Historical independence

History: Philippines

From founding UN membership in 1945 to independence under Proclamation 2695 in 1946.

Reading time
1 min read
Published
Status verified as of

Suggest a correction

The Commonwealth of the Philippines

Following the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established on 15 November 1935, with a ten-year transition to independence under President Manuel L. Quezon.[1]

· Constitutional change

Establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, 1935

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was established on 15 November 1935 under the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act, which set a ten-year transition to independence during which the US retained jurisdiction over defense and foreign affairs; Manuel L. Quezon became its first President.

The Japanese occupation

Japan occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, during which the Commonwealth government operated in exile. The occupation and the subsequent US-led liberation campaign are estimated to have caused over 1 million Filipino deaths, with the near-total destruction of Manila.[2]

· Conflict episode

Japanese occupation of the Philippines, 1942-1945

Japan occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, during which the Commonwealth government operated in exile; the occupation and subsequent US-led liberation campaign are estimated to have caused over 1 million Filipino deaths, with the near-total destruction of Manila.

Founding UN membership

The Philippines was an original signatory to the UN Charter, signed by General Carlos P. Romulo on 26 June 1945 — more than a year before its own independence.[3]

Independence

Acting under the Philippine Independence Act of 1934, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed on 4 July 1946 that the United States "hereby withdraws and surrenders all rights of possession, supervision, jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty" over the Philippines, recognising its independence "as a separate and self-governing nation."[4] The same day, the two countries signed the Treaty of Manila, establishing formal diplomatic relations.[2]

· Declaration

Independence of the Philippines, 1946

President Harry S. Truman proclaimed the withdrawal of US sovereignty over the Philippines and recognised its independence on 4 July 1946, under authority granted by the Philippine Independence Act of 1934, the same day the two countries signed the Treaty of Manila.

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Following the US Congress's passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established on 15 November 1935, with a ten-year transition period during which the United States retained jurisdiction over defense and foreign affairs. Manuel L. Quezon was elected the Commonwealth's first President.

  2. 2.

    Claim: Japan occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, during which the Commonwealth government operated in exile. The occupation and the subsequent US-led liberation campaign of 1944-45 are estimated to have caused over 1 million Filipino deaths, with the near-total destruction of Manila during its 1945 liberation. The Treaty of Manila (Treaty of General Relations), establishing formal US-Philippine diplomatic relations, was signed 4 July 1946, the same day as Truman's independence proclamation.

    • July 4, 1946: The Philippines Gained Independence from the United States (The National WWII Museum) link, article text. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The Philippines was an original signatory to the UN Charter, signed for it by General Carlos P. Romulo on 26 June 1945, making it one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations more than a year before its own independence in 1946.

    • United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Founding Members of the United Nations (United Nations) link, founding members table. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: Acting under the Philippine Independence Act of 1934, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed on 4 July 1946: "The United States of America hereby withdraws and surrenders all rights of possession, supervision, jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty now existing and exercised by the United States of America in and over the territory and people of the Philippines," and: "On behalf of the United States of America, I do hereby recognize the independence of the Philippines as a separate and self-governing nation."

    • Truman, Harry S., Proclamation 2695 — Independence of the Philippines (The American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara, 4 July 1946) link, proclamation text. Government perspective or primary official source Source record

Source note

Show in the notes list

Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/philippines/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.