Chapter I: Front Matter

BEAUTIFUL PHILIPPINES
A Handbook of General Information

MANILA
BUREAU of PRINTING
1923

Prepared by the
Philippine Commission of Independence
Manila, P.I.

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword 15

I. Historical Background 17

Discovery 17
The Spanish Rule--A Tale of Wars and Uprisings 17
Reforms in the 19th Century 18
Last Decades of Spanish Rule--The Coming of the Americans 19
Filipino-American War 20
The establishment of Civil Government 20

II. The Material Spain Found 21

Power of Propaganda to Misrepresent 21
Non-Christian Population 21
Literacy 22
Facts of Filipino Attainments in Pre-Spanish Days 22
Religion, Alphabet, and Books 23
Traders and Artisans 24
Able Agriculturists 24
Written and Unwritten Laws 24
The Code of Calantiao 25
Testimonies of Occidental Writers 26
Progress During the Spanish Rule 27
Schools and Colleges 27
Filipino Record Abroad 28
Opinions of Foreign Writers 28
Background on Which America Had Built 29

III. The First Philippine Republic 30

Causes of Earlier Revolutions 30
The Revolution of 1896 30
The Pact of Biac-na-Bato 30
The Republic 31
The Governmental Machinery Set Up 31
The Malolos Constitution--Its Salient Features 32
Comments of Foreigners 34

IV. Population of the Islands 37

A Homogeneous People 37
Total Population 38
Foreign Population 38
Comparative Population 38

V. Geographical Items of Interest 39

Number of Islands 39
Total Land Area 39
Bays and Straits 40
Mountains 40
Rivers 40
Lakes and Falls 40
Mineral Springs 41
Climate 41
Differences in Time 41
Comparative Areas 42
Rainfall 42

VI. The City of Manila 43

Entrance to Manila Bay--Corregidor and the Islands
"El Fraile," and "El Carabao" 43
The City of Manila 43
The Walled City 44
Fort Santiago 44
Three Manilas 45
Costumes 46
The Shops 46
The Pasig River 46
Other Places of Interest 46
The Cathedral 47
The Ayuntamiento 47
University of Santo Tomas 47
The Dominican Church 48
Avenues 48
Bilibid Prison 49
Central Observatory 51
The Luneta 51
The Manila Hotel 52
The Museum 52
The Carnival Grounds 52
Dewey Boulevard 53
Clubs and Societies 54
Cemeteries 54
Monuments 54
Life in Manila 55
Vexing Conventionalities Absent 55
Competition Less Severe 56

VII. The Environs of Manila 58

Malacañang Palace 58
Santa Mesa 59
San Juan Heights and Bridge 59
The Reservoir 60
Mariquina Valley and Town 60
The Payatas Estate 61
Montalban Dam 61
Fort William McKinley 62

VIII. Other Cities 63

Baguio 63
The Zig-Zag 63
Camp John Hay 64
Trinidad Valley 64
The City of Cebu 65
Places of Historical Interest 66
The City of Iloilo 66
Description and Attractions 67
Zamboanga 67
The San Ramon Penal Colony 68

IX. The Provinces--Beauty Spots 69

Laguna Province--Pagsanjan Falls 71
Calamba 78
Los Baños Mineral Springs 78
College of Agriculture 79
Rizal Province 72
Antipolo--Virgin of Antipolo 73
Cavite Province 73
Zapote Bridge 74
The United States Naval and Radio Station 74
Kawit 75
Batangas Province 75
Historical Incidents 76
Attractions 76
Taal Volcano 76
Tayabas Province 78
Botocan Falls 78
Lucena and Atimonan 78
The Bicol Provinces 79
Sceneries 80
Historical Incidents 80
Peerless Mayon 81
Bulacan Province 82
Description and History 82
Attractions 83
Biac-na-Bato 83
Mineral Baths at Marilao 83
Malolos, the Seat of the Philippine Republic 83
Pampanga Province 83
Attractions 84
Tarlac Province 85
Medicinal Springs 85
Nueva Ecija Province--The Rice Granary of the Islands 85
The Government Agricultural School at Muñoz 86
Bataan Province 86
Attractions 86
Historical 86
Mariveles 87
Mount Mariveles 87
Zambales Province 88
Naval Station at Olongapo and Fortifications on
Grande Island 88
Pangasinan--Second Largest Rice Producing Province 89
Salt Making and Industries 89
Historical Events 89
The Mountain Province and Sub-provinces 90
The Rice Terraces in Ifugao 91
Gold Mining and Household Industries 92
La Union and the Ilocos Provinces--Household Industries 92
Abra Province 94
The Cagayan Valley--The Tobacco Region 95
The Cagayan River 95
Isabela Province and the Town of Palanan 96
Nueva Vizcaya Province--The Salt Incrusted Mountain 96
Mindoro Province 96
Mineral Deposits 97
The Submarine Garden at Puerto Galera 97
Palawan Province 97
Iwahig Penal Colony 98
Culion Leper Colony 98
The Underground River 99
Romblon Province--Marble Deposits 99
The Visayas 99
Samar, the First Island Discovered by the Spaniards 99
Iloilo and Capiz--Beautiful Caves and Cliffs of White
Coral Rock 100
Negros Island--The Principal Sugar Producing District 101
The Haciendas and the Sugar Centrals 101
The Silliman Institute at Dumaguete 101
The Volcano of Magaso 102
Cebu Province 102
San Miguel, the First Spanish Settlement 102
Bohol Province 103
The Rebellions of 1622 and 1744 103
Medicinal Springs and Caves 104
Leyte Province 104
Abundance of minerals 104
Limasawa--Where Mass Was First Celebrated in the
Philippines 104
The Island of Mindanao 105
Origin of Name 105
Introduction of Islam 105
Province of Zamboanga 105
Cotabato Province 106
Increasing Christian Population 106
The Large Lakes in Cotabato Province 106
Mount Apo 106
Bukidnon Province, an Unsurpassed Region for Cattle 107
Beautiful Lake Lanao and the Maria Cristina Falls 107
Davao Province, the Finest Hemp Land in the Island 108
Agusan and Surigao Provinces--Minerals and Agricultural
Products 108
The Sulu Archipelago 109
Description, Principal Ports and Industries 109
Introduction of Mohammedanism 110
The Sultan of Sulu and His Present Position 111
The Policy of Attraction Carried Out by the Insular
Government 111
The Town of Jolo--Chinese Pier and Ariolas' Walk 112
The Language for the Tourist 113
Number of Filipinos Who speak, read and write English 113

X. Agricultural Products, Forests, Minerals, and Industries 115

Number of Hectares under Cultivation 115
Principal Undeveloped Regions 115
Percentage of Farms Owned by Filipinos 116
The Principal Crops--Rice, Hemp, Sugar, Tobacco, Coconut--
Export Figures 116
Prospective Agricultural Industries 127
Irrigation 128
Rural Credit Associations--Table 128
Forest Resources 130
Area 130
Only 1 per cent Private Ownership 131
Timber Output and Export 131
How Timber Tracts are Obtained 132
Sawmills 132
Minor Forest Products 132
Minerals--Gold, Silver, Iron, Manganese, Coal, and
Statistical Data 132
Other Industries 135
Public Lands 143
Area 143
Modes of Acquisition 143

XI. The Trade of the Philippine Islands 147

Economic Position--Manila as a Trade Center 147
Trade Routes 147
Personnel of Philippine Commerce 149
America's Monopoly in Philippine Trade 150
Mediums of Trade 150
Trade with other Countries 151
Values of Imports and Exports, 1913 to 1922 152
Principal Articles Exported, 1921-1922 153
Principal Articles Imported, 1921-1922 154
Shipping 156
Entrances and Clearances of Vessels 156
Interisland Transportation 156
Table--Merchandise Carried by Foreign Vessels 157
Interisland Lines 158
Control Over Rates 158
Number and Tonnage of Vessels 159

XII. Structure of the Philippine Government 160

Resembles Federal and State Governments 160
Departures from American Standards 160
The Budget System 160
Parliamentary Responsibility 161
The Council of State, Advisory to the Governor General 161
The Governor-General, the Vice-Governor, and the Executive
Departments 161
The Legislative Department 164
The Judiciary 165
Provincial and Municipal Government 165
Expenses of the Philippine Government 165
Financial Status 166
Statement of Receipts, Expenditures and Surplus 167
Budget Estimates, 1918-1923 168
Currency and Circulation 168
Electors 170

XIII. The Filipinos in Control 173

Filipinization 174
Proportion of Filipinos to Americans in the Government 174
Autonomy 174
Outstanding Achievements of the Filipinized Government 175
Reorganization of Departments 175
The Budget System Explained 177
Public Improvements 177
Agriculture and Taxation 178
Public Order 178
Education--System of Instruction 178
Number of Pupils 182
Number of Teachers 182
Number of School Buildings 182
Universities 182
Sanitation--the Philippine Health Service 183
Comparative Death Rate 184
Local Autonomy 184
Public Welfare--The Public Welfare Commissioner 185
Administration of Justice 186
Record of the Courts 186
Government Enterprises--Object 187
The National Bank 187
The Manila Railroad 188
The National Coal Co. 188
The National Development Co. 189

XIV. The Independence Movement 190

Uprisings during Spanish Régime 190
The Organized Movement 193
The Philippine Assembly of 1907 193
America's Policy and Promise to the Filipinos 194
Pronouncements of McKinley, Taft, Roosevelt, and Wilson 195
Jones Law, the Formal Pledge that Independence Will Be
Granted 196
Executive Recommendation for the Fulfillment of America's
Promise 197
Missions to the United States 197
The Commission of Independence and Its Purposes 198
The Declaration of Purposes 198
The First Mission 198
Letter of President Wilson 199
Statement of Secretary of War Baker 199
Hearing before Joint Committee of Congress 200
The Second Mission 200
The Memorial to President Harding 201
Reply of the President 205
Petition for a Constitutional Convention--Text 205

XV. Appendices--Tables of Statistics 207

Where to Go in Manila 207
List of Hotels 207
Garages and Stables 208
Steamship Agencies 208
Foreign Consulates 209
Cable Offices 211
List of Banks in the Philippines Doing Business in 1923 211
Chambers of Commerce 211
Cinematographs and Theatres 212
Clubs 212
Booksellers and Stationers 213
Embroideries 213
Philippine Hats 214
List of Churches Holding Services in English 215
Rates of Fare for Public Vehicles 215
Postal, Telegraph, and Cable Rates 216
Interisland Sailings 219
Values of foreign coins expressed in terms of Philippine money 220
Banking: Combined condition of all the commercial banks in the
Philippine Islands, in pesos 221
Currency in Circulation 222
Table showing the assessed valuation of real property in the
Philippine Islands (except the cities of Manila and Baguio)
by provinces 223
Growth of the public school system 225
Private Schools 226
Annual Expenditures for Public Education 226
Total receipts, expenditures and accumulated surplus of the
Philippine Government, 1901-1923, in pesos 227
Fire, marine, and miscellaneous insurance companies doing
active business in the Philippine Islands, during year
ending December 31, 1922 228
Americans and Filipinos in the Philippine Service on
July 1, 1921 230
Newspapers and other publications in the Philippines, as per
revision made up to June 18, 1923 230
List of sugar centrals in the Philippine Islands 234

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Facing page--

Bird's eye view of the Walled City and immediate environs 18
Panoramic view of Camp Keithley, Lanao, Mindanao 18
Plaza Benavides, with the statue of Benavides in the center 20
San Sebastian Church, Manila 21
Aglipayan Church, Azcarraga Street, Manila 44
The new Trade School, Manila 45
The Cathedral, Walled City, Manila 46
Philippine University cadets in formation in front of the
Ayuntamiento, the central government building 47
Bureau of Printing Building 48
A section of Manila's commercial district 48
The Luneta Hotel, Manila 49
Central Railroad Station, Manila Railroad Company 50
A Modern thoroughfare, Taft Avenue, Manila 50
The Paco Railroad Depot, Manila 51
The Jones Bridge 51
The principal buildings of the Philippine University 52
The Polo Grounds 52
The Normal Hall--A dormitory for girls, Manila 53
Philippine Carnival Auditorium, 1922 53
The Rizal Monument, at the Luneta, Manila 54
The Legaspi and Urdaneta Monument facing the Luneta, Manila 55
The Carnival grounds, Manila 56
A view of Pier 5, Manila 56
The Luneta, during a Carnival parade 57
A public market, Manila 57
The Aquarium, Manila, exterior view 58
Exterior view of Malacañang Palace, Manila 58
A typical country scene 59
The Executive Offices, Malacañang Palace, Manila 59
The Mariquina Valley 60
Salt beds, Pangasinan 60
Exterior view of the Lingayen Provincial Building, Pangasinan 61
The Baguio zig-zig coiling upon itself 62
The Amphitheater, Baguio, Benguet 63
The States? No It's Baguio, Philippine Islands 64
The road to Baguio 65
The beautiful town of Pagsanjan, Laguna 70
Pagsanjan Falls, Laguna 71
Montalban Gorge 72
The monument to the "First Cry of Balintawak," 73
The Bamboo Organ, Las Piñas 74
An abaca plantation 75
The church at Taal, Batangas Province 76
Sample of bridges and provincial scenery 77
A Philippine Sugar Central. Calamba, Laguna Province 78
Sprouting coconuts, Pagsanjan, Laguna 79
Coconut groves, San Ramon Penal Farm, Zamboanga, Mindanao 79
The Sorsogon provincial government building and the
Sorsogon jail 80
Mayon Volcano, Albay Province 81
The wonderful rice terraces at Ifugao, Mountain Province, Luzon 90
Rice terraces at Bontoc, Mountain Province 91
Boobies at Tubataja reef, Sulu 98
The subterranean river, Saint Paul's Bay, Palawan taken
by flashlight 99
Magellan Monument, Mactan Island 102
Panoramic view of Dapitan where Rizal was exiled by the
Spaniards 103
A view of Jolo, Sulu 110
The Cebu wharf 110
Moro weapons 111
A cigar factory in Manila 124
Makers of Manila cigars 125
A lumber yard. Kolambugan, Mindanao 130
View of San Jose Estate sugar mill. San Jose, Mindoro 131
Girls Embroidery, Paco Intermediate School, Manila 136-137
The Council of State in session 160
The Members of the Supreme Court of the Philippine Islands 161
The Gilbert Steel Bridge, Laoag, Ilocos Norte 176

ILLUSTRATED MAPS

Map of the Philippine Islands 12
Trade routes of the Philippine Islands 146
Map of the City of Manila 234

"And the earth possesses no scenes more beautiful than those to be found in this verdant and blooming archipelago * * * this magnificent rosary of glowing islands, that Nature has hung above the heaving bosom of the warm Pacific * * * with the vast variety of attractive scenery, mountain and plain, lake and stream, everywhere rich with glossy leafage, clustered growths of bamboo and palm, fields of yellow cane and verdant coffee-groves."

"Views of lands and sea and sky, beautiful, gorgeous, awe-inspiring; of historic spots and buildings, monuments, ruins * * * of peoples familiar and strange; of industries modern to the minute, or old, as old as the Pharaohs, the patient work of potter and weaver, of craftsman, artisan, woodman, fisherman, husbandman; of peoples primitive and cultured--races and nations, distinct, assimilated and assimilating foreigners--foreigners whose descendants a few generations later will be Filipinos--the Filipino Nation that is to be, in that wonderland, the Philippines."

"Lived ever a man or a people on an island, however insignificant and bleak and bare, without feeling for it pride and love? Call to mind poem and song, picture and tale; the history of island races.

"Behold, then, the Philippines: thousands of islands, great and small beautiful, bountiful beneath a benignant sky. Seek to know how Truth paints them, and understand and sympathize with their people's fervid desire to call them their very own."