1. American Occupation
of the Philippines
Carmel Tresvalles-Padilla
Culled from the work of Arnel Rivera, MAT

2. Introduction
 In 1902, when the
Philippine-American
War was almost over
in the metropolis
(Manila), the
American gov’t
slowly but surely
prepared the master
plan on how the
Philippines would be
governed.

3. Benevolent Assimilation
• The Philippines
is ours not to
exploit but to
develop, to
civilize, to
educate, and to
train in the
science of self-
government.
• US Pres. William
McKinley (1898)

5. Tungkulin ng Estados Unidos na turuang maging sibilisado ang mga “unggoy” sa
Pilipinas.

7. American Governance of the
Philippines
(Pamamahala ng Amerika sa Pilipinas)
Military Government
(Pamahalaang Militar)
Civil Government
(Pamahalaang Sibil)

8. AMERICAN COLONIAL EMPIRE 1900

9. World Colonial Empire 1900

10. Colonial Motives:
 POLITICAL - To pursue a “manifest destiny”
for America as a world power.
 ECONOMIC- To use the Philippines as
a. source for raw materials for US industries.
b. Market for US manufactured products.
 RELIGIOUS – To make Philippines as a base
of operations of Protestant missionaries.
 MILITARY – line of defense
a. Naval/air
b. Refueling port for American ships
servicing their interests in China.

11. Military Government
(Pamahalaang Militar)
 GOAL: Control possible
uprising of the Filipino
people in the
Philippines.
 Military Governor-
General – head of the
colonial government
 Serves as the US
President’s
representative in the
Philippines.

12. The Governor-Generals of
the Philippines
Gen. Wesley Meritt Gen. Elwell Otis Gen. Arthur MacArthur
(1898) (1898-1900) (1900-1901)
 Tasked to maintain peace and order in the
colonial government in the Philippines.

13. Achievements of the Military
government
 primary objective -
capture Malolos
 Tasked to General Arthur
Mac Arthur.
 On March 31, 1899 -
Malolos was captured
 Aguinaldo retreated to
San Fernando, Pampanga.
But this is not the end of
the war.
Katipuneros who surrendered to
the Americans

14. The THOMASITES

15. Significant achievements:
 pacified the country
 laid the foundations for the
establishment of a civil government.
 introduced the American school system
with soldiers as teachers,
 organized civil courts including the
Supreme Court with Cayetano Arellano
as first chief justice,
 Established local governments, and
 Conducted the first election under
American flag.

16. Schurman Commission
(Enero 20, 1899)
 Aka first Philippine
Commission appointed by
President McKinley on January
20, 1899 headed by Dr. Jacob
G. Schurrman, President of
Cornell University,
 make a survey of Philippine
conditions for the
achievement of the peaceful
extension of American
sovereignty to the Philippines.
Jacob Schurman

17.  FINAL JUDGMENT:
 HINDI PA HANDA SA
PAGSASARILI ANG
PILIPINAS.

18.  not able to finish its objective due to
the war and returned to the US on
January 31, 1900 with the following
recommendations:
• Establishment of a territorial gov’t
with two legislatures: upper
house
as half appointive and half
elective
and a lower house as elective.
• Withdrawal of Military rule in
pacified areas.

19.  • Conservation of natural resources
for the Filipinos.
 Establishment of autonomous local
government.
 Opening of free elementary schools.
 The appointment of highly capable
men for office.

20. Taft Commission
(Hunyo 3, 1899)
 Layunin nito na paunlarin
ang kabuhayan ng mga
Pilipino at pagsasa-ayos ng
serbiyo sibil ng bansa.
 Inirekumenda nito sa
pangulo ang pagtatayo ng
pamahalaang sibil sa
Pilipinas na kabibilangan ng
William H. Taft mga Pilipino.

21.  In 1900, the Second Philippine
Commission was formed tasked to
establish a civil government
 Headed by William H. Taft, hence, aka
Taft Commission.
 Included in the task are:
- the creation of local government
units e.g. municipal with Filipino as
its leader
- the creation of provincial gov’t, and
- implementation of the legislative
powers since 1900.

22.  In general, the Commission laid down
the conditions in the establishment of a
civil government.
 In July 4, 1901 - civil government
under the leadership of Taft (as Civil
Governor) was established.
 Taft became the Governor General in
Feb. of 1903 and at the same time
head of the Philippine Commission.
 As a civil governor and head of the
Philippine Commission, he handled both
the executive and legislative branches.

23.  Unpacified areas remained under the
military government.
 It was only in 1914 when military
government in the Muslim areas was
changed to a civil government.

25. Spooner Amendment
(Marso 2,1901)
 Provisioned for the shift
from Military
government to civil
government.
 Transferred the ruling
of the Philippines to the
US Congress.
Sen. John C.
Spooner

26. Pamahalaang Sibil (1901-1935)
Pinasinayaan sa Maynila noong Hulyo 4, 1901 ang Pamahalaang Sibil ng
Pilipinas. Itinalaga bilang unang Gobernador Sibil si William H. Taft.
 Layunin nitong sanayin at makilahok
ang mga Pilipino sa pamamahala ng
bansa.

27.  The creation of a civil government (CG)
gave form to the slogan:
 “Philippines for the Filipinos”, “training for
self-government” at “Filipinization policy”
 The CG opened:
1. the municipal and provincial
governments’ positions
2. Central government of the colony
3. Philippine Commission, and
4. the Supreme Court to the elite and
educated Filipinos


28.  It is through politics that US enticed
the elite and educated Filipinos to
collaborate with the colonial
government.

29. Civil Governors in the
Philippines
“Ang Pilipinas ay
para sa mga
Pilipino.”
William H. Taft (1901)
William H. Taft
(1901-1904)
1st Civil Governor of the
Philippines

30. Cayetano Arellano Gregorio Araneta
Punong Mahistrado Kalihim ng Kagawaran
ng Korte Suprema ng Pananalapi

31. Luke Edward Wright Francis Burton
(1904-1905) Harrisson (1913-1921)

32. Leonard Wood Frank Murphy
(1921-1927) (1933-1935)

33. Achievements:
 Gave Filipinos the chance to
participate in the governance.
 Distributed formerly Spanish-owned
lands to Filipino farmers.
 Gave importance to health and
sanitation of the Filipinos.
 Taught the English language to the
Filipinos.

34. Policies favored the elites
 On the right of suffrage and the right to be
voted upon:
- Qualifications:
a. male;
b. aged 23 and above;
c. has been a gobernadorcillo before August
13, 1898;
d. literate both in Spanish and English (both
oral and written);
e. has properties worth $250 or pays tax of
about $15.

35. Conclusion
 Changed the lives of the
Filipinos:
- POLITICALLY
- ECONOMICALLY
- SOCIALLLY, and
- CULTURALLY