19th Century Philippines: Socio-Political Context

Socio-Political and Economic Condition of the Philippines in the 19th Century

• The aim is to understand the social and political structures, significant problems, and challenges during this period.
• The 19th Century included an era of growth and innovation, most notably through industrialization.
• The Philippines remained primitive despite this growth in many sectors.
• The government was indifferent to the people's cries of injustice.
• Social and economic systems relied on feudalistic patterns that caused racial discrimination
• The foreign encounter of some educated middle class contributed a lot to the country's development through their importing the idea of liberalism.

Social Structure

• The social structure emerged from Spanish colonization and upheld the landholding system.
• The Philippines became feudalistic, with authority and power concentrated among the wealthy.
• There was a huge gap between landlords and tenants, resulting in a pyramid structure of social divisions.
• The pyramid structure was composed of the Spanish officials, peninsulares, and friars at the top; favored natives, mestizos, and Philippine-born Spaniards in the middle; and landless Indios at the base.
• Spanish occupation shaped the Philippines' social structure and led to a "master-slave" kind of relationship with the elites holding the Indios captive.
• Exploitation was rampant, Spaniards' tax dragged the poor down, the powerless were helpless, and therefore the rich increased in power

Political System

• The Spanish Monarch held executive, legislative, judicial, and religious power.
• This power was executed in the Philippines through the Ministro De Ultramar (Ministry of the Colonies) established in Madrid in 1863.
• The Ministro De Ultramar governed Philippine affairs according to the will of the Spanish monarch and reported to the King of Spain.
• The Governor-General held supreme authority in the economic and financial dealings.
• In 1784, they acquired a portion of the Intendant-General's power.
• They held executive and judicial power, extending up to the legislative process.
• They could suspend local laws , and led the Royal Audiencia (Supreme Court) until 1861.
• They were also involved in religion with the privilege to select priests.
• There was a centralized system that placed governance in the hands of the governor-general, acting according to the Spanish monarch's will.
• The Lieutenant-General or General Segundo Cabo assisted the governor general.
• In 1874, the Secretariat of the Central Government assisted the governor-general.
• The Board of Authorities and Council of Administration advised the governor-general.
• Secretariat of the Council of Government was made to further assist the governor-general in 1874
• The Directorate of the Civil Administration was introduced with a bigger body of administrative advisers.
• The governing hierarchy was as followed, the Provincial Government, also known as Alcadia lead the way.
• The City Government was called Cabildo or Ayuntamiento and composed of 2 Alcaldes that were the Mayor and Vice Mayor.
• Poblacion level: town proper
• Gobernadocillo, fondly called Capitan, served as chief executive and judge; attained position through yearly winning vote from members of the town principalia.
• At the the Barrio level, we have the Barangay.
• Cabeza de Barangay was the leader of the smallest unit of government.
• It gave usually Mestizo's or filipino chinese people responsibilities of levying taxes and maintaining peace in the barangay.
• The Courts were ruled by the Royal Audiencia, who also acted as auditor of government finances.
• The Governor-general of the Royal Audiencia made laws called autos acordados.
• Each town had an Alferez or second lieutenant leading the guardia civil and cuardrilleros, peace forces.
• There was no official body in charge of enacting Philippine laws, as they came from various sources.
• The laws aimed to hold The Philippines captive under Spain.

Educational System

• It was poor and limited to the wealthy because the friars are censoring the knowledge for fear of injustice.
• It was characterized by an overemphasis on religious matters, outdated teaching methods, poor facilities, and limited materials.
• There was negligence in promoting primary schools due to a lack of academic freedom; in addition, corruption in education helped to maintain Spain's control.
• The educational system was inadequate for almost three centuries, with nonexistent government intervention, enabling schools to add or omit topics.
• Indios were believed to be incapable of growth due to their race, and obedience to friars was preached.
• The Philippine educational system mirrored Spain's outdated system with students who would memorize the contents of books without comprehension.
• Knowledge was measured by memory ability, which hampered to intellectual progress.
• Middle class Filipinos were humiliated by Spaniards and were belittled despite their ability, the natives never had them chance to prove themseleves worthy of education.
• The most know institution include College of San Juan de Letran and Ateneo de Manila, College of San Juan de Letran was the only secondary school in the Philippines.
• Initially established solely for Spaniards and mestizos the University of Santo Tomas then opened its doors to Filipino students four decades before the end.
• Welcomed in 1855, Spanish government realized need to educate indios in primary education.
• In 1854-1856, Gov. Manuel Crespoy Cebrian organized a commission to study elementary education.
• In 1863, the Educational Decree obliged major towns to establish primary schools for boys and girls
• Educators of Primary schools were trained at a normal school for men opened in 1865.

Challenges of the 19th Century

• There includes struggle for nationalism and the gradual spread of democracy.
• There includes the modernization of living through the Industrial Revolution and advance of scinece.
• The march of imperialism and the new current in the movement of thought and growing confidence on progress.

Explore the Philippines' 19th-century socio-political landscape, marked by feudalistic systems and racial discrimination. The government ignored cries of injustice as educated middle class introduced liberalism, contributing to national development amidst industrialization.