Sazon, Rhodel I.

August 6, 2009

2LM2

1. Spain was unable to govern well in the Philippines during the 19th Century because of

several reasons. First, the political chaos in Spain itself which had a direct effect on the

government of the archipelago (Cushner, 1971). The period from 1833-1875 was known

to be an era of the pronunciamento, amazing rapid changes in the government occurred.

Democratic parties in Spain had emerged and progressed. Spain experienced a

monarchical system by Amadeo of Savoy then, a republic in 1873 that lasted until 1874

followed by a dictatorship by General Pavia that laid concrete on the restoration of

Isabela II’s son, Alfonso XII. These rapid transitions in the government of Spain resulted

for the political, economic, and social disorder of its overseas possessions (Cushner,

1971). Second, the autocratic church in the Philippines which was sharply split by a

Spanish-Filipino division among the clergy (Cushner, 1971). The Church has been

tyrannical in administering the people who cultivate the lands that she owns. This abuse

of power by the friars led for Rizal and other Inquilinos to challenge the authority of the

Dominicans with the lands. Third, a breakdown of civil administration on the town level

which resulted in widespread dissatisfaction (Cushner, 1971). The pleonastic surrogation

caused a dismaying effect on the local government. For an instance, a newly appointed

official only knew he was already replaced when he arrived on the shores of the

Philippines. There was a drastic change of officials that led to confusion of the people

and as well as the appointed rulers. Lastly, the declaration of the public school system

and the opening of the Suez Canal prompted the rise of the ilustrados. These intellectuals

originally clamoured for adequate representation to the Spanish Cortes and later on
 independence that resulted for them to raise a group called the Propaganda Movement

also to alert public consciousness, they formed La Solidaridad (Abaya & Karganilla,

1998). (History of the Philippines-Wikipedia, 2009, para. 1 and 3). The colonial

government was corrupt and inefficient. Our people denied of their individual rights and

liberties and their representation to the Spanish Cortes was not restored (Zaide, 1958).

Summing it up, the Spanish misrule accrued the Indios to establish their own wall to

protect their civil rights through an intellectual revolution led by Jose Rizal and another

revolution by Andres Bonifacio which also promotes the ideals of our National Hero.

2. The warriors who gained the Filipinos over the Spain were not their steel clad chivalry,

but soldiers of the cross (Bazaco, 1936). The orders do not have a single special role but

indeed multi-special roles. The religious orders originally aim to promote Christianity in

the Philippines but it was not the sole contribution of the orders to us. The Augustinians,

Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, and Recolects conquered the Archipelago for Spain.

The missionaries taught the Filipinos to be good agriculturists. They taught how to make

irrigation ditches, construction of strong houses, building of roads and canals, planting,

and many more. The missionaries also helped the Indios to be excellent in Architecture.

Priests worked like forced laborers to build schools, convents, dikes, and fortresses. The

religious orders also raised in the Philippines the system of land-owning that has been a

controversy for the Americans (The Friars in the Philippines-The New York Times, 1901,

para. 3). The friars were entitled to be the land owners and the Inquilinos were the tenants

together with the Kasama as their shareholders. The Patronato Real which is the union of

the State and the Church has been established that aims to evangelize and convert its

territories to Roman Catholicism. Whatever needs of the people that the State cannot
 suffice, the Church willingly contributes by sending their missionaries funded by the

King. The religious orders supplied good schools by its own money that made it as a

private enterprise. These things prove that the religious orders did not just provide a

single involvement but undeniably, these orders had a number of special roles in the way

we shaped our nation until the present time.

Bibliography

Abaya, D., Karganilla, B., & Villegas, E. (Eds.). (1998). Miguel Malvar and the Philippine

Revolution. Philippines: MM Productions, Inc, pp.45-47.

Bazaco, P. (1936). Culture of Early Filipinos. Manila: UST Press, pp.87-98.

Cushner, N. (Ed.). (1971). From Conquest to Revolution. Quezon City, Philippines: Ateneo

de Manila University, pp.210-229.

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines

www.query.nytimes.com/mem/archivefree

Zaide, G. (1958). History of the Filipino People. Manila: Villanueva Book Store, p.146.