THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCES OF AN AMERICAN TEACHER THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THOSE AMERICANS, WHO, BY NOBLE EXAMPLE, BY BENEVOLENT MINISTRATION AND BY, UNSELFISH LABOR UNDER TRYING CONDITIONS, ARE TEACHING THE BEST AMERICANISM TO THE FILIPINOS Take up the White Mana burden Ye dare not stoop to less Nor call too loud on Freedom To doke your weariness. By all ye will or whisper, By all ye leave or do, The dent sullen peoples Shall weigh your God and you. FOREWORD THE author trusts that the perusal of the following pages will result in a better appre ciation of some desirable traits of Filipino character, in a stronger conviction of the un wisdom of granting, at this time, any greater degree of self-government than the Filipinos already possess, and in a fuller understanding of the work that is being done in the public schools in the attempt to fit the people for the eventual exercise of complete autonomy. It should be noted that, usually, the names of the persons mentioned, and in the last two chapters, the names of the places, are fictitious. A list of the Spanish and Philippine terms used in the narrative may be found at its close. FEBRUARY 9, 1906. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE ARRIVAL 3 II TRAVELS IN NORTHERN LUZON . . 14 III THE BEGINNING OF WORK … 27 IV HOUSEKEEPING 44 V THE IGORROTES … .63 VI THE TOWN FIESTA …. 74 VII RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES … 89 VIII NORMAL INSTRUCTION … 97 IX BARRIO SCHOOLS … .110 X DEPARTURE FROM SOLANO …122 XI CONDITIONS IN SOUTHERN LUZON . 132 XII THE AWAKENING IN CAMARINES . . 150 XIII A JOURNEY TO THE RINCONADA . . 167 XIV PARTIDO SKETCHES … .178 XV THE WEST COAST … .204 XVI AMONG THE CAMARINES TAGALOGS . 217 XVII LIFE IN NUEVA CACERES…236 XVIII VACATION TRAVELS …. 254 ix x CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XIX THE CHILDREN, IN SCHOOL AND OUT . 275 XX THE NATIVE TEACHERS … 292 XXI THE BIOGRAPHY OF A TAO . . 300 XXII SOME FILIPINOS I HAVE KNOWN . 313 LIST OF SPANISH AND PHILIPPINE TERMS 335 INDEX 341 ILLUSTRATIONS Home of the Author in Solano . . Frontispiece FACING PAGE Church at Dupax built in 1776 … .26, Principal Street of Solano 26 The Solano Band 76 The Cockpit at Solano 76 Ruins of Convent at Solano School-house in Background 114 Native Teachers of Solano and Barrios . . 114 The Advanced Primary School, Paet … 154 A Typical Barrio Scene 198 Six Bicol Boys who Lived with the Author . . 274 Benguet Sanitarium and Three Igorrote School boys 274 Vacation Normal School, Nueva Caceres . . 294