Compare and Contrast Spanish influence/colonization and American influence/colonization

Spanish Colonization

 Philippines was invaded by Spain and reigned for 333 years

 The requirement of Polo y Servicio or “Sapilitang paggawa”
 Spaniards forced Filipinos to pay tribute, bandala system, and cedula personal
 Bandala system was a system implemented by Spanish authorities in the Philippines that
required native Filipino farmers to sell their goods to the government. The farmers were
not in favor of this system and were not even offered fair market prices for their crops.
 The “cedula personal” was a mandatory identification card during the Spanish colonial
period in the Philippines. This ID card was used when tribute was assessed and in
determining those who were subject to “prestacion personal” or forced labor. It also
served as a residence tax certificate and as a passport. It was used by Spanish authorities
to restrict the movement of people and those who could not present their cedulas could
be arrested and imprisoned by the Guardia Civil.
 Establishment of government monopolies
 Limited agricultural and commercial government
 The Philippines lost its freedom because of the Spanish Colonization
 Spain established a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that was composed
of a national government and the local governments that administered provinces, cities,
towns and municipalities. With the cooperation of the local governments the national
government maintained peace and order, collected taxes and built schools and other
public works.
 The Governor General - As the King's representative and the highest-ranking official in the
Philippines, the governor general saw to it that royal decrees and laws emanating from
Spain were implemented in the Philippines. He had the power to appoint and dismiss
public officials, except those personally chosen by the King. He also supervised all
government offices and the collection of taxes. The governor general exercised certain
legislative powers, as well. He issued proclamations to facilitate the implementation of
laws.
 The Residencia - This was a special judicial court that investigates the performance of a
governor general who was about to be replaced. The residencia, of which the incoming
governor general was usually a member, submitted a report of its findings to the King.
 The Visita - The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a government official called the Vistador
General to observe conditions in the colony. The Visitador General reported his findings
directly to the King.
 The Royal Audencia - Apart from its judicial functions, the Royal Audiencia served as an
advisory body to the Governor General and had the power to check and a report on his
abuses. The Audiencia also audited the expenditures of the colonial government and sent
 a yearly report to Spain. The Archbishop and other government officials could also report
the abuses of the colonial government to be Spanish king. Despite all these checks,
however, an abusive governor general often managed to escape stiff fines, suspension,
or dismissal by simply bribing the Visitador and other investigators.
 The Provincial Government - The Spaniards created local government units to facilitate
the country’s administration. There were two types of local government units – the
alcadia and the corregimiento. The alcadia, led by the alcalde mayor, governed the
provinces that had been fully subjugated: the corregimiento, headed by corregidor,
governed the provinces that were not yet entirely under Spanish control. The alcalde
mayors represented the Spanish king and the governor general in their respective
provinces. They managed the day-to-day operations of the provincial government,
implemented laws and supervised the collection of taxes. Through they were paid a small
salary, they enjoyed privileges such as the indulto de comercio, or the right to participate
in the galleon trade.
 The Municipal Government - Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos
headed by Gobernadordcillos, whose main concerns were efficient governance and tax
collection. Four lieutenants aided the Governardorcillo: the Teniente Mayor (chief
lieutenant), the Teniente de Policia (police lieutenant), the Teniente de Sementeras
(lieutenant of the fields) and the Teniente de Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock).
 The Encomienda System - Spain owed the colonization of the Philippines to Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi, who valiantly and loyally served the Spanish crown. To hasten the subjugation
of the country, King Philip II instructed Legazpi to divide the Philippines into large
territories called encomiendas, to be left to the management of designated
encomenderos.
 High influence of the Catholic Church
 The friars are more powerful than the Governer General and controlled the sentiments
of the native population.
 Maura Law
American Colonization

 The history of the Philippines from 1898 to 1946 describes the period of American
colonization of the Philippines.
 It began with the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, when the
Philippines was still a colony of the Spanish East Indies, and concluded when the United
States formally recognised the independence of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4,
1946.
 With the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines
to the United States, thereby beginning the era of American colonization.
 The interim U.S. military government of the Philippine Islands experienced a period of
great political turbulence, characterized by the Philippine–American War.
  Beginning in 1901, the military government was replaced by a civilian government—
the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands—with William Howard Taft serving as its
first Governor-General. Also, a series of insurgent governments that lacked significant
international and diplomatic recognition existed between 1898 and 1904.
 Following the passage of the Philippine Independence Act in 1934, a Philippine
presidential election was held in 1935. Manuel L. Quezon was elected and inaugurated
second President of the Philippines on November 15, 1935.
 Commonwealth of the Philippines, intended to be a transitional government in
preparation for the country's full achievement of independence in 1946, was brought into
existence.
 After the World War II Japanese invasion in 1941 and subsequent occupation of the
Philippines, the United States and Philippine Commonwealth military recaptured the
Philippines in 1945.
 The United States formally recognized the independence of the Republic of the
Philippines on July 4, 1946, according to the terms of the Philippine Independence Act.
Comparing the Spanish colonization and American colonization, there is not much of a
difference because the Philippines did not gain its freedom when the Americans came. During
the Spanish era, it is clear that Filipinos are mistreated by the Spaniards. However during the
American colonization, there is a misconception on about how the Americans saved the
Philippines from the Spaniards. Most of the Filipinos back then and until now believes that the
Americans did have a good intention on why they helped the Philippines fight the Spaniards to
gain freedom. However, Americans did have its own agenda on why they helped the Philippines.
It is because they wanted to strengthen their economic power all over the world. The Philippines
based on its location and archipelago, it comprises 7,641 islands with a total land area of 300,000
square kilometers and is surrounded by water making it accessible to several parts of Asia. With
this, the Philippines is the perfect place for them to build their own economic empire because of
its natural resources such as forests, land, sea, and etc. Both the Spanish colonization and
American colonization took advantage of the Philippines in order for them to gain power by the
means of our natural resources and making the Filipinos their slaves.