July 4, 1946: The day Filipinos gained freedom from US as RP

On this day and month in 1946, or exactly 75 years ago, the Filipino people got their long-desired independence from the United States of America and since then officially became the Republic of the Philippines or RP.

According to the book The American Half-Century (1898-1946) in the Philippines, published by Lewis E. Gleeck Jr. and New Day Publishers (Quezon City) in 1998, the American regime in the Philippines actually endured somewhat less than 48 years, and the period during which it could be accurately described as a typical colonial regime lasted only 15 of these years.

During the American occupation of the Philippines (1898-1946), the Filipinos were governed by the Commonwealth of the Philippines (since Nov. 15, 1935) and earlier by the Government of the Philippine Islands or P.I., both under the Americans.

A special provision in the 1935 Philippine Constitution (Article XVIII), entitled The Commonwealth and the Republic, stated: