Quezon arrived in Washington D.C. in December 1933 to negotiate independence for the Philippines. In January 1934, he proposed either independence within 2-3 years with limited free trade, or independence in 6 years with autonomy and special trade relations after. The Tydings-McDuffie Act was passed in 1934, establishing a 10 year transition period to full independence for the Philippines in 1946 and a new constitution was ratified in 1935. Quezon and Osmena were elected as the first president and vice president of the new Philippine Commonwealth. However, economic difficulties emerged as the country struggled with inadequate education systems and unfulfilled promises of land reform during this interim period of self-governance.

1. THE PHILIPPINE
COMMONWEALTH

2.  DECEMBER 7, 1933
 Quezon arrived in Washington D.C.
He went about his task.
He talked with several key congressman, and
finally had an interview with the president.
 JANUARY 16, 1934
Two weeks later, Quezon presented proposals he
had been to submit .
Which he suggested:
o Independence within two or three years with limited free
trade during those two or three years.
o Reciprocal trade relations after independence or
independence in six years with autonomy in the
meantime , and then special trade relations to continue
after independence.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
-suggested some kind of a compromise Senator Millard
Tydings and Representative John McDuffie of Manama
conferred with the Filipino Leaders.
On MARCH 19
-The House of Representatives
 23 MARCH
-the Senate passed the Tydings McDuffie
Law, the new independence law of Philippines.
President Roosevelt signed it on MARCH 24,
and the Philippine Legislature unanimously
accepted it on MAY 1, 1934 .

4. The Philippine would become
commonwealth for a ten year transition
period before absolute independence in
1946.
 JULY 30 ,1934
A constitutional convention started work
on new constitution, the fundamental law
of the land.
 FEBRUARY 15,1935
The convention was ended and President
over by Claro M. Recto.
Roosevelt approved the new Philippine
Constitution a month later.

5.  SEPTEMBER 17
National election were held.
Quezon - was elected president of the
commonwealth.
Osmenia – was a vice- president.
On, NOVEMBER 15, 1935 , they took their
oaths of office.
The Philippine population during the
commonwealth was estimated at about 16
million, an increase from the 1903
population of 10.3 million.
The preferential trade arrangement
petrified the few export enterprises in the
country.

6. The economic difficulties of the Philippine
Commonwealth is perhaps best illustrated in
the mad equate public school system.
1937-one fifth of the annual budget was set aside
for education.
1941-four years later, the share of the schools
was increased to more than one third.
There were fewer and fewer classrooms,
fewer books, fewer blackboards, and even
fewer teacher whose salaries were lowest of
all public employees.
The government decided to shorten the
elementary school fro program to only six
years.

7. In his election campaign speeches,
Quezon promised he would start a social
justice program as a remedy.
But nothing much was done to fulfill his
promise, when he became a president of
commonwealth.
 In fact , the social problems of Central
Luzon started during Quezon’s presidency.

8.  1936
Quezon also announced that would not be carried
out the plan to purchase large haciendas and
resell them as small plots.
In early century, he explained , the Americans had
already tried the same thing. They had bought the
friars land, and resold them to small land -
owners.
Preparatory Committee on Philippine Affairs was
established to improve the situation.
It extended to fifteen years the period of limited
free trade with United States, but with regressive
duty-free quotas instead of increasing the tariffs
on Philippine exports.
Quezon saw that the Philippines was militarily
unprepared for independence.

9.  1930
Quezon had asked already to Douglas
MacArthur, soon to retire from U.S. Army to act
as his military adviser, with the title “Field
Marshall”.
Defense and military preparations were duly
started.Quezon himself announced that every
Filipino was bond to defend and even die for
his country.

10. All this time the Japan was engaged in as
expansion program.
 Cordell Hull
The American secretary of state, warned Japan of
possible negative American public opinion.
 October 15, 1940 :after
The export of iron and steel scrap to countries
outside of the western hemisphere clearly
meaning Japan was forbidden.
 July 26, 1941:Less than a year later on
The American government froze Japanese credits
in the United States and the British did the same.
 General MacArthur
Was named commander in chief of the United
States Army Forces in the FAR east (USAFFE).