SITUATIONS
INDICATOR 19TH CENTURY PHILIPPINES
POLITICAL  Political System and the Sources
of Abuses in the Administrative
System. The Spaniards ruled the
Filipinos in the 19th century. The
Filipinos became the Spaniard’s
slave. The Spaniards claimed
their taxes and they worked
under the power of the
Spaniards.
SOCIO-CULTURAL Social Structure The Filipinos in
the 19th century had suffered
from feudalistic and master
slave relationship by the
Spaniards. Their social structure
is ranked into three
groups: Highest class – the
people that belong in this class
include the Spaniards,
peninsulares and the friars.
PRESENT DAY
The politics of the
Philippines take place within
a three-branch
governmental system. The
country is a democracy, led
by a directly-elected
President who serves as
both the head of state and
the head of government.
The President heads the
executive branch, and has
significant political powers.
This century marked the
start of ideas of liberalism in
the Philippines. It was mainly
because of the access to
education for the Filipinos of
middle and lower classes,
not only to elite illustrados.
Rizal’s idea of liberalism
which he got from studying
in Europe, the place where
the idea of freedom and
reform was molded, was
easily propagated in the
country due to this
intellectualization brought
by access to education.
There also bloomed a
substantial number of
Filipinos who could
communicate in Spanish,
which is very important to
the spread of liberal ideas
and formation of
movements.
ECONOMIC The 19th century. By the late  The Philippines is primarily
18th century, political and considered a newly
economic changes in Europe industrialized country, which
were finally beginning to affect has an economy in transition
Spain and, thus, the Philippines. from one based on
Important as a stimulus to trade agriculture to one based
was the gradual elimination of more on services and
the monopoly enjoyed manufacturing. As of 2021,
by the galleon to GDP by purchasing power
Acapulco. The last galleon parity was estimated to be
arrived in Manila in 1815, and at $1.47 trillion, the 18th in
by the mid-1830s Manila was the world.
open. The country was opened
to foreign trade at the end of
the 18th century which resulted
in the rapid rise of foreign firms
in Manila. This stimulated
agricultural production and
export of sugar, rice hemp and
tobacco. The number of families
which prospered from foreign
commerce and trade were able
to send their sons for an
education in Europe.
EDUCATION SYSTEM Progress in Philippine education
is truly remarkable over the
decades from the ancient or
pre-Spanish period, to the
Spanish period, to American
Period, then Commonwealth
period and up to the present.
According to our history,
Philippine’s education during
the early time is informal and it
evolved with rudimentary
practices which focuses on both
academic vocational knowledge
of the children. Teaching is only
done by tribal tutors and or
parents at their houses but
there is no strong evidence on
what academic teachings were
done during this period. There
aren’t also records that show
employment during this period.
Spanish era then came and
missionaries took over teaching.
This time, only the elites were
given the privilege to enter
formal schooling with only one
primary school for girls and
another for boys in each town
by the Decree of 1863.
Education in this era was
suppressed and controlled that
even if reading, writing,
arithmetic, and some vocational
and practical arts subjects were
taught, education is still focused
on religion and a compulsory
teaching of Spanish language.
Colleges for boys and girls
(equivalent of our high school
today) were opened by the
missionaries on the latter part of
this period which taught history,
Latin, geography, mathematics
and philosophy. Universities
were already established at this
period but were limited to
The trifocal education
system refocused DECS’
mandate to basic education
which covers elementary,
secondary and nonformal
education, including culture
and sports. TESDA now
administers the post-
secondary, middle-level
manpower training and
development while CHED is
responsible for higher
education. To acquire jobs in
the Philippines requires
completion of higher
education. One has to finish
college in order to get a
good jobs, even if the
students are deprived of a
lot of things such as chairs,
textbook and technology
equipment needed for
learning. These difficulties
served as challenge for
Filipino students to strive
harder and to have high
respect for education. The
progress in Philippine
education paved the way for
Filipinos’ better living and
journey to employment. As
we go back to the ancient
times and Spanish era when
education is suppressed and
controlled, it is very
interesting that we came to
this point where education
now is free and made
accessible for all. Indeed,
quality education is the key
to uplift the quality of life of
every Filipinos and the
country’s economic stand.
Spanish bloods and were only
accessible to Filipinos during the
17th century. Primary
instruction was free and normal
school for male educators under
the supervision of Jesuits was
established. It was also
interesting that education in this
period aims to make Filipinos
God-fearing Christians over the
300 years of colonization.