OVERVIEW OF THE

PHILIPPINES DURING
THE MID 19TH
CENTURY
(The Colonial Landscape: R. Constantino,
The Philippines A Past Revisited Volume 1)
O Spaniards brought fundamental changes in the
lives of the Indio.
O Introduced new customs, religion, practices and
institutions
O Influx of Chinese due to presence of Spaniards
O New plants( corn, cassava, sweet potato, cotton,
indigo, achuete, tobacco, cacao) and animals
(horses, cows, sheep, goats, water buffalos,
geese, ducks and swans from China and Japan) –
modified eating habits and economic
development
1. COLONIAL OUTPOST
O The Philippines lacks economic promise for
Spain/Crown but was RETAINED as colony due to the
following considerations:

a. Stepping stone to China and Japan

b. Staging ground for missionary efforts
c. Useful as outpost of Spanish empire for curving
out an Oriental Empire – Philippines to be used as
base for the conquest of neighboring nations

- Due to these – Philippines was relegated to the role

of a mere missionary and military way – station
O These are the factors that discouraged serious efforts
for economic development

O Philippines geographic isolation from Europe

precluded growth of direct trade – island to be
administered through Mexico

O Philippine ruled by military administrators who

received “situado” an annual subsidy from Mexico;
“The rest of their needs had to be extracted from the
Indios”
2. ECONOMIC NEGLECT
a. GALLEON TRADE – lasted until 1815 – involved
only Spaniards

b. Trade was essentially between China and

Mexico with Manila as trans-shipment point

c. One to QUICK RETURNS from Galleon Trade

dissuaded Spaniards from productive work
therefore neglected to develop the agricultural
potential of the Philippines.
3. MOVES FOR ABANDONMENT

a. Financial and Commercial consideration

- Income from Galleon trade is lower than “situado”

b. Chinese silk brought to America by the Philippine

Galleons competed with Spanish export to that region
(America) seriously threatening Spanish silk industry

* Proponents of retention of Colony (Philippines)

countered that large part of the SITUADO was used to
financed the expeditions against the Moluccas
4. THE COMPROMISE
O In line with Spanish policy of MERANTILISM and
responding to pressures from Merchants of Cadiz and
Seville, Spain tried to save trade of the American Market
for Spanish manufacturers
O Also limited the outflow of SILVER from Latin America to
the East (China)
O Galleon trade was restricted to only 2 ships a year and to
only one port of entry in Mexico: ACAPULCO
O EXPORT form Manila is pegged at P250,000 worth of
goods (later raised to P500,000) and IMPORTS from
Mexico were not supposed to exceed double the value of
the exports – to limit the revenue from Galleon Trade
enough only to maintain Spanish establishment’s in
Manila.
O CHURCH - Missionary undertaking/substantial material
interest

O Philippines as base for future maneuvers in the East

O Philippines as colony of Spain – Prestige of the

Crown/Pride of Spanish Kings

O Profits from Galleon Trade – need to construct

walls/buildings for the religious orders and pious works
(Obras pias) – establishment of schools, hospitals and
charitable institutions
5. PLURAL ECONOMIES
a. Western economy – Galleon Trade

b. Native economy- products were not in great demand in

either China or Mexico. Thus, Philippine Spaniards did not find
it profitable to develop local products for export – locally
oriented/underdeveloped

c. Chinese economy – adjunct of the Galleon Trade’ provide

local Spaniards with luxurious they need.
- Chinese as artisans
- Chinese as intermediaries between West and the native
economies – Chinese distributed Chinese imports to the
Philippine Village and gathered in return local products which
they sold to the Spaniards.
6. THE CHINESE ROLE

O Mid 19th Century 0 while the Spaniards were trying to graft

their administrative institutions onto the indigenous social
structures, the Chinese were wrecking havoc on the
primitive economy of the natives.

O Rice production had fallen off and the local textile industry
had decline disastrously in Pampanga and Manila in late
16th century due to movement of native population to the
city to provide domestic service to the Spaniards;

O Indios begun to buy staple food and clothes from the

Chinese
7. REDUCCIOSES
O NEGLECT of the Philippines INTERNAL ECONOMY was
accompanied by ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFERENCE such as
extraction of TRIBUTE and FORCED LABOR and the
PROSELYTIZING (spread of Christianity) tradition requiring
CONTROL.

O BARANGAY had to be integrated into colonial framework,

few members of friars and scattered population had to be
consolidated into REDUCCION – policy of resettlement of
small villages into one larger village for easy CONTROL.
O FRIARS TECHNIQUES
a. Offering of gifts like shirts, salt, needles, combs etc.

b. free housing

c. participation in colorful church rites

d. high sounding titles (gobernadorcillo, capitan etc.)and

honors for the chiefs.

e. THREATS
O Friar’s inducement and pressure on Chiefs of Villages
and making chieftains or CABEZAS de BARANGAY
insured a measure of Indio’s social continuity which
facilitated ACCEPTANCE of Spanish rule.

O Conversion of Indio Chieftains into willing ALLIES and

useful intermediaries (as cabesa de barangay) formed a
reservoir of reliable minor civil servants for the
Spaniards – This is bolstered by colonial recognition
evidenced by their title of PRINCIPALES.
8. POPULATION CENTERS – compromise of friars for
Indios that did not join reduccion

O POBLACION – BARRIO – SITIO system with the

CHURCH as the nucleus – This community is called
CABECERA

O Friars constructed chapels to say mass in barrio or sitio

where Indios chose to settle away from Cabecera. This
is called VISITAS.
9. COLONIAL INTERMIDIARES – GOBERNADORCILLOS
(petty governor) equivalent of MAYOR today

O They are exempted from paying tribute and rendering

forced labor but they have the DUTY to COLLECT
TRIBUTES which should tally with census. UNPAID or
DELAYED tribute means FINE or IMPRISONMENT.

O Gobernadorcillos – also responsible for maintenance of

municipal guards/jail, feed the prisoners, provide
municipal government with personnel and supplies, also
entertainment of visitors.
10. THIRD PROP OF POWER

PRINCIPALIA – third prop: that of ECONOMIC POWER

O From Indios concept of COMMUNAL LAND to Spaniard’s
individual concept of land OWNERSHIP and regarded the
land itself not merely its USE as source of WEALTH.
11. APPROPRIATION OF COMMUNAL
LANDHOLDINGS
O Principales – by virtue of being ADM and FISCAL
MIDDLEMEN between Spaniards and their people
(Indios) became aware of EXPLOITATIVE KIND OF
LAND OWNERSHIP and took advantage of it

O CHIEFTAINS (principals) appropriated the lands

cultivated by their dependents/tillers who were
institutionalized as tenants – sanctioned/allowed by
the Spaniards.
12. RESULTANT STRATIFICATION
O PRINCIPALIA – perpetuated its dominant status through
INTRA-CLASS MARRIAGE; principalia’s residence in plaza
complex manifest physical expression of socio-economic
ascendancy

O CHURCH – CONVENT (Frailocracy/ecclesiastical power)

and the MUNICIPIO (seat of Civil Authority dominated the
plaza.

O THREE-TIERED hierarchy in rural society – Spanish

Priest, Principalia and the Masses.
O Manila/Suburbs – Spaniards, Chinese Mestizos, Native
principales, Chinese and the people – This persisted
into the beginning of nineteen century with the SPANISH
CLERGY constituting the leading instrument of POWER
and EXPLOITATION.
 ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Why is nationalism a desirable national
goal?
2. Why is industrialization a continuing
concern of Philippine society?