Rodmie Colene M. Tamang

BSED-SS II-1

Written Report:

The Commonwealth Survey – 1936

What is Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth era is the 10 years transitional period in Philippine history from 1935 to

1945 in preparation for independence from the United States as provided for under the Philippine

Independence Act or more popularly known as the Tydings-McDuffie law.

The Tydings-McDuffie law was proposed by President Manuel L. Quezon and on March 24,

1934 it was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in United States. In this law it is

stated that the Commonwealth will be established in our government which will only last for 10

years. The purpose of this law is to prepare us Filipinos for our independence. By this time

Filipinos made their way in solving different issues in our country and one of them is in the

uplifting of the educational system here in the Philippines.

After 11 years another survey had took placed again after the Monroe Survey it is the

Commonwealth survey.

During the Commonwealth, they made an improvement in the Philippine educational system it

is through the Executive Order Number 19 which was made by Manuel L. Quezon the National

Council of Education on February 19, 1936. The main role of this council is to made some

advices and recommendations for the improvement in the Philippine educational survey. And

on 1936, the council had their Commonwealth Survey.

This survey made some recommendations for the changes in the Philippine education.

Adult Education

Adult education was given an emphasis under the Commonwealth in 1938. An adult education

program was started with the creation in 1936 of the office of adult education. By the end of

1940, there were 6,000 schools for adults with an enrollment of more than half a million.

“Adult education” the Pensionado Program was established on August 26, 1903.

Agricultural Education

Economic development agricultural development. By the end of 1935, there were 4,017,830

hectares of land cultivated. This figure increased to 6,690,539 hectares in the end on 1839.

This growth was made possible through infrastructure development like irrigation system.

The cash economy of the Commonwealth was mostly agriculture-based.

Character and Citizenship Training

The BSP (Boy Scout of the Philippines) is the national scout organization of the Philippines. Its

mission is to imbue in the youth the love of God, country and fellow-men, to train young people

to become responsible leaders: and to contribute in nation building.

The BSP was chartered under Commonwealth of the Philippines Act no. 111 on October 31,

1936.

Good manners and discipline were also taught in school.

Vocational Education

Vocational education were given emphasis under the Commonwealth in 1938, the national

assembly passed a law providing for the establishment of national vocational school in various

parts of the country.

Vocational education and some household activities like sewing, cooking, and farming were

also given importance.

Examples of vocational schools are: The Philippine Nautical School, Philippine School of Arts

and Trades and the Central Luzon Agriculture School.

Women’s Education

Establishment of Philippine Women’s University.

One good influence of the America was the emancipation of Filipino women from the social

and political restriction of Spanish days.

The women were given freedom to acquire the opportunities of higher education and to

practice any profession which had formerly been reserved only for men.

Language Problems and the Curriculum

Religion was not included in the curriculum of the schools. Normal, Vocational, Agricultural,

and Business schools were also opened.

Schools were built in non-Catholic areas like Sulu in Mindanao and in Mountain Province.

Curricular structure and programs were patterned from the United States.

On November 12, 1937, the first national assembly in the Philippines approved the law

creating a national language institute to make a study and survey of each existing native

language, hoping to choose which was to be the base for a standardized national language.

Non-Christian Filipino

With the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, government policy toward

Philippine Muslims shifted significantly.

The Bureau of Non-Christian tribes was abolished in 1936 and with it the presumption that

Muslims should be governed and differently, or afforded more protections, than any other

citizens of the Commonwealth.

This change in attitude was accomplished by a new policy priority: the economic development

of Mindanao for the benefit of the nation, especially by means of Christian migration into

traditionally Muslim region.