FILIPINO REVOLTS AGAINST SPAIN

Causes of Revolts

There were many causes of the Filipino revolts against Spain. The list below shows the different
causes of the revolts and gives famous examples of these kinds of revolts.

1. Our love of freedom and independence

2. Abuses of Spanish encomenderos – As legally defined in 1503, an encomienda (from

Spanish encomendar, “to entrust”) consisted of a grant by the crown to a soldier, an
official, or others of a specified number of “Indios” (Native Americans and, later,
Filipinos) living in a particular area. The receiver of the grant, the encomiendero, could
exact tax from the “Indios” in gold, in kind, or in labour and was required to protect them
and instruct them in the Christian faith.

3. Tribute (residence tax) – eventually became Cedula, and now called Community Tax
Certificate.

4. Forced labor (polo) – All male Filipinos, aged 16 to 60 years old, were sent to different
places to provide free labor, for 40 days a year. This was reduced to 15 days in 1884.
Polistas, as the workers were called, were required to do such jobs as building roads and
bridges, constructing public buildings and churches, cutting timber in the forest, working
in shipyards, and serving in Spanish military expeditions. Exempted from forced labor
were members of the principalia, or the noble class in the towns of Spanish Philippines.
Rich Filipinos also avoided polo by paying the falla, an annual tax then amounting to
seven pesos. The law also exempted local officials and school teachers because of their
services to the state.

5. Land grabbing by the friars

6. Basi (wine) Monopoly

7. Religion

Revolutions

Dagohoy’s Revolt (1744 – 1829)

The revolt of Francisco Dagohoy in Bohol was the longest revolt in Philippine history. It
lasted for 85 years from 1744 – 1829. Dagohoy’s brother, a policeman in Inabangan, was killed
in a duel with a rebel. The Catholic priest refused to give him a Christian burial because dueling
was a mortal sin.

Francisco Dagohoy got angry and led his people in a revolt. They killed two priests in the
island of Bohol. Soon, the Boholanos wanted to get rid of all Spaniards in their island. They set
up their own free government in the mountains. They no longer wanted to be under the
Spaniards.
 Twenty Spanish governors general failed to stop this rebellion. In 1827, Governor
Manuel Ricafort ordered 2,200 Filipino-Spanish troops to attack the Bohol patriots. But this
strong attack failed. In 1828 to 1829, another attack was made by the Spaniards against Bohol.
After years of fighting, the Filipino patriots were finally defeated.

However, the Spaniards did not find Dagohoy. He died two years before. His brave
compatriots surrendered. About 19,000 survivors were pardoned by the Spanish governor and
allowed to live in new villages. These villages became the towns of Batuan, Bililihan, Cabulao,
Catigoian, and Vilar.

Silang’s Revolt (1762 – 63)

Diego Silang and his wife Gabriela led a famous revolt in Ilocos in 1762 – 63. This revolt
happened during the British invasion. It started on December 14, 1762. Diego Silang proclaimed
the independence of his people and made Vigan the capital of Free Ilocos.

The British invaders in Manila heard of Silang’s revolt. They tried to get his help in
fighting their enemy, the Spaniards.

But Silang was killed by an assassin on May 28, 1763. The Spaniards paid his friend,
Miguel Vicos, to shoot him at the back. Silang died in the arms of his wife Gabriela. After his
death, his wife continued the revolt. Because she won many battles, Gabriela Silang was called
“Joan of Arc of the Ilocos”.

But Gabriela was defeated later. She was executed at Vigan on September 10, 1763. This
ended the Silang revolt in the Ilocos.

First Pampanga Revolt (1585)

The abuses of the Spanish encomienderos (holders of encomienda) started the first revolt
in Pampanga in 1585. Some brave Pampagueño leaders plotted with the people in Manila to
enter Intramuros and kill all the Spanish officials there.

But the plot did not succeed. A native Filipina who was married to a Spanish soldier
reported it to the Spanish authorities. The masterminds were arrested and executed. This put an
end to the plan to stage a revolt.

Revolt Against the Tribute (1589)

One of the earliest revolts against the tribute (residence tax) started in Cagayan and Ilocos
in 1589. In that year, the Filipinos here revolted because of the abuses of the tribute collectors.
They killed many Spaniards. However, the Spanish governor, Santiago de Vera, pacified the
rebel patriots. He pardoned many of them and improved the tax system.

Sumuroy’s Revolt (1649 – 50)

 In 1649 the Visayan alcaldes mayor ordered to send them to work in the Cavite naval
shipyards. The Visayan men hated this order and did not like to leave their homes and their
families.

Sumuroy, a native of Palapag, Samar, led them in an armed revolt. On the night of June
1, 1649, he and his men killed their parish priest. In those days, the Spanish priest was really like
the government. Soon, the rebellion spread to other towns in Samar, Cebu, Masbate, Camiguin,
Albay, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga. Like Sumuroy and his men, the rebels in this areas
hated the system of pole (forced labor).

Sumuroy and his men set up a free government in the mountains of Samar. It took the
Spanish rulers about a year to defeat him. On a stormy night in July, 1650. They took it after a
bloody battle. Sumuroy was caught alive and executed as a punishment for his revolt.

Agrarian Revolt (1745 - 46)

Between 1745 to 1746. Filipino landowners in the four provinces of Batangas, Bulacan,
Cavite and Laguna revolted against the Spanish rule. Their revolt was due to the land grabbing
by Spaniards who took over their ancestral lands.

The first spark of the revolt was at Lian and Nasugbu in Batangas. The Filipinos in these
towns demanded and return of their lands occupied by the Spanish priests. The Filipinos burned
the local churches, looted and convents, and ruined the ranches of the priests.

Soon, nearby towns and provinces also sympathized with the revolt. Government troops
were sent to put down the rebels. After some battles, the leaders were shot or exiled. The other
men were pardoned after they surrendered.

The scandal behind the revolt was investigated by Spanish officials. It went all the way to
the Spanish King. King Philip IV ordered the Spanish priests to return the stolen land to the
Filipinos. But the Spanish priests appealed the case and later won. So they did not return the
lands of the Filipinos after all.

Much later, during the American era, the American authorities bought the friar lands
owned by religious orders. Then the land were subdivided into smaller lots and sold to Filipino
farmers.

The Basi Revolt (1807)

This was a most unusual revolt in Philippin history. It was all about the love for a
homemade wine from sugarcane called basi.

In 1786 the Spanish government took over the making and sale of wine. They banned
people from making homemade wine. The people of Ilocos hated this order because they were
now forced to buy the wine from government stores. Before, they made their own basi at home.
It is too bad of course that they could not stop drinking wine.

On September 16, 1807 the Ilocanos of Piddig, Ilocos Norte, rose in armed revolt. The
revolt, spread to nearby towns and bloody fighting continued for weeks. Finally, on September
28, 1807 the rebels were defeated by superior Spanish power. The Ilocos basi revolt was over.
Many lives were unfortunately lost, all because of the love for drinking wine.
The Religious Revolt of Hermano Pule, (1840 – 41)

This was the revolt for religious freedom in the Tagalog provinces in 1840 – 41. It was
led by Apolinario dela Cruz, popularly known as “Hermano Pule”, of Barrio Pandak, Lukban,
Tayabas (Quezon).

Apolinario started his own religion in Lucban in June 1840. It was called the Confradia
de San Jose (Confraternity of St. Joseph). They had their own rituals, prayers and leaders
especially suited for Filipinos. But the Spanish officials did not allow any other religion but
Catholicism. So they banned Hermano Pule’s new religion.

Thousands of Filipinos in Tayabas, Batangas, Laguna and Manila had already joined it.
They became fanatical about their new cult. So the Spanish official sent government troops to
break up the group, Hermano Pule and his followers took up arms to protect themselves. After
many bloody fights, they made their last stand at the Alitao, near Mt. Cristobal, in October 1841.
The government troops attacked their camp and killed many followers, including helpless old
folks, women and children. Hermano Pule was executed in Tayabas on November 4, 1841.

But this was not the end of the story. They Spanish atrocities caused a big scandal in
Manila and Spain.

Many Filipino soldiers in the Spanish Army’s Tayabas Regiment at Malate had relatives
killed in the massacre. They secretly planned to take revenge on the hated Spaniards.

On January 20, 1843, the Tayabas regiment at Malate rose in mutiny. They were led by
Sergeant Irineo Samaniego. Dramatically, they captured Fort Santiago in Intramuros.

But on the next day, several Filipino soldiers loyal to Spain opened the gates of Fort
Santiago. The loyalist troops outside were able to rush in and defeat the rebels after a bloody
combat. Sgt. Samaniego and 81 of his followers were shot at the Luneta at sunset of the same
day, January 21, 1843.

Why the Revolts Failed

The early revolts by the Filipinos against the Spanish rule failed because of two reasons:

(1) The Filipinos were not united. Instead of helping each other to oust the Spaniards, the
Filipinos fought each other.
(2) There were no national leaders who united the people. The leaders of these revolts
had influence only in small area-some towns, a few provinces, or some islands. There
were no Gom-Bur-Za, Rizal, Bonifacio, or Aguinaldo then. These national leaders
only came in the 19th century.