The Philippines of Rizal's Time (19th Century)

1. The political instability in Spain affected Philippine

It brought about recurrent periodic shifts in colonial policies and colonial officials. Spain changed its
policies in the Philippines and made periodic replacements of Spanish officials. These frequent changes
of the administration in the Philippines hampered down the economic and political conditions of the
country.

2. Corrupt Spanish Officialdom

Many colonial officials became rich by illegal means or by marrying the heiresses of rich Filipino families.

3. The Social System

Feudalism was the social structure in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The structure of the
Philippine society was pyramidal. And this is consists of three layers:
 Topmost layer- Spanish officials, the PENINSULARES
 Middle Layer- few favored Filipinos, the MESTIZOS and
CREOLLOS (those Spaniards born in America)
 Lowest Layer- INDIOS (the lowest kind)

4. Encomienda System

This is a system where Spanish monarch granted lands to certain individuals who had rendered great
services to Spain. And this individual could take care a certain territory in the conquered lands.

Rights of encomendero vested by Spanish Crown:

• the right to collect tributes.
• the right to use the personal services of the inhabitants.
• required to protect the people and to give them some education.

5. Human Rights Denied to Filipinos

People of Spain enjoyed

• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of the Press
• Freedom of Assembly
The Spanish authorities who cherished these human rights or constitutional liberties in Spain denied them
to the Filipinos in Asia.

6. No Equality Before the Law

To the imperialist way of thinking, brown Filipinos and white Spaniards may be equal to God, but not before the
law and certainly not in practice. Spanish colonial authorities arrogantly treated the brown-skinned Filipinos as
inferior beings, not their Christian brothers to be protected but rather as their majesty’s subjects to be exploited.

7. Racial Discrimination

Filipinos were regarded as INFERIOR BEINGS. Racial prejudice is rampant in the Philippines especially in the
offices, military, social gatherings and in schools. Man’s merit was BASED on the COLOR OF THE SKIN,
HAIR, the Shape Of The Nose and of the HEAD. Fr. Jose Burgos lamented the racial discrimination due by the
Spaniards to the Filipinos.
8. Frailocracy
The friars (Augustinians, Dominicans and Franciscans) controlled the religious and
educational life of the Philippines, and later in the 19th century they came to
acquire tremendous political power, influence and riches. Almost every town in
the archipelago, except in Islamic Mindanao and Sulu and in Pagan hinterlands,
was ruled by a friar curate.

9. Haciendas Owned by the Friars

During Rizal’s times the Spanish friars belonging to different religious orders were
the richest landlords, for they owned the best haciendas (agricultural lands) in the
Philippines.
The Filipinos in this time were unfortunate victims of the evils of an unjust, biased
and deteriorating power.

10. Guardia Civil

Had rendered meritorious services in suppressing the bandits in the provinces,
they later became infamous for their rampant abuses, such as maltreating
innocent people, looting their carabaos, chickens and valuable belongings and
raping women.