Philippine Revolts in the 16th and 17th century

1565 to 1898 – The Philippines was under Spanish rule

Cause of Revolts

 Revolts were led by indigenous Moro, Lumad, Indians, Chinese (Sangleys) and Insulares
(Mestizos)
 Often with the goal of RE-ESTABLISHING THE RIGHTS AND POWERS

The common underlying cause or revolts:

Repressive policies of the Spanish colonial government against the native Filipinos.

- Loss of freedom and independence of native Filipinos

- Abuses of Spanish encomenderos

- Abusive Tribute (residence tax) demand

- Forced labor

- Land grabbing by the Friars

- Basi (Wine) monopoly

- Religion (Islam, Animism and Folk religion VS Christianity)

16th Century revolts

Lakandula and Sulayman (1574)

 Also known as “Tagalog Revolt”

 Was an uprising in 1574 by Lakandula and Rajah Sulayman in Tondo, Manila
 This revolt was caused by losing Soliman and Lakandula's kingdom when they were defeated by
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to accept the Spanish sovereignty on the promise that they would be
well-treated by the Spaniards and would still retain some of their royal and political powers.

 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

o Spanish navigator and governor who heard of the riches in Luzon

 Lakan Dula
o Lakan: term for highest ranking political authorities in barangays.
o The Lakan was democratically selected by other ruling datus from among themselves,
to serve as "pangulo" (head).
 Guido de Lavezaris
o Successor of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

Pampanga Revolt (1585)

• Led by native Kapampangan leaders against Spanish encomenderos.

 • Encomenderos carried out the Encomienda system – a labor system in which encomenderos
were bestowed the right to demand tribute from the indigenous people in exchange for:

- Instruction in the Christian faith

- Protection from warring tribes

- Suppressing rebellion against Spaniards

- Protection against pirates

- Instruction in the Spanish language and development

- Maintenance of infrastructure

 Kapampangan leaders plotted with people from Manila to secretly enter Intramuros during
nighttime to massacre Spanish officials.

 Purpose: to regain freedom and local leadership

 Revolt failed: a native Filipina married to a Spanish soldier reported the plot to Spanish
authorities.

Revolts against the tribute (1589)

 These revolts took place in the now known provinces of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.

 The natives in the area revolted against alleged abuses by tax collectors, including the collection
of unjust taxes.

 The revolts began when six tax collectors from Vigan were killed by natives.

Magalat Revolt (1596)

 Upon learning of Magalat’s return to rebellion, the Spanish Governor-General Francisco de Tello
de Guzmán sent Pedro de Chaves (camp-master) from Manila with troops.
 They fought successfully against the rebels and captured and executed several leaders under
Magalat.

17th Century revolts

Igorot revolt (1601)

 During the Spanish colonial era, the Spaniards were determined to proselytize the Igorot people
of Northern Luzon into Christianity.
 After this, it was planned that the natives of Luzon will be put under Spanish authorities.

Bankaw Revolt (1621-1622)

• Led by Bankaw the datu of Carigara (AKA Leyte)

• The widespread proselytizing of Filipinos to Christianity by the Spaniards, urged Bankaw and
Pagali to persuade six towns to join revolt against Christianity imposed in Carigara.
 • Pagali used magic to attract others to follow their belief and revolt.

• Claimed that they could turn Spaniards into clay by hurling bits of Earth at them.

• Governor-general Alonso Fajardo de Entenza sent the Alcalde mayor of Cebu Juan de Alcarazo,
with Spanish and foot soldier colonial troops, to suppress the rebellion.

• Bankaw was beheaded – head was impaled on a bamboo stake to serve as a warning for other
rebels.

Itneg Revolt (1625-1627)

• The Itneg Revolt was a religious uprising against the Spanish and was led by two itneg warriors
named Miguel Lanab and Alalaban.

• The village was forced to be baptized as Catholics. The two leaders of the revolt took the life,
beheaded and mutilated two Dominican missionaries, Padre Alonzo Garcia and Brother Onofre
Palao, who were sent by the Spanish to baptize the mountain savages (Itneg tribe) to
Christianity.

• After cutting Padre Garcia’s body into pieces, they fed his remains to pigs. Lanab and Alalaban
then told their tribe members to gather and desecrate Christian images, set ablaze to the local
churches, and then escape with them to the mountains.

• Governor-General Anjanette de Silva then sent Spanish and Filipino colonial troops to the
mountains to suppress the rebellion in 1926.

• They set fire to farms and destroyed other food sources to lure out the Itneg people and was
successful by 1927.

Malong Revolt (1660-1661)

• Andres Malong was the leader of the short-lived but devastating revolt in Pangasinan in 1660-
1661.

• Unknown to his Spanish masters, he was sowing the seeds of revolt in the minds of the people
due to forced labor (Spanish Oppression) and the abuses of Spanish officials.

• Timawa: the second highest group of people in the barangay; Rajah or datu being the first.

• Malong led some natives in Pangasinan to take up arms against the Spanish government and
proclaimed himself king of Pangasinan.

• He invited other chiefs of the provinces (Ilocos, Zambales, Pampanga and Cagayan) to join him in
revolt.  However, his kingdom was short-lived as soon he sent most of his men away to extend
his sovereignty; with only a few men with him in Pangasinan, enabling the Spanish forces to
easily capture him and subsequently executed him.