The Social Structure in the 19th Century in the Philippines

 Highest Class (Spanish Officials, Peninsulares, Insulares, Friars)

 Middle Class (Spanish Mestizos, Chinese Mestizos, Criollos and Prinipalia)
 Lowest Class (Indios or native or the masses)

Highest Class
 The people that belong in this class include the Spaniards, Peninsulares,
Insulares and the Friars.
 They have the power and authority to rule over the Filipinos. They enjoyed
their positions and do what they want.

a. Spanish Officials – Peninsulares and Insulares who have official government

designations starting from the Governor-General

b. Peninsulares - are Spaniards who were born in Spain. They held the most
important government jobs and made up the smallest number of the
population.

c. Insulares – are Spaniards born in the Philippines. They are considered inferior
Spaniards compared to those who were born in Spain.

d. Friars are members of any of certain religious orders of men, especially the
four religious orders (Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans).
Middle Class
 People that belongs in this class includes the Spanish Mestizos, Chinese
Mestizos, Criollos, and Principalia.
a. Spanish Mestizos – are of mixed Spanish and indigenous Filipino ancestry

b. Chinese Mestizos – are a mixed Chinese and indigenous Filipino ancestry

c. Criollos – a person of mixed European and black descent, especially in the

Caribbean. Originally, the term creole was derived from Portuguese
crioulo. It meant then, a while man of European descent, born and raised
in a tropical or semi-tropical colony.

Criollos were considered inferior to those who came from the mother
country – Spain. In the Philippines, there are several groups of Criollos:
Ternate Chabacano, Cavite Chabacano, Zamboanga Chabacano, Cotabato
Chabacano.

d. Principalia -(ruling class of native elites: Gobernadorcillo, Cabeza de

Barangay, Landowners, Merchants, Wealthy native families)

Lowest class
 Poor Filipinos
 The Indios are the poor natives or poor people having pure Filipino blood.