THE SPANISH

COLONIAL SYSTEM
Aims of Spanish Colonization
• 3 G’s
- God – propagation of Catholic
Christianity
- Gold – economic wealth
- Glory – ambition to be the greatest empire
in the world
 Spain retains the Philippines
despite economic loss

As a colony, the Philippines was a

financial burden to the Spanish treasury
The Philippines as Crown
Colony
 The Council of the Indies
• Consisted of a president, four councilors,
secretary, a fiscal, treasurer, historian,
cosmographer, a professor in Mathematics
and an usher.
• Ministry of Colonies (Ministerio de
Ultramar)
 Law of the Indies
• Recopilacion de Leyes de las Indias,
popularly known as simply Laws of the
Indies (Leyes de Indias)
 The Governor General
• He enforced the king’s royal decrees and
other laws from Spain
• He was the commander-in-chief of the
colonial armed forces
• Served as the president of the Royal
Audencia
• Veto power called cumplase
 Checks to Gubernatorial
Powers
• Royal Audiencia which was the supreme court
during the Spanish period
• Archbishop and the clergy who were influential in
the king’s court
• Complaints which subordinate public officials and
private citizens sent directly to the king
• Residencia
• Visitador
 The Royal Audiencia
• The Supreme Court in Spanish times
• Autos acordados (acts agreed upon)
• Served as auditor general of the colonial
government
 The Visitador
• Investigating officer which the king of
Spain sent to Manila at certain times to
investigate Philippine conditions and the
complaints against the governor general and
other Spanish officials
 The Encomienda System
• Was a grant of inhabitants living in a particular
conquered territory which Spain gave to a Spanish
colonizer as a reward for his services
• Royal and Private
• Encomenderos’ duties:
- protection from enemies
- assist missionaries
- promote education
 The Residencia
• Judicial institution introduced by Spain
in the Philippines
 The Tribute
• As a symbol of vassalage to Spain, the
Filipinos paid tribute
• Was abolished in 1884 and was
replaced by the cedula tax
 Why Filipinos hated the tribute?

• It reminded them of their bondage to

Spain

• It spawned Spanish abuses

 The Polo
• All male filipinos from 16 – 60 years old
were obliged to render forced labor (polo)
• Lasts for 40 days and reduced to 15
• polista
 Abolition of Slavery
• The early Spanish missionaries urged
the king to abolish slavery in the
Philippines
 Provincial Government
• Alcaldias
• Corregimientos
• Alcalde mayor
 Municipal Government
• Provinces were divided into pueblos (towns)
• Gobernadorcillo (governor)
• Teniente mayor(chief lieutenant)
• Juez de sementeras (justice of the fields)
• Juez de ganados (justice of cattle)
• Juez de policia (justice of police)
• Directorcillo (municipal secretary)
• Pueblo  barangays  cabeza de barangay
 The Cities
• City government was called ayuntamiento
• City council (cabildo) was composed of of
the alcalde(mayor), regidores(councilors),
alguacil mayor(chief constable) and the
escribano(secretary)
Missionaries and Colonization
• By the sign of the cross, they conquered,
winning the Filipinos to accept Christianity
and Spanish rule
• Augustinians – first missionaries to reach
the Philippines
 Ecclesiastical Organization
• Pope Archbishop of Manila  Bishops
 parish priests
• Archbishop’s Court – tried cases involving
Canon Law and cases concerning the clergy
 Union of Church and State
• Catholic Christianity was the state religion
• In the town – parish priest
• Bishops and archbishops as governors
general in cases of vacancy in the
gubernatorial office