Bautista, Patricia Anne D.

December 1, 2015

2014063262

2LM1

Philippines During the Pre- World War II Commonwealth Years (1935- 1941):
An Assessment
Important highlights:
The Inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth happened on November 15, 1935. For
the first time since Emilio Aguinaldo, the foremost leader of the Philippines will be a Filipino
named Manuel Luis Quezon. Quezons Vice President during that time was Sergio Osmena who
was a veteran politician. The judicial and legislative branches of the Philippine Commonwealth
of the Philippines were also headed and composed of Filipinos.
Under the terms of the Philippine Independence Act which was also known as the
Tydings- McDuffie Act, the United Stated were authorized to remain in the sovereign of the
Philippines for ten years as the Philippines prepare itself for its independence.
During the Commonwealth Period, the President of the Commonwealth government of
the Philippines was also the countrys Chief Executive. The legislative branch at the inauguration
of the Commonwealth government was the National Assembly which was a unicameral body.
Women were allowed to vote in 1935. In 1939, there were only 199, 129 registered
women voters compared to 1, 756, 843 male voters for a total of 1, 935, 972.

Meanwhile, Quezon in 1937 was already seeking second term as President of the
Philippine Commonwealth. Quezon wanted the Constitution to provide for reelection that would
allow the President to serve a total of twelve years.
Other amendments sought by Quezon were the abolition of the Electoral Commission and
the removal of the power to impeach from the National Assembly. These amendments were
clearly self- serving. The first amendment would allow him to be reelected to a second term
which enables him to stay in office for another six years. In the second, the abolition of the
Electoral Commission and the giving of electoral cases to the courts would only burden the
judiciary. In the third proposed amendment, Quezon would become a dictator.
While Quezon was seeking amendments to the Constitution, the Americans who owned
substantial interests in the Philippines urged the postponement of the countrys independence. On
the other hand, the US military urged the immediate granting of independence to the Philippines.
The initial acts of the Philippine Legislature after the inauguration of the Philippine
Commonwealth included the hectic passage of laws in preparation for the countrys
independence. The first law passed by the National Assembly under the Commonwealth was the
National Defense Act of 1935 or (CA No. 1). There were a total of 17 laws passed by the
National Assembly in the space of then days from December 21 to December 31, 1935.
The Philippine economy during the Commonwealth period was generally an uptrend
despite attempts by American interests to limit the free entry of the countrys products to the
United States. The cost of living during the commonwealth period appeared to be inexpensive if
one compares it to todays standards. The exchange rate of the US dollar to the Philippine Peso
was two pesos to a dollar. However, the level of the peoples income was very low. This means

that 82% of the countrys money was actually debt and the Philippine economy was largely run
by borrowings. In terms of urbanization, the Manila are was well- urbanized compared to the
provinces which lacked facilities like access to electricity.
There were serious problems a few months before the establishment of the Philippine
Commonwealth. Six months earlier, the Sakdalistas launched a short but violent revolt in the
provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and Nueva Ecija. The Sakdalistas belonged to a political
party called Sakdal which was founded by Benigno Pantaleon Ramos, who was Manuel
Quezons former clerk when the latter was still Senate President. Ramos campaigned against the
Tydings- McDuffie Act and the 1935 Constitution saying that the independence being worked
out by Quezon and his group was not genuine.
Years later, the Sakdal party later assumed a new name called Ganap and started to recruit
new members. The Ganaps were avowedly pro- Japanese and in their headquarters portraits of
the Emperor, the Prime Minister of Japan and top Japanese military officials were displayed. The
Sakdal rebellion was mainly caused by economic grievances and disillusionment with Quezons
politics.
In the results of the elections for the President and Vice President of the Philippine
Commonwealth, there were charges of cheating and terrorism allegedly done by Quezons camp.
Meanwhile, the Sakdal rebellion was not the only disturbance to challenge the
Commonwealth government. In 1935, a former police chief named Teodoro Asedillo took to the
hills to lead an armed revolt against the government. Asedillos men were joined by the forces of
Nicolas Encallado, a sixty- year old veteran of the Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-

American War. The Constabulary considered the Asedillo- Encallado group as mere bandits who
committed a series of murders and robberies.
The increasing restlessness of peasant and labor groups influenced by leftist elements
produced a response from conservative elements. Events outside the Philippines also influenced
actions by conservatives. Many elements of the Catholic Church sided with the secular elements
by illustrating the religious dimensions of the rising tide of the leftists.
As seen by the press, the government was perceived to be indifferent to the needs of the
people and its helplessness to come to the aid of the needy was caused by red tape.
While the Filipinos were occupied with their party politics, insurrections and official
corruption, the threat from Japan was becoming more imminent. There were difficulties however
in the military organization. Quezon and his military advisors endured a variety of harassment.
The Commonwealth government, already heavy under the shadow of Quezon, drifted towards a
complete one- man rule by the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Commonwealth period was actually a time of strife. The Commonwealth was
supposed to be the initiation of the Philippines as a democratic state. Instead it was an initiation
towards a possible dictatorship.
Reflection:
The part of the essay that touched me the most is the part where women were allowed to
vote in the year 1937. The act that women were allowed to vote during the Commonwealth
Period was a significant act because it shows that women are considered as an essential aspect of
the society. It shows that women are one of those who are under preparation during the

Commonwealth Period for the upcoming independence of the Philippines. Women were given an
opportunity to exercise their right and this is a stepping stone for unity in our society- which is
needed because unity is essential if we are seeking for independence.
Also, another part of the essay that touched me is when the Philippines had a fairly
respectable movie industry that Filipino films were also produced in English, Spanish, and
Tagalog. The fact that movies were produced in different languages signifies that other
nationalities were interested in our own work. It shows that even during the start of the
Philippines progress to independence, we were already globally competent in different fields
such as in the field of arts.
Application of the essay to our field of specialization- Legal Management:
The essay entitled Philippines During the Pre- World War II Commonwealth Years
(1935- 1941): An Assessment by Augusto V. de Viana, Ph.D. can help us have a glimpse in
detailed form of the Commonwealth Period and its laws. I have observed that the laws
implemented during that time were very timely. Laws were parallel to the needed reformation
during that time. This should applied today- that we should only pass laws that are timely, that
are relevant to the current situation of our society today. Laws that will address the current issues
in our society are needed. We dont need legislators passing laws that are irrelevant and only
administered for the sake of saying that the legislative system had passed a law.
However, I have also come across a part in the essay saying that there were a total of 17
laws passed by the National Assembly in the space of ten days from December 21 to December
31, 1935 this is quite impulsive. Laws are a sensitive matter which is why it shouldnt be taken
as impulsive as passing 17 laws in 10 days.