The Philippines in

the 19 Century:
th

Rizal’s context
Topics for Discussion
• The Social Structure
• The Political System
• The Educational System
• Economic Development

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The Social Structure
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Early Filipinos Social Structure
The Filipinos in the 19th century had suffered from feudalistic
and master slave relationship by the Spaniards. Their social
structure is ranked into three groups:

Filipinos

Highest Lowest
Middle Class
Class Class

Spanish
Peninsulares Friars Natives Mestizos Indios
Officials

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Social Structure : Highest Class
Highest class – the people that belong in this class include
the Spaniards, peninsulares and the friars. They have the
power and authorit y to rule over the Filipinos. They enjoyed
their positions and do what they want.
1. The Spanish officials
2. The Peninsulares (Spaniards who were born in Spain).
They held the most import ant government jobs, and
made up the smallest number of the population.
3. The Friars are members of any of certain religious
orders of men, especially the four mendicant orders
(Augustinians, Jesuits, Dominicans, and Franciscans).

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AUGUSTINIANS

Augustine of Hippo

Several mendicant Orders of friars, who lived a

mixed religious life of contemplation and apostolic
ministry and follow the Rule of St. Augustine.
DOMINICANS

Saint Dominic
The Order of Preachers (Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum), more commonly
known after the 15th century as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a
Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman in
France and approved by Pope Honorius III (1216–27) on 22 December
1216.
FRANCISCAN

Coat of Arm Saint Francis of Assisi

The most prominent group is the Order of Friars Minor,
commonly called simply the "Franciscans." They seek to follow
most directly the manner of life that Saint Francis led.
JESUIT

Ignatius of Loyola
The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu, S.J., SJ or SI)
is a Christian male religious order of the Roman
Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits and
are also known colloquially as "God's Marines"
Social Structure : Highest Class

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Social Structure : Middle Class
Middle class – the people that belongs into this
class includes the natives, mestizos and the
criollos.
1. Natives– the pure Filipinos
2. The M estizos are the Filipinos of mixed
indigenous Filipino or European or Chinese
ancestry.

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Social Structure : Middle Class
Three Typesof Mestizos

Mestizos de Sangley Person of mixed Chinese and

Filipino ancestry.

Mestizos de Española Person of mixed Spanish and

Filipino ancestry.

Tornatras Person of mixed Spanish,

Filipino and Chinese ancestry.
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Social Structure : Middle Class

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Social Structure : Lowest Class
Lowest class – this class includes the Filipinos
only.
Natives– the pure Filipinos
1. The Indios are the poor people having pure
blood Filipino which ruled by the Spaniards.

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Social Structure : Lowest Class

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The Political System
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Central Government Under Spain
Spain established ONE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT in the
Philippines.

Many independent barangays of our ancestors

disappeared. One government alone ruled most of the
country. Thus, for the first t ime in history, we became
united as one nation called “FILIPINAS”. The rest of t he
world came to know our country by that name.

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Central Government Under Spain
Since Spain was far from the country, the Spanish
king ruled the Islands through the viceroy of
Mexico, which was then another Spanish colony

King of Spain

Viceroy of Mexico

Philippines

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Central Government Under Spain
When Mexico regained it s freedom in 1821, the
Spanish king ruled the Philippines through a
Governor General.

King of Spain

Governor General

Philippines

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Governor General
The King's representative and the highest ranking
official in the Philippines.

He had GREAT POWERS. He had the power to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

appoint and dismiss public officials, except t hose
personally chosen by the King. He was the
commander in chief of the colonial armed forces.

He was also the president of the Royal Audiencia.

(Like the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court today)

The first one was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the

last was Diego de los Rios
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Diego de los Rios
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 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
created:

1. Residencia
2. Visitador General
3. Royal Audiencia

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Diego de los Rios
Residencia
This was a special judicial court that
investigates the performance of a
Governor General who was about to be
replaced.

The Residencia, of which the incoming

Governor General was usually a member,
submitted a report of its findings to the
King.

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Visitador General
The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a
government official called the Visitador
General to observe the conditions of the
colony.

The Visitador General reported his

findings directly to the king.

José de Gálvez became one of the

Visitador General here in the Philippines.
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Royal Audiencia
Considered to be the highest court in the land
during the Spanish Regime.

Served as an advisory body to the Governor

General and had the power to check and report
his abuses. The Audiencia also audited the
expenditures of the colonial government and
send an annual report to Spain.

The Archbishop and other government officials

could also report the abuses of the colonial
govenrment.
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Local Government : Provincial
The Spaniards created Local Government Units (LGU) for the
provinces. There were two types of local government units:

Though they were paid a small salary, they enjoyed privileges

such as the INDULTO DE COMERCIO or the right to
participate in the Galleon Trade.

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Local Government : Provincial
The ALCADIA, led by the Alcalde M ayor governed the
provinces.

DUTIESOF THEALCALDEMAYOR:

1. Represented the Spanish king and the Governor-General

2. Managed the day-to-day operations of the provincial
government
3. Implemented laws and supervised the collection of taxes

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Local Government : Provincial
The CORREGIMIENTO headed by Corregidor
governed the provinces that were not
entirely under Spanish control.

Example of Philippine CORREGIMIENTO

Provinces are Bataan and Mindoro

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Local Government : City
Larger towns became cities called AYUNTAMIENTO. It
became the center of trade and industry.

The ayuntamiento had a city council called the CABILDO

which is composed of:
1. Alcalde (mayor)
2. Regidores (councillors)
3. Alguacil mayor (police chief)
4. Escribando (secretary)

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Local Government : Municipal
Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos headed
by GOBERNADORCILLOS (Little Governor)

MAIN DUTIES: Efficient governance and tax

collection.

FOUR LIEUTENANTSAIDED THEGOVERNARDORCILLO:

1. the Teniente Mayor (chief lieutenant),
2. the Teniente de Policia (police lieutenant),
3. the Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields)
4. the Teniente de Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock)
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Gobernadorcillo
They had SM A LL SA LA RI ESbut were
exempt ed from PAYI N GTAXES.

QUALI FI CATI ON S:
1 . Any N at i v e or Ch i n ese M ezt i zo
2. 25 year sold
3. Literatein O RA L or W RITTEN SPANISH
4. Cabeza de Bar angay for 4 year s

Ex: EmilioAguinaldo

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Cabeza de Barangay
Served as the Barrio Administrator or Barangay
Captain

Responsible for the peace and order of the

barrio and were recruited men for public works

QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Cabezas should be literate in Spanish.
2. Have good moral character and property.
3. Cabezas who served for 25 years were
exempted from forced labor.
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The Educational
System
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Education
Basic education was rendered by parochial
schools, established primarily for religious
instructions. The first one was established in
CEBU.

In 1582, Archbishop Domingo de Salazar

ordered that every town must have one school
for boys and also, one for girls.

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Education

In 1589, The first college for boys the

COLLEGE OF M ANILA later change to
COLLEGE OF SAN IGNACIO. And in 1621,
it was named UNIVERSITY OF SAN
IGNACIO by Pope Gregory XV.
Unfortunately, This school was closed in
1768.

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Education
In 1611, the COLEGIO DE NUESTRA SENORA DEL
SANTISSIMO ROSARIO was established by FRAY MIGUEL
BENAVIDES. Later named UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTO
TOMASin1645 by Pope Innocent X.

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Education
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Letran College, or simply Letran
is a private Roman Catholic institut ion of learning located in
Intramuros, Manila, in t he Philippines. The college was founded in
1620.

Colegio De San Juan De Letran established to t ake care of orphaned

Spanish boys.

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Education
The girls also given special education. The schools were of two
kinds: the COLEGIO, which is the regular school for girls; and t he
beaterio, a combined school and nunnery.

Royal College of Santa Potenciana: The oldest school for young girls,
its was established by Philip II upon the urging of Manila bishop,
Domingo de Salazar, OP and the Franciscans

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Education
The COLLEGE OF SANTA ISABEL is now the oldest existing college
for girls in the country.

It was built to care the spanish orphaned girls. Eventually, it became

an exclusive school for the daughters of affluent Spaniards.

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Thanks!
Any questions?

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References
https://dimasalanglaonglaan.wordpress.com/philippi
nes-in-the-19th-century/

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