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Americans in the Philippines
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Americans in the Philippines
American settlement in the Philippines (Filipino: paninirahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Amerikano) began during the Spanish colonial period. The period of American colonization of the Philippines was 48 years long. It began with the cession of the Philippines to the U.S. by Spain in 1898 and lasted until the U.S. recognition of Philippine independence in 1946.
In 2015, the U.S. State Department estimated in 2016 that more than 220,000 U.S. citizens lived in the Philippines and more than 650,000 visited per year. They noted there was a significant mixed population of Amerasians born here since World War II, as well as descendants of Americans from the colonial era. The total number of Amerasians descended from American servicemen (termed "G.I. babies") was estimated to be around 250,000 in 2012. According to American ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, there were 750,000 American citizens living in the Philippines as of year 2025. If one were to sum the percentage of the population with partial American ancestry (Amerasians), 0.25%; and full American ancestry (American Filipinos), 0.75%; around 1% of the Philippines' demographics is made up of those with American ancestry.
During the Spanish–American War the United States assisted Philippine revolutionaries in renewing their fight for independence. The Philippine–American War erupted after the U.S. assimilated the Philippines instead of granting independence following Spanish cession to the U.S. in their peace treaty.
During American colonial rule in the Philippines, there was an increase in American immigration to the Philippines. Retiring soldiers and other military men were among the first Americans to become long-term Philippine residents and settlers; these included Buffalo Soldiers and former Volunteers, primarily from the Western states.
The Education Act of 1901 authorized the colonial government to recruit American teachers to help establish an English-language educational system to replace the Spanish one. Some 80 former soldiers became teachers. They were soon joined by 48 teachers recruited in the United States who arrived in June 1901 on the US Army Transport ship Sheridan (named after General Philip Sheridan, a prominent military officer during and after the Civil War.) Some 523 others arrived on August 1, 1901, on the USAT Thomas. Collectively, these teachers became known as the Thomasites.
By 1913, there were more than 1,400 mestizos with American parentage, the children of the nearly 8,000 Americans living in the Philippines. 15% of the Amerasian children were orphans. Prior to World War I, Americans were not prevalent in the Philippines; most lived in restricted enclaves, particularly around Fort Santiago; one term for those who settled in the Philippines was Manila Americans. By 1939, 8,709 Americans were in the Philippines, primarily in Manila. Of these 4,022 were working age and employed. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines brought about an abrupt end to the distinctions of race, due to the external threat caused by the invasion.
The Commonwealth period (1935–1946) saw significant increases of American presence in the Philippines. By 1941, more than 20,000 U.S. military personnel were assigned to the Philippine Department of the United States Army Forces in the Far East when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Many Americans were captured and imprisoned by Japanese forces. This U.S. military presence increased substantially during the U.S. Army actions to liberate the Philippines.
When the Philippines gained independence from the United States in 1946, many Americans chose to settle there permanently. Until the mid-1990s, Americans were concentrated in the cities of Angeles and Olongapo, northwest of Metro Manila, because of the large US military bases there. During the American colonial period (1898–1946), a recorded number of more than 800,000 Americans were born in the Philippines.[unreliable source] Other large concentrations of Filipinos with American ancestry outside Metro Manila are located in the areas of former US bases, such as the Subic Bay area in Zambales and Clark Field in Angeles City.
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Americans in the Philippines
American settlement in the Philippines (Filipino: paninirahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Amerikano) began during the Spanish colonial period. The period of American colonization of the Philippines was 48 years long. It began with the cession of the Philippines to the U.S. by Spain in 1898 and lasted until the U.S. recognition of Philippine independence in 1946.
In 2015, the U.S. State Department estimated in 2016 that more than 220,000 U.S. citizens lived in the Philippines and more than 650,000 visited per year. They noted there was a significant mixed population of Amerasians born here since World War II, as well as descendants of Americans from the colonial era. The total number of Amerasians descended from American servicemen (termed "G.I. babies") was estimated to be around 250,000 in 2012. According to American ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, there were 750,000 American citizens living in the Philippines as of year 2025. If one were to sum the percentage of the population with partial American ancestry (Amerasians), 0.25%; and full American ancestry (American Filipinos), 0.75%; around 1% of the Philippines' demographics is made up of those with American ancestry.
During the Spanish–American War the United States assisted Philippine revolutionaries in renewing their fight for independence. The Philippine–American War erupted after the U.S. assimilated the Philippines instead of granting independence following Spanish cession to the U.S. in their peace treaty.
During American colonial rule in the Philippines, there was an increase in American immigration to the Philippines. Retiring soldiers and other military men were among the first Americans to become long-term Philippine residents and settlers; these included Buffalo Soldiers and former Volunteers, primarily from the Western states.
The Education Act of 1901 authorized the colonial government to recruit American teachers to help establish an English-language educational system to replace the Spanish one. Some 80 former soldiers became teachers. They were soon joined by 48 teachers recruited in the United States who arrived in June 1901 on the US Army Transport ship Sheridan (named after General Philip Sheridan, a prominent military officer during and after the Civil War.) Some 523 others arrived on August 1, 1901, on the USAT Thomas. Collectively, these teachers became known as the Thomasites.
By 1913, there were more than 1,400 mestizos with American parentage, the children of the nearly 8,000 Americans living in the Philippines. 15% of the Amerasian children were orphans. Prior to World War I, Americans were not prevalent in the Philippines; most lived in restricted enclaves, particularly around Fort Santiago; one term for those who settled in the Philippines was Manila Americans. By 1939, 8,709 Americans were in the Philippines, primarily in Manila. Of these 4,022 were working age and employed. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines brought about an abrupt end to the distinctions of race, due to the external threat caused by the invasion.
The Commonwealth period (1935–1946) saw significant increases of American presence in the Philippines. By 1941, more than 20,000 U.S. military personnel were assigned to the Philippine Department of the United States Army Forces in the Far East when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Many Americans were captured and imprisoned by Japanese forces. This U.S. military presence increased substantially during the U.S. Army actions to liberate the Philippines.
When the Philippines gained independence from the United States in 1946, many Americans chose to settle there permanently. Until the mid-1990s, Americans were concentrated in the cities of Angeles and Olongapo, northwest of Metro Manila, because of the large US military bases there. During the American colonial period (1898–1946), a recorded number of more than 800,000 Americans were born in the Philippines.[unreliable source] Other large concentrations of Filipinos with American ancestry outside Metro Manila are located in the areas of former US bases, such as the Subic Bay area in Zambales and Clark Field in Angeles City.
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