Manuel L. Quezon

“ It is true that from the point of view of a foreigner who does not intend to remain in the Philippines after independence shall have been granted and who is contemplating to liquidate his interests in this country, the remaining seven years may, perhaps, give him the opportunity to withdraw his investments. But, is this a sufficient reason to postpone the grant of independence if, on the other hand, it would be to the best permanent interests of the Filipino people to accelerate its grant? Is the future well-being of a whole nation to be sacrificed for the benefit of a few foreigners? ”

“ It must be recognized, on the one hand, that America cannot, in fairness to herself, concede more governmental powers to the Commonwealth than she has granted without endangering her own interest and peace, nor on the other hand, can the Filipino people assume responsibility for their due preparation for independence with only such limited powers as have been vested in the Commonwealth Government. In this predicament, it were better for America and the Philippines to be independent of each other so that each may be free to act in the furtherance of her own national objectives and interests. ”

“ At no time in ancient or contemporary history has Almighty God showered His blessings upon our beloved country as generously as He has done during this year that is about to close. In a spirit of humility and thankfulness to Him, I come to report to you that the finances of the Government are sounder than they have ever been, that our foreign and internal trade has increased, that more school houses and roads have been built and opened to the people, that public health is in good condition, and that peace and order prevail in every province, city, municipality, and barrio of the Archipelago. ”

“ Let me say in all earnestness to those Filipinos who believe in good faith that the security, liberty, prosperity, and peace of our common country lie in some kind of political partnership with the United States rather than in complete independence, that they should say so frankly and come out courageously in the open with an alternative plan, instead of merely adopting dilatory tactics in the belief that when the fourth of July, 1946, shall have arrived, some unforeseen event will prevent the establishment of the Philippine Republic. ”

“ But now that the reins of government are in our hands in so far as our own domestic affairs are concerned, what excuse, what reasonable justification can there be in allowing such a social and economic order to continue? ”

“ An opportunity has been offered us that no past or coming generation has had or will ever have –that of creating a nation where there will be no privileged class, where poverty will be unknown, where every citizen will be duly equipped with the knowledge that will enable him to perform his duties and to exercise his rights properly and conscientiously, and where every man, woman, and child his fireside will be thankful to God for living in this beautiful and blessed land. ”

“ The Philippines has undoubtedly made great strides both in the field of politics and of economics during the last three decades. Politically, we have reached the point where we are –having an almost entirely autonomous government and the assurance of complete independence. Economically, we have become an important factor in American commerce; our foreign and domestic trade has multiplied –in a word, the national wealth has greatly increased. ”

“ We cannot be hesitating indefinitely. The best interest, indeed the very life, of the nation is at stake. If it is our resolve to be an independent nation, this is the time, for every year lost is to our evident disadvantage.
Our duty –the duty of the Executive and Legislative branches of the government- is plain. ”

“ Now the Filipino workingman, however illiterate, refuses to believe that the Creator of the Universe could have ordained that some of His creatures should live in luxury and plenty, while others, in destitution and misery. The Filipino laborer now knows that the Father of mankind loves him as much as every other human being, and, therefore, that the world has not been made for the benefit of a few, but for the happiness of all. ”

“ Conflicts of views, and perhaps of interests, may arise during the coming next eight years that may create misunderstanding and ill-feelings between the American and Filipino peoples and mar the unprecedented record of perfect cooperation and goodwill between two dissimilar races which Fate has thrown together temporarily. As long as America was the sovereign authority and reserved for herself and exercised full power over, and assumed exclusive responsibility for, the Government of the Philippines, there was no occasion for conflict. ”

“ If, however, we are fearful of the possible threats that complete independence may offer to our national security, and we would rather remain under the protecting wing of the United States, then let us leave the final determination of our future to come coming generations and not deceive ourselves with the groundless hope that by 1946 we shall have become politically and economically beyond any serious difficulty. ”

“ The Filipino workingman has heard, if he is not able to read, of the equality before the law of the poor and the rich. He has heard of democracy, liberty, and justice, since every candidate for an elective office discourses on these topics, painting to him in glowing terms the meaning of these words. ”

“ Under the Independence Act and the Constitution, the Government of the Commonwealth has been established to prepare the country for complete independence. Our people alone, by their own choice and direction, can command us to take a different course. ”

“ I can see no valid reason why, if the Philippines can be given independence in 1946, she may not have it in 1938 or 1939. In the short span of seven years the Filipino people can hardly do anything that would substantially change their present situation. Any obstacle which would vitally affect the chances of a successful and lasting independent nationhood in 1939 cannot be overcome by 1946. ”

“ They have nothing to fear: there is here freedom of thought and of speech, and one may be as much a patriot advocating some other political status for the Philippines as favoring complete independence so long as in advocating he is inspired not by selfish motives but by what he honestly believes is for the commonweal. ”

“ We have been fortunate indeed that so far the representatives of the President of the United States in the Philippines have been men of the highest character and integrity, of broad statesmanship, and of a clear vision of the task entrusted to them. ”

“ The Constitution imposes upon the Government of the Philippines the duty to give every boy and girl of school age the opportunity to receive primary instruction. As soon as there are sufficient school buildings to accommodate all the school-age population of the Philippines and permanent means for supporting the schools have been created, there should be implanted here, in my opinion, compulsory universal primary instruction. ”

“ One of the discoveries which we have made since the establishment of the Government of the Commonwealth is that, despite the large number of children that have gone through our public schools, as shown in the reports of the Bureau of Education, the literacy of the Islands has not increased proportionally, and the knowledge of those rudimentary subjects which the citizen of a democracy should have, has not been acquired by a population corresponding to the number of children that appear to have entered the public schools. ”

“ Sad to tell, but it is none the less true, the same cannot be said of our laboring population. The men and women who till the soil or work in the factories are hardly better off now than they were during the Spanish regime. Of course, wages are higher than in any other Oriental country, with the possible exception of Japan. But it should be remembered that money could buy more in those Spanish days than it can now; and furthermore in the relationship between employer and employee in the days of old there was a consideration of higher value to the employee than the monetary compensation itself. ”

“ Has the progress then made by the Philippines benefited our poorer population? Rhe poor still has to drink the same polluted water that his ancestors drank for ages. Malaria, dysentery, and tuberculosis still threaten him and his family at every turn. His children cannot all go to school, or if they do, they cannot even finish the whole primary instruction for one reason or another.
Roads from his barrio or his little farm to the town there are none. Only trails are within his reach –trails that have been formed by the daily pressure of his bare feet and not because they have been constructed. ”

“ The rich can live in extravagant luxury. Some of their offspring grow up in an atmosphere of ease, with an outlook on life which gives paramount important to society affairs, vanities, trivialities and material possessions, devoid of discipline, love for work or human sympathy. ”

“ It is expected that the Joint Preparatory Committee on Philippine Affairs will include in its report a well considered program of economic adjustments to supplement its recommendation on future American-Philippine trade relations. As soon as this report has been received by me it will be immediately submitted to you for your consideration.
Gentlemen of the National Assembly, before closing, allow me to emphasize the need to of giving the common man in the Philippines the benefits that the citizenry of every progressive democracy is entitled to receive. ”

“ But who can foretell what will happen if another President should be in the White House, or a less sympathetic man should represent the President of the United States in the Philippines, or a Filipino President should be one entirely foreign to American ways or one-sided in his views of American-Filipino relations? ”

“ Again, our ancestors, because of their greater ignorance, knew no better and were resigned to their hard life, believing that it was a part of the world order as decreed by Divine Will, so that the unfortunate sufferer may meet with a greater reward in Heaven. ”

“ We have accomplished, too, considerable progress in sanitation, in education, in the construction of roads and all kinds of communications, and we have acquired the modern conveniences of life. But the main beneficiaries of this most remarkable progress are the rich and the middle class. ”

“ No better evidence could have been given by President Roosevelt of his deep concern for the future welfare of our people than by the appointment of the Joint Preparatory Committee which is now sitting in conference in our country. ”

“ The middle class have attained a higher standard of living as compared with that prevailing during the Spanish regime. The comforts of present-day civilization are within their reach and they are enjoying them. ”

“ For the building of new leprosariums which will permit lepers in the early stage of the disease to be treated where they may be easily reached by their families, thus making their isolation less tragic. ”

“ Our platform, the platform upon which you and I have been elected, imposes upon us the high duty of enacting measures that will improve the living conditions of the laborer and of carrying these measures into effect. ”

“ Of yore employers and employees lived in personal contact and association resembling that which exists amongst members of the same family so that ties of affection bound them together much more than material considerations. ”

“ The continuation of her sovereignty over the Philippines imposes upon America obligations she cannot shirk, and, correspondingly, it gives her rights that are incompatible with the free exercise of our judgment as to the best means that we should adopt to prepare ourselves for an independent national existence. ”

“ In the meantime we should make it compulsory for every boy and girl who is now in our public schools, and those who may be admitted next year and thereafter to remain in school during the period required for the entire primary instruction. ”