Philippines in the 19th Century

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. They have the power and authority to rule over the

Filipinos. They enjoyed their positions and do what they want.

→The Spanish officials

→The Peninsulares (Spaniards who were born in Spain). They held the most important

government jobs, and made up the smallest number of the population.

→The Friars are members of any of certain religious orders of men, especially the four

mendicant orders (Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans).

Middle Class – the people that belongs into this class includes the natives,

mestizos and the criollos.

→ Natives – the pure Filipinos

The Mestizos are the Filipinos of mixed indigenous Filipino or European or Chinese ancestry.

Lowest class – this class includes the Filipinos only.

→The Indios are the poor people having pure blood Filipin which ruled by the

Spaniards.

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. Sources of Abuses in the Administrative System:

1. There was an appointment of officials with inferior qualifications, without

dedication of duty and moral strength to resist corruption for material

advancement. Through the power and authority the Spaniards possess, they

collected and wasted the money of the Filipinos.

2. There were too complicated functions to the unions of the church and the state.

3. Manner of obtaining the position.

Through the power that the Spaniards possess, they had the right to appoint the

different positions. The appointment of positions is obtained by the highest bidder which

is the Governor-general of the country.

4. Term of office

Term of office or term in office is the length of time a person (usually a

politician) serves in a particular office is dependent on the desire of the King of the

country.

5. Distance of the colony

The Spanish officials traveled to various places and the needs of the

Philippines were ignored. They did not put too much attention to the needs of the other

people. There were inadequate administrative supervisions, they were unable to face

and solve the problems regarding to the Philippines. There were also overlapping of

powers and privileges of officials which made them competitive.

6. Personal interest over the welfare of the State

7. They were corrupt during the 19th century and the Alcaldias/Alcalde is considered

as the most corrupt over the other corrupts. The Alcaldias/Alcalde includes the

administrators, judges and military commandants. They usually have P25/mo

liberal allowances and privileges to take a certain percentage of money from the

total amount of taxes. There were also monopoly trades or business practices

known as indulto para comerciar.

Educational System

There are lots of criticisms received in the educational system of the Philippines in the

late 19th century. Below are the following:

1. Overemphasis on religious matters

The power of religious orders remained one of the great constants, over the
centuries, of Spanish colonial rule. The friars of the Augustinian, Dominican, and

Franciscan orders conducted many of the executive and control functions of

government on the local level. They were responsible for education and health