The Philippines Under Spain

Sources

1. The Philippines Under Spain (Lecture Slides)

Overview

• From 1565 to 1898, Spain ruled over the Philippines.
• The Spanish King ruled over the country through the Viceroy of Mexico. However, when Mexico regained its freedom in 1821, the King ruled it through a Governor General.
• The Council of the Indies (1565-1837), Overseas Council (1837-1863), and Ministry of the Colonies (1863-1898) were the government bodies that assisted the King in managing Spain’s colonies.

The Political Structure

Spain formed a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that was composed of a national government and local governments that governed provinces, cities, towns, and municipalities.

Governor General

• The governor general was the King’s representative and the highest-ranking official in the Philippines.
• They were tasked to ensure that laws from Spain are implemented in the Philippines.
• They could appoint and dispense of public officials (except for the ones appointed by the King).
• They can issue proclamations.

Residencia

A special judicial court tasked to evaluate and report the performance of a governor general when they are about to be replaced.

Royal Audiencia

• The advisory body of the Governor General.
• They can report the Governor General’s abuses.
• They audited and reported the expenditures of the colonial government.

The Provincial Government

Two types of local government units:

1. Alcadia: This type was led by the alcalde mayor and focused on fully subjugated provinces.
2. Corregimiento: This type was led by the corregidor and was responsible for provinces that were not completely under Spanish control.

The alcalde mayores and corregidores enjoyed privileges such as the indulto de comercio, and the right to participate in the galleon trade.

Municipal Government

• Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos.
• The Gobernadorcillos governed those smaller towns and also collected their taxes. They were aided by four lieutenants:
  1. Teniente Mayor (Chief lieutenant),
  2. Teniente de Policia (Police lieutenant)
  3. Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields)
  4. Teniente de Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock)

The Encomienda System

To accelerate the subjugation of the Philippines, the Spanish king instructed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi—someone Spain owed for colonizing the country—to divide the country’s territories into encomiendas, which were administered by encomenderos.

Polo Y Servicios

1. Workers should be paid for their services.
2. They should not be assigned to places that they could not return home.
3. Drafting should occur at the same time as harvest season.
4. Physically incapable workers are forbidden from being forced to overwork.
5. Only force label when it is absolutely necessary.
6. Use Chinese laborers instead of Filipino ones when available.