SPANISH ERA

Spanish Colonization (1521 - 1898)

 The Spaniards integrated into the Philippine society their religion, language, custom,
arts and sciences.
 The Colonial Administration shared the power of governance with the church.
 The church meddled with governmental functions and this led to the supremacy of the
Church over the Government.
 The Spanish authorities clustered the Filipino population into village settlements
where they could more easily be instructed.
 Spanish urbanization was centered in the city of Manila, within a walled city called
Intramuros.
 Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in 1521. Magellan landed on the island
of Cebu, claiming the lands for Spain and naming them Islas de San Lazaro. He set up
friendly relations with some of the local chieftains and converted some of them to
Roman Catholicism.
 Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as
ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 14,
1521. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden
cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from
people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that
the cross possesses miraculous powers. Some people, however, believe that the
original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan's death.
 Lapu-Lapu was a ruler of Mactan, who is known as the first native of the archipelago
to have resisted the Spanish colonization. On the morning of April 27, 1521, Lapu-
Lapu led 3,000 warriors in a battle against Portuguese explorer and conquistador
Ferdinand Magellan who led a force of forty- nine Spanish soldiers and 6000 native
warriors from Cebu. During the battle Magellan and several of his men were killed.

Magellan introduced Christianity in Cebu

REASONS FOR COLONIZATION: 3G
GOD – The conversion of natives to Christianity
GOLD – Accumulation of gold and wealth
GLORY – Supremacy of Spain over Portugal as a superpower

SPAIN’S CONTRIBUTION
The Residencia
 This was a special judicial court that investigates the performance of a governor
general who was about to be replaced. The residencia, of which the incoming
governor general was usually a member, submitted a report of its findings to the King.
The Visita
 The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a government official called the Vistador
General to observe conditions in the colony. The Visitador General reported his
findings directly to the King.
 The Encomienda was introduced in the Philippines when Legaspi, in compliance with
the decree issued by King Philip II in 1558, distributed lands in Cebu to loyal Spanish
subjects. These men had helped conquer the Philippines. The encomienda was not
actually a land grant but was a favor from the kind under which the Spaniard
receiving his favor was given the right to collect tributes–or taxes–from the
 inhabitants of the area assigned to him. The man who received this favor was called
an encomendero. The encomienda was, therefore, a public office
 TRIBUTE - In July 26, 1523, King Charles V decreed that Indians who had been
pacified should contribute a “moderate amount” in recognition of their vassalage.
 The Spaniards closed the ports of Manila to all countries except Mexico. Thus, the
Manila–Acapulco Trade, better known as the "Galleon Trade" was born. The Galleon
Trade was a government monopoly. Only two galleons were used: One sailed from
Acapulco to Manila with some 500,000 pesos worth of goods, spending 120 days at
sea; the other sailed from Manila to Acapulco with some 250,000 pesos worth of
goods spending 90 days at sea.

CHALLENGES TO SPANISH AUTHORITY
 Tondo Conspiracy of 1587–1588 was a plot against Spanish colonial rule by the
Tagalog and Kapampangan noblemen, or datus, of Manila and some towns of Bulacan
and Pampanga, in the Philippines. It was led by Agustín de Legazpi, grandson of
conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.
 The Tamblot Uprising of 1621, also known as the Tamblot Revolution or Tamblot
Revolt, was led by Tamblot, a babaylan or native priest from the island of Bohol in
the Philippines. It was basically a religious conflict.Tamblot exhorted his people to
return to the faith of their forefathers and free themselves from Spanish oppression.
 Diego Silang y Andaya (December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763) was a revolutionary
leader who conspired with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern
Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano nation. His revolt was fueled by
grievances stemming from Spanish taxation and abuses, and by his belief in self-
government, that the administration and leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and
government in the Ilocos be invested in trained Ilocano officials.
 The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Peace of Paris and the Treaty of 1763, was
signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with
Portugal in agreement, after Britain's victory over France and Spain during the Seven
Years' War.
 Tobacco was introduced in the Philippines in the late 16th century during the era of
Spanish colonization when the Augustinians brought cigar tobacco seeds to the
colony for cultivation. In 1686, William Dampier visited Mindanao and observed that
smoking was a widespread custom. It had also become an article of foreign trade with
the Dutch from Tidore and Ternate buying rice, bees wax and tobacco from the
Spanish colony.
 The connection of Suez Kanal (Canal) to Philippine History is very important. When
it opened in 1869, it paved way for foreign traders to do business with many
countries. Philippines was one of those who benefited from its operation, not only in
terms of business (economy), but also about way of life. Contact with westerners who
came to trade with Philippines brought-in new ideas, knowledge/education, and other
things.
 Three martyr priests are publicly garroted as alleged leaders of the Cavite
Conspiracy, a movement for secularization and nationalism, which is distasteful to
the Spanish friars. They are Jose Burgos (born Feb 9, 1837), Mariano Gomez (born
Aug 2, 1799) and Jacinto Zamora (born Aug 14, 1835).

SOCIAL STRUCTURE
 Peninsulares = Spaniards who grew up in Spain
  Insulares = Spaniards who grew up in the Philippines
 Spanish Mestizos = half-Spaniards
 Principalia = former Filipino tribe leaders before the invasion of Spain (datus, rajahs,
maharlikas and others)
 Chinese Mestizos = half-Chinese
 Chinese = Chinese living in the Philippines
 ‘Indios’ = what the Spaniards derogatorily call the Filipinos
 Education in the prehispanic period is informal. The children are only taught by their
parents in vocations that can be used in their everyday lives.
 But with the coming of the Spaniards, education was formalized and it focused on the
doctrines of Christianity.
 The subjects taught were catechism, reading and writing in the dialect, music,
arithmetic, and trades and industries.
 The Spanish aristocracy tried to distinguish themselves from indios through the use of
language and level of education.
 Higher education was established exclusively for Spaniards and Filipinos, referring to
those born in the colony to Spanish parents.
 Colleges and universities were closed to indios.
 Colleges, which later, became universities, were also established. Examples of these
are: University of Sto. Tomas, Ateneo de Manila, San Juan de Letran, etc. Schools
and nunnery for women were also introduced.
 School for boys were separated from that of the girls. Courses such as Law, Medicine,
Engineering were limited only to males. Females were given special education in the
colegio (regular schools for girls) and in the beaterio (combined school and nunnery).

PRINTED BOOKS AND PUBLISHED MATERIALS

 Doctrina Christiana, (1593)
 Pasion
 Doce Pares de Francia, Bernardo Carpio, Adela at Florante written by Jose dela
Cruz
 Lam-Ang by Pedro Bukaneg
 Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar

DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC UTILITIES

 Ferrocaril de Manila: the only railway line in the archipelago, which was constructed
using mainly Filipino labor. By 1892, five street car service lines connected the
primate city with the suburbs with horse-drawn cars.
 Puente Colgante (Quezon bridge): the first suspension bridge in the Far East.
 Public Lighting System: used with coconut oil as fuel (1814). By 1893, the walled
city (Intramuros) and suburbs were already powered by electricity, with the founding
of the La Electricista de Manila.

GALLEON TRADE
 Through the galleon trade (derived from the name of the ships used to transport goods
from one country to another), American – Asia commerce flourished, but only a very
few privileged Spaniards were benefited.

CHRISTIANITY
 Christianity is considered as Spain’s greatest and lasting legacy in the country.
 The Christianization (Roman Catholic) of the Filipinos was really the most
outstanding achievement of the Spanish missionaries. And as a result of the
missionaries’ apostolic labors, the Filipino people have become uniquely the only
Christian nation in the entire Asian world.
 The Spaniards converted much of the Philippines to Christianity except for Mindanao
and Sulu.
 The striking resemblances between the pre-colonial religion and Catholicism have
made the latter acceptable to the local inhabitants.