1.) Discuss the types of land tenure that existed during pre-colonial and
Spanish rule, and their impacts to the lives of the peasants.
A land, is one of the most important aspects for a person to have. Without their
own land, some people may have difficulties in having a permanent home. The tendency
is that they may have to keep moving into different houses if their situation does so. Land
tenure, is a law that revolves around the ownership of a land. In the Philippines, land
tenures have existed even before the Spanish colonial period. From barangays, to private
ownerships and titles, the laws of land tenure have been a part of our country ever since.
During the times when the Spaniards were still not around. The Filipino people
owned the lands through barangays. In a barangay or village, the people have the liberty
to use their land as they wish and be productive with it (Munro-Faure, et al., 2002). With
the owned land, the people can use it to produce any fruits and vegetables, they can use
it to create rice farms for the people, and since money were still not around, rice is what
they used as medium for exchange (Department of Agrarian Reform). In this period, chiefs
and datus ruled the barangays, they represent the nobility. Next to them is the maharlikas
or freemen, then the aliping mamamahay (serfs) and then the aliping sanguiguilid
(slaves). In the pre-colonial period, the Filipino people do not get difficulty in having their
own land and on making use of it.
In the pre-colonial period, the land tenure of the Philippines was communal. The
communal tenure is a scenario in which a collective possesses firm and exclusive rights
to own, oversee, and utilize land and natural resources, commonly known as common
pool resources by a group or a village. These resources encompass agricultural lands,
grazing areas, forests, trees, fisheries, wetlands, or water irrigation (Anderson 2011;
Cabannes 2014). Communal tenure plays an important role in the history of precolonization in the Philippines. There are advantages of having communal as their land
tenure. According to Mwaikusa (2022) the advantages of communal tenure are land
ownership can be inherited, elders can own properties, and farmers have the access to
natural resources such as water, wood, and etc. Communal tenure works in a pre-colonial
period was administered by the Datu. One book of Sobrithchea (1981) states that the
Datus served as administrators solely for communal lands. However, there are indications
that they began taking on distinct political roles. Previously allocated tributes for
communal funds were diverting towards their personal wealth. They started accumulating
private assets, notably permanent wet-rice fields, and acquiring valuable goods for both
economic and prestige purposes. This scenario likely accounts for the observed relative
ease.
On the other hand, Private land ownership was instituted during the Spanish era,
which lasted from 1951 until 1898. It is as a result of the pre-Spanish era's community
ownership. When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, they established a private
ownership system known as encomienda. Under this arrangement, the leaders of the
indigenous population honored the colonists by giving them laborers, food, clothing, and
minerals (Harris, 2023).
2.) Examine the landlord-tenant relations persisted during and after Spanish
colonial period.
Landlord is an owner of real estate who, by the signing of a lease or rental agreement,
consents to rent all or a portion of the property to someone else or commonly known as
Tenant for that third party's sole use; typically for an agreed-upon period of time and in
exchange for a specific amount of money. Landlord-tenant dynamics, a legal construct or
decision emanating from the highest authority in a region, revolve around land ownership,
providing individuals the autonomy to wield power without subjecting others to
oppression. This legal social arrangement existed during and after the Spanish colonial
era in the Philippines. Thorough explanation about how the Landlord-Tenants persisted
during and after the Spanish Colonial will be presented below.
During the landlord tenants during Spanish colonial period, Fernando de Magellan
came to the island in Cebu, Philippines and claimed the land for Spain, and took the
control of the island and named them in honor Philip II of Spain. The Islam people also
brought the Philippines by the traders from the Indonesian islands and they spread from
sulu archipelago to Mindanao and it reached to Manila area in 1565. The introduction of
encomienda, or Royal Land Grants, as a major administrative framework coincided with
the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines. According to this complex structure, the
grantees of these lands, known as encomienderos, were responsible for maintaining
internal peace and order, protecting their encomienda from outside threats, and
supporting missionaries. The Encomiendas were granted in exchanging of defending the
land from external attack and maintaining peace and order. The encomendero had been
acquired the right to collect tributes from the natives. The tribute soon became land rents.
The people living within the boundaries of the encomiendas became tenants. The
encomenderos became hacendados in the country. Religious order, Domino and Agustin
became owner of the vast tracts of friar land which was leased to natives and mestizos.
Simultaneously, the colonial government took the place of the Datus.
The Datu now was called cabeza de barangay. Unfortunately, this initially wellintentioned institution eventually collapsed into the encomienderos' blatant misuse of
power. Originally meant to be a thank you for the security and services provided, the
tribute evolved into a system that disproportionately benefited a few groups of powerful
landlords. Rather than fulfilling its original function, the tribute became burdensome land
rents, concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a small number of people. As a
result, the indigenous people who had previously been allowed to roam the area and farm
it under their own terms were drastically changed. They lost their agency and autonomy
in the very fields they had formerly farmed independently, and were reduced from owners
to simple share tenants. The encomienda system's exploitative nature was highlighted by
this change in the dynamics of land ownership and agriculture, which continued a
socioeconomic imbalance that would have long-term effects on the indigenous
populations in the Philippines.
According to Cruz (2019), the colonial legacy has set a precedent that destroys the
old practices, ways of life, structures and edifices to favor the creation of a new set of
world order, thus setting a culture of neglect and disregard for cultural heritage Henceforth
the Spanish colonization, it gives impact to the Philippines in terms of the Philippine
culture, it is the losses of one's culture identity with social and also personal
disorganization, it produces denied access to traditional culture, norms and values, and
leads to historical trauma and cultural alienation. Cultural heritages are given the least
importance unless its relationship with economic activities. Moreover, such colonial
experiences have greatly influenced the Philippine literary and cultural heritage making it
very aggressive and ever dynamic. In the other hand, Spanish colonization has
contribution included the number of modernizations such as roads that connects cities
and universities, accommodation of wealth that go along with the islands as they confiding
to international trade. Filipino settlements were located near river and streams to facilitate
easy access to transportation and other economic resources but the arrival of the
Spaniards provided a complete turnaround by organizing settlements into structured
community (Cruz, 2019). It is the start of improved engineering paving the way for the use
of concrete such as reinforcements, hollow blocks, and hardwood. Consequently, literary
and cultural heritage is both an act of discovery and disclosure. As it gives changes but
that change gives meaning and obliging.
In conclusion, the historical evolution of landlord-tenant dynamics arises from Spanish
colonial influence in the Philippines. It signifies more than a legal construct. Beyond the
allocation of lands and tax collection duties, it fused a complex narrative influenced by
power dynamics and colonial legacies. While fostering a sense of ownership, this
framework has profoundly shaped property rights and established socio-economic
structures, leaving a lasting legacy on the intricate interplay between landlords and
tenants in the region. In addition, the introduction of the encomienda system in the
Spanish colonial period, which was intended to maintain order and security, ultimately led
to a drastic shift in land ownership dynamics. It was particularly meant as a reciprocal
arrangement that fell into a system of exploitative land rents, concentrating wealth and
power in the hands of a privileged few. This transformation deprived indigenous people
of their agency, turning them from landowners into share tenants and perpetuating a
socioeconomic imbalance with enduring consequences for the Philippines' indigenous
populations.
3.) In articulation, explain the role of the Roman Catholic Clergy in accelerating
issues on peasantry during Spanish colonial period.
The Roman Catholic clergy was largely responsible for hastening peasantryrelated issues during the Spanish colonial period. Under Spanish rule, the clergy played
a role in the marginalization and exploitation of the peasantry through their control over
the indigenous population, economic exploitation, collection of tribute and tithes, and
suppression of culture.
The arrival of Spanish colonizers in the Philippines in the 16th century marked the
beginning of a period of profound social and political transformation for the archipelago's
inhabitants. The introduction of Catholicism played a central role in this transformation
with the Roman Catholic clergy assuming a position of authority and influence that
extended beyond the purely religious sphere. According to (The Ecclesiastical
Controversy, n.d.), Spanish values and culture were established by the Roman Catholic
Church, which was also in charge of organizing and converting everyone. Nonetheless,
there were disagreements about the Church's engagement, and one of the most
contentious issues was the clergy's use of accusations to maintain control over the vast
majority of people. While the clergy's efforts to evangelize the population had a significant
impact on Philippine society, their actions also had a detrimental effect on the peasantry,
the majority of the population. The clergy's involvement in the collection of tributes (De La
Cruz, 2018), the forced labor system known as the encomienda (Scott, 1982), and the
acquisition of land all contributed to the exploitation of the peasantry.
The tribute system, which imposed heavy taxes on the indigenous population, was
often enforced by the clergy, who acted as intermediaries between the Spanish authorities
and the villagers. The encomienda system under which Spanish encomiendas were
granted the right to extract labor and taxes from the indigenous population, was also
overseen by the clergy who often abused their position of power to further their own
interests. Additionally, the clergy actively sought to acquire land from the peasantry often
through dubious means (Majul, 1995). This land accumulation further exacerbated the
economic plight of the peasantry, who were increasingly marginalized and impoverished
(Wolff, 2006). The Roman Catholic clergy's role in the Spanish colonial Philippines was
multifaceted and complex. While their efforts to evangelize the population had a
significant impact on Philippine society, their actions also had a detrimental effect on the
peasantry. The clergy's involvement in the collection of tributes, the encomienda system,
and the acquisition of land all contributed to the exploitation of the peasantry. As a result,
the peasantry bore a heavy burden during the Spanish colonial period.
The clergy had a substantial impact on the peasantry through collection of tribute
and tithes. A people who are in a low status were required to provide the monarch with
tributes and tithes, which involved the heavy taxes and forced to work. The Crown's
intention with these measures was to reclaim authority lost to the colonial bureaucracy's
subordinate hierarchies and established groupings of colonial society, with the fall of
authority accelerating in the economically deprived seventeenth century (De Leon, 2019).
Moreover, the imposition of heavy tribute, forced labor, and confiscation of church and
communal property by the state led to peasant violence in some regions. The burden of
forced labor fell heavily on the peasantry, causing considerable hardship and hindering
their own economic activities. According to Mawson (2016), the recruitment of ordinary
indigenous fighters and their possible motivations for enlisting, distinguishing the native
elite who gained rewards from ordinary natives who enlisted to pay debt obligation.
Additionally, understanding pre-Hispanic cultures of warfare and debt servitude helps to
build the case that many indigenous soldiers were pressed into military duty to pay off
debts or avoid other forms of forced labor. That is why, indigenous participation in the
empire was always precarious and on the verge of collapse.
The ministry also played a role in suppressing the peasant’s culture, as the sought
to charge European religious practices on indigenous communities. The clergy's efforts
to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity often involved the suppression of traditional
religious practices and the destruction of sacred sites. Even the symbols brought by
Christian clergy became rallying points for local rebellions in the ubiquitous struggle of
Native peoples to maintain a degree of independence inside the framework of colonialism
(Meznar, 2017). The suppression of indigenous culture was also facilitated by the
imposition of Spanish language and education, which further eroded traditional ways of
life. Policies pertaining to language and education have not been adequate to guarantee
the preservation of indigenous people (Santiagos & Curins, 2022). The GEM Report
(2020) states that the migration of indigenous peoples to urban areas has made it more
difficult to teach indigenous languages in schools and often signals additional language
loss and cultural degradation. This cultural suppression further disempowered the
peasantry, making them more vulnerable to exploitation.
Therefore, by governing indigenous peoples, profiting economically from them,
collecting taxes and tithes, and stifling culture, the clergy contributed to the
marginalization and exploitation of the peasantry during the period of Spanish rule.
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GROUP 5
MEMBERS:
Arendain, Mary Ann M.
Amora, Franzen May E.
Apostol, Yvonneh Joy M.
Oteda, Abby Kaye R.
Suello, Essa Kerzty S.
Javier, Elloiza Jane M.
Jabonite, Novie Lziel D.
Acala, Andre Yzabel
Estores, Rubianne Kaye N.
Borlaos, Charles Stephen A.
Ibanez, Kenritt A.
Espalabra, John Will P.