THE SPANISH

COLONIAL
GOVERNMENT IN
THE PHILIPPINES
The Spanish introduced
Catholicism and established a
highly centralized government.
They also implemented a
bureaucratic structure and
Roman law, and used language
suppression as a tactic to gain an
advantage in governance.
The Spanish colonial period in
the Philippines lasted from 1565
to 1898. The period began when
Miguel López de Legazpi's
expedition arrived in the
Philippines on February 13,
1565. The period ended when
the Philippines gained
independence in 1898.
What was the government of the
Philippines during the Spanish colonial
period?
During the Spanish colonization in the
Philippines , the government was
composed of two branches, the
executive and the judicial. There was no
legislative branch on that time since the
laws of the islands were coming from
Spain .
The Spanish colonial period in
the Philippines lasted from 1565
to 1898. During this time, the
Spanish language, religion, and
customs were imposed on the
Filipinos.