(Spanish Colonization)

The Instruments

of Exploitation and Control

THE ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM The word encomienda comes

from the Spanish word encomendar which means “to entrust” or “to assign” responsibility to a person.

In the Philippines, a certain area of land with its habitants was assigned to a particular Spaniards and he was given the responsibility to collect tribute and to utilize the people in the government and church projects.

A. The encomienda system became a source of abuse and corruption because the encomendero was free to raise the amount of tribute to be collected from the people.

B. The natives who were not able to pay the tribute were force to flee to the mountain. These people were called by the Spaniards as remontados or tulisanes.

C. In times when gold was plentiful and money (reales) was scarce, the encomenderos collected money; but if there was plenty of money and gold was inadequate, they collected gold. Thus, at times, the Filipinos were forced to buy gold to pay for their tribute. Furthermore, if harvest of farm products was bountiful, the encomendero collected the products. This force those who did not have farms to look for places where they can secure farm products.

ENCOMENDEROS

“ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM”

THE IMPOSITION OF TAXES A. The taxes imposed on natives were of three

kinds: direct taxes that referred to the tribute and the tax income, indirect taxes that included the bandala and the custom tax and the fees that covered the not so common products like wine,tobacco,betel nut, firecrackers, and opium.

B. From 1570 onward, the tax was set at 8 reales but one could also pay in gold,blanket,textile materials,palay, etc.Later, the 8 reales were raised to 15 reales .The Filipinos paid the taxes until the 19th century.

C. Aside from the tribute, a special tax of ½ real called samboangan or donativo de Zamboanga was imposed to suppress Moro attacks. This was implemented by the Spaniards from 1635 up to the middle of 19th century.

D. There was also the vinta, collected by the Spaniards from 1781-1851 to adequately prepare the vintas in defense of coastal areas from moro pirates.

E. The collection of tribute continued until 1384 when it was replaced by the yearly purchased of a cedula personal .The amount of the cedula was based on the race and social position of the person. The aim of the cedula was similar to the tribute and that was to recognize the authority of the king of Spain.

VINTAS

MORO PIRATES

CEDULA PERSONAL

THE POLO Y SERVICIOS Polo y servicio is the system of forced

labor which evolved within the framework of the encomienda system. Polo y servicio is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age who were obligated to give personal services to community projects.A person who rendered the forced labor was called "Polista". He could be exempted by paying the "falla“ (corruption of the Spanish Falta, meaning "absence") a daily fine of one and a half real which is a sum of money.

The system became the cause of many uprising against the Spanish colonial government around the world. 

POLO Y SERVICIOS

F. the laborers or polistas were made to work in the construction of bridges, roads, churches and convents, boats and other projects.

G. The others were sent to the forest to cut trees or to work in mines.

H. The worst cases were of those assigned as rowers of Spanish ships because this meant long period s of being away from their families.

I. The only way out of the polo was the payment of a falla which was 1 ½ real everyday for forty days.

J. The polo led to the decline of communities because of the departure of the men. Agricultural production suffered because nobody was left to tend the farm. The result was starvation and death, and the forced separation of family members.

K. The polo was also the source of corruption. The officials conscripted polistas in excess of the number needed by the colonial government. Then, they pocketed the money paid by those who wanted to evade the force labor.

L. The natives also arbitrarily conscripted to serve in the military.

THE ROLE OF THE TRADITIONAL LEADERA. The effective control and

administration of the Spanish colonial government would not have been achieve if not for the help of the native leaders.

B. The responsibilities assigned to traditional leaders in the implementation of the tribute, polo and bandala had put them on the side of the Spaniards.

C. Their use of position to benefit and enrich them had bought about a wide cleavage between the traditional leaders and the people, politically and economically. In short, the datus who governed became pillars of the colonial administration by serving as intermediaries.

THE MANILA-ACAPULCO TRADEA. Only few individuals benefitted from

this lucrative trade as it was established as a monopoly. These were the governor-general , traders, those with consular duties and rights, The Spaniards residing in Manila, and the religious orders.

B. The natives did not benefit from the galleon trade. Instead, they suffered because they were forced to man galleons as sailors and rowers, and in some cases they built the galleons through forced labor.

C. The Philippines served as trans-shipment or distribution center.

SPANISH GALEON

OTHER GOVERNMENT MONOPOLIESTo make the colonial economy sufficient for the

needs of the Spanish administration, Governor General Basco started the monopoly on a number of products resulting in added suffering for Filipinos.

A. The Ilocanos were adversely affected by the monopoly on tobacco which started in 1781, and on wine in 1786. For a long time, the Filipinos had been cultivating tobacco and they used it anytime they wanted. They also manufactured basi or rice wine for their own consumption. But with the introduction of the government monopoly, they were not allowed to do this anymore. To drink basi, they had to buy from the government.

GOVERNOR GENERAL BASCO

B. The cultivation and marketing of tobacco was put under the supervision and control of the Spaniards. The natives were required quotas and were fined if they failed to follow the requirements of the Spaniards. All their produce had to be sold to the government and, practically nothing was left to them.

C. The payment for tobacco and other products was usually in the form of a promissory note. This note had to be exchanged at a high discount with government officials and businessmen who were licensed to sell the needed products to common people at exorbitant prices.

D. The farmers were also victims of the dishonesty and cheating of the agents of the government who determined that a particular bundle of tobacco leaves was of low grade quality despite its being first class. Then, these agents would certify to the government that the same bundle of tobacco is of high quality and they would pocket the excess payment.

E. The most serious effect, especially to the monopoly of tobacco was widespread starvation particularly in the Ilocos region. Ilocano farmers were told to plant tobacco and were deprived of cultivating rice and corn resulting in a sharp decrease in food production. Another form of monopoly was the bandala which invoved the forced selling of requisition of products, most especially palay, tobacco and coconut oil. This resulted in widespread suffering because most of the time, the people did not receive payment but only promissory note.

By: Casul, Jumar L.