Commonwealth of the Philippines

Commonwealth of the Philippines
*Mancomunidad de Filipinas* (Spanish)
*Komonwelt ng Pilipinas* (Tagalog)
Commonwealth of the Philippines Mancomunidad de Filipinas (Spanish) ; Komonwelt ng Pilipinas (Tagalog)
1935–1942; 1942–1945: Government-in-exile; 1945–1946
	Flag of the United States; Flag of the Philippines; (1935–1946) Coat of arms
	Anthem: ; "The Philippine Hymn"
	1939 map of the Philippines
Status	Unincorporated and organized U.S. commonwealth (1935‍–‍1946); Government-in-exile (1942‍–‍1945);
Capital and largest city	Manila; 14°35′45″N 120°58′38″E / 14.59583°N 120.97722°E
Official languages	English; Spanish;
National language	Tagalog
Religion	None official Majority:; Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism) Minority:; Sunni Islam, Indigenous Philippine folk religions
Government	Devolved presidential dependency within a federal republic
High Commissioner
• 1935–1937	Frank Murphy
• 1937–1939	Paul V. McNutt
• 1939–1942	Francis Bowes Sayre Sr.
• 1942–1945 (in exile)	Harold L. Ickes
• 1945–1946	Paul V. McNutt
President
• 1935–1944	Manuel L. Quezon
• 1944–1946	Sergio Osmeña
• 1946	Manuel Roxas
Vice President
• 1935–1944	Sergio Osmeña
• 1946	Elpidio Quirino
Legislature	National Assembly (1935‍–‍1941); Congress (1945‍–‍1946);
• Upper house	Senate; (1945–1946)
• Lower house	House of Representatives; (1945–1946)
Historical era	Interwar, World War II
• Tydings–McDuffie Act	November 15, 1935
• Government-in-exile	March 12, 1942
• Restoration	February 27, 1945
• Independence	July 4, 1946
• Treaty of Manila	October 22, 1946
Currency	Philippine peso (₱); United States dollar ($);
Time zone	UTC+08:00 (PST)
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	1935:; Insular Government of the Philippine Islands
	1945:; Second Philippine Republic
1942:; Philippine Executive Commission
1946:; Third Philippine; Republic
Today part of	Philippines
	↑ Some sources assert that an English version written by Mary A. Lane and Camilo Osías was legalized by Commonwealth Act No. 382. The act, however, only concerns itself with the instrumental composition by Julián Felipe. ; ↑ The Philippines belonged to, but were not a part of, the United States. See the Insular Cases article for more information.; ↑ Capital held by enemy forces between December 24, 1941, and February 27, 1945. Temporary capitals were Corregidor Island from December 24, 1941;; Iloilo City from February 22, 1942;; Bacolod from February 26;; Buenos Aires, Bago from February 27;; Oroquieta from March 19;; Bukidnon from March 23;; Government-in-exile in Melbourne, Australia, in April;; Government-in-exile in Washington, D.C., from May 13, 1942, to October 1944;; Tacloban from October 20, 1944.; ; ↑ Later replaced by or redesignated as Filipino as the national language.;

The Commonwealth of the Philippines (Spanish: Mancomunidad de Filipinas; Tagalog: Komonwelt ng Pilipinas) was an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the Tydings–McDuffie Act to replace the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands and was designed as a transitional administration in preparation for full Philippine independence. Its foreign affairs remained managed by the United States.

During its more than a decade of existence, the Commonwealth had a strong executive and a supreme court. Its legislature, dominated by the Nacionalista Party, was initially unicameral but later bicameral. In 1937, the government selected Tagalog – the language of the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces – as the basis of the national language, although it would be many years before its usage became general. Women's suffrage was adopted, and the economy recovered to pre-Depression levels before the Japanese invasion of the islands in 1941. A period of exile took place during World War II from 1942 to 1945, when Japan occupied the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth officially ended on July 4, 1946 as the Philippines attained full sovereignty as provided for in Article XVIII of the 1935 Constitution.

[4] Some sources assert that an English version written by Mary A. Lane and Camilo Osías was legalized by Commonwealth Act No. 382. The act, however, only concerns itself with the instrumental composition by Julián Felipe.

[5] The Philippines belonged to, but were not a part of, the United States. See the Insular Cases article for more information.

[6] Capital held by enemy forces between December 24, 1941, and February 27, 1945. Temporary capitals were
Corregidor Island from December 24, 1941;

Iloilo City from February 22, 1942;

Bacolod from February 26;

Buenos Aires, Bago from February 27;

Oroquieta from March 19;

Bukidnon from March 23;

Government-in-exile in Melbourne, Australia, in April;

Government-in-exile in Washington, D.C., from May 13, 1942, to October 1944;

Tacloban from October 20, 1944.

[mwQg] Corregidor Island from December 24, 1941;

[mwRA] Iloilo City from February 22, 1942;

[mwRg] Bacolod from February 26;

[mwSA] Buenos Aires, Bago from February 27;

[mwSg] Oroquieta from March 19;

[mwTA] Bukidnon from March 23;

[mwTg] Government-in-exile in Melbourne, Australia, in April;

[mwUA] Government-in-exile in Washington, D.C., from May 13, 1942, to October 1944;

[mwUg] Tacloban from October 20, 1944.

[10] Later replaced by or redesignated as Filipino as the national language.