The Philippine Condition during the 19th Century as Rizal’s
Context
Spain in the 19th Century
The 19th century was a turbulent century of politics in
Spanish history
• It was a period of political instability owing to the frequent
rise and fall of ministries and constitutions
• To save the country from political disunity, the Spanish
crown worked out the canovite system or rotativism – the
liberals and conservatives in Spain took turns in administering
the affairs of the country
• The political instability in Spain affected the Philippines
adversely -there were frequent changes in the top colonial
administration in the Philippines
Abandonment of Mercantilism
• Before the 19th century, European practiced mercantilism –
the country’s wealth and power can be measured in its stock
of gold and silver
• It also means that all trade should be conducted within a
certain country and its colonies: Manila-Acapulco Galleon
Trade
• By 18th and 19th centuries, there was a shift towards
laissez faire or free market trade – countries and their
colonies began trading with one another.
• Before, only the Spaniards benefitted from the Galleon
trade, with free trade, the growers and traders of Philippine
products gained wealth
Middle class families were able to send their children to
acquire higher education 0
• The opening of Suez Canal in 1869 brought Europe closer to
the Philippines and the enlightenment ideas became more
prevalent among middle class – became known as the
illustrados or the “enlightened ones”
The Philippines during Rizal’s Time
The Governor-General, appointed by the Spanish monarch,
was the head of the Spanish colonial government
• The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines ran
indirectly through the viceroy of the Spain in Mexico
• He was the Vice Royal Patron – he could nominate priests
for administration of the parishes
• He was the commander in chief of the colonial army
He was the president of the Royal Audiencia (the Supreme
Court in the Philippines during those times), he had legislative
powers
Laws enacted by the Governor-General were called actos
acordados
The Governor-General had the power of cumplase – the
power to decide which law or royal decree should be
implemented or disregarded
Governor-General
The Governor-General and other government officials had so
much power that it was commonly abused. To investigate the
abuses, there were bodies created:
1. Residencia
2. Visitador
3. Royal Audiencia
Below the national government were the local government
units, namely: provinces; towns; cities and barrios.
• The provinces during the Spanish regime were alcaldias and
corregimientos – each province was headed by an Alcalde
Mayor (Alcaldia) or Corregimiento (Corregidor) Provincial
Governor, who exercised executive and judicial functions.
• The provincial government was the most corrupt unit in
local government then, because of indulto de commercio – a
right given to Alcalde Mayor to engage in trading.
• The alcaldias or provinces were divided into towns or
pueblos. Each pueblo was headed by a gobernadorcillo or
town mayor
• At first, he was elected by all married males.
• In the 19th century, he was voted by 13 electors, chaired
by the outgoing gobernadorcillo.
• His principal responsibility was tax collection.
• He was required to mortgage his properties to the
government at the beginning of his term of office.
• Each town was divided into barrios or barangays. Each
barangay was headed by a cabeza de barangay.
• His main function was the maintenance of peace & order
and collection of taxes & tributes in the barangay.
The friar was the supervising representative of the Spanish
government for all local affairs.
• His approval was necessary on almost all acts of the local
officials.
• Eventually, the friars became more powerful and influential
that even civil authorities feared them – this situation was
what Lopez Jaena termed as frailocracia.
• Their advice (friars) on the proper management of
governmental affairs was sought by every new governor-
general.
• Another institution feared in the Philippines then was the
Guardia Civil - national police force of Spain
Filibusteros – enemies of the government
• Erehes – enemies of the Catholic Church
• Judicial power of the government was vested on the Royal
Audiencia – the Supreme Court during those times
• It did not only adjudicate appeals for civil and criminal
cases, it also served as a forum for settling important issues
on governance and an auditing agency of the finances
• Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes was
abolished in 1837
Spanish colonial administration was corrupt and inefficient
 • The governor-general exercised absolute powers – he could
reward positions in the bureaucracy to his favorites
• The Spanish crown had instituted the residencia – the trial
of an outgoing governor-general to account for his acts
during his tenure of office and the visitador – investigating
officer to probe on the complaints against the governor-
general
• Another source of weakness and abuse of Spanish
government was the widespread selling of government
positions
The Social Structure of Filipino
Society
The Filipinos were treated as slaves by the Spanish
conquerors
• Polo y Servicio - The forced labor of all Filipino males from
16 to 60 years old for 40-day periods. The word polo refers to
community work, and the laborer was called polista.
• The only way to avoid being forced to do polo y servicio
was to pay the falla.
• The social structure implemented by Spain was pyramidal
due to the colonizers’ adherence to the doctrine of limpieza
de sangre or purity of blood
• Peninsulares – the highest class, Spanish born in Spain and
live in the Philippines
• Insulares - Spanish born in the Philippines
• Creoles - the third class, they are the mix blood or
combination of Spanish, Chinese and Filipino
✓ Illustrado – the well educated Filipino
✓ Principalia – the ruling class of native elites
• Indios – the last class, the unfortunate and discriminated
class in the society 19th Century Social Pyramid
Educational System
Up to the middle of the 19th century, schools were under the
control of friars
• Primary education was not given attention despite the
establishment of parochial schools in many towns
• Instructions centered on the teaching of fear of God and
obedience to friars
• Children in schools were taught that they were of inferior
intelligence and were suited only for manual work
• Filipino children were not able to develop self-confidence in
their ability to learn
By the end of 19th century, only the University of Santo
Tomas (UST) was the existing higher education institution in
the Philippines
• UST, founded by the Dominicans in 1611, was the only
university which offered courses in medicine, pharmacy,
theology, philosophy, as well as canon and civil law
• It opened to the Filipinos during the last half of the 19th
century
• The Spaniards also opened secondary schools for boys
• Notable among these schools were the Colegio de Santo
Tomas, Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Ateneo Municipal
• Secondary education for girls were provided by the
following schools in Manila namely: Santa Isabel; La
Concordia; Santa Rosa; and Santa Catalina
• All these schools were subject to inspection of the
Dominican Rector of the University of Santo Tomas
• It was also in this century (19th century) when public
education for the natives was begun.
• The Educational Decree of 1863 was implemented in the
country – it required the establishment of one elementary
school for boys and one elementary for girls in each town in
the Philippines
• The same decree provided for the establishment of a school
for the training of teachers with a mastery of the Spanish
language – Spanish language shall be the medium of
instruction in all schools
• The friars resisted the teaching of Spanish language to the
Filipinos
• They believed that knowledge of the Spanish language
would lead to the development of political and social
awareness among the natives – could trigger in them the
desire to work for freedom and independence
• They keep the Filipinos ignorance and opposed all efforts to
improve education
• Although the Spanish government exerted efforts to
educate the Filipinos in the 19th century, the educational
system implemented in the country had serious weaknesses.
✓ Over-emphasis on religion;
✓ Limited and irrelevant curriculum;
✓ Obsolete classroom facilities;
✓ Inadequate instructional materials;
✓ Absence of academic freedom and; and
✓ Racial prejudice against the Filipinos in school
The Social Structure of Filipino
Economic Situation
• The country was opened to foreign trade in 1834, which
resulted to rapid rise of foreign firms in Manila
• The growing prosperity of the Philippines in the 19th
century had significant consequences
✓ it increased Filipino contacts with foreigners
✓ they were able to send their sons for an education in
Europe
✓ The awareness of a completely different type of society
prevalent in Europe made these European-educated Filipinos
disenchanted with Spain
The Different Socio-Economic Policies imposed by the
Spaniards
• Reduccion - This policy was implemented so that the
government and parish priest could easily monitor the natives
and for the easy conversion to Catholicism
 • Bandala - The natives are obliged to sell their products to
the Spaniards
• Polo y Servicios - The forced labor of all Filipino males from
16 to 60 years old for 40-day periods. The only way to avoid
being forced to do polo y servicio was to pay the falla.
• Taxation
✓ Cedula – male and female 18 years old and above will pay
every year for the cedula
✓ Sanctorum – tax for the church
✓ Tribute – it may be paid in cash or in kind
• Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was first to order the payment of
tribute. The tribute or buwis was collected from the natives
both in cash (gold or money) and in kind (e.g. rice, cloth,
chicken, coconut oil, abaca, etc.)
• Galleon Trade
✓ This trading policy changed the system of free trading in
the Philippines where in the other nationalities like the
Chinese are free to exchange their goods with the Filipinos
who had extra goods.
✓ Boletas – the ticket for the Galleon trade