Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

POLITICAL SECTION

105

affairs. In 1916, popular control was further extended when
a law was passed providing that the two members of the provincial board, in addition to the provincial governor, shall all be
elected by the people.
No less important to note is the policy which the Government has pursued as regards the subprovinces, the especially
organized provinces, the townships and settlements, and the
former Department of Mindanao and Sulu. As has been explained elsewhere, the subprovinces are but political subdivisions in the regular provinces, governed by a lieutenant-governor who acts as the provincial governor's deputy. Formerly,
this official was appointed by the Governor-General, but this
method of selection did not last long as the office was later
made elective. Not satisfied with this concession, the inhabitants of the subprovinces clamored for the organization of
their territories into regular provinces. The Legislature, however, was slow in granting this request as it is the policy of the
Government not to authorize the creation of new or higher
political organizations unless the economic and social conditions
of the regions concerned warrant such action. Slowly and
gradually the change came, and today there are but two such
subprovinces out of six that were in 1913.
In carrying out the policy of extending popular control,
the especially organized provinces were not disregarded. The
third members of the provincial boards of Mindoro, Palawan,
and the Batanes were made elective in 1915. In 1916, the
superintendent of schools was eliminated as a member of the
provincial board of Nueva Vizcaya and an elective member
took his place. In 1917, the industrial supervisor in the
Mountain Province ceased to be a member of the provincial
board and an elective member was authorized instead. Later
on, the office of provincial governor of Mindoro, Palawan, and
the Batanes was made elective; and, finally, the special province
of Mindoro was converted into a regular province.
The term Moro Province still sounds familiar to us. It
was a province which included nearly all of the Island of Mindanao and its adjacent islands where the Moros, a people
professing the Mohammedan religion, dwell. Because of the
existence of these Moros, whose civilization differs from that