History of the Philippines (1565–1898)

Spanish East Indies

This article covers the history of the Philippines from 1521 to 1898.

The Coming of the Spaniards(1521)

Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in 1521.

Europeans first arrived in the Philippine Islands in 1521, when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan first sighted the mountains of Leyte on 1521, claiming the lands for Spain, and naming them Islas de San Lazaro. The first Holy Mass in the Philippines was celebrated on March 31, 1521 on the shores of Masao, which is believed to be the present-day Butuan. Ensuing the victories in attaining the friendship of various tribal groups living in the Visayas region, Magellan befriended Humabon, the king of Cebu and took special pride of converting many natives to Catholicism. However, he became involved with political issues and rivalries with other tribal groups and took part in a battle against Lapu-Lapu, a mortal enemy of Humabon. Magellan invaded Mactan Island with 49 soldiers and after several hours of fighting, Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu at the Battle of Mactan. After the defeat, three of his ships, including the Concepción, Trinidad and Victoria and several remaining crew members managed to escape the battle and reached the Spice Islands of Indonesia. From there the Spaniards and Portuguese abandoned the Concepción and split into two groups. The Trinidad, commanded by Gonzalo Gómez de Espinoza tried to sail eastward across the Pacific Ocean to the Isthmus of Panama. Diseases and a shipwreck disrupted Espinoza's voyage and most of its crew members died. Survivors of the Trinidad returned to the Spice Islands, where the Portuguese imprisoned them, while the Victoria continued sailing westward, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano, and managed to return to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain in 1522.

In 1529, in the treaty of Zaragoza, Spain relinquished all claims to the Spice Islands (and westward) to Portugal. This treaty did not stop subsequent colonization from New Spain.

Subsequent expeditions were dispatched to the islands. Four expeditions were authorized: that of Loaisa (1525), Cabot (1526), Saavedra (1527), Villalobos (1542), and Legazpi (1564). In 1543, Ruy López de Villalobos named the territory Las Islas Felipinas after Philip II of Spain, during his failed expedition.

Colonization by Spain (1565–1898)

On April 27, 1565, Spanish troops numbering a mere 500 soldiers invaded the archipelago and attacked the defiant Tupas, son of Humabon, and Tupas was made to sign an agreement after his defeat and effectively placing the Philippines under Spain.

On that same day, the first permanent Spanish settlement was founded by the Conquistadores, Miguel López de Legazpi in Cebu, which became the town of San Miguel. In 1570 the native city of Manila was conquered and declared a Spanish city the following year. When Legazpi decided to transfer his capital to Manila, Cebu receded into the backwaters as influence and power shifted north to Luzon and its wide expanse of fertile lands. The Spanish took control of the islands, which became their outpost as the Spanish East Indies. Until 1815, the Philippines were administered as a colony of New Spain (present day Mexico).

Spanish colonial rule brought Catholicism. One friar, Fr. Juan de Placencia wrote a Spanish-to-Tagalog Christian Doctrine 1593 which transliterated from Roman characters to Tagalog Baybayin characters; since most of the population of Manila could read and write Baybayin at one time, this effort probably helped the conversion to Christianity ³. Most of the islands, with the exception of Mindanao, which remained primarily Muslim, were converted. Muslims resisted the attempts of the Spanish to conquer the archipelago and this resulted in a lot of tension and violence which persists to the modern era.

In 1590, missionaries from the Society of Jesus, led by Fr. Antonio Sedeño, S.J., established the Colegio de Manila, which in 1623 became the Universidad de San Ignacio, the first pontifical and royal university in the Philippines and in Asia. In 1595, the Jesuits established the Colegio de San Idelfonso (since 1948 the University of San Carlos). In 1611 the Dominican friars founded the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, which currently has the oldest extant university charter among Philippine schools (after the San Ignacio closed in the 1770s following the Suppression of the Jesuits, who only returned in 1859).

The colonial period also saw the Spanish dominate the economy, focusing on the tobacco, as well as the Galleon Trade between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico. To avoid hostile powers, most trade between Spain and the Philippines was via the Pacific Ocean to Mexico (Manila to Acapulco), and then across the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to Spain (Veracruz to Cádiz).

During Spain’s 333 year rule of the Philippines, there were more priests and missionaries rather than soldiers or civil servants in the country. The Spanish military had to fight off the ethnic Chinese pirates (who sometimes came to lay siege to Manila, the most famous of which was Limahong in 1574), Dutch forces, Portuguese forces, and rebelling natives.

Moros from Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, in response to attacks on them from the Spanish and their native allies, raided the areas of Luzon and the Visayas that were under colonial control. They often sold their captives as slaves.

In the late 16th century, the Japanese, under Hideyoshi, claimed control of the Philippines and for a time the Spanish paid tribute to secure their trading routes and protect Jesuit missionaries in Japan.

Serious challenges to Spanish rule began in 1761, during Spain's involvement in the Seven Years' War. In 1762, colonial forces of the British East India Company captured Manila with a force of 13 ships and 6830 men, easily taking the Spanish garrison of 600, but made little effort to extend their control beyond the city. In accordance with the 1763 Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was returned to Spain. Defeat at the hands of British, however, inspired resistance from Filipino rebels such as Diego Silang, who in 1762 expelled the Spanish from the coastal city of Vigan. During the revolt led by Diego Silang, for instance, natives from Pampanga were used as soldiers against the rebellion in Ilocos. The government quelled uprisings from one region with natives from another, using the Roman military strategy Divide et impera.

Political System during the Spanish Rule

The first task done by the Spaniards upon conquest is the relocation of the Filipinos into the Reducion (relocation) to speed up the Christianization of the natives. Those who did not follow were branded as "tulisanes" or bandits. After these, the civil government took into effect. Please note, however, that the Church has control over state affairs. In fact, the Separation of the Church and State was one of the most amazing achievements made in the Malolos Consttution near the end of the Spanish Rule.

National Government

On the national level, the King, through his Council of the Indies (Consejo de las Indias), governed through his sole representative in the Philippines: the Governor-General (gobernador y Capitan-heneral).With the seat of power in Intramuros, Manila, the Governor-General is given several duties: he heads the Supreme Court (Real Audiencia), is Commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and is the economic planner of the country. All known axecutive power of the local government stems from him and as vice-real patron, he has the rightto supervise mission work and oversee ecclesiastical appointments. His yearly salary is P40,000. Only a Spaniard can be a gobernador y Capitan-heneral.

Provincial Government

On the provincial level, heading the pacified provinces (alcaldia), is the provincial governor (alcalde mayor). The unpacified military zones (corregidor), such as Mariveles and Mindoro, were headed by the corregidores. City governments (ayuntamientos), are also headed by the alcalde mayor. Alcalde mayors and corregidores exercised multiple prerogratives as judge, inspector of encomiendas, chief of police, tribute collector, capitan-general o the province and even vice-regal patron. His annual salary ranges from P300 to P2000 before 1847 and P1500 to P1600 after it. But this can be augmented through the special privilege of "indulto de commercio" where all people were forced to do business with him. Like the Governor-general, only Spaniards can be an alcalde-mayor.

Municipal Government

The pueblo or town is headed by the gobernadorcilo or little governor. Among his multi-farious administrtive duties was the preparation of the tribute list (padron), recruitment and distribution of men for draft labor, communal public work and military conscription (quinto), postal clerk and judge in minor civil suits. He intervened in al administrative cases pertaining to his town: lands, justice, finance and the armed forces. His annual salary, however, was only P24 but he was exempted from taxation. Any Filipino or Chinese mestizo, 25 years old, literate in oral or written Spanish and has been a cabeza de barangay or 4 years can be a gobernadorcillo.

"Barrio" Government

Barrio government (village or district) rested on the barrio administrator (cabeza de barangay). He was responsible for peace and order and recruited men for communal public works. Cabezas should be literate in Spanish and have good moral characterand property. Cabezas who served for 25 years are exempted from forced labor.

The Residencia and The Visita

To check abuses of power, 2 institutions were implemented in the indies. The residencia is a judicial review of residenciano (one judged) after his term of office by a juez de residencia. The visita is conducted by a visitador-general and can be conducted any time during the term of an official. Both have the same objective to ensure faithful and efficient service in behalf of Spain.

Economic Institutions imposed by Spain

Taxation

To raise income to support the government, the Spaniards imposed several forms of taxes and monopolies. The tribute (buwis, later replaced by the cedula personal or personal idetity paper) may be paid in any kind. It was fixed at 8 reales and later, increased to 15. Ten reales goes to the government, 1 to the town communit chest and 3 to the Church. Anoter on real was for tithes (diezmo prediales). Also collected is the bandala, an annual enforced sale and requisitioning of goods such as rice. Custom duties and income tax are also collected.

Forced Labor (Polo y Servicio)

Polo is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age who were obligated to give personal service to community projects. One could be exempted from polo by paying the falla, a daily fine of one and a half real. In 1884, it was reduced to 15 days.

Encomienda System

The enmcomienda system is a land management system similar to the feudal system in Europe. Here, a meritorious Spaniard (called an encomendero) is given control over a piece of land and all its inhabitants. The encomendero is duty-bound to defend his encomienda and keep peace and order there. In return, he was granted the right to collect tribute according to the limit. Part of this tribute goes to the encomendero and the rest to the Church and government. This is subject, however to several abuses.

Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade

The Manila-Acapulco Trade is generally a trade between the Chinese and Spaniards in Manila and the Spaniards in Mexico. This has resulted into economic progress. But the egative effects of it far outbalanced the advantages. Some income-producing economies were completely neglected and too much burden were given to Filpinos during their annual polo y servicio. However, this has resulted into Amerasian cultural exchanges that led into the introductio of new crops and animals to the Philippines. The trade started as early as 1565 and died on 1815.

Royal Society of Friends of the Country

Jose de Basco y Vargas, following a royal order to form a society of intellectuals who can produce new, useful ideas, formally established the Real Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais. Composed of leading men in business, industry and profesion, the society was tasked to explore and exploit the island's natural bounties. The society led to the creation of Plan General Economico of Basco which implemented the monopolies on the areca nut, tobacco, spirited liquors and explosives. It offered local ad foreign scholarships and training grants in agriculture and established an academy of design. It was also credited to the carabao ban of 1782, the formation of the silversmiths and gold beaters guild and the construction of the first papermill in the Phlippines in 1825. It was introduced on 1780, vanished temporarily on 1787-1819, 1820-1822 and 1875-1822 and ceased to exist in the midle of the 1890's.

Royal Philippine Company

On March 10, 1875, Charles III created the Royal Philippine Company with a 25 year charter. It was granted exclusive monopoly of bringing to Manila Philipine, Chinese and Indian goods and shipping them directly to Spain via the Cape of Good Hope. It was stiffly objected by the Dutch and English who saw it as a direct attack on their trade of Asian goods. It was also vehemently opposed by the traders of the Galleon trade who saw it as competition. This gradually resulted into the death of both institutions: RPC on 1814 and the Galleon trade on 1815.

Socio-Cultural Transformations

More than 300 years of Spanish colonization must have had an effect on the Philippine society. The Filipinos had adapted the Spanish menu, stone houses and way of dresing. They used the Gregorian calendar, the Latin script and used their Theocentric art,music, literature and even education, which is, by the way, free and compulsary. However, we have not been entirely Hispanized during this amount of time and although there were large modifications, our culture remained esentially Malay.

Social Stratification

The social structure in the Philippines was divided not by property but by blood. On the upper level were the "pure Spaniards," divided into the peninsulares (born in Spain) and the insulares (born in the Phillipines) who are looked down upon by the former. Then, there were the mestizos, who are looked down upon by the Spaniards and with hatred by the natives. The natives were called indios and occupied the base of the social pyramid. In the late nineteenth century came the clase media or ilustrados, composed of rich Spanish or Chinese mestizos and who became the great reformists at that time.

Early Resistance

pamatay nga mga spaniards

See also

• Philippine revolts against Spain