American and Japanese Occupation

American Occupation

• Before the Battle in Manila

• Aguinaldo’s Return
• Philippine Independence
• US Infantry Arrives in Manila
• Mock Battle in Manila
• Americans Occupy Manila
• Malolos Congress
• Treaty of Paris
• Philippine-American War
• The Capture of Aguinaldo
• Philippines as U.S Territory
• Commonwealth Period

Japanese Occupation
• Japanese Invasion
• The Fall of Bataan and Corregidor
• Bataan Death March
• Japanese Occupation
• Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon
• End of Japanese Occupation

BEFORE THE BATTLE IN MANILA (1898)

• April 22 – U.S Asiatic Fleet under Admiral Dewey anchored in the British Port of Hong-Kong.
• April 23 – U.S Consul-Gen Pratt of Singapore was informed by the arrival of Aguinaldo. Telegraph a
letter of affirmation of Aguinaldo’s allegiance.
• April 24 – Received the response of Dewey notifying Aguinaldo to come join him.
• April 25 – Dewey was notified that war had begun and ordered to go to the Philippines and capture
or destroy the Spanish vessels. Same day, left HK due to British neutrality regulation and anchored at
Mirs Bay, China.
• April 26 – Aguinaldo sailed off going to Hong-Kong with 30,000 insurgent as land troops for the U.S
forces.
• April 27 – American squadron raised anchor and left Mirs Bay going to Manila without any Filipinos
on board.
• May 1 – American squadron destroyed the antiquated Spanish Fleet commanded by Admiral
Patricio Montojo in Manila Bay.
• May 2 – Dewey notified Spanish Governor-General that Manila-Hong-Kong cable should remain
neutral but later refuse thus, Dewey dredge up and cut the cable, ending the direct flow of
information out of the Philippines.

AGUINALDO’S RETURN (1898)

Since Dewey had no force with which to occupy Manila nor attack the city, Dewey blocked the
harbor and cabled Washington and asked for reinforcement.

• May 16 – Consul-Gen. Wildman of Hong-Kong, succeeded in getting Aguinaldo and his staff off for
Manila on board the USS McCulloch.

• May 19 – Aguinaldo arrived in Manila and met Dewey.

• May 24 – Aguinaldo proclaimed his revolutionary government and summoned the people for his
purpose of driving the Spaniards out forever.

• May 29 – Aguinaldo visited Dewey on board stating his expectation to make general attack by May
31st.

• May 31 – Aguinaldo launched the attack and did not succeed entirely but was able draw a cordon
to

Spaniard troops trapping them inside Manila.

• Early June – Aguinaldo’s forces had overwhelmed Spanish garrisons in Cavite and around Manila,
surrounded the capital and kept the Spaniards inside Manila until American troop reinforcement
could arrive.

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE (1898)

• June 12 – Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Filipinos and the birth of Philippine Republic
under the protection of the mighty and humane North American Union.

U.S INFANTRY ARRIVED in MANILA (1898)

• June 30 – 1st American Infantry troops under Brig. Gen Anderson arrived in Manila. Started
positioning the troops around Manila and secure the line of advance pending the arrival of General
Merritt.

• July 17 and 31 – 2nd and 3rd expedition under Brig. Gen. Greene and MacArthur respectively
arrived in Cavite harbor.

• July 25 – Major General Merritt arrived and take over the command of American troops and
together with Filipino insurgent battled against Spanish troops.

Purposefully, Merritt and Dewey left Aguinaldo out of any plans and preparations regarding the
capture of Manila.

MOCK BATTLE IN MANILA (1898)

• August 4 - Gov. Gen Jaudenes replaced the former gov. gen. and devised a way to salvage the
honor of his country.

Negotiations were carried out and a secret agreement was made between the governor and
American military commanders concerning the capture of Manila.

The Spaniards would put up only a show of resistance and, on a prearranged signal, would
surrender..

The Spanish feared that the Filipinos were plotting to massacre them all. There was great fear that if
the city fell to Aguinaldo and his revolutionary forces, there would be hell to pay.

• August 12 – signing of peace protocols between American government and Spanish government.

• August 13 – mock battle in Manila was staged, with American Spanish commanders unaware that
peace protocols had been signed few hours earlier before the battle commenced.
As the battle continue between America and Spain, Filipinos came to join in aid with the American
forces unaware of the scripted battle.

The staged battle ended after the Gen. Merritt answered upon the request of 600-700 American
troops inside Intramuros to protect Spanish troops from the Filipinos.

• August 13 – Gen. Merritt cabled US Army Adjutant-General according to the increasing demand of
a joint occupation in Manila.

• August 17 – Merritt received the following reply:

"The President directs that there must be no joint occupation with the insurgents. The United States
in the possession of Manila City, Manila Bay, and harbor must preserve the peace and protect
persons and property within the territory occupied by their military and naval forces. The insurgents
and all others must recognize the military occupation and authority of the United States and the
cessation of hostilities proclaimed by the President. Use whatever means in your judgment are
necessary to this end. All law-abiding people must be treated alike."

MALOLOS CONGRESS (1898)

• September 15 – A congress was opened in Malolos, Bulacan to draw up a constitution for the First

Philippine Constitution.

The Congress proceeded to elect its officers, namely, Pedro A. Paterno, President; Benito Legarda,
Vice-President; Gregorio Araneta, First Secretary; and Pablo Ocampo, Second Secretary.

• September 29 – The congress ratified the independence proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite on June 12,

1898.

TREATY of PARIS (1898)

• October 1– American and Spanish delegates opened discussions in Paris to end the Spanish-
American War.

On the same day, at Washington, D.C., Philippine ambassador Felipe Agoncillo and his secretary,
Sixto Lopez, met with President William McKinley but his request that Filipinos be represented at the
Paris peace talks was rejected.

• December 10 – The Treaty of Paris was signed, thus ending the Spanish-American War. Spain
ceded the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico and Cuba was granted its independence; in return, the
US paid Spain the sum of US $20 million for the Philippines.

PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR (1899)

• February 4 – Hostilities broke after two American private on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in
San Juan, Manila.

This incident sparked the Philippine-American War, which would cost far more money and took far
more lives than the Spanish–American War.
• March 31 – Revolutionary capital, Malolos was captured but Aguinaldo and his government
escaped to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.

• June 5 – Antonio Luna was killed by Aguinaldo’s guard in apparent assassination.

• November 12 – Aguinaldo ordered a shift to guerilla warfare which brought out frustrations to the
Americans to capture the said leader.

• December 2 – Gregorio del Pilar was killed in the Battle of Tirad Pass. With his best commanders
dead and his troops suffering continued defeats, Aguinaldo and his force was pushed further into
Northern Luzon.

The CAPTURE of AGUINALDO (1901)

• February 8 – Six tired and famished guerillas surrendered at Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija including
Cecilio Segismundo, Aguinaldo’s messenger.

Segismundo pinpointed the village of Palanan, in mountainous Isabela Province, as Aguinaldo’s

headquarters and told Funston that there was no more than fifty guards at Palanan in defense for
Aguinaldo.

• March 23 – Aguinaldo was captured and brought to Manila.

Convinced of the futility of further resistance, he swore allegiance to the United States and issued a
proclamation calling on his compatriots to lay down their arms, officially bringing an end to the war.

PHILIPPINES as U.S TERRITORY (1901-1930’s)

• 1901 – Civil government was established in the Philippines proclaiming William Howard Taft as the
1st American Gov. Gen. replacing the military governor Arthur MacArthur Jr. Philippine Constabulary
was organized to deal with the remnants of the insurgent movement and gradually assume the
responsibilities from the U.S Army.

• 1907 – Elected Philippine Assembly was inaugurated becoming the lower house of the bicameral
legislature, with appointed Philippine Commission as the upper house.

• 1916 – Passage of Jones Act in which promised eventual independence and instituted an elected
Philippine Senate. Under the U.S Government, the Philippines gradually developed. English language
became the official language of the land and industrialization flourished.

• 1920’s – Alternating periods of cooperation and confrontation with American governors-general,

depending on how intent the incumbent was on exercising his powers vis-à-vis the Philippine
legislature. Members to the elected legislature lobbied for immediate and complete independence
from the United States. Several independence missions were sent to Washington, D.C.

COMMONWEALTH PERIOD (1930’s-1940’s)

• 1933 – The United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a Philippine
Independence Act.
Though the bill had been drafted with the aid of a commission from the Philippines, it was opposed
by Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, partially because of provisions leaving the United
States in control of naval bases. Under his influence, the Philippine legislature rejected the bill.

• 1934 – A revised act known Tydings-McDuffie Act was finally passed.

The Tydings-McDuffie Act provided for the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
with a ten-year period of transition to full independence. The commonwealth would have its own
constitution and be selfgoverning, though foreign policy would be the responsibility of the United
States, and certain legislation required approval of the United States president.

• March 1935 – A constitution was framed and approved by Franklin Roosevelt.

• May 14 1935 - a Filipino government was formed on the basis of principles similar to the U.S.
Constitution.

• 1935 – The commonwealth was established, electing Manuel L. Quezon as the president.

JAPANESE INVATION (1941)

• December 8 – Japan launched a surprise attack on the Philippines hours after the attack of Pearl
Harbor. Japanese troops attacked the islands in many places and launched a pincer drive on Manila.
Aerial bombardment was followed by landings of ground troops in Luzon. MacArthur's indecision,
combined with his poor military judgment and slackness in his command structure, led to the
destruction of half of his air force on the ground and his troops being denied adequate supplies to
withstand a lengthy siege.

JAPANESE INVASION (1942)

Under the pressure of superior numbers, MacArthur and the defending forces withdrew to the
Bataan Peninsula and to the island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manila Bay where they
entrenched and tried to hold until the arrival of reinforcements, meanwhile guarding the entrance to
Manila Bay and denying that important harbor to the Japanese. But no reinforcements were
forthcoming. Meanwhile the Commonwealth government seek refuge in the Corregidor Island.

• January 2 – Manila was declared an open city and was occupied by the Japanese Arm Forces.

The FALL of BATAAN and CORREGIDOR (1942)

• March 1942 – Quezon and Osmeña fled the country and went to Washington D.C. carrying the
Commonwealth government in exile. While MacArthur fled for Australia and promised to return.

• April 9, 1942 – The fall of United States-Philippine Forces on the Bataan Peninsula.

• May 6, 1942 – The final surrender of United States- Philippine Forces on Corregidor.

BATAAN DEATH MARCH (1942)

• April 9, 1942 – The Bataan Death March Most of the 80,000 prisoners of war captured by the
Japanese at Bataan were forced to undertake the infamous "Bataan Death March" to a prison camp
105 kilometers to the north. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 men, weakened by disease and
malnutrition and treated harshly by their captors, died before reaching their destination.

JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1942 - 1944)

The Japanese military authorities immediately began organizing a new government structure in the
Philippines. They initially organized a Council of State through which they directed civil affairs

• October 14, 1943 – Japanese declared the Philippines an independent republic, headed by the
President Jose Laurel.

Most of the Philippine elite, with a few notable exceptions, served under the Japanese.

Philippine collaboration in Japanese-sponsored political institutions- which later became a major

domestic political issue-was motivated by several considerations.

Among them was the effort to protect the people from the harshness of Japanese rule (an effort
that Quezon himself had advocated), protection of family and personal interests, and a belief that
Philippine nationalism would be advanced by solidarity with fellow Asians.

Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by increasingly effective underground and
guerrilla activity that ultimately reached large-scale proportions.

Postwar investigations showed that about 260,000 people were in guerrilla organizations and that
members of the anti-Japanese underground were even more numerous.

Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP)

One major resistance group in the Central Luzon area was furnished by the Huks, Hukbalahap
(Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon), or the People's Anti-Japanese Army organized in early 1942
under the leadership of Luis Taruc, a communist party member since 1939.

• February 1942 – In Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, Luis Taruc, Juan Feleo, Castro Alejandrino, and other
leaders of organized farmers held a meeting and agreed upon to fight the Japanese as a unified
guerrilla army.

One major resistance group in the Central Luzon area was furnished by the Huks, Hukbalahap
(Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon), or the People's Anti-Japanese Army organized in early 1942
under the leadership of Luis Taruc, a communist party member since 1939.

• February 1942 – In Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, Luis Taruc, Juan Feleo, Castro Alejandrino, and other
leaders of organized farmers held a meeting and agreed upon to fight the Japanese as a unified
guerrilla army. The Huks armed some 30,000 people and extended their control over much of Luzon.

End of Japanese Occupation(1944)

• October 20, 1944 – MacArthur's Allied Forces landed on the island of Leyte accompanied by
Osmeña, who had succeeded to the commonwealth presidency upon the death of Quezon on
August 1, 1944.
Landings in other parts of the country followed, and the Associates pushed toward Manila. The
landing was followed (Oct. 23–26) by the greatest naval engagement in history, called variously the
battle of Leyte Gulf and the second battle of the Philippine Sea.

End of Japanese Occupation(1945)

A great U.S. victory, it effectively destroyed the Japanese navy and opened the way for the recovery
of all the islands.

• January 1945 – Luzon was invaded by MacArthur’s Forces and Manila was taken in February.

• July 5, 1945 – MacArthur announced “All the Philippines are now liberated.”

September 2, 1945 – Japan’s formal surrender to the U.S Forces.

The Japanese had suffered over 425,000 dead in the Philippines. The Philippines suffered great loss
of life and monstrous physical destruction by the time the war was over. An estimated 1 million
Filipinos had been killed, and Manila was extensively damaged.