woodrow Wilson and the US Congress to grant Philippine Independence but failed.

• A total of 11 Independence Missions were sent annually from 1922-1933 (except for 1926 & 1929) shouldered by public funds then later on from the donations of Filipino people.

• In the 1930’s, when economic crisis hit the US, the Mission got its support from the American public who wanted to put a stop to the competition posed by:

1. Importation of Philippine products.

2. Philippine cheap labor.

Wilson

OSROX Mission• In 1933, Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas brought

home the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the following provisions:

1. Provided a 10 yr. transition period before independence.

2. A constitution ratified by Filipinos must be drafted as a Commonwealth government headed by an elected Filipino President.

3. The constitution cannot be approved or amended without the consent of the US President.

4. An American High Commissioner representing the US President will supervise the Phil. government.

• The Philippine Legislature rejected the law.

Tydings-Mcduffie Act• In 1934, Quezon brought home the law which was a

rehashed & more specific version of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the following added provisions:

1. Within the 10 yr. transition period, Philippine goods can freely enter US ports for the 1st 5 years but will pay increasing tariffs for the succeeding years, while US goods can freely enter the Philippines unrestricted.

2. 55 Filipino immigrants allowed to US annually, while Americans were unrestricted to enter the country.

3. US would negotiate with foreign governments for the neutralization of the Philippines.

• Thru the influence of Quezon, the Philippine Legislature approved the law on May 1, 1934.

The Need to Negotiate for Neutralization

Constitutional Convention of 1934 • On July 10, 1934, Filipinos elected 202

delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

• On July 30, 1934, the Convention was formally inaugurated with Claro M. Recto as President.

• The convention drafted a constitution which it finally approved on Feb. 8, 1935 with a vote of 177 in favor and 1 against.

• On March 23, 1935, US President D. Franklin Roosevelt approved the constitution.

• On May 14, 1935, the constitution was ratifiedby the Filipino people by a vote of 1,213,046.

Roosevelt

The 1935 Constitution • Under this charter, a Republican Government, modeled

after the US, was established in the country.

Tydings-Mucduffie Act

US President thru the High Commissioner

Philippine Judiciary

Supreme Court

Lower Courts

Philippine Executive

Departments

Philippine Legislative

Senate (24)House of

Representatives (120)

The constitution granted women suffrage on April 30, 1937 after 447, 725 women voted for the grant.

THE PHILIPPINE COMMONWEALTH

Philippine Commonwealth

1935 Presidential

Elections

Filipino Masses

Social Justice Program

Government Reorganization

National Language

1941 Presidential

Elections

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Presidential Elections of 1935

Political Party Presidential Candidate

Vice-Presidential Candidate

Nacionalista DemocrataPro-Independencia

Manuel L. Quezon Sergio Osmeña

National Socialist Emilio Aguinaldo Raymundo Melliza

Republican Party Gregorio Aglipay Norberto nabong

Independent Pascual Racuyal

On November 15, 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth Government was inaugurated with Chief Justice Ramon Avancena administering the oath of office.

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Struggle of the Filipino MassesEvent Reason

Tayug insurrection by Pedro Colosa in Pangasinan

Protest agrarian grievances.

Association of Worthy Kabolaby Pedro Kabola in Nueva Ecija

Called for Liberation of the Philippines & promised the aid of the Japanese.

Colorum Sect (Remnants of the Confradia de San Jose of Hermano Pule)

Discontented with economic conditions& worsening landlord-tenant relationship.

Sakdalista Uprising led by Benigno Ramos

Prevalent poor harvests & frustrations with the government’s lack of response to peasant demands.

Socialist & Communist Partyof the Philippines (established in Nov.7, 1930)

Defend the rights of the poor & oppressed peasants by demanding better contracts & working conditions

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Social Justice Program

• Regulation of Rents and Rice Share Tenancy Act (guaranteed larger shares for tenants). Sabotaged by landlords by evicting tenants

who fought for their rights.• Enactment of Eight-Hour Labor law• Creation of National Relief Administration• Appointment of government lawyers to defend

the rights of the poor in court.

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Reorganization of GovernmentA. National Defense (led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur) which

managed the task of compulsory military training of all able-bodied Filipino youth.

B. Institute of National Language which was tasked to study and survey existing native dialects.

C. National Council of Education 1st chaired by Dr. Rafael Palma which focused on the improvement of Vocational & Adult education.

D. National Economic Protectionism Assoc. (NEPA) which popularized Barong Tagalog for men & Balintawak for women.

E. Joint Preparatory Committee on Phil. Affairs (JPCA) which recommended Philippine Independence on July 4, 1946 & extension of Phil-American “Free” Trade to Dec. 31, 1960.

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National Language• On December 31, 1937, President Quezon signed Executive

Order No. 134 declaring Tagalog as basis for national language strongly recommended by the Institute of National Language due to the following reasons:

a. Tagalog is widely spoken & most understood in all regions of the country.

b. It is not divided into dialects compared to Visayan.c. Tagalog literature is very rich & more books are written in

Tagalog than in any other native dialect.d. Tagalog has been the language of the capital city (Manila)

long before the Spaniards came.e. Tagalog was the language of the Revolution & the Katipunan.

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Presidential Elections of 1941• Elections were held on November 11, 1941 less

than a month before the outbreak of WWII.• Quezon and Osmeña were re-elected for a 2nd

term as President and Vice-President respectively.Presidential rivals came from the Socialist Party,

Popular Front, & Modernist Party. They were inaugurated in office on December 30,

1941.