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PHILIPPINE ISLANDS salt, stone, sulphur, asphalt and gravel.

Education.—Under American rule education has been fostered and there has been great improvement in the conditions. There were in 1918, 4,747 schools in the islands. There was an annual enrollment of 671,398, an average monthly enrollment of 669,475 and an average daily attendance of 521,377.

Special attention has been given to vocational education and nearly every community of any size is provided with facilities for teaching useful trades to the natives.

Health and Sanitation.—Prior to American occupation sanitary conditions were extremely bad. Vigorous steps were taken at once to remedy these and the results have been marked. In spite of the improved condition there are frequent epidemics which kill large numbers of people. In 1919 there were an especially large number of these. Over 13,000 deaths occurred from small-pox, which was brought from Manila in December, 1917, by sailors. During the same year there were two epidemics of influenza which resulted in the deaths of many people. Cholera also appeared in several provinces during the year, but it was confined to a comparatively small area. Six provinces have been organized into sanitary divisions and only seven provinces remain to be organized. Special attention is given to the health of children. Dispensaries and nurses are maintained to instruct mothers in the care of their children.

Finance.—The expenditure for government in 1918 amounted to 57,496,043 pesos, and the receipts were 86,690,105 pesos. The budget estimate was introduced in 1917. The total amount of money in circulation at the end of 1918 was 131,151,883 pesos. There are on the islands four banks which engage in general banking business. Their combined capital is about three million dollars. The government supports an agricultural bank and postal savings system. These have both been successful.

Religion.—The greater number of people are Roman Catholic. Absolute freedom of worship is guaranteed by the terms of the treaty of peace with Spain made in 1898. Several of the tribes, including the Moros in the south, are pagan.

Government.—The authority of the United States is administered by a governor-general. A complete civil central government was established in 1901, which includes four executive departments in charge of secretaries. The work of these is divided into a number of

bureaus. Several important measures relating to the administration of the government have been passed since American occupation. An act of 1902 provided for the creation of a legislative lower house called the assembly. An upper house also was created and the two together formed the Philippine Legislature. The Assembly is composed of elected members from the regularly organized provinces, according to their population. The judicial system is also established, corresponding practically to the system in the United States.

History.—The Philippines were discovered and visited by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Magellan discovered in March 15, 1521, a group of islands which he named after St. Lazarus. This explorer lost his life in a skirmish with the natives a few weeks later on Maetan Island, near Cebu. The islands were taken into possession by Spain in 1565, and five years following the conquest of Luzon was carried on. In 1571 Manila was founded and rapidly became the seat of Spanish power. The Spaniards remained in possession of the islands practically undisturbed until the Spanish-American War. They made little progress in economic development and their methods with the natives resulted in bitter feeling which gave rise to several attempts to secure independence. The most important of these was that under José Rizal, in 1896. This attempt was put down and conditions were still in a threatening state when the United States went to war with Spain over the independence of Cuba. A fleet under Admiral Dewey was sent at once to the Philippines and the city was surrendered after a brief bombardment on May, 17, 1898.

By the treaty of peace with Spain signed on Dec. 10, 1898, the entire archipelago was ceded to the United States. On June 12th, however, an insurrection broke out headed by Emilio Aguinaldo, who proclaimed the independence of the Philippine Islands. This resulted in a protracted series of operations in which Aguinaldo was finally captured on March 23, 1901. This put an end to active opposition, although it was necessary to pacify the islands by a series of expeditions, some of which resulted in considerable losses to American troops. Peace was finally brought about. The first session of the Philippine Legislature was held on Oct. 15, 1907. Although peace has prevailed in the islands there has been a very definite attempt to bring about their independence by peaceful means, and by propaganda carried on both in the