Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod

College of Health and Allied Professions

Pharmacy Program

GEC 300 LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL (CHAPTER 1: RA 1425 – TASK #1)

By: KAITLYN ALEXANDRA ALIT, BSPharm 1A

1. Find out the social structures of the Philippines under the Spanish rule. (ranked into 3

groups), describe each group and come up with their pictures.

During the Spanish Era, the social structures were classified into three:

the Highest, the Middle, and the Lowest class.

a. The Highest class included the Spaniards, the Peninsulares, who held the most

important part in the government, and the Friars, who are members of any

religious orders.

b. The Middle class included the Natives, who are pure Filipinos, Mestizos, who are

Filipinos of mixed indigenous ancestry, and Criollos.

c. The Lowest class included the Filipinos, such as those who are considered Indios,

who are pure-blooded Filipinos that are considered poor.

2. Know the educational system under the Spanish rule.

During the Spanish period, the education system in the Philippines we dominated

and quite controlled by the Spanish friars, and they were also able to build schools from

primary to tertiary levels. The missionaries were said to be in charge of teaching,

controlling, as well as maintaining the rules and regulations which emphasized the

Catholic religion, teachings, and values that were set for the students to follow.

Students in the primary level were taught the Christian doctrines, Spanish book

readings, as well as the native language, such as Latin instead of Spanish. There was also

an overemphasis on religious matters, and outdated teaching methods were used.

It has also been stated that there was a lack or absence of necessary curriculum,

classroom facilities, and teaching materials.

3. Know the political system under the Spanish rule.

When the Spaniards came to colonize

the Philippines, they established a centralized

colonial government, where it is composed of

local and national governments which are able

to administer provinces, cities, towns, and

municipalities. And together, they were able to

maintain peace and order, collect taxes, and

build schools.

It was composed of a governor-general (who exercises the legislative power, and

has the power to appoint and dismiss public officials, supervise government offices and
 tax collections, as well as facilitate implementation of laws), the residencia (which is a

special judicial court that investigates a governor general’s performance), the visita

(which observes the condition of the colony), the royal audencia (which is an advisory

body to the governor-general that performs judicial functions), the provincial

government (which is a local government unit categorized in to two types: the alcadia,

which is led by the Alcalde Mayor, and the corregimiento, which is led by a Corregidor),

the municipal government (which is divided into several towns and headed by

Gobernadorcillos, and under him are the Teniente Mayor, Teniente de Policia, Teniente

de Sementeras, and Teniente de Ganados), and the encomienda system (which are large

territories in the Philippines managed by encomenderos, who had the right to collect

taxes).

4. Find out the abuses and immoralities of the friars.

The corruption, abuses, immoralities, and injustices of the friars were all depicted

in Dr. Jose Rizal’s writings, such as in Noli Me Tangere. The friars were able to commit

simony, collect excessive church fees, as well as retrogressive educational methods. They

were also able to belittle the dignity of lay officials since they are considered the supreme

representative of authority.
5. Come up with a copy of Marcelo H. Del Pilar's parody of the Ten Commandments to

ridicule the friars.

Ten Commandments of Marcelo H. del Pilar w/ regard to the Friars

1. Thou shalt worship and love the friars above all.

2. Thou shalt not cheat them of their stipends.

3. Thou shalt not sanctify the friar, Sundays, or holidays.

4. Thou shalt pawn thyself to pay for the burial of thy father.

5. Thou should not die if thou hast not the money to pay for thine interment.

6. Thou shalt not covet his wife.

7. Thou shalt not steal with him.

8. Thou shalt not accuse him even if thou be called a liar.

9. Thou shalt not refuse him your wife.

10. Thou shalt not deny him with your property.