Serato, Darwin J.
BSED 32A1 Prof. Marilyn Cabanez
HOMEWORK 1
1. Make a research on the political system during Rizals time
THE START OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM BEFORE RIZAL'S TIME:
When Jose Rizal was born in 1861, no political system existed in the Philippines that the
Filipino people governed because the whole archipelago was under by Spanish Monarchy. It
started when they invaded our country by the Portugues voyager explorer Ferdinand Magellan
in 1521. Although the first invasion was unsuccessful because of Magellan's death, Juan Elcano
overtook the second expedition to continue the plan of the Spanish Crown to make the
Philippines one of their colonial territory. When they achieved their goal, the Crown continued
to send Spanish troops, generals, and friars to establish and form a government under the
name of King of Spain.
THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT DURING RIZAL'S TIME:
GUARDIY
GEN
A
RALS SIBIL
THE
CROWN ADVISER
GOV.
GENER
ALS
CORTES
FRIARS
GUARDIY
A
SIBIL
The Crown or the Monarchy:
The King is Head of State, symbolizing its unity and permanence. He arbitrates and
moderates the regular functioning of the institutions assumes the highest
representation of the Spanish State in international relations.
Cortes
The Cortes duty is to pass legislation and somehow acts as check and balance to the
Crown
Adviser
The adviser to the King provides their own opinion and forwards their interest.
Governor-General
The one who had the title of the government executive during the colonial period of
the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain (1565–1898).
Governor-General was the appointee of the King to its colonial territory
Friars/ Prayer
The Spanish Friars were the head of the church and served as an official in town.
Friar has to spread Catholicism and convert every Pilipino to become a member of
Catholicism.
Every friar had authority in the colony's administration where they could supervise the
election of the gobernadorcillo and Cabeza.
Guardia Sibil
The civil guard is the branch of the Spanish Guardia civil organized under the General of
the Philippines with a component of the Spanish Army.
They have to protect and mobilize the security of all Spanish officials in a colonial
territory. And they were enforcing the law.
The Political system at the time of Jose Rizal
During the time of Rizal's, the Philippines' political system was in an instability colonial
administration due to political chaos in Spain. Moreover, many Filipinos suffered from abuse,
awful treatment, agony, and suffering.
Instability Colonial Administration
Spain's political instability dates back to King Ferdinand VII's stormy reign, which marked
the start of the country's political upheaval.
Because of the regular cyclical alterations in colonial policy and the recurrent rigodon of
colonial officials, Spain's political instability harmed Philippine affairs.
At the time of Rizal, there were 50 Governors-General, each serving a one-year and
three-month tenure. This agreement was under the monarchy's decision support by the
Cortes.
The corrupt colonial officials of the Spanish-Philippines government
The political system during Rizal's time was full of incompetent, aggressive, mercilessly,
and corrupt officials. Also, they are thieves among the thieves due to illegal land
claiming, criminal sanctions of double taxes, unlawful acts of collections. Thus, friars are
also involved in these kinds of activities. Furthermore, due to corruption in political
government, millions of Filipinos suffered from hunger, malnutrition, death caused by a
lack of food, and being overworked.
During the 19th century, they were corrupt, with the Alcaldias/Alcalde being the most
corrupt of the corrupts. The administrators, judges, and military commandants make up
the Alcaldias/Alcalde. They usually have extensive allowances and privileges of P25/mo
to deduct a set proportion of the overall tax bill. Indulto para comerciar referred to
monopolistic trades or commercial activities.
List of Highly corrupt governor-general officials
General Rafael De Izquierdo
Governador-general Izquierdo was a ruthless and corrupt governor who governed the
government.
Aside from being corrupt, he was also a murderer by his order to execute the three
Filipino priests, Father Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora.
Admiral Jose Malcampo
The successor of Izquierdo as a second governor-general
He was an excellent moro fighter but had a weak administrator as governor-general.
General Fernando Primo de Rivera
He was a governor-general, the successor of admiral Malcampo. He served for two
terms and enriched himself by accepting bribes from gambling casinos in Manila which
he scandalously permitted to operate.
General Valeriano Weyler
He's a cruel and corrupt governor-general who is dishonest and becomes a millionaire.
General Camilo de Polavieja
He was a governor-general responsible for the death of Dr. Jose Rizal.
And a militarist but heartless governor-general.
The Maladministration of Justice
The Philippines' legal system was infamously corrupt during Rizal's time.
And, justice was costly, partial, and slow—the reasons why many Filipino were abused
and killed without the proper justice.
Filipino could not win in any lawsuit curt during Rizal's time because justice relied
heavily on wealth, social stratification, and skin color.
The court process was so slow and sluggish that it was simple for justice to be delayed.
No equality before the law
The Spanish colonial authority in the Philippines passed a law known as the Spanish
Penal Code, which was enforced across the archipelago and inflicted harsher
punishments on native Filipinos than on white Spaniards.
Filipino who was called Indio had no right to participate in any political
activities/programs in a colonial government.
There was no single law protecting the Filipinos' lives, rights, dignity, and betterment
during Rizal's time.
In the gobernadorcillo and Cabeza elections, women did not have the right to vote or
participate.
Frailocracy begin to rise in power during Rizal's time
The Friars were in charge of the Philippines' religious and educational institutions, and
later in the nineteenth century, they grew to wield enormous political power and
influence.
Friars became aggressive to the poor Filipinos when they gained power in the
government.
Because of the government's backup, friars do some unlawful acts involving criminality,
corruption, and crimes against humanity.
Almost town in the archipelago, except in Islamic Mindanao and Sulu, was ruled by
Friars.
During Rizal's times, the agricultural lands in the archipelago were claimed illegally and
owned by the friars.
Forced labor
Adult Filipino males were forced to work in the construction of churches, schools,
hospitals, roads and bridges, ships, and other public works by the Spanish colonial
authority.
Because of compulsory labor, many Filipinos suffer from exhaustion and sometimes die
due to a lack of time to rest.
Filipinos are working with a small salary that's not enough to buy some foods and other
necessities because 1/3 of their income was a payment for the tax implemented by the
government.
Distance of the colony
Spanish authorities overlooked the needs of the Philippines as they went to other
locations. They didn't pay enough attention to the other people's requirements.
There were insufficient administrative oversights, and they could not confront and
resolve issues relating to the Philippines—authorities who helped them compete.
Racial discrimination inside the political system
Spaniard officials are prejudiced against Filipino people due to their skin color and being
illiterate. They won't allow Filipinos to be part of the political system because it will
reveal the main interest of the Spanish colonial administration.
Because of prejudice against the Filipino citizen, hundreds of legislation were imposed
by the government, which was used to punish the person who disobeyed the church's
policies.
The Involvement of government in criminality
Dr. jose Rizal arrested by the Guardia sibil because of his written work such as Noli Me
Tangere, El Filibusterismo and other written works that reveals the situation of all the
Filpinos in the hands of Friars, Spaniards and Spanish colonial administration.
The three prist also known as GomBurZa were execute by the governor-general
Izquierdo due to false accusations, treason and sedition bcesue of being active in Cavite
Mutiny.
2. Show pictures of the different aspects of life of the Filipinos during the Spanish period.
RIZAL’S EXECUTION AT BAGUMBAYAN ALSO KNOWN
TODAY AS LUNETA PARK.
https://twitter.com/govph/status/683226537848602624
The privilege life of Juan Luna as one of the famous
Filipino painter during Spanish period.
(J.L practicing Jack Sparrows move)
http://pinoykollektor.blogspot.com/2015/09/106-
general-antonio-luna-memorabilia.html?m=1 https://www.yoair.com/blog/anthropology-the-
The Filipina women employed in a Pina Shop
During Spanish Colonialism
https://filipiknow.net/7-myths-about-spanish-
The life of a native Filipino at the time of Spanish
period
The baptism of Catholicism to the Filipino Tribe
https://500yoccebu.ph/500-years-of-the-arrival-
MULATOS AND NEGROS LABORERS FOR
SPANISH
https://www.guampedia.com/indios/
FORCE LABOR BUT PAID WITH SMALL SALARY
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-
THE PATRIOTISM OF THE FILIPINOS TO FIGHT
AGAINST THE SPANISH COLONIALISM
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-
FILIPINO PRISSONERS ENSLAVED BY THE
SPANIARDS TO ROW IN GALLEY SHIPS
https://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/2003/V17n3/
THE LIFE OF WELL EDUCATED FILIPINO
(ILLUSTRADO) DURING SPANISH ERA
https://
