The Philippine-American Experiment: A Filipino View
1952; University of British Columbia; Volume: 25; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/2752800
ISSN1715-3379
Autores Tópico(s)Philippine History and Culture
ResumoHILIPPINE conditions and prevalent Filipino thinking today result of what has been called Philippine-American experiment. In historical terms, this unique enterprise was launched unilaterally by President William McKinley in January i899 when instructing American commissioners who were setting out to establish civil government in Philippines. Philippines, American president wrote, are ours, not to exploit but to develop, to civilize, to educate, to train in science of self-government. This is path of duty which we must follow or be recreant to a mighty trust committed to us.' The experiment became Philippine-American after Emilio Aguinaldo, president of first Philippine Republic, proclaimed in same month, had been captured by United States troops and his republic had collapsed under pressure of [the American] military forces.2 It was then that William Howard Taft, chairman of second Philippine Commission and subsequently first civil governor of Islands, announced and set in motion policy of the Philippines for Filipinos, which elicited support of a segment of Filipino leadership of that time. The course of later developments in country was shaped by McKinley policy and Taft's renunciatory slogan. The unbalanced development of national economy, systematic, if unsuccessful, Americanization of Filipino life and thought, subtle stifling of nationalist sentiments until a Filipino chief executive could recently say, only voice I hear is that of President Truman, as well as emergence of many Philippine social and economic problems that vex two peoples today,-all have been direct consequences of policy underlying joint experiment. No recrimination is intended by these simple statements of fact. Neither Americans nor Filipinos deliberately sought their chance association. They stumbled into it, and it was natural that policy governing this unexpected relationship should have been characterized by improvisation and
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