POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE COLONIAL SOCIETY

Central Government Barangay

(Headed by the Governor-General) (Headed by the Cabeza de Barangay)
Three countervailing Institutions (Royal Audiencia,
Residencia, and Visita

Alcaldia-mayor
(Headed by the Alcalde-mayor)
Corregimiento
(Headed by the Corregidor)

Municipio or Pueblo
(Headed by the Gobernadorcillo)

Central Government
The central government was actually under a very powerful office in Spain called Consejo de las
Indias. This office was in charge in the administration of all of Spain’s colonies. The Governor-general,
who heads the central government in the colony, was considered as the representative of the Spanish
King. As such, he also possessed kingly powers, legislative, executive and judicial powers. Such an
overwhelming power was demonstrated by the so-called Cumplase, which was the power of the
Governor-general to suspend the implementation of any Royal order.

Provincial Government
There are two types of provincial governments: a) Alcaldia-mayor (the provincial government in
pacified territories), and b) Corregimiento (the provincial government in unpacified territories).

Municipal Government
The Municipio or Pueblo was the highest public office open for the natives to occupy.

Barangay
The Barangay was headed by the cabeza de barangay. His main task was merely to collect tribute
from house to house.

SPANISH COLONIAL POLICIES AND NATIVE RESPONSES

Taxation
-The ultimate form of taxation during the Spanish period was the so-called Tribute. This was the amount
paid by conquered natives in recognition of Spanish sovereignty.
- In 1884, the tribute was abolished and was replaced by the Cedula─ a graduated poll tax based in the
income of the tax-payer.
- Aside from the tribute and cedula, the natives were also required to pay the compulsory contributions for
masses, novenas, bell-ringing and other rituals of the church.

Forced Labor (Polo y Servicios)

The Spanish masters initiated steps to create a project for self-enrichment. One of these was the polo y
servicios or forced labor that began in 1580. Native indios and mestizos from 16 years old to 60 years old were
forced to work for 40 days every year. In 1884, labor was reduced to 15 days. -the laborers or polistas were made
to work in the construction of bridges, roads, churches and convents, boats, and other projects. The others were
sent to the forest to cut trees or to work in mines. The worst cases were of those assigned as rowers of Spanish
ships because this meant long periods of being away from their families. The only way out of the polo was the
payment of a falla which was 1 ½ real everyday for forty days.
 1
Government Monopolies

∙ Bandala- a system, which required all natives to sell their produce to the government. Under this system, the
government required each province to meet a certain quota of commodities.
∙ Galleon trade- officially known as Manila-Acapulco trade.
∙ Tobacco monopoly- in 1781, the government designated certain provinces to plant nothing but tobacco.
While this monopoly brought considerable profit to the government, the Filipinos on the contrary,
suffered economic difficulties. Scarcity of food, abuses in forced labor and cheating in the prices of the
Tobacco were only few of the problems that the natives of the tobacco planting districts faced.

Harsh Agrarian Policies

∙ Regalian Doctrine- this doctrine assumed that by virtue of conquest, all lands in the Philippines belonged to
the Spanish crown. As implied in the doctrine, the Spanish king could entrust his lands in the Philippines
to any Spaniard who had helped in the pacification and conquest of the islands. Hence, the Encomienda
system was instituted and communities, lands, peoples and their services were entrusted to the
Encomenderos. The abuses of the Encomendero led to the abolition of the Encomienda system and in
time the Hacienda system replaced it. The hacienda was a land grant from the king. It was different from
the encomienda because the latter only entailed entrustment and not grant.

Causes of the Early Uprising

1. Personal Grievances
2. Opposition to Spanish Impositions
3. Religious Uprisings
4. Agrarian Complaints
∙ Prior to the 1896 Revolution, the Filipinos had staged more than 100 revolts due to untold grievances
against the Spaniards.
∙ Agoncillo, on his part pointed out that “while the revolts failed, their almost regular outbreak in the country
century after century clearly indicated existing and persisting dissatisfaction with Spanish rule.

Factors that delayed the development of Filipino National Consciousness

1. Philippine geography and the dismal state of transportation and communication.

2. Passport requirement
3. Absence of national language

Factors that led to the Development of Filipino National Consciousness

1. Opening of the Philippines to International Trade

2. Rise of the Middle Class
3. Impact of European Liberalism
4. Racial Prejudice
5. Secularization Controversy
6. Liberal Regime of Carlos Maria dela Torre
7. Cavite Mutiny and the Execution of Gom-Bur-Za

THE REFORM MOVEMENT

As indicated in its name, the reform movement was aimed at achieving reforms in the colony through
peaceful means. Specifically, its ultimate goal was to achieve assimilation, which means the integration of the
Philippines as a province of Spain. The reformist believed that making the Philippines a province of Spain and
consequently making the Filipinos Spanish citizens would be an upward step towards better things, for the
Filipinos would then be enjoying the rights enjoyed by the Spaniards in Spain. Hence, the reformist thought that
through this ultimate reform, the Filipinos, as Spanish citizens and not as conquered people, would be protected
by the Spanish constitution and other laws from the abuses of corrupt and abusive colonial officials.
To get the attention of the peninsular government, the reform movement exposed the problems of the
colony and manifested the desires of the Filipinos through its publication, La Solidaridad- the official newspaper
of the reform movement. It was first edited by Graciano Lopez Jaena and later by Marcelo H. del Pilar. This
periodical came out twice a month.

-Believed in the power of words, not of the sword.

2
 -Mostly members of the middle class.

Role of the Middle Class

∙ The middle class, composed of Spanish meztizos and natives rose to a position of power and eventually
became leaders in finance and education.
∙ The Spanish authorities looked down upon them, for they did not belong to the inner circle of Peninsulares
or Spaniards Born in Spain, and Insulares, Spaniards born in the Philippines. ∙ Prior to the 1870s, those called
Filipinos were the Insulares. Thus, in the beginning, the term Filipino had a racial and elitist connotation.
∙ Thwarted in their attempts to win a “place under the sun” and feeling oppressed by the abuse and arrogance
of the colonial officials and friars, the middle class started the movement for reforms.

The Great Reformist

- Three groups formed the nucleus of the movement for reforms. The first was the group of suspected
filibusteros including creoles and Spanish meztizos in the wake of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872. The second
group was composed of young men sent to Spain for their studies, like Jose Rizal. The third consisted of
refugees who left the Philippines to escape the persecution. Among this group, the most prominent was
Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar.

Failure of the Reforms Movement

a. The mother country was too pre-occupied with its own internal problems to pay attention to the so-called
Philippine problem (timeliness).
b. The friars were too powerful even in Spain to be sidetracked by Spanish authorities.
c. There was lack of funds so that even the publication of the La Solidaridad was jeopardized. d. The
propagandists were also divided due to lack of unity, differences of opinion, petty jealousies, and personal
ambitions. The result was the weakening of ties that bound them together.

Significance of the Movement

a. Although the propagandist had limited influence for they wrote in Spanish and although censorship seriously
hampered the circulation of propaganda materials, the movement’s effect on the Revolution cannot be discounted.
b. Because what the propagandist wrote were accurate reflections of reality, a feeling of empathy developed
among the people. The articulation of feelings of oppression heightened the fervor of the people. c. Since its
failure led to the founding of the revolutionary Katipunan with separatist aims, in a way, therefore, the Reform
Movement was a success.

La Liga Filipina

-a civic society organized by Rizal upon his return to the Philippines on July 3, 1892 whose aims
were: 1. To unite he whole archipelago into one compact, vigorous and homogenous body;
2. Mutual protection in every want and necessity;
3. Defense against all violence and injustices;
4. Encouragement of instruction, agriculture and commerce
5. Study and application of reforms.

The Split
-The Liga was quite active in the first few months then it lay low due to the arrest and deportation of its
leader, Rizal.
-Some members became convinced that peaceful agitation for reforms was futile. The conservatives formed the
Cuerpo de Compromisarios which pledges to continue supporting La Solidaridad while radicals led by Andres
Bonifacio devoted themselves to new secret society, the Katipunan, which he organized soon after the arrest of
Rizal.