Education in the American Colonial Period

As Acierto describe the Philippine education during the American period as from the beginning
of the school system in 1901 until the creation of the Republic in July 1946, the primary goals of
Philippine education have been to promote English as a common language and to prepare people in the
art of self-government in preparation for ultimate independence. Unlike the Spanish authorities, who
had a limited education policy, the Americans aimed to fulfill the public's hunger for knowledge and
encouraged Filipinos to pursue higher education. The courses tended to be a carbon replica of the
American educational system. The American program of mass education was successful in achieving its
democratization aim, which included the establishment of a literate and reasonably well-informed
citizenry and the increasing inclusion of large numbers of the lower classes as participants in the political
process. It should be emphasized that, in addition to maintaining a full and appropriate system of public
education, specific aims and topics, such as the National language (Tagalog) and the English language,
are required to be taught by the foregoing provisions of the Constitution and Executive Orders (Acierto,
1980).

With Acierto’s secondary historical source, the first highlight is that during the 45 years of
colonialism, the Americans introduced numerous cultural and traditional changes to the country. These
tremendous effects may still be evident in the Filipino way of life today. Education became a highly
significant subject for the United States' colonial rulers as they sought to transmit their cultural values,
particularly the English language, to the Filipino people, and they utilized it as a weapon to achieve their
goals. The source also states that, From the age of seven, every kid was required to register at the
nearest school. Free school materials were given to the pupils. During the American period, education
was separated into three categories. To begin, there is the "elementary" level, which consists of four
primary and three intermediate years. The "secondary" or high school level was followed by four years
of "college" or tertiary education. Religion was not taught in schools, unlike during the Spanish time.
Students who excelled academically were offered the opportunity to continue their education in the
United States and further their skills in their chosen disciplines or vocations. They were dubbed
"scholars" since the government paid for all of their expenditures. In exchange, they were after
completing their degrees, they planned to teach or work in government agencies. Some of the
successful Filipino intellectuals included Judge Jose Abad Santos, Francisco Benitez, and Dr. Honoria
Sison.
 Secondly, it highlighted that the Filipinos were originally taught by volunteer American soldiers.
It was part of their purpose to construct classrooms wherever they were stationed. When a group of
instructors from the United States arrived in the nation aboard the ship Sheridan in June 1901, these
pioneer teachers had to suspend teaching. Around August of the same year, 60 additional teachers
known as Thomasites came aboard the ship USS Thomas (from whence their name was derived); the
first batch of Thomasites that sailed from the United States consisted of 365 males and 165 girls. Around
1902, more American teachers joined the Thomasites, bringing the total number of American teachers
stationed in the Philippines to 1,074.

Thirdly, it mentioned Many of the Spanish-built primary and secondary schools were recycled,
and new agricultural, commercial, regular, and vocational schools were built in towns and regions. Some
of the most notable colleges throughout the period were as follows: Philippine Normal School (now a
university), National University (1901), St. Paul University Dumaguete (1904), Zamboanga Normal School
(now Western Mindanao State University), the University of the Philippines (1908), the University of
Manila (1914), Philippine Women's University (1919), and Far Eastern University all existed during the
American occupation (1933). At the period, vocational education was provided by the Philippine
Nautical School, the Philippine School of Arts and Trades, and the Central Luzon Agriculture School.

Lastly, Cooking, farming, sewing, and a few other home duties, as well as vocational education,
were prioritized. Discipline and correct behavior were also emphasized. The Institute of Private
Education was founded to monitor private schools. In the early 1940s, the number of pupils enrolled in
the country's 400 private schools was 10,000. Adult education was available in addition to formal
education for children. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a aa aa a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a

The advantage of American period educational system is that English language was used as a
medium of instruction. New subject areas were introduced - Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Language,
Good Manners and Right Conduct, Civics, Hygiene and Sanitation, Gardening, Domestic Science,
American History and Philippine History. The students were given free school materials. However, the
disadvantage that this educational system have is that In the teaching and learning process, the Filipino
language was scarcely employed. Pupils in the Philippines felt disadvantaged not just because of the
language barrier, but also because the system was intended for American students.
 The Japanese Occupation in Philippine History

Going forward to Japanese occupation period, when talking to Filipinos about their own history,
Benedict Kerkvliet notes that many would bring up the Japanese occupation. According to Kerkvliet the
Philippines had horrible economic conditions as a result of the Japanese administration and the war's
damage, which lasted until the late 1940s, when the main features of the prewar economy and
governance were restored. In short, the Japanese occupation had no significant influence on the political
and economic structure of the Philippines, and therefore does not qualify as a key period in the
country's history in these terms. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a aa aa a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

In the source it firstly highlighted the political-economic trends of the Philippines. The Philippines had
been gradually integrated into the capitalist, contemporary world order by the mid-nineteenth century.
As part of the "periphery," it supplied raw and semi-processed materials to the "core." As a result, this
process influenced and conditioned wider circles of people's relationships, communities, and
government. By the late 1930s, an estimated 15 to 20% of the country's households relied on the
colony's export-import economy for their livelihood. A higher number of people were indirectly
impacted by this commerce and were lured into the cash-based national and international market,
which was mostly American in nature. Disruptive fluctuations in pricing, employment, investments, and
government claims and services were all part of the economic and political shifts. Export crop prices, for
example, fluctuated in response to changes in foreign markets and world events.

The second highlight is the economic collapse under the Japanese regime. The Japanese military
regime wanted to shift the Philippines from heavy reliance on the United States to self-sufficiency in
several agricultural sectors, with the goal of exporting the products and derivatives to Japan and other
countries in the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The plans not only failed, but the economy
was in shambles within a year and a half, where it remained until post-war reconstruction began to take
effect in the late 1940s. Rice output was likewise at an all-time low due to the war effort's demand. This,
along with inadequate pay for workers during the Japanese occupation (unskilled workers were
guaranteed a maximum income of 3 or 4 pesos) and a rushed decision to print additional money,
resulted in fast inflation and impossibly high prices for basic goods.

Lastly, the withdrawal and resistance. Benedict Kerkvliet's portrayal of the patterns of retreat
and resistance noticed in the testimonies of Filipinos from various sections of the nation is set against
this backdrop. His areas are divided into two categories: occupied and autonomous. The term "occupied
territories" refers to places where the Japanese military is most present. The autonomous zones are
those areas outside the grasp of the Japanese, such as the countryside, which is either populated by
guerillas or allowed to fend for themselves. They are regarded autonomous in both political and
economic terms, as the Japanese policies in these sectors were not followed. Despite the fact that
independent territories had more food, inhabitants in such areas nevertheless faced serious food
shortages. Mostly because there was still a lot of food in the independent zones, especially those held
by the guerillas. Hundreds of people perished of hunger as a result of famine. The onslaught caused
disruption among certain territory and population bases in Panay, Leyte, and maybe elsewhere, causing
them to battle among themselves over surviving territorial and population bases. The widespread battle
between combined American and Filipino forces and fleeing Japanese troops in 1945 may have caused
comparable destruction. Battles, which were particularly fierce in northern Luzon, Visayas, and parts of
Mindanao, may have contributed to claims in 1946 that barrio after barrio of people were dying of
starvation in these areas. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

The Price of Rehabilitation

Following the war, Filipinos realized that freedom and independence came at a cost. The
Americans sought "parity" in exchange for assistance with postwar rehabilitation, which meant that
Americans would be granted the same special rights as Filipinos. Diokno highlighted that the situation of
the Philippines between choosing the parity or not. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a aa aa a a a a

The Philippines gained independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. Despite this, the
imperialist-maintained control over her former colony. Faced with the daunting task of economic
rehabilitation and rebuilding, President Manuel Roxas' cash-strapped Philippine administration had no
choice but to accept the unfair terms of the war damage payout. The infamous "parity provision" in
trade agreements, such as the Bell Trade Act of 1946 and the Laurel-Langley Agreement of 1955, was
the most controversial requirement. The resistance to "parity" has been erased from both houses of the
Philippine Congress. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a aa aa a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aa a a a aa a

Diokno states that Filipinos who supported parity emphasized about the economic, social, and
foreign policy benefits that extending parity to American citizens would bring to the Philippines. The
main economic argument was that parity would attract American money and, with it, Filipino jobs.
Roxas said at the University of the Philippines that if parity is rejected in the referendum, the country
will face "national tragedy and turmoil." He warned of lost jobs, lost money from the Bell Act's trade
prospects, and lost funding to reconstruct the economy because payouts for war damages in excess of
$500 were connected to parity approval. Parity critics, on the other hand, said that if parity were
implemented, Filipinos would lose control of the economy. Former Finance Secretary Jaime Hernandez
said that Filipinos will just become laborers for American corporations. Pedro Orenza of Malasigui,
Pangasinan, rebutted the premise that parity would create jobs by claiming that American machines
would likely replace Filipino people in manufacturing.

Moreover, it is also highlighted the action of Roxas in order to prevent the potential misuse of
the parity. Roxas proposed a number of measures, including land laws that would limit the amount of
agricultural land that individuals and businesses could buy, mining laws that would vest primary
ownership of mineral wealth in the Filipino people and impose royalties on their extraction, antitrust
laws that would limit stock ownership in mining and agriculture companies, and a slew of labor and tax
laws aimed at bolstering the government's ability to protect Philippine interests.
References

Acierto, Maria Guillen, "American Influence in Shaping Philippine Secondary Education: An Historical
Perspective, 1898-1978" (1980). Dissertations. 1792.

Diokno, Maria Serena, ed. 1998. “The Price of Rehabilitation.” In Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino
People, 27–35. Asia Publishing Company Limited. No parity, no money

Kerkvliet, Benedict. “Withdrawal and Resistance: The Political Significance of Food, Agriculture, and How
People Lived During the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines.” In Autonomous Histories, Particular
Truths: Essays in Honor of John Smail, 175–93. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1993.