Read and comprehend the reading selection below about the 19th Century.

Socio Political and Economic Condition in the Spanish Era

SOCIO POLITICAL SYSTEM

One of the biggest questions asked is “what was the political system that followed during the Spanish Era?”
It is a curious question that entails scrutiny in the matter of comprehending the possible abuses and
challenges of our beloved country during those times.
It is not new to us that most of the Filipinos (Indios) at that time were known to be at the lowest level of the
hierarchy. Considered as “Nothing in his/her own country.” Spain reigned over the Philippines for 330 years
from 1565 to 1898. Since Spain was a far country, the King of Spain sent representatives to govern.

Before the existence of Governador Generals, the Philippines was under the Viceroy of Mexico who
reported directly to the King of Spain, but after the liberation of Mexico around 1821, the Governador
General reported directly to the King of Spain. Hence, Spain established a centralized colonial government
of which was divided into the National and Local Governments led by the Governador General.

The National Government maintained the peace and order of the colony, collect taxes and do
developmental projects for the colony like building schools and other public works; on the other hand, the
Local Government Unit of Spain was divided into 2 the Alcadia (Alcalde Mayor) and Corrigimento
(Corregidor) the one that governed a province that was not fully been controlled by Spain.

ABUSES AND CHALLENGES

The 19th century was an era of growth and innovation; the idea of industrialization became most popular
during this period. The essence of democracy and nationalism inspired numerous revolutionaries to
promote changes in the fields of science, technology, economics, and politics. The Philippines in the 19th
century remained primitive despite the emerging marks of growth. The government, occupied by self-
indulgent people, remained deaf and blind to the people’s cry of injustice and suffering.

The social & economic systems of the country remained reliant on the feudalistic patterns, which fuelled
racial discrimination and division based on the status quo. They imported to the Philippines the idea of
liberalism from the West and promoted innovation in how the Filipino viewed the country as a whole.

The product of Spanish colonization which upheld the landholding system brought by the arrival of the
conquistador made the Philippines feudalistic in setup. Dominion toward the land owned was practiced
wherein the authority and power resided in the hands of the wealthy few. Hence, there was a huge gap
between the landlords and their tenants.

Spanish occupation shaped the social structure of the Philippines. It made the Philippines embrace the
master-slave relationship allowing the elites to hold the Indios captive. People who ran the country lacked
qualifications, skills, and leadership traits. The government at the administrative level was occupied by
appointed people who held office following their selfish motives. The results of such actions were injustice,
lack of coordination among officials, and increased financial abuses.

After spending much time and money to obtain their royal appointment, many officials exploited their office
and its wide powers to recover their expenses and enrich themselves. Officials who sought to advance their
interest did so by collecting higher taxes than usual. High price (indulto para comerciar)

The alcalde who was also the provincial judge controlled a court loaded with biases in favor of the
mischievous deeds of the Spaniards. This led to the closure of numerous businesses owned by some
natives, increasing the number of the poor in the country.
Natives were limited in their participation in the government. Their responsibilities were not compensated
adequately, and this often led to the poor performance of their jobs. Collected money from the other natives
was not used to improve a certain province they ran, but it was gained for the self- improvement of the
officials. The existence of dishonest gobernadorcillo made the position attractive to some men.

Injustices prevailed as homes of the natives were searched without warrants; people were convicted and
exiled for being filibusters; books, magazines, and any other written materials could not be published and
introduced into the country without the prior approval of the Board of Censors. Organized assemblies and
any other political meetings initiated by Indios are prohibited. The poor were often declared guilty without
the due process of law. Merits of cases were simply based on money, race, and links with influential people.
An example is Dona Teodora’s life in prison.

Churches could interact and take part in the proceedings of the state. They were influential, manipulating
the Indios to abide by the state’s laws as it pleased God. Christianity was a tool of colonizing countries.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

The Philippines' educational system during those times was pitiable and limited to the wealthy few.
Intellectual growth can be seen in the middle class and was always censored by the friars for fear that the
knowledge would expose the injustices that had been going on in the country.

Government intervention in school is nonexistent; hence, schools could freely add or omit topics in their
curricula. Knowledge was measured in terms of the ability of the students to memorize, largely hampering
intellectual progress.

Keeping the Filipinos under Spanish control demanded intellectual isolation and extreme dogmatic
manipulation by the friars. Hence, selected parts of the Philippines had the required schools for education
like Manila, Cebu, Jaru, Nueva Cáceres, and Nueva Segovia. Also, Censorship of books and teaching
materials that might defy the church and the Spanish government.
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19TH CENTURY CHALLENGES

The spread of industrialization marked the fame of democracy, liberalism, and nationalism. These ideologies
were promoted as the industries in the world in the 19th-century developed. Mankind’s advancement in the
field of science, technology, physics, and chemistry resulted in the creation of a community embracing a life
of ease caused by technology. The massive usage of new types of machinery was the trademark of
industrialization. It is the beginning of a new era that evolves in the revolution of technology and science.

Pope Leo XIII opposed the unification of liberals in Italy. Meanwhile, in Spain, the liberals considered the
Church an enemy of the reforms. Anticlericalism became a hot topic in the 19th century because of the
increase in people’s materialistic views brought about by economic prosperity and the desire for freedom.
Rerum Novarum called for just treatment within the labor sector but condemned Marxism and promoted
social justice, which was in line with the church’s doctrines.

Displacement of Cultural Roots and Dr. Rizal’s Nationalism

Cultural displacement is one of the consequences if a nation was conquered. The displacements of our
ancestry beget one thing, a gradual loss of our authentic identity. This effect caused us to be influenced by
the conqueror’s ideology, practices and traditions, consequently mixing up or forgetting our own identity.
This colonial effect was known to be “cultural hybridity.” Hence it is important to study our nationalistic heart.

INDIGENOUS DISPLACEMENTS
In showing one’s nationality, respect for our ancestral tribe is necessary. Our ancestry and Tribes held our
cultural traits and practices that identify us unique with the other nations. With this, it is important to note an
alarming situation that is happening until the present that began rampantly during the Spanish Period and
that is Indigenous Displacement. It is where our ancestors were displaced with their own land in the
mountains and disrupted their simple and peaceful way of living.

An alarming situation that needs attention, this displacement of cultural roots is in many forms, but the
consequence is always the same. The result will always be the gradual loss of our cultural roots and
hopefully not destruction of our authentic Filipino identity.

NATIONALISM

Nationalism is defined as the loyalty and devotion towards its own nation; furthermore, it was defined as a
sense of national consciousness putting the nation as the priority over other things, emphasizing on
promoting the nation’s culture and influence.

Jose Rizal promoted nationalism in his existence in the world. He believed that the lack of national
sentiments brings forth the destruction of the nation. It was the evil that gradually destroyed one’s identity
and freedom. As he said that “A man in the Philippines is only an individual, he was not a member of a
nation. He was forbidden and denied the right of association and is therefore weak, Indolence of the
Filipino.”

Jose Rizal was viewed as a gallant example of a person who loves his country. He is studied and followed
as a reflection on how to be nationalistic. He was perceived to have these factors as a nationalistic person.
First, he gave emphasis on the importance of Tagalog Language. He preserved some of our cultural traits
and practices. He was open to criticizing the Friars. He defended Filipino Rights and used his pen to convey
the love for his country.

You can also refer to the sources below to help you further understand the lessons:

Maghuyop, R. (2018). The Life and Works of Rizal. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House Inc.
CHAPTER 2 (Socio-Political and Economic Conditions of the Philippines)
Camagay, M.L. (2018). Unraveling the past: reading in Philippine history. Quezon City: Vibal Group.
Cantal, D. F. et. al. (2015). Philippine History.Mutya Publishing House Inc.
De Viana, A., et. al. (2018). Jose Rizal: social reformer and patriot. A study of his life and times. Manila: Rex
Bookstore.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAkPBPpzuF8 – Philippines in the 19th Century