Postwar Problems and the Republic

     The damage done by the war to the Philippines and the Filipinos was incalculable. The basic problem, therefore, that confronted the Commonwealth and, later, the Republic, was economic. Buildings, school houses, roads, bridges, livestock, sugar mills, agriculture, and banking institutions had to be rehabilitated or reconstructed. The problem of collaboration also faced the government. There was confusion in the national scene; the wounds of the recent war were as yet unhealed. The United States gave material and financial aid to the Philippines on condition that the Philippine Constitution should be amended in order to give the Americans parity rights in the exploitation of the country’s natural resources.

 Postwar Economic Condition

           The incomes of the people dipped radically and means of livelihood were reduced tremendously. Poverty, resulting from widespread destruction of property, including work animals, was rampant throughout the country.

                Production was almost a standstill in the early months of liberation due to lack of capital to finance the restoration of destroyed machinery and other equipments.

                Shipping in railways were out of operation resulting in very limited production and marketing of consumer goods;

                Farmers lost some thirty percent of their implements;

                Livestock was reduced was about by about sixty five percent resulting in the scarcity of food;

                Facilities for irrigating farms were either destroyed or unrepaired; and

                Large areas of agricultural land were neglected.

Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU)

                When the Americans hits the beaches of Luzon, food was extremely scarce. PCAU organized food distributing centers in Manila and the provinces. In the amount of goods distributed was based on the number of persons in the family. Because there was not much food to buy, even if one had the money, most of the heads of the families padded the number of persons comprising the families in order to get more goods. The agency provided speedy relief for all the people of Manila and the provinces which had been recently liberated from Japanese rule. First organized in New Guinea on September 28, 1944 took part in the Leyte campaigns.  Its purpose was to assist the various military commanders in the civil administration and relief of the areas liberated.

Reorganization of the Government

                March 7, 1945, President Osmena and Executive Order providing for the restoration of the executive departments of the government as they existed before the war.

The Congress Convened

                June 9, 1845, Osmena called a special session of congress. Manuel A. Roxas, whose ambition spoke for the so-called collaborationists by declaring that all men who were employed during the Japanese occupation were actually loyal to the commonwealth government.

                Back Pay Law, approved in 1948, promised to give three years back pay to all pre-war government employees after the end of a ten year period, that is in 1958.

The Collaboration Issue

                June 29, 1944,  President Roosevelt stated that those who collaborated with the enemy should be removed “fro authority and influence over the political and economic life of the country”

                September 11, American secretary of the interior Harold reminded Osmena, in a cable gram of the late president Roosevelt’s policy regarding collaboration.

                September 26, 1945,  Congressman C. Jasper Bell of Missouri introduced a bill providing for free trade relations between the United States and the Philippines for a period of 20 years.

                Bell Trade relation act provided for free trade relations between the US and the Philippines until 1954.

                “Parity Rights” the bad feature of the Law giving Americans the right to dispose, exploit, develop and utilize.

Quirino’s  Administration

                Quirino announced that his program of government would consisting restore the faith and confidence of the people. His program compost of 2 parts; the first part was based on the realization  that the people had lost their confidence in the government owing  to the rampalt galt. The second was based on the pathetic lack of peace angd order.

The Hukbalahap Movement

      This movement has its deep roots in the Spanish encomienda system which developed in to a system of exploitation. The founding of the hukbalahap was immediately preceding the outbreak of the war in the pacific. The hukbalahap sovereignty is the high command of the hukbalahap imposed an iron discipline on all its members. When the liberation and imprisonment, the American landing in Lingayen in January 1945 was opportune, for the guerrillas had already cleared out the Japanese obstacle. In the pacification campaign, Taruc and the other peasant leaders, in their desire to make the countryside safe, cooperated with President Roxas in the campaign of pacification. The Hak movement is not an isolated armed uprising against duly constituted authority.

       The Tao in history is the common man, popularly known as the tao in Tagalog. He has been the victim of injustices contempt and pity. When Magsaysay’s charismatic leadership true to his promise, he work hard to make a tao a man in his community. Magsaysay’s intentions regarding the tao for he wanted him to imporove his lot within the framework of the laws.

The Japanese Occupation

  Because of the excess of the Japanese population and their manufactured goods, they look for territories to accommodate them and the Commonwealth regime was rudely interrupted. They started the war in the Pacific. Japanese Naval bombers attacked the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii so the United States declared war against them and the war in the Pacific was formally on. As a consequence of this war, the Philippines was occupied by the Japanese. Filipinos suffered the rigors of war for three years. Thousands upon thousands were executed and imprisoned but the spirit of the revolt continued to plague Japanese authorities to the end of the occupation.

Background of the Pearl Harbor

                Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States, thought that with the Philippines under the United States, no foreign power would dare antagonize them, yet because of the rising power of Japan, he expressed his apprehension a year later. He wrote letters to different people containing his thoughts about Japan and the situation they were in. Japan’s power was fast rising in the Pacific and the Philippine’s defense was rather inadequate, Roosevelt’s fear was not without justification. Meanwhile, Japan was expanding in surrounding areas. Japanese troops were concentrating in the Southeast Asia, Filipino and American leaders feared that Philippines might become the next target of Japanese Expansion program. United States prevented Japan and exerted all efforts to come to a peaceful understanding with Japan. Japan sent Admiral K. Nomura to Washington to discuss American-Japanese problems in a peaceful manner. It was believed that Nomura would propose peace to American officials to avert the war. While Nomura was presenting his government’s peace proposals to the secretary of State, Cordell Hull, the Japanese bombers surprised Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and sank the cream of the American Navy. It happened in the early morning of December 7, 1941, Hawaiian time.

Roosevelt and the War

                Because of the bombing happened in Hawaii, American people frenzied in anger. Secretary Hull couldn’t believe that the Japanese peace proposals were full of infamous falsehoods and distortions. American naval and military losses at Pearl Harbor, the tragedy struck deep into the heart of the Americans. Monday, December 8, 1941, at 12:25 PM, both houses of Congress met in joint session. Roosevelt delivered his message and asked the congress to declare a war. He wanted revenge. Ten minutes later, the House of the Representatives declared a war with a single dissenting note.

The Japanese Offensive

                In order to immediately strike the rich Dutch and British possessions in the Southeast Asia, the Japanese Naval and air forces had to destroy the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor and then attack the Philippines. While Pearl Harbor was being attacked, Japanese bombers and naval guns were shelling Wake Island. American marines fought back heroically but were smothered by the numerical superiority of the attacking enemy. In Southeast Asia, Japanese advanced against Malaya on their way to capture Singapore. Japanese planes attacked Port area and the ships at the piers. To spare the city, General MacArthur declared Manila an open city but the Japanese did not respect Manila as an open city. The Japanese sent bombers and bombed Manila. Face with the grimness and brutality of the war, the Filipinos confronted for the first time the total war. They remained calmed in the face of danger.

               

The Occupation of Manila

                Japanese planned carefully the attack on the Philippines. Philippine defenses were poor so there was just a little opposition to Japanese landings and only a few planes were on hand to battle the latter. Rumors circulated in Manila that American bombers had arrived and that the Japanese bombers and fighter planes would be blasted out of the blue skies if ever they attempt to fly over Manila. Consequently, when the enemy forces landed north and south Luzon, no effective defense could prevent the Japanese from knifing their way through USAFFE territory. Meanwhile, Japanese major landings were made. They stormed ashore, though previously warned of the invasion, failed to prevent the landing. Despite heroic defense whose purpose was to give the USAFFE enough time to retreat, the Japanese armies marched toward Manila. The advance elements of the Japanese invasion forces entered Manila from the north and the south. Manila became an occupied city.

The Republic

                The Japanese authorities realized that it was difficult to channel Filipino sympathy toward them and consequently did everything in their power, from threats to caress, to dissipate the Filipino’s hostility. They wanted to make the Filipinos believed that their intentions was to see the Philippines become a Republic. They promised to grant the Philippines its independence as long as it cooperates and recognizes Japan’s program. The Filipinos, however, were not fooled by their promises.. Nevertheless, they rejoiced over the announcement of Philippines “independence”.  KALIBAPI was instructed to form the Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence. The Commission then prepared the draft of the proposed Constitution. The studied enthusiasm over the approaching independence was no climbing to its climax. Amidst the simulated applause and hurrahs of the Filipino audience who had no choice in the matter for the election of Jose P. Laurel to be the President of the future Republic, the Declaration of the Independence was read.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE

     On November 1918, the Philippine Legislative created the Commission of Independence for the purpose of studying all matters related to the negotiation and organization of the independence of the Philippines. On March 1919, The legislative approved a Declaration of Purposes for the guidance of the Commission.

       April 1919, the Commission also conducted a publicity campaign in the United States through the Philippine Press Bureau established in Washington. A Press Bulletin was circulated in the United States until 1924, and American writers and publicists were hired to “advertise an entire people”.

       The First Parliamentary Mission was sent to United States on 1919, the only one during the Democratic Administration of Woodrow Wilson.

        The Second Parliamentary Mission, led by Quezon and Osmena on April 1922, went to Washington to present the Filipino viewpoint on the questions raised by the Wood-Forbes Mission Report. This Mission returned in August 1922with no more than assurances that there would be no diminution of Filipino control of their Government.

         A Special mission led by Manuel A. Roxas, left in Washington on November 1923. On 1924, sentiment was strong in Congress to come to a solution to the Philippine problem. The Fairfield Bill, an administration alternative to the independence measures, was reported out of committee and it was introduce on 1924.

         On April 1927, President Coolidge sustained the Governor – General’s veto of the plebiscite bill in a long message in which he stressed the need for greater economic and political progress.

         Agricultural distress, brought about by the Depression, caused various economic interest in the United States, especially the sugar and farm bloc, to Marshall forces. During the 1920’s, Philippine agriculture enjoyed unprecedented expansion due to the stimulation provided by the post war boom and even more favourable tariff preferences resulting from increased duties on non – Philippine sugar and copra imports after 1922.

       The AFL (American Federation of Labor) had been opposed to the retention of the Philippines. From  march to  October 1929,roxas and Osmena were in Washington as a legislative committee to present the case on the threatened legislation affecting the free entry of the Philippine products into the united States.

      On December 1923, Osmena and Roxas left for the United States as the OsRox Mission to secure what in their judgment would be the best out of any situation that might arise in congress concerning the Philippine issue. The Hare-Hawes-Cutting act became law on January 17,1933.

       On November 1933, Quezon left for the United states as head of joint legislative committee for the purposes of securing a better in dependence bill of the Philippines. On 1923, United States was the first nation to voluntarily relinquish sovereignty over a colony  after a little over a generation of tutelage.  

      

Colonial Politics: Towards Complete Autonomy

General Leonard Wood

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Wood#mediaviewer/File:General_Leonard_Wood_Rol_BNF_Gallica.jpg

         On March 1921, the succeeding Republican Administration of  Warren G. Harding sought to verify Filipino preparedness for independence in view of the rapid Filipinization that took place during the Harrison administration. There was a special investigation mission, led by two old Philippine—hands former Governor General W. Cameron Forbes and Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood-was appointed to look into Philippines affairs.

          The administration of Leonard Wood (1921-1927) was he took the position that the Jones Law-the organic act operating in the Philippines- could not be modified except by action of the U.S Congress itself.

          On July 17, 1923, Manila’s  metropolitan dailies headlined the resignation of all Filipino members of Gov. Wood’s Cabinet, thus precipitating the “Cabinet Crises” which brought the Philippines to focus of the US government and public attention.

           There was having trouble assuring his ascendancy among his own followers and political rivals within the Nacionalista Party  of  Quezon on 1922.he found his leadership none too secure-especially with the enhanced strength of the minority Democrats after the elections of 1922.July 17,1922, and the office referred them the next day to the Mayor of Manila, Ramon J. Fernandez, for investigation.

           Secretary Jose P.  Laurel who had confirmed Conley’s appointment to the police force. Quezon who was concerned  about his political future, became impatient and provoked, the Cabinet Crisis.

             The veto power of Governor Wood, in the eyes of the Filipino leaders, was   being excessively exercised, ’’on the most flimsy motives”. From October 1923 to February 1924, the sixth Philippine Legislature passed 217 bills.

             There were two Fundamental reasons advanced by Wood for getting the government out of the business. First ,that that Philippine treasury needed the money invested in the business enterprises  to spend it for the greater benefit of the public. Second, that the government were not qualified, in any nation of the world, to conduct business or engage in any industries which would compete with private initiative.

              Henry L. Stimson was inaugurated Governor-General of the Philippines on March 1, 1928.he established the “new era’’ of the Philippines. The most significant achievement of Stimson’s year  in the Philippines was “the cessation of the period of acrimonious deadlock” and the substitution of cooperation and friendly feelings between the American authority and Filipino leadership. 

COMPROMISE WITH COLONIALISM

        The successful suppression of the various revolutionary outbreaks or disturbances following the formal end of the Filipino-American. The involvement during the Military Phase (1899-1913) Schurman commission was the first significant body created by President Mckinley,with Jacob Schurman, president of Cornell University as head. The cristian Filipinos, in the local levelwas the case of Negros Island which had witnessed as early as 1898.Negros elite who eventually became the stalvart of America rule. In the control government, the involvement of Filipino elite in this level was represented by those who were appointed as members of the Philippine Commission which performed executive and legislative powers and function. Justice Arellano, who believed in the soverneity of the United States over the Philippines.

       There were two basic reasons for the elite’s readiness to accept colonialism. Firstly, the natural fear of losing the security of their interest  because of the growing demand of the masses for the redistribution of economic benefits and resources. The reason was the basic orientation of the elite which felt distrust in the integrity and character of the masses whom the elite regarded as potential  troublemakers, bandits,and enemies of what they represented in society.

         American teachers and missionaries opened the path to an understanding of American benelovent policy through schools,religious mission,and especially medical work. In their cultural communities,the most effective instruments of the American educational policies was Dr. Najeeb M. Saleeby,a medical practitioner turned educator. Charles R. Cameron, who succeeded Najeeb SAleeby as Superintendent , continued the educational program for the muslims.

          In cordilleras, their was a conflict between two Ifugao groups ((Sabangan and Hapao). Humiwat,the leader of an Ifugao band that beheaded an American soldier, surrendered  and offered his cooperation in the American effort. The Bates Treaty  guaranteed peace between the Americans and Muslims in Sulu.

          The Carpenter-Kiram  agreement (1915),the main part of this agreement was  the reference  that made to certain political facts and realities as grounds for the unquestionable assumption by the United States of sovereignty over all that pertained to the Sultanate.

Carpenter, Governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, Philippine Islands,  from 1913-1920, with the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II.

Source: https://rightways.wordpress.com/tag/sultan-of-sulu/

         Those who could run for the for the office must be able to read and write,and must be property owners, or have been government employees during the Spanish period. In   effect, the election law already limited participitation to the elite. There was an election happened but several were Amricans. Filipinos looked back to the time as the emergence of a dynamic Filipino leadership trying to create its own democratic form.