Caraga state university

Ampayon, Butuan City 8600, Philippines

URL: www.carsu.edu.ph

Lesson 3 (a)
The Philippines in the 19th
Century: Social Structure
 Glossary of Terms

Peninsulares- they were pure Spaniards who were

born in Spain but/and lived in the Philippines
Insulares- also known as criollos in Spanish-held
country in South America. They were pure Spaniards
who were born in the Philippines. Some historians
called them Filipinos
Indio/s-refer to native Filipino
Mestizos- were of mixed ancestry, example Chinese-
Filipino, Spanish-Filipino
 The Filipino

The term Filipino was used only in 1898 or after the

Spanish rule. The use of the term Filipino in this
discussion is only to refer the natives of the country
in our context. But then again, it was used only after
the Spanish rule.
 Filipino Social Structure

The feudalism established by the Spanish colonial

government in the Philippines in the 19th century resulted to
master-slave relationship by the Spaniards. The Spanish
government imposed and collected all forms of taxes and
tributes from the native Filipinos and even required them to
render polo y servicio or forced labor to the government and the
Catholic church. Lands were owned by the wealthy Spanish
officials, businessmen and even friars. The native Filipinos
became tenants of their own land due to transfer of ownership.
 The photo above is the social pyramid. The level 1 is the
Upper Class which enjoyed by the peninsulares or the Spaniards
born in Spain. They held the most important government jobs,
and made up the smallest number of the population. Also in the
upper class is the group of friars who were members of any of
certain religious orders of men, especially the three mendicant
orders such as Augustinians (1565), Dominicans (1587), and
Franciscans (1577). Because of the union of Church and State,
these people in the upper class have the power and authority to
rule over the native Filipinos.
 The level 2 is the Middle Class which include the insulares
or Spaniards born in the Philippines, the Spanish (or European)
and Chinese mestizos, and the principalia or the ruling class of
native elites composed of the gobernadorcillo, cabeza de barangay,
landowners, merchant and wealthy native families. The level 3
or the lowest level is the Lower Class which placed only the
native Filipinos known during that time as the indios.
 The social pyramid during Spanish colonial government
manifested the superiority complex, and social tensions were
prevalent as the lower class were victimized by the Upper class.
However, racial discrimination came to be institutionalized
which Rizal even experienced it inside the schools he attended.
Members of the middle and lower classes were considered
inferior by the upper class and unworthy of education and
higher government positions. However, in the next chapter of
Philippine history, these two social ranks were those who
criticized the government and church and worked for to claim
freedom from Spanish tyranny.
 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 authority to rule over
the Filipinos.
✓ The Spanish officials
✓ The Peninsulares
(Spaniards who were born in Spain). They held the most important
government jobs, and made up the smallest number of the population.
 Social Structure: Highest Class

✓ The Friars are members of any

of certain religious orders of
men, especially the four
mendicant orders
(Augustinians, Carmelites,
Dominicans, and Franciscans).
 Social Structure: Middle Class

1. Middle Class – the people that belongs into this class includes the
natives, mestizos and the criollos (Insulares was the specific term given to criollos, a full-
blooded Spaniards born in the colonies; Philippines or the Marianas)

Natives – the pure Filipinos

 Social Structure: Middle Class

The Mestizos are the Filipinos of mixed indigenous Filipino or

European or Chinese ancestry.
 Social Structure: Lowest Class

Lowest class – this class includes the Filipinos only.

The Indios are the poor people having pure blood Filipino which ruled by
the Spaniards.
 On Education

✓ The social pyramid manifested also the privileges and rights of the
people according to their rank in the society. Thus, it affects their social
relationship, economic development, and attainment of education.
✓ The first schools were the parochial schools opened by the missionaries
in their parishes. In addition to religion, the Filipino native children in
these schools were taught reading, writing, arithmetic and some
vocational and practical arts subjects but most of the time centered on
the teaching of fear of God and obedience to the friars.
✓ These schools were under the control of the friars up to the middle of the
19th century. However, the primary education was not given attention
despite the establishment of parochial schools in the towns of the
provinces. Many of the Filipino native children attended these schools
were not able to develop self-confidence in their ability to learn and only
developed inferiority complex.
 On Education

✓ The separate colleges for boys and girls were also opened by the
missionaries. These colleges were the equivalent of our high schools today.
The subjects taught to the students included history, Latin, geography,
mathematics and philosophy. Some of these colleges offered degree which is
equivalent to present degrees in colleges
✓ Originally, these colleges were open only to the Spaniards and those with
Spanish blood or the mestizos. It was only during the 19th century that these
colleges began accepting native Filipinos. The university education was
started in the Philippines during the early part of the 17th century. By the
end of the 19th century, only the University of Santo Tomas remained as the
higher education institution in the country.
✓ On 1853, the Educational Decree was implemented in the country which
required the establishment of one elementary school for boys and one
elementary school for girls in each town of the Philippine provinces. The
decree also provided for the establishment of school for the training of
teachers mostly girls with a mastery of the Spanish language as the medium
of instruction in all schools but under the direction of the Jesuits.
 On Education

✓ The friars reacted negatively to the teaching of the Spanish language to

native Filipinos. For the friars, the learning of Spanish language to Indios
would lead to their knowledge and development of political and social
awareness about the Spanish government. These friars suppressed the
opportunity to learn and thus wanted the Filipino natives or Indios to
remain ignorant.
 References

https://dimasalanglaonglaan.wordpress.com/philippines-in-the-19th-
century/
• Garcia, C. & Cruz, C. (2005). Rizal and the Development of Filipino Nationalis:
A Textbook on the Life, Works and Writings of our National Hero. Mandaluyong
City: Books Atbp.Publishing Corp.
• https://www.teacherph.com/history-system-education-philippines/ last
retrieved December 27, 2020
• https://www.slideshare.net/MsKrabbs19/rizal-in-the-19th-century-philippines
last retrieved December 28, 2020