Philippine History

Remembering
our Past
1521 – 1946
By: Jommel P. Tactaquin
Head, Research and Documentation Section
Veterans Memorial and Historical Division
Philippine Veterans Affairs Office
The Philippine Historic Past
The Philippines, because of its geographical location, became embroiled in what historians
refer to as a search for new lands to expand European empires – thinly disguised as the
search for exotic spices. In the early 1400’s, Portugese explorers discovered the abundance
of many different resources in these “new lands” heretofore unknown to early European
geographers and explorers. The Portugese are quickly followed by the Dutch, Spaniards,
and the British, looking to establish colonies in the East Indies.
The Philippines was discovered in 1521 by Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and
colonized by Spain from 1565 to 1898. Following the Spanish – American War, it became a
territory of the United States. On July 4, 1946, the United States formally recognized
Philippine independence which was declared by Filipino
revolutionaries from Spain.
Although not the first to set foot on Philippine soil, the first well
document arrival of Europeans in the archipelago was the Spanish expedition
led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, which first sighted the mountains of
Samara. At Masao, Butuan, (now in Augustan del Norte), he solemnly planted a cross on the
summit of a hill overlooking the sea and claimed possession of the islands he had seen for Spain.
Magellan befriended Raja Humabon, the chieftain of Sugbu (present day Cebu), and converted
him to Catholicism. After getting involved in tribal rivalries, Magellan, with 48 of his men and
1,000 native warriors, invaded Mactan Island. Magellan seriously underestimated the strength of
Datu Lapu-Lapu’s forces. Grossly outnumbered he and 14 of his soldiers were killed.
Ferdinand Magellan mission for Spain to find a westward route to the Moluccas Islands. On
Born 1480 Sabrosa, Portugal
Died April 27, 1521 (aged 40–41) Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521, at Masao, Butuan, (now in Augusan del
Cebu, Philippines
Other names Norte), he solemnly planted a cross and claimed the island for Spain,
Portugese: Fernão de Magalhães
Spanish: Hernando de Magallanes
naming them Islas de San Lazaro.
Known for: Captained the first
circumnavigation of the world.
1521 – (March 17)

Magellan sighted
the mountains of
what is now
Samar while on a
Reference Reference
Zweig,Over
Bergreen, Lawrence (October 14, 2003). Stefan,
The "Conqueror of the Seas – The Story of
Magellan", 2007, ISBN 1406760064
Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying
Circumnavigation of
the Globe.
On the morning of April 27, 1521, Magellan sailed to

Mactan to confront the rebellious Datu Lapu-Lapu. During
the resulting Battle of Mactan with hostile natives led by
Lapu-Lapu, Magellan was killed. His body was never
recovered. A shrine has been built in his honor near the battle
site.
Reference
Agoncillo, Teodoro (2006) Introduction to Filipino History.
Garotech Publishing, and David Hawthorne (1964).
Ferdinand Magellan. Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Statue of Lapu-lapu
Reference
Noone, Martín J. The Discovery and Conquest of the
Manila
Philippines 1521-1581, 1983 galleon or
Galeones de
1565 – Colonization of the Philippines began with the arrival of Manila-Acapulco
Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi from Nueva España (present service was
day Mexico) and formed the first European settlements in Cebu. The inaugurated
colony was administered through the Viceroyalty of Nueva España providing passage
until 1821 when Mexican patriots seceded from the Spanish Empire. once or twice per
After 1821, the colony was governed directly from Spain. year across the
Pacific Ocean
Reference between Manila
De Morga , Antonio. (2004). “History of the Philippine Islands". Volume 1 and 2.
The Project Gutenberg, or go to and Spain via
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Lopez_de_Legazpi
Nueva España.
This was made
possible with the
April 27, 1565 – August 20,

discovery of the ocean passage by Andrés de Urdaneta, and continued 1572 Born 1502
Zumarraga, Guipuzcoa,
until 1815 when the Mexican Revolution put a permanent stop to the Spain
galleon trade route. Died August 20, 1572
Manila, Philippines
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 office
Born 1721, Bristol, United

Kingdom Died
January 8, 1787
Known for: Conquer of
Manila, losing
Minorca
Filipinos were
the earliest Asians
to cross the Pacific
Saint Malo Settlement as appeared in Harper's Weekly, 1883
Ocean for the New
World because of
the Manila galleon
trade between
Nueva España and
Las Islas Filipinas
from 1565 to
1815. Many
jumped ship to
Sir William Draper escape brutal
treatment after having been “exploited and impressed into service” to the agreement
and “forced to become woodcutters, shipbuilders, crewmen and of Treaty of Paris
munitions workers.” Filipinos, the majority entering Louisiana directly at the end of
by galleons from Mexico, followed the mule trail to Seven Years War.
Veracruz and other Mexican ports and crossed the Gulf of Mexico to The British ended
Louisiana where they established settlements such as St. Malo on the their rule on April,
swamps south of Lake Borgne in St. Bernard County, and Manila Village 1762.
on the marshland on Barataria Bay in the Mississippi Delta by the Gulf R
e
of Mexico. f
Reference e
FILIPINOS: Forgotten Asian r
Americans by Fred Cordova e
n
c
e
1762 – (October 30) Archbishop Manuel Antonio Rojo del Rio y T
Vieyra, Bishop of Manila and representative of the Spanish Real r
a
Audencia, following the death of the Gobernador-General, Don Pedro c
y
Manuel de Arandia, surrendered the Philippines to the British pursuant ,
Nicholas (1995), T
Manila Ransomed: h
e
Martín de Goiti was a Spanish Basque Conquistador and
founder of the city of Manila. Goiti was one of the soldiers who
accompanied the Spanish colonization of the East Indies in 1565.
He was the leader of the 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. Goiti is 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 Nuestra

Señora Reina de los Angeles, now the City of Los Angeles, probably
was 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
and advocate the Filipino cause at the Spanish parliament. They published a newspaper, La
Solidaridad, headed by Graciano Jaena.
1863 – Queen Isabella of Spain decreed the establishment of a
public school system in the Spanish model leading to an increasing
number of educated indios and criollos or Insulares, (Spaniards born
in the Philippines), creating a class of citizens called Ilustrados.
The Ilustrados originally clamored for adequate representation
to the Spanish Cortes and later for independence. Jose Rizal, the
most celebrated intellectual and radical Ilustrado of the era, wrote
the novels “Noli mi Tangere", and “El Filibusterismo", which greatly
inspired the movement for independence. The Katipunan, a secret
militant society, was founded by Andres Bonifacio. Its primary
purpose was the overthrow of Spanish rule in the Philippines.
On-line reference On-line reference
http://people.cohums.ohiostate.edu/grimsley1/milhis/phil.htm http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28063.htm
La Solidaridad was an organization 1872 – Mass deportation occurred of nationalists to the Isla los
created in 1888 in Spain to represent
Ladrones (present day Guam) and Europe creating a Filipino
1881-1896: The creation of a Filipino Consciousness (1997 ed.) Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
expatriate community of ISBN 9789715502092
reformers abroad. The
community grew within
the next generation of
Ilustrados taking
graduate studies in
European universities.
They allied themselves
with Spanish liberals,
most notably a certain
Spanish senator named
Morayta of Madrid and
formed La Solidaridad.
Reference
Schumacher, John N.
(1973). The Propaganda
Movement,
The desire to form a purely Filipino organization was

fulfilled on December 13, 1888 with the establishment in
Barcelona of La Solidaridad. This organization was sort of a rival
of Morayta's Madrid group although the two organizations
joined together in a petition addressed to the Minister of the
Colonies asking for representation in the Cortes, abolition of
censorship of the press, and prohibition of the
Graciano Lopez Jaena practice 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
Lope Jaena, vice president, and Mariano
Ponce, treasurer. Rizal, in London at the
time, was named Honorary President.
Unfortunately, Apacible could not hold
the wrangling reformists together. It took the prestige of Rizal
and the political wisdom of Marcelo del Pilar to unite the

Filipinos in Spain and to coordinate their efforts.
Mariano Ponce
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
Marcelo del Pilar

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

1896 – In the last days of August, Bonifacio called Katipunan members to a mass gathering in
Caloocan, where they decided to start a nationwide armed revolution against Spain.The event
was marked 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 the Philippine government: August 26 in Balintawak and later, August 23 in Pugad Lawin. Thus
the event is called the "Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of Pugad
Lawin". However the issue is further complicated by Cristobal, Reference
Adrian (2005) [1997],
other dates such as August 24 and 25 and other University of the Philippines Press,
The Tragedy of the Revolution,
locations such as Kankong. ISBN 971-542-471-6
1892 – (July) Jose Rizal was implicated in the activities of the

nascent rebellion, was deported to Dapitan in the province of
Zamboanga, a peninsula of Mindanao. There he built a school, a
hospital and a water supply system, and taught and engaged in
farming and horticulture.
the first proclamation of a democratic republic in Asia. To

dissociate himself, Rizal volunteered and was given leave by
the GobernadorGeneral, Ramon Blanco, to serve in Cuba to
minister to victims of yellow fever. Blanco later was to present
his sash and sword to the Rizal family as an apology for the
arrest of Rizal.
Before he left Dapitan, Rizal issued a refraction

disavowing the revolution and declaring that the education of
Filipinos and their achievement of a national identity were
prerequisites to freedom.
Ramón Blanco y
Erenas,
marqué
s de
Peña
Plata
(1833 – 1906)
Term: 1893-Dec 13, 1896
Rizal was arrested en route to Havana, imprisoned

in Barcelona, and sent back to Manila to stand trial. He
was implicated in the revolution through his association
with members of the Katipunan and was to be tried
before a military tribunal for rebellion, sedition, and
conspiracy. During the entire passage, he was
unchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and had
many opportunities to escape but refused to do so.
Rizal was convicted on all three charges and sentenced
to death. Blanco, who was sympathetic to Rizal, had
Jose Rizal was imprisoned in the fort before his
execution.. The site features his cell and other been forced out of office, and the friars had
artifacts. intercalated Camilo de Polavieja in his place, sealing
Embedded onto the ground in bronze, his final
footsteps representing the walk from his cell to the Rizal's fate. He was found guilty of all charges and
location of the actual execution. sentenced to die by firing squad. While awaiting
Photography is prohibited inside the building that houses artifacts of
Rizal’s imprisonment. execution, he was held in a cell at Fort Santiago where
he wrote Mi Ultimo Adios.
Reference Zaide, Gregorio F. (2003) Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings of a
Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. Manila: National Bookstore.
ISBN 9710805207
1896 – (December 30) Execution of Jose Rizal at Bagumbayan (Luneta), present day site of
Rizal Park, in the City of Manila.
1897 – The Katipunan-Magdalo movement of Cavite under self-appointed general, Emilio
Aguinaldo and another Cavite faction, the Magdiwang, was embroiled in a power struggle as to
who would lead the formation of a Revolutionary Government.
Record Photograph of the Execution of Jose Rizal (encircled)

Andres Bonifacio, the original founder of the Katipunan, considered his and presided
movement to be the Revolutionary Government, but nevertheless, he acquiesced over
Boo
elections held during the Tejeros Convention held in Tejeros, Cavite on March 22, ksto
1897. re
Prin
Away from his power base, Bonifacio lost the leadership to Aguinaldo and was ting
Pre
appointed by him to a lesser position in the revolutionary cabinet. Insulted, Bonifacio ss
declared the Convention null and void, and sought to return to his power base in Andres Bonifacio y
de Castro
Morong (present-day Rizal Province), He and his party were intercepted by Nov 30, 1863 - May 10,
1897
Aguinaldo's men and violence resulted which left Bonifacio seriously wounded.
Bonifacio was charged, tried and found guilty of treason by a Cavite military tribunal,
and sentenced to death.
After some vacillation, Aguinaldo confirmed the death sentence and Bonifacio
was executed on May 10, 1897 in the mountains of Maragondon in Cavite, even as
Aguinaldo and his forces were retreating in the face of Spanish assault. Aguinaldo is
officially considered the first President of the Philippines.
Reference Emilio Aguinaldo y
Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984) Philippine Famy Mar 22, 1869 – Feb
History and Government. National 6, 1964
Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers Encampment

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897, created a truce between Spanish
Colonial Governor - General Fernando Primo de Rivera and Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine
Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary
indemnity by the Spanish government in return for which the Revolutionary Government would
go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong. Aguinaldo would later use the money to purchase firearms.
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. (Paterno became one of the founders,
and Montenegro a founding member, of the pro-American Partido Federal when
it was organized on Dec. 23, 1900.)
Filipino exiles in Hong Kong, photo taken in early 1898: Emilio

Aguinaldo (arrow) led 36 other revolutionary leaders including
Gregorio del Pilar into exile in the British colony
1898 – (April 21) Start of Spanish-American War following the sinking, on February 15 in
Havana Harbor, of the battleship USS Maine.
On-line reference
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
1898 - (May 19) Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines and he immediately resumed
revolutionary activities against the Spaniards, now receiving verbal encouragement from
emissaries of the U. S. In a matter of months, revolutionary forces conquered nearly all of
Spanish-held territories, with the exception of Manila, which was completely surrounded. The
Filipinos now controlled the Philippines. Aguinaldo also turned over 15,000 Spanish prisoners to
the Americans, offering them valuable intelligence.
Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers, 1898

Soldiers in dark uniforms were formerly
indigenous Spanish colonial troops who crossed
over to the revolutionary side.
June 12 - Aguinaldo declared independence

from Spain at his house in Cavite El Viejo. The
declaration, however, was not recognized by the
United States or Spain, as the Spanish government
ceded the Philippines to the United States in the
1898 Treaty of Paris. Tensions between the
Philippine Revolutionary Government and the
American government existed because of the
conflicting movements for independence and
colonization, aggravated by feelings of betrayal on
Spanish Colonial Soldiers Prisoners of War the part of Aguinaldo.
Cavite, 1897
1899 – (March 23) The insurgent First

Philippine Republic formally established with the
proclamation of the Malolos Convention in Malolos,
Bulacan.
June 2 – The Malolos Congress declared war on

the United States, with Pedro Paterno, President of
Congress, issuing a Proclamation of War. The date
marked the beginning of the Philippine-American
War, which ensued between 1899 and 1902.
Malolos Convention
On-line reference
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War
http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
1899 – (February 4) Armed conflict

began when a Filipino soldier was shot by
an American sentry at San Juan Bridge. In
2003, the Philippine National Historical
Institute found the incident actually
happened in Sociego and Silencio streets
in Santa Mesa, Manila.
1901 – (March 23) Capture and

surrender of Emilio Aguinaldo to the
American forces in Palanan, Isabela,
which effectively dissolved the First
Philippine Republic.
Present day corner of Sociego and Silencio Streets, Santa Mesa District, Manila. The
National Historical Institute placed two plaques (in English and in Filipino) marking
this spot as the scene of the first shot that sparked the Philippine-American War.
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 started
the Filipino-American War.”
Artist rendition of the capture of Aguinaldo in
Palanan, Isabela
Official end to the war. The Philippine Organic Act of July 1902 approved, ratified, and
confirmed by U.S. President McKinley's Executive Order establishing the Philippine Commission
and stipulated that a legislature would be established composed of a lower house, the Philippine
Assembly, which would be popularly elected, and an upper house consisting of the Philippine
Commission. The act also provided for extending the United

States Bill of Rights to Filipinos.
On July 2 the Secretary of War telegraphed that the
insurrection against the sovereign authority of the U.S. having
come to an end, and provincial civil governments having been
established, the office of U.S. Military governor was terminate
On July 4 Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded to the
U.S. Presidency after the assassination of President McKinley
on September 5, 1901, proclaimed a full and complete pardon
and amnesty to all people in the
Philippine archipelago who had participated in the conflict. This date marked the beginning of
American annexation of the Philippines.
Macabebe Scouts who helped capture Emilio Aguinaldo
On-line reference
Arnaldo Dumindin, Spanish-American War http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/
From the very beginning, United States presidents and their concerning the
representatives in the islands defined their colonial mission as tutelage: necessity of using
preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. Except for a small them eventually for
group of "retentionists," the issue was not whether the Philippines the system.
would be granted self-rule, but when and under what conditions.
Cultural Impact. Then U.S. President McKinley, in his instructions to

the First Philippine Commission in 1898 (more popularly known as the
Taft Commission), ordered the establishment of a public school system
and the use of the Philippine languages as well as English for
instructional purposes.
The American administrators, finding the local languages to be too
numerous and too difficult to learn and write teaching materials in, President William McKinley
ended up with a monolingual system in English with no attention paid to 25th. President
In office
the other Philippine languages except for the token statement Mar 4, 1897 – Sep 14, 1901
William Howard Taft

First Civil Governor
In office
Jul 4, 1901 - Feb 1, 1904
Filipino students and Thomasite teacher (arrow), 1901

The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August 12, 1901 to establish a new public
school system in the American model, to teach basic education and to train Filipino teachers. The
Philippines had enjoyed a public school system since 1863, when a Spanish decree first
introduced public elementary education in the Philippines.The Thomasites expanded and
improved the public school system, and switched to English as the medium 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.
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
Students, Philippine Normal High School, ca. 1900s
On-line reference
The public school system introduced after the passage of the “Taft
Commission” in 1902 made it possible for a large number of school-age Herbert Clark Hoover
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomasites
Filipino to acquire education beyond the 6th grade. Before the arrival of the 31st President of the United States (R
Thomasites, some American soldiers were used as teachers. In office
March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933
1932 – (December) United States Congress
passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the
premise of granting Filipinos independence.
Provisions of the bill included reserving several
military and naval bases for the United States,
as well as imposing tariffs and quotas on
Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd President of the United States (D )
In office
March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945
Philippine exports. Finding it too restrictive, it was vetoed by President Herbert Hoover but
Congress overrode his veto in 1933 and passed the bill. The bill, however, was opposed by the
then Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and was also rejected by the
Philippine Senate.
Seated left to right: George H. Dern, Secretary of War; President Franklin Roosevelt, signing documents;
Manuel L. Quezon, Philippine Senate President.
1934 – (March 24) The Tydings–McDuffie

Act
(officially the Philippine Independence Act; Public Law
73127) was approved, a United States federal law, which
provided for self-government of the Philippines and for
Filipino independence (from the United States) after a
period of 10 years. It was authored by Maryland Senator
Milard Tydings and Alabama Representative John
McDuffie. Philippine Senate President Manuel Quezon
Signing of the Constitution of the Philippine headed a "Philippine Independence mission" to
Commonwealth, Washington, DC, March 23, 1935
Washington, DC that successfully Constitution for a 10-year "transitional period" which

secured the act's passage in became the government of the Commonwealth of the
Congress. Philippines before the granting of Philippine
The act provided for the independence, during which the United States would
drafting and guidelines of a maintain military forces in the Philippines.
Furthermore, during this period the President of the United States was granted the power to call
into military service all military forces of the Philippine government. The act also permitted the
maintenance of US naval bases within this region, for two years after independence. The act
reclassified all Filipinos that were living in the United States as aliens for the purposes of
immigration to America. Filipinos were no longer allowed to come legally to the US as migrant
workers, and a quota of 50 immigrants per year was established.
Reference
Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,
All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4
Manuel Quezon won the Philippine's first national presidential election under
the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He obtained nearly 68% of the vote against his
two main rivals, Emilio Aguinaldo and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay.
1935 – (November 15) The Commonwealth of the Philippines was officially

inaugurated with Quezon as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and
Sergio Osmeña as Vice President. During this period, the Commonwealth exercised
semi-independence in its territories. It marked the end of the colonial eras as well
as the 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.“
Emilio Aguinaldo Gregorio Aglipay

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina Sergio Osmeña y Suico

Born Aug 19, 1878 Baler, Tayabas Born Sep 9, 1878 Cebu City
Died Aug 1, 1944 Died Oct 19, 1961
Saranac Lake, New York Quezon City, Philippines
Pre-World War II Years (1939-40).

The new government embarked on
ambitious nationbuilding policies in
preparation for economic and political
independence. These included national
defense (such as the National Defense
Act of 1935, which organized a in Southeast Asia, in the level of U.S.

conscription for service in the commitment to the future Republic of
country), greater control over the the Philippines, and in the economy
economy, the perfection of due to the Great Depression, proved to
democratic institutions, reforms in be major problems. The situation was
education, improvement of further complicated by the presence of
transport, the promotion of local agrarian unrest, and of power
capital, industrialization, and the struggles between Osmeña and
“colonization” of Mindanao, Quezon, especially after Quezon was
which up to this time have permitted to be reelected after one
resisted any outside control of the six-year term.
predominantly muslim
population.
However, other
uncertainties, especially in the
diplomatic and military situation
Reference
Zaide, Sonia M. (1994), The Philippines: A Unique Nation,
All Nations Publishing Co. ISBN 971-642-071-4
President Manuel L. Quezon deliver his inaugural

address, November 15, 1935. The ceremonies
were held on the steps of the Legislative Building
in Manila. The event was attended by a crowd of
around 300,000. Philippine Scouts Soldiers, Fort McKinley, 1937
Established as an integral part of the United Islands.“ On July 31, 1941 the
States Army, they fought valiantly alongside
American troops in WWII. Philippine Department had 22,000
1941 – (July 25) U.S. troops assigned, 12,000 of whom
Secretary of War Henry Stimson were Philippine Scouts. The main
requested that President component was the Philippine
Franklin D. Roosevelt issue Division, under the command of
orders calling the military forces Major General Jonathan Wainwright.
of the Commonwealth into Between July and December 1941
active service for the United the garrison received 8,500
States. Stimson explained, "All reinforcements consisting of
practical steps should be taken additional aircrafts and crews for air
to increase the defensive defense of the islands.
strength of the Philippine
December 7 - Japan launched surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, on
December 8, Japanese aircrafts bombed Clark Airbase, Sangley Point Naval Station and
other military targets in the Philippines.
The Commonwealth government drafted the
Philippine Army into the U.S . Army Forces Far
East, which would resist Japanese invasion .
President Quezon declared Manila an open
city its destruction, and was
eventually occupied by the Japanese on January
battles against the
Japanese continued on the Bataan Peninsula,
Corregidor, and parts of the Visayan Islands until
of United States and
Gen Douglas MacArthur during ceremonies inducting the Philip
Air Corps into the USAFE . Camp Murphy, August 15 , 1941
On- line reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military history of
the Philippines
Reference
Duffy, Bernard K; Carpenter,
Ronald H. (1997), Douglas
MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith,
Greenwood Press
Manila declared “open city”

to save it from destruction.
to
prevent 2,
1942.
Meanwhile,
the final surrender

Philippine forces.
February 1942 –
President Quezon and
Vice President Osmeña
were escorted by troops
from Manila to Corregidor,
and later they were
evacuated to Australia and then to the United States. During this exile, Quezon became ill with
tuberculosis and died August 1, 1944 in in Saranac Lake, New York. Vice
President Osmeña replaced him as president.
General Edward P.King surrenders American and Filipino forces on

Bataan. April 9, 1942
Image retrieved from http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
1942 – (March 12) As the Battle of Bataan raged on, General MacArthur, his family, and
several USAFFE staff officers left Corregidor for Mindanao aboard four PT boats and was
eventually flown to 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 was renamed United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) and Lt. Gen.
Jonathan Wainwright was placed in command.
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense control the Southwest Pacific, seize
phase of Japan’s invasion of the Philippines. The capture the resource-rich Dutch East Indies,
of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to and protect its Southeast Asia flank.
military history, and was the largest

American surrender since the
American
Revolution.
Japanese soldiers guard Allied prisoners of war
captured after the fall of Bataan. April 9, 1942
Image retrieved from
http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
1942 – (April 9) Fall of Bataan – Maj Gen. Edward

P.King met with Maj Gen. Kameichiro Nagano and after
several hours of negotiations, the remaining weary,
starving and emaciated American and Filipino defenders
on the battle-swept Bataan peninsula surrendered. It
was the largest surrender in American and Filipino
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/5

2/5-2_Contents.htm
The Bataan Death March: All told, approximately
5,000 – 10,000 Filipino and 600 – 650 American
prisoners of war died.
Image retrieved from:
http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
Fall of Corregidor - (May 6, 1942- After weeks of

constant Japanese bombardment, Lt. Gen Jonathan
Wainwright finally surrendered the Corregidor garrison
at about 1:30 pm. Corregidor, the “Gibraltar of the
East” has fallen and marked the fall of the Philippines.
More than two brutal years occupation follows.
General Jonathan Wainwright negotiating with

Japanese General Homma the surrender of

Corregidor and all American forces in the
Philippines.
Japanese soldiers hauling down the American flag after the fall of
Corregidor.
American and Filipino soldiers surrenders in front of Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor.

Image retrieved from
http://www.history.Army.mil/books//wwii/52/5-_Contents.htm
1943 – (October 14) The Second Philippine Republic,

otherwise known as the “Puppet Government” was established
in October 14, 1943 under Japanese occupation. The Japanese-
sponsored government headed by President Jose P. Laurel with
Benigno Aquino, Sr. as Vice President proved to be unpopular.
Laurel was not subsequently officially recognized as a Philippine
president until the administration of Diosdado Macapagal (1961-
1965)
Jose P. Laurel
1944 – (October 20) The campaign to

liberate the Philippines began with the landing of
U.S. forces on the eastern shore of Palo,
Leyte.south of Luzon. General Douglas MacArthur
came ashore to fulfill his promise to the Filipino people of “I Shall Return.” The campaign,
which included fierce, and decisive land and naval battles in and around the Philippines
continued until the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.
General MacArthur returns to the Philippines
1945 campaign. The one-month battle, which
culminated in a terrible bloodbath and total
devastation of the city, was the scene of the worst
urban fighting in the Pacific theater, and ended
almost three years of Japanese military occupation.
Bombing of Manila by American

aircrafts.
The Battle of Manila from 3 February to 3
March 1945 was part of the Philippines'
Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita Islands.

surrenders all Japanese forces in the
Philippines. The Philippines celebrates its
General Yamashita was tried and found guilty of war
crimes. On 23 February 1946, at Los Baños Prison Camp, Independence Day in recognition of June 12,
30 miles south of Manila, Tomoyuki Yamashita was
hanged.
1898, when the Philippines declared its
On July 4, 1946, representatives of independence from Spain, although its
the United States of America and of the independence was not recognized until July
Republic of the Philippines signed a 4, 1946, by the United States. From 1946 to
Treaty of General Relations between 1962, the Philippines observed Independence
the two governments. The treaty Day on July 4 each year. In 1961, President
provided for the recognition of the Diosdado Macapagal reverted the holiday to
independence of the Republic of the the June 12 date, which up to that time had
Philippines as of July 4, 1946, and the been observed as Flag Day in the Philippines.
relinquishment of American In place of the former Independence Day,
sovereignty over the Philippine
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)
Filipinos welcome the liberators

Macapagal created Filipino-American

Friendship on July 4.
Filipino historians point out that
independence in 1946 came with
numerous strings attached. The U.S.,
for example, retained dozens of
military bases, including a few major
ones. In addition, independence was
The lowering of the Stars and Stripes and the raising of the
Philippine National Flag, Luneta Park (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.
Another burning issue is the Bell Trade Act, which prohibited the Philippines from manufacturing or
selling any products that might "come into substantial competition" with U.S.-made goods. It further
required that the Philippine 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 terms for independence. The U.S. Congress was threatening to withhold post-
World War II rebuilding funds unless the Bell Act was ratified. The Philippine Congress obliged on July 2,
1946.
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, but surely, 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 factors in nation-building. They are a
proud people, proud of their heritage, culture, their country, and the 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

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Remembering

1521 – (March 17)

On the morning of April 27, 1521, Magellan sailed to

April 27, 1565 – August 20,

Miguel Lopez de Legaspi

Born 1721, Bristol, United

Artist sketch of Manila Bay, circa 1800s Reference

1781 – One of the forty-six early settlers of Pueblo de Nuestra

Three most celebrated

The desire to form a purely Filipino organization was

and the political wisdom of Marcelo del Pilar to unite the

Marcelo del Pilar

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

locations such as Kankong. ISBN 971-542-471-6

1892 – (July) Jose Rizal was implicated in the activities of the

the first proclamation of a democratic republic in Asia. To

Before he left Dapitan, Rizal issued a refraction

Term: 1893-Dec 13, 1896

Rizal was arrested en route to Havana, imprisoned

Record Photograph of the Execution of Jose Rizal (encircled)

Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers Encampment

Delegates to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato

Filipino exiles in Hong Kong, photo taken in early 1898: Emilio

Filipino Revolutionary Soldiers, 1898

June 12 - Aguinaldo declared independence

1899 – (March 23) The insurgent First

June 2 – The Malolos Congress declared war on

1899 – (February 4) Armed conflict

1901 – (March 23) Capture and

Commission. The act also provided for extending the United

Cultural Impact. Then U.S. President McKinley, in his instructions to

William Howard Taft

Filipino students and Thomasite teacher (arrow), 1901

1934 – (March 24) The Tydings–McDuffie

Washington, DC that successfully Constitution for a 10-year "transitional period" which

1935 – (November 15) The Commonwealth of the Philippines was officially

Emilio Aguinaldo Gregorio Aglipay

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina Sergio Osmeña y Suico

Pre-World War II Years (1939-40).

Act of 1935, which organized a in Southeast Asia, in the level of U.S.

President Manuel L. Quezon deliver his inaugural

On- line reference

Manila declared “open city”

the final surrender

General Edward P.King surrenders American and Filipino forces on

military history, and was the largest

1942 – (April 9) Fall of Bataan – Maj Gen. Edward

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,

On-line reference http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/5

Fall of Corregidor - (May 6, 1942- After weeks of

General Jonathan Wainwright negotiating with

Japanese General Homma the surrender of

American and Filipino soldiers surrenders in front of Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor.

1943 – (October 14) The Second Philippine Republic,

1944 – (October 20) The campaign to

Bombing of Manila by American

Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita Islands.

Filipinos welcome the liberators

Macapagal created Filipino-American