Prepared by: Social and Behavioral Sciences Department

LANDOWNERSHIP AND THE RISE OF FRIAR LANDS

Overview:
When you think about the influence of Spaniards in the Philippines as they ruled for more than three
centuries, their only durable heritage has been Christianity, implanted throughout the provinces by friars
whose principal aim was to Christianize the populace. Religion was certainly an important heritage for the
Philippines, but equally significant was the Spanish colonial land system. Large blocks of land were granted
to the Spanish elite who wished to settle in the Philippines, and the Filipinos on these land grants became the
serfs or tenant farmers of the Spanish landlords. After a generation or two, these landlords were mostly
mestizos. They created descendants who are now Filipinos and own vast areas of the best agricultural land
in the Philippines. In this lesson, the students will look into the Spanish-inherited land system which has led
to the prominence of friars and wealthy landlords in the Philippines.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Differentiate landownership during the precolonial era and the Spanish era
2. Explain the historical development that led to the creation of haciendas and friar lands
3. Picture out the economic, social, and political conditions of Calamba at the time of Rizal's birth
4. Ascertain how Indios became tenants in their own land
5. Critique Rizal's role in the Protesta de Calamba affair

Landownership by the Church

During the Spanish colonial period, lands were divided and granted to encourage Spanish settlers or reward
soldiers who served the Crown. These were called encomiendas. Encomiendas were granted in exchange of
defending the land from external attack, maintain peace and order within, and support the tasks of the missionaries.
Technically the encomenderos do not own the land but was only its trustee. The word encomienda comes from the
word "encomendar" which means to commend or entrust. The encomendero acquired the right to collect tribute from
the natives. The tributes soon became land rents, and the people living within the boundaries of the encomienda
became tenants. The encomenderos became the first hacendados in the country. Religious orders, mainly Dominc and
Augustin became owners of vast tracts of friar land which was leased to natives and mestizos. Meanwhile the colonial
government took the place of the datus. The datu was now called cabeza de barangay, but it was the proprietors of the
estates who held the real power in the barangay or community. Thus “the most significant Spanish innovation
concerning property rights was the introduction of the concept of legal title to land, that is private ownership”.

Later, the practice of titling lands was practiced, Some lands were given to individuals for having done
something meritorious to the government such as being allies during a foreign invasion like in the case of the
Chinese Son Tua who remained loyal to the Spaniards when most of his countrymen sided with the British during
their invasion of Manila. Son Tua was given a land grant which covered what is today Marikina up to eastern
Manila. Another person who was given a land grant was Juan Makapagal who remained loyal to Spain during
the Maniago rebellion in 1660. His lands stretched from what is now the area of Arayat to Bataan. The religious
orders were given lands to support their evangelical activities. Later, they received land from pious donors and
were able to buy lands from their owners due to financial acumen.

As the commercial revolution made itself felt in the 19th century, there was pressure on the lands which were
being cleared for agricultural purposes. In many cases, lands were simply grabbed and religious orders were not
exempt from land grabbing. An example of land grabbing by the religious orders was the one in Lian, Batangas in
which the Church grabbed the lands near the sea and prevented the fishermen from reaching the coasts.In the case of
the Dominicans, lands around Mayhaligue and Tondo were not only used for agricultural purposes but also for
businesses such as shops rented out to tenants.

All of the religious orders like Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Recollects had landholdings. However,
the Jesuits lost theirs when they were expelled from the Philippines in 1768. By this quirk of history, the Jesuits were
exempted from the popular hatred by the propagandists in the 1880s and the communists in the 20th century as an
oppressive class of landlords. When they returned in 1859, the Jesuits did not get back their old haciendas. Instead
what they had were missions and most of these were in Mindanao which was then an untamed wilderness.

It would take the Americans under William Howard Taft to negotiate with the Pope and $16 million dollars to
allow the government to acquire the friar lands for distribution to the farmers.Taft's efforts however, were not
successful as the lands, which were intended to be distributed to small farmers, were actually purchased by rich
Filipinos. The friar lands purchased by the Americans therefore did not solve the agrarian problem of the country.
Also, the lands held by the church were still extensive as there were agricultural lands still held by the church during
the time of President Quezon. And there were still lands owned by the Diocese of Manila in Bulacan until today.

The Inquilino Role in the Agrarian Problem

As mentioned in the previous lesson (Chapter 6), vast lands owned by individuals and institutions were
leased to primary tenants called inquilinos. These inquilinos were mostly mestizos and they were more managers
rather than actual farmers. Physically it was impossible for them to farm the entire hacienda, which is the reason they
had to hire sharecroppers or kasamas, which was a term for the tenant farmers. there were many ways how a
sharecropper may pay his inquilino depending on the arrangement he entered into. It could be a terciahan or a 70/30
arrangement in which the kasama pays the inquilino 1/3 of his produce with the kasama supplying the seeds, farm
tools and animals and labor, Another arrangement is a 50/50 basis with the kasama sharing the produce with his
inquilino.

Few of the Reasons Why Some of the “Kasamas” Remained Impoverished

In many instances, the kasama was forced to borrow from his inquilino and the borrowing rates were
usurious. If a farmer borrowed a cavan of palay for planting, he had to pay two cavans for every cavan
borrowed. In times of emergency the kasama runs to the inquilino or if the inquilino was in need he runs to
the landlord. In both matters the kasama is beholden to the inquilino and the inquilino is beholden to the
landlord. The kasama or tenant runs to his inquilino if his wife or child is sick. He borrows money from him
when someone in the family has died or is in the hospital. The kasama runs to his inquilinos for loans and
this situation leaves the kasamain perpetual debt. The inquilino on the other hand is in charge of getting the
products of the kasamas and they look for the best prices of the products possible. The inquilinos paid the
landlord the dues for the use of the land plus a portion of the harvest. As for the landlords, they would only
wait for the harvest and collect the rent when it is due. This spurs a feudal and paternalistic situation and the
most oppressed persons would be the kasamas. It is the kasamas who are bound to the land and are indebted
to the inquilinos and the landlords.

The Hacienda de Calamba: The Role of Rizal and His Family

After getting married to Teodora, Francisco Engracio Mercado decided to move to the neighboring town of
Calamba where the Dominicans had a hacienda in which originally was in the possession of Jesuits. A little backstory,
the government managed the hacienda up to 1808 until it was placed on public auction. A Spaniard named Jose G.
Azanza won in the public bidding and managed the Hacienda de Calamba until 1831. That year Azanza suffered from
financial difficulties and he was forced to sell the hacienda to the Dominicans.

The Dominicans leased the land to inquilinos or primary tenants and Francisco Engracio Mercado was one of
these inquilinos. Don Francisco developed friendly relations with the Dominicans and was able to lease 500 hectares.
To cultivate this vast estate Don Francisco hired sharecroppers to do the actual cultivation. Like in Biñan the
hacienda produced rice, sugarcane and corn. in his farm, Don Francisco raised turkeys, chickens, goats and cows.
While Don Francisco managed the farm, Doña Teodora managed a store and a ham press which produced preserved
meats. Aside from managing the farms, Don Francisco was engaged in the trading of sugar and dye stuff. Don
Francisco was assisted by his eldest son Paciano who had graduated with a bachiller in artes degree from Colegio de
San Juan de Letran. With his son's help, Don Francisco managed to lease additional lands in the Pansol area in what
is now barangay Bukal. The relationship of Don Francisco and the Dominicans must have been very good as the lease
contract stipulated that the Dominicans will not collect any rent for the first five years after which they only had to
pay 15 pesos instead of the standard 25 pesos.

In 1885, the Dominicans allowed Paciano to lease additional lands from the Dominicans, These lands were
located south of barrio Pansol at the foothills of Mt. Makiling. The income from the products from these lands was
supposed to provide support for the family in the event of Don Francisco's death. To keep the goodwill of the
Dominicans Paciano wrote to his brother Jose in 1883 to refrain from upsetting the friars because they were very kind
to his family. At that time Rizal was already in Spain questioning his faith, the feudal system in the Philippines and
the domination of the Church in the lives of the Filipinos. He was already influenced by Freemasons in his many
encounters in Spain.

The First Taste of Injustice

In 1872 tragedy struck the Rizal family, his mother was accused of being an accomplice to an attempted murder.
A close relative Don Jose Alberto was accused of trying to poison his wife Doña Teodora Formoso de Alberto. Don
Jose was a rich landowner who went on a trip to Europe.Upon coming home in Biñan he found his house in disarray
and his wife was caught committing adultery. She was found to be living with another man. Don Jose sought a
divorce from his wife and had her confined to her room.According to Rizal, his mother tried to reconcile the two. But
Doña Teodora de Albertofound a way to get back at Don Jose and Doña Teodora. She alleged that when she was
served food she gave it to a dog and the dog died.

Doña Teodora de Alberto then had the alferez or the town police Chief to have her husband and Doña Teodora
arrested. When she was brought before the gobernardorcillo she was also roughly treated. The gobernadorcillo made
Doña Teodora walk from Calamba to the proivincial capitol inSanta Cruz- a distance of more than 30
kilometers.Doña Teodora could have spent many years in jail if not for the help of the Dominicans who
recommended the services of two lawyers Don Francisco de Marcaida and Don Manuel Marzano who were both law
professors at the University of Santo Tomas. After two years of detention, Doña Teodora was released.

The Hacienda de Calamba Controversy

As a religious order, the church is exempted from paying tax connected to religious activities not from
economic activities. Emilio Terrero, the governor-general that time, wanted to investigate the Dominicans
to see if they were paying the proper taxes.Because of the great favors given by the Dominicans to his
family, Rizal should have been thankful for what he and his family received from the order. However, when
he first returned from Europe in 1887 he participated in an angry protest against the Dominicans. Rizal
joined the fray and helped dropped an information about the agrarian situation of the hacienda de Calamba
which was under Dominican's contro

Allegations of Jose Rizal Against the

Dominicans’ Reply to Rizal’s Accusations
Dominicans
 Dominican administrators were taking  As for the farmer losing money, Domincans said it was not
advantage of tenants making them losing because of increased rent but due to poor harvest and laziness of
some farmers and their addiction to gambling.
money.
 The Dominicans said that while it was true that they control the
 Dominican landholdings comprised entire
town and hacienda of Calamba as well as the neighboring towns of
town of Calamba not just the farm areas.
Binan, San Pedro and Sta. Rosa, all of these lands were properly
 Dominicans raised the rent every year
tilted at the name of the order.
leaving tenants dispossessed of their lands.
 As for the yearly increased in rent, many lands according to
 High penalties were charged if rents were
Dominicans, were leased to settlers free of rent from some period
not paid on time.
and Rizal’s family was one of those who benefited from this
 Confiscation of tools, carabaos, and homes
policy.
of tenants if they cannot pay.
 Regarding the income derived from the haciendas, they were used
 Dominicans allegedly grabbed lands
to Support the churches and institutions like University of Sto.
illegally.
Tomas and Colegio San Juan de Letran.
 In a reconciliatory move, the Dominicans allowed the tenants to have a grace period in paying the increased rents.
The Dominicans tried to have an amicable settlement with the farmers. However, after Rizal left Calamba for Europe
in February 1888, the tenants openly refused to pay their rents. Their lawyer Felipe Buencamino reportedly told the
tenants not to pay a single cent to the Dominicans unless they showed that they really owned the hacienda,The tenants
won their case at the Justice of the Peace in Calamba where according to historian Fr. Villarroel Paciano practically
dictated the decision of the court. But the tenants lost when the case was appealed to the provincial court at Santa
Cruz, Laguna and at the higher court in Manila. The Dominicans were able to prove that they were the legitimate
owners of Calamba and the other haciendas. The case went as far as the Supreme Court in Madrid where the
Dominicans ultimately won.

The ruling of the Santa Cruz court was to have the tenants to pay the Dominicans or be expelled. The new
Governor General, Valeriano Weyler sent more troops to expel all the defiant tenants who tried to go back to their
former homes. Among those expelled was Rizal's own family.

Learning Materials:
1. PowerPoint Presentation
2. Educational Video Clips

Expected Output:
1. Worksheet from the textbook (Exercise 7.2 found on page 97)
2. Lesson Quiz

Time Allotment:
1.5 Hours (One week)

References:
Online: http://haciendadecalamba.blogspot.com/2012/06/chapter-vi-calamba-evictions.html
http://nhcp.gov.ph/teodora-alonsos-trail-of-tears/

Book: De Viana, A. V. (2019). Laon-Laan: A Guide for the Study and Understanding of the Life and Contributions
of Jose Rizal to Philippine Nationhood and Society. Mandaluyong City. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.