POLITICAL SYSTEM DURING THE SPANISH
PERIOD
Two Periods in Spanish Colonial Government
a. Philippine as a Province of Mexico
(1571-1821)
-Viceroy of Mexico- Gov.Gen. of the
Philippines
-Real Situado- the amount allocated by
Mexico to help defray the cost of
running the Philippine colonial
government
b. Direct colony of Spain (1821-1898)
-Consejo de Indias-Ministerio de
Ultramar (1863)
The Governor General - Power and Privileges
 Chief Executive
 Captain General of the Army
 President of Audencia Real
 Serves as Vice Royal Patron
 Has power of Cumplase and can issue a
Decreto Superior
 Has a Salary of 40,000 a Year
Check to the abuses of Governador General
 Residencia- an investigation to high
officials of the government after they
finish their term.
 Visita- secret investigation conducted by
the Spanish government against their
colonial officials.
 Audencia Real
 Archbishop
 Complaint from the people
Government Officials/Local Government Under
Spanish rule
1. Governor General-highest official in the
Philippines
2. Provinces
 Alcaldias-the provinces that was already
controlled by the Spaniards (alcalde-
mayor was the official)
 Corregimientos-those provinces that did
not yet accept Christianity and Spanish
rule (corrigidores was the official)
3. Cities-among the earliest cities that were
founded
 Cebu
 Manila
 Nueva Caceres (Naga)
 Nueva Segovia (Lal-lo, Cagayan)
 Villa Fernandina (Vigan)
 Arevalo (Iloilo)
Frailocracia
 There was unity between government
and church
 Even though the governor general is the
most powerful man in the Philippines,
their tenure was short-lived
 The friars are the most powerful in the
Philippines because they used religion
to control the people.
Unity of church and state
Dioses of Manila (1578)- proclaimed by Pope
Gregory XII, the first bishop is Domingo Salazar,
OP.
Archdioces Of Manila (1595)- raises by Pope
Clement VIII, the first archbishop is Ignacio De
Santibanez, OFM.
Bishops and archbishops that act as governor
general.
1. Archb. Francisco De La Cuesta (1719-21)
2. B. Juan De Arechederra (1745-50)
3. B. Lino De Espeleta (1759-61)
4. Archb. Manuel Antonio Rojo (1761-62)
Roman Catholic Was the State Religion
The Priest Had Enormous Power: They oversaw
the
 election of Gobernadorcillo
 education
 charitable works
 morality of the people
 collection of taxes.
Social Structure during the Spanish Period
1. Peninsulares
2. Insulares
3. Indio
4. Sangley
Philippine society was predominantly
feudalistic
Master-Slave
 The poor became poorer and the rich
wealthier
Peninsulares Didn’t know how to write
 Liempieza de Sangre” (Pure Blood)  Cruz or Dela Cruz

Spanish Insulares Late registrants

 “Hijos del Pais” (Son of the Country)  Capri, Demagiba, Dimatoto, Boto, Nana,
Bagonggajasa
Spanish Mestizos
 Spanish Father and Indio Mother Members of illustrado
 Gatdula, Gatbonton
Mestizo de Sangleyes
 Spanish-Chinese Parent Did not bother to registered
 Macapagal, Dimaano, Kalaw, Batong
Mestizos Indios Bakal
 Chinese-Indio Parents
Education During the Spanish Period
“Lempieza de Sangre”  Principales- powerful members of
Peninsulares can still belittle the wealthy Indios, society who owned huge tracks of land
Chinese or mestizo merchants or ”bestias  Ilustrado- the educated class in the
cargadas de oro” (beast laden with gold) or society
“Perras Mercantiller”(Merchant Dogs)  The during the first phase of Spanish
occupation, education is only for the
Indios – Native of the Country Spaniards but there was an education
Indios Natural – considered today’s Filipino reform in 1863
Plain Indios  Basic subjects- reading, arithmetic,
Infieles (salvajes, remontados, ladrones, writing, and religion.
tulisanes, and barbaros)
Indio Sangley – It is the lowest within the social Higher Institutions of Education Men
structure.  Colegio De San Ignacio (Jesuits) 1589
 Colegio De San Ildefonso (University of
Domingo Salazar San Carlos) 1601
 First bishop of Manila  Colegio De Nuestra Senora Del
 He saw to it that the abuses of the Santissimo Rosario (UST) 1611
encomiendero towards the indio will  Escuela Pia (Ateneo) 1817
come to the attention of the king
 August 9 1589- king Philip II issued a Higher Institutions of Education Women
royal decree for the emancipation of  Colegio De Santa Potenciana 1591
slaves  Colegio De Santa Isabel 1632
 1694 Beaterio De La Compana De Jesus
Regular (friars) priest  1696 Beaterio De Sta. Catalina
1.Augustinian (OSA-1565)  Colegio Dela Concordia 1869
2. Franciscan (OFM-1577)
3. Jesuits (SJ-1581) Illustration Of Education System of The
4. Dominicans (OP-1587) Philippines
5Recollects (OFMrec_1606)  Giving to much attention to the religion
 Old style of teaching
Changing surname  Lack of materials in teaching
 Did not provide primary education
The surnames of the Filipinos indicates that we  Absence of academic freedom
are easily colonized by the Spaniards  Corporal punishments were tolerated
Narciso Claveria- issued an order to change the  Friar’s control of education
surname of the Filipinos on November 21 1849
Educational Decree Of 1863 marked a
Spaniard’s surname milestone in the history of education in the
 Reyes, Perez, Sanchez Philippines under Spain. For the first time,
provisions were made for the establishment of
teacher training schools and for government
supervision of the public-school system.
The government in Spain issued Moret Decree
of 1870, which intended to secularize higher
education in the colony. The friars strongly
opposed the idea of government control over
higher education in the Philippines
Economics under the Spain
TAXES
It reminds us that we are under the
government of Spaniards
It brings about abuse like unfair value in
assessing the amount of tax, unfair use of
scales, and being cruel to those persons who
can’t afford to pay tax.
ENCOMIENDA
– vast track of land granted by the king of
Spain to the people who served loyally
to his government.
– - They cannot produce food crops so that
*Duties of Encomiendero
1. To protect all the subjects against its
enemy.
2. To help the priest in propagate
Catholicism.
3. To lead the education of the people.
FORCE LABOR
– All male aged 16-60 should serve the
government for 40 days in a given year.
– In 1884, it was reduced to 15 days.
– Some of the duties of the polistas was
constructing roads, churches, cutting of
trees, building galleons, and serving as
seaman and soldiers.
– Can be exempted if you pay a fee called
FALLA
ABUSES
- The income and the rice allowance were
not given.
- Abandonment of their families
DEATHS
- Cutting of trees in those days was very
dangerous.
- Fighting and joining expedition against
the enemy of Spain maybe fatal.
REBELION
- Sumuroy in Samar.
GALLEON TRADE
– Trade monopoly of Spanish government
in importing and exporting different
products from within the country and
nearby country.
– Trade between Manila and Acapulco
Mexico.
– It brought about the negligence on the
part of Spanish officials with regards to
the provinces and economic
mismanagement of the Philippines.
BANDALA
– Setting of quotas for compulsory sale of
certain product to the government.
– It is initiated by Sebastian Hurtado de
Corcuera in the 1640’s
– Products were purchased at low prices
but resold it with huge profit.
– Mostly it is loaned to the government by
farmers.
many suffered
OPINING OF MANILA TO INTERNATIONAL
TRADE
1834
 Philippine openings to international
trade.
*Ports were opened:
1. Maynila 1834
2. Sual, Iloilo, Zamboanga 1865
3. Cebu 1860
4. Legaspi and Leyte 1873
1888
 Inauguration of the first telegraph in the
Philippine.
1890
 The first telephone line was established
in Manila
1891
 Inauguration of electricity and tranvia.
1891
 Opening of railway between Manila-
Dagupan.
PROGRESS OF ECONOMY UNDER
GOB.HEN.JOSE BASCO (1778-87)
SOCIEDAD ECONOMICA DE LOS AMIGOS DEL
PAIS (1781-1809)
1. Helps a lot to modernize of agriculture.
2. Planting of indigo, tea, cotton, poppy
and mulberry.
3. Importations of martines and machinery
of agriculture.
MONOPOLY OF TABACCO (1782-1882)
1. The farmers of Cagayan, Ilocos, and
Nueva Ecija were forced to plant
tobacco and to sell that crop to the
government.
2. It brings famine, abuses, and corruption.
- REAL COMPANIA DE FILIPINAS (1785-
1834)
INAUGURATION OF BANKING
– Obras Pias- Institution of charity
managed by the church that lends
money to investors/businessman.
– Banco Rodriguez (1835)- First Bank
established in Philippines.
– Banco Espanol- Filipino (1851)- first
bank owned by the government,
currently known as Bank of the
Philippine Islands (BPI), the oldest
existing bank in the country.
The development of Filipino Nationalism-
Reasons
1. The opening of the Philippines
international trade (1834)
 The opening of the ports had brought
vast demand for Philippine products
such as rice, sugar, hemp, tabaco,
indigo: wherein Filipinos and Chinese
mestizo improve their economic status.
2. The rise of the middle class
• A new social class for Filipinos was
created known as Principalia.
• It includes former gobernadorcillo’s,
landowner, government employee and
teachers
• This group motivated their children to
go to school or send them to Europe for
their study.
3. The liberal idea
• Because of the opening of the ports and
development of middle class,
revolutionary thoughts from the
American and French revolution began
to penetrate. These ideas were found on
books and newspapers carried by ships
and were read by the principalia. It
includes the idea of Montesquieu,
Rousseau, Voltaire, Locke, Jefferson and
others philosophers that influence
Filipinos to think on their helpless
situation.
• Charles de Secondat, Baron De
Montesquieu (1689-1755)
- Theory of separation of power among
different branches of government
• Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
• Francois Marie Arouet or Voltaire (1694-
1778)
- They advocate the freedom of religion,
freedom of expression and separation of
church and state.
• John Locke (1632-1704)
- His contributions to classical
republicanism and liberal theory
4. Opening of Suez Canal (1869)
- The Suez Canal has a length of 103 miles
and connects the Mediterranean and
Red Sea, it was inaugurated on
November 17, 1869.
- It shortens the traveling time to Europe
from 90 days to 52 days.
- Many European began to visit the
country, they brought with them the
liberal idea and also many Filipinos
parents began to send their children to
Europe.
5. The Spanish revolution of 1868
• Isabela II was overthrown by a revolution
led by Juan Prim and Francisco Serrano.
• They appointed Carlos Ma. Dela Torre as
Gov. Gen. of the Philippines
• Dela Torre in turn allow the freedom of
the press, speech and the rights to
assemble
 6. Low regard to indios
• Filipinos must remove their hats
whenever they encounter Spaniards
• According to P. Miguel Lucio y
Bustamante, Filipinos are still look like
monkey even if they dressed in
European style. In addition, he opined
that the natives should not be separated
with their carabaos, they may think
rebellious ideas against Spain and the
church.
• According to P. Gaspar de San Agustin,
the Filipinos are born hand in hand with
rattan.

7. The issue of secularization

• Pope Pius V issued in 1567, at the
behest of Philip II a bull entitled, the
“Exponi Nobis” it allows the regular
priest to serve as parish priest while
bishops have no authority with them.
• In 18th century Archbishop Basilio Santa
Justa forced the resignation of these
regular priest.
• In November 19, 1774, the king
demanded that regular priest must turn
over their parish to the secular priest.
• The return of Jesuits worsened the
controversy because the parish occupied
by the secular priests were given to
them.

Two of the leading figures of the

secularization issue
1. PEDRO PELAEZ
2. JOSE BURGOS

8. The revolt in Cavite on 1872

• The restoration of the monarchy in Spain
brought about the appointment of
Rafael de Izquierdo.
• 200 Filipino soldier from the Cavite
arsenal, launch a revolt under the
leadership of Fernando La Madrid on
Jan. 20, 1872.
• The death on Feb 17, 1872 of
GOMBURZA gave rise to the united
stand of Filipino against the rule of
Spain.