POLITICAL AND

ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF
SPANISH COLONIZATION
 A. Political aspects

Centralized Government
The Philippines being a crown colony was
placed under the absolute control of the king.
VICE ROYAL of Nueva Espana(Mexico)
was given charge to govern the Philippines
in behalf of the king
1524
King Charles V established the REAL y
SUPREMO de las INDIAS (ROYAL AND
SUPREME COUNCIL OF INDIES), a political body
that governed all spanish possesions.
Recopilacion de leyes de los
reynos de ls indias was a set of
laws first compiled by the spanish
cortes
Two ancient Castilian Constitution
A.) Residencia was a legal body that
conducted an investigation and on
the performance of an official
b.) Visita had far greater impact than
the residencia in terms of the
manner of investigation
 Governor-general or
Gobernador general
Highest official of the central government, was
appointed by the consejo de las indias
Held office at Intramuros Manila, recognized
as the seat of the national government
Captain-general or the commander-in-chief of
the army and navy
He was the president of the royal audiencia or
supreme court
highest judicial body in the spanish colonies
Granted with numerous prerogatives and
discretionary powers for some reasons
Alcalde Mayor or provincial
governor
leads or govern all alcaldias or
pacified areas
Corregidores
Govern all unpacified areas or
corregimientos
examples of unpacified areas
Mariveles
Mindoro
Panay
Gobernadorcillo or little governor
governs the towns(pueblos)
Ayuntamiento or Cabildo
governing body of each city
CEBU
-- declared as the first city in 1569
Manila
-- became city in 1571
 Cabeza de barangay
-- headed the barangay which is
considered as the local lowest unit
-- was the tax collector of the
contributions forwarded to the
gobernadorcillo
-- this position was given to the former
datus
INTRODUCTION
OF
SPANISH
LAWS
19TH CENTURY
-- Roman civil laws, penal, and commercial
codes where introduced in the Philippines
Abolition of slavery in the Philippines
-- most important humanitarian laws
passed in accordance to the laws of indies
 August 9,1589
--King Philip II issued a royal decree
to further strengthen to the
enforcement of such law
April 18,1591
-- Pope Gregory XIV issued a Papal bull
at Rome which strengthened the
decree of King Philip II
B. ECONOMIC ASPECTS

Public Taxation
The various kinds of taxes paid in cash or in
kind equivalent to 8 reales( one peseta) were
exacted from the Filipinos until 1884
1589 t0 1851
-- the amount of taxes increases to 10 reales
up to 12 reales
(Each of the native pay a tribute to anyone
unmarried male member over {20 years old}
living with parents was duty bound to pay
half of the tribute)
Exempted to pay the taxes were the :
Elders
Beggars
Disabled
NUMEROUS FORMS OF
TAXES
Sanctorium (three reales)
-- a tax amounted to three reales and
collected by the government and in
turned given to the church
Caja de comunidad
-- a tax of one real used as a
community fund later its named was
changed to cedula tax
presently known as the residence
tax
 Donativo de Zamboanga
-- was imposed in almost all of the
provinces between 1635 and the middle
of the 19th century.
Fifths
-- laborers and owners(gold mining
industry) paid this kind of tax
Bandala
-- is an indirect tax imposed on the Filipino
farmers
Pampanga and the Tagalog regions
-- practices the bandala because they are the
major crop producing areas
Polo y Servicios (force labor)
-- another form of indirect tax
-- required all male Filipinos between ages 16
to 60 to render service for 40 days a year
{Polistas told to be paid real a day and
provided with rice upon actual performance
of the polo y servicios}
--Falla
payment to be paid to have an
exemption from duty to render force
labor
was considered as a form of
bribery and class discrimination
1884
-- demolition of sanctorium, caja de
comunidad and tribute was
implemented
Personal cedula tax
-- replacement of the tribute
--imposed in every male and female resident
of the Philippines who were 18 years old
-- all residents(Filipino, Spaniards, Chinese,
or Foreigner) was required to pay the new
tax
-- amount to be paid range from 50 centavos
to 37.50 depending on the income of the
tax payer
 Real Situado
-- a financial aide given by the treasury
of the Mexico to save the colonial
government from bankruptcy
 Encomienda System

The owning and ruling of lands by the spanish

soldiers.
It is the counterpart of the medieval europes
feudalism
Encomendero
---took charge of all matters pertaining to his
area of jurisdiction.
--- by law they were duty bound to provide for
the spiritual and material welfare of the
natives placed under their jurisdiction and to
defend his encomienda from enemy attact
Two kinds of encomiendas

The Royal or crown encomiendas

-- refered to lands reserved for the
crown and included the principal
towns and ports
The private encomiendas
-- were granted to individuals who
were either the kings proteges or
men who serve with merit during the
conquest and pacification campaigns
 Cabeza de barangay
-- a former chieftain, and was given
the task to be the tax collector
Encomendero
-- later became the tax collector
{the native tax payer were given the
options of paying either in cash or in
goods(rice, vegetables, fowls, and
others)
The Manila Acapulco Galleon
Trade (1565-1815)
Galleons
-- commercial trading that was
operated by government-owned
vessels
-- galley(Spanish word) meaning a
vessel which is very similar to a war
vessel during that time
Manila galleons were most renowned
for 250 years.
 Boletas
-- tickets given to each of the participants
signifying their rights to ship goods
Obras Pias
-- established to ensure the smooth flow of
business, and an economic institution
-- it gives loans to all merchants who took part
in the shipment of goods via the galleon trade
-- it help to maintain charitable works for public
benefit