1935 Philippine constitutional plebiscite
14 May 1935
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Do you vote for the ratification of the Constitution of the Philippines, with the Ordinance appended thereto? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
23 March 1935: Seated, left to right: George H. Dern, Secretary of War; President Franklin D. Roosevelt, signing the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines; Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippine Senate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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A constitutional plebiscite held in the Philippines on 14 May 1935 ratified the 1935 Philippine Constitution which established the Philippine Commonwealth.[1][2][3] The constitution had been written in 1934 by the Constitutional Convention of 1934.
The Tydings–McDuffie Act of the United States Government detailed the steps required for the Philippines to become independent of the United States. A previous act, the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act, had been rejected by the Philippine Congress.
The constitution was approved by 96% of voters, and was replaced by the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines.
This is also the first vote in the Philippines in which women participated. 200,000 women were estimated to have taken part.[4][5] However the new 1935 Constitution abolished women's suffrage granted through Act No. 4112 of 1933 which was never exercised for a regular election. Women's suffrage was later granted at the 1937 plebiscite.[6] [7]
Question
Do you vote for the ratification of the Constitution of the Philippines, with the Ordinance appended thereto?
¿Vota Vd. en favor de la ratificación de la Constitución de Filipinas, con la Ordenanza adscrita a la misma?[8]
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1,213,046 | 96.43 |
| No | 44,963 | 3.57 |
| Total votes | 1,258,009 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,935,972 |
| 1935 Philippine constitutional plebiscite results (excluding invalid votes) | |
|---|---|
| Yes 1,213,046 (96.4%) |
|
| ▲ 50% | |
Results by province
| Province/City | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Abra | 9,806 | 161 |
| Agusan | 6,655 | 163 |
| Albay | 39,200 | 1,084 |
| Antique | 13,255 | 407 |
| Bataan | 13,403 | 165 |
| Batanes | 606 | 582 |
| Batangas | 45,771 | 561 |
| Baguio | 557 | 181 |
| Bohol | 33,260 | 2,229 |
| Bukidnon | 1,380 | 122 |
| Bulacan | 46,972 | 666 |
| Cagayan | 19,146 | 3,355 |
| Camarines Norte | 10,994 | 82 |
| Camarines Sur | 28,648 | 890 |
| Capiz | 27,258 | 153 |
| Cavite | 22,189 | 456 |
| Cebu | 51,623 | 1,712 |
| Cotabato | 10,653 | 510 |
| Davao | 4,261 | 2,232 |
| Ilocos Norte | 23,790 | 1,367 |
| Ilocos Sur | 21,551 | 2,141 |
| Iloilo | 65,990 | 741 |
| Isabela | 15,348 | 2,253 |
| La Union | 19,783 | 1,880 |
| Laguna | 43,354 | 646 |
| Lanao | 1,710 | 1,559 |
| Leyte | 67,108 | 1,225 |
| Manila | 48,628 | 1,197 |
| Marinduque | 9,213 | 136 |
| Masbate | 11,891 | 159 |
| Mindoro | 9,034 | 293 |
| Misamis Occidental | 13,035 | 112 |
| Misamis Oriental | 16,285 | 326 |
| Mountain Province | 1,710 | 1,559 |
| Negros Occidental | 55,670 | 1,039 |
| Negros Oriental | 19,805 | 522 |
| Nueva Ecija | 39,983 | 864 |
| Nueva Vizcaya | 4,820 | 713 |
| Palawan | 4,686 | 868 |
| Pampanga | 29,011 | 1,276 |
| Pangasinan | 78,886 | 3,588 |
| Rizal | 56,389 | 690 |
| Romblon | 5,811 | 352 |
| Samar | 34,549 | 933 |
| Sorsogon | 31,736 | 106 |
| Sulu | 1,435 | 374 |
| Surigao | 12,581 | 814 |
| Tarlac | 20,346 | 898 |
| Tayabas | 38,617 | 728 |
| Zambales | 9.968 | 366 |
| Zamboanga | 14,202 | 595 |
| Total | 1,213,046 | 44,963 |
| Source: Bureau of Printing[9] | ||
See also
References
- ^ Philippines, 14 May 1935: Constitution Direct Democracy (in German)
- ^ Benitez, Conrado (1935). "The New Philippine Constitution". Pacific Affairs. 8 (4): 428–432. doi:10.2307/2751242. ISSN 0030-851X.
- ^ Kalaw, Maximo M. (1935). "The New Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth". Foreign Affairs. 13 (4): 687–694. doi:10.2307/20020226. ISSN 0015-7120.
- ^ Smithmanila, Robert Aura (December 27, 1936). "Philippine Women Seek Vote; 300,000 Must Register Approval at April Plebiscite As a Requisite to Obtaining the Franchise". New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ Smith, Robert Aura (August 25, 1935). "Filipino Fight on for Vote: Suffrage, Joyfully Hailed, Is Being Shunted From Political Scene". New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ Alporha, Veronica C. (2021). "Manuel L. Quezon and the Filipino women's suffrage movement of 1937" (PDF). Plaridel. UP College of Mass Communication: 6. doi:10.52518/2021-08valpor. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ "The Philippines: Votes for Women". Time. May 10, 1937. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^ Section 6, Act No. 4200
- ^ The Philippine Statistical Review. Vol. 2. Bureau of Printing. 1935. p. 131.