The 19th century was the period before Rizal, a period set after over 300 years of Spanish suppressive colonial rule. The Philippines was in poor condition, with multiple attempts of revolts and uprisings failing to drive the foreign rulers away. The lack of unity and nationalism is suspected to be a contributing factor to continued failure.
- Spanish Arrival: the Spanish expedition commanded by Ferdinand Magellan arrived at the Philippines on March 17, 1521. With competing claims over the Philippine islands, only by 1543 were the Spaniards able to return, commanded by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, to the Philippines which became named “Filipinas”.
- Spanish Conquest: in 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was sent to the Philippines by the new king of Spain and Portual, Phillip II. Legazpi became the first Governor General of the Philippines, and he established the Encomienda system and founded the city of Manila in 1571 after taking it from Rajah Sulayman.
Political Condition
Weak, undisciplined government officials with excessive power resulted in widespread abuse. They punished those who were discontent with their administration, and favored friends and family. The most corrupt branch of the government is of the province, headed by the Alkalde Mayor.
- The Philippines was indirectly ruled by the Viceroy of Mexico, as the representative of the Spanish King.
- The Governor General heads the national government as the chief executive of the whole archipelago, head of the state and church, and commander-in-chief of the military. He has the power to pardon prisoners, make final decisions for the country, has the power of cumplase (veto the King’s orders if it is not beneficial to the colony), and power as a visitador and residencia (judges of colonies or residents).
- The Alkalde Mayor is the provincial head.
- The Gobernadorcillo heads towns or pueblos. They hold the same power as the Governor General, but is limited to their town.
- The Cabeza de Barangay heads the barrio government.
- Gobernadorcillo and Cabeza de Barangay positions require a 23-year-old or older, educated individual with at least 500 pesos worth of property or money.
- The Spanish Friars had large contributions to the colonization process, resulting in their position of power. They were able to control society and the Governor General, and regular priests were able to control different parishes and secular (Filipino) priests. Any enemy of the catholic church would also be considered an enemy of the government.
Notably corrupt government officials included:
| Officer | Term | Corruption |
|---|---|---|
| Gen. Rafael de Izquierdo | 1871 - 1873 | Gave the order to kill GomBurZa |
| Admiral Jose Malcampo | 1874 - 1877 | A weak, incompetent administration by an otherwise excellent soldier. |
| Gen. Fernando Primo de Rivera | 1880 - 1883, 1897 - 1898 | Took bribes from the casino operators in Manila. |
| Gen. Valeriano Weyler | 1888 - 1891 | A tyrant who killed the Calamba tenants and is called “The Butcher” by the Cubans. |
| Gen. Camilo de Polavieja | 1896 - 1897 | Ordered the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal. |
Systems and Policies under Spain
- Polo: compulsory manual labor for every male native between 16 to 60 years of age. Anyone who wishes to be exempt from this labor had to pay Falla, a fee for exemption.
- Encomienda: the first government system by Spain, based on land occupation entrusted to private persons who contributed to the conquest of the islands, the Catholic Church, and the Royal Government.
- Tribute: an annual tax imposed by Spain to every family in the form of produce or money.
- Frailocracy: the rule of friars resulting in their abuses, particularly by the “Cura Paroco”; the parish priests.
- Patronato Real: the royal patronage, a unity of Spain and the Catholic Church. This officiates the frailocracy as agreed upon by both the King and the Pope.
- Isolation Policy: the isolation of the Philippines from other eastern trades, limiting us to the Galeon trade; the Mexico-Philippines Exchange. This is due to insecurity with other southeast asian colonizers (British, Dutch).
- Divide and Rule: the provocation of the natives to fight amongst themselves, strengthening Spain’s power.
Changes in the Government System
The evolution of the government system was brought upon by four different ages or revolutions:
- The Intellectual Revolution; “Enlightenment”.