SPANIS

H ERA
 S PA N I A R D S I M P L E M E N T E D I N T H E
C O U N T R Y E V O LV E D I N T H E T I M E O F
T H E I R C O L O N I Z AT I O N O F T H E
PHILIPPINES.
>DURING THEIR FIRST
S E T T L E M E N T I N T H E C O U N T RY
THEY IMPLEMENTED THE
E N C O N M I E N DA S YS T E M S I N C E
THEY HAD LIMITED RESOURCES
A N D P E O P L E T H AT T H E Y P U T
I N TO P OW E R A N D T H E Y A L S O
HAD THE AGREEMENT WITH THE
L E A D E R S O F T H E N AT I V E A N D
THEY USED THE HIGHEST
S O C I A L C L A S S TO C O N T RO L T H E
LOWER CLASSES.
ENCONMIENDA SYSTEM
In 1570 the encomienda was introduced in the Philippines when
Legaspi, in compliance with the decree issued by King Philip II in
1558, distributed lands in Cebu to loyal Spanish subjects. These men
had helped conquer the Philippines. The encomienda was not
actually a land grant but was a favor from the kind under which the
Spaniard receiving his favor was given the right to collect tributes–or
taxes–from the inhabitants of the area assigned to him. The man
who received this favor was called an encomendero. The
encomienda was, therefore, a public office.
The encomenderos were required by law to perform the
following duties:
#1. to give protection to the natives
#2. to help the missionaries convert the natives to Christianity
#3. to promote education

Unfortunately, many Spanish encomenderos committed

abuses, such as:
Brutal treatment of the Filipinos
Collecting more tribute than that authorized by law
Forcing the people to work for them
Seizure of the people’s animals and crops without just
compensation
The friars tried to protect the Filipinos from the greed
and abuses of the encomenderos by;
#1. preaching from the pulpits against encomendero
abuses
#2. writing letters and memorials to the King of Spain in
which they reported the abuses of the encomenderos
#3. refusing to absolve the encomenderos from their
sins.
The Filipinos, seeing that the encomenderos were
interested only in getting rich, grew lazy. They reasoned
that it was useless to work too hard for a living if the
fruits of their work would only go to the payment of
excessive tributes to the encomenderos. This attitude
was encouraged by the friars who told them that the
abandonment of their labors would free from injustice.
There were three kinds of encomiendas:
#1. the Royal Encomiendas, belonging to the King
#2. the Ecclesiastical Encomiendas, belonging to the
Church
#3. Private Encomiendas, belonging to private
individuals
At first the natives paid eight reales as tribute. This amount
was increased to ten reales in 1589 by order of King Philip
II. Aside from the tribute expected from the royal
encomiendas, the king also received reales from each
tribute each encomiendero received from his encomienda.
The total amount of the tributes intended for the king was
kept as fund to pay the expenses for the country’s defense.
This fund was called the situado.
The size of an encomienda was determined in two ways:
#1. by the number of people living in it
#2. by the value of the land
 EARLY
SPANISH
ERA
 I N O R D E R T O P E N E T R AT E T H E P H I L I P P I N E
S O C I E T Y, T H E S PA N I S H C O L O N I Z E R S H A D
T H E T R E AT Y W I T H T H E M A H A R L I K A S , T H E Y
W E R E A B L E T O G E T T H E C O O P E R AT I O N O F
THE MAHARLIKAS BECAUSE OF THE
FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
( 1 ) T H E M A H A R L I K A M A I N TA I N E D T H E I R
S T AT U S .
( 2 ) T H E S PA N I S H R E C O G N I Z E D T H E I R
RIGHTS.
(3)THEY’RE EXCEMPTED IN THE POLO Y
S E R V I C I O S A N D I N T H E PAY M E N T O F T A X E S .
( 4 ) T H E Y M A I N TA I N E D T H E I R P R O P E R T I E S
ANDAND THEIR LAND WERE SUBJECTED TO
ENCONMIENDA.
( 5 ) T H E D AT U S W I L L R E C E I V E D T H E I R
M O N T H LY S A L A R I E S .
T H E S PA N I S H C O L O N I A L G O V E R N M E N T I N
THE PHILIPPINES HAD NO SUFFICIENT
F U N D S T O B R I N G S PA N I S H A R M I E S O R
RECRUIT LOCAL ARMIES TO CONTROL
T H E P H I L I P P I N E S S O T H E F I R S T S PA N I S H
GOVERNOR MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LEGAZPI
D I V I D E D T H E L A N D O F T H E PA C I F I E D
F I L I P I N O S A N D A S S I G N E D T H E L O YA L
S PA N I A R S O R T H O S E W H O C O N T R I B U T E D
A L O T F O R T H E C O L O N I Z AT I N A S T H E
A D M I N I S T R AT O E R O R T H E
ENCONMIENDERO.THE ENCONMIENDERO
COLLECTED THE TRIBUTE ROM THE
N AT I V E S L I V I N G I N S I D E T H E
E N C O N M I E N D A , M A I N TA I N E D T H E P E A C E
AND ORDER IN THE PLACE AND
CONTROLLED THE REBELLION OF THE
PEOPLE.
 There are three types of
Enconmienda

> E N C O N M I E N D A R O YA L
> E N C O N M I E N D A P R I VA D O
>ENCONMIENDA
ECCLESSIASTICAL
 The Barangay

T H E S PA N I A R D S M A I N TA I N E D T H E
H I G H E S T S O C I A L S TAT U S I N E A C H
B A R A N G AY A N D T H E D AT U WA S
A S S I G N E D A S T H E B A R A N G AY
HEAD OR THE CABEZA DE
B A R A N G AY .
 The Pueblo or Barrio
T H E S E V E R A L PA C I F I E D B A R A N G AY W E R E
UNIFIED AND FORM THE BARRIOS OR
PUEBLOS,THE BARRIOS WAS SERVICED BY
THE CEBECCERA OR THE PLACE WHEN THE
M A I N C H U R C H W A S L O C AT E D .
1.TENIENTE OR TOWN DEPUTY
2.JUEZ DE POLICIA WHO WAS IN CHARGED
OF THE PEACE AND ORDER
3.JUEZ DE SEMENTERAS WHO WAS IN
CHARGED IN LANDS AND CROPS.
4.JUEZ DE GANADOS WHO WAS IN CHARGED
OF LIVESTOCKS AND THE BUTCHERING OF
ANIMALS FOR SALE.
 The Alcaldia or Province

SEVERAL PUEBLOS FORMED AN

ALCALDIA AND THE CHIEF
OFFICIAL OF THE ALCALDIA OR
P R O V I N C E WA S T H E A L C A L D E
M AY O R .
 The National Government
THE HEAD OF THE COUNTRY IS THE
GOVERNOR GENERAL HE HAD THE
E X E C U T I V E , J U D I C I A L A N D M I L I TA R Y
POWERS.HE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT LAWS
C R E AT E D B Y T H E C O N S E J O D E I N D I A S B U T
HE HAD THE POWER OF CUMPLACE OR THE
P O W E R T O C H O O S E T H E L A W S T H AT
I M P L E M E N T T H E C O U N T R Y. H E W A S T H E H E A D
O F T H E R O YA L A U D I E N C I A O R T H E S U P R E M E
COURT AND THE HEAD OF THE COUNCILOR
OIDORES.THE GOVERNOR GENERAL WAS
A L S O T H E H E A D O F T H E M I L I TA R Y A N D H E
WAS ASSISTED BY THE SEGUNDO CABO OR
THE DEPUTY COMMANDER.HE ALSO
CONTROLLED THE TREASURY OF THE
C O U N T R Y.
 The Spanish Indirect Rule

T H E S PA N I S H R U L E S T H E P H I L I P P I N E S
I N D I R E C T LY, T H E Y R U L E D T H E C O U N T R Y
THROUGH THE VICEROY IN MEXICO AND
THE CONSEJO DE INDIAS OR THE
COUNCIL OF INDIAS.
 The Judicial System or Royal
Audiencia

T H E R O YA L A U D I E N C I A WA S T H E
SUPREME COURT IN THE
PHILIPPINES HEADED BY THE
GOVERNOR GENERAL.
The Problems in the Judicial System

1.THE LONG JUDICIAL PROCESS.

2.THE AUDIENCIA HAD THE RIGHT
TO REFUSE TO HEAR CASES AS
IT’S DISCRETION.
3.THE NEPOTISM IN THE
GOVERNMENT.