Prepared by: Lee, Hannah Elaine A.

Japanese Occupation

Japanese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region had made confrontation and war with the United States increasingly certain.

In preparation for war, on July 26, 1941, General Douglas MacArthur brought the 12,000 strong Philippine Scouts under his command with the 16,000 American soldiers stationed in the Philippines.

The attack on the Philippines started on December 8, 1941 ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. As at Pearl Harbor, the American aircraft were entirely destroyed on the ground. Lacking air cover, the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew to Java on December 12, 1941.

Japanese troops landed at the Lingayen Gulf on December 22, 1941 and advanced across central Luzon towards Manila. On the advice of President Quezon, General MacArthur declared Manila an open city on December 25, 1941 and removed the Commonwealth government to Corregidor. The Japanese occupied Manila on January 2, 1942.

Why did Japan attack the

Philippines?

• The Japanese military had this concept of a United Asian Sphere (like the current European Union) and to achieve this, ALL foreign occupiers must be expelled in Asia.

• The Philippines was under American occupation. Japan saw this as an “unjust” occupation and they needed to “liberate” the Philippines from these foreigners.

• Japan had an ambitious plan to dominate and conquer the whole of East Asia.

• To acquire staging areas and supply bases to enhance operations.

• To secure communication lines from Japanese home island.

• Great strategic plan of the Japan.• Despite that nine hour warning of the outbreak of

hostilities with Japan, the commander of the United States army and air forces in the Philippines, Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur, was paralyzed by indecision during these crucial hours and failed to bring his forces to a state of readiness to meet a Japanese attack. MacArthur's indecision, combined with his poor military judgment and slackness in his command structure, led to the destruction of half of his air force on the ground and his troops being denied adequate supplies to withstand a lengthy siege.

How did Japan invaded the Philippines?

• Japan withdrew from the League of Nations and provoked an undeclared war with China. It massacred inhabitants of Nanjing, event also known as the “Rape of Nanking”

• It allied itself to the Axis powers.• The United States imposed an

embargo on oil and scrap metal exports to Japan.

• Saburo Kurusu - a career diplomat, negotiated peace and understanding with the US while Japan secretly planned attack on Pearl Harbor.

Road to War

While preparing for independence under Tydings- McDuffie Act, the Philippine Army was re-established because the Americans knew that Japan will invade soon.

• Pres. Quezon summoned Gen. Douglas MacArthur, retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US to prepare the Philippines militarily.

• He assumed the rank Field Marshall of the Philippine Army.

• Training of citizen soldiers was undertaken with the implementation of PMT and ROTC.

Preparation for Independence and War

• Training was saddled with lack of adequate equipment and ammunition.

• Filipinos made their own head gears from coconut fibers called guinit. Belts were made from abaca fiber instead of leather. Shoes were manufactured locally by Ang Tibay.

• Due to growing differences between Quezon and MacArthur, MacArthur asked Pres. Roosevelt to recall him to US service.

• The Americans allowed false rumors about Japan to circulate the country to assure Filipinos that everything is secure.

• Air attacks took place at Baguio, Tarlac, and the naval and air installations at Subic, Zambales and Clark, Pampanga. In the south, Davao received its first air raid on the same day.

• The Japanese planned to move swiftly and win victories before the United States could respond with force.

• The Japanese landing at Lingayen brought Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, commander of chief of the Japanese forces in the Philippines.

• Manila was attacked as early as December 9, 1941.

Attack

• USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East)retreated to Bataan and waited for reinforcements from the US

• January 2, 1942 – The first Japanese contingent entered Manila and were cheered on as liberator. Lt. Gen. Homma declared the end of American rule in the Philippines and imposed martial law on all occupied areas.

• Japan claimed that it was creating Asia for Asians.• On January 3, 1942, General Masaharu

Homma issued a proclamation announcing the end of the American occupation and the imposition of martial law in the country.

Japan Martial Law

1. First Order: Surrender of firearms – Those who were still caught with weapons were detained at the dungeons of Fort Santiago and in other detention posts.

2. Detention camps became places of torture.3. Priests suspected of engaging in subversion activities were

also imprisoned.4. As early as January 14, 1942, Colonel Murosawa issued a

Declaration to Christians in the Philippines. By 1943, parish priests were being required to use their pulpits to convince the people that it was useless to resist Japanese rule.

5. General Homma allowed the laws then enforce the Commonwealth to stay for the moment. He ordered all public officials to continue to discharge their duties.

6. Curfew first from 8:00pm – 6:00am then from 12:00mn – 6:00am.

7. Total black out was lifted on May 4, 1942 after the fall of Bataan.

8. Arbitrary arrests and executions were done by the kempeitai(military police) any time of the day.

9. “Kura” most feared word (inward wave of hand meant “come here!” signified disaster and outward wave of hand meant “dismiss” or “scram”).

10.Many were also executed on mere suspicion of being with the resistance movement.

11.No once could travel without a pass from its army. (This prohibition in travel was lifted after the fall of Corregidor.

12.Taliba, La Vanguardia, Tribune, and Liwayway were allowed to continue publication but under rigid censorship by the government.

13.Many theaters switched from movies to stage shows.

• Philippines was an occupied country• Means of production were under the control of

the Japanese• Few banks were allowed to operate• Buying and selling became the source of income

by the Filipinos• Mickey Mouse Money was circulated that

provoked inflation in such alarming situation

Life During the War Time Years

Mickey Mouse Money

• Food shortage was alarming• Outbreak of epidemics were prevalent such as dysentery,

malaria and TB causing death of many people.• People live in constant fear and apprehension• Five mortal enemies of Filipinos: Japanese militaries,

diseases, guerillas, hunger and Japanese-paid Filipinos• “Kura” most feared word (inward wave of hand meant

“come here!” signified disaster and outward wave of hand meant “dismiss” or “scram”)

• Japanese encouraged the development of Tagalog and gave it an impetus never before witnessed.

• April 9, 1942 – The prisoners were disarmed and was told to march to Balanga

• April 10-15, 1942• From Bataan to Camp O’

Donnell• 76,000 POWS were captured

Death March

• On December 2, 1942 – The KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas), a non-political party, was established.

• KALIBAPI’s aim was to bring about the rapid reconstruction of the Philippines and the rehabilitation of the Filipino people.

• June 18, 1943 – KALIBAPI members appointed a committee to nominate the members of the Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence(PCPI).

• When Laurel, Aquino and Vargas returned to Manila from Tokyo, the government announced two days later the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines would be on October 14.

• The Japanese worked for the enlistment of the Philippines into the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Reforming the Philippine Government

• June 19, 1943 – KALIBAPI, only political party that time, held a convention and “elected” 20 members of Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence (PCPI, Please Cancel Philippine Independence)as in-charge of framing a constitution for the forthcoming “Republic”o To elect 54 members of the National AssemblyPresident: Jose P. LaurelVice President: Benigno Aquino Sr.

Ramon Anancena

The Second Republic of the Philippines

• Inauguration – October 14, 1943 o On the steps of the legislative building in Manilao Philippine flag was hoisted as the national anthem was played.

• Meanwhile…o Japanese started using propaganda to gain the trust and

confidence of Filipinos who refused to cooperate with them.o Hung giant posters and distributed their materials that contain

slogans such as “The Philippines belong to the Filipinos.”o Also used newspapers, movies, and others to publicize the same

idea.

Promoting Japanese propaganda was one of the main objectives of the KALIBAPI but still, Japanese failed to gain the trust of the Filipinos.

• Although the Japanese had promised independence for the islands after occupation, they initially organized a Council of State through which they directed civil affairs until October 1943, when they declared the Philippines an independent republic.

• The only political party allowed during the occupation was the Japanese-organized KALIBAPI.

• During the occupation, most Filipinos remained loyal to the United States,  and war crimes committed by forces of the Empire of Japan against surrendered Allied forces and civilians were documented.

The “Puppet” Government

• On the same day, the Philippine Executive Commission was established by the Japanese High Command, composed of Mr. Vargas as Chairman with other 6 Filipino department secretaries, namely:o Benigno S. Aquino (Commissioner of the Interior)o Antonio de las Alas (Finance)o Jose P. Laurel (Justice)o Rafael Alunan (Agriculture and Commerce)o Claro M. Recto (Education, Health and Public Welfare)o QuintinParedes (Public Works and Communication)

• Established on January 23, 1942Chairperson: Jorge VargasDepartment Heads

Interior: Benigno Aquino Sr.Finance: Antonio delas AlasJustice: Jose P. LaurelEducation, Health & Public Welfare: Claro M. RectoPublic Works & Communication: Quintin Paredes

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Jose Yulo

The Philippine Executive Commission

•New ConstitutionoNoticeably lacked a bill of rightsoContained 12 articles lifted from the 1935 constitution that fitted the wishes of the Japanese.

oWas meant to be in effect only temporarily, while the Philippines still in chaos.

• September 4, 1943: Constitution was brought to the public

• September 7, 1943: Ratification of the Japanese-sponsored Constitution (Preamble and twelve articles) 

• October 14, 1943: the inauguration of the Second Philippine republic, however, this “Puppet Republic” was not taken seriously by the people as well as the international community. (Laurel and the rest of Filipino leaders served as puppet of the Japanese authorities’ for real executive and legislative powers lay on the hands of the Japanese military leaders.)

Problems of the RepublicDuring his term in office, Laurel was faced with

various problems that the country was experiencing, such as the following:

Shortages of food, clothing, oil, and other necessities.

Heavy Japanese military presence throughout the entire region.

Japanese control of transportation, media, and communications.

Problems of the Republic

• Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by active and successful underground and guerrilla activity that increased over the years and that eventually covered a large portion of the country.

• The Philippine guerrilla movement continued to grow, in spite of Japanese campaigns against them.

• The island of Mindanao, being farthest from the center of Japanese occupation, had 38,000 guerrillas who were eventually consolidated under the command of American civil engineer Colonel Wendell Fertig.

Resistance

• One resistance group in the Central Luzon area was known as the Hukbalahap (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon), or the People's Anti-Japanese Army, organized in early 1942 under the leadership of Luis Taruc, a communist party member since 1939.

• USAFFE forces in Bataan continued to oppose the Japanese. They withstood the attacks of the enemy. delayed Gen. Homma’s timetable. The expected capture of the Philippines in 60 days lasted for 3 months. There was also resistance in Panay and Mindanao.

• March 1942 - Quezon and his family were evacuated from Corregidor to Australia. -He left Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos as acting President in case he and VPres. Osmeña were killed or captured by the Japanese. Quezon was later brought to the US where he set up a government in exile in Washington.

• DANAS – District And Neighborhood Associations. Organized by Chairman Vargas on August 8, 1942. provides means of self-protection to the local residents.

• Agreed to fight the Japanese as a unified guerilla army.

• Farmers of Pampanga banded together and created local brigades for their protection.o Luis Taruco Juan Feleoo Castro Alejandrino

• They agreed to call their organization Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon or HUKBALAHAP.o Luis Taruc was the leadero Alejandrino was the right hando Members were simply called the “Huks”

The “Huks”

• On October 20, 1944 MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte. That day, he made a radio broadcast in which he declared, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!”.

• In January 1945, his forces invaded the main Philippine island of Luzon. In February, Japanese forces at Bataan were cut off, and Corregidor was captured.

Manila, the Philippine capital, fell in March and in June MacArthur announced his offensive operations on Luzon to be at an end• Although scattered Japanese resistance continued until the end of the war, in

August. Only one-third of the men MacArthur left behind in March 1942 survived to see his return. “I’m a little late,” he told them, “but we finally came.”

The Return of Magellan

• September 2, 1945.• By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was

incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent.

• Japan was persuading the Soviet to mediate peace that is favorable to Japan while the Soviet was secretly planning to attack Japan.

• August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima.

Surrender of Japan

• August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan.• August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union invaded the Imperial

Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.• Later that same day, the United States dropped a second

atomic bomb, this time on the city of Nagasaki.• Emperor Hirohito to intervene and order the Big Six to

accept the terms for ending the war that the Allies had set down in the Potsdam Declaration.The surrender ceremony was held on September 2, aboard the United States Navy battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), at which officials from the Japanese government signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, thereby ending the hostilities in World War II.

• The state of war between Japan and the Allies formally ended when the Treaty of San Francisco came into force on April 28, 1952.• Four more years passed before Japan and

the Soviet Union signed the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, which formally brought an end to their state of war.

• Books such as:1. The Philippines Under Japan: Occupation Policy and

Reaction2. Philippine History

• Various sites from the world wide web

References: