19TH CENTURY

PHILIPPINES AS
RIZAL’S CONTEXT
GEM – Life and Works of Rizal
Topics for Discussion

◦The Social Structure

◦The Political System
◦The Educational System
◦Economic Development
The Social Structure
Early Filipino Social Structure
◦ The Filipinos in the 19th Century had suffered from feudalistic and master slave relationship by the Spaniards. Their social
structure in ranked into three groups:
Filipinos

Highest Class Middle Class Lowest Class

Spanish Officials Natives Indios

Peninsulares
Mestizos

Friars
Social Structure: Highest Class
◦ The people that belong in this class include: The Spaniards, the peninsulares and friars. They have the
power and authority to rule over Filipinos. They enjoyed their position and do what they want.
◦ The Spanish Officials
◦ The Peninsulares
◦ Spaniards who where born in Spain
◦ They held the most important government jobs, and made of the smallest number of the population
◦ The Friars
◦ They are members of any of certain religious order of men, especially the four mendicant orders
◦ Augustinians
◦ Jesuits
◦ Dominicans
◦ Franciscans
Augustinians
◦ Several mendicant Orders of
Friars, who lived a mixed
religious life of contemplation
and apostolic ministry and
follow the rule of St. Augustine.
Dominicans
◦ The Order of Preachers (Latin: Ordo
Praedicatorum), more commonly known
after the 15th century as Dominican Order,
is a Roman Catholic religious order
founded by St. Dominic de Guzman in
France an approved by Pope Honorius II
(1216 – 1227) on 22nd December 1216
Franciscan
◦ The most prominent group is the
Order of Friars Minor,
Commonly called simply the
“Franciscans”. They seek to
follow most directly the manner
of life that St. Francis led.

St. Francis of Assisi Coat of Arm

Jesuit
◦ The Society of Jesus (Latin:
Societas lesu, S.J., SJ or Sl) is a
Christian male religious order of the
Roman Catholic Church. The
members are called Jesuits and are
also known colloquially as “God’s
Marine”

Ignatius of Loyola Coat of Arms

Social Structure: Middle Class
◦ The people that belongs into this class includes the natives, mestizos and the criollos.
◦ Natives
◦ The pure Filipino
◦ The Mestizos
◦ The Filipinos of mixed indigenous Filipino or European or Chinese Ancestry
◦ Three Types of Mestizos
◦ Mestizos de Sangley – persons of mixed Chinese and Filipino Ancestry
◦ Mestizos de Española – persons of mixed Spanish and Filipino Ancestry
◦ Tornatras – persons of mixed Spanish, Filipino and Chinese Ancestry
Social Structure: Lowest Class

◦ This class includes the Filipinos only

◦ Natives – the pure Filipino
◦ Indios
◦ These are poor people having pure blood Filipino
which ruled by the Spaniards
The Political System
Central Government Under Spain
◦ Spain established ONE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT in the Philippines.
◦ Many independent Barangays of our ancestors disappeared. One government alone ruled most
of the country. Thus, the first time in history, we became united as one nation called
“FILIPINAS”. The rest of the world came to know our country by that name.
Mapa De Las Islas Filipinas
Central Government Under Spain
◦ Since Spain was far from the country, the Spanish
King ruled the Islands through the viceroy of
Mexico, which was then another colony of Spain

King of Spain

Viceroy of Mexico

Philippines
Central Government Under Spain
◦ When Mexico regained its freedom in 1821,
the Spanish King ruled the Philippines
through a Governor – General

King of Spain

Governor – General

Philippines
Sociopolitical Environment of the Philippines
During the Spanish Regime
Governor – General
◦ The king’s representative and the highest ranking official in the Philippines.
◦ He had the GREAT POWER. He had the power to appoint or dismiss public
officials, except those persons chosen by the king. He was the commander in
chief of the colonial armed forces.
◦ He was also the president of Royal Audiencia (Like the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court today)
◦ The first one was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the last was Diego de los Rios.
Governor – General

◦ The Governor – General and other government officials

has so much power that it was commonly abused. To
investigate the abuses, there were bodies created:
◦ Residencia
◦ Visitador General
◦ Royal Audiencia
Residencia

◦ This was a special judicial court that investigates the

performance of a Governor – General who was about to be
replaced.
◦ The Residencia, of which the incoming Governor –
General was usually a member, submitted a report of its
findings to the King.
Visitador General

◦ The Council of Indies in Spain sent a government official

called the Visitador General to observe the conditions of
the Colony,
◦ The Visitador General reported directly to the King.
◦ Jose de Galvez became one of the Visitador General here
in the Philippines.
Royal Audiencia
◦ Considered as the highest court in the land during the Spanish Regime.
◦ Served as an advisory body of the Governor General and had the power to
check and report his abuses. The Audiencia also audited the expenditures of
colonial government and send an annual report to Spain.
◦ The Archbishop and other government officials also report the abuses of the
colonial government.
Local Government: Provincial

◦ The Spaniards created a Local Government Unit (LGU) for the

provinces. There were two types of Local Government Units:
◦ Alcaldia – headed by Alcalde Mayor
◦ Corrigimiento – headed by Corregidor
◦ Though they were paid a small salary, they enjoy the privileges
such as INDULTO DE COMMERCIO or The right to participate in
the Galleon Trade
Local Government: Provincial

◦ The Alcaldia, led by the Alcalde Mayor governed the

provinces.
◦ Duties of Alcalde Mayor
◦ Represent the King of Spain and the Governor – General
◦ Managed the day – to – day operations of the provincial
government
◦ Implemented laws and supervised the collection of taxes.
Local Government: Provincial

◦ The Corregimiento headed by the Corregidor

governed the provinces that were not entirely under
Spanish Control.
◦ Example of Philippine Corregimiento provinces are
Bataan and Mindoro
Local Government: City

◦ Larger towns became cities called AYUNTAMIENTO. It became

the center of trade and industry.
◦ The ayuntamiento had a city council called Cabildo which is
composed of:
◦ Alcalde (Mayor)
◦ Regidores (Councilors)
◦ Alguacil Mayor (Police Chief)
◦ Escribando (Secretary)
Local Government: Municipal
◦ Each provinces was divided into several towns called PUEBLOS headed by Governadorcillos
(Little Governor)
◦ Main Duties
◦ Efficient Government
◦ Tax Collection
◦ Four Lieutenants Aided the Governadorcillos:
◦ Teniente Mayor (Chief Lieutenant)
◦ Teniente de Policia (Police Lieutenant)
◦ Teniente de Sementeras (Lieutenant of the Fields)
◦ Teniente de Ganados (Lieutenant of the Live Stock)
Governadorcillos

◦ They had small salaries but were exempted from paying taxes.
◦ Qualifications:
◦ Any Native or Chinese Mestizos
◦ At least 25 years old
◦ Literate in oral and written Spanish
◦ Cabeza de Barangay for 4 years
◦ Example
◦ Emilio Aguinaldo
Cabeza de Barangay

◦ Served as the Barrio Administrator or Barangay Captain.

◦ Responsible for the peace and order of the barrio and were
recruited men for public works
◦ Qualifications:
◦ Cabezas should be literate in Spanish
◦ Have a good moral character and property
◦ Cabezas who served 25 years were exempted from forced labor
The Educational System
Education

◦ Basic education was rendered by parochial schools,

established primarily for religious instructions. The first
one was established in Cebu.
◦ In 1582, Archbishop Domingo de Salazar ordered that
every town must have one for boys and also, one for girls.
Education

◦ 1589
◦ The first college for boys was established College of Manila later changed to
College of San Ignacio.
◦ 1621
◦ The College of San Ignacio was named University of San Ignacio by Pope
Gregory XV.
◦ 1768
◦ University of San Ignacio was closed
Education

◦ 1611
◦ Colegio de Nuestra Señora Del Santissimo Rosario was
established by Fray Miguel Buenavides
◦ 1645
◦ Colegio de Nuestra Señora Del Santissimo Rosario was renamed
Universidad de Santo Tomas by Pope Innocent X
Education

◦ The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Letran College or

Simply Letran
◦ It as established on 1620
◦ Colegio de San Juan de Letran was a private Roman Catholic
institution of learning located in Intamuros, Manila.
◦ It was established to take care of orphaned Spanish boys.
Education

◦ The girls also given special education. The schools were of two
kinds:
◦ Colegio – a regular school for girls
◦ Beaterio – a combined school and nunnery
◦ Royal College of Santa Potenciana
◦ The oldest school for young girls was established by Philip II upon the
urging of Manila Bishop Domingo de Salazar, Order of the Priests and the
Franciscans.
Education

◦College of Santa Isabelle

◦The oldest exiting college for girls in the
country
◦ It was built to care the orphaned Spanish girls.
Eventually, it became an exclusive school for
the daughters of affluent Spaniards