Chapter XIII: The Filipinos in Control

[Original Policy]

The Second Philippine Commission sent out to the Philippines by President McKinley on March 16, 1900 were given the following instruction, among others:

"That in all cases, the municipal officers who administer the local
affairs of the people are to be selected by the people and that
wherever officers of more extended jurisdiction are to be selected
in any way, natives of the Islands are to be preferred, and if
they can be found competent and willing to perform their duties
they are to receive the offices in preference to any others."

These instructions were confirmed by President Roosevelt when he said that the Government of the Philippine Islands would cease to be a government of Americans aided by Filipinos and instead would be a government of Filipinos aided by Americans. And in 1908 after the opening of the Philippine Assembly, President Roosevelt in his message to Congress added:

"I trust that within a generation the time will arrive when the
Filipinos can decide for themselves whether it is well for them to
become independent or continue under the protection of a strong
and disinterested power, able to guarantee to the islands order
at home and protection from foreign invasion."

[Filipinization]

In pursuance of all this policy the placing of Filipinos in government offices was hastened from 1913 to 1921, the turning over of power into Filipino hands having been virtually made complete by the passage of the Jones Law in 1916. This law provided for the creation of an elective Senate and House of Representatives and for the appointment of heads of departments and other government officials. Appointments made by the Governor-General were made to be with the advice and consent of the Philippine Senate.

The proportion of Filipinos to Americans in the Philippine Government during the period 1914-1921 is shown in the following table:

-----+--------------------------------+-----------------------
| Number | Percentage
-----+-----------+-----------+--------+-----------+-----------
Year | Americans | Filipinos | Total | Americans | Filipinos
-----+-----------+-----------+--------+-----------+-----------
| | | | Per cent | Per cent
1914 | 2,148 | 7,283 | 9,451 | 23 | 77
1915 | 1,935 | 7,881 | 9,816 | 20 | 80
1916 | 1,730 | 8,725 | 10,455 | 17 | 83
1917 | 1,310 | 9,859 | 11,169 | 12 | 88
1918 | 948 | 10,866 | 11,814 | 8 | 92
1919 | 760 | 12,047 | 12,807 | 6 | 94
1920 | 582 | 12,651 | 13,143 | 4 | 96
1921 | 614 | 13,240 | 13,854 | 4 | 96
1922 | 604 | 13,726 | 14,330 | 4 | 96
-----+-----------+-----------+--------+-----------+-----------

[Instruments of Autonomy]

The principal agencies that gave the Filipinos effective control over domestic affairs in conformity with the spirit of the Jones Law, were the following:

1. The creation of a Council of State on October 16, 1918, to help and advise the Governor-General on matters of public importance. In this council many prominent leaders of the Filipino people have figured prominently.

2. The creation of the Philippine Cabinet by which the Government Departments were organized and the work of the Executive Department divided among them. The aim was to have them undertake the work expressly entrusted to them, and to have in each branch of the administration a head responsible for its policy and direction. Each Secretary of Department assumes responsibility for all the activities of the government under his control and supervision. To this end he has the power to initiate, the power to regulate, the power to direct and inspect, and the power to appoint and remove.

3. The several laws that had given to the Council of State and to the Chairmen of the two houses of the Legislature the power to supervise and control the execution of the laws.

4. The liberal policy followed by Governor-General Harrison in accordance with the liberal tenor of the Jones Law, a policy really preparatory for the independence of the Philippines.

Speaking of this policy, Governor-General Harrison on September 1, 1916, said:

"I firmly believe that the Chief Executive should consult the
people through their representatives who are called upon to serve
them. This is the very life-blood of self-government. It should
never be possible for a Chief Executive--and it will now never
be possible here--to ride ruthlessly over the people he has been
sent here to govern, without taking into account their feelings,
and without due consideration to their desires."

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FILIPINO GOVERNMENT.--The outstanding achievements of the Filipinized government are summarized below.