Chapter 3

INTEGRATION
INTO THE
SPANISH EMPIRE
 Unification Under Spanish Rule

– Prior to Spain’s colonization of the Philippines, the country was a mere geographical expression. It
consisted of independent and self-governing barangays, people by diverse tribes. It was Spain that gave
the country it’s identity. The country came to be known as Philippines due to Spain’s three centuries of
colonial administration.
– With the use of the cross’ the natives were pacified. The reduccion plan of Fr. Juan de Plasencia was
implemented, which requires the natives to live in the area near the church. Those who refused to obey
were labeled as bandits or tulisanes.
– As a result, Spanish encomenderos found it easy to collect taxes from the natives. It also transformed the
Filipinos into law- abiding citizens under the Spanish Crown.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION

The government was unitary as policies implemented by the colonial

administration from Luzon to Mindanao emanated from Imperial Manila,
The seat of the central government
 THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
– Governor General- appointed by the Spanish
monarch, was the head of the Spanish
Colonial government in the country, as such,
he represented the crown in all governmental
matters.
– He was the vice Royal Patron over religious
affairs.
– He could nominate priests for ecclesiastical
administration of the parishes
– THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
– An ex- officio president of the Audiencia Real or
Royal Audiencia, the Supreme Court in the
Philippines during those times.
– Had legislative powers. At his discretion, he could
legislate laws for the colony.
– ACTOS ACORDADOS- laws enacted by the
governor-general
– CUMPLASE- power to decide which law or royal
decree should be implemented or disregarded in the
colony.
JUDICIAL POWER

– JUDICIAL POWER- was vested on the Audiencia Real,

the Supreme court and Lower Court during those times
– 2 territorial Audiencias
– 1)courts of first instance
– 2)justice of the peace courts
 Unification

The Supremacy of the Friars:

- The friar was the supervising representative of the Spanish government for all local affairs.
- This approval was necessary on almost all acts of the local officials.
- He was practically the ruler of the town as he was:
 The local (inspector) school inspector
 Health inspector
 Prison inspector
 Inspector of the accounts of the gobernadorcillos and cabezas de barangays
 His approval was required in census lists, tax lists, list of many conscripts and register of births, death and
marriages.
 Friars became so powerful and influential that even civil authorities feared them
 This was learned by Graciano Lopez Jaena as frailocracia
 The rise in power and influence of the friars can be attributed to frequent changes in
the top colonial administrations in the country 1849 to 1895.
 Spain tightened her control over the country through the friars for fear of losing the
Philippines.
 Weakness of Spanish Colonial
Administrations
– Spanish colonial administration was corrupt and inefficient. This can be attributed to several factors.
– The Governor: general exercised absolute powers. He could reward positions in the bureaucracy to
his favorites who where unqualified and unfit for government service.
– Although the Spanish crown had instituted the residence of the trial of an outgoing governor-general
to account for his acts during his tenure of office and the visitador or investigating officer to probe on
the complaints against the governor-general he was not able to resist corruption for his personal
advantage.
– Widespread selling of lower positions to highest bidders
– On account of the foregoing, many government officials in the country were appointed not on the
basis of merit but ability to buy positions . This situation gave rise to misadministration of
governmental affairs, bribery as well as do graft and corruption.
 Economic Institution Imposed by Spain

1) Encomienda System- An encomienda is a parcel of land including its inhabitants, assigned to loyal Spaniards who
had helped in the colonization of the country. The recipient of this parcel of land was called an encomendero.
- 2 Types of Encomienda
– Royal Encomienda- comprised of cities, the seaports and regions rich in natural wealth and owned by the Spanish crown
– Private Encomienda- were under the stewardship of private persons, charitable institutions or the catholic church.
- Was required to minister to the economic and spiritual welfare of the natives
- Teach the catholic faith and protect their person and property from harm
- People, however, became discontent and complained against the encomenderos about the abuses and
exploitations they experienced
- Abolished in 1674
2) Taxation
– Filipinos started paying tributes in cash to Spain during the days of Legazpi
– One tribute was equivalent to one family
– Every unmarried man over 20 years and every unmarried woman over 25 years paid half of tribute
– The encomenderos reaped huge profits and became very wealthy through the collection of
tributes
– This was abolished in 1884
– Cedula served as an income tax and personal identification for the Indios was enforced.
Forced Labor (Polo y Servicio) – required all Filipino males from 16 to 60 years old to render services for the
40 days each year in the building and repair of roads and bridges, cutting of timber and working in foundries
and shipyard.
POLISTAS- those who rendered forced labor
- This was also a source of abuse considering that natives could be exempted from forced labor provided
they paid falla or exemption fee
GALLEON TRADE- a trade between the Chinese and the Spaniards in Manila and their counterparts in Mexico
- Products coming Manila were shipped to Acapulco on trade vessels galleons and sold there at lucrative
profit
- The trade brought economic prosperity to the Chinese and the Spaniards in Manila
- This brought disastrous effects on the Filipino Agriculture was neglected as Spaniards became too pre-
occupied with the trade forced labor was intensified as Filipinos spent numerous days constructing
galleons
- Ended in 1815
 SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND
EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS
1) Social Transformations- considered as the greatest legacy of Spain to the Philippines was Catholicism; a pyramidal structure came
to be implemented in the country

peninsulares

insulares

2) Hispanization of Filipino Surnames- by virtue of the Gubernatatorial Decree of 1814, Governor-General Narciso Claveria ordered
all Filipino Families to adopt Spanish surnmaes from a roster sent to all provinces in the archipelago. This ensured the Spanish
government exact tax collections and regular performance of forced labor. Filipinos were prevented from unauthorized movement
from one province to another.
3) Metamporphosis ofBahay Kubo into Bahay na Bato- with Spain’s introduction to the use of stone in building construction the
bahay na bato with a wide azotea or balcony.
4) Indegenization of Spanish and Chinese Cuisine- were mixed with Filipino dishes i.e. adobo, menudo, ,mechado, and puchero
CHANGE IN THE FILIPINO MODE OF DRESSING
- Men started wearing western coat and trousers or Americana, replacing their traditional jacket and bahag.
CELEBRATION OF RELIGIOUS FEASTS HONORING PATRON SAINTS
- Celebrated extravagantly as it is an occasion wherein the families have to prepare food and delicacies to be
served to friends who joined them in the affair
EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS
- Up to the 19th century, friars were in control of schools
- Primary education was not given attention
- Centered on teaching of fear of God and obedience of friars
- Children were taught that they were of inferior intelligence and were just for manual work
- Learning was measured in terms of how they could parrot the contents of book, even without
comprehension; Filipino children were not able to develop self-confidence
- Because of the inferiority complex, the culture of silence became embedded in the minds of young Filipino
learners.
- Ending in the 19th century, only the University of Santo Tomas was the existing higher education
institution of the county
- Founded by the Dominicans in 1611, was the only tertiary school which offered courses in medicine,
pharmacy, theology, philosophy and civil law.
- Although the Spanish government exerted efforts to educate the Filipinos, the educational system
implemented in the country had serious weaknesses were the following:
• Over-emphasis of religion
• Limited and irrelevant curriculum
• Obsolete classroom facilities
• Inadequate instructional materials
• Absence of academic freedom
• Racial prejudice against the Filipinos