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.

THE INDEPENDENCE CREED

Text of the only Resolution approved unanimously
at the last plenary session:
INDEPENDENCE CREED
We, members of the First Independence Congress,
convened at the City of Manila, Philippine Islands, from
February 22nd to 26th, 1930, on the initiative of private
citizens, and composed of representatives of business and
agriculture, directors of civic organizations, leaders in
the various professions, publicists, educators, labor, religious and student leaders, municipal presidents, Moro
chiefs, co-workers of Rizal and Del Pilar in Spain,
veterans of the revolution, elective officials of the
provincial governments, high officials of the former
Philippine Republic, past and present members of the
Philippine Legislature and Filipino members of the
Council of State, after deliberating upon the problems
of independence including national defense, finance and
economics, as well as political, social and educational
questions which would be faced by an independent Philippines, hereby make the following declaration:
While fully conscious of the debt of gratitude we owe
to America for her benevolent policy in the Philippines,
we are convinced that immediate independence is the
only solution in consonance with the unalterable desires
of the Filipino people.
No matter how lightly an alien control may rest on
a people, it cannot, it will not, make that people happy.
The genius and potentialities of the Filipino people
can only be developed in an atmosphere of freedom unrestrained by foreign rule.
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