The purpose of this act was to create an independent Philippine military, a move interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.
This act provided for the creation, by 1946, via an annual appropriation of 16,000,000 pesos, of the following forces: The National Assembly was guided by the Office of the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government under the U.S. General Douglas MacArthur.
The act divided the Commonwealth of the Philippines into ten military districts, similar to the prewar corps areas within the US.
Each district had a roughly equal population and each was to initially provide 1 reserve division, and ultimately three.
For the training of junior officers, the Act provided that a military academy be established with a Cadet Corps strength not to exceed 350 at any one time.