CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SPANIARDS IN ALL THE ASPECTS

STARTING FROM THE ECCLESIATIC/RELIGIOUS ASPECT

CONTRIBUTION: CHRISTIANITY

At this time period, almost nothing was known of the Philippines, and so our sources of
information about pre-Hispanic societies in the country date from the early period of Spanish contact.
Most Philippine communities, with the exception of the Muslim sultanates in the Sulu archipelago and
Mindanao, were fairly small without a great deal of centralized authority. Authority was wielded by a
variety of individuals, including 1) headmen, or datu; 2) warriors of great military prowess; and 3)
individuals who possessed spiritual power or magical healing abilities.

The absence of centralized power meant that a small number of Spaniards were able to convert a large
number of Filipinos living in politically autonomous units more easily than they could have, say,
converted people living in large, organized, complex kingdoms.

Magellan's arrival in Cebu represents the first attempt by Spain to convert Filipinos to Roman
Catholicism. The story goes that Magellan met with Chief Humabon of the island of Cebu, who had an ill
grandson. Magellan (or one of his men) was able to cure or help this young boy, and in gratitude Chief
Humabon allowed 800 of his followers to be 'baptized' Christian in a mass baptism. Later, Chief Lapu
Lapu of Mactan Island killed Magellan and routed the ill-fated Spanish expedition.

We knew that Miguel Lopez de Legaspi first established the power of Spain in the Philippines
and laid the foundations of their permanent organization. From the beginning the Spanish establishments
in the Philippines were a mission and not in the proper sense of the term a colony. They were founded and
administered in the interests of religion rather than of commerce or industry

The work of conversion opened auspiciously in Cebu, where Legaspi began his work, with a
niece of Tupas, an influential native, who was baptized with great solemnity.

POLITICAL

CONTRIBUION: GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

There were no well established native states but rather a congeries of small groups something like
clans. The headship of these groups or barangays was hereditary and the authority of the chief of the
barangay was despotic. This social disintegration immensely facilitated the conquest; and by tact and
conciliation, effectively supported by arms, but with very little actual bloodshed, Spanish sovereignty was
superimposed upon these relatively detached groups, whose essential features were preserved as a part of
the colonial administrative machinery. This in turn was a natural adaptation of that developed in New
Spain.

The government of Spain in the sixteenth century was not that of a modern centralized monarchy
but rather of a group of kingdoms only partially welded together by the possession of the same sovereign,
the same language, and the same religion. The King of Spain was also the ruler of other kingdoms outside
of the peninsula. In accordance with this procedure the Philippine islands were constituted a kingdom and
placed under the charge of a governor and captain general, whose powers were truly royal and limited
only by the check imposed by the Supreme Court (the Audiencia) and by the ordeal of the residencia at
the expiration of his term of office.

For the purposes of local administration the islands were subdivided into or constituted Provinces
under alcaldes

The subdivision of the provinces was into pueblos each under its petty governor or
gobernadorcillo.

The gobernadorcillo was commonly called the "captain." Within the pueblos the people formed
little groups of from forty to fifty tributes called barangays under the supervision of cabezas de barangay.
These heads of barangay represent the survival of the earlier clan organization and were held responsible
for the tributes of their groups.

ECONOMICAL

CONTRIBUTION: TRADING

Legaspi’s expedition resulted in the discovery of the tornaviaje (discovery of the return route to
Acapulco from Manila) on the return trip to Mexico across the Pacific by Andrés de Urdaneta. This
discovery started the Manila galleon trade, which lasted for two and a half centuries.

The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade was the main source of income for the colony during its
early years. Service was inaugurated in 1565 and continued into the early 19th century. The Galleon trade
brought silver from New Spain, which was used to purchase Asian goods such as silk from China, spices
from the Moluccas, lacquerware from Japan and Philippine cotton textiles.[22] These goods were then
exported to New Spain and ultimately Europe by way of Manila. Thus, the Philippines earned its income
through the trade of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon. The trade was established and operated primarily for
the benefit of Spain and Spaniards.

Manila became a major center of trade in Asia between the 17th and 18th centuries. All sorts of
products from China, Japan, Brunei, the Moluccas and even India were sent to Manila to be sold for silver
8-Real coins which came aboard the galleons from Acapulco. These goods, including silk, porcelain,
spices, lacquerware and textile products were then sent to Acapulco and from there to other parts of New
Spain, Peru and Europe.