THE CROSS, THE SWORD AND

POLI TI CO- MI LI TARY

STRATEGI ES (REDUCCI ÓN,
DI VI DE AND CONQUER,
COOPTATI ON OF THE ELI TE) I N
SPANI SH COLONI ZATI ON
Ang, Batiancila, Bayarcal, Baylon
The Sword and the
Cross

-Religion

-Force
First Mass in the Philippines

The first recorded mass of the Philippines was

conducted by Fr Pedro de Valderrama on March 13,
1521 along the shores of Mazua.
Legazpi's Expedition

A Spanish Viceroy in Mexico

commanded a Spanish colonist
named Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to
organize an expedition.
 Encomienda
In the early parts of colonization,
Encomienda served as an instrument
of pacification.
In Encomienda, inhabitants of a
certain territory are put under the
control or care of an encomendero.
Initially, it was supposed to be a
feudal institution, however, power
was abused and the Spanish
economic base became capitalist.
The Crown bestowed power to the
earliest Encomenderos to collect
tribute.
 Taming Encomiendas

In 1542, advocates of the suppression of the

Encomienda persuaded Charles V to decree the
abolition of the encomiendas.
 Philippine Encomienda

The Philippine encomienda was similar to the Latin

American model, it is not a land grant.

Abuse of the Encomiendas

The Encomendia system is attributed

to greed and cruelty due to the
abusive encomenderos. Fray
Domingo de Salazar described the
atrocities during this in these words:
Instruments of Pacification:

Encomendero Forced Labor

 Forms of Exactions:

Tribute Forced Labor Bandala Military

Conscription
Tribute

Tribute was collected from Filipinos aged

from nineteen to sixty years old except for
the gobernadorcillos, cabezas and their
families, government officials, etc.
The tribute-collectors were abusive and
more sophisticated forms of abuse took
place because of this system.
Forced Labor
(Polo y Servicio)

1580 - All male Filipinos ages of 16 to

60 were required to serve for 40 days
each year to the federal government.
1884- Changed from 40 days to 15 days
per year.
Forced Labor
(Polo y Servicio)

Chieftains, neighborhood officials and

school teachers were exempted due to
their services
Principalia were also exempted from
polo by paying 7 pesos
Forced Labor
(Polo y Servicio)

Regulations
1. Must be used limited to needed
general public works and buildings
2. Workers were or should be paid-in full
3. Alcaldes gran should think about the
physical condition of each and every
laborer
4. Polista was not supposed to be brought
to a distant place nor required to work
during planting and harvesting season
Forced Labor
(Polo y Servicio)

The regulations of forced-labor were

often broken especially when war
required the impressment of large labor
pools.
Politas constructed the ships as well as
recruited to man these vessels.
Forced Labor
(Polo y Servicio)
Seldom paid, then villages were forced
to provide a monthly allowance of 4
pesos worth of rice.
They certainly were not offered meals,
as required legally; they had to produce
their very own meals as an alternative.
Absence of man caused manpower
shortage causing abandoned fields then
results to people dying from hunger.
Bandala
Instituted by Governor Sebastian Hurtado
de Corcuera in the early 17th Century
Annual quotas were assigned to provinces
for required sales of products to the
government.
Prices were lowered to hinder people from
reaching their quota forcing them to buy
at a higher price and reselling at a lower
rate.
The officials collect more than what is
tallied to keep the excess for themselves
 Divide and Rule

The Spanish never had an enormous

number of soldiers sent to the Philippines.
To control a vast land like our country with
minimum personnel, they adapted the
divide and rule strategy.
INTERMEDIARIES

Leaders of native communities served as

foundations for the colonial
administration in addition to being
intermediaries to keep peace
REDUCCION

This system is moving the Indigenous

People into urban settlements; especially
in the places where the churches and
plazas are
THANK
YOU