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.

MINDANAO AND MOUNTAIN PROVINCE 277

Spaniards were usually successful in major military operations,
but failed to hold their territorial gains for lack of sufficient
forces in the field. Spanish sovereignty, therefore, over Mindanao and Sulu was only nominal. Spain is entitled, however, to our gratitude because of the fact that, by virtue of her
treaty with the Sultan of Sulu, the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao became de jure a part of the Philippine Islands.
Among the pagan people, the advancement of Spanish prestige
seems to have been due to the tireless efforts of the intrepid
priests, rather than to the force of ayms. In reading a history
of Agusan written by a Jesuit priest, I find that the Spanish
priests who performed missionary work among the thousands
of natives of that province many years ago were treated with
the greatest consideration and respect by the primitive people.
More than a quarter of a century ago, the Americans came
and to them was left the difficult task of pacifying and bringing under government control and influence the Mohammedans of the South. The American army had to fight many
fierce battles in order to bring about a condition conducive to
the establishment of an orderly government. We owe an
everlasting gratitude to the new sovereign nation for her altruistic and benevolent policy designed to help us become a
united, prosperous, contented and self-governing people.
Due to its spectacular character, the so-called "Moro problem" has been given considerable speculative publicity. Our
newspaper editors take special delight in reports of "Moro
outrages" seemingly because murder in band committed by
Mohammedan outlaws is more romantic and of greater interest
to readers than accounts of similar crimes in the regular provinces. Yet, the popular mental picture of Moroland would lose
much color if painted in its true tone. As a matter of fact,
life and property in Mindanao and Sulu, except in remote
settlements, are about as safe as in any other part of the
Philippines. People must go through certain evolutional
changes in their upward march from barbarism to civilization.
Through the efforts of the different government agencies in
Mindanao-Sulu, there is being gradually developed there a people