The Voyage of the Thomasites
by Mona Lisa H. Quizon

 The American intervention in the Philippines was a result of President McKinley’s “Benevolent Assimilation Policy,” the United States introduced in the Philippines a “mother-daughter” relationship; teaching her child to become civilized and obedient to her. In order to fulfill this agenda, Americans introduced a new system of education. Education will be the key factor to clean and transform the image of the Filipino from a copy cat Spaniards to a true blue American. According to some, public education was the greatest contribution of the Americans to us Filipinos. Beth Day Romulo once said “Filipinos, starved for education which had been denied them under Spanish rule, flocked to the schools”. Education became very important for the Filipinos during that time. The spread of democracy and formation of good citizens, including the rights and responsibilities of the people, were the focus of American education in the country. Education allowed the Americans to spread or share their culture, particularly the English language, to the Filipinos. Directly opposite of the Spanish system of education, the American education was open to all, introduced their language and established formal learning institutions.

 The first public school teachers were the American soldiers; they taught English to the natives living in the Corregidor Islands. These soldiers were later replaced by the Thomasites. Answering to the call of U.S. President William McKinley to promote and improve the educational system in the Philippines, the appointed head of commission William Howard Taft passed Act. No. 34 on January 21, 1901 forming the Department of Public Instruction. This body was responsible for establishing the public school system in the country. The story of this group of American teachers or the so called Thomasites started on July 23, 1901 voyage to the Philippines. Five hundred and forty American teachers and some of their families boarded the U.S. Army Transport, Thomas, at Pier 12 in San Francisco’s wharf; they arrived in the country on August 21, 1901. Thomasite became the designation of all pioneer American teachers simply because the USS Thomas had the largest contingent of these American educators brought to the Philippines. Later batches of American teachers were also dubbed as Thomasites.

 These American teachers came from all over the U.S. and were all educated; graduates of America’s top colleges and universities. However, U.S. Army Transport Thomas was not the first ship with American teachers sent over. The first group of American teachers numbering about 48 arrived in the Philippines onboard the SS Sheridan in July 1901.  In 1902, the number of American teachers ballooned to 1,074.  


 The Thomasites were dispatched to different parts of the country. Twenty teaching posts were filled in Albay and Catanduanes, 32 in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, 13 in Sorsogon and Masbate. They introduced a curriculum for basic education which included English, grammar, reading, mathematics, geography, practical arts and athletics, manual trading, housekeeping and household arts (sewing, crocheting and cooking), and mechanical drawing and even  gardening.


 However, problems beset the new teachers. Some of their dilemma included lack of proper facilities like classrooms, blackboards and other teaching materials. Further, lack of adequate communications with Manila hampered their work and their salaries. There were also reports of health problems due to varied weather conditions. But the Filipinos were very anxious to keep their schools going that they made it possible for classes to operate even without financial assistance. 


 The public school system became effective which forced the private, especially the religious run institutions, to keep up with the pace. The number of enrollees increased every year which resulted to the need for more teachers. The solution was to train Filipino counterparts as soon as possible. On September 1, 1901, the Philippine Normal School, now Philippine Normal University was established to train teachers. 


       From 1903-1914, Filipino students who showed great potentials and skills were sent to the United States as pensionados. Upon their return, they either taught in school or worked in government offices. Thus the American system prepared the Filipino not only for teaching, but also for administrative service.


      At the end of their assignments many of the Thomasites returned home, however, some remained and adopted the Philippines as their second home. Some remained in education positions, others shifted to other government services or went into business.

      The Thomasites transformed the Philippines into the third largest English-speaking nation in the world. These teachers also introduced the country to the notion that education is not only for the elite but for ordinary people as well. Education became the indelible social ink bestowed by the Americans to the Filipinos. 

Sources:

Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People, Garotech Publishing, 1990.
Gleeck, Lewis. The American Half-Century (1898-1946), New Day Publishers, 1998.
Jose, Ricardo et al. The Filipino Saga History as Social Change, New Day Publishers, 2000.
To Islands Far Away The Story of the Thomasites and Their Journey to the Philippines, 2001.
Villareal, Corazon. Back to the Future: Perspective on the Thomasite Legacy to Philippine
                             Education, American Studies Association of the Philippines and the Authors, 2003.