Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

College of Political Science and Public Administration
Sta. Mesa, Manila

A Critical Paper on Renato Constantino’s

The Philippines: A Past Revisited

From the Spanish Colonization to the Second World War

Written by Twinkle Juliana B. Mente

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science 1-1

Readings in Philippine History

Professor Jacinto R. Valila Jr.

December 17, 2022

 CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Introduction
Renato Constantino, a well-known leftist historian, scholar, and prolific writer was
the one who wrote the book, ‘The Philippines: A Past Revisited’, which was published
by the Tala Publishing Services in 1975. He was best known for having a substantial
influence on the intellectual development of several young Filipinos who risked their
lives and careers to protest the Marcos dictatorship (Martyrs and Heroes, 2019).
Moreover, he heavily instilled in people the need to revisit, construct a solution, then
learn from our colonial past, as well as argued persuasively throughout the course of
the last few years on the value of having a thorough understanding of Filipino history in
order to get insight into the issues of the present (Simbulan, 2007). The author,
Constantino, aims to make a significant contribution to Philippine historiography with
this book. He examines the oppression of the Filipino masses from the distant past to
1941 as well as the struggle of men like himself to dispel the stereotypes of the Filipino
people that have been previously spread by Spaniards and Americans.

The route we have followed to get to a particular place can be determined by

history itself. Knowing something is only half the battle; we also need to use it to grow
and change for the better so that we can go forward on a more positive road. In Renato
Constantino’s work, him having thorough understanding of what had actually occurred in
the past, helped the audience have a better grasp of how people have fought their
battles, struggled, and resisted land grabs throughout history while also coping with
their mistreated circumstances. He made incredibly important remarks about how
Filipinos were able to stealthily flee the imperious grasp of the colonizers. As well as the
fact that although the colonizers and imperialists have done their best to obscure history
by telling people a wide range of tales about how the Philippines has improved
industrially or economically over the years, the reality is that it nonetheless took many
generations of Filipinos and hundreds of years of bloodshed and waning courage and
strength to fight.

This critical analysis will provide a summary, evaluation, and assessment of the
book, outlining each passage's overall context.

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The Philippines Before Colonization

Undoubtedly, we are much more educated about the Philippines' situation during
the colonial rule of the Spanish, Americans, and Japanese, but are we as
knowledgeable about how the Philippines appeared before to colonization?

Throughout the first chapters, prior to the arrival of the first colonizers,
Philippines was inhabited by various tribes, each of which was headed by a local
chieftain whose only goals were to rule their people, protect their lands, and seize new
territories—which is why according to Renato Constantino (1975), the people of the
Philippines before colonialism were more of a social society than a governmental and
economic one. Communities in the Philippines were already organized into barangays
and were very simple before the arrival of the Spaniards. There are many different types
of villages around the Philippines. The pre-colonial Philippines was a society that
embodied egalitarianism. The locals saw each other as equals in their daily lives as a
matter of course. In many societies, women played significant roles and were in charge
of making decisions in a variety of areas, including politics and economics. Due to the
native Filipinos' reliance on kinship and respect, sexism was hardly even a concept.

Prior to Spanish colonialism, the Filipinos likewise revered their ancestors' spirits,
gods, and Earth deities, but things started to change once the Spanish took over. They
attempted to unite all of the archipelago's native tribes—one of which is Christian—and
stopped the spread of many of them in order to more easily dominate it.

Pre-colonial Philippines had slavery, but not in the traditional sense of the word;
they were mostly the ones who pledged to work in exchange for payment of their debts.
Filipinos were uprooted from their traditional communities during the Spanish
occupation and brought to the Friars' chosen region, where they were employed as farm
laborers. By instituting Polo y Servicio, a form of forced labor in which individuals
between the ages of 16 and 60 are required to work whether voluntarily or against their
will and are frequently relocated from their homes in accordance with the wishes and
needs of the Spaniards, the Spanish have proceeded to dry up the country's human
resource.

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During the Colonization

The unfortunate fate of experiencing liberation four times throughout history has
been said to have befallen the Filipino people. The annals of the Philippines are a
chronicle of resistance to colonizers and the creation of a single nation, Inang Bayan.

A significant turning point in Philippine history occurred between 1565 and 1572,
when Spanish colonialism began and lasted for 333 years. The primary objective of Spain
in the Philippines was to spread its religion. The barangay and ethnic state leadership
was overthrown during the seven-year conquest. The entire group of islands known as
the Filipinas—named for King Philip II of Spain—were conquered by Spanish conquerors
in 1572, and the Filipino people became subjects of the Spanish monarchy as a result
(Canlas, n.d.). The Spanish colonization of the Philippines resulted in the emergence of
three distinct ethnic groups: the Christianized barangays, the unconquered Muslims who
began to spread throughout the islands in the fourteenth century, and the unconquered
barangays were enlisted by Spanish colonialists to engage in combat (Canlas, n.d.).

The country's governmental structure underwent a significant upheaval when the

colonizers arrived. There are numerous new laws to follow, and the Filipino people have
suffered greatly while being denied their independence. Due to this, we assimilated their
culture, customs, and even languages, all of which we still use today. The already
fractured Filipino population was exploited by the Spanish, who were able to easily
subjugate them. A stronger sense of division was brought about when the Spanish sent
another group of Filipino tribes to subjugate their fellow Filipinos when one of the tribes
was plotting a revolution (Faelagmao, 2016).

The Encomienda System

Constantino believes that the Natives were peaceful and did not deserve to suffer
the way they have. What, then, caused the conquistadors to think otherwise? Greed.
Their greed for gold, a desire to accumulate wealth fast, a belief to propagate, and a
desire for higher social status. The Encomienda System was first used in the Philippines
when Legaspi allocated lands in Cebu to obedient Spanish citizens in accordance with a

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royal order issued by King Philip II in 1558. The encomienda, which was more like a
favor than a land grant, gave the Spaniards – encomenderos, the authority to levy taxes
or tributes on the residents of the territory they were given. Their hunger to promote
conquest and colonization has been the driving force of the Spanish colonizers to push
this forced labor through.

As required by law, the encomenderos must 1) provide the native with protection,
2) aid in the indigenous' conversion to Christianity by the missionaries, and 3) promote
education. However, many Spanish encomenderos did not abide by the law and
engaged in misconducts, including abuse of the Filipino people, collecting more tribute
than what is legally permitted, making people work for them, and taking their harvests
and animals without proper compensation (Lozada, 2011). Many negative feelings
developed as a result of encomenderos' mistreatment. First, the peace and order
established by the early Spanish friars and settlers were overturned. A disagreement
between the friars and the encomenderos was the second result of the breaches. The
encomenderos ignored their duty to train the Filipinos in the Christian faith, according to
the early friars who made this observation. They came to understand that the
encomenderos just cared about their personal financial benefit. Contrary to the Natives,
who only produced what they actually required, the Spaniards frequently took more than
they required to survive. This alone demonstrates the Spanish people's greedy
character and how they desire to advance but would appropriate other people's labor to
do it.

The local native chiefs were coerced into serving as the foundation of the colonial
administration and mediators between the rulers and the ruled in order for the
Spaniards to successfully carry out such pacifications and exploitations. Their
participation in polo, Bandala, and extortion invariably brought them into conflict with
their fellow people. Our ancestors were subjected to abusive colonialism every day
throughout the Spanish conquest. This abusive colonialism set the bar for how friars,
encomenderos, and native leaders used their position of authority to further political and
social interests across the whole of history.

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The Rise of Hacienda System

The encomienda system gave way to the hacienda system, which prioritized
super-profits over tributes. The land holdings were increased, and they were
transformed into substantial economic entities that produced a single crop and were
connected to global markets (Guzman, 2021). The vast majority of peasants and
agricultural laborers produced for export under forced labor conditions. The peasant
masses and workers in the Philippines organized a revolution that gave Spanish
colonialism the final blow it needed. In the former Spanish possessions in South
America, the hacienda system was abolished, but it persisted in the Philippines—this
happened as a result of the hacienda system being institutionalized by the new
colonizer, the United States, who seized our revolution victory. Haciendas continued to
exist in the country despite obtaining nominal independence from the US in 1946.

Friar Supremacy: Abuse of Church Power

The beginning of it all was the discovery and exploration of the Philippines by the
Spaniards when Spanish missionaries and explorers of the Catholic faith arrived in the
Philippines in the early sixteenth century (Del Pilar, 1889). In order to find "spice
islands" for Spain, Loaisa and Villalobos' future expeditions and Magellan's exploration
voyage in 1521 were all done for economic, not strictly missionary, reasons. However,
Legaspi was accompanied by five Augustinian friars on the voyage from Mexico that
ultimately led to a long-term occupation of the Philippines. The Spanish launched
additional expeditions back to the Philippines following Magellan's death. Expeditions
were more and more important to Spain as the century progressed. The imperial crown
anticipated that the Philippines would bring in new and significant amounts of money for
the state (Del Pilar, 1889). As a result, God, Glory, and Gold were the objectives of the
Spanish rule in the Philippines. Father Urdaneta served as the leader of the Spanish
Augustinian friars as they relocated from Mexico to the Philippines at Philip II's request
and served as the nation's first recognized Catholic missionaries (Del Pilar, 1889).

The friars had a big impact on the political, social, and economic state of the

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Philippines for over three centuries of Spanish control on the Filipino people. They also
played an important part in promoting the Christian faith. They were the "true
conquistadors" during the Spanish era. In spite of the country and its institutions, the
friars easily maintain the status quo of the Philippines due to their entrenched
interference in the country's governance. With nearly complete control over the
parishes, their parochial mission assumes the dual roles of a political instrument and a
source of popular patronage. As a result, land grabbing and mortgage foreclosures
were commonplace.

Constantino emphasized the hardships and tribulations that the Filipino people
had under the conquerors, that made them grew socially conscious as a result of their
struggles. As the friars gained power, injustices towards Filipinos began to occur. One
of the factors that led to the beginning of the Philippine Revolution was the conflict over
the friar property. Most of the country was under the hands of the friars, especially in the
Tagalog area (Garcia, 2011).

The Galleon Trade

Andres de Urdaneta, traveling in a convoy led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi,

found a return route from Cebu City to Mexico in 1565, which led to the beginning of the
Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. The commerce was directly managed from Madrid when
the Spanish Crown assumed full control of the nation (Agency Archives, 2011).
This became more manageable with the opening of the Suez Canal and the
development of steam ships, which cut the distance between Spain and the Philippines'
voyage time to 40 days but this, as a supposed good effect of the trade to the
Philippines, totally backfired. The Philippines' economic growth was negatively impacted
by the galleon trade since almost all Spanish capital was invested in speculating on
Chinese products. As foreign powers started conducting business with China directly in
the late 18th century, the significance of the trade decreased.

A hundred and ten (110) Manila galleons were launched throughout the 250-
year span of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade (1565 to 1815), however they made
little to no beneficial contributions to the Philippine economy and instead served as the
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primary source of income for Spanish colonists living in the Philippine Islands. It is truly
infuriating as the trade was leechlike towards our country at its finest.

Emergence from Isolation

The Philippines was given the chance to formally enter the commerce as a result
of the Galleon trade being abolished, rather than remaining an outpost of the empire.
Also, during this period, the Philippines underwent a major upheaval economically.
As time went on, the 18th century saw the resurgence of nationalism in the oppressed
Filipino people. In addition, the expansion of the nation's economy and agriculture
created a new class within our hierarchy.

The Propaganda Movement

It was a time when the native people of the Philippines were demanding reforms
wherein it lasted roughly from 1880 to 1886, with the heaviest action between 1880 and
1895. This movement began after the three priests, as known as the GOMBURZA, were
executed.

Every action has a goal that one wishes to achieve, as is common knowledge.
Similar circumstances apply to the Propaganda Movement, which has a wide range of
goals to accomplish that includes 1) Filipinos and Spanish are treated equally under the
law, 2) Filipinos’ rights that includes the freedom of assembly, of the press, and of
petitioning for the redress of grievances, 3) Philippines becoming a regular Spanish
province, and 4) Restoring the Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes after the
friars' expulsion and Filipinization of Philippine parishes (Milan, 2016).

Propagandists were mostly young men of middle-class households who can

manage to send them to attend at Spanish university in Barcelona or Madrid. They were
frequently mestizos and creoles. There, they encountered the volatility of individual
liberalism-, constitutionalism-, and anti-clericalism-inspired political movements in the
19th century. The propaganda movement was believed to be an assimilationist
movement because its propagandists—many of whom had some Spanish ancestry and

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believed they were the heirs to Spanish culture—thought that instead of remaining a
colony, the Philippines should be fully merged into Spain as a province with Filipinos
being awarded full citizenship rights, same as what the Spanish people have. They
functioned as a cultural movement that showcased the writing and artistic creation of
the young Filipino elite to show that they existed on equal level with their Spanish peers
in terms of intellectual sophistication, as well as an effort to increase the influence of
native Filipino clergy and drive Spanish friars out of the Philippines (Schumacher,
2000).

Due to its elitist nature, the Propaganda Movement failed to reach out to the
larger Filipino community and instead concentrated on the Spanish government and
populace. Many of the propagandists were banished because they were viewed as
rebels in their own country, the Philippines. Despite its inevitable downfall, the
movement created a political awareness that sparked the 1896 nationalist uprising and
the ensuing liberation struggle.

The 1896 Revolution and the Birth of Katipunan

One of the pivotal moments in the history of the Philippines was the Revolution;
generations of Filipinos have been motivated to become strongly nationalistic by this
revolution. Filipinos from many different ethnicities united together at a time of intense
strife and hardship with the aim of fighting colonialism. It approximately covers the time
when the Spanish colonialism was followed by a brief period of Philippine independence
until American forces took control of the islands (Tapales, 2002).

The “Katipunan”, a Filipino revolutionary society scheming against their

colonizers, was found by Spanish officials in 1896, which ignited the revolt against
Spain. It is a secret organization that was also known as KKK which was led by Andres
Bonifacio, the supremo. This organization took its cue from Dr. Jose Rizal, whose
writings highlighted the atrocities committed by the Spanish invaders. Before Katipunan
was established, Rizal and Bonifacio were members of "La Liga Filipina," a progressive
organization that promoted nonviolent change. La Liga Filipina disbanded upon Rizal's

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imprisonment and deportation to Dapitan. Later, a request for drastic reforms that
Bonifacio supported was made in place of this. Bonifacio and his associates established
the Katipunan after learning of Rizal's incarceration (Valdeavilla, 2022). Over time, the
covert anti-colonial organization drew members of the country's poor and middle
classes, inspiring them to join an armed uprising against Spain.

Following the Katipunan's discovery, Spanish authorities arrested a number of

people in order to identify its members. As a result, there was an occurrence known as
the “Cry of Pugad Lawin”, where revolutionaries participated in a widespread shredding
of cedulas (community tax certificates), signifying their struggle against Spain. A
simultaneous attack on Manila was planned by Bonifacio. The fact that the Spanish
government was strongly equipped, despite the fact that the revolutionaries were more
numerous, took them off guard. Bonifacio kept trying even after his first attempt ended
in defeat. The uprising erupted in the neighboring provinces of Central Luzon, San Juan
del Monte, and Southern Tagalog—which is why this is also known as the Tagalog War
(Valdeavilla, 2022).

His fortitude and bravery are extremely astonishing because he never once
showed any signs of giving up, especially not in the face of the oppressive colonizers
who robbed us our freedom and riches. After multiple abortive uprisings, insurgents in
Cavite eventually tasted success. Under the leadership of Mariano Alvarez, Bonifacio's
uncle, and Emilio Aguinaldo, the mayor of Cavite El Viejo, the Philippine Revolution was
in high gear.

Rivalry Between Magdiwang and Magdalo

In the middle of their confrontation with Spain, internal battles, disagreements,

an unexpected turn of events occurred. Katipuneros started fighting with each other as
soon as the Spanish authorities did first. Rivalries between commanders and regions
started to develop, which led to significant rifts in the organization. The Magdiwang and
Magdalo, two divisions of the Katipunan that backed Aguinaldo and Bonifacio,
respectively, were formed due to disagreement about who among the two will be
selected as the Katipunan’s leader. In order to resolve issue on the leader selection, the
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Tejeros Convention was created. The purpose of this convention was to bring the two
groups together and choose leaders for the new government. After an impromptu
election, Aguinaldo defeated Bonifacio, and control was transferred to him.

Soon after, Bonifacio traveled to Naic, Cavite, where he set up a rival

administration to challenge Aguinaldo. He launched a coup d'etat against Aguinaldo's
administration after being recognized as the revolution's leader. Aguinaldo was informed
of this, and he then ordered Bonifacio's official arrest. After being apprehended,
Bonifacio was charged with treason and sedition by the War Council. He was killed not
far from Maragondon (Valdeavilla, 2022).

The Filipino – American War

The Philippine-American War was fought between the United States and the
Filipino revolutionaries led by Emilio Aguinaldo from February 4, 1899, until July 2, 1902
(Longley, 2020). Americans perceived the war as an insurrection that prevented them
from extending their "manifest destiny" control throughout the Pacific Ocean, while
Filipinos saw it as a continuation of their long-running struggle for freedom from foreign
rule. As a result of the cruel, atrocity-filled battle, more than 4,200 American and 20,000
Filipino soldiers died, while up to 200,000 Filipino people perished from violence,
malnutrition, and illness (Longley, 2020).

The Philippine Revolution, which began in 1896, had been battling for the
Philippines' independence from Spain. The United States intervened in the Spanish-
American War in 1898, defeating Spain in the Philippines and Cuba. The Treaty of
Paris, which was signed on December 10, 1898, put an end to the Spanish-American
War and permitted the United States to pay Spain $20 million for the Philippines
(Longley, 2020). William McKinley, the president of the United States, had intended to
take control of most or all of the Philippines during the Spanish-American War and then
"keep what we want" in the peace agreement.

McKinley shared the view of many in his cabinet that the Filipinos doesn’t have

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the capability to govern themselves, hence, they think that it is better for us to be under
their control, clearly treating us with extreme prejudice and undermining our capacities.
Even though the war placed the Philippines under American colonialism for a short
while only, it ultimately led to the country's complete freedom from foreign rule.

Neo-Colonial Setup

There is a key distinction between neocolonialism and colonialism. Neo-

colonialism grants the nation state a pretended degree of independence. Even the
administration of the government is given to locals. However, the neocolonial power
continues to have the final say. In other words, these local political leaders are
essentially their neo-colonial masters' puppets. For an instance, the popular media
portrays the US-Philippines relationship as one based on democratic principles,
profitable trade, and common cultural values. However, this distorted appearance hides
a bloody colonial past and an oppressive socio-political-economic dynamic in the
present.

The 20th-century neo-colonial system provided the Filipinos an obscure but

nonetheless exploited position in the global economy. Our endeavor to participate in
globalization on our own did not totally succeed.

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Personal Viewpoints

The way I see it, Constantino’s “The Philippines: A Past Revisited” was
the correct starting point in the direction towards enlightening Filipinos as it is crucial to
understand the past’s hows, whys, and where if we want to comprehend Philippine
history in its entirety.

Now, as a critique, let me point out some parts about the writer and his piece that
confused me a little bit throughout my whole reading journey.

1) The date and order of events puzzled me as I read through the chapters more
because they weren't presented in a chronological order. Constantino
occasionally jumps back into a different year or period while discussing a
completely separate event, without giving any heads-up or sidenotes for the
sudden transition, a reason why all parts that I have already read gets tangled up
in my mind, which leads to confusion and a hard time digesting all of the
information. This is especially true given that I am not particularly drawn to
reading lengthy historical books, which makes the pacing at times difficult to
follow.

2) In addition to the first point, perhaps a summary or outline of the events would
be easier to understand than adhering to the overly formal writing rules.
Nevertheless, since Constantino's book is well-detailed, it makes up for the
shortfall.

3) Constantino does not employ language of high falutin or complexity, but the
book can sometimes be difficult to grasp because there are some terminologies
that I am unfamiliar with—wherein I have to look for their definitions first on the
internet.

Overall, Constantino’s book provides an extensive and comprehensive analysis

of the rectification of historical inaccuracies regarding the country's past made by earlier
historians, including colonial education and religious justifications for slavery. The past's
sociocultural and historical contexts were masterfully portrayed, providing insight into

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how these occurrences shaped the brains, personalities, and nationalistic outlook of our
heroes.
For many years, there has been an absence of analysis and, as a result, a lack
of comprehension of Philippine history; however, the obscurity appears to be
dissipating. The purpose of history is to instill in us a critical mindset. It demonstrates
how to make amends for previous wrongdoings. Additionally, it prepares us for
whatever the future may offer. These teachings demonstrate the importance of history. I
wish you to realize the same inspiration from our past, just like I did. “Learn the past to
understand the future”, a simple saying that I will forever stand with—for my future, for
my fellow Filipinos, and for as long as the true meaning and essence of “liberation” has
not yet been fully achieved by everyone.

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 REFERENCES

Canlas, M. (n.d.). Filipino Community Portrait. Wildflowers. Retrieved December 14,

2022, from https://www.wildflowers.org/community/Filipino/portrait.shtml

Constantino, R. (1975). The Philippines: A Past revisited. Tala Publishing Services.

Lozada. (2011, October 9). Encomienda System. SPANISH COLONIZATION. Retrieved

December 14, 2022, from
https://spanishcolonization.wordpress.com/topics/encomienda-system-2/

Milan, C. (2016, August 31). Propaganda Movement and the Katipunan. Click:
Propaganda Movement and the Katipunan. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from
http://researchtoclick.blogspot.com/2016/08/propaganda-movement-and-katipunan.html

Valdeavilla, R. (2022, September 15). The History of The Philippine Revolution. Culture
Trip. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https:///philippines/articles/the-history-of-the-
philippine-revolution/

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