I have been to the Dormitory where the girls from the University and Normal Schools are boarded, and where Mrs. Burton, a graduate of DePauw is matron. I spoke 3/4 of an hour. Before I had addressed the Filipino women at the Club Nacionalista, Miss Marques, a Filipino University student presided, and I spoke to an audience of beautiful young women in gay attire. We have dined with Judge and Mrs. Lobingier, and got home just before a typhoon which flooded the city. Some of the guests got caught in it and the water came in upon the floor of their carriages. We had to stay in a great deal last week as typhoons were frequent and rain continuous. We spent the time reading reports. I went to the Bureau of Science four mornings, where I went over pictures of the Philippines. The Government has 100,000. I have now arranged for 89 slides to be sent me later. We have been to the opera one night as guests of the "Company," and I had them all for dinner the same night. The guests were Mr. and Mrs. Quinan, [*267*] SANITATION IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS SINCE AMERICAN OCCUPATION, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO REDUCTION IN MORTALITY BY ELIMINATION OF INTESTINAL PARASITES, ESPECIALLY UNCINARIA VICTOR G. HEISER, M.D. Passed Assistant Surgeon, Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service; Chief Quarantine Officer and Director of Health for the Philippine Islands and Professor of Hygiene, Philippine Medical School MANILA, P.I. In response to the kind invitation of the Association to prepare a paper on tropical sanitation, it was not considered amiss to give a brief description of the work which has been done in the Philippine Islands, in order that the profession at home may be in a position to judge whether the same high standard achieved in Cuba and Panama and other American tropical possessions nearer home has been reached there. The Philippine Islands are so far away from the United States and it so frequently happens that conditions there are not known that I will take the liberty of giving a brief description of the islands as they appeared at the time the United States took possession of them. GEOGRAPHY OF THE ISLANDS The group is composed of about three thousand islands and extends from 21º 25' latitude to 4º 45' latitude, and from 116º to 127º longitude, has an area greater that the states of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland, and has a coast line equal to that of the United States. There are two prevailing winds during the year, one known as the northeast monsoon, which blows almost continuously from November to April, and the other known as the southwest monsoon, which blows from April to November, the latter being the period during which the destructive typhoons occur. These conditions produce a climate which varies greatly Miss Jessie Quinan, Mr. and Mrs. Peacock, Mr. and Mrs. Thornton. Hartzell and Howard Quinan and Mr. Linnell. We had Miss Amanda Little, Matron of Bilibid Prison one night. She is a grand woman. We also went one night at 7:30 to Bilibid to see "Retreat." At that hour the men march out into the yard and have a fine gymnastic training while the band plays. The prison was built by the spaniards and is in the shape of a wheel. In the center, the hub is a tower. From the front gate, visitors (with permits) may go up some winding stairs to a bridge about 2-ft. wide which leads to the tower. At that elevation one may see into all the yards at once, although the prisoners cannot see out of the yard they occupy. The detention prisoners were in grey. Those condemned in black and white stripes. Those promoted for good conduct wear brown (khaki). The next promotion is blue and to the 1st class. Fully 90% were first class. Then, they may go to the Penal Colony at Palawan, where they are called colonists; they are promoted to be free colonists and when time is up or they are pardoned, they may get ground of their own. That prison is a wonder. A good looking woman called and wanted to marry a prisoner. Upon looking the matter up, they found he was soon to be sent to Palawan and later his family could join him. The women were exercising at the same time the men were. Every prisoner entered the yard and took his place with his tin plate and spoon in one hand. When they were formed in line, the band played the "Star Spangled Banner," and Old Glory was slowly hauled down the staff while these men stood with uncovered heads. It was so quiet and done in such a solemn way that it was thrilling and impressive, but this manner of "making Americans" has an amusing side, which the Dr. saw of course. From Report Philippine Commission 1909. Penal Colony Palawan. 50,000 cocoanuts planted. Schools conducted - nightschools adults and dayschools for children. 6 barrios or villaged. Self-government - "850 men convicted of all sorts of crime unguarded, conducting a little community with its own government, officers and police over whom is a life sentence prisoner, convicted of murder. The prisoners have their own tribunals, elected officers and assess their own penalties for infraction of rules. The power of the superintendent is absolute, as he can disapprove the findings of the court, all elections, all appointments, all judgments, but the cases where interference is necessary are few. Founded upon principle of George Junior Republic. Incentive is present. There is always a grade before them which they can reach by industry and diligence. Skilled laborers may wear straw hats, and the colonists take pride in earning the right to wear the garb of civilian and graduate from the clothes that resemble the prison uniform. The more advanced grades have their own farms which they work on a profit sharing basis with the government and their own families. The highest grade receive pay. 1910 - 973 colonists - 34 of whom had their wives with them. 360 square miles is reserved for Colony. No fire arms are permitted on the reservation, nor are there guards, jails, prisons, yet peace and order are maintained as satisfactorily as in any ordinary community. 80% were convicted of brigangage, homicide, robbery and murder are controlled by 5 Americans and 8 Filipinos. With one exception the Filipinos are ex-colonists. The Colony is expected to become self-supporting. The commission urged the passage by Congress of a law which will have the effect of providing for the taking out of naturalization papers for citizenship in the P. I. by aliens resident here. It now happens that many of the more desirable class of citizens can in no way obtain the civil rights of the government, no matter how large their interests, or how permanent their residence, or how closely indemnified their interests may be with the future of islands. It is recommended that Congress either pass a law which in itself will give the power of naturalization and define the rules and regulations to be adopted, or empower the Philippine Legislature to do so." Poor men, no vote. The Commission would thrust it upon them. ---------- "There were charges against 310 municipal officials and justices of the peace, of whom 223 were found guilty." I have seen several convictions in the papers while here of municipal officers. One mayor in Cebu and one treasurer were convicted for stealing horses belonging to the city. The A. G. & P. have a contract within motor distance from Manila, and young Foy is in charge. One day he sent three workers to change an anchor? They had done so before and knew how. Through their carelessness they tipped over their boat and one who couldn't swim was drowned. About a week after he was buried, the Headman of the village had Foy arrested. They (he and his officers) tried to blackmail the company, but when the Company talked Yankee to them and told them they should be reported, they quickly released him. An Englishman said, "Well you got him out of jail this time, but you won't next time. Serves you bally well right for sending em to school." These things operate against self-government. On the other hand, the officers of a small town, gave up their salaries in order to contribute the amount to the building of a necessary road. 1909 Report. "Death rate among troops in U. S. was for 1908 5.63, in the P. I. 6.82 and in Porto Rico 14.18" For 5 years statistics show 4 suicides per year to each 100,000 in P. I. as against 14 to each 100,000 in U. S. March 1, 1908, the importation of opium was prohibited except for purely medicinal purposes, and the smoking of opium was likewise prohibited. Scholarships in P. I. Normal School established from money derived from funds "accumulated under opium act." Assembly passed compulsory education bill, vetoed by Commission as no money to provide schools at once. Report 1910, Concerning Tribes. "It is true the Filipino, the Igorot and the Moro are of common racial origin, but so are the Anglo-Saxon peoples, and there exists between the Filipinos on the one side and the Igorots and Moros on the other far greater differences than those which distinguished the German, the English and the Americans. Indeed, the width of the gap between the Filipino, whose Malayan blood has been profoundly modified by intermarriage with people of other races, and who has attained to a degree of civilization far above that ever reached by any other Malayan people, and the wild man of the Luzon mountains, with his pure blood, his magnificent physical development and his primitive customs and instincts is very great." Report 1910. "Filipinos assured some tribes that American control would be only temporary and threatened them with future punishment when it should terminate." Miss Mabel E. McCalmont, was made Supt. of Philippine General Hospital in order to straighten out a "dissension among nurses" and discover leakage in money. She did both, saved the reputation of the hospital, saved $12,000. per year in cost of running the hospital and now has charge of plans and equipment of new hospitals chiefly for the province. Miss Morilla M. Norton sent me a booklet she had written on Charity in the Philippines?. Convents and Convent hospitals built by efforts of Spanish women; Bazars held by them in the middle of last century for this purpose. A Filipino nun founded the Loobau orphan asylum with her own money, and she herself took Photo Door of the Pagsanghan Town, Laguna, P. I. Photo Magdapio Waterfall, Pagsanghan, Laguna, P. I. Photo Pagsanghan River, Laguna, P. I. charge. It now receives a small subsidy from the American Government. These Convents supplied homes for orphans girls, taught girls all the education they had and introduced the beautiful handiwork which now brings good prices in the market Whatever may be said about the inhumanity of the Friars, only good is spoken of the nuns. We have visited some of these convents and found sweet faced, executive women as Mother Superiors. Tuesday,
Carrie Chapman Catt
(January 9, 1859 – March 9, 1947), suffragist, political strategist, and pacifist.
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