THE FORCED LABOR DURING THE SPANISH COLONIZATION

(Polo Y Servicio)

The Spanish colonial period of the Philippines began in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan
came to the islands and claimed it as a colony for the Spanish empire, the period lasted
until 1898 and named the island after King Philip ll of Spain. The Spanish colonial took over
the island of the Philippines in the mid 1500’s and different policies were governed by the
Spanish government. Spanish colonial policy is a way to keep the Philippines under control,
and also, the exploitation of the Philippine natural resources, the people in the Philippines
was also used into force labor. “Polo” is the dehumanizing labor in which, all male with a
healthy and physically fit between ages 16 to 60 years old, must render a service for 40
days a year under Spanish government, the “Polistas” was not paid daily wages and food
ration during their working days of rendering forced labor, and in order to be exempted in
rendering the labor force, they need to give a fee to the Spaniards who was called “Falla” a
daily fine of one and a half real. In the year 1884, the force labor was reduced for 15 days
after the Mexican repartimento, selection for forced labor. Building roads and bridges are
one of the work Filipinos were doing, the Filipinos who were poor and no personal or
governmental standing were made to offer the force labor, laborers rarely paid their wages
and they need to hunt food for their own and for their family.

SPANISH RULE
The Human Rights in the Philippines, or the absence of these rights, are better to
understand through the prism of colonialism. The Filipino suffered under first 330 years of
Spanish colonialism here in the Philippines over the last 400 years and then a later on 45
years under the American rule. During Spanish colonialism, many groups of Filipinos were
killed simply for advocating independence and promoting nation sovereignty. The Spanish
period was followed by a particularly brutal period of “pacification” when hundreds of
thousands of Filipinos were killed resisting integration into the new American Empire.
Human Rights denied to Filipinos

Forced Labor (Polo y servicio) compulsory labour imposed by the Spanish colonial
authorities on Filipino.

 During Spanish regime, all male Filipinos from 16 to 60 years old were forced to
work for the government for a few weeks a year. This forced labor was called Polo.
At first they lasted for 40 days in a year, however later in 1884, it was reduced to 15
days. The “Polistas” also known as forced Filipino laborers worked for various
public works, like building roads and bridges, cutting timber in the forests, or
serving as sailors and soldiers in military expeditions.

• Wealthy ones were able to evade forced labor by paying falla, a sum of money.
• Spaniards were not drafted to forced labor, contrary to law, while the Filipino
“Polistas” received only a part of two pesetas (50 centavos) or worse nothing at all.
• Disturbed the Indios' work in the farm and shops and separate them from their
families.
Filipinos Slavery

The Spanish officials orders and charitable groups were initially assigned
encomiendas which means Spanish for commissions. The privileged gave the
Spanish warlords the supreme right to control all the Filipinos living inside the
boundaries of the encomiendas, and the right to force them into work up to 12
hours a day, six days a week, and collect the resulting "tributes" (50 per cent of
their crops). Under the "share-cropping" that took place on the endless haciendas
all through the islands, the indigenous Filipinos were routinely fooled. Corpuz
clarifies: "In the matter of the instalment of the tributes, the locals were frequently
 cheated by the Spanish assessors and collectors." Corpuz goes on to say it was
simple "to deceive the native cultivators through terrorizing, subjective costs and
the utilized of slanted weights and measures." Through the traps and devices of
the Spanish, numerous inborn families fell into a life of bondage with the warlords.
"After harvest , the filipino farmerwas cleared out with a share that almost
constantly made it impossible to put aside anything for reserve funds" (Corpuz).
The Filipinos would moreover lose their traditional lands. "The encomienda grants
were for restricted periods but were over and over expanded for the religious
orders ... Some place along the way, likely starting within the late 1700s the
"encomenderos" became the owners, and not only holders of the plantation-sized
tracts" (Corpuz). The Spanish were cruel and tricky in usurping the traditional
lands.

Forced Labor (Polo y servicio)

The system of forced labor otherwise known as Polo y servicio evolved within the
framework of the encomienda system, introduced into the South American colonies by the
Conquistadores and catholic priest that accompanied them.

Polo y servicio is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age
who were obligated to give personal services to community projects particularly in. One
could be exempted from polo by paying the falla, a daily fine of one and a half real. The polo
system was patterned after the Mexican repartimento, selection for forced labor.

Polo- the dehumanizing labour where the Spanish government required all male healthy
and physically able between ages 16 to 60 years old to render service for forty days every
year.

Polistas- the natives who rendered forces labor. They were not paid daily wages and food
ration during their working days.

Falla- a fee given to Spaniards to become exempted in rendering labor force.

There were many changes in the Filipino society during the Spanish colonization. Spanish
authorities did not show any sign of fairness towards the Filipinos especially in the division
of responsibilities in polo y servicio. Because of this irresponsibility, Filipinos still work
apart from their allotted time for work.
Slavery was widespread in the Philippine islands before the archipelago was integrated
into the Spanish Empire. Policies banning slavery that the Spanish crown established for its
empire in the Americas were extended to its colony in the Philippines. Laborers were
rarely paid their particular wages. They certainly were divided from their families when
you’re made to operate in remote places. They certainly were not offered meals, as
required legally, they had to produce their very own meals as an alternative. These people
were shamefully overworked, and several thousand Filipino laborers died during the
worksites because of this.

Conditions for forced-labor

(1) It must be used limited to needed general public works and buildings meant to increase
the neighborhood;

(2) The workers were become paid-in full because of their work;
(3) The alcaldes gran should think about the physical condition of each and every laborer,
that’s, the weak should not be overworked; (4) The laborers should not be delivered to
operate in remote lands;

(5) The offering of solution must be timed in order to not affect the planting or collect
months.

Bad effects

 Polo was made at the same time as planting and harvesting

 Separation from family
 Relocation to different places (sometimes outside the Philippines)
 Lessened the male population due to deaths in remote places.

References:
https://www.sfu.ca/fuga/history/hist02.html?
fbclid=IwAR0j4I2d63jaWZFHRwbK_GmQJkri_x-jb1rG69Ax4gujdeSPNM0vS6eRlyU
https://tabonwoman.blogspot.com/2009/05/spanish-period.html?fbclid=IwAR0-
CzTsxOXgadYPuqbDgpmJZsiQEE9y6vFEo65A75YWBiZluXOKYywX7Vk
https://localinternetmarketinggroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/the-forced-labor-and-
tribute-of-the-filipinos-during-spanish-period/?
fbclid=IwAR0_QQQMgIac52XlRLJnyc4NSNHBclP5KlfrA3uej81l1QiZn1sgRzwsvRo