CHAPTER 6:

AGRARIAN
DISPUTE
Brief History of Friar
Estates in the
Philippines
 Spanish conquistadores awarded
friars lands – the origin of friar
estates.

 Conquistador –a Spanish
conqueror

 Approximately 120 Spaniards were

sitio de ganado mayor
(measuring 1,742 hectares) and
smaller tracts of land known as
caballerias (measuring 42.5
hectares).

 The hacienderos failed to

cultivate their haciendas and
others donated the land to the
religious orders (friars) for spiritual
benefits.
 The friars mobilize lay brothers of the religious order to
manage the haciendas.

 The lay brothers were relatively free to make their own

decisions on administrative affairs.

 Under the inquilinato system, an individual may rent a

land for a fixed annual amount known as canon.

 An inquilino is a tenant who rented land from friars and

subleased the land to sharecroppers or kasama.

 The downside was that the kasama’s income was

diminished by the non-cultivating groups.
Hacienda de Calamba
Conflict
 Calamba was owned by Spanish laymen.

 In 1759, a Spanish layman, Don Manuel Jauregui,

eventually donated the land to the Jesuits.

 On February 27, 1767, the Jesuits were expelled by

the decree of King Charles III.

 By 1833, the Dominicans purchased the Hacienda

de Calamba for 52, 000 pesos.

 Rizal’s ancestors, who were principal inquilinos,

leased the largest part of land in Calamba measuring
approximately 380 hectares.
 Mariano Herboso, Rizal’s brother-in-law
complained about the yearly increase in rentals,
faulty irrigation systems, and failure to issue
receipts.

 The tenants submitted a report on the income of the

estate and attached a petition stating the grievances
against the hacienda owners.

 The tenants refused to pay the rent which enraged

the friars to evict them from the land in 1891.

 The experience affected Rizal deeply which he

reflected in his second novel, El Filibusterismo.
Activity:

1. Create a diagram of events of how most

of the lands in the country ended up in
the hands of the friars.

2. Explain its impact to the history of the

country.
Rubric / Criteria for Activity 1:
1. Contains ample information and
illustrations in the time diagram.

2. Events are easily distinguished

3. Creativity of the presentation