The arrival of the United States in the Philippines was not a planned expansion of their colonizing empire, but it came as a consequence of the Spanish American war which was precipitated by the explosion of the USS Maine at the Havana Harbor in Cuba on February 15, 1898. On April 25, 1898, US Congress declared war against Spain and ordered the Asiatic Squadron Fleet under the command of Commodore George Dewey to “capture or destroy” Spanish Pacific Fleet, billeted in the Manila Bay. The Squadron was well-armed - thanks to the initiative and foresight of the young and energetic Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt - and was no match to the Spanish Fleet. The Spanish Fleet was decimated killing 370 Spanish sailors; and there were only 10 Americans casualties. This battle in Manila Bay ended 350 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines starting on February 2, 1542 when Rey Lopez Villalobos arrived in Mindanao and named the island “Felipinas” in honor of the crown prince Felipe of Spain.
On August 12, 1898, an armistice was signed between the United States and Spain ceding the Philippines for the sum of $20 M making the Philippines a protectorate of the United States.
After the defeat of Spain, Emilio Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines from his exile in Hong Kong and offered assistance to the land battle between U.S. and Spain. Aguinaldo captured several towns south of Manila, but he did not like a change in colonial rulers. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared independence which was not sanctioned by the United States resulting in the Philippine-American War starting on February 4, 1899, resulting in the death of 20,000 Filipino combatants, 4,200 American soldiers, and 200,000 civilians from violence, famine, and disease, and the death of the “Boy” General Gregorio del Pilar, 24, who shot by a sniper looking down from the top of Tirad Pass, 300 yards away. Aguinaldo was captured in 1901, and President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed amnesty to all Filipino combatants.
From 1902 to 1935, the Philippines was a tutelage of the United States in preparation for Philippine Independence. The 10-year period, 1936-1946, the Philippines became a commonwealth where Manuel L Quezon, formerly a lieutenant in the Aguinaldo army, was elected the first president and died in 1944. He was succeeded by Vice-President Sergio Osmena.
On December 7, 1941, Japan bomb Pearl Harbor and United States declared war against Japan. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked the Filipinos to stand firm and pledge to keep that promise of independence for the U.S. commonwealth. Filipino nationalists resisted the Japanese invasion in the Philippines and 250,000 guerillas joined the American forces in WW II, after President FDR signed a presidential order bringing all military forces under U.S. control. That order recognized all Philippine soldiers as members of the U.S. Army and would entitle them to the same benefits as their American counterparts.
On July 4, 1946, after WW II, United States granted full independence to the Philippines and Manuel Roxas became the first president of the Philippine Republic.
With bias, prejudice devoid of compassion, and gratitude the U.S. Congress of 1946 passed a legislation called the Recission Act, that stripped the recognition of Filipino soldiers and barred them from rights, privileges, pensions, GI education benefits, and others accorded to their American counterparts. The Act became the dark legacy of U.S. Philippine relationship which is continuing today with the Philippines asking U.S. Congress to recognize the remaining handful Philippine survivors of WW II.
In 2009 under the Obama administration, the U.S. government offered a one-time payment of $15,000 to U.S. citizens and $9,000 to Filipino citizens. Today, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii sponsored a bill that would recognize the last Filipino veterans, saying, “These soldiers fought under the American flag, because the believed in our shared ideals. They bled for us, our ideals, and fought with us, with the understanding that they would be treated like American veterans.”
Despite this dark moment of Philippine-American relationship, the friendly relationship between the two countries prospered to their mutual benefits. Because of its strategic location, the United States established a Naval Base in Olongapo, Zambales and the Clark Air Force airport in Tarlac. These facilities would have been an excellent staging ground for the military in the event of a conflict in the region. Unfortunately, these facilities are no longer existent as it was closed by nationalistic sentiment of later administrations in the Philippines.
Since the Philippines became an independent country, and despite a strained relationship, United States continues to give foreign aid, assistance during natural calamities, military assistance in suppression the Muslim Separatists in the deep south of the Philippines, and a protector in foreign aggression. Today December 8, 2020, U.S. is sending to the Philippines
anti-bomb hardware, sniper’s equipment, and a Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft.
An indelible legacy from the United States to the Philippines is the integration of American culture – music, literature, language, and democratic ideals – in their everyday lives. English is spoken by 95% of the Philippine population, making it the number one country in Asia whose 2nd language is English.
Because of the desire of Spain to discover the unknown world and the United States goal of establishing democracies around the world, the Philippines became a country of mixed cultures – Asian and Western. From Spain, the Philippines became a predominantly Catholic country with 95% embracing the Catholic religion, and adopted Spanish culture of costume, and sometimes lackadaisical and easy going personalities. My grandparents and their ancestors spoke Spanish and documents like birth and marriage certificates were recorded in Spanish language until 1940.
Today, many of the contestants of international beauty contests are of mixed heritage of Asian and Western parents. Although many of the early Philippine heroes resisted foreign invasions, occupation of the Philippines for a transitory time came out to be a blessing in disguise because the population was and are integrated with their colonizers.
Benedicto B Manzano
December 8, 2020
On August 12, 1898, an armistice was signed between the United States and Spain ceding the Philippines for the sum of $20 M making the Philippines a protectorate of the United States.
After the defeat of Spain, Emilio Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines from his exile in Hong Kong and offered assistance to the land battle between U.S. and Spain. Aguinaldo captured several towns south of Manila, but he did not like a change in colonial rulers. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared independence which was not sanctioned by the United States resulting in the Philippine-American War starting on February 4, 1899, resulting in the death of 20,000 Filipino combatants, 4,200 American soldiers, and 200,000 civilians from violence, famine, and disease, and the death of the “Boy” General Gregorio del Pilar, 24, who shot by a sniper looking down from the top of Tirad Pass, 300 yards away. Aguinaldo was captured in 1901, and President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed amnesty to all Filipino combatants.
From 1902 to 1935, the Philippines was a tutelage of the United States in preparation for Philippine Independence. The 10-year period, 1936-1946, the Philippines became a commonwealth where Manuel L Quezon, formerly a lieutenant in the Aguinaldo army, was elected the first president and died in 1944. He was succeeded by Vice-President Sergio Osmena.
On December 7, 1941, Japan bomb Pearl Harbor and United States declared war against Japan. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked the Filipinos to stand firm and pledge to keep that promise of independence for the U.S. commonwealth. Filipino nationalists resisted the Japanese invasion in the Philippines and 250,000 guerillas joined the American forces in WW II, after President FDR signed a presidential order bringing all military forces under U.S. control. That order recognized all Philippine soldiers as members of the U.S. Army and would entitle them to the same benefits as their American counterparts.
On July 4, 1946, after WW II, United States granted full independence to the Philippines and Manuel Roxas became the first president of the Philippine Republic.
With bias, prejudice devoid of compassion, and gratitude the U.S. Congress of 1946 passed a legislation called the Recission Act, that stripped the recognition of Filipino soldiers and barred them from rights, privileges, pensions, GI education benefits, and others accorded to their American counterparts. The Act became the dark legacy of U.S. Philippine relationship which is continuing today with the Philippines asking U.S. Congress to recognize the remaining handful Philippine survivors of WW II.
In 2009 under the Obama administration, the U.S. government offered a one-time payment of $15,000 to U.S. citizens and $9,000 to Filipino citizens. Today, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii sponsored a bill that would recognize the last Filipino veterans, saying, “These soldiers fought under the American flag, because the believed in our shared ideals. They bled for us, our ideals, and fought with us, with the understanding that they would be treated like American veterans.”
Despite this dark moment of Philippine-American relationship, the friendly relationship between the two countries prospered to their mutual benefits. Because of its strategic location, the United States established a Naval Base in Olongapo, Zambales and the Clark Air Force airport in Tarlac. These facilities would have been an excellent staging ground for the military in the event of a conflict in the region. Unfortunately, these facilities are no longer existent as it was closed by nationalistic sentiment of later administrations in the Philippines.
Since the Philippines became an independent country, and despite a strained relationship, United States continues to give foreign aid, assistance during natural calamities, military assistance in suppression the Muslim Separatists in the deep south of the Philippines, and a protector in foreign aggression. Today December 8, 2020, U.S. is sending to the Philippines
anti-bomb hardware, sniper’s equipment, and a Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft.
An indelible legacy from the United States to the Philippines is the integration of American culture – music, literature, language, and democratic ideals – in their everyday lives. English is spoken by 95% of the Philippine population, making it the number one country in Asia whose 2nd language is English.
Because of the desire of Spain to discover the unknown world and the United States goal of establishing democracies around the world, the Philippines became a country of mixed cultures – Asian and Western. From Spain, the Philippines became a predominantly Catholic country with 95% embracing the Catholic religion, and adopted Spanish culture of costume, and sometimes lackadaisical and easy going personalities. My grandparents and their ancestors spoke Spanish and documents like birth and marriage certificates were recorded in Spanish language until 1940.
Today, many of the contestants of international beauty contests are of mixed heritage of Asian and Western parents. Although many of the early Philippine heroes resisted foreign invasions, occupation of the Philippines for a transitory time came out to be a blessing in disguise because the population was and are integrated with their colonizers.
Benedicto B Manzano
December 8, 2020