GOVERNMENT DURING THE

SPANISH PERIOD

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

GROUP 9
11-PAUL (HUMSS)
1. SPAIN’S TITLE TO THE PHILIPPINES

● Discovery made by Ferdinand

Magellan in 1521
2. SPANISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT

● From 1565 to 1821,the Philippines was

indirectly governed by the King of Spain
through Mexico
● From 1821,when Mexico obtained her
independence from Spain,to 1898,the
Philippines was ruled directly from Spain.
● The Council in Spain responsible for the
administration of the Philippines was the
Council of the Indies.
● In 1837,it was abolished and legislation of the
Philippines was temporarily performed by the
Council of Ministers
● From 1863,the Ministry of Ultramar (Colonies)
exercised general powers of supervision of
Philippine Affairs.
● Three times during the Spanish period
(1810-1813,1820-1823,1836-1837).The
Philippines was given representation in the
Spanish Cartes,the legislative body of Spain.
● Basic Principle introduced by Spain:
-The Union of the Church and the State
3. GOVERNMENT IN THE
PHILIPPINES:UNITARY
● The government which Spain has etablished:
:Centralized in Structure,and Natural in Scope
•The barangays were consolidated into towns
(pueblos),each headed by a gobernadorcillo (little
governor),popularly called Capitan,and the towns into
provinces,each headed by a governor who
represented the Governor General in the Province.
•Cities governed under special charters were
also created
-Each of these cities had an Ayuntamiento or
Cabildo (City Council)
•Cebu was the first City to be established in
1565 in the Philippines.The second was
Manila in 1571.
4. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL
1. Governor
General-executive,administrative,legislative,an
d judicial powers.
2. Captain General-Commander in Chief of all
Armed Forces in the Country.
3. Vice Royal Patron-Exercised Certain religious
powers
● It has been said that the Governor-General
enjoyed more powers than the King of Spain
himself.This was justified because of the
distance of the Philippines from Spain.
● The Governor-General was assisted by many
boards and officers,particularly the Board of
Authorities and the Council of Administration.
● Miguel Lopez De Legazpi
-The first Spanish Governor-General
● Gen. Diego De Los Rios
-The last Spanish Governor-General
5. THE JUDICIARY
● Royal Audiencia(1583)
-The Supreme Court of the Philippines during
the Spanish times
-It performed functions of executive and
legislative nature.
● Territoral Audiencias (1893)
-Below the Royal Audiencia
-There were two territorial audiencias:one in
Cebu and the other in Vigan
-It exercised apellate jurisdiction over criminal
cases coming from the sorrounding territory.
-In 1886,courts of first instance with both civil
and criminal jurisdiction were established in
the Provinces.
-At the bottom of the judicial system were the
justice of the peace courts which were
established in the different towns in 1885.
● There were special courts
•Military and Naval Courts-had jurisdiction
over military defenses
•Ecclesiastical Courts-had cognizance of
canonical matters and ecclesiastical offenses.
•Treasury and Commercial Courts
6. EVALUATION OF THE SPANISH
GOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES
● Demerits
•The Government which Spain established was
defective.
-It was a government for the Spaniards,not for the
Filipinos
•The Spanish Officials were often inefficient and
corrupt.
 •The union of the Church and State produced
serious strifes between the ecclesiastical and civil
authorities.
•Equality before the law was denied to the
Filipinos
● Merits
•The Spanish law was generally mild and humane
 -The Filipinos were not brutalized
-Spaniards and Filipinos intermarried and
mingled socially
-Slavery and tribal wars were suprassed.
•It brought about the unification of the Filipino
People.
 -The diverse tribes were molded into one
people,under one God,under one King,and one
Government.
-The spirit of nationalism blossomed.
•It uplifted the Filipinos from the depth of primitive
culture and paganism.
-blessings of Christianity and European
Civilization
THE COMING OF SPANIARDS
A.
● 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 only laws created in the Philippines are
those who were ordered by the Governor-General.
B.
● The Government that time was led by the
Governor-General
-Considered as the representative of Spain and the
king himself.
-The highest officer in the island and responsible
for implementing laws from the mother country.
-He also has the power to appoint or relieve
officer in the government or priest in the
parish,except with those personally appointed
by the King of Spain.
C.
● The provinces in the island were called as
encomienda and were governed by the
encomienderos,later they were replaced by the
alcalde mayor.
● Alcalde Mayor had both the executive and
judicial power.He had also given the right to
collect taxes
● The Alcalde Mayor was also allowed to
establish a business because of its limited
salary.
● In 1886,their executive power was abolished
but their judicial powers remain.
D.
● Small towns were governed by the gobernadorcillo.Under
his authority were one police chief and the lower
governement employees from which he had jurisdiction.
● Gobernadocillo were elected by the married people but
never a gobernadorcillo was chosen by those outgoing in
the position as his replacement.
● Maura Law is the legal foundation of municipal government
E.
● Economy relies on the following:
Manila-Acapulo Gallieon Trade
-Royal Society of friends of the Country
-Royal Company of the Philippines
● Taxation(Buwis/tribute)
•In kind or Cash-8 reales
•15 reales apportioned as follows
•10 reales goes to buwis
•One real diezmos prediales or tithes,one real
to the town community,one real sanctroum tax
or the church.
● Bandala-annual enforced sale and requisitioning
of goods such as rice
● Cedula Personal-connected in 1884,required to
pay personal identification,everyonewhose age
was over 18 were obliged to pay;and Forced Labor
or Polo Y Servicios (40 days of working aged
16-60 years old and Falla is a paying method
those who cannot able to work.
F.
The Royal Decree of 1555 of King Carlos I
mandated the three goals of Spanish Education;
-Indocrination of Christianity
-Promotion of the Spanish Language
-The Imposition of Spanish Culture
● Education of the Filipino was mainly learning
the Christian Doctrine.It was simple
Cathechism,not the same as Christian
Education in Europe.The vernacular,not
Spanish,was used as the medium of
instruction in the Parochial Schools.
● Augustinians 1565,Franciscans
1577,Dominicans 1587,Recollects
1606,Benedictines 1895.November
21,1849,Gov General Narciso Claveria issued
an order which gave Spanish surnames to the
Filipino Families.
G.
The Royal Decree of 1863,penned by Minister
Jose de la Concha,was the first attempt of the
Spaniards to establish an overall public school
system and to provide for the training of teachers
through a normal school attached to Escuela Pia
now Ateneo de Manila University.
THE SPANISH POLITICAL
STRUCTURE
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT,IT’S
HEAD,AND IT’S BRANCHES
-The Spaniards established a highly centralized
form of government in the Philippines. This
meant that the central or national government
was so powerful that it controlled almost every
aspect of governance.
-The governor-general could appoint minor
officials in the government, including the
parish priests.He was the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
-There were only two branches of the
government, the executive, and the judiciary.
Executive -Carries out laws (president, vice president,
Cabinet, most federal agencies)
Judicial – Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other
courts)
But there was no legislature because the laws for the
Philippines were crafted by the Spaniards in Spain
-The King of Spain issued royal decrees or orders. The
governor-general, however, had the power to issue orders
with the force of law which were called “superior decrees”.
-The judicial powers of the government were vested in the
royal audiencia and the lower courts.
-The audiencia was the highest court in the country and
had the power to audit the finances of the government.
● The Local Government
-Although the government was highly
centralized. The Spaniards realized that they
could not govern without local officials who
would implement the royal decrees or orders,
as well as the superior decrees.
● Provincial Government
-This was headed by a governor or
alcalde mayor who was appointed
by the governor general.
● Municipal Government
-The municipality was headed by a
gobenadorcillo or capitan municipal who
was chosen by thirteen electors. The
selection of the gobernadorcillo had to be
approved by the Spanish friar curate.
● Barrio or Barangays
-It the smallest unit of the govemment
and was headed by a cabeza who was
tasked to maintain peace and order and
collect taxes in the barangay.
TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE
HISTORY DURING THE
INSURRECTION OF NATIONALISM
AND PATRIOTISM
● 1872-GomBurZa (Father’s Mariano Gomez,Jose
Burgos,Jacinto Zamora) were executed by the
Spaniards
● 1866-Jose Rizal publishes Anti Spanish novel Noli Me
Tangere (The Lost Eden);and seers up independence
sentiment.Along with Graciano Lopez Jaena,and
Marcelo H. Del Pilar.
● 1892-Jose Rizal founded the civic oragnization La Liga
Filipina which not suceeded that led to KKK of
Bonifacio.
● 1896-Spanish execute Rizal for instigating
insurection;public outrage spawns rebellion
● 1896-Katipuneros tear their cedulas and shout in
contempt of the Spaniards in what is called the City
of Pugadlawin.
● 1897-General Emilio Aguinaldo establishes the new
republic at Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan
● 1898-American warship Maine was blown up in Havana
harbour,triggers the Spanish-American war,the Battle of
Manila Bay ensues.
● 1898-General Emilio Aguinaldo establishes the Malolos
Congress in Bulacan,then declares independence in
Kawit,Cavite
● 1899-Gen. A. Luna the founder of the Philippine’s First
Military Academy,and considered as the most brilliant of the
Filipino military officers during the war was assassinated in
Cabanatuan by Aguinaldo’s men.The same year when Gen.
Gregorio Del Pilar crouched down to defend up to death in
the Tirad Pass while Aguinaldo edvaped thorugh the
mountains.
● 1899-Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American
war,cedes Philippines to U.S. after the payment to
U.S. of $ 20 Million.Emilio Aguinaldo declares
independence then leads a guerilla war against U.S.
● 1901-U.S. captures Aguinaldo;William Howard Taft
arrives as first U.S. governor of Philippines.
THE EARLY REVOLTS AGAINST
SPANISH RULE
The Spaniards implemented oppressive policies in
governing the Philippines.As a result,there were local
revolts in may parts of the country.These revolts were not
because of a sense of nationalism on the part of the
Filipinos.Instead they wanted to regain their lost
freedom.They also did not relish the institutions imposed
by Spaniards,including the Catholic religion.There was a
natural desire to bring old and native religion back.Of
course,there was also agrarian unrest,The revolts
however,failed.
It is not difficult to understand the reasons why the original
uprisings against the Spanish rule failed.The Spaniards
used advanced weapons and employed native volunteers
and mercenaries against the rebels was divison among the
people.The Spaniards also skillfully employed the Catholic
religion to subjugate the Filipinos.Lastly,the Spaniards gave
the local chieftains and their families positions in the
government and gave them previleges.It was this divide
and conquer policy that allowed the colonizers to rule the
country for several centuries.