The Commonwealth Period of the Philippines

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Ron Jake N. Venturanza



1930 - U.S Congressional elections

1931 ± independence mission

January 17, 1933 - passage



Authored by a Representative and 2

Senators named:

- Representative Butler B. Hare

-Senators Harry B. Hawes and

Bronson Cutting



Provided by ten-year transition period

According to Manuel L. Quezon and theSenate President Sergio Osmena, this actwas not economically beneficial to thecountry.

The Filipino people were torn on the issuewhether or not to approve the Hare-Hawes Cutting Act.



Antis ± those in favor of Manuel Quezon.

Pros ± those who supported SenatorsOsmena and Roxas.

October 17, 1933 ±P

hilippine Legislaturepassed the Concurrent Resolution No. 46

rejecting the Hare-Hawes Cutting Act.



Philippine Legislature specified the followingpoints: The provisions stated in the law regarding the trade

relations of the two countries were disadvantageousto the Philippines;

The clause which restricted Filipino immigration to America was objectionable and offensive;

The power of the America High Commissioner was

too indefinite; and The retention of the military and naval reservations of America in the Philippines violated the dignity andsovereign rights of the country.



November 1933 ± Manuel Quezon became

responsible in obtaining better provisions of

independence law from the US Congress.

May 1, 1934 ± the passage of the law.

This law was introduce by Millard Tydings andJohn McDuffie.

This was the revised copy of Hare-Hawes-

Cutting Act



Steps that led to the Philippine

independence:1. The acceptance of the law;

2. The calling of a constitutional convention not later thanOctober 1, 1934 for the purpose of drafting theConstitution of the Philippines;

3. The submission of the Constitution of the President of

the US within two years;

4. The submission of the Constitution to a plebiscite forratification within two months after its approval by thePresident of the United States;



Steps that led to the Philippineindependence:

5. The election of the Commonwealth officials not laterthan six months after the plebiscite;

6. The proclamation of the result of the election and theinauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines;and

7. The proclamation of Philippine Independence on the 4th

of July following the tenth year inauguration of theCommonwealth government;



The following are the principles of this law:

1. The government must be republican in

form;2. Must include the Bill of Rights;

3. During the ten-year transition period,the country would remain as an American

territory;4. All Filipino citizens including its officials

would owe allegiance to America;



5. American citizens in the Philippine

would enjoy the same civil rights by which the

Filipino people enjoyed;6. All laws passed by the Commonwealth

legislature affecting currency, foreign trade,and emigration had to be submitted to the

President of the US for his approval and hecan suspend the same, including contract and

executive address;



7. The foreign affairs of the country weresubjected under the direct control andsupervision of the President of the US;

8. The President of the US would berepresented in the Philippines by anAmerican High Commissioner, while thePhilippines was to be represented to the US

by a Filipino Resident Commissioner.9. The Philippine President was to make an

annual report to the US President andCongress;



10. The supreme court of America would haveauthority to review important cases tried bySupreme Court of the Philippines, including

those involving the constitution;11. Trade relations between the Philippines

and the US must be governed by the Tydings-McDuffie Law; and

12. The President of the US was authorized tonegotiate with foreign powers for the perpetualneutralization of the future Republic of thePhilippines



Served as the Constitution for the PhilippineCommonwealth.

March 24, 1934 President Franklin D.Roosevelt approved the Tydings-McDuffieLaw.

May 5, 1934 a bill calling for a constitutional

convention was approved. February 8, 1935 the Constitution was

approved by the convention and signed onFebruary 19, 1935.



March 23, 1935 President Rooseveltapproved the Constitution,

May 14, 1935 - the Constitution was ratifiedby the Filipinos.

Government was divided into 3 co-equal

branches:

Executive

Legislative

judicial



February 27, 1945 the establishment of theCommonwealth Government

July 4, 1946 the inauguration of theRepublic of the Philippines.

1939 1935 Constitution was amendedwhere an Ordinance was appended to theConstitution in accordance with the Tydings-Kocialkowski of August 7, 1939.





Provision of the 1935 Constitution

The Filipino people, imploring the aid of divineprovidence, in order to establish a government that shallembody their ideals, conserve and develop thepatrimony of the nation, promote the general welfare,

and secure to themselves and there posterity theblessings of independence under a regime of justice,liberty, and democracy do ordain and promulgate thisconstitution.



The 1935 Constitution contains 17 Articles:

Article I ± The National Territory

Article II ± Declaration of PrinciplesArticle III ± Bill of Rights

Article IV ± Citizenships

Article V ± Suffrage

Article VI ± Legislative Department

Article VII ± Executive Department

Article VIII ± Judicial Department



Article IX ± ImpeachmentArticle X ± General Auditing OfficeArticle XI ± Civil Service

Article XII ± Conversation & Utilization of Natural ResourcesArticle XIII ± General ProvisionsArticle XIV ± AmendmentsArticle XV ± Transitory Provisions

Article XVI ± Special Provisions Effective Uponthe Proclamation of theIndependence of the Philippines

Article XVII ± The Commonwealth of the

Republic



Ordinance Appended to the Constitution (OAC)

OAC introduced by the dictatorial phrase: Notwithstanding the provision of the Foregoing

Constitution



September 17, 1935 first national election

November 15, 1935 The Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated in Manila.

Two advisers of Quezon: Governor-General Francis and General Douglas

MacArthur

Security Forces were developed



Changes in his government:- Old offices and bureaus were either abolished

or reorganized Created offices:

NationalEconomic Council

Census Commission

Commission of Mindanao and Sulu

The Institute of National Language



Filipinized the judiciary branch from the

lowest court to Supreme Court.

Classification of judges were raised and theirsalaries were increased.

Decreased the justices in the Supreme Courtto seven (7).

Two (2) additional courts were created whichare: the Court of Appeals and the Court of

Industrial Relations.



Enacted laws to protect the rights of the

working class.

Developed strategies in the public educationsystem:

Education Filipinization Program

Technical-VocationalE

ducation Program Character Education Offering

Establishment of Free and Compulsory PrimaryEducation



Laid down the foundation of moral and

cultural rebirth.

Copies of Code of Ethics were distributedfreely to the people.

Promulgated Executive Order No. 134.

The Commonwealth Period of the Philippines

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