remembering our past -...

1521 – 1946By: Jommel P. Tactaquin

Head, Research and Documentation SectionVeterans Memorial and Historical DivisionPhilippine Veterans Affairs Office

Remembering our Past

The Philippines, because of its geographical location, became embroiled in whathistorians refer to as a search for new lands to expand European empires – thinlydisguised as the search for exotic spices. In the early 1400’s, Portugese explorersdiscovered the abundance of many different resources in these “new lands”heretofore unknown to early European geographers and explorers. The Portugeseare quickly followed by the Dutch, Spaniards, and the British, looking to establishcolonies in the East Indies.

The Philippines was discovered in 1521 by Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellanand colonized by Spain from 1565 to 1898. Following the Spanish – AmericanWar, it became a territory of the United States. On July 4, 1946, the United Statesformally recognized Philippine independence which was declared by Filipinorevolutionaries from Spain.

The Philippine Historic Past


Ferdinand Magellan

Born 1480 Sabrosa, Portugal

Died April 27, 1521 (aged 40–41)Cebu, Philippines

Other names

Portugese: Fernão de MagalhãesSpanish: Hernando de Magallanes

Known for: Captained the first circumnavigation of the world.

Although not the first to set foot on Philippine soil, the first welldocument arrival of Europeans in the archipelago was the Spanishexpedition led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, which first sightedthe mountains of Samara. At Masao, Butuan, (now in Augustan delNorte), he solemnly planted a cross on the summit of a hill overlookingthe sea and claimed possession of the islands he had seen for Spain.Magellan befriended Raja Humabon, the chieftain of Sugbu (presentday Cebu), and converted him to Catholicism. After getting involved intribal rivalries, Magellan, with 48 of his men and 1,000 native warriors,invaded Mactan Island. Magellan seriously underestimated thestrength of Datu Lapu-Lapu’s forces. Grossly outnumbered he and 14of his soldiers were killed.

ReferenceZweig, Stefan, "Conqueror of the Seas – The Story of

Magellan", 2007, ISBN 1406760064

ReferenceBergreen, Lawrence (October 14, 2003). Over The

Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation

of the Globe.

1521 – (March 17) Magellan sighted the mountains of what is nowSamar while on a mission for Spain to find a westward route to theMoluccas Islands. On Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, at Masao,Butuan, (now in Augusan del Norte), he solemnly planted a cross andclaimed the island for Spain, naming them Islas de San Lazaro.


ReferenceAgoncillo, Teodoro (2006) Introduction to Filipino History.

Garotech Publishing, and David Hawthorne (1964).

Ferdinand Magellan. Doubleday & Company, Inc.

On the morning of April 27, 1521, Magellan sailed toMactan to confront the rebellious Datu Lapu-Lapu.During the resulting Battle of Mactan with hostilenatives led by Lapu-Lapu, Magellan was killed. Hisbody was never recovered. A shrine has been built inhis honor near the battle site.

Statue of Lapu-lapu


Reference

Kamen, Henry (2004). Empire: How Spain Became a World

Power, 1492-1763. Harper, Collins

ISBN 0060932643

Miguel Lopez de Legaspi

First Governor and Captain-General Of the Philippines

In officeApril 27, 1565 – August 20, 1572

Born 1502Zumarraga, Guipuzcoa, Spain

Died August 20, 1572Manila, Philippines

Reference

Noone, Martín J. The Discovery and Conquest of the

Philippines 1521-1581, 1983

ReferenceDe Morga , Antonio. (2004). “History of the PhilippineIslands". Volume 1 and 2. The Project Gutenberg, or go to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Lopez_de_Legazpi

1565 – Colonization of the Philippines began with the arrival ofSpanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi from Nueva España(present day Mexico) and formed the first European settlements inCebu. The colony was administered through the Viceroyalty of NuevaEspaña until 1821 when Mexican patriots seceded from the SpanishEmpire. After 1821, the colony was governed directly from Spain.

Manila galleon or Galeones de Manila-Acapulco service wasinaugurated providing passage once or twice per year across thePacific Ocean between Manila and Spain via Nueva España. This wasmade possible with the discovery of the ocean passage by Andrés deUrdaneta, and continued until 1815 when the Mexican Revolution put apermanent stop to the galleon trade route.


1762 – (October 30) Archbishop Manuel Antonio Rojo del Rio yVieyra, Bishop of Manila and representative of the Spanish RealAudencia, following the death of the Gobernador-General, Don PedroManuel de Arandia, surrendered the Philippines to the British pursuantto the agreement of Treaty of Paris at the end of Seven Years War. TheBritish ended their rule on April, 1762.

Filipinos were the earliest Asians to cross the Pacific Ocean forthe New World because of the Manila galleon trade between NuevaEspaña and Las Islas Filipinas from 1565 to 1815. Many jumped shipto escape brutal treatment after having been “exploited and impressedinto service” and “forced to become woodcutters, shipbuilders,crewmen and munitions workers.” Filipinos, the majority enteringLouisiana directly by galleons from Mexico, followed the mule trail toVeracruz and other Mexican ports and crossed the Gulf of Mexico toLouisiana where they established settlements such as St. Malo on theswamps south of Lake Borgne in St. Bernard County, and ManilaVillage on the marshland on Barataria Bay in the Mississippi Delta bythe Gulf of Mexico.

Reference

FILIPINOS: Forgotten Asian Americans by Fred Cordova

Saint Malo Settlement as appeared in Harper's Weekly, 1883

Reference

Tracy, Nicholas (1995), Manila Ransomed: The BritishAssault on Manila in the Seven Year War, University ofExeter Press, ISBN 0859894266, ISBN 9780859894265

Sir William Draper

Born 1721, Bristol, United KingdomDied January 8, 1787

Known for: Conquer of Manila, losing Minorca


Martín de Goiti was a Spanish Basque Conquistador and founder ofthe city of Manila. Goiti was one of the soldiers who accompanied theSpanish colonization of the East Indies in 1565. He was the leader ofthe expedition to Manila, ordered by Miguel Lopes de Legaspi in 1569.There, he fought a number of battles against the Muslim chieftain,Rajah Sulaiman III of Manila for control of lands and settlements. Goitiis laid to rest in a tomb inside the San Agustin Church, in Intramuros.

Artist sketch of Manila Bay, circa 1800s Reference

Noone, Martín J. The Discovery and Conquest of the

Philippines 1521-1581, 1983

1781 – One of the forty-six early settlers of Pueblo de NuestraSeñora Reina de los Angeles, now the City of Los Angeles, probablywas a Filipino by the name of Antonio Miranda Rodriguez.

Reference

FILIPINOS: Forgotten Asian Americans by Fred Cordova

Three most celebrated Ilustrados at the end of 19th century: Jose Rizal,

Marcelo del Pilar and Mariano Ponce


1863 – Queen Isabella of Spain decreed the establishment of apublic school system in the Spanish model leading to an increasingnumber of educated indios and criollos or Insulares, (Spaniards born inthe Philippines), creating a class of citizens called Ilustrados.

The Ilustrados originally clamored for adequate representation tothe Spanish Cortes and later for independence. Jose Rizal, the mostcelebrated intellectual and radical Ilustrado of the era, wrote the novels“Noli mi Tangere", and “El Filibusterismo", which greatly inspired themovement for independence. The Katipunan, a secret militant society,was founded by Andres Bonifacio. Its primary purpose was theoverthrow of Spanish rule in the Philippines.

On-line reference

http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28063.html

On-line reference

http://people.cohums.ohiostate.edu/grimsley1/milhis/phil.htm

1872 – Mass deportation occurred of nationalists to the Isla losLadrones (present day Guam) and Europe creating a Filipino expatriatecommunity of reformers abroad. The community grew within the nextgeneration of Ilustrados taking graduate studies in Europeanuniversities. They allied themselves with Spanish liberals, mostnotably a certain Spanish senator named Morayta of Madrid andformed La Solidaridad.

La Solidaridad was an organizationcreated in 1888 in Spain to representand advocate the Filipino cause at theSpanish parliament. They published anewspaper, La Solidaridad, headed byGraciano Jaena.

Reference

Schumacher, John N. (1973). The Propaganda Movement,

1881-1896: The creation of a Filipino Consciousness (1997 ed.) Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

ISBN 9789715502092


The desire to form a purely Filipino organization was fulfilled onDecember 13, 1888 with the establishment in Barcelona of LaSolidaridad. This organization was sort of a rival of Morayta's Madridgroup although the two organizations joined together in a petitionaddressed to the Minister of the Colonies asking for representation inthe Cortes, abolition of censorship of the press, and prohibition of thepractice of deporting citizens merely through administrative orders.The president of La Solidaridad in Barcelona was Rizal's cousin,Galicano Apacible. Among the other officers were Graciano LopeJaena, vice president, and Mariano Ponce, treasurer. Rizal, in London atthe time, was named Honorary President. Unfortunately, Apacible couldnot hold the wrangling reformists together. It took the prestige of Rizaland the political wisdom of Marcelo del Pilar to unite the Filipinos inSpain and to coordinate their efforts.

Graciano Lopez Jaena

Mariano Ponce

Marcelo del Pilar

Reference

Schumacher, John N. (1973). The Propaganda Movement,

1881-1896: The creation of a Filipino Consciousness (1997 ed.) Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

ISBN 9789715502092


1896 – In the last days of August, Bonifacio called Katipunan members to a mass gathering inCaloocan, where they decided to start a nationwide armed revolution against Spain.The event wasmarked by a mass tearing of cedulas (community tax certificates) accompanied by patriotic cries.The exact date and location are disputed, but two possibilities have been officially endorsed by thePhilippine government: August 26 in Balintawak and later, August 23 in Pugad Lawin. Thus the eventis called the "Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of Pugad Lawin". However the issue is further complicated byother dates such as August 24 and 25 and other locations such as Kankong. Reference

Cristobal, Adrian (2005) [1997],

The Tragedy of the Revolution,

University of the Philippines

Press, ISBN 971-542-471-6

First Katipunan (Bonifacio’s) flag first flown July 7,1892


1892 – (July) Jose Rizal was implicated in the activities of thenascent rebellion, was deported to Dapitan in the province ofZamboanga, a peninsula of Mindanao. There he built a school, ahospital and a water supply system, and taught and engaged infarming and horticulture.

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

Born June 19, 1861

1896 - the rebellion fomented by the Katipunan had become a fullblown revolution, proving to be a nationwide uprising and leading tothe first proclamation of a democratic republic in Asia. To dissociatehimself, Rizal volunteered and was given leave by the Gobernador-General, Ramon Blanco, to serve in Cuba to minister to victims ofyellow fever. Blanco later was to present his sash and sword to theRizal family as an apology for the arrest of Rizal.

Before he left Dapitan, Rizal issued a refraction disavowing therevolution and declaring that the education of Filipinos and theirachievement of a national identity were prerequisites to freedom.

Ramón Blanco y Erenas, marqués de Peña Plata

(1833 – 1906)Term: 1893-Dec 13, 1896


Reference

Zaide, Gregorio F. (2003) Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings

of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. Manila: National Bookstore.

ISBN 9710805207

Rizal was arrested en route to Havana, imprisonedin Barcelona, and sent back to Manila to stand trial. Hewas implicated in the revolution through his associationwith members of the Katipunan and was to be triedbefore a military tribunal for rebellion, sedition, andconspiracy. During the entire passage, he wasunchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and hadmany opportunities to escape but refused to do so. Rizalwas convicted on all three charges and sentenced todeath. Blanco, who was sympathetic to Rizal, had beenforced out of office, and the friars had intercalatedCamilo de Polavieja in his place, sealing Rizal's fate. Hewas found guilty of all charges and sentenced to die byfiring squad. While awaiting execution, he was held in acell at Fort Santiago where he wrote Mi Ultimo Adios.

Jose Rizal was imprisoned in the fort before hisexecution.. The site features his cell and other artifacts.Embedded onto the ground in bronze, his finalfootsteps representing the walk from his cell to thelocation of the actual execution.

Photography is prohibited inside the building that houses artifacts ofRizal’s imprisonment.


1896 – (December 30) Execution of Jose Rizal atBagumbayan (Luneta), present day site of Rizal Park, inthe City of Manila.

Record Photograph of the Execution of Jose Rizal (encircled)

1897 – The Katipunan-Magdalo movement of Caviteunder self-appointed general, Emilio Aguinaldo andanother Cavite faction, the Magdiwang, was embroiled ina power struggle as to who would lead the formation of aRevolutionary Government.

Andres Bonifacio, the original founder of the Katipunan, considered his movement tobe the Revolutionary Government, but nevertheless, he acquiesced and presided overelections held during the Tejeros Convention held in Tejeros, Cavite on March 22, 1897.

Away from his power base, Bonifacio lost the leadership to Aguinaldo and wasappointed by him to a lesser position in the revolutionary cabinet. Insulted, Bonifaciodeclared the Convention null and void, and sought to return to his power base in Morong(present-day Rizal Province), He and his party were intercepted by Aguinaldo's men andviolence resulted which left Bonifacio seriously wounded. Bonifacio was charged, triedand found guilty of treason by a Cavite military tribunal, and sentenced to death.

After some vacillation, Aguinaldo confirmed the death sentence and Bonifacio wasexecuted on May 10, 1897 in the mountains of Maragondon in Cavite, even as Aguinaldoand his forces were retreating in the face of Spanish assault. Aguinaldo is officiallyconsidered the first President of the Philippines.

Andres Bonifacio y de Castro

Nov 30, 1863 - May 10, 1897

Emilio Aguinaldo y FamyMar 22, 1869 – Feb 6, 1964

Reference

Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984) Philippine

History and Government. National

Bookstore Printing Press


The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December14, 1897, created a truce between Spanish ColonialGovernor - General Fernando Primo de Rivera andEmilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution.Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were givenamnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanishgovernment in return for which the RevolutionaryGovernment would go into voluntary exile in HongKong. Aguinaldo would later use the money topurchase firearms.

Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers Encampment Biak-na-Bato, Bulacan Dec 27, 1897

Delegates to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato

Seated. L to R, Pedro Paterno, mediator, and General Emilio Aguinaldo.Standing, L to R, rebel leaders Isabelo Artacho, Baldomero Aguinaldo,Severino de las Alas, Antonio Montenegro and Vito Belarmino. (Paternobecame one of the founders, and Montenegro a founding member, of thepro-American Partido Federal when it was organized on Dec. 23, 1900.)

Filipino exiles in Hong Kong, photo taken in early 1898: EmilioAguinaldo (arrow) led 36 other revolutionary leaders includingGregorio del Pilar into exile in the British colony


On-line reference

Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American Warhttp://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/

1898 – (April 21) Start of Spanish-American Warfollowing the sinking, on February 15 in Havana Harbor,of the battleship USS Maine.

1898 - (May 19) Aguinaldo returned to the Philippinesand he immediately resumed revolutionary activitiesagainst the Spaniards, now receiving verbalencouragement from emissaries of the U. S. In a matter ofmonths, revolutionary forces conquered nearly all ofSpanish-held territories, with the exception of Manila,which was completely surrounded. The Filipinos nowcontrolled the Philippines. Aguinaldo also turned over15,000 Spanish prisoners to the Americans, offering themvaluable intelligence. Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers, 1898

Soldiers in dark uniforms were formerly indigenous Spanishcolonial troops who crossed over to the revolutionary side.


Spanish Colonial Soldiers Prisoners of WarCavite, 1897

Malolos Convention

June 12 - Aguinaldo declared independence fromSpain at his house in Cavite El Viejo. The declaration,however, was not recognized by the United States orSpain, as the Spanish government ceded the Philippinesto the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris.Tensions between the Philippine RevolutionaryGovernment and the American government existedbecause of the conflicting movements for independenceand colonization, aggravated by feelings of betrayal onthe part of Aguinaldo.

1899 – (March 23) The insurgent First PhilippineRepublic formally established with the proclamation ofthe Malolos Convention in Malolos, Bulacan.

June 2 – The Malolos Congress declared war on theUnited States, with Pedro Paterno, President ofCongress, issuing a Proclamation of War. The datemarked the beginning of the Philippine-American War,which ensued between 1899 and 1902.

On-line reference



1899 – (February 4) Armedconflict began when a Filipinosoldier was shot by an Americansentry at San Juan Bridge. In 2003,the Philippine National HistoricalInstitute found the incident actuallyhappened in Sociego and Silenciostreets in Santa Mesa, Manila.

1901 – (March 23) Captureand surrender of Emilio Aguinaldoto the American forces in Palanan,Isabela, which effectively dissolvedthe First Philippine Republic.

Present day corner of Sociego and Silencio Streets, Santa Mesa District, Manila. TheNational Historical Institute placed two plaques (in English and in Filipino)marking this spot as the scene of the first shot that sparked the Philippine-AmericanWar. The plaque in English states: "Here at 9:00 in the evening of February 4th, 1899,Private William Grayson of the First Nebraska Volunteers fired the shot that startedthe Filipino-American War.”


Official end to the war. The Philippine Organic Act ofJuly 1902 approved, ratified, and confirmed by U.S.President McKinley's Executive Order establishing thePhilippine Commission and stipulated that a legislaturewould be established composed of a lower house, thePhilippine Assembly, which would be popularly elected, andan upper house consisting of the Philippine Commission.The act also provided for extending the United States Bill ofRights to Filipinos.

On July 2 the Secretary of War telegraphed that theinsurrection against the sovereign authority of the U.S.having come to an end, and provincial civil governmentshaving been established, the office of U.S. Military governorwas terminate

On July 4 Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded tothe U.S. Presidency after the assassination of PresidentMcKinley on September 5, 1901, proclaimed a full andcomplete pardon and amnesty to all people in thePhilippine archipelago who had participated in the conflict.This date marked the beginning of American annexation ofthe Philippines.

Artist rendition of the capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela

Macabebe Scouts who helped capture Emilio Aguinaldo On-line reference



From the very beginning, United States presidents and theirrepresentatives in the islands defined their colonial mission as tutelage:preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. Except for a smallgroup of "retentionists," the issue was not whether the Philippineswould be granted self-rule, but when and under what conditions.

Cultural Impact. Then U.S. President McKinley, in his instructions tothe First Philippine Commission in 1898 (more popularly known as theTaft Commission), ordered the establishment of a public school systemand the use of the Philippine languages as well as English forinstructional purposes.

The American administrators, finding the local languages to be toonumerous and too difficult to learn and write teaching materials in,ended up with a monolingual system in English with no attention paid tothe other Philippine languages except for the token statementconcerning the necessity of using them eventually for the system.

William Howard TaftFirst Civil Governor

In officeJul 4, 1901 - Feb 1, 1904

President William McKinley 25th. President

In officeMar 4, 1897 – Sep 14, 1901


The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines onAugust 12, 1901 to establish a new public schoolsystem in the American model, to teach basiceducation and to train Filipino teachers. ThePhilippines had enjoyed a public school system since1863, when a Spanish decree first introduced publicelementary education in the Philippines.TheThomasites expanded and improved the publicschool system, and switched to English as themedium of instruction.

The name “Thomasite” was derived from the transport vessel, the USS Thomas that brought them to the shores of Manila Bay. By 1902, there will be a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines.

Filipino students and Thomasite teacher (arrow), 1901

Students, Philippine Normal High School, ca. 1900sThe public school system introduced after the passage of the “TaftCommission” in 1902 made it possible for a large number of school-ageFilipino to acquire education beyond the 6th grade. Before the arrival of theThomasites, some American soldiers were used as teachers.

Reference

Karnow, Stanley. In Our Image: America’s Empire in

the Philippines, Ballantine Books, Random House, Inc., March 3, 1990, ISBN 0-345-32816-7

On-line reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomasites


1932 – (December) United StatesCongress passed the Hare-Hawes-CuttingAct with the premise of granting Filipinosindependence. Provisions of the billincluded reserving several military andnaval bases for the United States, as wellas imposing tariffs and quotas onPhilippine exports. Finding it toorestrictive, it was vetoed by PresidentHerbert Hoover but Congress overrode hisveto in 1933 and passed the bill. The bill,however, was opposed by the thenPhilippine Senate President Manuel L.Quezon and was also rejected by thePhilippine Senate.

Franklin D. Roosevelt32nd President of the United States (D)

In officeMarch 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945

Herbert Clark Hoover31st President of the United States (R)

In officeMarch 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933


1934 – (March 24) The Tydings–McDuffie Act(officially the Philippine Independence Act; Public Law 73-127) was approved, a United States federal law, whichprovided for self-government of the Philippines and forFilipino independence (from the United States) after aperiod of 10 years. It was authored by Maryland SenatorMilard Tydings and Alabama Representative JohnMcDuffie. Philippine Senate President Manuel Quezonheaded a "Philippine Independence mission" toWashington, DC that successfully secured the act'spassage in Congress.

The act provided for the drafting and guidelines of aConstitution for a 10-year "transitional period" whichbecame the government of the Commonwealth of thePhilippines before the granting of Philippineindependence, during which the United States wouldmaintain military forces in the Philippines.

Signing of the Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth, Washington, DC, March 23, 1935

Seated left to right: George H. Dern, Secretary of War; PresidentFranklin Roosevelt, signing documents; Manuel L. Quezon, PhilippineSenate President.

Reference

Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,

All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4

Furthermore, during this period the President of the United States was granted the power to call intomilitary service all military forces of the Philippine government. The act also permitted themaintenance of US naval bases within this region, for two years after independence. The actreclassified all Filipinos that were living in the United States as aliens for the purposes ofimmigration to America. Filipinos were no longer allowed to come legally to the US as migrantworkers, and a quota of 50 immigrants per year was established.


Manuel Quezon won the Philippine's first national presidential election under thebanner of the Nacionalista Party. He obtained nearly 68% of the vote against his twomain rivals, Emilio Aguinaldo and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay.

1935 – (November 15) The Commonwealth of the Philippines was officiallyinaugurated with Quezon as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines andSergio Osmeña as Vice President. During this period, the Commonwealth exercisedsemi-independence in its territories. It marked the end of the colonial eras as well asthe transition of the name of the Philippines from the plural "Las Islas Filipinas" or"Philippine Islands" of the Spanish and American colonial periods, to the singular,"Philippines.“

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina

Born Aug 19, 1878Baler, Tayabas

Died Aug 1, 1944 Saranac Lake, New York

Sergio Osmeña y Suico Born Sep 9, 1878

Cebu City

Died Oct 19, 1961Quezon City, Philippines

Emilio Aguinaldo Gregorio Aglipay


Pre-World War II Years (1939-40). The newgovernment embarked on ambitious nation-building policies in preparation for economic andpolitical independence. These included nationaldefense (such as the National Defense Act of1935, which organized a conscription for servicein the country), greater control over the economy,the perfection of democratic institutions, reformsin education, improvement of transport, thepromotion of local capital, industrialization, andthe “colonization” of Mindanao, which up to thistime have resisted any outside control of thepredominantly muslim population.

However, other uncertainties, especially inthe diplomatic and military situation in SoutheastAsia, in the level of U.S. commitment to the futureRepublic of the Philippines, and in the economydue to the Great Depression, proved to be majorproblems. The situation was further complicatedby the presence of agrarian unrest, and of powerstruggles between Osmeña and Quezon,especially after Quezon was permitted to be re-elected after one six-year term.

President Manuel L. Quezon deliver his inaugural address, November15, 1935. The ceremonies were held on the steps of the LegislativeBuilding in Manila. The event was attended by a crowd of around300,000.

Reference

Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,

All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4


1941 – (July 25) U.S. Secretary of WarHenry Stimson requested that PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt issue orders calling themilitary forces of the Commonwealth intoactive service for the United States. Stimsonexplained, "All practical steps should be takento increase the defensive strength of thePhilippine Islands.“ On July 31, 1941 thePhilippine Department had 22,000 troopsassigned, 12,000 of whom were PhilippineScouts. The main component was thePhilippine Division, under the command ofMajor General Jonathan Wainwright. BetweenJuly and December 1941 the garrisonreceived 8,500 reinforcements consisting ofadditional aircrafts and crews for air defenseof the islands.

December 7 - Japan launched surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, onDecember 8, Japanese aircrafts bombed Clark Airbase, Sangley Point Naval Station and othermilitary targets in the Philippines.

Philippine Scouts Soldiers, Fort McKinley, 1937

Established as an integral part of the United States Army, theyfought valiantly alongside American troops in WWII.


The Commonwealth government drafted thePhilippine Army into the U.S. Army Forces FarEast, which would resist Japanese invasion.

President Quezon declared Manila an opencity to prevent its destruction, and waseventually occupied by the Japanese on January2, 1942. Meanwhile, battles against theJapanese continued on the Bataan Peninsula,Corregidor, and parts of the Visayan Islands untilthe final surrender of United States andPhilippine forces.

Gen Douglas MacArthur during ceremonies inducting the Philippine ArmyAir Corps into the USAFE. Camp Murphy, August 15, 1941

Manila declared “open city” to save it from destruction.

Reference

Duffy, Bernard K; Carpenter,Ronald H. (1997), Douglas

MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith,Greenwood Press

On-line referencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military history of

the Philippines


February 1942 – PresidentQuezon and Vice President Osmeñawere escorted by troops from Manilato Corregidor, and later they wereevacuated to Australia and then tothe United States. During this exile,Quezon became ill with tuberculosisand died August 1, 1944 in inSaranac Lake, New York. VicePresident Osmeña replaced him aspresident.

1942 – (March 12) As the Battle of Bataan raged on, General MacArthur, his family, and severalUSAFFE staff officers left Corregidor for Mindanao aboard four PT boats and was eventually flownto Australia where he broadcasted to the Filipino people his famous "I Shall Return" promise.MacArthur's departure marked the end of the USAFFE and by 22 March, the defending army wasrenamed United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) and Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright wasplaced in command.

General Edward P.King surrenders American and Filipino forces on Bataan.April 9, 1942Image retrieved from http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm


The Battle of Bataan represented the mostintense phase of Japan’s invasion of the Philippines.The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial toJapan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seizethe resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect itsSoutheast Asia flank.

1942 – (April 9) Fall of Bataan – Maj Gen.Edward P.King met with Maj Gen. Kameichiro Naganoand after several hours of negotiations, theremaining weary, starving and emaciated Americanand Filipino defenders on the battle-swept Bataanpeninsula surrendered. It was the largest surrenderin American and Filipino military history, and was thelargest American surrender since the AmericanRevolution.

Japanese soldiers guard Allied prisoners

of war captured after the fall of Bataan. April 9, 1942Image retrieved from

http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm

The Bataan Death March: All told, approximately 5,000 – 10,000Filipino and 600 – 650 American prisoners of war died.Image retrieved from:http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm

Reference

Morton, Louis (First Printed 1953) War in the

Pacific: THE FALL OF THE HILIPPINES

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,

Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402

On-line reference

http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/52/5-2_Contents.htm


Fall of Corregidor - (May 6, 1942- After weeks ofconstant Japanese bombardment, Lt. Gen JonathanWainwright finally surrendered the Corregidor garrison atabout 1:30 pm. Corregidor, the “Gibraltar of the East” hasfallen and marked the fall of the Philippines. More than twobrutal years occupation follows.

General Jonathan Wainwright negotiating withJapanese General Homma the surrender ofCorregidor and all American forces in thePhilippines.Image retrieved from


Japanese soldiers hauling down the American flag after the fall ofCorregidor.Image retrieved from http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm

American and Filipino soldiers surrenders in front ofMalinta Tunnel on Corregidor.Image retrieved from


Reference

Keats J. 1990. They Fought Alone. Time Life. ISBN 08099485559

(reissue of 1963 book on Fertig's guerrilla operation)

On-line reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_Parsons


1943 – (October 14) The Second Philippine Republic, otherwiseknown as the “Puppet Government” was established in October 14,1943 under Japanese occupation. The Japanese-sponsoredgovernment headed by President Jose P. Laurel with BenignoAquino, Sr. as Vice President proved to be unpopular. Laurel wasnot subsequently officially recognized as a Philippine presidentuntil the administration of Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965)

Jose P. Laurel

1944 – (October 20) The campaign to liberate thePhilippines began with the landing of U.S. forces on theeastern shore of Palo, Leyte.south of Luzon. General DouglasMacArthur came ashore to fulfill his promise to the Filipinopeople of “I Shall Return.” The campaign, which includedfierce, and decisive land and naval battles in and around thePhilippines continued until the Japanese surrender onSeptember 2, 1945.

General MacArthur returns to the Philippines


Filipinos welcome the liberators

Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita surrenders all Japanese forces in the Philippines.

General Yamashita was tried and found guilty of war crimes. On 23February 1946, at Los Baños Prison Camp, 30 miles south of Manila,Tomoyuki Yamashita was hanged.

Bombing of Manila by American aircrafts. The Battle of Manila from 3 February to 3 March 1945 waspart of the Philippines' 1945 campaign. The one-month battle,which culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total devastationof the city, was the scene of the worst urban fighting in thePacific theater, and ended almost three years of Japanesemilitary occupation.

Reference

Retaking the Philippines: America's Return to

Corregidor and Bataan, October 1944-March 1945 by

William B. Breur (1986) St. Martin’s Press

On-line reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manila_(1945)


On July 4, 1946, representatives of the United States of America andof the Republic of the Philippines signed a Treaty of General Relationsbetween the two governments. The treaty provided for the recognition ofthe independence of the Republic of the Philippines as of July 4, 1946,and the relinquishment of American sovereignty over the PhilippineIslands.

The Philippines celebrates its Independence Day in recognition ofJune 12, 1898, when the Philippines declared its independence fromSpain, although its independence was not recognized until July 4, 1946,by the United States. From 1946 to 1962, the Philippines observedIndependence Day on July 4 each year. In 1961, President DiosdadoMacapagal reverted the holiday to the June 12 date, which up to that timehad been observed as Flag Day in the Philippines. In place of the formerIndependence Day, Macapagal created Filipino-American Friendship onJuly 4.

Filipino historians point out that independence in 1946 came withnumerous strings attached. The U.S., for example, retained dozens ofmilitary bases, including a few major ones. In addition, independence was

Another burning issue is the Bell Trade Act, which prohibited the Philippines from manufacturing or sellingany products that might "come into substantial competition" with U.S.-made goods. It further required that thePhilippine Constitution be revised to grant U.S. citizens and corporations equal access to Philippine minerals,forests, and other natural resources. But the Philippine government had little choice but to accept these termsfor independence. The U.S. Congress was threatening to withhold post-World War II rebuilding funds unless theBell Act was ratified. The Philippine Congress obliged on July 2, 1946.

The lowering of the Stars and Stripes and theraising of the Philippine National Flag, LunetaPark (now Rizal Park, Manila) July 4, 1946

qualified by legislation passed by the U.S. Congress to ensure that the Philippines would remain an economic ward of the U.S., for the time being.

EPILOGUE: The Philippines, throughout its recorded history, had endured colonization, wars,including a World War; natural disasters with tragic consequences, and its own internal strife,which continue to the present time. It rose from the ashes and ruins of WWII to slowly, butsurely, gain its footing and takes its rightful place in the community of free nations and people.The Filipinos are very much aware that freedom and the democratic process are crucial factorsin nation-building. They are a proud people, proud of their heritage, culture, their country, andthe legacy of their forbearers that is for them to safeguard. This is true of any race of people.

Cabildo Street, Manila, 1862

Spanish and a Filipina upper class, ca. 1890s

Town Fiesta, ca. 1898

Ermita Street Scene, ca. 1900

San Miguel Brewery, Manila, 1910
