POLSCI102

• 3Gs


  • GOD - propagation of the catholicism/ Christianity
  • GOLD - desire for economic wealth: material wealth as a measure of greatness among nations
  • GLORY - spains ambition to be the greatest empire in the world; Spain realized its imperialistic ambition
• Governor-General


  • The chief executive of the Philippines during the Spanish time
  • Enforced the king's royal decrees and other laws from Spain
  • Commander-in-chief of the colonial armed forces
  • Appointed and removed colonial officials, except those who were appointed by the king
  • Recommended priests for appointed as parish priests and intervened in controversies among religious authorities
• Institutions that checked the power of the Governor-General

  • Royal Audencia
  • Archibishop and Clergy
  • Residencia
  • Visitador
• Royal Audencia


  The supreme court
• Residencia


  Judicial institution in which outgoing governor-general and other Spanish officials are tried being called upon to account for their acts while in office
• Visitador


  The investigating officer was sent to MANILA at certain times to investigate Philippine conditions and complaints against the governor-general and other Spanish officials
• Levels of colonial government

  • Central Government
  • Provincial Government
  • Municipal-level Governments
• Central Government


  • Spain directly ruled the Philippines through CONSEJO DE INDIAS (Council of Indies)
  • CONSEJO DE INDIAS - passed all governmental powers- (legislative, executive and judicial
  • "RECOPILACION" - law of the indios
  • "LAS SIETE PARTIDAS" - the Spanish code and other laws
• 1863 - "THE MISTERIO DE ULTRAMAR" (ministry for Spanish lands overseas ) replaced the Council of the Indies where the laws drafted in spin in the 19th century were implemented
• Governor-General


  • The highest official of the colonial government
  • The only representative of the king of Spain in the archipelago
  • The general captain, the vice-royal patron and the royal audience
  • Controlled the colonial troops
  • He can suspend the implementation of any law from Spain if he deems it inappropriate for the colony "cumplase"
• Provincial Government


  PROVINCIAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WAS ESTABLISHED TO: Strengthen its central governance over the colony, Tighten its control of the Filipinos, Mediate in the squabbles of Spanish colonialists over land grabbing and personal territories
• Types of provincial governance

  • Alcaldita- Mayor
  • Alcalde-Mayor
  • Corregimientos
  • Corregidores
• Only Spaniards can be appointed as alcalde-mayor or corregidor
• Indulto de Comercio


  • The governor transformed trading in his province into his own monopoly
  • The governor controlled the prices of goods
  • The governor coerced the people into selling their products to him and buying their provisions from him at a very high price
• Provincial Governor "the most corrupt bureaucrat"
• Barangay


  Brought under the government's structures to dampen the resistance of former datus and rajahs
• Gobernadorcillo


  • Ruled the towns of the province
  • Elected
  • The main role was to collect taxes
  • The municipal jail caretakers
  • Responsible for public works and management of the town's courts
• Cabeza de Barangay


  • Head of the barangays
  • Appointed by authorities
• Gobernadorcillo and cabeza de barangay were opened to Filipinos
• Principalia


  A group of prominent landlords and wealthy citizens who could read, write and speak Spanish
• Member of the principalia may run for a municipal-level position
• Theocracy


  • The corrupt political situation was worsened by the church's interference with the civil government
  • Archibishop and the leaders of religious orders were allowed to occupy important positions in the central government
• Friars dominated the Permanent Commission on Censorship
• Friars controlled the press and the incoming books with other reading materials in the Philippines
• Priests


  • Important in maintaining Spanish rule
  • Extensive knowledge of the Philippine's languages and geography
• Parish Priest


  • The only Spanish residing in the barrio
  • Had economic, political and spiritual powers
  • Municipal council adviser
  • Member of the provincial board
  • Controls education system and public works at the municipal level
  • Supervised tax collection
  • Conduct a census, the forcible enlistment of the natives in colonial troops and police and in authenticating cedulas
  • Control municipal elections
  • Censured plays and other reading materials
  • Can order the imprisonment of Filipinos
  • Can suspend, transfer and expel any official (including governor-general)
• Friars actively fought against and prosecuted Filipinos who advocate reform
• The parish priest was the true representative of the king
• Friars intervention in the country's politics became so Abominable
• US Objectives in Colonizing the Philippines

  • Use the Philippines as its base; control the entire Pacific Ocean and other countries, CHINA and Asian Countries
  • US claimed that they colonized the PH to civilize and teach Filipinions "DEMOCRACY" and "GOVERNANCE"
  • Expect to use Filipinos and colonial workers for their production
• Economic Policies


  • American government expanded the production of raw materials (sugar, products, tobacco, minerals and embroidered fabric and clothing)
  • 1913- increased Philippine exports by fully implementing free trade between the US and the Philippines
  • American Firms multiplied and became dominant in the economy
  • Built and profited from infrastructure projects (bridges, streets, expansion of railways, development of postal service and installation of electric and telecommunication services)
  • American government pushed for the cultivation of more farmlands
• Homestead Act


  Filipinos could avail of titles for lands they had cleared and started to farm
• Torrens Act


  Old farmlands were issued title
• Military Government


  • Established in August 1898 after the Filipinos defeated Spanish forces
  • The power of every governor-general who served came directly from the president of the U.S (the military's commander-in-chief)
  • Established a local government in every town and province that their armed troops had invaded
• Elections


  Only applicable to the educated and well-off can elect and get elected
• Civil Government


  • President William Mckinley sent two Philippine Commissions tasked to establish civil government
  • First Philippine Commission failed because the Filipino-American war was still raging at that time
  • March 16, 1900 (Second Philippine Commission) successful because by then, the U.S troops had already invaded some Philippines towns
  • July 4, 1901 American civil government in the Philippines was proclaimed
• William Howard Taft


  • The first civil governor replaced the military governor, General Arthur Mcarthur
  • The 27th president of the United States
  • 10th US Supreme Court Chief Justice
  • Tafts Objective: "To hold the Philippines for the benefit of the Filipinos"
• Philippine Organic Act of 1902 (Cooper Act)


  • First Congressional law about the Philippine government
  • Provides for the extension of the US BILL OF RIGHTS TO THE FILIPINOS
• March 2, 1903- proclaimed CENSUS DAY by Governor Taft, First official census of the Philippines during the American period (POPULATION: 7, 635,426)
• Sedation Act


  • Imposed imprisonment and death penalty to anyone advocating freedom or separation from the U.S even through peaceful means
  • It is a forbade writing, publishing and dissemination of "LIBELOUS STATEMENTS" concerning the colonial government