“That in all cases, the municipal officers who administer the local affairs of the people are to be selected by the people and that wherever officers of more extended jurisdiction are to be selected in any way, natives of the Islands are to be preferred, and if they can be found competent and willing to perform their duties they are to receive the offices in preference to any others.”

These instructions were confirmed by President Roosevelt when he said that the Government of the Philippine Islands would cease to be a government of Americans aided by Filipinos and instead would be a government of Filipinos aided by Americans. And in 1908 after the opening of the Philippine Assembly, President Roosevelt in his message to Congress added:

“I trust that within a generation the time will arrive when the Filipinos can decide for themselves whether it is well for them to become independent or continue under the protection of a strong and disinterested power, able to guarantee to the islands order at home and protection from foreign invasion.”

Filipinization In pursuance of all this policy the placing of Filipinos in government offices was hastened from 1913 to 1921, the turning over of power into Filipino hands having been virtually made complete by the passage of the Jones Law in 1916. This law provided for the creation of an elective Senate and House of Representatives and for the appointment of heads of departments and other government officials. Appointments made by the Governor-General were made to be with the advice and consent of the Philippine Senate.

The proportion of Filipinos to Americans in the Philippine Government during the period 1914–1921 is shown in the following table:

NumberPercentage
Year Americans Filipinos Total Americans Filipinos
Per cent Per cent
1914 2,148 7,283 9,451 23 77
1915 1,935 7,881 9,816 20 80
1916 1,730 8,725 10,455 17 83
1917 1,310 9,859 11,169 12 88
1918 948 10,866 11,814 8 92
1919 760 12,047 12,807 6 94
1920 582 12,651 13,143 4 96
1921 614 13,240 13,854 4 96
1922 604 13,726 14,330 4 96

Instruments of Autonomy The principal agencies that gave the Filipinos effective control over domestic affairs in conformity with the spirit of the Jones Law, were the following:

1. The creation of a Council of State on October 16, 1918, to help and advise the Governor-General on matters of public importance. In this council many prominent leaders of the Filipino people have figured prominently.

2. The creation of the Philippine Cabinet by which the Government Departments were organized and the work of the Executive Department divided among them. The aim was to have them undertake the work expressly entrusted to them, and to have in each branch of the administration a head responsible for its policy and direction. Each Secretary of Department assumes responsibility for all the activities of the government under his control and supervision. To this end he has the power to initiate, the power to regulate, the power to direct and inspect, and the power to appoint and remove.

3. The several laws that had given to the Council of State and to the Chairmen of the two houses of the Legislature the power to supervise and control the execution of the laws.