P R M A L I T I I I

THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD

MANUEL LUIS QUEZON Y MOLINA

• “I prefer a government run like hell by Filipinos to a government run like heaven by Americans”

THE PHILIPPINE ASSEMBLY

• The Philippine Assembly was the lower house of the Philippine Legislature from 1907 to 1916, during the American Colonial Period of the Philippines. Along with the appointed Philippine Commission, the assembly comprised the Philippine Legislature, the legislative branch of the Insular Government, established by the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, passed by the United States Congress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Establishment of banks for farmers• Education of the people in all parts of the country• Improvement in the country’s communication

system and infrastructure;• Provision of irrigation system; and• Establishment of the National Library

THE JONES LAW

• The Jones Law, enacted by the 64th Congress of the United States on August 29, 1916, contained the first formal and official declaration of the United States commitment to grant independence to the Philippines. The law provides that the grant of independence would come only "as soon as a stable government can be established", which gave the United States Government the power to determine when this "stable government" has been achieved. It aimed at providing the Filipino people (Filipinos) broader domestic autonomy, though it reserved certain privileges to the United States (Americans) to protect their sovereign rights and interests.

OSROX MISSION

• In 1931, the OsRox Mission (which stands for “Osmeña and Roxas”) successfully lobbied for the enactment of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, which was passed over President Herbert Hoover’s veto in 1932. This was, however, rejected by the Philippine Legislature. In 1934, a new mission (the QuAquAl Mission, made up of Quezon, Benigno Aquino Sr., and Rafael Alunan) negotiated the Tydings-McDuffie or the Philippine Independence Act, which set a ten-year transition period to be known as the Commonwealth of the Philippines, followed by the recognition of the independence of the Philippines by the United States.

THE HARE-HAWES-CUTTING ACT

• The Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act was authored by South Carolina Representative Butler Hare, Missouri Senator Harry Bartow Hawes and New Mexico Senator Bronson M. Cutting. It was finally passed by the United States Congress in December 1932, but was vetoed by U.S. President Herbert Hoover. Congress then overrode the veto on January 17, 1933.

• The law promised Philippine independence after 10 years, but reserved several military and naval bases for the United States, as well as imposing tariffs and quotas on Philippine exports. It also required the Philippine Senate to ratify the law.

TYDINGS-MCDUFFIE ACT

• Otherwise known as the Philippine Independence Act is a U.S. law that provided for Philippine independence. It is a slightly revised version of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill passed by the U.S. Congress in 1933 but was vetoed by U.S. President Hoover. The U.S. Congress overrode the veto but was rejected by the Philippine Senate upon urgings of Manuel L. Quezon. Quezon wanted an amended bill. The new bill named, The Philippine Independence Act was authored by Senator Milliard Tydings (Democrat) and Representative John McDuffie (Democrat). The new president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, signed it into law on March 24, 1934.

Sen. Millard Tydings Sen. John Mcduffie

THE 1935 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

• The 1935 Constitution was written in 1934, approved and adopted by the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1946) and later used by the Third Republic (1946–1972). It was written with an eye to meeting the approval of the United States Government as well, so as to ensure that the U.S. would live up to its promise to grant the Philippines independence and not have a premise to hold onto its possession on the grounds that it was too politically immature and hence unready for full, real independence.

The 1935 Constitution was written in 1934, approved and adopted by the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1946) and later used by the Third Republic (1946–1972). It was written with an eye to meeting the approval of the United States Government as well, so as to ensure that the U.S. would live up to its promise to grant the Philippines independence and not have a premise to hold onto its possession on the grounds that it was too politically immature and hence unready for full, real independence.

The original 1935 Constitution provided for unicameral National Assembly and the President was elected to a six-year term without re-election. It was amended in 1940 to have a bicameral Congress composed of a Senate and House of Representatives, as well the creation of an independent electoral commission. The Constitution now granted the President a four-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms in office.