▁of ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁public ▁education . ▁ ▁Background ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁President ▁McK in ley ▁appointed ▁the ▁First ▁Philipp ine ▁Commission ▁( the ▁Sch ur man ▁Commission ), ▁a ▁five - person ▁group ▁head ed ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Jacob ▁Sch ur man , ▁president ▁of ▁Corn ell ▁University , ▁to ▁investigate ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁islands ▁and ▁make ▁recommend ations . ▁In ▁the ▁report ▁that ▁they ▁issued ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁the ▁commission ers ▁acknowled ged ▁Filip ino ▁asp ir ations ▁for ▁independence . ▁They ▁declared , ▁however , ▁that ▁the ▁Philippines ▁was ▁not ▁ready ▁for ▁it . ▁ ▁Specific ▁recommend ations ▁included ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁civil ian ▁government ▁as ▁rapidly ▁as ▁possible ▁( the ▁American ▁chief ▁executive ▁in ▁the ▁islands ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁was ▁the ▁military ▁governor ), ▁including ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁b ic amer al ▁legisl ature , ▁autonom ous ▁govern ments ▁on ▁the ▁provincial ▁and ▁municipal ▁levels , ▁and ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁free ▁public ▁elementary ▁schools . ▁ ▁Le ad ership ▁President : ▁Jacob ▁G ould ▁Sch ur man ▁ ▁M embers ▁M embers : ▁ ▁Survey ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines ▁The ▁three ▁civil ian ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁commission ▁arrived ▁in ▁Man ila ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁a ▁month ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Man ila ▁which ▁had ▁begun ▁armed ▁conflict ▁between ▁U . S . ▁forces ▁and ▁Filip ino ▁forces ▁under ▁Em ilio ▁Agu inal do . ▁General ▁Ot is ▁viewed