Political Situation and Changes in the 19th Century Philippines

INTRODUCTION:

The 19th century was a period of great political and social change, including
social reforms affecting education, poverty, and public health.

With the rallies and the sudden political changes in Europe that soon reached
Spain, the Philippines, being colonized by the Spaniards, also experienced a change
politically and economically. Officials with lower qualifications, a lack of commitment
to duty, and moral courage to resist corruption for the sake of material advancement
were appointed.

The Spaniards did not pay attention to the needs of the colonies that were
under their control. There were Insufficient administrative oversights, resources were
not given to people, and the incapability to confront and resolve various issues in the
Philippines.

In the late 18th century, the eventual abolition of the galleon to Acapulco's
monopoly served as a significant commerce stimulant. The last galleon arrived in
Manila in 1815, and by the mid-1830s, the city was completely accessible to foreign
traders. After the Suez Canal was completed in 1869, demand for Philippine sugar
and abaca surged even higher, and the volume of exports to Europe increased.

It was in 1863 that public education started in the Philippines, and even then,
the church controlled the curriculum. Less than one-fifth of those who went to school
could read and write Spanish, and far fewer could speak it properly. But by the
1880s, the sons of the wealthy were sent to Europe to study, and with this came the
Propaganda Movement. To add to that privilege, they were also the only Filipino
citizens allowed to vote, specifically Men, while women were not permitted to hold
government positions or be involved in political affairs.
Frailocracy: Rule of the Friars

When the Legazpi expedition reached the Philippines in 1565, the Augustinian
missionaries also began to make its presence. Other religious orders followed such
as the Franciscans in 1577, Jesuits in 1581, Dominicans in 1587, Recollects in 1606,
and the Benedictines in 1895. The primary role of these missionaries is to propagate
Christianity among the natives of these new conquered islands.

As the Pope gave the King of Spain the power of patronato real, the State and
the Church in the Philippines was unified. Thus, the colonial government appointed
and paid the salaries of the archbishops, bishops, and the parish priests. The
government also funded the churches, schools and charities ran by these religious
orders.

For these missionaries to have a self-sustainable life, land estates known as

‘friar lands’ were granted to them, making them landowners and later on merchants.
They became influential, economically and politically. Some acted as Governor-
General until 1762, one example of this is Manuel Rojo. Another development is the
scarcity of secular priest to manage the parishes. These vacancies led to the
appointment of the regulars, especially in the rich and developed parishes. These
events started frailocracy or monastic supremacy in the Philippines.

TIMELINE:

In August 1896, the Spanish Friars uncovered evidence of the Katipunan’s

plans, forcing the leaders of the rebellion into premature action. After the months of
fighting, the revolutionary armies took a huge blow that made them retreat to the
hills.

In December 1897, a truce was made with the Spaniards as Emilio Aguinaldo
was paid a large sum that ensured his safety in exchange for the Philippines. After
the win of the United States in the Battle of Manila Bay in May 1898, Aguinaldo and
his entourage returned to the Philippines with the help of Admiral George Dewey.
Feeling confident of the support from the US, Aguinaldo reorganized his forces and
liberated several towns in Manila. June 12, 1898 was the day Independence was
declared in the country.

With Independence comes the formation of a new government and so in

September, a constitutional congress met in Malolos, drawing up a fundamental law
derived from European and Latin-American precedents. A government was formed
in January 1899, with Aguinaldo as president of the “Malolos Republic.” The
proclamation of a republic in 1898 had marked the Filipinos as the first Asian people
to try to throw off European colonial rule.

In August 1898, US troops landed in Manila and forced the surrender of the
Spanish commander, Fermin Jaudenes. The Americans, however, would not allow
Filipino forces to enter the city, thus making it apparent that their sympathy was of
little significance. This was later confirmed with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on
December 10, 1898. By the time the treaty was ratified in the U.S. Senate in
February 1899, the U.S. and Filipino forces were already hostile towards each other.

Aguinaldo was captured in March 1901 and shortly thereafter appealed to his
countrymen to accept U.S. rule.

In 1899, President William McKinley sent to the Philippines a five-person fact-

finding commission headed by Cornell University president Jacob G. Schurman. He
reported back that Filipinos wanted ultimate independence. McKinley sent out the
Second Philippine Commission in 1900, under William Howard Taft and by July
1901, had established civil government.

Spain established a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that

was composed of a national government and the local governments that
administered provinces, cities, towns, and municipalities.

The Governor General is the King's representative and the highest-ranking

official in the Philippines, the governor general saw to it that royal decrees and laws
emanating from Spain were implemented in the Philippines. He had the power to
appoint and dismiss public officials, except those personally chosen by the King. He
also supervised all government offices and the collection of taxes.

The Residencia is a special judicial court that investigates the performance of

a governor general who was about to be replaced.

The Visita is 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 Royal Audiencia, apart from its judicial functions, served as an advisory
body to the Governor General and had the power to check and a report on his
abuses. They also audited the expenditures of the colonial government and sent a
yearly report to Spain. Despite all these, an abusive governor general often
managed to bypass penalties by simply bribing the Visitador and other investigators.

The Provincial Government is a local government created by the Spaniards to

facilitate the country’s administration. There were two types of local government
units – the alcadia and the corregimiento. The alcadia, led by the alcalde mayor,
governed the provinces that had been fully subjugated. while the corregimiento,
headed by corregidor, governed the provinces that were not yet entirely under
Spanish control.

The Municipal Government came into play since each province was divided
into several towns or pueblos headed by Gobernadorcillos, whose main concerns
were efficient governance and tax collection. Four lieutenants aided the
Governardorcillo: The Teniente Mayor (chief lieutenant), the Teniente de Policia
(police lieutenant), the Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields) and the
Teniente de Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock).

The Encomienda System has encomenderos that were the territorial

overseers who had the duty to 1) protect the people in the encomienda; (2) maintain
peace and order; (3) promote education and health programs; and (4) help the
missionaries propagate Christianity. Continue to The Galleon Trade.
 In conclusion, the Philippines during the 19 th Century did not experience a
government that provided the people for the greater good and did not experience a
growth and development that of which was promised to most of the wealthy families.
The Philippines, being an overseas colony by Spain, was the dumping ground for
incompetent officials that only cared for the Filipino money that lined their pockets
and did not care enough to develop that of which was feeding their mouths. This
continued to worsen with the fact that every time there is a change in government in
Spain, a new wave of money grabbers is thrown into the country to start the cycle
once again. Filipinos, who were given the very few positions that they formerly held
in bureaucracy, were deprived of them as they were given to Spaniards who had
zero interest and knowledge concerning the country they were supposed to be
“governing”. This proves to, once again, worsen with the opening of the Suez Canal
in 1869 that made it easy for the Spaniards to travel back and forth from the
Philippines.

Compared to the present Political Situation, The Philippines is now an

independent country with three branches of government: the executive branch,
which is led by the president; the legislative branch, which includes the senators and
house of representatives; and the judiciary, which is led by the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court. And Women can now vote and hold a position in the government.