Commonwealth Presentation

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the "Philippine Commonwealth or simply as "the Commonwealth"

Transcript of Commonwealth Presentation

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the "Philippine Commonwealth"

or simply as

"the Commonwealth"

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in Tagalog: Kómonwélt ng Pilipinas

in Spanish: Mancomunidad de Filipinas

It had official names

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The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States.

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    Signing of the

Constitution of the Commonwealth of the

Philippines

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SSeated, left to right: USSecretary of War George H. Dern; President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the Philippine Senate Manuel L. Quezon

SStanding, left to right: US Brigadier General Creed F. Cox, Governor General of the Philippine Islands Frank Murphy, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, US Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Key Pittman, Philippine Resident Commissioner Pedro Guevara, Vice President of Philippine National Bank P.I. Manila, Representative of the Philippine Legislature Manuel Roxas, Philippine Resident Commissioner Francisco A. Delgado

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TheThe CConstitutiononstitution o off tthehe CCommonwealthommonwealth ooff t thehe P Philippineshilippines was signed on was signed on MMaarrcchh 2323,, 19351935. .

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The creation of the Commonwealth was envisioned under the Philippine Independence Act, popularly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934 as a ten-year transitional government in preparation for full Philippine independence and sovereignty,

which was promised through the Philippine Autonomy Act or Jones Law.

It marked the end of the colonial eras as well as the transition of the nomenclature of the Philippines from the plural "Las Islas Filipinas" and "Philippine Islands" of the Spanish and American colonial periods, to the singular, "Philippines", which is a sign of unity, sovereignty, and national identity.

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Creation

In December 1932, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the premise of granting Filipinos independence. Provisions of the bill included reserving several military and naval bases for the United States, as well as imposing tariffs and quotas on Philippine exports. It was vetoed by President Herbert Hoover but the American Congress overrode his veto in 1933 and passed the bill. The bill, however, was opposed by the then Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and was also rejected by the Philippine Senate.

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This led to the creation and passing of a new bill known as Tydings-McDuffie Act, or Philippine Independence Act, which allowed the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines with a ten-year period of peaceful transition to full independence. A Constitutional Convention was convened in Manila on July 30, 1934

On February 8, 1935, the 1935 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines was approved by the convention by a vote of 177 to 1. The constitution was approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 23, 1935 and ratified by popular vote on May 14, 1935

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The Commonwealth Government was inaugurated on the morning of November 15, 1935, in ceremonies held on the steps of the Legislative Building in Manila. The event was attended by a crowd of around 300,000 people

In October 1935, presidential elections were held. Candidates included former president Emilio Aguinaldo, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente leader Gregorio Aglipay, and others. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña of the Nacionalista Party were proclaimed the winners, winning the seats of president and vice-president, respectively

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The Philippine legislature (1935 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines) ratified the bill (Tydings-McDuffie Act); a constitution, approved by President Roosevelt was accepted by the Philippine people in a plebiscite; and Quezon was elected the first president. When Quezon was inaugurated on Nov. 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was formally established.

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Restoration of the Commonwealth

Period

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The Commonwealth era was interrupted when the Japanese occupied the Philippines in January 2, 1942.

Japan formally surrendered in September 2, 1945.

The Commonwealth government, lead by Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio S. Osmeña went into exile in the U.S.

On October 20, 1944, the Allied forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed on the island of Leyte to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese.

After liberation, the Commonwealth government was restored.

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Congress convened in its first regular session on July 9, 1945. It was the first time the people’s representatives have assembled since their election on November 11, 1941. Manuel Roxas was elected Senate President, and Elpidio Quirino was chosen President Pro Tempore. Jose Zulueta was speaker of the house, while Prospero Sanidad became speaker pro Tempore. The first law of this congress, enacted as commonwealth act 672, organized the Central Bank of the Philippines.

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The third commonwealth elections were held on April 23, 1946.

Roxas won thus becoming the last president of the Philippine Commonwealth.

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The Commonwealth ended when the United States recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946 (Filipino-American Friendship Day), as scheduled. However, the economy remained dependent to the U.S.. This was due to the Bell Trade Act, otherwise known as the Philippine Trade Act, which was a precondition for receiving war rehabilitation grants from the United States.

INDEPENDENCE

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Structure

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The Commonwealth had its own constitution, which remained effective until 1973, and was self-governing although foreign policy and military affairs would be under the responsibility of the United States, and certain legislation required the approval of the American president. It featured a very strong executive, a unicameral National Assembly, and a Supreme Court, all composed entirely of Filipinos, as well as an elected Resident Commissioner to the United States House of Representatives. An American High Commissioner and an American Military Advisor, were also present in the government while a Field Marshall was in charge of the Philippine Army. In 1939-40, after an amendment in the Constitution, a bicameral Congress, consisting a of Senate, and of a House of Representatives, was restored replacing the National Assembly.

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Policies

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an agrarian reform program was initiated by the Commonwealth

Aggrraarriiaann RReeffoorrmm

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In 1936, Manuel L. Quezon as president of the commonwealth, issued Executive Order 23 which contained the specifications of the national flag.

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DDue to the diverse number of Philippine languages, a program for the "development and adoption of a common national language based on the existing native dialects" was drafted in the 1935 Philippine Constitution. The Commonwealth created a Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Institute), which was composed of President Quezon and six other members from various ethnic groups. A deliberation was held and Tagalog (due to its extensive literary tradition) was selected as the basis for the "national language" to be called "Pilipino". In 1940, the Commonwealth authorized the creation of a dictionary and grammar book for the language. On the same year, Commonwealth Act 570 was passed, allowing Pilipino to become an official language upon independence.

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The Commonwealth also had a policy involving the colonization of Mindanao.

Mindanao

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List of Presidents

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Quezon Administration

(1935-1944)

Osmeña Administration

(1944-1946)

Roxas Administration (May 28, 1946-July 4, 1946)

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Quezon Administration

(1935-1944)

First of the Philippine Presidents of the Commonwealth from 1935-1944

In 1935 Quezon won the Philippine's first National Presidential Election under the banner of the Nacionalista Party where he obtained nearly 68% of the vote against his two main rivals, Emilio Aguinaldo and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay

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He is recognized as the 2nd President of the PhilippinesIn the 1941 presidential elections, Quezon was re-elected over former Senator Juan Sumulong with nearly 82% of the vote.

Quezon was inaugurated in November 1935

(Quezon had originally been barred by the Philippine constitution from seeking re-election. However, in 1940, constitutional amendments were ratified allowing him to seek re-election for a fresh term ending in 1943) Due to Japanese invasion of 1941, Quezon and his government were forced to go into exile in the U.S.

Quezon suffered from tuberculosis and spent his last years in a "cure cottage" in Saranac Lake, New York, where he died on August 1, 1944

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He was initially buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His body was later carried by the USS Princeton and re-interred in Manila at the Manila North Cemetery before being moved to Quezon City within the monument at the Quezon Memorial Circle. Legacy: “Ama ng Wikang Pambansa”

-- a 20 peso bill in commemoration of Quezon

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Osmeña Administration

(1944-1946)

Second President of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1944-1946Osmeña became president of the Commonwealth on Quezon's death in 1944He returned to the Philippines the same year with General Douglas MacArthur and the liberation forces

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After the war, Osmeña restored the Commonwealth government and the various executive departments. He continued the fight for Philippine independence.For the presidential election of 1946, Osmeña refused to campaign, saying that the Filipino people knew of his record of 40 years of honest and faithful service. Nevertheless, he was defeated by Manuel Roxas, who won 54 percent of the vote and became the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines.

Trivia: Sergio was an illegitimate child

Sergio Osmeña lived a quiet life after his defeat to President Roxas, eventually settling down in his hometown of CebuHe died of cancer and liver failure on October 19, 1961 at the age of 83Along with his wife Esperanza, who died in 1978, are permanently entombed in the historical Manila North Cemetery

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Roxas Administration (May 28, 1946-July 4, 1946)

Last of the Philippine Presidents of the Philippine CommonwealthRoxas served as the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in a brief period, from his subsequent election on May 28, 1946 to July 4, 1946, the scheduled date of the proclamation of Philippine Independence

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Roxas prepared the groundwork for the advent of a free and independent Philippines, assisted by the Congress (reorganized May 25, 1946), with Senator Jose Avelino as the Senate President and Congressman Eugenio Perez as the House of Representatives SpeakerOn June 3, 1946, Roxas appeared for the first time before the joint session of the Congress to deliver his 1st State Of the Nation Address (SONA). Among other things, he told the members of the Congress the grave problems and difficulties the Philippines are set to face and reports of his special trip to the United States–the approval for independence

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On June 21, he reappeared into another joint session of the Congress and urged the acceptance of two important laws passed by the Congress of the United States on April 30, 1946 to the Philippine lands. They are the Philippine Rehabilitation Act and the Philippine Trade Act. Both recommendations were accepted by the Congress