Philippine Government Under

Spain
 Objectives
• Identify and compare the different political
structures of the Philippines under Imperial
Spain (International, national, and local
government
The Philippine As a Crown
Colony
 Aims of Spanish Colonization
1. To Spread Christianity
2. Material Wealth
3. To Acquire Political Glory
4. Territorial Expansion
The Philippine As a Crown Colony
• Royal and Supreme Council of the
Indies (Real y Supremo Consejo de las
Indias) in 1524 by King Charles V.
• Viceroy of Mexico (1565-1821)
• Recopilacion de leyes de los reynos de
las Indias in 1681 – It was, next to the
King, the paramount lawmaker and
administrator overseeing the colonies
of the Spanish empire.
By May 1863, had supplanted the Council
of Indies (Consejo de las Indias)
 Spanish Laws Extended to the
Philippines
• The Spanish laws governing the Philippines
during the early years of Spanish rule were
embodied in a colonial code called Leyes de
Indios (laws of the Indies)

*It is a collection of royal decrees issued by

the Spanish kings at various times for the
government of the colonies of Spain.
Old laws enacted to Philippines
* Las Stete partidos - a compilation of
previous Spanish laws
*Las Leyes de Torro -a set of laws dealing
on inheritance
*La Novisima Recopilacion -a new
compilation of all branches of Spanish law
Philippine Political Institutions
Under Spain
Structure of Our Colonial Government
The Government which Spain established in
the Philippines was centralized in structure.
(1) Provincias (Provinces)
(2) Pueblos (Towns)
(3) Poblacion (Town Proper)
(4) Barangays (Villages)
• The administration of justice
• Collection of taxes
• Maintenance of Peace and Order
• Construction of Public Works
• Educational activities

*In other words, activities of provinces and

towns were subject to the control and
supervision of the superior government
• Legislative Power – pertained to
promulgation of executive decrees (bandos)
• He exercised Veto Power (cumplase)
• President of Royal Audiencia (Supreme
Court)
• He is the Commander-in-chief of all armed
forces in the Philippines.
• He is the royal vice-patron – exercised
Religious Power
Royal Patronage – the special right granted
by the Vatican to all Spanish kings to
exercise control over priest and churches
officials within their realm.
*He assigned priest to the parishes of the
Philippines
*He approved the creation, division or
suppression of parishes and dioceses.
 Check to Gubernatorial Powers
1. The “Royal Audiencia” which was the
Supreme Court of the Phillippines
2. The “Residencia” – the investigation of an
outgoing official by his successor
3. The archbishop and civil officials who
denounced to the king whatever abuses the
governor general might have committed.
4. The “visitador” – an investigator who
occasionally came to investigate colonial
conditions and submit his findings to the king
 Royal Audiencia
• It was established in manila by the Royal
decree on May 5, 1583
• Governor General Santiago de Vera was
the first president of Royal Audiencia
• Royal Audiencia was the highest court of
appeals for civil and criminal cases.
Royal Audiencia
(1) first composed of President (governor
general), three oidores (associate justices),
and a Fiscal (prosecuting attorney),
(2) later – Consist of president (no longer
the gov. gen.), 7 associate justices, and 1 for
the army, and other for the navy, 1 fiscal for
civil, and other one for criminal cases
 The Residencia
• It was a peculiar institution established by
Spain in the Philippines and other Spanish
Colonies. It purposes was to conduct an
investigation of a government official at the
end of the term of office in order to find out
how he behaved while in power. (any person,
rich or poor, could file chargers against the
outgoing official)
• Colonial officials specifically the governor-
general, oidores (members of the Royal
Audiencia) and alcalde mayores
* The residencia of the governor-general
lasted six months.
 The Encomienda System
• It was a grant of inhabitants of the
conquered country given by the Spanish
Crown to Spanish colonizers. The
Receiver of this grant are called
encomendero.

• Encomendero collects the tributes from

the inhabitants
 2 kinds of encomiendas
1. Royal encomiendas which
belonged to the Spanish Crown
2. Private encomiendas belonging to
private persons or institution
The encomiendas were charged by law
to perform the following duties

1. To afford protection to the natives

2. To help the missionaries in
converting them to Christianity
3. To promote their education
*However, these encomienderos
committed abuses such as:
a. Cruel treatment
b. Collecting excessive tribute
c. Forcing people to work for private
benefits
d. Expropriating the lands belonging to
people
e. Seizure of the people’s animals and
crops without just compensation
1. Tribute
*The Filipinos paid tribute called
tributo.
*Later was abolished in 1884, and
replaced by the poll tax called cedula
personal (form of taxation and served
as proof that one was a colony of
Spain and resident of Pueblo)
2. Force labor
*Aside from paying the tribute, all
male Filipinos from 18 to 60 years of
Age were obliged to render obedience
forced labor called polo
*A person who render forced labor
was called polista
Principalia (town aristocracy) – former and
actual local officials, teachers, and rich
people were exempted from the polo. The
rich Filipinos paid falla( a certain sum of
money in order to be exempted from
forced labor)

Bandala – which was the compulsory sale of

rice, and other farm products to the
government. (tagalog name which means
“purchase”)
 Bandala
• Pampanga, of all provinces, suffered most
from the badala.
• In 1660, the Spanish authorities owned the
Pampangans about 200, 000 pesos for the
rice taken by the government for many years.
When the government persisted in its refusal
to pay, the province exploded in violent revolt
under the leadership of Maniago (violent
Pampangan warlord)
 Abolition of Slavery
• One good effect of Spanish colonization was the
abolition of slavery.
• The laws of the Indies, particularly those
promulgated in 1526, 1541 and 1583, prohibited
slavery in the Philippines.
• By Royal Decree of Aug. 9, 1589 (emancipated all
Filipino slaves) and Pope Gregory XI’s bull of April
18, 1591 (threatened to excommunicate those
who would not liberate their slaves.).
 Representation in the Spanish Cortes
• 3 times during the Spanish period
1. 1810-13
* our country was represented in the Cortes in the national
legislature of Spain.
*Ventura de los Reyes – First Philippine delegate to the Cortes
*He was considered to be the best Philippine delegate to sit in
the Spanish Cortes.
“He was in fact the only Filipino to have signed a Spanish
constitution.
*He was also the key in eradicating Manila-Acapulco trade.

The Cortes was abolished by Ferdinand VII of Spain

 2. 1820-23/ 3. 1834-37
• In 1820, following the Spanish Revolution, Ferdinand
VII restored our representation of Spanish Cortes
ended in 1820 when he regained his absolute powers.
• In 1833, Ferdinand VII died and it was his widow wife
Queen Maria Cristina succeeded.
• Isabel I eventually restored our representation in the
Cortes and unfortunately our representation finally
ended in 1837 when the Cortes approved a resolution
abolishing our representation and provided that our
country would be governed by special laws.
 Public Finance under Spain
The Sources of Revenues of our government under
Spain were as follows:
1. The cedula tax paid yearly by every man and
woman from the age 18 to 60.
2. The industrial tax levied on occupations and
professions
3. The tax paid by Chinese
4. The urban tax imposed on real estate property
(houses and lands)
5. The customs duties (imports and exports)
6. The Stamp tax (tax levied on documents); the
monopolies of tobacco, gun powder, opium,
and playing cards.
7. Government lotteries and cockpit license
8. Public domain and miscellaneous fees.
 Provincial Government
• 2 kinds of provinces
1. Alcaldians (pacified regions) - governed by the
alcalde mayor.
2. Corregimientos (unpacified areas) – governed by a
politico-military governor called corregidor.

Alcalde mayor – exercised both executive and judicial

powers. He is both the provincial executive and at the
same time the provincial judge.
Special privilege called “indulto de commercio” the
right to engage in trade (1751 – 1844)
• The Spanish King promulgated the Royal Decree
of September 23, 1844, abolishing the special
privilege and requiring only lawyers to serve as
alcaldes mayores.
• Queen Maria Cristina formed the Royal Decree of
march 5, 1886 – new law established the civil
provinces in our country, each governed by a civil
governor.
• The civil government exercised only the executive
power. The judicial power in the civil province
was exercised by the judge of the court.
 Municipal Government
• Each provinces was divided into pueblos (towns).
• The head of the pueblo government was the
gobernadorcillo (little governor), popularly called as
capitan.
• Every governadorcillo was assisted by 4 lieutenants.
1. Tenente Mayor (chief lieutenant)
2. Teniente de policia (lieutenant police)
3. Teniente de sementeras ( lieutenant of the fields)
4. Teniente de ganados (lieutenant of the cattle)
GOBERNADORDCILLOS

 They had SMALL SALARIES but were

exempted from PAYING TAXES.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Any NATIVE or CHINESE MEZTIZO
25 years old
Literate in ORAL or WRITTEN SPANISH
Cabeza de Barangay for 4 years

Ex: Emilio Aguinaldo

• The parish priest and the provincial governor (or his
representative) presided over the election.
• Usually, the elected official is the choice of the
parish priest who exerted much great influence in
local elections.

• The purpose of local administration, the pueblo was

divided into barangays called barrio, which about 50
families each.
* Head of the barangay is the Cabeza de barangay,
which is respectfully called as “cabeza” and his wife
“cabezana”.
 The Padre in Local Parties
• The real authority in the pueblo was the parish
priest
• They are the symbol of the Christian faith and
sovereignty.
• He was obeyed and respected by the people. His
word is actually the law.
• He supervised the local elections and usually the
one elected to the office of gobernadorcillo was
recommended by him.
• He was the “virtual ruler of the town”.
The Maura law of May 19, 1893
• An attempt was made by Spain to grant municipal autonomy to
our municipalities during the last years of Spanish Rule.
• Author – Don Antonio Maura y Montaner (Minister of the
Colonies)
• It established the municipal tribunal in each municipality.
• It is composed:
A. Capitan municipal (municipal captain)
B. 4 municipal lieutenants
*Tenente Mayor (chief lieutenant)
*Teniente de policia (lieutenant police)
*Teniente de sementeras ( lieutenant of the fields)
*Teniente de ganados (lieutenant of the cattle)
 City Government
• Each of the cities during the Spanish times had an
ayuntamiento or cabildo (city council)
City of Council of Cebu consist of the following:
a. Alcaldes ordinarios (equivalent to mayor and vice
mayor)
b. 8 regidores (counselors)
c. a secretary
d. 2 alguaciles (sheriffs)
The first city to be established in the Philippines was Cebu
The second city to be established in the Philippines was
Manila (June 24, 1571)
 THE CITY GOVERNMENT

Larger towns became cities

called AYUNTAMIENTO. It became the center of trade
and industry.

The ayuntamiento had a city council

called the CABILDO

CABILDO is composed of:

ALCALDE (MAYOR)
REGIDORES (COUNCILLORS)
ALGUACIL MAYOR (POLICE CHIEF)
ESCRIBANDO (SECRETARY)
 CABEZA DE BARANGAY
(Barrio Administrator or Barangay Captain)

 Responsible for the peace and order of the barrio

 Recruited men for public works

QUALIFICATIONS:
 Cabezas should be literate in Spanish.
 Have good moral character and property.
 Cabezas who served for 25 years
were exempted from forced labor.
• Union of Church and State: The priest was
financially supported by the government, and,
in return he assisted in the preservation of
Spanish Rule. On various occasions, the
archbishop of Manila down to the parish
priest, received salaries from the government.
• Ecclesiastical Government: The head of the
ecclesiastical system in the Philippines was the
Archbishop of Manila. Below him were the
bishops, who ere heads of their respective
bishops (diocese). The archbishop and
bishops were appointed by the Pope upon
recommendation of the Spanish King.
 Defects of Our Government under
Spain
First, it was a government which benefited the
Spaniards, the conquerors, not the Filipinos,
the conquered
Second, the government was undemocratic
Third, the administration of justice was corrupt
Fourth, the union between Church and State led
to serious quarrels between the ecclesiastical
and civil authorities.