19th CENTURY PHILIPPINES AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

19th century was the era of challenges and responses.

It is the period of major changes that affect man & society.
Age of enlightenment.
POLITICAL CONTEXT – the struggle of nationalism.
a. The French Revolution
b. b. American Civil War

 CONSERVATISM VS. LIBERALISM – in Spain there was the split among

the intellectuals into the irreconcilable camps, the Conversatives and the
Liberals, neither of which advantage adequate practical solutions to end all
strives.
 FRAILOCRACY – rule of the friars

POLITICAL STRUCTURE DURING SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD

ECONOMIC CONTEXT
INDUSTRIALIZATION – this generally applied to the extraordinary transformation
in the method of: production, transportation, and communication through the substitution
of the manual labor to machine.

1. ENCOMIENDA TO HACIENDA – encomienda and hacienda systems. Labor

systems developed by Spain granting large amount of land to settlers in the
Americas and claiming ownership of all of the resources and of the natives. The
 encomienda and hacienda systems developed an exchange among the natives for
work in return of protection and education.’

2. GALLEON TRADE

o Manila - Acapulo 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 and silk from China by way of
Manila. This way, the Philippines earned its income through buy and sell – that is, they
bought American silver for resale to China.
3. INDULTO DE COMERCIO – privilege of provincial governors to engage in and
monopolize trade

 Forced Labor (Polo y servicio)

- Is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16-60 years of age who
were obligated to give personal services to community projects. One could be
exempted from polo y servicio by paying the falla, a daily fine of one and a half
real.
- In 1884, labor was reduced to 15 days. The polo system was patterned after the
Mexican repartimento, selection of forced labor.

 Taxation – to support the colony, several forms of taxes and monopolies were
imposed.
 Direct: the tithe is the payment of the 10% of an individual’s annual income to the
government. The sanctorum is the tax being paid as support to the church, the
tribute(buwis) is the taxor rent given to the landlord a resident is under. It may be in cash
or in kind (tobacco, chickens, produce, gold, blankets, cotton, rice, etc. depending on the
region of the country), fixed at 8 reals and later increased to 15 reals.

SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT – related to the different groups of people in society

and their habits, traditions, and beliefs.

PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING SPANISH TIME

1855 - the year Spain realized the need of establishing a system of public education for
the indios.
- this was also the year that Gov. Gen Crespo organized a Commission and recommended
remedial measures to improve elementary education.
1861 – the year Commission completed its report and forwarded it to Spain.
1863 – the year that the Educational Decree of 1863 was issued.

PROVISIONS OF EDUCATIONAL DECREE OF 1863

1. Establishments of Teacher Training School.
2. Government supervises the public school system.
3. Use of Spanish as medium of instruction in all schools.
4. Establishment of one primary schools for boys and for girls in each of major town.

DEFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING SPANISH TIME

1. Emphasis on Religion
Fear of God was emphasized.
Obedience to friars was instilled in the mind of the people.
Indios were constantly reminded that they have inferior intelligence and were fit for
manual labor only.
Will of God was also emphasized.

2. Absence of Academic Freedom

 Most schools were not opened to the natives.
Students were not allowed to express their opinion.

3. Racial Discrimination
prior to educational decree of 1863, the schools were not opened to the natives.
Spaniards hesitated to consider the indios as educable as themselves.

4. Limited curriculum
Education was limited to the 3Rs, that is, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

THE PHILIPPINES OF RIZAL’S TIME

During the time of Rizal, the sinister shadow of Spain’s decadence darkened
the Philippine skies. The Filipino agonized beneath the yoke of Spanish misrule,
for they were unfortunate victims of the evils of an unjust, bigoted, and
deteriorating colonial power. Among these evils were as follows:

a. Evil of the Unjust Colonial Power – instability of colonial

b. Corrupt Officialdom
c. No Philippine representation in the Spain Cortes
d. Human Rights Denied to Filipinos
e. No Equality Before the Law
f. Maladministration of Justice
g. Racial Discrimination
h. Frailocracy
i. Forced Labor or “Polo Y Servicios’
j. Haciendas Owned by the Friars
k. The Guardia Civil