Encomienda System

Encomienda System
who told them that the abandonment of their labors would

free from injustice.
There were three kinds of encomiendas:
In
1570
the encomienda was
introduced
in
the
1.
The Royal Encomiendas, belonging to the King
Philippines when Legaspi, in compliance with the decree
2.
The Ecclesiastical Encomiendas, belonging to the
issued by King Philip II in 1558, distributed lands in Cebu to
Church
loyal Spanish subjects. These men had helped conquer the
3.
Private Encomiendas, belonging to private individuals
Philippines. The encomienda was not actually a land grant but

was a favor from the kind under which the Spaniard receiving
At first the natives paid eight reales as tribute. This
his favor was given the right to collect tributesor taxesfrom
amount was increased to ten reales in 1589 by order of King
the inhabitants of the area assigned to him. The man who
Philip II. Aside from the tribute expected from the royal
received
The
encomiendas, the king also received reales from each tribute
encomienda was, therefore, a public office. The purpose was
each encomiendero received from his encomienda. The total
to create a labor force of the indigenous peoples of these
amount of the tributes intended for the king was kept as fund
areas as well as force Catholic religion upon the populace.
to pay the expenses for the countrys defense. This fund was
this
favor
was
called
an encomendero.
called the situado.

The encomenderos were required by law to perform the
The size of an encomienda was determined in two ways:
following duties:
1.
To give protection to the natives
2.
To help the missionaries convert the natives to

Christianity
3.
1.
By the number of people living in it
2.
By the value of the land
The law limited the number of natives in an area and
To promote education
administered by an encomendero to not more than 300, and
4.
the value of the land was limited to not more than P2,000. At
Unfortunately, many Spanish encomenderos committed
first an encomienda could be held for three generations
abuses, such as:
(about
ninety
generation.
1.
Brutal treatment of the Filipinos
2.
Collecting more tribute than that authorized by law
3.
Forcing the people to work for them
4.
Seizure of the peoples animals and crops without
years).
But
This
because
was
later
of
the
reduced
to
complaints
two
from
encomenderos, the king decided to return the encomienda

tenure to three generations in 1635.
just compensation
Because of the abuses of encomenderos, much bad
Polo y servicio
feeling resulted. First, peace and order, which the colonizers

and the early Spanish friars had established, was disturbed.
Second, the abuses led to a conflict between the friars and
the encomenderos. The early friars observed that the
encomenderos neglected their duty of teaching the Christian
Polo y servicio is the system of forced labor which

evolved within the framework of the encomienda system,
introduced
into
the
South
American
colonies
by
the
faith to the Filipinos. They saw that the encomenderos were
Conquistadores and Catholic priests who accompanied them.
only interested in enriching themselves instead.
It
The friars tried to protect the Filipinos from the greed and
Preaching from the pulpits against encomendero
3.
almost
all
of
the
Spanish
colonial
government around the world. Polo y servicio is the forced
who were obligated to give personal services to community
Writing letters and memorials to the King of Spain in
(corruption of the Spanish Falta, meaning "absence"), a daily
which they reported the abuses of the encomenderos
fine of one and a half real.
Refusing to absolve the encomenderos from their

sins.
The
in
projects. One could be exempted from polo by paying the falla
abuses
2.
present
labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age
abuses of the encomenderos by;

1.
was
Filipinos,
The system became the cause of many uprising

seeing
that
the
encomenderos
were
interested only in getting rich, grew lazy. They reasoned that it

was useless to work too hard for a living if the fruits of their
work would only go to the payment of excessive tributes to
the encomenderos. This attitude was encouraged by the friars
against the Spanish colonial government around the world.

The Sumuroy Rebellion exemplifies it.

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Encomienda System

who told them that the abandonment of their labors would

the encomienda was

The Royal Encomiendas, belonging to the King

Philippines when Legaspi, in compliance with the decree

The Ecclesiastical Encomiendas, belonging to the

issued by King Philip II in 1558, distributed lands in Cebu to

loyal Spanish subjects. These men had helped conquer the

Private Encomiendas, belonging to private individuals

Philippines. The encomienda was not actually a land grant but

At first the natives paid eight reales as tribute. This

his favor was given the right to collect tributesor taxesfrom

amount was increased to ten reales in 1589 by order of King

the inhabitants of the area assigned to him. The man who

encomiendas, the king also received reales from each tribute

encomienda was, therefore, a public office. The purpose was

each encomiendero received from his encomienda. The total

to create a labor force of the indigenous peoples of these

areas as well as force Catholic religion upon the populace.

called the situado.

The size of an encomienda was determined in two ways:

To give protection to the natives

To help the missionaries convert the natives to

By the number of people living in it

By the value of the land

The law limited the number of natives in an area and

administered by an encomendero to not more than 300, and

Unfortunately, many Spanish encomenderos committed

first an encomienda could be held for three generations

abuses, such as:

Brutal treatment of the Filipinos

Collecting more tribute than that authorized by law

Forcing the people to work for them

Seizure of the peoples animals and crops without

encomenderos, the king decided to return the encomienda

feeling resulted. First, peace and order, which the colonizers

Polo y servicio is the system of forced labor which

faith to the Filipinos. They saw that the encomenderos were

Conquistadores and Catholic priests who accompanied them.

only interested in enriching themselves instead.

Preaching from the pulpits against encomendero

government around the world. Polo y servicio is the forced

who were obligated to give personal services to community

Writing letters and memorials to the King of Spain in

(corruption of the Spanish Falta, meaning "absence"), a daily

which they reported the abuses of the encomenderos

fine of one and a half real.

Refusing to absolve the encomenderos from their

projects. One could be exempted from polo by paying the falla

labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age

abuses of the encomenderos by;

The system became the cause of many uprising

interested only in getting rich, grew lazy. They reasoned that it

against the Spanish colonial government around the world.

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