Fernando Amorsolo’s Political Caricatures of the American Era (Editorial Cartoons)

The editorial cartoons are part of a collection of political caricatures compiled by Alfred
W. Mccoy and Alfredo R. Roces that provide a picture of the Philippines during the American
Era.

 Introduction

FERNANDO AMORSOLO - born on May 30, 1892, in Paco, Manila; was one of the most
important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines.

Impact
FIRST SUCCESS
As a young painter came in 1908, when his painting Leyendo el periódico took second
place at the Bazar Escolta, a contest organized by the Asociacion Internacional de Artistas.

Antipolo by Fernando Amorsolo - depicting Filipinos celebrating the annual pilgrimage to

Antipolo, with the pre-War cathedral depicted in the background.

Defence of a Woman Filipino's Honour - representative of Amorsolo's World War II-era

paintings. Here, a Filipino man defends a woman, who is either his wife or daughter, from being
raped by an unseen Japanese soldier

Ginebra San Miguel - Fernando Amorsolo designed the Ginebra San Miguel (Mukhang
Demonyo) depicting St. Michael vaniquishing the devil.

Racist Amorsolo - satire drawings of an ugly Chinese making a siopao using a cat’s flesh
instead of pork.

Amorsolo's Death
After being confined at the St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City for two months, Amorsolo died of
heart failure at the age of 79 on April 24, 1972.

 The Independent

In 1915, Sotto returned to Manila and begun work on a weekly

journal he named The Independent. He issued a special edition of this
journal in Paris in 1929. The news item prompted an American senator
to introduce a resolution in the United States Senate to grant immediate
independence to the Philippines.

The Independent - weekly journal begun by Vicento Sotto in Manila

Vicente Sotto y Yap (April 18, 1877 – May 28, 1950) - was a Filipino politician and former
Senator of the Philippines. Sotto was the main author of the Press Freedom Law (now known as
the Sotto Law, Republic Act No. 53)

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 53 or Press Freedom Law or Sotto Law - an act to exempt the publisher,
editor or reporter of any publication from revealing the source of published news or information
obtained in confidence.

Editorial Cartoons:

1. Long Live Spain

“Long Live Spain” comments on the inauguration of the Spanish cultural center, Casa De
España, in January 1917. During the inauguration, Filipino and Spanish banquet speakers
celebrated the Hispano-Philippine friendship with paeans praise for Spain’s glorious legacy in
the islands.

The Independent – treasures Spain’s literary and cultural legacy but cannot forget the abuses of
friars and religious corporations

Sociopolitical Elements
 Spanish Jesuits – identifiable by their habits and initials “SJ” (Society of Jesus)
 Skulls of nationalist martyrs executed in 1872 and 1896-97 – Filipinas
o Jose Rizal
o Fr. Jose Burgos,
o Francisco L. Roxas – merchant
  “A mountain of corpses and a river of blood separate us – BE GONE!” – tells the Spanish
friars begone.
 “FR” – Spanish friars carrying devil’s pitchforks
 Jesuit leader – holds a bleeding dagger

Amorsolo’s accusations against the Jesuits were inaccurate since they had played a minor
role in the friar persecution of the nationalists.

2. A Duel to Death

Quintin Paredes
- Manila City Fiscal, later house speaker and senator
- filed two criminal libel suits against the newspaper regarding the damages
of the statement about the Jesuits

Vicente Sotto
-newspaper publisher
-opposed the continuing influence of the Spanish Friars in the press, politics,
and education
Sociopolitical Elements

Jesuits - lean, wart nosed devils

Dominicans - fat Hispanics

3. There are no Prosecuting Attorneys

“There Are No Prosecuting Attorneys” - attacks Manila City Fiscal Quintin Paredes

Quintin Paredes - pursues two libel suits against The Independent but ignored the wartime
food speculators

Food speculators - betting on food prices in (unregulated) financial markets by global players
like banks, hedge funds or pension funds

“It's not just bad harvests and climate change – it's also speculators that are behind record
prices. And it's the planet's poorest who pay.”

P200,000 - libel charge

Fiscal - relating to government revenue, especially taxes

Fiscal’s office is preoccupied with petty crimes and no time to prosecute the major speculators.

Increasing the price of rice had increased in Manila’s markets from P4.71 to P5.92 in 3 years
without any government intervention
“Petty cases” charged by the governement’s prosecutor’s office:
Libel - false statements against a person
Opio - drugs
Juego - games
Desacato - disrespect
Libel - false statements against a person
Gambling

Sociopolitical Elements:

S.J. - stands for Society of Jesus

Jesuits - lean wartnosed devils
Dominicans - fat Hispanics
Fiscalia - Prosecutor’s Office
Contra - against
Gambling
Chicken = Fiscalia = Cowards

4. While the Chinese Progresses

Mientras el Chino progresa, el Filipino se estanca (As the Chinese progess, the Filipino
Stagnates)

The Independent, magazine where Amorsolo worked for, published Mientras el Chino
progresa, el Filipino se estanca on June 23, 1917. Amorsolo is known for his political criticizing
cartoon works. This cartoon depicts how the Chinese and Filipinos both starter as water carriers
in 1907 in Manila. However, by 1912, the Chinese were already minding their own business
(shops) as merchants and the Filipinos continues to be a water carrier. By 1917, the Chinese
roamed around Manila through their fancy vehicles while the Filipinos roamed around the
streets of Manila still as water carrier only this time, they were more ragged and old.

Sociopolitical Elements: The cartoon made a strong point on just how the Chinese
established themselves from being the immigrants cast away in a place called Parian somewhere
in Manila during the Spanish era into one of the biggest economic pioneers in the Philippines
but also just how they successfully won over the political aspects of the country. They were able
to persuade government let them put up their stores, have a voice in politics and eventually live
here. During the World War 1, the price for a cavan of rice increased from 4.70 peso in 1914 to
15.90 peso in 1919. This became an opportunity for the Chinese to control 80 percent of
Manila’s retail price by having an informal rice exchange in Tutuban. Eventually, just as the
Chinese became successful, they were fond and protected by the government and eventually
gaining their political rights in the country, faster than the Filipinos.

During the American Era: The American era is a time where Chinese eventually came over
for corruption of the Filipino civil servants. Even the early American era, public officials will
blatantly accept bribe in cash or kind, however the Chinese wanted more, they wanted
connection. So over the years, the Chinese established a relationship with the powerful Filipino
officials by making them their godfather during their baptismal to Christianity. They would often
give presents to their godfathers during their birthday, or any special holidays; this was
considered as an indirect bribe by the The Independent. Eventually, these bribes will come at a
price such as business permits, or even free occupation.

Today, the street of Binondo in Manila are filled with Chinese, not Tsinoys but mainland
Chinese people. They are free in establishing business, putting up their shops and getting in or
out of the country freely. They are considered as the economic agent of the Philippines, owning
the biggest businesses in the Philippines to the point that exterminating from the country will
cause more damage to the Filipino than to them. Basically, nothing is changed today compared
to the depiction in cartoon. The Philippine government is still fond and protects the Chinese,
they are economically, socially and politically established in the Philippines. As for the Filipinos,
they still roamed the streets ragged and aged, only this time, they carry the more than just a
water.