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.

106 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

of their Christian brethren, the province was accorded special
government treatment. For more than a decade, it was
governed by a quasi-military government, the governorship and
the subordinate civil offices being held by American army officers. In 1913, steps were taken to reorganize the government of that province with a view to turning it over to the
control of civil authorities. Before that year ended, a law
was enacted which converted the Moro province into what was
known as the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, and a civil
governor was placed at its head. In 1920, this Department
was abolished as a special political division, and control was
transferred to the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes. In the
general elections of June, 1928, the governors and third members of the provincial board of special provinces under this
former Department —namely, Zamboanga, Davao, and Agusan —were elected by popular vote.
Until 1919, there were in existence what were called townships and settlements which were found mostly in the special
provinces. These subdivisions used to constitute distinct types
of local government organizations and were designed especially
for the non-Christian inhabitants who formed the bulk of
their population. For the sake of uniformity and in view of
the progress attained by their inhabitants, they were abolished
and were either organized into municipal districts or municipalities in accordance with the general Municipal Law, or
were fused with one another to form a municipality or were
annexed to a municipality. The steps proved to be patently
progressive and has contributed to the rapid advancement of
the regions affected, politically and socially.
All these changes briefly described constitute tangible evid- 4
ence of the progress achieved towards the extension of popular
control. As the important provincial and municipal offices
are now elective, well-nigh the entire work of the provincial
and municipal governments is being conducted by Filipino
officials elected by popular vote. 4
Our municipalities and provinces, however, are autonomous
not only because the choice of their officials is left entirely in
the hands of the people, but also because of the powers conferred upon them by law, and of the benign and enlightened