Politics & Governance

with Philippine
Constitution

Transition of Philippine Government:

Spanish Government – Government
during the Revolution
Transition of Philippine Government
Age of Conquest
• Need for spice, expansion of empire
• Closure of usual trade route
• Discovery of new trade route
Transition of Philippine Government
 Ferdinand Magellan
Transition of Philippine Government
 In Search of New Lands: The Coming of
Magellan
 Ferdinand Magellan (Fernhao Magalhaes) – a
member of the Portugues nobility
 Was wounded in Morocco which left him lame
for life.
 Conceived the idea of a passage to the West
or around South America to reach the
Moluccas or Spice Islands
Transition of Philippine Government
 Left Portugal when the King refused to
compensate him for his service and, support
his plan to take a westward route to reach the
Moluccas

In Spain
 Reached Spain in 1517, met with influential
people who helped him secure support for his
plan
Transition of Philippine Government
 One of those who supported him was Juan
Rodriguez de Fonseca, Bishop of Burgos and
Head of the Royal Council of the Indies.
 The contract for the expedition was granted
by King Charles and signed on March 18,
1518. Magellan was named Captain-General.
Transition of Philippine Government
 Magellan‘s Fleet – Trinidad, Concepcion,
Victoria, Santiago, Victoria, San Antonio
Transition of Philippine Government
 Magellan‘s Route
Transition of the Philippine
Government
 Magellan‘s Arrival
 Reached the island of Homonhon on March
16, 1521 but only stepped foot two days later.
 He befriended the local Chieftain named
Kalambu (Calambu).
 Kalambu, impressed with the armory used by
Magellan‘s men performed the Kasi-Kasi
(blood compact) to seal his friendship with
Magellan.
Transition of Philippine Government
 In Cebu (Sugbu), Magellan, with Datu
Kalambu, made a blood compact with
Humabon after the latter had won his trust
and friendship.
 Humabon also converted to Christianity and
was named Carlos.
 Magellan made Humabon the king‘s
representative in Cebu and promised to unite
the local chieftains under his (Humabon)
authority
Transition of the Philippine
Government
 Lapu-Lapu‘s refusal and Magellan‘s death
 Lapu-Lapu‘s rival Zula informed Magellan that
the former refused to accept the new political
system and, pay tribute.
 Magellan with an army of 60 steel-clad
Spaniards, three vessels and Cebuanos
invaded Mactan, the territory of Lapu-Lapu
 Magellan‘s leg was hit with a posion arrow
and his face was struck with a bamboo spear.
Transition of Philippine Government
Magellan‘s death
Transition of Philippine Government
 Other expeditions
 Led by Captain Garcia Jofre de Loaysa
 Sebastian Cabot
 Alvaro Saavedra Ceron
 Ruy Lopez de Villalobos
 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi – the most
successful expedition
- spent his own resources to finance the
expedition
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Political Set – up (1565 – 1821)
KING OF SPAIN

Viceroy of Mexico Council of Indies

Governor - General
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Political Set – Up
KING OF SPAIN

Council of Indies

Ministerio de Ultramar

Governor General
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Beginning of the Spanish rule
 The king issued a decree in 1568, instructing
Legazpi to establish towns, cities and
encomiendas to be distributed to deserving
soldiers/who helped in the pacification of the
natives.

What is an encomienda?
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Encomienda
 Comes from the verb encomendar meaning
to commend or commit to one‘s care
 Originally, the encomienda was a feudal
system used in Spain to reward deserving
generals and conquerors during the Spanish
wars of recovery of territory
 This system was introduced by the Spanish
crown to reward deserving Spaniards
Governments during the Spanish Era
and attract others to settle in the colonies.
 Encomienda in the Philippines was not a land
grant per se, but rather a system of land
distribution that brought benefits to the
encomenderos/officials and institutions.
 The encomenderos has certain rights and
priviledges over a piece of territory including
the inhabitants and the collection of tributes
(taxes)
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Duties and Responsibilities of the
encomendero:
2. Keep peace and order
3. Protect the inhabitants
4. Spread Christianity
5. Educate the people
6. Collect tax (Tributes)
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Types of Encomienda
2. Royal – owned by the King
3. Private – owned by private persons or
charitable institutions
4. Ecclesiatical – owned by religious orders

The system was abolished in the 19th century &

was replaced by provinces, cities, etc.,
which then divided the government into 2,
national and local
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Executive Branch
Central/National Government
Governor General‘s broad powers:
 Executive
 Legislative – which led to the expression obedezco
pero no complo
 Judicial
 Military
 Diplomatic
 Religious – due to Patronato Real
Governments during the Spanish era
 Checks to Gubernatorial powers:
2. Residencia – conduct trial of an outgoing governor-
general and officials by incoming governor general
for purposes of punishing those guilty of corruption.
3. Visitador – sent to the colony to check the
conditions in the colony
4. Royal Audiencia – similar to the Supreme court;
served as advisory body to the governor; audited
the expenditures of the government.
5. Archbishop and clergy
6. Complaints by subordinate officials and citizens
sent to the king‘s court.
Governments during the Spanish era
 Local Governments
2. Provincial Government

Provincial

Alcaldia Corregimiento (ex. Cordilleras)

Governments during the Spanish era
2. City Government – Ayuntamiento

2 Alcaldes ordinarios

Cabildo (city council Regodores (councilors)

Alguacil mayor (chief constable

Escribao (Secretary)
Governments during the Spanish
3. Municipal Government – unit of government in towns
or pueblos
 Headed by gobernadorcillos (open to non-Spaniards
or natives)
 First occupied by pre-colonial chieftains and their
descendants and later elected by an Electoral Board
composed of outgoing gobernadorcillo and principalia
(prominent land or property owners)
 The gobernadorcillo was later replaced by a capitan
or capitana
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Functions of a Gobernadorcillo

Preparation of pardon or tribute list

Recruitment and distribution of men for draft labor
Polos y servicios

Gobernadorcillo Communal public work

Military Conscription

Postal Clerk

Judge in civil suits involving 44 pesos or less

 Governments during the Spanish Era
Assistants
Gobernadorcillo

Constables Teniente del Barrio

Supernumeraries Secretary

4 Teniente Segunda
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Barrio – Barangays were transformed into
barrios (villages)
- Placed directly under the cabezas (head) de
Barangay
- Position was purely appointive
- Excused from taxes and forced labor
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Functions of Cabezas:
2. Collection of tax and contributions
3. Promotion of peace and order
4. In charge of recruiting polistas for communal
public works
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Judicial Branch
2. Real Audiencia (Supreme Court)
3. Appellate Courts (Court of appeals) for
criminal cases
4. Courts of 1st Instance (district court) in each
province
5. Justices of the peace courts in pueblos
(deals primarily with less serious offenses)
Governments during the Spanish Era
 Legislative Branch
 The Cortes (Parliament)
 Formulated all the laws in the Philippines
 The most famous of which was the colonial code
called Recopilacion de Leyes de los Reynos de las
Indias (Compilation of Laws on Royal lands in the
Indies)
 Issued or promulated in 1680, used by Spain to rule
its possessions or colonies.
 Removed the Philippine representation on June 18
1837
II. Structure of revolutionary
movements
 KKK (Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang
Katipunan ng mag Anak ng Bayan.
 Organized on July 7, 1892 by Andres
Bonifacio, Deodato Arellano, Roman Basa
 The KKK‘s objectives were political, civic and
moral
Structure of Revolutionary Movements
 KKK

KKK

Supreme Council Popular Council

Provincial Council
Structure of Revolutionary Movements
 Supreme Council
 Supremo
 Interventor
 Fiscal
 Secretary
 Treasurer

*The structure later became more organized as the

number of positions increased and the renaming of
positions, which resembled government designations.