Saint
Michael’s College
Midterm
Coverage Fact Sheets
Social
Science 3
Geography gave rise to the different languages, which made the
Philippines a multi-lingual society. It also created distinctive regional
characteristics, which evolved to stereotyping for a tribal grouping.
Basically, Filipinos are of Malayo-Polynesian stock. Except those
few who were products of intermarriages with the Chinese, Americans, and other
foreigners, Filipinos look similarly with brown skin, medium build, and height.
However, they are differentiated by language, religion, and regional practices.
All these are pats of the development of the Filipino as caused by geography
and history.
Early Government
The pre-Spanish Filipinos
were organized into small political units known as the barangay.
Barangay- a Malay word for a boat (from the
word balangay) that came to be used to denote an communal settlement. The
Filipinos were organized into these small political units. It consists of
30-100 families. Kinship were lead by the datu (sultanates are led by the
sultans, and rajahnates are led by the rajahs).
Social Order/Divisions:
1. Nobles
2. Freemen
3. Slaves (aliping sanguigilid and aliping namamahay)
Internal and interbarangay behaviors were
defined by some costumary laws. And since they have their own alphabet, they
also have written laws, which are strictly enforced under threat of heavy
penalties like slavery and death. Conflict resolution is well institutionalized
where the chieftain played a prominent role with the advice of the “maginoos”
or council of elders. Governmental powers are fused under the chieftain but in
the process of governance, the wisdom of the maginoos is always consulted. In
may concerns like war, alliance making, and ritual sacrifices to appease angry
spirits, collective leadership and consultative decision-making were practiced.
Under costumary laws, early Filipino women
enjoyed a degree of equality with their male counterparts. They could manage
their own livelihood; they could own and inherit property; they could even
succeed into chieftainship. Thus, among early Filipinos, leadership is not a
monopoly of men. Even in battles, women join their men, and in some instances,
they took the lead. Filipino men do not take the leadership of women as affront
to their masculinity. This is a part the general attitude of men that places
high regard to their women.
Most of the early Filipinos are animists.
They believe on spirits and the existence of the soul. The concept of spirits
is the foundation of Filipinos’ abiding respect with their elders and
ancestors. Thus, a common ancestor is a unifying factor being invoked during
the settlement of inter-family desputes.
Two centuries before the coming of the
Spaniards, the sultanate system of government was introduced in Sulu and in Mindanao
by Arab traders. It brought a revolutionary change into the belief system and
into the political system. It turned the polytheistic Filipinos into
monotheism. Under the sultanate system, the independent barangays were
integrated to form a centralized political system. The main characteristics of
the sultanate system include the following:
·
Highly centralized, with the
sultan as the Chief Executive
·
Islam is the common religion
for the subjects of the sultanate
·
There is a distinct group of
religious leaders who takes care of religious maters and who are consulted by
the sultan on administrative and religious affairs.
·
Unity is fostered by the sense
of brotherhood in Islam; laws are based on the Holy Quran, hence, viewed as
God-given and the sultan is the implementer of laws.
Islam was
brought in the Sulu Archipelago in the 14th century by Makhdum
Karim, an Arab trader, and to Mindanao island by Rajah Kabungsuwan, a Malaccan
nobleman. From then onwards, Muslim princes carried on expeditions to propagate
Islam. While Islam is easily displaced over the years among the peoples in
Luzon, and the Visayas, it retained a foothold in the central parts of Mindanao
and the Sulu Archipelago. The process of Islamization was halted by the coming
of Chirstianity in the 16th century. The Spaniards devoted much of
their energy in trying to convert the different islands of the Philippines into
Christianity. However, they met a stiff resistance from the Muslims in the
Southern Philippines who fought ferociously to defend themselves against the
Spanish colonialism. But the effort to evangelize the said areas continued for
3 centuries where the Filipino Christians played major rols under the Spanish
flag. These bloody encounters have sown the seeds of discord that divided the
nation. The coming of the Americans in the Philippines paved way to the
introduction of the Protestant churches that led to the division of Chirstians
into different groups. In the Philippines, religion is a political vehicle
exploited by many to advance their political career.
Values represent
the aspirations of a group of people, the things people consider to be good,
and thus serve as standards for action or behavior. Here are the
prevailingvalues in the Filipino society as they have evolved through time,
influenced by the historical development of the Philippines.
1. extended family and close family ties
2. walang hiya and gaba
3. utang na loob, pakikisama and pakikiramay
4. democracy and education
5. pakikibagay and aregluhan
6. bahala na attitude and amor propio
7. kapalaran and anting anting
The economy is closely intertwined with politics here in the
Philippines. He who controls the economic resources controls political power
likewise, since electoral politics is costly and the elites dominate the party
system. Moreover, the Philippine setting is near a level playing field for
business. Cronyism is rampant and this is always the incentive for businessmen
to spend millions of pesos for the campaign of the candidates. Most of the
cronies of presidents from Marcos to present are Chinese Filipinos. It should
be noted thatFilipino Chinese, although minorities, play a vital role in
Philippine economy. The role of the Chinese minority in the Philippine economy
is significant and perhaps, no other groups could replace.
Many of the ilustrados were later given a big boost by the Americans
who provide them with opportunities for participation in government affairs.
May of them became political leaders, in fact today, names such as Aquino,
Marcos, Recto, Laurel Osmena, Roxas, etc. are still heard and these are already
the grandchildren of the founders of their political dynasties.
On Nov. 1, 1897, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo established th Biak na Bato
Republic, whose constitution was written by Isabelo Artacho and Felix Ferrer,
as patterned from the Cuban constitution in 1895. The organs of the government
are the following:
1. Supreme Council
2. Supreme Council of Grace and Justice
3. Assembly of Representatives
The said republic was short-lived, and Aguinaldo entered into a pact
with the Spaniards to end the revolution. The Pact of Biak na Bato had the
following terms and conditions:
·
An amount of P800,000 will be
paid bby Gov. Primo de Rivera to the Filipino combatants and Aguinaldo and his
staff will go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong.
·
The said payment shall be made
in 3 installments.
·
The Spanish government shall
pay an additional P900,000 to the non-combatants whose families were affected
by the revolution.
The terms and conditions were not fulfilled in full by both sides.
On April 25, 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out and an opportunity was
opened for Aguinaldo’s men to return. On June 12, Aguinaldo proclaimed independence
and shifted his “dictatorial government” to a revolutionary government. It was
composed of:
1. Executive Department-which was assisted by 4 departments:
a. Department of Foreign Affairs, Navy, Commerce
b. Department of Finance, Agriculture, and Industry
c. Department of Police, Internal Order, Justice, Instruction and
Health
d. Department of War and Public Works
2. Legislative Branch.
On Jan. 23, 1899 the First Republic of the Philippines with the
Malolos Consitution was inaugurated. But
earlier than the said inauguration, the Treaty of Paris was concluded, which
then ceded the Philippines together with other colonial territories of Spain to
the US. The mock battle of Manila and the Treaty of Paris were the monuments to
the real intentions of the US to the Philippines.
The Americans justified their stay in the Philippines as a mission
accord with the wishes and aspirations of the Filipino masses, that the
Filipinos were unprepared for self-government and that the Americans should
prepare them.
Schurman Commission- was the first Philippine Commission headed by
Jacob Schurman.
4 Military Governors from 1898-1901
1. Gen. Wesley Meritt,
2. Gen. Elwell Otis
3. Gen. Arthur Mc.Arthur
4. Gen. Adna Chafee
Spooner Ammendment- ended the military regime, sponsored by John
Spooner of Wisconsin.
Taft Commission- Second Philippine Commission.
William Taft- headed the Taft Commission, became the first governor
for the civil government 1901.
Legislative Body
Philippine Commission (1907-1916)- became the upper house.
Philippine Assembly- lower house, created through the Philippine
Bill of 1902, composed of 80 delegates.
Jones Law- created the bicameral Philippine legislature.
Judiciary-composed of:
·
Supreme Court of the US
·
Supreme Court of the Philippine
Islands
·
Court of First Instance
·
Municipal courts
·
Justice of the Peace courts
Local Government
Three tiers of the local government:
·
Province
·
City
·
Municipality
Tydings McDuffie Act-provided for the commonwealth government.
Source: Aguja et. al., A Course
Guide in Philippine Politics and Governance, 2010
Fact sheets prepared by: Glen
Jornales
