OUR COUNTRY AS A COLONY OF SPAIN

• Philippines was invaded by Spain and reigned over the Philippines for 333 years, from 1565 to 1898.
• Spain established ONE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT in the Philippines.
• for the first time in history, we became united as one nation called “FILIPINAS”. The rest of the world came to know our country by that name.
• Since Spain was far from the country, the Spanish king ruled the Islands through the viceroy of Mexico, which was then another Spanish colony.
• When Mexico regained its freedom in 1821, the Spanish king ruled the Philippines through a Governor General.
• The Colonial Government

  • The Executive Branch (Governor General)
  • The Judicial Branch (Royal Audencia, Residencia, The Visita)
  • Provincial Government Alcaldia (Alacalde Mayor)
  • Municipal Government Corrigimiento (Corregidor)
  • City Government Ayuntamiento (Cabildo)
• Spain established a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that was composed of a NATIONAL GOVERNMENT and the LOCAL GOVERNMENTS that administered provinces, cities, towns and municipalities.
• NATIONAL GOVERNMENT:

  • maintained peace and order
  • collected taxes
  • built schools and other public works
• THE GOVERNOR GENERAL

  • The King's representative and the highest-ranking official in the Philippines
  • He was also the president of the Royal Audencia
• There were 115 Spanish Governor-Generals in our country.
• The first Spanish governor-generals in our country was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (1565-1572) and  the last was Diego de los Rios (1898)
• The Residencia

  • This was a special judicial court that investigates the performance of a Governor General who was about to be replaced.
• The Visita

  • The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a government official called the VISITADOR GENERAL to observe conditions in the colony.
• The Royal Audencia

  • Served as an advisory body to the Governor General
  • The Audiencia also audited the expenditures of the colonial government.
  • The highest court in the land  during the Spanish times.
• The Provincial Government

  • The Spaniards created Local Government Units (LGU) for the provinces.  There were two types of local government units: Alcaldia (Alcalde Mayor), Corrigimiento (Corregidor)
• Though the Alcalde Mayor and Corregidor are paid a small salary, they enjoyed privileges such as the INDULTO DE COMERCIO or the right to participate in the GALLEON TRADE
• The ALCADIA, led by the Alcalde Mayor governed the provinces.
• The CORREGIMIENTO, headed by Corregidor governed the provinces that were not yet entirely under Spanish control.
• Larger towns became cities called  AYUNTAMIENTO.  It became the center of trade and industry.
• The ayuntamiento had a city council called the CABILDO
• CABILDO is composed of:

  •  ALCALDE (MAYOR)
  •  REGIDORES (COUNCILLORS)
  •  ALGUACIL MAYOR (POLICE  CHIEF)
  • ESCRIBANDO (SECRETARY)
• The Municipal Government

  Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos headed by GOBERNADORDCILLOS (Little Governor)
• FOUR LIEUTENANTS AIDED THE GOVERNARDORCILLO:

  the Teniente Mayor (chief lieutenant),

  the Teniente de Policia (police lieutenant),

  the Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields)

  the Teniente de Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock)
• CABEZA DE BARANGAY (Barrio Administrator or Barangay Captain)

  Responsible for the peace and order of the barrio

  Recruited men for public works