Reading in the Philippines History

Prepared by: Angelica Berongoy

Angeline Olasiman
POLITICAL CARTOONS AND CARICATURE
• An art form which veered away from the classical art
by exaggerating human features and poking fun at
its subjects.
• Part of the print media as a form of social and
political commentary,
• Targets person’s of power and authority.
• Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing
opinions through heavy use of symbolism, which is
different from a verbose written editorial and
opinion pieces.
ALFRED MCCOY TOGETHER WITH ALFREDO ROCES

 Alfredo Rocess  Afred Mc Coy

 Compiled political cartoons published in newspaper

dailies and periodicals in the aforementioned time
period.
The cartoon shows a The Independent on May 20,
politician from Tondo, 1916.
named Dr. Santos, passing
his crown to his brother-in-
law, Dr. Barcelona. A filipino
guy( as depicted wearing
salakot and barong tagalog)
was trying to stop Santos,
telling the latter to stop
giving Barcelona the crown
because it is not his to begin
with.
 Second cartoon -also
published by The
Independent on 16 June
1917

Drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and was aimed as a commentary to the

workings of manila Police at that period.
A Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing to
eat . The police officer was relentlessly pursuing the said child. A man
wearing a salakot, labeled Juan de la Cruz, was grabbing the officer,
telling him to leave the small-time pickpockets and thieves and to turn at
the great thieves instead. He was pointing to huge warehouse containing
bulks of rice, milk ad grocery products.
A commentary on the unprecedented cases of colorum
automobiles in the city streets. The Philippine Free Press
published this commentary when fatal accidents involving
colorum vehicles and taxis occurred too often already.
The fourth depicts a
cinema. A blown-up
police officer was at
the screen saying
that couples are not
allowed to neck and
make love in the
theater. Two
youngsters looked
horrified while an
older couple seemed
amused.
Here, we see the caricature of
Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled
by Filipinos wearing school
uniforms. The Filipino boys were
carrying American objects like
baseball bats, and boxing gloves.
McCoy, in his caption to the said
cartoon was based on an event in
1907 when William Howard Taft
was brought to the Manila pier
riding a chariot pulled by students
of Liceo de Manila. Such was
condemned by the nationalist at The Independent on 27 November
that time. 1915.
Uncle Sam rationing porridge to
the politicians and members of
the Progresista Party
(sometimes known as the
Federalista Party) while
members of the Nationalista
Party look on and wait for their
turn. This cartoon depicts the
patronage of the United states
being coveted by politicians
from either of the party.
by Lipang Kalabaw on 24
August 1907.
Other example of
Caricatures
ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL CARICATURES
DURING THE AMERICAN PERIOD

 The transition from the Spanish Colonial Period

to the American Occupation Period
demonstrated different strands of changes and
shifts in culture, society, and politics.
 The American drastically introduced democracy
to the nascent nation and the consequences
were far from ideal.
During the American Period that Filipinos were
introduced to different manifestations of
modernity like healthcare, modern
transportation, and media. This ushered in a
more open and freer press.
 The post-independence and the post-Filipino-
American Period in the Philippines were
experienced differently by Filipinos coming from
different classes.
 The upper principalia class experienced
economic prosperity with the opening up of the
Philippine economy to the United States but the
majority of the poor Filipino remained poor,
desperate, and victims of state repression.
 The selected cartoons illustrate not only the
opinion of certain media outfits about the
Philippine society during the American Period but
also paint a broad image of society and politics
under the United States.
 In the arena of politics, for ecample, we see the
price that Filipinos paid for the democracy
modeled after the Americans.
 First, it seemed that the Filipino politicians at
that time did not understand well enough the
essence of democracy and the accompanying
democratic institutions and processes. This can
be seen in the rising dynastic politics in Tondo
as depicted in the cartoon published by The
Independent.
 Patronage also became influencial and
powerful, not only between clients and patrons
but also between the newly formed political
parties composed of the elite and the United
States. This was depicted in the cartoon where
the United States, represented by Uncle Sam,
provided dole outs for members of the
Federalista while the Nationalista politicians
looked on and waited for their turn.
 Thus, the essence of competing political
parties to enforce choices among the voters
was cancelled out.
 The problem continues up to the present where
politicians transfer from one party to another
depending on which party was powerful in
specific periods of time.
 Thetransition from a catholic-centered,
Spanish-Filipino society to an Imperial
American-assimilated one, and its
complication, were also depicted in the
cartoons.One example is the unprecedented
increase of motorized vehicles in the city.
 The rules governing the issuance of drivers
License was loose and traffic police could not be
bothered by rampant violations of traffic rules.
This is a direct consequence of the drastic
urbanization of the Philippine society. Another
example is what McCoy called The "sexual
revolution" that occurred in the 1930s.
 Young people,as early as that period, disturbed
the conservative Filipino mindset by engaging in
daring sexual activities in public spaces like
cinemas. Here, we can see how that period was
the meeting point between the conservative past
and the liberated future of the Philippines.
 Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the
conditions of poor Filipinos in the Philippines
now governed by the United States. From the
looks of it, nothing much has changed. For
example, a cartoon depicted how police
authorities oppress petty Filipino criminals
while turning a blind eye on hoarders who
monopolize goods in their huge ware
houses(presumably Chinese merchants).
 The other cartoons depicts how Americans
controlled Filipinos through seemingly harmless
American objects. By controlling their
consciousness and mentality, Americans got to
control and subjugate Filipinos.