At the close of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Spain withdrew from the Philippine Islands after more than three centuries of residence, and turned over the responsibilities of Philippine control to the people of the United States. A number of years have elapsed since the American people took up the white man’s burden in the Orient, and although thousands of Americans have visited our new possessions during this time, there are still many persons who think vaguely of the Philippines as a tiny

Filipino House In the front part of the house was a large room called a sala (sä′-lä), and here the family sat when their friends came to see them. There were a number of bamboo chairs and a table in this sala; large windows let in the light and air, and offered a view of the blue Pacific and the great Mayon (My-ōn′) Volcano which lifted its head high among the clouds a few miles to the northward. These windows were not made of glass, however, but of small shells about three inches square, fitte

The creek, where they got their drinking water, also supplied the water for washing their clothes. Once each week Francisco’s mother and Maria would wade out into the water with the clothes they wished to wash. These they scrubbed thoroughly in the running stream, and then laying them on stones, they would beat them with paddles to get all the dirt out of the cloth. This proved to be a very simple way to take a bath at the same time that the clothes were being washed. The garments were hung upon

Before many days, the young plants are growing, tall and green, and the field makes a beautiful appearance as the wind sweeps across it. In about five or six months the green has turned to a rich yellow; the rice is then ripe and ready for the harvest. Again the men, women, and children go out to the fields armed with sickles to gather in the precious crop. Again they move slowly across the level ground,—dry now,—with backs bent low, gathering in the grain that is to furnish them food for months

When the proper time comes, the men go out into the field with their sharp bolos (bō′-lōs̝), heavy knives much like corn knives, and cut off the abaca plants close to the ground. They tear away the leaves and the green outer part of the stem, which they leave on the ground for fertilizer. The white inner part comes from the plant in long strips and is drawn through a machine that presses out the water and pulp, leaving only the fiber, in long white strands. These are hung up in the sunshine to d

The ripe coconut with its hard dry kernel, as it is generally seen in the United States, is quite different from the young nut as it hangs on the tree. Then it contains only a thin layer of soft white meat around the inner part of the shell, the remaining space being filled with a delicious liquid. Gathering Coconuts When people are traveling in the Philippines and become thirsty, a man fastens a strap or cord to his feet so that they will be about as far apart as the diameter of the tree, and w

There is a game rather similar to marbles that the younger boys play a great deal. A ring is drawn on the ground and within this are placed small stones or centavos (cĕn-tä′-vōs), Philippine copper coins worth half a cent; the players stand back a certain distance and toss other stones or coins, trying to knock out the ones inside the ring. Cockfighting The most harmful amusement in the Philippines is cockfighting. The present government has limited the enjoyment of this sport to Sunday afternoo

Philippine School Children Filipino boys and girls do not buy their own books; the government furnishes the required texts and the pupils are allowed the use of them while they are attending school. Each child gives a receipt for all the books that are issued to him, and when school is over he returns them to his teacher and the receipt is destroyed. In case he has lost a book or has badly used it, he is required to pay for it. When Francisco entered school he knew a few English words and senten

This Cebu tribe was at war with the Filipinos living on the neighboring island of Mactan. Magellan undertook to aid his newly made allies against their enemies, and was killed in battle on the twenty-seventh of April, 1521. Thus the Spanish expedition lost its brave and able leader. Of the five vessels that set out from Spain in 1519, only one, the Victoria, returned three years later, battered and worn by its long voyage around the world, and carrying only a small fraction of the company of men

Even if the storm is not severe enough to blow a house over, the thatched roof is sometimes lifted so that the rain pours in, soaking clothing and furniture. While a baguio is in progress the people often gather in one room of their house and pray for safety, chanting their prayer in a most mournful wail that rises and falls with the gusts of wind. After such a storm has subsided, the sight is a sorry one; acres of abaca beaten down and washed into heaps of useless vegetation,—a most serious los

The moon shone brightly that night, and he remained on deck until late, watching the water glow with phosphorescence as the boat plowed through it, and thinking of the unexplored world that lay before him. He could still see the huge bulk of Mount Mayon standing out clear against the sky, and he felt as if it were the only friend remaining in the midst of so many strange sights and sounds. It is pleasant to travel on the tranquil inland seas of the Philippines, where cool breezes temper the heat

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