By: Jhessa P. Asang and Clarina M. Mannah-buy

Economic progress under America

Economic progress under America

• The Filipinos enjoyed a better life under America than as the colony of Spain. The American Yankees taught us to work harder and be more practical than the lazy and proud Spaniards. What Spain could not do for the Philippines in over 300 years, the United States did in less than 50 years.

American economic policy

• In the beginning, American economic policy was unselfish.• Philippine bill of 1902• -declared that all public lands and natural resources of the Philippines were for

“the benefits of the inhabitants”.• William H. Taft• First American governor general, said that the Philippines was for the Filipinos.• This meant that our economy would be developed by the Americans for the

benefit of the Filipinos, and not for the benefits of the Americans.• Naturally our economy then was developed largely by Americans and pro-

American Filipinos. We had to serve the national interests of the United States, our “mother country” then. We could not yet break loose and make our policy.

New prosperity

1. Population • The population was

tripled from 1898-1939. These statistics how the population explosion then:

New prosperity of the Philippines as America was shown in the following ways.

1898 1903 1918 1939

6,000,000

7,635,426

10,314,310

16,000,303

Population

2. New land policy

• Friar lands were resold to Filipino farmers.• Homestead Act in 1924 allowed any Filipino to own

up 24 hectares of public land.• All lands had to be registered, and their owners got

Torrens tittles.

3 Ways on how Americans improved land policy in the Philippines.

3. Agricultural increase

• After the fought in the revolution, they cooperated with the Americans revive agriculture.

• Bureau of agriculture (1902)• The first government agency ain the new American colony.• In 1903, the American congress sent a $3 million emergency

fund to import rice and carabaos from other Asian countries. Modern farm tools from the United States were introduced. The agricultural increase during the American era was fantastic. The statistics are summed up as follows:

Agricultural Increase

Total area of farms, 3x increase

Farm Animals, 3x increase

Abaca and Tobaco, 3x increase

Corn, 4x increase

Rice, 5x increase

Forest Logs, 6x increase Sugar,

6x increase

Copra, 9x increase

Type Growth

Total area of farms 3x

Farm animals 3x

Abaca and tobacco 3x

Corn 4x

Rice 5x

Forest logs 6x

Sugar 6x

Copra 9x

4. Free trade with America

Most important economic change in the American era. Filipino products entered the United States without paying custom tariffs. There was a limit or quota to the amount of tax free Filipino products. However American products were not limited.

5. Business boom

Retail trade inside the Philippines also doubled from, 1907-1935. Filipinos had more money to buy different things, however they liked to buy imported goods.

6. New industries

• The Philippines entered the industrial age during the time of Americans. It favoured the use of machines and the mass production of goods in big factories. They bought this modern system to our country.

• Manila: coconut oil, cigars and cigarettes, sugar, rope, textiles.• Marikina: shoes• Ilocos: blankets and towels.• Bulacan, Laguna, Tayabas, Bohol and Pangasinan: hats and mats• Pampanga, Rizal and Bulacan: Rattan and wood furnitures.• Albay, Rizal and Laguna: pottery and bricks.

Naturally, the Americans became the new capitalists. They controlled the biggest industries and large companies.

7. Improvement in transportation and communication

• During the American era, the Philippines became an Asian leader in transportation and communications.

• Americans developed our railroads in Luzon, Cebu, and Panay.

• more ports for shipping were opened up.• Pier 7 in manila was the largest port in Asia.

8. Better budget

The Philippine colonial government under Americans had one of the best budgets in the world. The Philippine budget was balanced even during the great world depression in the 1930’s. Other governments (including U.S.) had huge deficits and problems. But the Philippine colonial had a surplus.

9. New banks

New banks opened during the American era. In 1906, the postal savings bank was introduced and the Philippine national bank was established.

10. International exhibitions and meetings

The Philippines was projected into the world’s limelight because of its participation in international exhibitions, conferences and meetings. The Philippine army band become world-famous at the golden gate exposition held at San Francisco, California, in 1939. Filipino professionals attended international academic and professional conferences. Filipino athletes were also able to join the Olympic Games.

Economic Problems

• We sold our raw materials cheap and brought expensive manufactured goods from America.

• Colonial mentality became worse• Labor and peasant unrest spread in 1920’s and 1930’s.

The world depression hit the poor masses worst of all.• American capitalists and businessmen controlled the

new companies.

The economic problems which started during the American era were

Historical values

• Our country’s natural resources and wealth was developed by the u.s.• The Americans benefited from our economic development because we were

not yet independent. The promise of the American to make Philippines for the Filipinos was not really true.

• There were tremendous progress then in population, agriculture, trade, business, new industries, transportation and communication government budget banks and international prestige. Manila was the center of shipping and air travel in Asia. We had the best telephone and telegraph service, newspapers, radio stations and postal service in Asia. Our people enjoyed better living standards.

• The new opportunities in our country made our people want independence even more. We knew that we would never fully developed until we were free.

From our study of the Philippines during the American colonial era, we learned the following lessons from the past:

Thanks For

Listening…