REACTIONS TO SPANISH

IMPOSITIONS: The Resistance

of the Natives against Spanish Rule
Rose Langbid-Roda, MIH
Faculty, Department of History
CASS, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology
The Spanish Policies:
Ø Poly y Servicio

Ø Encomienda System

Ø The Collection of Tributes and Taxes

Ø Bandala System

Ø Galleon Trade

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Spanish Impositions
Ø Military Superiority

Ø Political Organization

Ø Colonial Bureaucracy

Ø The zeal of the missionaries that led many

natives to embrace Christianity.

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Problems faced by the Natives
Ø The assimilation of many native ruling chieftains into the
colonial bureaucracy

Ø Weakening of the native political authority

Ø Failure of the priests and elders to preserve the old religion

Ø Miserable conditions due to Spanish political and economic

policies forced the natives into rebellion.

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PERSONAL GRIEVANCES
Ø The uprising led by Lakadula and Sulayman (1574), the conspiracy of 1587-
1588 and the revolts of Tamblot and Bankaw (1621-1622) were all caused by
personal disatisfation due to the ill-kept promises of the Spanirds that they
would be exempted from taxation.

Ø Lakandula and Sulayman attacked the newly established Spanih citadel in

Manila.

Ø Relatives of Lakandula led a conspiracy to overthrow Spanish sovereignty.

Ø Two rebellions (Tamblot & Bankaw) of a religious in nature occured in the

Visayas.

Ø 1744, Dagohoy led a revolt in his anger by the refusal of a Jesuit priest to give
a Christian burial to his brother.
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OPPOSITION SPANISH IMPOSITIONS
Ø revolt against labor conscription in Samar

Ø uprising in Pangasinan against the unjust and cruel system of taxation

Ø Revolt in Ilocos against the Basi monopoly

Ø Manifestations of discontent crossed over Luzon and Visayas.

• Magalat revolt (illegal collection of tribute)
• Sumuroy Revolt (conscription of polisas from the Visayas for the shipyards of Cavite)
• Pampango-Pangasinan-Ilocos Uprising (Polo y Servicio and Bandala System)
• Maniago Revolt (revolt against the government practice of cutting and hauling timbers for the
construction of galleons in Cavite)
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Opposition to Spanish impositions
Ø Spain’s defeat with Britain during the 7 Years War disechanted Spanish inability
to protect the Philippines from outside aggression.

Ø 1762, natives in Pangasinan took advantage of the situatio and led a revolt
demanding the abolition of tribute and the removal of the alcalde mayor of the
town. (Palaris Revolt)

Ø The anomalous collection of tribute and the escess of alcades mayores in the
exercise of indulto de comercio climaxed into an uprising led by Diego
Silang.The revolt srtaed in Vigan and extended as far as Pangasinan and the
Cagayan Valley. Diego Silang offered his services to the British and in return he
was appointed as alcade mayor and sargento mayor of Ilocos with the power to
appoint subordinate officials.
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RELIGIOUS UPRISINGS
Ø 1601, the Ilongots revolted against insistent Spanish attempts tp
convert them to Christiniaty.

Ø The racial prejudice of the Spanish friars alienated countless

Filipinos from Christianity. In 1840, the Dominicans refused to
admit Apolinario de la Cruz (Hermano Puli) who wanted to
pursue a priestly vocation under a religious because he was a
native.
Ø Confradia de San Jose in Tayabas (Quezon province) - religious brotherhood

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AGRARIAN COMPLAINTS
Ø The mounting debts of small cultivators led to the accumulation of lands by money
lenders while merchants are enjoying are enjoying the booming trade in the last half of
the 19th century.

Ø Friar Estates (Three Tiered System ) - Religious Orders - Inquilino - Kasama

Ø The landed gentry and the religious orders showed their resentments towards the
Filipinos by their countless feudal exactions, abitrary increase in land rents, unjust
eviction of farmers and fraudulent land measurements and dispossed many small farm
owners.

Ø The absence of a proper land title system aggravated the the problem.

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AGRARIAN COMPLAINTS
Ø Outbreak of agrarian unrest in the 18th century and revolts in protest against
unconditional appropriation of the natives/framers land by the Jesuits (Batangas,
Laguna, Cavite)

Ø The DOminicans and Augustinians increased the acreage of their estates by bitrary
alientation of land occupied by hundreds of farmers in Bulacan. Increased land
rentals and prohibited the natives from enjoying feudal priveleges of gathering
forest products.

Ø 1888 Calamba Uprising (increased land rentals, threats of expulsion, deception in

land surveys and the abuses of lay managers of the estate)

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Resistance of the Muslims in Mindanao
Ø The Spaniards secured the Muslim’s recognition of their power and authority by sending
expeditions to the south.

Ø The Muslims succesfully resisted against the Spanish force retaliated by pillaging
coastal downs under Spanish control and carrying natives for sale in the markets of
Borneo East Indies.

Ø In 1860s, the Spaniards purchase several gunboats and build fortifications along the
coast of Mindanao.

Ø 1876, the Spaniards concluded a treaty with the Sultan of Sulu and the latter recognized
Spanish sovereignty.

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Consequences of the Fragmented Resistance
Ø Economic Exploitation and Social Degradation of the natives by
the Spaniards

Ø Revolts and Peasant Outburts

Ø Superior Militay technology

Ø Divided and Rule Tactic

Ø In 1896, the Spaniards numbered not more than 5000 troops.

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Delayed Development of Philippine Nationalism
Ø Nationalism - devotion or advocacy of national unity and independence is the
most important prerequisite to the formation of national consciousness. It is
feeling developed in a people living within a contiguous geographic area, a
sentiment forged by a common history, language, literature, customs,
traditions and even by a common religion.

Ø A new concept, a product of the ferment and political upheavals of the 18th
century and a brainchild of the French Revolution.

Ø No significant struggle for liberation and independence ever succeeded in

making any headway without the earlier development of nationalism among
the people involved in the movement.

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Delayed Development of Philippine Nationalism
Ø The emergence of filipino nationalism came as the culminationn
of long process set in motion by Spanish misrule and
exploitation, hastened by political and economic developments
in the Philippines in Europe.

Ø The transformation of Philippine economy into raw material

market of Europe brought Filipinos in touch with the intellectual
tradition of the West particulary those liberal and revolutuonary
ideas.

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 19th Century Philippines
v Economic Development and the Rise of Filipino Nationalism
- Opening of the Philippines to World Trade

- Opening of the Suez Canal on November 17, 1869

- Rise of the Middle Class

- Impact of European Liberalism

- Racial Prejudice

- Secularization Controversy

- The Liberal Regime of Gov. Carlos Maria de la Torre

- Cavite Munity

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References:

• Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino People. 8th edition. Quezon City: C & E
Publishing, Inc.
• Camagay, Ma. Luisa et al. 2018. Unraveling the Past: Readings in Philippine History.
Quezon City: Vibal Publishing.
• Constantino, Renato. 1975. The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Quezon City: Renato
Constantino.
• Corpuz, Onofre. 1989. The Roots of the Filipino Nation. 2 volumes. Quezon City:
Aklahi.
• Garcia, Mauro ed. 1979. Readings in Philippine Prehistory. Manila: Filipiniana Book
Guild.
• Torres, Jose Victor. 2018. Batis: Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing.
• Zaide, Gregorio and Sonia Zaide. 1990. Documentary Sources of Philippine History.
12 vols. Manila: National Book Store.

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Thank you for listening!