1797 Missions started (Church of England and the Protestant Churches).

They acknowledged the principle of

comity

Protestantism came to the Philippines mainly through American missionaries, who managed to conduct missions
in the archipelago after Americas victory over Spain in 1898.

When Commodore (later Admiral) George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet led by Admiral Patricio
Montojo on May 1, 1898, many American Protestants saw the victory as nothing less than the very hand of God
that forced open the lock keeping Protestant evangelism from the Philippines. Six weeks later, the Presbyterian
Church in the U.S.A. had proposed to apply comity in the Philippines to avoid rivalry among different
missions. By the end of 1898, mission boards interested had agreed to implementation of comity. By 1901, the
different Protestant Churches involved in comity agreed to form the Evangelical Union, which united them under a
common name: Iglesia Evangelica (Evangelical Church)

1898 and 1901 Comity Agreement - Only one Protestant church would be started in each area. The comity
agreement, which led to the territorial division of the Philippines, was one of the accomplishments of mission
enterprises in the Philippines. The meeting was followed by another gathering in 1901 by the early missionaries in
Manila to further discuss the comity agreement with three specific major agenda items:

"to organize the Evangelical Union,"

"choose a common name for Protestant churches," and
"delineate the geographical work allotments for each church."

Denomination (date of first service) Areas allocated

Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Nueva

Methodists (1898) Vizcaya, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cagayan,
Ilocos Sur (south of Vigan)

Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Tayabas, Batangas, Camarines

Presbyterians (1899) Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Cebu, Leyte, Bohol,
Negros Oriental, Samar

United Brethren (Episcopals, 1901) Mountain Province, La Union

Ilocos Norte, Abra, Ilocos Sur (north of Vigan),

Disciples of Christ (1901) Northern Mindoro, designated places around Manila
in agreement with the Presbyterian mission

Panay Island, Southern Mindoro, Romblon, Negros

Baptists (1900)
Occidental

Congregationalists (1902) Mindanao, except western end

Christian and Missionary Alliance (1901) Western Mindanao, Sulu archipelago

All churches City of Manila

Factors that led the founding of the new church

As discussed in the Introduction, the comity agreement limited the area available for the different missions.
Early American missionaries had to struggle with problems such as the tropical environment, as well as
differences in culture and language. They had to rely on Filipinos that they have trained to conduct evangelistic
work. Swift advances of Protestant evangelism in the archipelago proved comity to be obstructing the Great
Commission laid down by Jesus Christ Himself, wherein He instructed His followers to make disciples of all
nations, and by all nations, the prophet Isaiah mentions that it also meant all islands. (see Isaiah 49:1, 6;
Matthew 28:19-20) While the Philippines may not be considered an independent nation by this time, it cannot be
denied that the Philippines is of island configuration. To top it all, Jesus had said to his disciples would be His
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (see Acts 1:8) This insight on
the Great Commission would be likely to bolster the Biblical basis of Filipino missionaries for being zealous to
evangelize outside their designated mission areas.

Another factor is the unwelcoming reaction of the Filipinos to President William McKinleys adoption of the
Manifest Destiny doctrine in the Philippines. This doctrine provided to uplift, educate, Christianize, and prepare
them (the Filipinos) for self-government. At first, McKinley acted that he had no idea on what to do in the
Philippines. Soon enough, it became clear that America intended to keep the Philippines under their control. This
was against Filipino drive for independence, an impetus that even American missionaries expressed opposition to.
Thus, the doctrine had not registered well among many Filipinos. The very desire of Filipinos for independence
would be another factor. Independence here also meant religious freedom, especially from the Spanish clergy of
the Roman Catholic Church who had aided the colonial government for more than three centuries. While the
Protestant churches provided an alternative to the Catholic Church, Filipinos converted to Christianity did not take
long to realize that the Philippines should have its own Protestant church. That is, a self-sufficient church free from
American domination.

Although, it is to be noted that the idea of an independent church was not new. On October 22, 1899, Apolinario
Mabini had issued a manifesto which urges the Filipino clergy of the Catholic Church to form a National Church.
The next day, October 23, Vicar General Gregorio Aglipay organized an assembly at Tarlac with the aim to
Filipinize the Catholic Church in the Philippines. However, the planned Church was not developed owing to the
problems faced by the Philippine Republic during the Filipino-American War, with Aglipay himself fighting in the
field. In August of 1902, with the aid of Isabelo de los Reyes, this church was founded as the Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (IFI, Philippine Independent Church) and had finally broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.
Aglipay was elected as Supreme Bishop of the church by October of the same year. By 1903, IFI boasted a
membership of 1.5 million. That is, out of a total Philippine population of 7.6 million. Among the Protestants,
Manuel Aurora led a few members of the Methodist Episcopal Church to break away and create the Iglesia
Cristianos Vivos (Living Christian Church) in September of 1904. The church did not last, with many members
returning to the mother church, while some joining smaller Protestant groups.

The final factor would be the sense of racial superiority carried by the Americans. It is apparent that even the
American missionaries had not escaped this mentality. The voice of Filipino pastors in the church administration
was insignificant. Filipino preachers were treated as second class, their allowances reduced without consultation
and given only third class passage on most travels. They were also deprived of higher positions in the church.
For instance, all positions in the Methodist Church in the Philippines ranging from bishop to presiding elder (later
changed to district superintendent by 1908) were held by Americans from 1898 to 1915. In fact, all resident
bishops until 1932 were Americans. These factors combined would ultimately lead to the founding of the first
indigenous Protestant church in the Philippines.

On January 20, 1899, President McKinley appointed the First Philippine Commission (the Schurman
Commission), a five-person group headed by Dr. Jacob Schurman, president of Cornell University, to investigate
conditions in the islands and make recommendations. In the report that they issued to the president the following
year, the commissioners acknowledged Filipino aspirations for independence; they declared, however, that the
Philippines was not ready for it. Specific recommendations included the establishment of civilian government as
rapidly as possible (the American chief executive in the islands at that time was the military governor), including
establishment of a bicameral legislature, autonomous governments on the provincial and municipal levels, and a
system of free public elementary schools.

On March 16, 1900, United States President William McKinley appointed the then Judge William
Howard Taft to head the second Philippine Commission, which would also be known as the Taft Commission. Taft
would become Governor-General of the Willam Howard TaftPhilippines and later, the president of the U.S.

McKinley wanted to hasten the transition of the Philippine military government into a civil one. The Taft
Commissions was given executive and legislative powers it could use to achieve the Presidents objective.

The Commission arrives in the Philippines on June 3, 1900. It began legislative work on September 1, the first law
it passed set aside P2 million for the construction of treads and bridges. From September 1900 to August 1902,
the Commission was able to enact 440 pieces of legislation for the Philippines. Some of these laws included the
Municipal and Provincial codes, which established municipal and provincial governments all over the country, and
laws organizing the Philippine Constabulary and the countries judicial system. Aside from enacting laws the
commissions also visited various provinces and help it in the government peace efforts.

The Spooner Amendment

The modification sponsored by Senator John C. Spooner, allowed the US president to fully administer the
Philippines. Thus, the military government of the Philippines was replaced with a civil one albeit temporary
pending the legislation of permanent colonial government by the United States.

Civil Government under Taft

The Philippine civil government was inaugurated on July 4, 1901, with William Howard Taft as its first governor, the
powers and duties of a governor were passed on to Taft. The Taft Commission continuing functioning as legislative
body. Cayetano Arellano was the first Filipino to hold a high position of government he was named Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court on May 28, 1899. Gregorio Araneta was appointed as Secretary of Justice and finance. Trinidad
Pardo de Tavera, Benito Legarda, and Jose Luzuriaga were selected as members of the Philippine Commissions.
Continue to The Philippine Commonwealth.

(1921), fact-finding commission sent to the Philippines by newly elected U.S. president Warren Harding in March
1921, which concluded that Filipinos were not yet ready for independence from the United States.

In 1913 Woodrow Wilson had appointed the liberal (democratic) Francis Burton Harrison as governor
general of the Philippines. Harrison was convinced that the best method of preparing Filipinos for independence
was to give them as wide a latitude as possible in managing their internal affairs.

Jones Act, formally Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, statute announcing the intention of the United States
government to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands as soon as a stable government can be
established therein.

Republicans in the United States argued that Harrisons policy of Filipinization was premature and that the
takeover of jobs by Filipinos resulted only in a marked deterioration of services. To support this position, Harding
sent out Gen. Leonard Wood and former gov. gen. (1909-1913) William Cameron Forbes. The mission spent 4
months observing the Filipinos. The two reported in October 1921 that the islands were not prepared for
independence and that many educated Filipinos wished to remain under American tutelage.
Among the criticisms were:
1. Lack of sufficient press to ensure sound public opinion
2. Mistakes in finances
3. Delay in the administration of justice
4. Lack of good teachers both in the lower schools and in the higher institutions
5. Inadequate treatment and care of cultural minorities
Recommendation:
The present general status of the Phil. Islands continue until the people have had time to absorb
and thoroughly master the powers already in their hands

Administration of Leonard Wood (1921-1927) was unlike Harrison