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Home / News / Education / Examining the history and friendship between the Philippines and the United States

Examining the history and friendship between the Philippines and the United States

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Long before the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and the initial wave of Chinese migration to America in the mid-1800s, Filipinos became the first Asians to arrive in the continental United States on Oct. 18, 1587, at what is now California’s Morro Bay.

Four centuries later — in 1992 — the Filipino American Historical Society introduced Filipino American History Month, or FAHM, to commemorate that momentous occasion. In 2009, the U.S. Congress officially recognized October as FAHM in the United States.

Sunset at Manila Bay. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

The history of the Philippines and the United States intertwined when Spanish colonialism went head-to-head against American imperialism. Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War which took place on May 1, 1898, and ended over three centuries of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. On June 12, 1898, Filipino patriot Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed an independent Philippine republic.

Author and historian Luis H. Francia, in his book “A History of the Philippines,” wrote, “U.S. intentions towards the Philippines were remarkably similar to Spain’s: to exploit the Philippines as a market and source of raw materials, and to utilize the islands as a stepping stone from which to gain access to the markets of China.”

The Banaue Rice Terraces were carved into the mountains by the ancestors of the Igorot people; it is commonly referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Philippine revolutionary army resisted American military forces which turned into the 1899 Philippine-American War. Francia wrote, “Ostensibly for the liberation of Spanish colonies, the war mutated into one of empire building. First against Spain, and then against the Philippines, the United States aggressively strode to be an imperialist power. The two facets of what in fact was a single war set the stage for subsequent U.S involvement in the Philippines that continues to this day.”             

William Howard Taft, then civil governor of the Philippines, defended American occupation in the islands during his speech before the Union Reading Room in Manila on Dec. 17, 1903: “It was decided that if we turned the islands back to Spain we should be guilty of a breach of faith to the people who had worked and cooperated with us in driving Spain from power …. Being the sovereign in these islands, then the question came, ‘What was our duty to these people?’”


The governor’s palace. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

Taft refuted the charge that the United States came to the Philippines to acquire territory and power. At the same time, he said the Filipinos weren’t ready to form a government so the Americans were there to provide the helping and guiding hand from the people who also fought hard for their own freedom.

While his remarks were a disparagement of the Filipinos’ ability and intelligence, some Filipinos acknowledged a basis for this reasoning. In his address before the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 5, 1927, Grant M. Hudson of Michigan, presented a speech by Vicente Villamin, a Filipino lawyer and author, who called it “the Philippine problem.”

Ifugao Igorots. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

“The Philippine problem involves a three-cornered responsibility, to wit: The responsibility of Filipinos to themselves to keep their country a fit place to live in, the responsibility of America to the Filipinos to give them a chance to live as a nation in a reasonably safe and satisfactory manner, and the responsibility of America to herself to make morally sure that her withdrawal from the Philippines will not open the way to conflicts in the Pacific which may develop into world conflagration,” Villamin said. “These are the determining factors in the solution of the Philippine problem, and not the showing of the different administration in the Philippines or the mental capacity of the Filipinos to govern themselves.”

Villamin then said that Filipinos themselves were of two minds — patriots were willing to stand the costs and risks of immediate nationhood while realists alleged that the knowledge of those costs and risks had not been brought home to the people.

A weaver in Zamboanga, Mindanao Island. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

However, the impetus for the United States to grant Philippine independence was not borne by altruism or benevolence but the financial meltdown that brought about the Great Depression of 1929. Private companies thought it would lead to the termination of duty-free exports from the Philippines that were competing with American products. They also hoped it would result in stricter immigration laws so Filipino workers — who were perceived as unfairly competing on the labor market for jobs — could no longer freely enter the U.S.

During the International Studies Conference held in Paris on June 28 through July 3, 1937, Robert Gale Woolbert submitted a memorandum on The Reversal in American Expansionist Policy.

A farmer riding a carabao. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

It posited: “The decisive reason, however, for granting the Filipinos their independence was the desire of politically powerful agricultural interests in the United States to rid themselves of the competition of Philippine products. In the Jones Act Congress had formally promised the Filipinos their independence ‘as soon as a stable government can be established.’ But in the debates of 1933-1934 preceding the passage of the act setting up the Philippine Commonwealth, the crucial issue was not whether the Philippine people were ready for self-government, but how Philippine sugar, coconut oil, hemp, and tobacco could be kept out of the American market.”                        

Before that independence took place, however, the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on Sept. 1, 1939, and the subsequent declaration of war on Germany made by Britain and France precipitated World War II. On Sept. 22, 1940, Japan — which had been extending its empire in the Pacific — invaded French Indochina and on Sept. 27 formed an alliance with Germany and Italy.

Two individuals with the locals. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

Japan had been on an expansionist course for decades, imitating western countries, and its interest in Chinese markets and Asian natural resources competed with those of the United States. On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and nine hours later invaded the Philippines. U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had set up his headquarters there, was caught off-guard and the Japanese quickly eliminated his troops. Shortly after that, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.         

The Japanese occupied the Philippines for almost four years and killed close to a million civilians. McArthur was forced to evacuate his headquarters in 1942 because he was deemed too valuable to the United States to be captured or killed by the Japanese. Before his departure, though, he vowed to return. And on Oct. 20, 1944, he landed on Leyte Island to fulfill that promise. His famous speech “I have returned” remains one of the most iconic phrases of the war and his return became an unforgettable event for Filipinos.

Luneta Park and the Rizal monument. | Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

Pursuant to the Tydings-McDuffie Law, the United States granted the Philippines its independence on July 4, 1946. Thousands of people gathered at Luneta Park in Manila to witness the end of nearly half a century of U.S colonial rule in the Philippines. But because July 4 is widely known as U.S. Independence Day, it became confusing. In 1962, then president Diosdado Macapagal reinstated June 12 as the official independence day, commemorating the 1898 proclamation.

While the Philippines and the United States had severed ties long ago and the majority of Filipinos alive today did not personally experience the American occupation of the Philippines, Filipinos feel a kinship with Americans. Opinion surveys have consistently shown that the United States ranks as the Filipinos’ favorite country in the world.      

As Jay Samonte, a Filipino businessman who was born and raised in the Philippines and is a Quezon City resident, remarked, “A lot of Filipinos are disenchanted with Philippine government policies and the system, and the lack of job opportunities resulting in poverty. They are always in search of greener pastures. The U.S. is one of the top choices and has the strongest influence on Filipinos. Many of them have families that went to the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s to find jobs then came back to retire here. Another influence is Hollywood movies. But the U.S. is also one of the most difficult countries to immigrate to. Resettling in Australia, Canada, and the U.K. is easier and they have become popular options.”         

Samonte concluded: “Spanish rule was perceived by Filipinos as negative because of the Spaniards’ abuses, exploitation, and the execution of (national hero) José Rizal, while U.S. occupation freed us from the Spanish and the Japanese during WWII. There is a positive feeling of Americans being seen as heroes,”

The University of Santo Tomas in Manila, founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides, is one of the world’s largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus | Photo courtesy of Kent Ogares/Unsplash

Spanish influence in the Philippines, however, still exists to this day and the most significant is Catholicism. A majority of Filipinos are Catholics and Catholic private schools and universities have remained popular educational choices.

But Filipinos owe the educational system being used today to the Americans. In her book, “A History of Education in the Philippines: 1565 – 1930,” Encarnación Alzona, associate professor of history at the University of the Philippines, wrote: “The memorizing method, which prevailed in secondary schools during the Spanish era, has been abandoned. It has been replaced by the latest pedagogical methods of instruction. Teachers are required to prepare lesson plans and to ask pupils thought-provoking questions. The project method has also found its way into the secondary school and has helped to vitalize the subjects of study.”

Moreover, English became the medium of instruction. Phonics and phonetics, grammar and usage were taught in the very early grades as they are to this day. And while Tagalog, the national language, is the dialect widely spoken by Filipinos, English has been the primary language used in professional settings and when conducting business.

Palma Hall at the University of the Philippines | Photo by Kat Fernandez for Unsplash

In 1908, the Philippine Assembly passed an act that created the University of the Philippines patterned after American state universities in organization and administration. It became the benchmark for institutions of higher learning. Several universities were subsequently established and led to the accessibility of college education to a majority of Filipinos. Out of all the positive outcomes of the U.S. regime in the Philippines, education had the greatest impact. It gave Filipinos the tool to better their circumstances.   

For a while U.S. History was a required course in high school and also during the first year in College. Today, however, only students at select schools study it.

According to Esmeralda Perez — who taught U.S. History from grades 9-12 at International School Manila, formerly American School, for 14 years until her retirement a few years ago — other schools that had similar curriculum were Brent School in Baguio City, Northern Luzon, and another called Faith located outside Metro Manila.

Philippine jeepneys began as Willy Jeeps left behind when American GIs departed after World War II. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

“U.S. History covered the discovery era, technology, innovations, colonialism, domestic issues such as slavery, civil war, and involvement in the world wars, various attempts and efforts to solve economic problems brought by Depression, the excitement of Space Explorations, the challenges of the administrations such as economic, political, and social issues. The rest were covered as evolving current events,” Perez said.

“U.S. History provides the lens through which the students examined the success formula of a nation as well as its weaknesses in handling its problems,” Perez explained. “Filipinos gained a better understanding of how we adapted and assimilated American culture in its physical and spiritual realms.”

“Whether U.S. colonialism has been destructive or beneficial very much depends on where we stand amidst the ongoing geopolitical situations,” stated Perez. “Teaching U.S. History and colonialism in school requires a thorough understanding of the subject; they can only be effectively imparted through the eyes of an unbiased and well informed instructor. A dramatic walk through history makes learning experiential as well, for history can be a personal connectedness to a storied past.”       

Manila skyline | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

That many Filipinos want to hear stories about life in America from people who have been here and dream of coming to the United States themselves is proven by my lived experience.

When my two sisters and I were little kids in the 1960s in Quezon City, a metropolis of Manila, my mom would take us to Cavite, approximately 28 miles south of Quezon City, to see her cousins, whom we called “tita” (aunt) and “tito” (uncle), who were visiting from the U.S. My aunts were nurses living and working in Chicago and my uncles were with the U.S. Navy.

Their visits always turned into a reunion and large celebration for our clan — my mom had 10 siblings and there were 57 children among them. Neither my sisters, cousins, nor I knew these relatives that well, but going to Cavite was always a thrill for all the kids because it meant we’d be feasting on delicious foods and delicacies all day while the grown-ups chatted away and our aunts and uncles would gift each child a dollar bill before we left.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

As I got older, I became more aware that immigrating to America was a goal for many Filipinos looking for more life opportunities. As it happened, my dad was working at the U.S. Embassy in Manila and we constantly had people showing up on our doorstep to inquire if there was an easier way to get their application for U.S. residency approved. That he worked at the U.S. Information Service (USIS) as the media relations officer, and wasn’t privy to how the consular section operated, didn’t deter anyone from asking anyway.  

In the late 1970s my parents decided to emigrate from the Philippines as well. My dad had been working at the U.S. Embassy for 30 years and even if he was only 52 years old, he was granted retirement. He was also offered the chance for him and his dependents to go to the America as residents. I had turned 21 the year before and wasn’t a dependent so I had to apply separately; my mom chose to stay behind with me and my youngest sister until she finished college. My dad had to petition the three of us and it took five years to get approved.  

My dad and my younger sister, who was 20 years old and had just graduated from university, immigrated first. The two of them settled down in Orange County close to where our relatives from Cavite resided and they went about the business of paving the way for the rest of us to begin a new life here. In 1980, they were able to buy a small house for all of us to live in shortly before my mom, my youngest sister and I arrived two years later.

Luneta Park and the Rizal monument today. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

I have been a California resident for 42 years and call Pasadena home. My husband and I have a daughter who has been married now for five years and live not too far from us. My younger sister resided in Orange County until she and her Swiss husband moved to Switzerland permanently in 1994 with their two children before they turned 4 and 2 years old. My youngest sister still lives in Orange County with her husband; their four adult children and families reside near them.

It has been 78 years since the U.S. granted the Philippines its independence, yet the two countries still have enduring ties that bind them. The United States continues to provide financial assistance and disaster relief. The two counties have a robust trade and investment relationship. Filipinos still want to come to America for work, but strict immigration policies have made them look for overseas jobs elsewhere.

A Manila sunset. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Francia wrote in 2019, “The Philippine diaspora totals approximately 11 million, spread throughout the globe, from North America to the Middle East to the Scandinavian countries, with occupations ranging from doctors, nurses, and computer engineers to domestic workers, and merchant marines.”

Despite strict immigration laws, however, an estimated 4 million Filipinos live in the United States — the second largest Asian American group after the Chinese — until very recently when Indian Americans surpassed that number.

While colonialism might have been the United States’ intended goal when it drove the Spaniards away in 1898, the Philippines benefited nevertheless. Many Filipinos and Filipino Americans may think I’m misguided, and I certainly do not expect them to agree with me, but I believe the United States has given us much to be grateful for.

References:

A History of the Philippines: From Indios Bravos to Filipinos,” Luis H. Francia.

“The Duty of Americans in the Philippines: Address by Hon. William Howard Taft,” civil governor of the Philippine Islands, delivered before the Union Reading Room, Manila, P.I., Thursday, Dec. 17, 1903, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

The Philippines: Extension of remarks of Hon. Grant M. Hudson of Michigan in the House of Representatives,” Villamin, Vicente, 1927, 300261, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.           

A history of education in the Philippines, 1565-1930,” Encarnación Alzona, 1895-2001. Manila: University of the Philippines press, 1932. LA 1291.A6, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Memorandum on the Reversal in American Expansionist Policy,” Robert Gale Woolbert, International Studies Conference, Tenth Session Paris, June 28-July 3, 1937. The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

“What has been done on the Philippines: a record of practical accomplishments under civil government,” United States Bureau of Insular Affairs, 119597, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.      

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