Philippine History, Geography and Institutions (SOSC4)

5thLesson (IV. SPANISH COLONIZATION)

SPANISH REGIME
I. Reasons for Spanish Colonization
Two (2) Reasons for Spanish Claim
1. Right of discovery since the discovery of
the Philippines was made under the auspices of
Spain, the Philippines, therefore was rightfully
owned by Spain.
2. Right of actual occupation or conquest since
Spain had an actual possession of the Philippines,
it had the right to colonize the Philippines. As
such, the Philippines was a possession or property
of the King of Spain and therefore, a crown colony.
II. Political Changes
Council of the Indies the council that administered the
Philippines.
Spanish officials in the Philippines appointed by the
King of Spain to issue Royal orders and decrees dealing
with the proper administration of the colony.
Ministry of the Colonies or Overseas Ministry
(Ministerio de Ultramar in 1863) the Overseas Ministry
that held jurisdiction of the Philippines to make the
administration of the Philippines efficient, the ministry
was advised and aided in its work by the Council of the
Indies.
A. Central Government
i.
Central Government
Laws of the Indies, La Novisma Recopilacion, Leyes
de Toro, and Siete Partidas laws that are applied in
the Philippines. These laws were humane, however,
most of them were not even enforced in the Philippines.
Highly centralized form of government organized by
the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines wherein the
central or national government was so powerful that
almost everything had to be done with its knowledge
and consent.

Governor-general (also captain-general) head of the

central government who was appointed by the King of
Spain. He was the Kings official representative in the
colony. The governor general was truly a powerful
official.
Governor-generals Powers
1. Executive powers could appoint minor officials
in the government, including the parish priests. He
was also the commander-in-chief of the armed
forces.
2. Legislative powers could make laws called
superior decrees.
3. Judicial powers a presiding officer of the
audiencia.
4. Vice royal patron in the Philippines
5. Right of cumplase right of the governor to
suspend the operation of a Royal decree or order
relative to the Philippines if in his opinion, the said
order or decree would not be beneficial to the
administration of the country. The usual formula in
exercising the right of cumplase was I obey but
do not comply.
Executive and Judicial the existing branches of
government in the Philippines during that time. There
was no legislature or congress because the laws for the
Philippines were made by the Spaniards in Spain
Royal Decrees decrees or orders coming from the King
of Spain.
B. Judicial Branch of the Government
Audiencia (and the lower courts) exercise the judicial
powers of the government. This was established in the
Philippines in 1583 to administer justice to the
aggrieved people in the colony. It is the highest court.
Powers and Duties of the Audiencia
1. Try civil and criminal cases.
2. Try political and administrative matters.
3. Exercise political and administrative powers, in the
absence of governor or when he could not perform
his duties.

4. It also audited the finances of the government.

Governor Santiago de Vera - first president
Reasons for the Abolition of the Audiencia in the
Philippines in 1589
1. Some powerful persons in the colonial government
were against the Audiencia because the
population of the Philippines was still small to
justify having an Audiencia.
2. The natives were very poor.
3. The Audiencia was a financial burden to the King of
Spain.
Council composed of 400 members headed by the
governor general, which replaced the audiencia. This
council, however, was unsatisfactory to many because
of its many members. So the King ordered the reestablishment of the Audiencia in 1595. However,
it actually carried out its function in 1598 when it was
inaugurated.
C. Local Government
ii.
Provincial Government
Provincial government - under the central government.
These were pacified provinces, which were already
recognizing the authority of Spain, were governed by
civil provincial governors. Those that were not yet fully
pacified and conquered were ruled by military officers.
Alcalde mayor provincial governor who was appointed
by the governor-general. His salary was small but he
could collect a part of the tribute to increase his income.
Indulto de comercio right given to alcalde mayor to
engage in trade and collect a part of the tribute.
Reason for the Abolition of Positions and Powers
1. Alcalde mayor-indulto de comercio. In almost all
cases, the alcalde mayor abused this power,
hence, committing graft and corruption. It was
later abolished in 1844 because the alcalde mayor
abused his power to the extent of scandalizing the
Spaniards.
2. Alcalde mayor-judge of the province. This role of
the provincial governor is another anomalous
practice. Since the governor-judge, committed

many abuses in 1886, the King ordered that the

provincial governor should remain as judge only.
Another man was appointed as provincial
governor whose main duty was to administer the
province.
iii.
Municipal Government
Municipal government under the provincial
government.
Gobernadorcillo little governor also called capitan
municipal or simply capitan. Today, he was called as
mayor. The gobernadorcillo was elected by thirteen
electors who were prominent in the town. Six of these
electors were 6 former cabezas de barangay; six were
actual cabezas de barangay, and the thirteenth elector
was the one outgoing capitan. The one selected as
gobernadorcillo had to approved by the Spanish friarcurate. If approved, his name was sent to the provincial
governor who, in turn, submitted his name to the office
of the governor-general in Manila for final approval.
Aid to the Captain in Administering the Town
1. Tenientes chief of police
2. Alguaciles subordinate officials
D. City
iv.
City
City then and now, was the center of social, commercial,
religious, and cultural life.
Cebu and Manila cities during the first century.
Vigan, Nueva Segovia (now Lal-lo, Cagayan), Arevalo
(now a part of Iloio City), and Nueva Caceres (now
Naga) additional cities by the seventeenth century.
Ayuntamiento the citys government, which was
different from that of the town. It is equivalent to
todays city hall, and consisted of two alcaldes, twelve
regidores (now called councilors), a chief of police, a
city secretary, and few other lesser officials.
v.
Barangay
Barangay headed by a cabeza who did not receive any
salary. However, he was given a portion of the taxes

collected in his barrio. Also, he was considered a

member of the principalia or the aristocracy, together
with the town mayor and other municipal officials. As a
former maharlika, who ruled the barangay as datu, gat,
or lakan, they were given economic and political
privileges.
E. Propagating the Catholic Faith
Group of Friars which Accompanied Legazpis
Expedition in the Philippines
1. Agustinian Order (1565) the natives they
managed to convert later on returned to their old
animist religion. The King then decided that the
entire Philippines should be converted to the
Caholic faith. These missionaries were sent to the
colony after the death of Legazpi. The Augustinian
Order continued to send its missionaries to make
converts. The missionaries spread Catholicicm in
and around Manila, The Visayays, the Ilocos,
Pampanga, and Pangasinan.
2. Franciscan Missionaries (1577) arrived and
spread the Catholic faith in Manila, in the
provinces near and around Laguna de Bay
(pronounced Ba-i) such as the present provinces
of Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. They also
established missions in Camarines and other parts
of the Bicol provinces.
3. Jesuits (1581) not friars. They spread
Catholicism in Manila, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Samar,
and later, in Mindanao.
4. Dominican Missionaries (1587) spread the
catholic faith in Manila, the Cagayan region, and
Pangasinan.
5. Recollect Missionaries (1606) propagated the
faith in Manila, Bataan, Zambales, Mindoro,
Masbate, Ticao, Burias, Cuyo, Romblon, Negros,
and some parts of Mindanao.
These missionaries worked hard to convert the Filipinos
to Catholicism that in a span of a little more than twenty
years from the time Legazpi landed in Cebu, the
number of converts to the Catholic faith was about

250,000. This number rose to a little less than a million

in the middle of the eighteenth century; to about four
million in the 1860s; and to about six and a half million
at the end of the Spanish period in 1898. Although the
number of missionaries increased between 1591 and
1898, this number was not enough to covert the entire
Philippines. The lack of missionaries was responsible for
the return of some converts to their old religious
practice.
F. Union of Church and State
Union of Church and State. Because the early Kings of
Spain helped much in propagating and defending the
Catholic faith, they became closely identified with the
Church. There was union of Church and State in Spain.
The same union was introduced in the Philippines, so
that the officials appointed by the King and by his
representative in the colony, were also defenders of the
faith. On the other hand, the friars and the Jesuits were
not only priests, but also agents of the Spanish King.
Thus, because of this union, the governor-general had
authority to appoint priests to the parishes. The clergy,
on the other hand, were active in the government and
had political powers. The friars became members of
some agencies of the Central Government.
Friar-curate to the people of every town, the friar-curate
performed many duties. In this way, he became very
powerful.

Duties and powers of the friar-curate

1. Census enumerator
2. Health officer
3. Inspector of schools
4. Examiner of pupils who wanted in the primary
school
5. Censor who approved or disapproved dramas and
other writings to be published
6. Auditor of the local government.

7. Certified the good physical condition of a young

man who was to become a soldier in the colonial
army.
Church official as the governor-general in some
cases, a high Church official was also eligible to become
governor-general during the latters absence or illness.
Church officials who became acting governors-general
1. Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta (1719-1721)
2. Bishop Juan Arrechederra (1745-1750)
3. Bishop Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta (1759- 1761)
4. Archbishop Manuel Rojo (1761-1762)

G. Printing
Xylography process of printing by woodblock. This is the first
printing press the Dominicans introduced in the Philippines
since it took much time to copy religious books through
handwriting.
Xylography Process
1. A rectangular piece of wood, say one or two inches
thick, was carved out with words.
2. The piece of wood was covered evenly with ink and a
piece of placed on the woodblock and pressed with a
heavy object.
3. When the paper is lifted, it has an imprint of the words
in the woodblock. The first books printed by this
method were the Christian doctrine in Tagalog and in
Chinese. They were printed in 1593
Typography movable type of printing. Since printing by
woodblock was cumbersome, the Dominicans improved
printing by introducing this use of movable types. In this kind
of printing, a letter is joined to a small piece of wood or iron
or any similar material. In 1606, the Franciscans put up a
printing press in Tayabas (now Quezon Province).
Father Francisco de San Jose popularly called Blancas de
San Jose, introduced the typography in 1602. He became an
expert in this of printing and wrote a grammar book in
Tagalog and printed it in the Dominican press.

Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala famous book written

by Father Domingo de los Santos. It was printed in 1703
in Tayabas.
H. Residencia and Visita
Purpose. The two institutions were introduced by the King
and Ministers of Spain because of the abuses

committed by many Spanish officials who were sent to

the Philippines and other colonies.
Two Institutions Established in Spains Colonies
1. Residencia the public investigation and trial of
outgoing colonial officials in order to ascertain
whether they had committed abuses in the
performance of their duties. The procedure
involved the incoming governor-general to
conduct the investigation and trial of his
predecessor and other officials of the government.
The result of the investigation and the trial was
sent to Spain for final decision. While the
residencia was instituted with a good purpose, in
many cases, it was abused by the investigating
governor-general and his men who often harassed
the outgoing governor. It was common during
those days for enemies of an outgoing official to
invent charges to embarrass him. GovernorGeneral Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera
(1635-1644) was a good example when his
enemies filed unfounded charges against him,
resulting in his imprisonment.
2. Visita a secret investigation of an officials
conduct as a public servant. Its purpose was to
ensure that the official will work honestly and
efficiently as he was expected to do. This was
done any time in the duration of the officials
term.
I. Plaza Complex
Plaza Arrangment can best illustrate this politicoreligious structure of the colonial government of the
country under Spain. The houses of the natives were
situated around a plaza or town center to bring them
close to the church, the convent, the municipio, the
marketplace, and the cemetery.
Purpose this setup allowed the Spaniards to effectively
administer and control the natives. The church easily
regulated the activities of the natives, whose residence
were under the peal of bells or bajo de las campanas.

III. Economic Changes

A. Encomienda
Encomienda lands distributed to the loyal Spaniards
ordered by the King of Spain, in order to reward the
Spaniards who helped in the conquest and the
establishment of the settlements in the Philippines. In
accordance with the Kings order, Legazpi gave lands to
those who had helped in the conquest of the
Philippines. In reality, the enconmienda was not actually
a piece of land, but a favor from the King, under which
the Spaniard receiving the favor was given the right to
collect tributes or taxes from the inhabitants of an area
assigned to him. The encomienda was therefore, a
public office.
Encomendero the man who received the Kings
favor.
Size determined by the number of people living in it
and the value of land, which the natives lived. The law
limited number of natives in an area administered by an
encomendero to 300, while the value of the land was
limited to 2,000.
Term at first, an encomienda could be held by three
generations, but it was later reduced to only two
generations. However, because of the complaints of the
holders of encomiendas, the King in 1635 returned the
tenure to three generations.
Encomenderos Duties to the Natives. In exchange
of this favor from the King, the Laws of the Indies
provided that the encomendero should do the following:
1. Teach the native under the Kings jurisdiction the
Christian doctrine.
2. The King also ordered to protect the natives from
any harm.
However, these humane provisions, like the
many laws coming from the Spain, were not
followed. Instead, the encomenderos, with

possibly very few exceptions, abused their

authority and maltreated the Filipinos.
Three kinds of encomiendas
1. Royal encomienda belonged to the King
2. Ecclesiastical encomienda belonged to the
church
3. Private encomienda belonged to the private
individual.
Many abuses were committed by the
encomenderos that the King abolished the
private encomienda.

B. Forced Labor
Spain colonial system - in theory, was the best of all
colonial systems followed by other European countries
like England, France and Holland. For instance, the Laws
of the Indies described how to prevent the exploitation
of natives in their employment. While Filipinos were
required to render services to the State and the Church,
the same Laws of the Indies provided that the natives
who were ordered to work either for the State or for the
Church, should be paid their wages.
Conditions in Forced labor (called polo y servicio)
1. That the Filipinos to be drafted for work must be
paid for their work.
2. That the Filipino laborers should not be made to
work in distant places where they could not return
to their families.
3. That the drafting of laborers should not coincide
with the planting and the harvest seasons.
4. That the men who are physically incapable should
not be overworked.
5. That the forced labor should be resorted to only in
cases of absolute necessity.
6. That the number of laborers drafted should be
diminished as soon as laborers from other
countries (probably referring to the Chinese) had
volunteered to work.
Violations in Forced Labor on paper, the provisions
of the policy on forced labor protected Filipino laborers

from the exploitation. In practice, however, it was cruel

because the laws regarding forced labor were violated.
1. Filipinos were not paid their wages.
2. They were separated from their families by sending
them to far-flung provinces.
3. They were not given food, as required by the law,
but instead they had to provide for their own food.
4. They were overworked and as a result thousands of
Filipino laborers died. This was one of the causes
of the decrease of the population of the
Philippines for some years in the sixteenth and the
seventeenth centuries.
Falla fee given by a Filipino laborer to be exempted
from forced labor. This fee was unreasonably high, and
oftentimes the laborer could not afford to pay it.

C. Tribute

Tribute payment in cash or kind, in full or installment basis,

by the Filipinos to the Spanish colonial government, in order
to raise enough money to finance the administration of the
colony, especially, the construction of churches, government
buildings, roads, bridges, and improvements in transportation
and communication. The tribute was a form of recognition of
the Filipinos loyalty to the King of Spain. When it was
introduced officially in 1570, the amount was small. Those
who paid tribute were persons above sixteen years and those
below sixty. In 1589, the tribute was raised.
Sanctorum small portion of the tribute that went to the
church. Because of the opposition the tribute and to the
abuses connected with its collection, the King abolished it in
1884
Cedula personal was introduced, after the tribute was
abolished. This is the present equivalent of the residence
certificate class A.

D. Galleon Trade
Manila the trading center of the archipelago even before the
arrival of the Spaniards. The Philippines had already been
trading with her neighbors. After the Spanish conquest and
the settlement of a large part of the Philippines, Manila
became a leading commercial center in the region.
Galleon Trade the trade across the Pacific. The early Spanish
colonial officials encourage trade between Manila and other
countries of the East because it was so lucrative that it could

make them wealthy within a short period of time. Ships from

Japan, China, Siam (Thailand), India, Cambodia, Malacca and
what is now Indonesia, anchored in Manila to unload their
valuable cargoes. These, in turn, were shipped by Spanish
traders to Mexico where they commanded high prices. Later,
commercial restrictions were place on trade due to the
complaints of the merchants of Cadiz and Sevilla. They
complained that their goods were being driven out of Mexico
by the oriental goods that came from Manila. The Spanish
merchants of Manila denied the charge but the King did not
lift the restrictions on trade. These restrictions consisted of
250,000 worth of goods to be sent from Mexico and 500,000
worth of goods to be sent from Mexico to Manila. Later, the
amounts were raised to 300,000 up to 500,000.
Involved in Galleon Trade. Not all could engage in the galleon
trade because it was a government monopoly. Only privileged
persons, such us high ranking officials of the State, the
Church, and the crew of the galleons, were allowed to engage
in trade. The galleon trade was so restrictive that the
prosperity of the Spaniards in Manila depended solely on the
success of the voyage to and from Mexico.
Reasons for the decline of the Galleon Trade
1. In some cases, the galleons were captured by English
buccaneers.
2. Others, sank in the southern coast of Luzon near Samar.
3. In the nineteenth century when commercial liberty was
adopted as a European policy, the monopolistic galleon
trade declined. In 1811, the last galleon from Manila
sailed for Acapulco, Mexico, and the governments
monopoly of the galleon trade came to an end. Other
ports in the Americans, like in Peru and Ecuador, were
opened to Philippine trade and thus the ManilaAcapulco trade further declined.

E. Mexican Subsidy
Because of the poor Economic condition of the country, which the
Spaniards, generally speaking, did not try to improve, the Philippines
became a burden to Spain.
Situado annual subsidy sent by the Mexican government to
the Philippine government to prevent the latter from
bankruptcy. This subsidy amounted to P250, 000 on the
average. This amount was enough to save the colonial
government of the Philippines from bankruptcy. However, the
money received from Mexico was not spent for the
improvement of the condition of the Filipinos. A large portion
of the subsidy went to the pockets of Spanish officials,

employees, and priests in the form of salaries. The Mexican

subsidy was finally stopped when Mexico became
independent in 1821.

F. Royal Company

Royal Company (1785) established by Governor Bascos

administration. The Company had a capital of 8,000,000. This
amount was divided into 32,000 shares costing P250 a share.
Aims of the company
1. To promote the progress of the Philippines by improving
the foreign trade of the colony with Spain
2. To develop the natural resources of the Philippines by
encouraging industry, manufacturing and agriculture.

Privileges of the company.

1. It was given the monopoly of the trade between Spain
and the Philippines.
2. Products that the Philippines exported to Europe were
exempted from tariff duties.
3. The Companys ships were allowed to visit oriental
ports
4. The prohibition that Manila merchants could not trade
with China and India was lifted.
Outcomes from the privileges given to the company
1. Commercial relations between the Philippines and
Europe were promoted and, consequently, led to
increased revenues.
2. The encouragement of the cultivation of indigo, sugar
cane, pepper, and other spices by the Company, led to
increased agricultural production.
3. Foreign capital was encouraged to enter Manila thus
improving the trade and commercial relations between
other countries and the Philippines. With the influx of
foreign capital, the revenues of the government
increased.
Causes for the failure of the Company
1. The Spanish galleon trade did not cooperate
wholeheartedly with the Company.
2. The Company was not able to establish direct
commercial contact with Japan, China, and India, so it
had to buy commodities from these countries through
the Manila merchants, resulting in paying higher prices

for those commodities than in the countries where they

came from.
3. The Company was not well managed because its
officials spent their time in activities that were not
connected with the promotion of the welfare of the
company.
4. Foreign Vessels, instead of the Companys vessels,
brought to Manila such items as groceries, canned
goods, wine, and other European products. As a result
of the failure of the Company to implement its program
for the Philippines, it was abolished in 1834.

G. Economic Development
Factors for the slow development of the
Philippine economy under Spanish Regime
1. Most Spanish officials were first lazy,
incompetent and inefficient. Instead of
developing the natural resources of the colony,
the Spanish officials and minor employees were
interested in enriching themselves in office. There
were many loafers among them who depended on
government employment to earn a living.
Consequently, they refused to till the soil. To
them, soiling the hands was demeaning. They
wanted white-collar jobs.
2. There were frequent quarrels among the
Spaniards themselves, especially between the
clergy and the governors-general, on one hand,
and the high-ranking ecclesiastical officials and
the friar-curates, on one hand. These quarrels
sapped their energy and led to demoralization.
Instead of improving the condition of the colony,
they helped make things worse by spending their
time fighting each other.
The people became unproductive and seemingly
indolent. There was very little economic and social
improvement in the life of the masses, while the
colonial officials and the church hierarchy grew rich.