Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
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IITa<strong>the</strong>r for perioch of from t\\'O to<br />
seven cia\',.<br />
The . tropical climate of <strong>the</strong><br />
Philippines poses serious problcmx<br />
111 <strong>the</strong> uuun tcu.mcc of aircraft. airfields<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r equipment. luilurcs<br />
arc caused l» condcu-atiou.<br />
rust and o<strong>the</strong>r for;]]s of corr ovion<br />
wh ich arc hv-proclucts of <strong>the</strong> high ComporaTlve size of tne is,ands.<br />
liumiditv and f.urlv high tcmpcr.: .<br />
turcs. The .ution of li'ing organisms, such as bacteria.<br />
fungus and insects. i, likcwi:«: accelerated. Organic acids In<br />
<strong>the</strong> damp soil cause corrosion and arc responsible for <strong>the</strong><br />
destructive "corrosion btigue" of metals. In some areas dust<br />
forms quickly between r.nus .md affects <strong>the</strong> operation of<br />
engines. I'rcvcut ivc maintenance procedures cmplovcd n:<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r tropical <strong>the</strong>aters ;lpph eqmlh' in <strong>the</strong> Philippines.<br />
The population of t1JL. Philippines. I ';',000,000 according<br />
to I 9-f I cc.nxus figl11'es. is uucvcnlv dixtr ibutcd .nuoiu; <strong>the</strong><br />
islands. Luzon accounted for almost half of <strong>the</strong> number<br />
and Miud.mao, <strong>the</strong> second largest island. nearly one-eighth.<br />
Pan.iv, J\:egros anc] Ccbu nrc <strong>the</strong> onlv o<strong>the</strong>r islands with<br />
more than LOOO.OOO iuh.ibit.mts. In I9-fI ~LllIila, <strong>the</strong><br />
largest city in <strong>the</strong> Philippines, had a population of 6c.,-f.OOO.<br />
including suburbs,<br />
The urajoritv of Filipinos arc l ndoucsi.ms of southcavt<br />
Axint ic origin. The Clm st i.u: Filipinos, numbcriiu; 90 percent<br />
of <strong>the</strong> population (';'9 percent Catholic). arc divided<br />
geographicalh' into groups wh o:«: chid difference is lam;uage.<br />
The most numerous groups arc <strong>the</strong> Tlgalogs (~. ~2 :;.000)<br />
who live in central Luzon, <strong>the</strong> Vis.rv.rus (7.100,000) \\110<br />
live in <strong>the</strong> central .md sou<strong>the</strong>-rn isl:m~ls. and <strong>the</strong> Iloc.uu» of<br />
nor<strong>the</strong>rn Luzon. The people of <strong>the</strong> i-Iuucl of ;\ linclauuo and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sulu archipelago arc ~ loros who arc ~rohammeeLms,<br />
Thcv number between :;00.000 .md ()OO,OOO. In <strong>the</strong> mountain;)us<br />
regio!lS of Luzon and ",Iind:mao and <strong>the</strong> Sulu<br />
archipelago arc found <strong>the</strong> Pag;llI tribes who number 300.000<br />
and -f00.000. ]\'egritos arc still fuirlv numerous in mountainous<br />
areas.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> nut hrru k of this \I:Jr. <strong>the</strong> Philippine population<br />
also included about 8,000 American civilians, 120.000 Chinese<br />
and 30.000 lap;lllesc. The Ch inc-,c were mostlv sm.ill<br />
shopkeepers: <strong>the</strong> [np.mcx«. m:m~' of whom lived ncar D:II';IO.<br />
II'lTC f.mncrs. craftvmcn and fivhcnncu. Among <strong>the</strong> forcign<br />
population \\TrC also about -f.OOO Spaniards, ;1 tlious.md<br />
Germans. and o<strong>the</strong>r Fl11'opcm nn tiouals.<br />
r'~ight distinct langmges .md 87 native dialects arc spoken<br />
in <strong>the</strong> islands. Appro,im;lteh' 27 percent of <strong>the</strong> population<br />
knows some Fm;lish. Sp:mish is spoken bv three percent.<br />
Tagalog. <strong>the</strong> offici;il uutivc lam;uage of <strong>the</strong> Ph ilipp incs. is<br />
spoken by over -f.OOO.OOOpeople. Bis;l\':l11 is used bv .ihout<br />
-f:; percent of <strong>the</strong> population hut it lacks official rccognitiou<br />
partlv because it is not spoken in <strong>the</strong> i\ I.mila area.<br />
Litcracv is rclntivclv high in <strong>the</strong> Philippines. About half<br />
of <strong>the</strong> na'tin's can rc;;d :lild writc at least a litt1c of one or<br />
more of <strong>the</strong> leading languages. i\\a1l\' m;H;;t:t,ines and pcrioclicals<br />
written in Fnglish were circulated prior to <strong>the</strong> lap occupation.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> time of <strong>the</strong> invasion. <strong>the</strong>re were 32.000<br />
radio receiving sets in <strong>the</strong> isbmls.<br />
The mijoritv of <strong>the</strong> native Filipinos leads a simple agricultural<br />
life. Three-fourths of <strong>the</strong> Filipino males arc farmers.<br />
Thcv cat a simple diet of rice. fish and ycgetah1cs and lin'<br />
in primitive huts made of nipa palm nnd b.uuboo. Thcv<br />
have fell' possessions and <strong>the</strong>ir fanning implements arc<br />
crude. Thc carabao. or water buffalo. is <strong>the</strong> national beast<br />
of burden. Onlv five percent of <strong>the</strong> Filipinos arc cmplovcd<br />
in industrv, much of which is concentrated in and around<br />
Manila. .<br />
Class distinctions in <strong>the</strong> islands arc vcrv marked. The<br />
great nnsses of farmers belong to <strong>the</strong> lower class. The upper<br />
class is composed brgely of laudowners<br />
and wealthy mcrchaut-. wh»<br />
own modern homes and Ji\'C III<br />
comparative luxury.<br />
Although usn.illv c.ilm and<br />
friendly. <strong>the</strong> Filipino is subject to<br />
cmotion.i] outhrcak-, As a geneLiI<br />
rule he is la\\'-ablding and passile.<br />
l Iowcvcr, local violence has occurred<br />
when upper class landO\lnl'l's<br />
oppressed <strong>the</strong>ir tcu.m!s. The Filipino h:ls much pcrson.r]<br />
pride. ,It IS a mistake to speak h.ushlv to Filipino laborcr,<br />
or to ridicule <strong>the</strong>m In front of o<strong>the</strong>rs. The tropical environmcnt<br />
has made <strong>the</strong> Filip ino easy-going and he often show-. a<br />
lassitude which Amcric.m-, m.rv mistake for laziness. 110\1ever,<br />
hhpmos make gooe! workcr« whcu propcrlv supervised<br />
and employed at an agreed price for a uilCll joh.<br />
The Moh.unmccl.m ~Ioro is fanatical in his rcligion and<br />
cxtrcinclv independent. Often m ilit.rrv intcrvcntion h.is<br />
been necessary to put clown Moro rehellions. The l\[oros<br />
hall' no usc for <strong>the</strong> Chr r-t i.tn l"ilipinos. but <strong>the</strong>y respect<br />
American Christi: llS because <strong>the</strong> latter hale stood up and<br />
fought <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> p.r-.t.<br />
The Pag;llIs arc J proud people wh o h.ivc resisted christianil.ing.<br />
Through schooling and police supcrvixion <strong>the</strong><br />
hcacl-huntcrs among tlirrn h.ivc been ch'cour;lgc'd from tluir<br />
old practice. The l':I,~:lllS h.ivc prOl cd to be <strong>the</strong> most st.rlw.ut<br />
of <strong>the</strong> hlipinos nnc] have c.uricd on uct ivc gnerrilla<br />
warfare agaillSt <strong>the</strong> Jap since organi/cd rcsist:mee ceased.<br />
Under American supervision and acliu inivtr.rtiou, health<br />
conditions in <strong>the</strong> Philippines impro\l'l] to a point where<br />
thcv were better than in most o<strong>the</strong>r trop ic.tl areas. Cholera<br />
and bubonic plague were pr;lcti(';ill~' \\iped out and smallpo,<br />
\I;IS greatly reduced. I lowcvcr. <strong>the</strong> risk from disease in<br />
<strong>the</strong> ixl.nuls is much grcltcr th.m in <strong>the</strong> United Stites, and<br />
since <strong>the</strong> lap occupation. outbrc.rl.s of cholera and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
epidcmics h.rvc hccn reported. i\lost of <strong>the</strong> diseases which<br />
arc present can he avoided bv common sense application of<br />
ccrta in pree:lu tions that must be observed hv J\;\F uu its<br />
;1I1d iuclividunls. .<br />
Moxquito-bornc diseases arc <strong>the</strong> most prevalent. Malaria<br />
is present on el'ery ivl.md , and [up r.icl io reports indicate<br />
that it is more common now th;1I1 before <strong>the</strong> war. It was<br />
widespread among American and Filipino forccs on Bataan<br />
.md proved nn important factor in <strong>the</strong>ir ultimate defeat.<br />
Malaria is confincd to <strong>the</strong> hillv regions under 2.000 feet<br />
elevation. Thc flat plains and co;;std ~Ire:ls .nc not malarious,<br />
The disease is most common during <strong>the</strong> r.i iuv season. Of<br />
less prevalence arc two o<strong>the</strong>r mosquito-borne diseases.<br />
dcnguc and fil.uinsis. althongh <strong>the</strong> tvpc of fil.ui.isis common<br />
among <strong>the</strong> natives of <strong>the</strong> Philippines is unlikclv to affect<br />
A1\1" personnel. .<br />
Standard precaution. ;lg;lillSt mmquitoes xhould he rigidl\'<br />
observed III <strong>the</strong> islands. .<br />
The islands have a plentiful supph' of \\"Iter from surface<br />
streams and artesian well». 1I00\'e\cr. all water should be<br />
disinfected or boiled before usc because of <strong>the</strong> prevalence<br />
of diarrhea and dvscntcrv. .md <strong>the</strong> rccurrcucc of cholera.<br />
Men should not s~\'im in' ponds or streams not certified hv<br />
:1 mcd ic.rl otlieer: tlic chuger from blood flukes (schistosomiasis)<br />
is great.<br />
:\atilc fruits and \egetahles arc chngerous. Usually <strong>the</strong>v<br />
grow in soil contum inand hy hum.m wastes or arc washed<br />
in polluted water. All fruits and vcgct.ibk-s must be boiled<br />
to [JIT\'Cnt <strong>the</strong>m from tr;msmitting intcst in.il diseases.<br />
Because it is difficult to keep clean and dry in <strong>the</strong> tropical<br />
climate of <strong>the</strong> Philippincs. m inor wounds. such as cuts.<br />
scratches. insect bites and leech bites, become infected<br />
casilv, Fvcn <strong>the</strong> smallcst wound should he cleaned, divinfcctcd<br />
and covered with adhesive.<br />
34 AIR fORCE