WEEK 4: THE GOVERNMENT (PART 1) a) Absolute Monarchy is a government in which the ruler

rules by divine right

A. CLASSIFICATIONS OF GOVERNMENTS b) Limited Monarchy is a government in which the ruler
rules in accordance with the Constitution
Attempts to produce a classification of political institutions can be  Tyranny is an autocratic form of rule in which
dated back to the beginnings of the study of political science. one individual exercises power without any legal
Aristotle made one of the earliest attempts to classify government restraint
structures. He distinguished between states ruled by one person,
 Dictatorship is an authoritarian type of
by the few and the many- monarchy, aristocracy and mixed
government where there is absolute control by
government. His intention was not only to describe but to evaluate
one person.
and thus he extended his classification scheme to their 'perverted'
 Aristocracy is a government in which political power is
forms, which he labelled tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. He
exercised by few privileged classes which is known as
realized, however, that these types did not exist in their pure
aristocracy or oligarchy. In an oligarchy, a small group of
forms, thus noting that classification in political science is a search
people has all the power in the government.
for 'ideal' types.
 Democracy is a government in which political power is
exercised by a majority of the people.
Charles baron de Montesquieu, a French philosopher of the
a) Direct or pure democracy is a government in which the
eighteenth century, produced one of the most famous schemes of
will of the state is formulated or expressed directly and
classifying governments: 'There are three species of government:
immediately through the people in a mass meeting or
republican, monarchical and despotic.' Montesquieu's
primary assembly.
classification differed from Aristotle's in that aristocracy and
b) Indirect, representative or republican democracy is a
democracy were part of his republican type of government, but his
government in which the will of the state is formulated
categorization was firmly in the classical mold since the type of
and expressed through a relatively small and select
government depended on the number of people holding power.
body of persons chosen by the people to act as their
Republican government divides power between the many or the
representatives.
few, 'the more an aristocracy border on democracy the nearer it
approaches perfection: and in proportion as it draws towards
2. As to Extent of Powers Exercised by The Central or
monarchy, the more it is imperfect'. Monarchy is a system of
National Government
government in which power, although in the hands of a single
 Unitary Government is a government in which the control
person, is regulated by fundamental laws and by the power of
of national and local affairs is exercised by the central or
other groups in the society. Despotism is the worst form of
national government.
government since power is in the hands of one man. There is in
Montesquieu the important recognition of the relationship between  Federal government is a government in which the powers
the type of government and the type of society. Education, morals, of government are divided between the national and local
patriotism and the level of economic equality all help to determine governments
the type of government, and a most important variable is the
extent of the state's territory: 'A large empire supposes a despotic 3. As to the Relationship Between the Executive and
authority in the person who governs', a monarchical state Legislative Branches of Government
possesses moderate territory, but 'It is natural for a republic to  Parliamentary government is a government in which the
have only a small territory otherwise it cannot long subsist.' state confers upon the legislature the power to terminate
the tenure of office of the real executive. Legislatures
Purpose and Necessity of Government. called parliaments operate under a parliamentary
Government exists and should continue to exist for the benefit- of system of government in which the executive is
the people governed. It is necessary for the protection of society constitutionally answerable to the parliament. Parliaments
and its members, the security of persons and property, the usually consist of chambers or houses, and are usually
administration of justice, the preservation of the state from either bicameral or unicameral.
external danger, and the advancement of the physical, economic,  Presidential government is a government in which the
social and cultural well-being of the people. state makes the executive constitutionally independent of
the legislature as regards to tenure to a large extent.
Government exists to do these things which by their very nature, it A presidential system is a system of government where
is better equipped to administer for the public welfare than any an executive branch is led by a president who serves as
private individual or group of individuals. It is obvious that without both head of state and head of government. In such a
an organized structure of government, anarchy and disorder, and system, this branch exists separately from the legislature,
a general feeling of fear and insecurity will prevail in society, to which it is not responsible and which it cannot, in normal
progress and development will not be possible, and values taken circumstances, dismiss.
for granted in a free modern society such as truth, freedom,
justice, equality, rule of law, and human dignity can never be B. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
enjoyed. The need for government is so apparent that even the
most primitive societies, history shows, had some form of it. 1. Anarchy is the state of having no government.
2. Adhocracy is a type of organization that operates in
1. As to The Number of Persons Exercising Sovereign opposite fashion to a bureaucracy; government in
Power unstructured fashion
3. Androcracy or andrarchy is a form of government in which
the government rulers are male.
WHO RULES? 4. Atheocracy is a government where religion is forbidden
NONE ONE FEW ALL
5. Autarchy is a government by an absolute ruler
Anarchy Monarchy Aristocracy Democracy
6. Bureaucracy is a government by civil servants
Tyranny Oligarchy Direct
Dictatorship Representative 7. Confederacy is a union of sovereign states
8. Dyarchy is a government by two; dual monarchy
 Monarchy is a government in which supreme and final 9. Ethnocracy is a form of government by a particular ethnic
authority is in the hands of a single person. group
10. Geniocracy is a government of intelligent people
11. Gynarchy is a government by women; gynocracy
 12. Heptarchy is a government by seven people  Equality - No person is morally or politically superior to
13. Judiciocracy is a government by judges others. Hierarchies are rejected;
14. Kakistocracy is a government by the worst  Rationalism - Humans are capable of thinking logically
15. Kleptocracy is a government by thieves and rationally. Logic and reason help us solve problems;
16. Malarchy is a government by bad leaders  Progress - Traditions should not be kept unless they have
17. Matriarchy is a form of government by women or mothers value. New ideas are helpful because they can lead to
18. Meritocracy is a government by those with merit progress in the sciences, the economy, and society;
19. Minarchy is a government with the smallest possible size  The free market - Liberalism and capitalism go hand in
20. Nomocracy is a government through established laws hand. Liberals like the free market because it more easily
21. Ochlocracy is a government by mobs creates wealth, as opposed to traditional economies, which
22. Particracy is a government by political parties often have extensive regulations and limits on which
23. Patriarchy is a government by fathers occupations people can hold.
24. Plutocracy is a government by the wealthy
25. Polyarchy is a government by many people CONSERVATISM
26. Republic is a government by elected officials
27. Robocracy is a government by robots Conservatism (also known as classical conservatism) began as a
28. Stratocracy is a government by armed forces reaction against the liberal ideas taking hold of Europe during the
29. Technocracy is a government by technical experts French Revolution in the late eighteenth century. This type of
30. Tetrarchy is a government by four people conservatism differs from American conservatism. Edmund Burke,
31. Theocracy is a government by a deity through the clergy a British Member of Parliament, observed the early stages of the
or by religious law (ex. Frailocracy) French Revolution with great distress and predicted the violence
32. Timocracy is a government by the propertied class and terror that would ensue. His book, Reflections on the
33. Triumvirate is a government by three people Revolution in France (1790), is one of the founding texts of
classical conservatism.
C. POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES:
Burke and other conservatives attacked liberalism for many
MEANING OF IDEOLOGY reasons. They argued that liberalism destroyed tradition. In its
rush to overturn the old and bring in the new, liberalism and
Ideology is a comprehensive set of normative beliefs, conscious capitalism ruthlessly attacked traditional institutions and beliefs.
and unconscious ideas, that an individual, group or society has. Conservatism emphasizes:
An ideology is less encompassing than the ideas expressed in
concepts such as worldview, imaginary and ontology.  Stability - Stability is a precious thing, and change must
be made gradually in order to preserve it. Undermining stability
Political ideologies can be proposed by the dominant class of is very dangerous because societies can easily fall into chaos
society such as the elite to all members of society as suggested in and violence.
some Marxist and critical-theory accounts. In societies that  Concreteness - Liberalism is too abstract. It focuses on
distinguish between public and private life, every political or freedom and equality, not on the concrete way people live
economic tendency entails ideology, whether or not it is every day, which is the focus of conservatism.
propounded as an explicit system of thought.
 Human fallibility - Liberalism overestimates human
beings. Humans are frequently ignorant, prejudiced, and
Louis Althusser’s Ideological State Apparatuses (2010) in essence
irrational. By ignoring these defects, liberalism becomes
define ideology as “the imaginary relation to the real conditions of
unrealistic.
existence”.
 Unique circumstances - There is no universal answer
1. LIBERALISM VS CONSERVATISM to the problems of society; the circumstances are unique in
each country.
LIBERALISM
2. CAPITALISM VS SOCIALISM
In the early modern age of the Western world (beginning roughly
in the early 1500s and running for about 200 years), a number of CAPITALISM
changes occurred that led to new ideologies: The European
discovery of the Americas, the rise of Protestantism, the Capitalism is a political and economic ideology which states that
beginnings of the free-market economy, and the early stages of individuals are free. They are free to make money, own
the scientific revolution fundamentally altered Europe. People businesses, sell goods and services and crucially own private
began developing different ways of thinking to take account of property. Emphasis within capitalist countries is on the role of
these changes. individuals rather than the state.

Perhaps the most important of the new ideas is liberalism (also Capitalism is often thought of as an economic system in which
known as classical liberalism). This type of liberalism, which private actors own and control property in accord with their
began in England in the 1600s, differs from American liberalism. interests, and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a
Classical liberalism developed when such thinkers as John Locke way that can serve the best interests of society.
(in his Second Treatise of Government in 1690) rethought the
relationship between the individual and society, as well theorized The essential feature of capitalism is the motive to make a profit.
about the rights and responsibilities of the individual. These ideas As Adam Smith, the 18th century philosopher and father of
formed the foundation for many political systems still operating modern economics, said: “It is not from the benevolence of the
today. Liberalism emphasizes: butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but
from their regard to their own interest.” Both parties to a voluntary
 Individualism - The individual takes priority over society; exchange transaction have their own interest in the outcome, but
 Freedom - Individuals have the right to make choices for neither can obtain what he or she wants without addressing what
themselves. This freedom is not absolute, and some the other wants. It is this rational self-interest that can lead to
behaviors, such as murder, are prohibited. Freedom of economic prosperity.
religion is a particularly important freedom to come out of
In a capitalist economy, capital assets—such as factories, mines,
liberalism because so many governments at the time were
and railroads—can be privately owned and controlled, labor is
very closely tied to a particular religious creed;
purchased for money wages, capital gains accrue to private improve the position of the working class, both by raising wage
owners, and prices allocate capital and labor between competing levels and by means of various welfare schemes to be
uses. administered by the state. Fourthly, although it was never frankly
acknowledged, another key aim of Social Democracy was to raise
Although some form of capitalism is the basis for nearly all the Social Democratic politicians and the trade union leaders to
economies today, for much of the last century it was but one of the ruling position within society. In effect, these new rulers were
two major approaches to economic organization. In the other, expected to administer the system of wages and capital
socialism, the state owns the means of production, and state- accumulation in such a way that it would supposedly operate in
owned enterprises seek to maximize social good rather than the interest of the working class.
profits.
SOCIALISM
Pillars of Capitalism
Socialism is an economic system in which the factors of
Capitalism is founded on the following pillars: production are valued in relationship to their usefulness to people.
Socialists take into account both individual needs and greater
 private property, which allows people to own tangible
social needs. They allocate resources using central planning, as in
assets such as land and houses and intangible assets such as
a command economy.
stocks and bonds;
 self-interest, through which people act in pursuit of their Examples of greater social needs include transportation, defense,
own good, without regard for sociopolitical pressure. education, health care, and preservation of natural resources.1
Nonetheless, these uncoordinated individuals end up Some also define the common good as caring for those who can't
benefiting society as if, in the words of Smith’s (1776) Wealth directly contribute to production. Examples include the elderly,
of Nations, they were guided by an invisible hand; children, and their caretakers.
 competition, through firms’ freedom to enter and exit
markets, maximizes social welfare, that is, the joint welfare of A mantra of socialism is, "From each according to his ability, to
both producers and consumers; each according to his contribution."2
 a market mechanism that determines prices in a
decentralized manner through interactions between buyers Everyone in society receives a share of the production based on
and sellers—prices, in return, allocate resources, which how much each has contributed. This system motivates them to
naturally seek the highest reward, not only for goods and work long hours if they want to receive more. Workers receive
services but for wages as well; their share of production after a percentage has been deducted for
 freedom to choose with respect to consumption, the common good.
production, and investment—dissatisfied customers can buy
different products, investors can pursue more lucrative Principal Characteristics of Socialism
ventures, workers can leave their jobs for better pay; and
 Collectivism - Human beings are social by nature, and
 limited role of government, to protect the rights of private
society should respect this. Individualism is poisonous
citizens and maintain an orderly environment that facilitates
 Public ownership - Society, not individuals, should own
proper functioning of markets.
the property
The Ideology of State Capitalism  Central economic planning - The government plans the
economy; there is no free market
All ruling classes defend their power and privileges with an  Economic equality - All citizens have roughly the same
ideology. Similarly, all aspiring ruling classes justify their pursuit of level of prosperity.
power with an ideology. The ideology of state capitalism initially
was fashioned during the nineteenth century as groups in various Differences Between Socialism, Capitalism, Communism,
European countries advanced plans for reorganizing society along and Fascism
state capitalist lines and for raising their own social status in the
process. Attribute Socialism Capitalis Communis Fascism
m m
Factors
Since the nineteenth century, some of these groups (for instance,
of
the Russian Bolsheviks) have fulfilled both these ambitions, with Individual
Productio Individual
the result that state capitalist ideology has been transformed by Everyone Everyone s
n are s
them from sets of ideas which challenge existing social owned
arrangements into doctrines which celebrate the status quo and by:
attempt to maintain it. Although some varieties of state capitalist Factors
ideology have thus been transformed into conservative creeds of
Usefulnes
Productio Usefulness Nation
and even quasi-religious dogmas, we shall argue that there is an s to Profit
n are to people building
essential continuity between the nineteenth-century and early people
valued
twentieth-century ideological formulations of political radicals such for:
as Kautsky and Lenin and the subsequent records of state Allocatio
Demand
capitalist groups in government in different parts of the world. n Central Central
and Central plan
decided plan plan
Supply
Social Democracy by:
From
Social Democracy is a political movement which emerged in the Value to
each Market
latter half of the nineteenth century and grew to mass proportions Ability Ability the
accordin decides
in a number of European countries. Despite the Social Democrats' nation
g to their:
habitual use of the vocabulary of socialism, the primary aim of To each Value to
Contributio
their movement was to reorganize capitalism in such a way that accordin Wealth Need the
n
state corporations would replace private capitalists. In many g to their: nation
countries, parliamentary democracy did not exist when Social
Democratic parties were formed. Accordingly, a second objective Class Warfare/Struggle
of Social Democracy was to democratize the political systems
found in such countries. Thirdly, Social Democracy sought to
According to socialists, liberalism fails to live up to its promises of became very powerful and influential. He obtained his position
freedom and equality. Socialists blame the free market for either by inheritance, strength, bravery or wisdom. The Datu
liberalism’s failings. Under a capitalist system, money and means promulgated laws with the help of the elders or advisers consisting
of production are the measures of power. The haves (the of former datus. Once a law was made, a towncrier called
bourgeoisie, in Marx’s terms) and the have-nots (whom Marx calls Umalohokan, would go around the village and announce to the
the proletariat) are locked into a fight that Marx called class people the new law. Violators were punished by fines, swimming
warfare. for long hours, exposure to ants, death or slavery.

The Evolution of Socialism Anthropologist F. Landa Jocano defines this period of the
barangay states' dominance - approximately the 14th to the 16th
Socialism evolved in a variety of ways. Communism and centuries - as the "Baranganic Phase" of early Philippine history.
democratic socialism are the two most prominent evolutions of The Baranganic Phase of Philippine history can be noted for its
socialism. highly mobile nature, with barangays transforming from being
settlements and turning into towns and cities, with the mode
COMMUNISM
constantly re-purposed according to the situation. Historical
Communism is an authoritarian and revolutionary approach to barangays should not be confused with present-day Philippine
achieving socialism. As an ideology, communism emphasizes a barrios, which were officially renamed barangays by the Philippine
classless society in which all members jointly share the means Local Government Code of 1991 as a reference to historical
and output of production. barangays.

The regimes of the Soviet Union and communist China embody B. THE SPANISH AND AMERICAN COLONIAL
this ideology. Communists such as Vladimir Lenin, who became GOVERNMENTS
the first premier of the Soviet Union in 1917, argued that people
can and must make the transition to socialism quickly rather than 1. Spanish Era (1565-1898)
waiting for it to evolve. Authoritarian and violent measures are
often required because the defenders of capitalism will fight The Philippines was a crown colony ruled by Spain through
ferociously to stop socialism from coming into being. Mexico from 1565 to1821, as such, Spain ruled the Philippines
with the help of the Council of the Indies, created in 1524, which
Communist systems possessed five common features which, was an overseas ministry governing the colonies of Spain. The
taken together, distinguished them from other authoritarian head of the council was the Viceroy of Mexico. Laws in the
regimes and, still more fundamentally, from socialism of a social Philippines were from Spain and consisted of royal decrees issued
democratic type: by the king. The laws were compiled to become the colonial code
entitled “Recopilacion de las Leyes de Indias,” or the Laws of
 the monopoly of power (‘leading role’) of the Communist Indies.
Party;
 intra-party relations which were highly centralized and Part of the Spanish rule was the institution of systems adopted by
strictly disciplined (‘democratic centralism’); all the colonies. Among these was the Polo, the forced labor
 state, rather than private, ownership of the means of rendered by Filipinos and the falla, the exemption fee for forced
production; labor. Another was the paying of the tribute, or the tax called
 the building of communism as the ultimate, legitimizing tributo, which was replaced by the cedula tax. Bandala was also a
goal; and system that oppressed the Filipinos wherein farm produce were
 a sense of belonging to an international Communist sold compulsory to the government.
movement.
The chief executive of the Philippines was the governor general.
WEEK 4: THE GOVERNMENT (PART2) He was the king’s official representative to the colony. He
possessed tremendous powers with executive, legislative and
LESSON V: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE PHILIPPINE
judicial powers under his control. As chief executive he enforced
GOVERNMENT
the Spanish laws and royal decrees in the Philippines. He
appointed all subordinate officials including the “alcalde mayor”
A. THE BARANGAY AND THE SULTANATE
(provincial governor). For his legislative power, he enacted and
In early Philippine history, the barangay was a complex
issued laws, regulations and decrees. For his judicial power, he
sociopolitical unit which scholars have historically considered the
was the president or presiding officer of the “Royal Audiencia”, the
dominant organizational pattern among the various peoples of the
supreme court of the Philippines during the Spanish era. He was
Philippine archipelago. The term, barangay, refers to both a house
also the commander in chief of the armed forces. The governor
on land and a boat on water; containing families, friends and
also had ecclesiastic powers, the power to recommend priests for
dependents and is currently the basic political unit of the
appointment and intervene in controversies within the Church.
Philippines.
During the encomienda period, he was in full control of the
operations of the church.
These sociopolitical units were sometimes also referred to as
barangay states, but are more properly referred to using the
From 1565–1898, a total of 122 governor-generals served in the
technical term "polity", rather than "state", so they are usually
Philippines. Accordingly, there were more undesirable governors
simply called "barangays", but evidence suggests a considerable
who only exploited the Filipinos than serve them. There were,
degree of independence as a type of "city states" ruled by datus,
however, a few good men who truly served well and are
rajahs and lakans and sultans. Some barangays were well-
remembered by Filipinos. One was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who
organized independent villages, consisting of thirty to a hundred
was the first governor general, from 1565–1572.and is
households. Other barangays - most notably those in Maynila,
remembered for his diplomacy with the natives. At a time of rigid
Tondo, Panay, Pangasinan, Cebu, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, and
racism, Legazpi worked on for the Spaniards and native Filipinos
Sulu- were integrated into large cosmopolitan polities.
to live together as one community. He is remembered for founding
the cities of Manila and Cebu.
The ancient Filipinos who lived in barangays were ruled by a
chieftain called datu, who were addressed either as Raja or
Another outstanding governor was Jose Basco y Vargas (1778-
Lakan. The datu exercised all powers of government. He was the
1787) for his agricultural contributions, and economic programs
chief executive, the lawmaker, and the judge, so much so that he
that made Philippines financially independent from Mexico. He plans of taking over the colony. And this led to a guerrilla war
established the “Economic Society of the Friends of the Country,” against the Americans.
to help in the development of agriculture, and in 1782, established
the tobacco monopoly. The most liberal minded governor general The Philippine-American War.
was Carlos Ma. De la Torre (1869-1871). His liberal policies Hostilities broke out on February 4,1899, after two American
included the abolition of press censorship and the encouragement privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan, a
of liberal discussions. He encouraged movements calling for Manila suburb. This incident sparked the Philippine-American
reforms and sympathized with the Filipinos aspirations for freedom War, which would cost far more money and took far more lives
and change. than the Spanish–American War.

From 1835-1898, Spain experienced series of political changes. Some 126,000 American soldiers would be committed to the
Wars and revolutions led to frequent changes in the government conflict; 4,234 Americans died, as did 16,000 Filipino soldiers who
and leadership of Spain as well as in the Philippines. were part of a nationwide guerrilla movement of indeterminate
numbers. At least 34,000Filipinos lost their lives as a direct result
The Judicial powers of the government were exercised by the of the war, and as many as 200,000may have died as a result of
Royal Audiencia and the lower courts. The Royal Audiencia was the cholera epidemic at the war's end. Atrocities were committed
the supreme court that time. Its president was the Governor by both sides.
General. The first was Santiago de Vera.
Aguinaldo dissolved the regular army in November 1899 and
Spain instituted the centralized form of government. The ordered the establishment of decentralized guerrilla commands in
barangays became part of the unitary government. Philippines each of several military zones. The revolution was effectively
was divided into provinces of two types: 1) the pacified provinces ended with the capture (1901) of Aguinaldo by Gen. Frederick
called alcaldia mayor headed by the alcalde mayor and, 2) the Funston at Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901 and was brought
unpacified provinces called corregimentos, each under a to Manila.
corregidor. The provinces were divided into towns or pueblos,
administered by a gobernadorcillo (petty governor). Another town Consequences of American Occupation
official was the teniente mayor (chief lieutenant) who was in
charge of peace and order. A pueblo was divided into barrios or Free trade, established by an act of 1909, was expanded in 1913.
barangays under a cabesa. Both the gobernadorcillo and cabesa Influenced of the uselessness of further resistance, he swore
served without salary. Large towns were organized into cities. The allegiance to the United States and issued a proclamation calling
city government was called ayuntamiento. The council that on his compatriots to lay down their arms, officially bringing an
governed the city was the cabildo composed of the alcalde end to the war. However, sporadic insurgent resistance continued
regidores, alguacil mayor and the escribano. in various parts of the Philippines, especially in the Muslim south,
until 1913
Under the Patronato Real, in the case of Spain, the Church was
placed under the care of the royal government. The Diocese of Civil government was established by the Americans in 1901, with
Manila, with its bishop, was at the top of the ecclesiastical William Howard Taft as the first American Governor-General of
hierarchy in the colony. The bishop was appointed by the pope the Philippines. English was declared the official language. Six
upon the recommendation of the king of Spain. The other early hundred American teachers were imported aboard the USS
dioceses established were Cebu, Nueva Caceres (Naga) and Thomas.
Nueva Segovia (Vigan), all in 1595 the Diocese of Jaro (Iloilo) was
created on May 27, 1865. The four regular orders assigned to Also, the Catholic Church was disestablished, and a substantial
Christianize the natives, were the Augustinians, who came with amount of church land was purchased and redistributed. Some
Legazpi, the Discalced Franciscans (1578), the Jesuits (1581), measures of Filipino self-rule were allowed, however. An elected
and the Dominican friars (1587). Filipino legislature was established in 1907.

Part of the process on how Spain governed was through the During the Spanish period the Spaniards had given enormous
“encomienda system”, the first governmental system where lands land properties to the Catholic church. One of the first things the
were politically divided to those given grants, a reward for persons Americans did was to take care for the redistribution of this land
who have rendered valuable services to the king of Spain. Those properties. To do so they first had to pay an amount of US $7.2M
who were given were called “encomenderos.” The grant of to the Vatican in 1904. The small farmers or tenants didn't get any
encomienda, by the Spanish Crown was one that of a trusteeship. land however. The land became property of some large
The first to benefit were men of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first landowners. Most of the small farmers couldn't pay the asked
Spanish Governor-General, who colonized Cebu. The three price or couldn't prove that they were the former owners of the
classes of encomienda were the royal, ecclesiastical and private. land.
Those that were set aside for the king were “royal”; those
assigned to the religious order were: “ecclesiastical The Road Towards Philippine Independence
encomiendas”; and for those who helped in the conquest and  Jones Law – the law was to approved by President
colonization were “private encomiendas” or repartimientos. Woodrow Wilson after it was proposed by William
Atkinson Jones, an American congressman. ◦ The law
2. American Colonization of the Philippines (1898-1946) stated the right of the Filipinos to attain freedom in the
near future.
The Spanish-American war which started in Cuba, changed the  Tydings-McDuffie Act – this law was proposed by
history of the Philippines. On May 1, 1898, the Americans led by Milliard Tydings and congressman John McDuffie of the
U.S. Navy Admiral George Dewey, in participation of Emilio US. It stated the 10-year preparation for the Philippine
Aguinaldo, attacked the Spanish Navy in Manila Bay. Faced with independence through a commonwealth government.
defeat, the Philippines was ceded to the United States by Spain in  In 1916, the Philippine Autonomy Act, widely known as
1898 after a payment of US$ 20 million to Spain in accordance the Jones Law, was passed by the U. S. Congress. The
with the "Treaty of Paris" ending the Spanish-American War. law which served as the new organic act (or constitution)
for the Philippines, stated in its preamble that the ultimate
On June 12, 1898, Filipinos led by Emilio Aguinaldo declare independence of the Philippines would be American
independence. This declaration was opposed by the U.S. who had
 policy, subject to the establishment of a stable a separation of the church and state. Freedom of
government. religion was practiced.
 The law placed executive power in the Governor General  Infrastructure: Transportation and Communication was
of the Philippines, appointed by the President of the improved. American built roads, streets, and bridges.
United States, but established a bicameral Philippine The new infrastructure helped make the movement of
Legislature to replace the elected Philippine Assembly products and services more efficient. Boulevards, zone
(lower house) and appointive Philippine Commission districts, and centers of leisure were also established.
(upper house) previously in place. American architecture are still present today. PNU,
 The Filipino House of Representatives would be purely Manila Hotel and PGH are some examples.
elected, while the new Philippine Senate would have the  Entertainment: Hollywood Movies became more
majority of its member selected by senatorial district with popular. New kinds of music and dance were
senators representing non-Christian areas appointed by introduced like rock n roll, boogie, jazz, tango, cha-cha,
the Governor-General. polka, and rhumba. Filipinos learned to watch and play
games like table tennis, basketball, volleyball, boxing,
and football.
C. COMMONWEALTH TO THE THIRD REPUBLIC
 Health and Sanitation: Filipinos learned the value of
The Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, passed by Congress in 1932, cleanliness, and healthy practices. They were taught
provided for complete independence of the islands in 1945 after proper hygiene to make them healthy and be free from
10 years of self-government under U.S. supervision. The bill had contagious diseases. Hospitals, clinics, and health
been drawn up with the aid of a commission from the centers were established including public hospitals for
Philippines, but Manuel L. Quezon, the leader of the leading lepers.
Nationalist party, opposed it, partially because of its threat of  Clothing: Modes of Dressings was changed. Men:
American tariffs against Philippine products but principally Suits, Polo shirts, ties, and jeans Women: Dresses,
because of the provisions leaving naval bases in U.S. hands. High-heeled shoes, and handbags
Under his influence, the Philippine legislature rejected the bill.  Food: Food like ice cream, cakes, beef steak, hotdog,
The Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act (1934) closely looks hamburgers, sandwiches, cookies and donuts were
like the Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, but struck the provisions for introduced.
American bases and carried a promise of further study to correct  Livelihood: Philippine Economy improved. Increased in
“imperfections or inequalities.” Agricultural production. Development of new industries.
 Attitude Filipinos became more frank, and more
On May 14, 1935, an election to fill the newly created office of humorous. We developed a stronger belief in rights and
President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was won by freedom. “Pagmamano” was replaced by kissing the
Manuel L. Quezon (Nacionalista Party) and a Filipino cheeks of parents and elders as a sign of respect.
government was formed on the basis of principles apparently  Language: The English language was widely taught all
similar to the US Constitution. over the country. Soon some English words became
When Quezon was inaugurated on Nov. 15, 1935, the part of our vocabulary. Filipinos adopted American
Commonwealth was formally established in 1935, featured a names like Charlie, Anna, Francis, and Cherry.
very strong executive, a unicameral National Assembly, and a Negative Impacts of the American Colonization
Supreme Court composed entirely of Filipinos for the first time
since 1901.  Americanization of Filipinos: Colonial Mentality
Respectful Filipino ways of greeting were replaced by
The new government embarked on an ambitious agenda of
merely saying “hi” or “hello”. Filipinos started to prefer
establishing the basis for national defense, greater control over
white-collar jobs
the economy, reforms in education, improvement of transport,
 Traditional Filipino food like bibingka and suman were
the colonization of the island of Mindanao, and the promotion of
replaced by American food like hotdog and French
local capital and industrialization.
fries.
The Commonwealth however, was also faced with agrarian  Lost our sense of “bayanihan” or “community spirit”
unrest, an uncertain diplomatic and military situation in South  In summary, we seemed to have lost our own identity.
East Asia, and uncertainty about the level of United States
COMMONWEALTH AND WORLD WAR 2
commitment to the future Republic of the Philippines.
The Japanese invasion of 1941 at the onset of World War II
The Philippines was controlled by the Americans from 1900-
delayed the independence, forced the Commonwealth
1942. In 1934 an act was established, which made it possible
government to go into exile, and subjected the country to a
that the Philippines could have a "Commonwealth of the
puppet government. Initially, the Japanese created the
Philippines". The first president of this Commonwealth was
Executive Commission as the collaborating government for the
Manuel Quezon. The first president was given certain power for
occupied Philippines, created KALIBAPI which became the only
some internal affairs.
political party, and Jose P. Laurel was declared president of the
Changes during the American Period Second Philippine Republic. This nationalist government
espoused anti-American sentiment. I
 Government: Democracy, the greatest legacy the
Americans gave us. There were Three (3) Branches: n 1944, the Philippines was liberated with the return of Gen.
Executive (President), Legislative (Senate and House Douglas MacArthur and the Allied Forces. Osmeña, who
of Representatives), and the Judiciary succeeded Quezon upon the latter's death, restored the
 Education: Public schools were opened up. The first Commonwealth government.
teachers were called: Thomasites, because they came
Independence and the Third Republic
on board the USS Thomas. The Medium of instruction:
English. Schools established: ◦ University of the The Nacionalistas were split anew in the 1946 presidential
Philippines ◦ Philippine Normal College ◦ Other election, with Manuel Roxas setting up the Liberal Party. Roxas
agricultural schools defeated Osmeña, and became the last president of the
 Religion: Protestantism was introduced. More or less Commonwealth.
than 300,000 Filipinos became protestants. There was
The Americans granted the Filipinos independence on July 4,
1946 and the 3rd Republic was inaugurated with Roxas as its
first president. Roxas died in 1948 and Vice President Elpidio
Quirino succeeded. The presidential election was held in 1949
with Quirino of Liberal Party defeating Jose P. Laurel. Quirino's
Liberal government was widely seen as corrupt and
untrustworthy, and was easily beaten by his charismatic
Defense secretary Ramon Magsaysay in the 1953 election.
Magsaysay, who achieved the surrender of the Hukbalahap
rebels, would not complete his term, dying in a plane crash in
Cebu. Vice President Carlos P. Garcia succeeded him, won the
1957 election, and implemented a "Filipino First" policy and an
austerity program. Garcia was defeated by his Vice President,
Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party in 1961. Macapagal
initiated a return to a system of free enterprise not seen since
the Quirino administration. Macapagal's policies faced a stiff
opposition in Congress, where the Nacionalistas held the
majority. Macapagal was defeated in 1965 by Senate President
Ferdinand Marcos.