ROGEL, REIN MARGARET R.

PT1C

In order to analyze the system of governance, it is vital to begin understanding

the social structure of the Philippines in the 19th century. This era was in the midst of
the Spaniard colonization, hence the sole system of governance was adherent to the
Spaniard officials. According to Dimasalang Laong Laan (2014), the hierarchy of the
19th century was divided into three main structures in society, the highest class, middle
class, and lowest class. The highest class consisted of the Spanish officials, the
Peninsulares, and the Friars which, as mentioned above, Filipinos were obliged to
follow. The middle class consisted of natives and Mestizos. The Natives being pure
Filipinos such as Aeta’s and Mestizos being Filipinos mixed with European or Chinese
ancestry. Lastly, the lowest class consisted of pure poor Filipinos who were most ruled
over and bullied by the Spaniards. The political system and the sources of abuses in the
administrative played a significant part in the slavery of the Filipinos in the 19th century.
Officials in the 19th century were not said to have the dedication to their duty and moral
strength to resist corruption and through their power and authority, the Spaniards have
collected and wasted the money given by the Filipinos through paying tax (Dimasalang
Laon Laan, 2014). In conclusion, the Spaniards in said era have reigned above Filipinos
and have abused them and their hard-earned income.

There were numerous criticisms towards the educational system of the

Philippines back in the 19th century. One of which is an overemphasis on the religious
matters being that the Catholic Religion reigned in what all Filipinos must believe and
worship. It was also stated to have an obsolete teaching method with also limited
curriculum since Science and Mathematics were seldom taught and took priority on
Christian doctrines and Latin language. This was all due to the absence of academic
freedom due to Spain’s educational system, Filipinos did not have any right in
demanding which they wanted to educate themselves on. In entirety, education during
the regime of Spaniards was only provided and privileged to Spaniard students and
Philippine education was only provided in order to preserve the Philippines as
colonizers. In conclusion, the friars or one of the highest classes in the Philippines in
this regime were the ones who got control of the educational system. They earned
different and numerous schools hence their reign in the educational system in the
Spanish regime. Their missionaries have taken charge in maintaining the rules and
regulations imposed, as well as the teaching and controlling of the students.

During the 19th century when Spaniards reigned the Philippines, using their
power and governance, they would collect numerous forms of taxes which would, later
on, lead to corruption. According to Mallit (2018), taxes during the Spanish colonial
period were compulsory for two main reasons; to recognize the sovereignty of
Spaniards over the colonies and as well as to be able to defray the expenses of
pacification. There were five specific categories of taxes in this era; Tributo, Sanctorum,
Donativo, Caja De Comunidad, and Servicio Personal.
 In the 19th Century Philippines, Spain established a centralized colonial
government made up of a national government and local governments that ran
provinces, cities, towns, and municipalities. The national government kept the peace,
collected taxes, and built schools and other public works with the help of the local
governments. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a valiant and loyal servant of the Spanish
crown, was responsible for the colonization of the Philippines. In line with this, King
Philip II directed Legazpi to divide the country into large territories known as
encomiendas, which would be managed by designated encomenderos.
Areas where significant differences have been found, although Duterte and his
brutal drug war deserve attention, his administration's broader policy agenda, and
approach to politics and governance, and impact on democratic institutions and norms
have received far less. Duterte promised as a candidate that he would make real and
immediate improvements in the lives of Filipinos, particularly by aggressively combating
crime and corruption. After two and a half years in office, it's both necessary and
possible to assess what has and hasn't changed under Duterte's leadership. There are
elements of change, continuity, and regression in this situation.
Over the past few years, Duterte administration's record on human rights and
democracy is undeniably troubling. It has trampled on human rights, political rivals, and
the country's democratic institutions. Similarly, the Philippines' powerful presidency,
combined with the malleability of most of its political institutions, is causing significant
democratic backsliding. However, focusing solely on Duterte overlooks two important
factors, the extent to which this degradation has occurred through nominally legal
means, and the limited pushback to date by groups and institutions opposed to
strongman rule. The assault on human rights and democracy by the Duterte
administration also raises the question of what the US government and America's
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can and should do to defend democracy in
America's former colony. The report concludes with a discussion of the United States'
limited support for human rights and democracy in the Philippines since Duterte took
office, as well as recommendations for a more progress review.

References:
 Malit, T. (2018). Taxation during the Spanish Period. Prezi.Com.
https://prezi.com/p/c_qyy4o9mc35/taxation-during-the-spanish-period/

 Philippines in the 19th Century. (2014, July 27). Dimasalang Laong Laan.
Retrieved from https://dimasalanglaonglaan.wordpress.com/philippines-in-the-
19th-century/

 Timberman, D. (2016). Philippine Politics Under Duterte: A Midterm Assessment.

Retrieved from https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/01/10/philippine-politics-
under-duterte-midterm-assessment-pub-78091