AMERICAN GOVERNMENT in the

PHILIPPINES
Military Government

Civil Government

Established by US in the famous Mock The authority to govern the

Battle of Manila Bay on August 14,
Philippines was transferred from US
1898.
President to Congress through Sen.
John C. Spooner, who introduced an
LEADERS:
amendment to the Army
Appropriation Act on March 2, 1901.
Gen. Wesley Meritt First
Governor of the Military
With William H. Taft as the first
Government
Governor, the American Civil
Gen. Elwell Otis (1898-1900)
Government was inaugurated in the
succeeded the position after Gen.
Philippines on July 4, 1901.
Elwell Otis
Gen. Arthur MacArthur (19001901) the last military governor of The position of vice governor was
created on October 29, 1901 and
the Military Government.
eventually, the US Congress changed
the title of civil governor to governor
Achievements of the Government:
general on February 6, 1903.
Laid down the foundation of the
US Civil Government.
Jones Law of 1916 it is the third
Introduced the American system
organic act of the Philippines which
of education with the US Soldiers
was enacted on August 29, 1916 to
as first teachers.
give the Filipinos a political self Organized the civil courts
government. Under this law, the
including the Supreme Court, with
legislative function was transferred to
the learned Cayetano Arellano as
bicameral Philippine Legislature which
First Chief Justice.
consists of:
Established the local government
Senate Upper house (24
in towns and provinces.
members)
Conducted the first local election
Manuel Quezon-first Senate
on May 7, 1899 through Gen.
President
Henry W. Lawton.
President William McKinley created
the First Philippine Commission, the
Schurman Commission, on January
20, 1899 which was composed of:
Dr. Jacob G. Schurman Chair
Maj. Gen. Elwell Otis Military
Governor
Rear Admiral George Dewey
Commander of the US Asiatic
Squadron
Min. Charles Denby Former
American Minister to China

House of Representatives lower

house (93 members)
Sergio Osmea first speaker
of the house of Representatives
The OSROX Mission or the 6th
Independence Mission the most
successful mission led by Sergio
Osmea and Manuel Roxas that
brought home the Hare-HawesCutting Act, which would grant the
Philippine Independence after 10-year
transition period but was rejected by

Dr. Dean C. Worcester

Professor, Michigan University

On March 16, 1900, President

McKinley created the Second
Philippine Commission which was
composed of:
Judge William H. Taft Chair
Dr. Dean C. Worcester
Mr. Luke B. Wright
Mr. Henry C. Ide
Prof. Bernard Moses

the Philippine Legislature on October

17, 1933.
Tydings-McDuffie Law passed on
March 24, 1934 by the US Congress
which was the revised Hare-HawesCutting Act that provided the
Philippine Independence.
1934 Constitutional Convention
convened the Session Hall of the
House of Representatives in Manila
with Jose P. Laurel as the temporary
chairman, to preside the election of
the Con-Con Officers, elected were:
Claro M. Recto President
Ruperto Montinola First Vice
President
Teodoro Sandiko Second Vice
President
Narciso Pimentel Secretary
Narciso Diokno Sgt.-at-Arms
The Convention decided to create a
subcommittee composed of seven
members due to its large membership
and was later christened by the press
as the Seven Wise Men:
1. Filemon Sotto Chair
2. Manuel Roxas
3. Norberto Rumualdez
4. Manuel Briones
5. Miguel Cuaderno
6. Vicente Singson
Encarnacion
7. Jose P. Laurel (Conrado
Benitez)

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT in the

PHILIPPINES