OVERVIEW OF THE PHILIPPINES DURING THE MID 19TH CENTURY

(The Colonial Landscape: R. Constantino, The Philippines A Past

Revisited Volume 1)

• Spaniards wrought fundamental changes in the lives of the Indio.

• Introduced new customs, religion, practices and institutions

• Influx of Chinese due to presence of Spaniards

• New plants( corn, cassava, sweet potatio, cotton magueg, indigo, ahuete, tobacco, cacao) and animals (horses, cows, sheep, goats, water buffalos, geese, ducks and swans from China and Japan) – modified eating habits and economic development

1. COLONIAL OUTPOST– The Philippines lacks economic promise for

Spain/Crown but was RETAINED as colony due to the following considerations:

a. Stepping stone to China and Japanb. Staging ground for missionary effortsc. Useful as outpost of Spanish empire for curving out an Oriental Empire – Philippines to be used as base for the conquest of neighboring nations

- Due to these – Philippines was relegated to the role of a mere missionary and military way – station

– These are the factors that discouraged serious efforts for economic development

– Philippines geographic isolation from Europe precluded growth of direct trade – island to be administered through Mexico

– Philippine ruled by military administrators who received “situado” an annual subsidy from Mexico; “The rest of their needs had to be extracted from the Indios”

2. ECONOMIC NEGLECT a. GALLEON TRADE – lasted until 1815 – involved only Spaniards

b. Trade was essentially between China and Mexico with Manila as trans-shipment point

c. One to QUICK RETURNS from Galleon Trade dissuaded Spaniards from productive work therefore neglected to develop the agricultural potential of the Philippines.

3. MOVES FOR ABANDONMENT

a. Financial and Commercial consideration - Income from Galleon trade is lower than

“situado”

b. Chinese silk brought to America by the Philippine Galleons competed with Spanish export to that region (America) seriously threatening Spanish silk industry

* Proponents of retention of Colony (Philippines) countered that large part of the SITUADO was used to financed the expeditions against the Moluccas

4. THE COMPROMISE– In line with Spanish policy of MERANTILISM and

responding to pressures from Merchants of Cadiz and Seville, Spain tried to save trade of the American Market for Spanish manufacturers

– Also limited the outflow of SILVER from Latin America to the East (China)

– Galleon trade was restricted to only 2 ships a year and to only one port of entry in Mexico: ACAPULCO

– EXPORT form Manila is pegged at P250,000 worth of goods (later raised to P500,000) and IMPORTS from Mexico were not supposed to exceed double the value of the exports – to limit the revenue from Galleon Trade enough only to maintain Spanish establishment’s in Manila.

– CHURCH - Missionary undertaking/substantial material interest

– Philippines as base for future maneuvers in the East

– Philippines as colony of Spain – Prestige of the Crown/Pride of Spanish Kings

– Profits from Galleon Trade – need to construct walls/buildings bequitted to the religious orders and pious works (Obras pias) – establishment of schools, hospitals and charitable institutions

5. PLURAL ECONOMIESa. Western economy – Galleon Trade

b. Native economy- products were not in great demand in either China or Mexico. Thus, Philippine Spaniards did not find it profitable to develop local products for export – locally oriented/underdeveloped

c. Chinese economy – adjunct of the Galleon Trade’ provide local Spaniards with luxurious they need.- Chinese as artisans- Chinese as intermediaries between West and the native economies – Chinese distributed Chinese imports to the Philippine Village and gathered in return local products which they sold to the Spaniards.

6. THE CHINESE ROLE

– Mid 19th Century 0 while the Spaniards were trying to graft their administrative institutions onto the indigenous social structures, the Chinese were wrecking havoc on the primitive economy of the natives.

– Rice production had fallen off and the local textile industry had decline disastrously in Pampanga and Manila in late 16th century due to movement of native population to the city to provide domestic service to the Spaniards;

– Indios begun to buy staple food and clothes from the Chinese

7. REDUCCIOSES– NEGLECT of the Philippines INTERNAL ECONOMY

was accompanied by ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFERENCE such as extraction of TRIBUTE and FORCED LABOR and the PROSELYTIZING (spread of Christianity) tradition requiring CONTROL.

– BARANGAY had to be integrated into colonial framework, few members of friars and scattered population had to be consolidated into REDUCCION – policy of resettlement of small villages into one larger village for easy CONTROL.

– FRIARS TECHNIQUES a. Offering of gifts like shirts, salt, needles, combs etc.

b. free housing

c. participation in colorful church rites

d. high sounding titles (gobernadorcillo, capitan etc.)and honors for the chiefs.

e. THREATS

– Friar’s inducement and pressure on Chiefs of Villages and making chieftains or CABEZAS de BARANGAY insured a measure of Indio’s social continuity which facilitated ACCEPTANCE of Spanish rule.

– Conversion of Indio Chieftains into willing ALLIES and useful intermediaries (as cabesa de barangay) formed a reservoir of reliable minor civil servants for the Spaniards – This is bolstered by colonial recognition evidenced by their title of PRINCIPALES.

8. POPULATION CENTERS – compromise of friars for Indios that did not join reduccion

– POBLACION – BARRIO – SITIO system with the CHURCH as the nucleus – This community is called CABECERA

– Friars constructed chapels to say mass in barrio or sitio where Indios chose to settle away from Cabecera. This is called VISITAS.

9. COLONIAL INTERMIDIARES – GOBERNADORCILLOS (petty governor) equivalent of MAYOR today

– They are exempted from paying tribute and rendering forced labor but they have the DUTY to COLLECT TRIBUTES which should tally with census. UNPAID or DELAYED tribute means FINE or IMPRISONMENT.

– Gobernadorcillos – also responsible for maintenance of municipal guards/jail, feed the prisoners, provide municipal government with personnel and supplies, also entertainment of visitors.

10. THIRD PROP OF POWER

PRINCIPALIA – third prop: that of ECONOMIC POWER– From Indios concept of COMMUNAL LAND to

Spaniard’s individual concept of land OWNERSHIP and regarded the land itself not merely its USE as source of WEALTH.

11. APPROPRIATION OF COMMUNAL LANDHOLDINGS– Principales – by virtue of being ADM and FISCAL

MIDDLEMEN between Spaniards and their people (Indios) became aware of EXPLOITATIVE KIND OF LAND OWNERSHIP and took advantage of it

– CHIEFTAINS (principals) appropriated the lands cultivated by their dependents/tillers who were institutionalized as tenants – sanctioned/allowed by the Spaniards.

12. RESULTANT STRATIFICATION– PRINCIPALIA – perpetuated its dominant status

through INTRA-CLASS MARRIAGE; principalia’s residence in plaza complex manifest physical expression of socio-economic ascendancy

– CHURCH – CONVENT (Frailocracy/ecclesiastical power) and the MUNICIPIO (seat of Civil Authority dominated the plaza.

– THREE-TIERED heirarchy in rural society – Spanish Priest, Principalia and the Masses.

– Manila/Suburbs – Spaniards, Chinese Mestizos, Native principales, Chinese and the people – This persisted into the beginning of nineteen century with the SPANISH CLERGY constituting the leading instrument of POWER and EXPLOITATION.

B. RIZAL’s EARLY INFORMAL EDUCATION

1. The HERO’s FIRST TEACHER ( Zaide and Zaide)– Teodora Alonzo y Realonda – good character and fine

was Rizal’s first teacher– At the age of three she teached Rizal arithmetic,

alphabet and prayers in Latin, Spanish and Tagalog related to Rizal many stories, like the story of the Moth

– By age six Rizal become adept at drawing, clay modeling and carving

– Maestro Celestino and Lucas Padua – first private tutors– Don Leon Monroy – teached Rizal Latin and Spanish but

died five months later

2. EARLY FORMAL EDUCATION (BINAN)– Rizal accompanied by Paciano left Calamba for

Binan in June 1869 – with his poker face Paciano gave Rizal a cue on how a man should behave during partings and sentimental occassions. Stayed in his Aunt Tomasa Mercado.

– Maestro Justiniano Cruz – old teacher of Paciano also that of Rizal.