GEI S02 Bonifacio and Katipunan Movement

Historical Background of the PH Government letting loose a gang of thieves of

recidivists who are incapable of reform.
The Barangay and the Sultanate
Legislation
• In early PH history, the barangay was a
• Before laws are made, the chief consults
complex sociopolitical unit w/c scholars
w/ a council of elders who approves his
have historically considered the dominant
plan.
organizational pattern among the various
• They are not immediately enforced until
people of the PH archipelago.
the new legislation is announced to the
• The term barangay refers to both a house
village by the umalohokan, who also
on land and a boat on water, containing explains the law to everyone.
families, friends, and dependents and is
currently the basic political unit of the PH. Judicial Process
Government • Disputes between individuals were settled
by a court made up of the village chief and
• Unit of goverment was the barangay, w/c
the council of elders. Between barangays,
consisted of 30 to 100 families. The term
a board made up of elders from neutral
barangay came from the Malay word,
barangays acted as arbiter.
meaning balangay.
• The accused and the accuser faced each
• Barangays were headed by chieftains
other in front of the “court” with their
called datu.
respective witnesses.
• The subjects served their chieftain during
• Both takes an oath to tell the truth. Most of
wars, voyages, planting and harvest, and
the time, the one who presents the most
when his house needs to be built or
witnesses wins the case.
repaired. They also paid buwis called
• If the losing party contests the decision, he
tributes.
is bound to lose in the end because the
• The chief or datu was the chief executive,
chief always takes the side of the winner.
the legislator, and the judge. He was also
the supreme commander in times of war. Trial by Ordeal
• Alliances among barangays were common
• To determine the innocence of an
and these were formalized in a ritual
accused, he is made to go through a
called sanduguan.
number of ordeals w/c he must pass.
• Conflicts between or among barangays
• Examples include dipping one’s hand in
were settled by violence. Those who win
by force is always right. boiling water, holding a lighted candle that
must not be extinguished, plunging into a
Laws river and staying underwater for as long as
possible, chewing uncooked rice and
• Were either customary (handed down spitting, etc.
from generation to generation orally) or
• Among the Ifugaos, ordeal by combat was
written (promulgated from time to time as
common, i.e. bultong (wrestling), alaw
necessity arise). (duel).
• Dealt with various subjects such as
inheritance, property rights, divorce, usury,
family relations, divorce, adoptions, loans,
etc.
• Those founded guilty of crimes were
punished either by fine or by death.
Some punishments can be considered as
torture by modern standards.
• However, it must be noted that ancients
did not believe in endangering society by
 PH History: The Spanish Period
The Discoveryof the PH by Magellan (1521)
It is Ferdinand Magellan who arrived in the
Philippines to head a Spanish expedition searching
for the Spice Islands in 1521. Magellan never
completed the journey by himself; he was then
killed in an encounter with natives in the Philippines
after having claimed the Philippines is for Spain.
Magellan Introduced Christianity in Cebu
Magellan’s Cross (This Cross of Tindalo Wood
Encases the Original Cross Planted By Ferdinand
Magellan On This Very Site – April 21, 1521)
Baptism of King Humabon & Queen Juana of
Cebu
• Baptism of King Humabon
• Gift of Magellan to Queen Juana
The Battle of Mactan
However, Magellan’s plans to claim the whole of
the Philippines Islands for Spain encountered stiff
resistance from other natives, particularly from
Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain of neighboring Mactan
Island. In what is known as the Battle of Mactan
that was fought on April 27, 1521, Magellan and his
100 soldiers fought Lapu-Lapu and his 1,000
warriors. Clearly outnumbered, Magellan and most
of his soldiers were killed.
The Spanish Colonization
In 1565, when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
concluded treaties of friendship with the native
chiefs or what we called the datus. Spain’s primary
aim and intention in the Philippines was to spread
their religion the Roman
Catholicism.
The Famous Blood
Compact of Legazpi w/
Sikatuna in Bohol
Reasons for Colonization: The 3 Gs
1. God – The conversion of natives to christianity.
2. Gold – Accumulation of gold or wealth.
3. Glory – Supremacy of Spain over Portugal as a
superpower.
Laguna Copperplate
Many missionary
works in the
Philippines were
pushed by the
Spaniards, for
them to help the
natives toward
the advancement
of education,
culture, and architecture. It was also at this point
when the Spanish missionaries tried to eliminate
the ancient written literature of the Filipinos.
Because of the destruction of ancient writings, in
their eagerness to erase the previous cultural
records of the Philippines, only the orally
transmitted literature has survived.
The Philippines was named after King Philip II of
Spain.
During the colonization of the Spaniards in the
Philippines they centralized and formed a
government and divided into two units: The
Central Government in which the King entrusted
the colony to the governor-general, who had the
highest position in the government. The Royal
Audiencia was the Supreme Court of the
Philippines.
The Residencia and the Visitador were the
special courts that investigated on the conduct of
the governor-general and other highranking
Spanish officials.
Local Government (provinces, cities, towns and
barrios) – The provinces were divided into two:
1) Alcaldia which recognized Spain's possession
over the land and 2) Corregimiento where the
people had not succumbed to its ruling power.
Ayuntamiento or the city government was the
center of the society, religion, culture and business.
The pueblo was governed by the gobernadorcillo.
Gobernadorcillo is the highest position for Filipino
politicians and the Cabeza de Barangay governed
the barrios.
During the Spanish regime, there was union of
church and state; The governor-general had
power over the church. The friars, on the other
hand, played a very important role in the
government. The Archbishop was only the most
powerful in the church. However, it seemed that the
church exercised more power than the government
and because of this, the government in the
Philippines was called "Frailocracia," a
government controlled by the friars.
The Spanish Colonial Administration (1565 –
1821)
The Philippines was a crown colony ruled by Spain
through Mexico from 1565 to 1821, as such, Spain
ruled the Philippines with the help of the Council of
the Indies, created in 1524, which was an overseas
ministry governing the colonies of Spain. The head
of the council was the Viceroy of Mexico.
The Spanish Laws
Laws in the Philippines were from Spain and
consisted of royal decrees of the king. The
numerous laws governing the colonies were
compiled and published in the convenient colonial
code entitled “Recopilacion de las Leyes de
Indies”, popularly known as the Laws of Indies.
Spanish Institutions
Polo – The forced labor rendered by Filipinos to the
government annually.
Falla – Exemption fee for rendering forced labor.
Tribute – The tax called tributo, as a symbol of
vassalage to Spain.
Bandala – System that caused a lot of hardships to
the Filipinos where products were sold compulsory
to the government.
Encomienda System – A grant designed to reward
those persons who have rendered valuable
services to the king of Spain. Those who were
given encomienda were called “encomenderos”.
In exchange to these privileges, the encomendero
was obliged by law to promote the welfare of his
constituents. He must:
1. Protect them from enemies (bandits and pirates),
2. Assist the missionaries in propagating
Christianity,
3. Maintain peace and order,
4. Promote education and to render humane
treatment among his subjects.
Three Classes of Encomienda
1. Royal Encomienda – Those that were set aside
for the King of Spain.
2. Ecclesiastical Encomienda – Those which
were assigned to the religious order.
3. Private Encomienda – Those who were given to
the Spaniards who helped in the conquest and
colonization of the Philippines.
Divide and Rule – Using people to fight their own
people, one fighting for his new master, while the
other preserving his own independence.
Frailocracy – The rule of the friars. This made the
clergy, by way of the Royal Patronage, obtained
certain political powers and privileges.
Isolation Policy – Prohibiting people from trading
with other Asian countries. This policy is to ward off
the expressed interests of other colonial powers
over the island.
The Governor General
• He was the King’s official representative in
the Philippines.
• He was vested with executive, legislative
and judicial powers.
• He also exercised religious and
extraordinary powers called cumplase.
Executive Power – He enforced Spanish laws and
royal decrees in the Philippines. He appointed all
subordinate officials including “alcaldes mayores”
(provincial governors).
Legislative Power – He enacted and issued laws,
regulations and decrees called superior decrees.
Judicial Power – He was the president or
presiding officer of the “Royal Audiencia” which was
the supreme court of the Philippines during the
Spanish Era.
Ecclesiastical Power – He had the power to
recommend priests for appointment and intervene
in controversies between religious authorities.
Military Power – The Governor General is also the
commander in chief of the armed forces.
Veto Power – He can overrule the royal decrees;
called “cumplace”.
From 1565-1898, a total of 122 governors general
served in the Philippines. Accordingly, there were
more undesirable governors who only exploited the
Filipinos than serve them. There were, however, a
few good men who truly served well and are worthy
to be remembered by Filipinos.
The Three Most Remembered Spanish
Governor-Generals in Philippine History
1) Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (1565-1572)
• He was the first governor general of the
Philippines. The governor general who
desired that the Spaniards & Filipinos will
live together as one community. He is
remembered for his diplomacy with
natives.
2) Jose Basco y Vargas (1778-1787)
• He established Economic Society of the
Friends of the Country and the tobacco
monopoly.
• He laid the foundation of agricultural
progress of the Philippines.
• He promoted the country’s economy.
3) Carlos Ma. De la Torre (1869-1871)
• He abolished press censorship.
• He is the most liberal-minded governor.
• He introduced reforms.
Checks to Gubernatorial Powers
The Royal Audiencia – The Supreme Court during
the colonial period.
Residencia – The office of the incoming governor
general investigating the acts of the outgoing
governor general and other officials.
Visitador – An investigative body sent by the king
to investigate colonial conditions.
Direct Complaints – Reports to the King by friars
and other officials.
The Royal Audencia
• Categorized as the Supreme Court.
• It was established in the Philippines by
virtue of the Royal Decree of May 5, 1583.
• Its first president was Governor General
Santiago de Vera.
• It functions as an appeals court, hearing
and deciding civil and criminal cases.
• The Royal Audencia also performed non-
judicial functions such as doing
consultation with the governor known as
“real arcados”.
The Local Government
Spain instituted the centralized form of government.
The previously independent barangays became
part of the unitary government.
Philippines was divided into provinces
consisting of two types:
1. Pacified – Called alcaldia mayor, headed by
the alcalde mayor.
2. Unpacified – Called corregimentos, each
under a Corregidor. The city government was
called ayuntamiento.
Ecclesiastical Organization
The Diocese of Manila, the most powerful diocese
in Asia was canonically erected on February 6,
1579 by Pope Gregory XII encompassing all of the
Spanish colonies in Asia. The Diocese of Manila
covered the whole Philippine archipelago making
the bishop of Manila at the top of ecclesiastical
hierarchy in the colony. The bishop was appointed
by the pope upon the recommendation of the King
of Spain. The first bishop of Manila was Fr.
Domingo de Salazar.
Religious Orders

• Augustinians
• Franciscans
• Dominicans
• Jesuits
• Recollects
Causes of Filipino Resistance Against Spain

• The imposition of the polo.

• The tribute and other Spanish policies.
• The delegation of strong political powers
to the friars.
• All the injustices, abuses and
maladministration committed by
government officials.
Some Filipino Heroes

• Magalat led the Cagayan Revolt (1596).

• Francisco Sumoroy led the Samar
Revolt (1649).
• Tamblot & Bankaw led the religious revolt
in Bohol and Leyte.
• Dagohoy led the 85 years of Boholano
Revolt (1744-1829).
• Diego & Gabriela Silang led the Ilocos
Revolt.
• Hermano Pule led the Tagalog religious
revolt (1840).
• Muslim resistance which lasted throughout
the entire period of colonization.