Burgos, Harold

Emblar, Joseph
De Guzman, Alonzo
Mainit, Jayson

Yes, there are some similarities and differences between the government of the Spanish colonial
period and the present political system in the Philippines. In the scope of the following.

Similarities:
​ Unitary System:
● During Spanish administration, the Philippines had a unitary form of government,
with power concentrated in Manila.
● The present Philippine government also follows a unitary system, with a strong
central authority in Manila.

​ Bureaucratic Structures:
● The bureaucratic institutions built during the Spanish era paved the way for the
present government system.
● Today's government retains certain bureaucratic systems from the Spanish period,
but with adjustments and modernization.
​ Legal System:
● The Philippine legal system is rooted in Spanish law, namely the civil law
tradition.
● Many legal ideas and structures established during Spanish colonization are still
present in the modern legal system.

Differences:
​ Form of Government:
 ● Spanish colonization established a monarchical structure, with the Philippines as a
colony of the Spanish Crown.
● The Philippines is currently a democratic republic governed by a president.

​ Representation and Suffrage:

● Under Spanish administration, Filipinos had little to no representation in the
government, and suffrage was restricted.

● In the modern Philippines, there is a representative democracy with regular

elections, and suffrage is expanded to a larger proportion of the people.
​
​ Local Governance:
● During Spanish domination, local government was organized around the
encomienda system, in which local leaders were nominated by Spanish officials.
● In the modern Philippines, there is a system of local government units with
elected officials, providing a greater degree of local autonomy.
​