Rise of the Export of Crop Economy

The majority of the Spaniards in the Philippines were involved in marine trade activities between Manila
and Mexico during the Galleon Trade.

The exploitation of the Philippine’s natural resources and the progress of an export crop economy were
phenomena of the 19th century not the Spanish rule’s early period. (When we say exploitation diba it is
the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work. the action of making
use of and benefiting from resources so ayun yung nangyari noong 19 th century.)

Between 1820 and 1870, the Philippines was well on its way of developing an export crop economy.

 Sugar

 Coffee

 Tobacco and

 Manila Hemp

While imported commodities from the European factory industry found their way into many areas of the
Philippines, Manila Hemp, Sugar Coffee Tobacco, and other products were manufactured for
foreign markets.

The diverse economic activities in the nation's emerging export crop economy offered numerous
chances for the growing Chinese populace or population. While a large number of Chinese moved to the
regions that produced export crops, which were historically centered in Manila,

The hemp producing areas of southeastern Luzon and the eastern Visayas, the sugar areas of the
western visayas and the tobacco provinces of northeastern Luzon.

The development of the export crop industry in the Philippines was motivated by the commercial
undertakings of North European and North American merchants, who provided capital, organization and
access to foreign markets and sources of imports.

However, because their operations were in port cities—particularly Manila—they need agents who
could distribute or handle imports in the interior and gather products for export. Chinese people
primarily played this position.
Monopolies
Another main source of wealth during the post galleon era was monopoly contracting.

After 1850, government monopoly contracts for the collection of different revenues were opened to
foreigners.

The Chinese instantly took advantage of this commercial opportunity and thus for the rest of the 19 th
century, enjoyed a pre-eminent position in monopoly contracting in the Philippines.

The opium monopoly was specifically profitable one.

During the 1840’s, the Spanish government had legalized the use of opium and a government monopoly
of opium importation and sales was created.

Provided it was limited to Chinese.

Explanation: Foreigners were allowed to bid on government monopoly contracts after 1850 for the
collection of various taxes.

The Chinese grabbed this business opportunity right away, and for the remainder of the 19th century,
they maintained a dominant position in monopoly contracting in the Philippines.

The opium monopoly was particularly lucrative.

The Spanish government legalized opium usage in the 1840s and established a government monopoly
on opium importation and sales. Providing it was only available in Chinese.

The majority of contracts in the monopoly were held by the Chinese but even before 1850, monopolies
on some products had been established which were basically controlled by the colonial government.

There were monopolies of special crops and items such as,

• Spirituous liquors (1712-1864)

• Betel nut (1764)

• Tobacco (1782-1882)

• Explosives (1805-1864)

Among these monopoly systems, the most controversial and oppressive to locals was perhaps the
tobacco monopoly.

Explanation: Chinese people held the majority of the contracts in the monopoly, but monopolies on
other products had already been created before 1850 and were essentially under the power of the
colonial government.

There were monopolies over some products and crops, including

• Betel nut (1764) - is a fruit from the areca palm tree that is found in abundance in many Southeast
Asian countries including India.

 -betel (or areca) nut is widely used throughout the rest of the world in a way similar to chewing
tobacco.

 -The practice is widespread in Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Island Melanesia, and South Asia. It is also
found among the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, Madagascar, parts of southern China, and the Maldives.
It has also been introduced to the Caribbean in colonial times

• Tobacco (1782-1882)

 Explosives (1805-1864)

The tobacco monopoly was probably the most controversial and oppressive of all monopoly systems to
the locals.

On March 1, 1782, Gov. General Jose Basco placed the Philippine tobacco industry under government
control, thereby establishing the tobacco monopoly.

Since the colony could no longer be maintained by the annual subsidies from Mexico, the authorities
decided to increase revenue.

The following provinces were given an order to widely produce tobacco: 

• Cagayan Valley

• Ilocos Norte

• Ilocos Sur

• La Union

• Isabela

• Abra

• Nueva Ecija

• Marinduque
These provinces solely grew tobacco and sold their harvest to the government at a set price, giving the
local farmers little to no profit. The system set required number of tobacco plants that must be sold
them by each family. No one was permitted to keep even a small number of tobacco leaves for personal
use, requiring local farmers to purchase the tobacco they had shown themselves from the government.
Anyone who violated one of the rules under the system was subject to fines and/or corporal
punishment.

The colonial government exported the tobacco to other countries and to the cigarette factories in
Manila.

The tobacco monopoly positively raised revenues for the government and made Philippine tobacco
prominent all over asia and some parts in Europe.

Negatively though, the monopoly brought about food shortages since the planting of basic crops like rice
was somewhat neglected and abandoned.

The tobacco monopoly was finally abolished in 1882.

Some references state that the tobacco monopoly in the Philippines was from 1781 to 1881, not 1782 to
1882, although most authors agree that it lasted for exactly 100 years.

A century of hardship and social injustice caused by the tobacco monopoly prompted Filipinos in general
and Novo Ecijanos in particular, to seek freedom from colonial bondage.

Explanation: The tobacco was exported by the colonial authorities to other nations and to Manila's
cigarette factories.

The government's revenue increased as a result of the tobacco monopoly, and Philippine tobacco
became well-known throughout Asia and some regions of Europe.

However, the monopoly had a negative effect because planting of basic crops like rice was mostly
neglected and abandoned.

In 1882, the tobacco monopoly was finally abolished.

Although the majority of authors agreed that the tobacco monopoly in the Philippines lasted for exactly
100 years, certain references claim that it actually occurred from 1781 to 1881 and not from 1782 to
1882.

The tobacco monopoly produced a century of misery and social injustice, which led Novo Ecijanos in
particular and Filipinos in general to seek freedom from colonial slavery.
The Social Background
• Education

• The rise of Chinese Mestizo

• The rise of the Inquilinos

Schools were established and run by Catholic missionaries

With the coming of Spanish colonizers, the European system was somewhat introduced to the
archipelago

Aiming to convert the natives to the catholic faith and make them obedient, the colonial government
and the Catholic Church made a religion a compulsory subject at all levels

King II’s Leyes de Indias mandated Spanish authorities in the Philippines to educate the locals, to teach
them how to read and write and to learn Spanish.

The Spanish missionaries thus established schools somewhat educated the natives but did not seriously
teach them the Spanish language fearing that the indios would become so knowledgeable and turn out
to be their co-equal. Less than 1//5 of those who went to school could read and write Spanish and far
fewer could speak the language properly

Explanation: Spanish colonizers brought a small amount of the European system to the archipelago.

The colonial authority and the Catholic Church required religion as a topic at all levels with the goal of
converting natives to the catholic faith and gaining their submission.

In accordance with the King II Leyes de Indias, Spanish colonial officials in the Philippines were required
to educate the locals, teach them to read and write, and help them learn Spanish  

Due to the establishment of these institutions, the Spanish missionaries attempted to educate the
indigenous in some ways but refrained from teaching them Spanish in depth out of concern that they
would become so well-educated as to become their counterparts.

Less than one-fifth of individuals who attended school were capable of reading, writing, and speaking
Spanish.
The first formal schools in the land were the Parochial schools opened in their parishes by the
missionaries, such as

• Augustinians

• Franciscans

• Jesuits

• Dominicans

Explanation: The Dominicans started in the 1200's AD by a guy called Dominic. Dominic's monks
(Dominicans) are basically theologians- their primary job is to write about god, mankind, the bible
and the church, to answer questions people have, and to yell at people they think are wrong.

The Franciscans were started by a guy called Francis - see how this works? These guys live a life of
devout poverty. They would originally walk around barefoot, in simple clothes, trying to preach the
'pure' gospel of Jesus. They would sympathise with poor people, and preach about Jesus, especially
about repenting of bad things, and caring for the weak and marginalised.

The Augustinians are a bit tougher, because there's three separate bunches of Monks who call
themselves Augustinians, and if you'd like to know the ins and outs, this is the Wikipedia article. It all
started with a guy called Augustine writing something 1600 years ago or so, which is now called The
Rule of St Augustine. It's basically rules for people who want to live a specially devoted Christian life.
Augustinians try to live by these rules, as well as by the general Holy spirit-Bible-and-Church triplet
which all Christians go for to some degree.

The Jesuits are different. A bit like monks, they were started with a special reason, to make converts
all across the world, and travel with that one purpose in mind. Ignatius of Loyola is the guy behind it,
and to sum up his ideas, here's one of his "rules for thinking":
"if [the Church] shall have defined anything to be black which to our eyes appears to be white, we
ought in like manner to pronounce it to be black."

Aside from religion, the native children were taught reading writing arithmetic and some vocational and
practical art subjects. Aside from Christian Doctrines, Latin was also taught to the students instead of
Spanish.

The Spanish friars thought that the locals wouldn't be able to match their abilities, so they used severe
discipline, including the use of corporal punishment, to help the locals learn quickly. Later on, colleges
(which were the equivalent of our high schools today) Colleges were established for boys and girls.
There was no co-education during the Spanish regime as boys and girls studied in separate schools.

College students were taught about history, latin, geography, math, and philosophy. Early in the 17th
century, universities began to offer educational programs. The universities and colleges were once only
accessible to Spaniards and anyone with Spanish ancestry (mestizos). The first native Filipinos were
allowed to these universities only in the 19th century. Universities back then didn't take science and
math very seriously and still placed a lot of focus on religion.
In 1863, a royal decree called for the established of a public school system in the Philippines. Formerly
run totally by religious authorities, the education in the colony was thus finally administered by the
government during the last half of the 19 th though even then the church controlled its curriculum.

Previously, exclusive for Spaniards and Spanish mestizos

Nonetheless, as a result of the growing number of educated natives A new social class in the country
emerged, which came to be known as the Illustrados But despite their wealth and education. The
illustrados were stilldeemed by the Spaniards as inferior. One of the aims of the illustrados was to be in
the same level with the proud Spaniards.

Explanation: The colony's education, which had previously been entirely governed by religious authority,
was ultimately overseen by the government in the latter half of the 19th century, while the church still
had complete control over the curriculum.
Prior to now, only Spaniards and Spanish mestizos were allowed.
Universities started to accommodate local students, but they only had room for the sons of well-off Indo
families.

With the opening of the suez canal which made the travel to Europe faster, easier and more affordable,
Many locals took advantage of the chance to pursue higher and better education in that continent,
typically in Madrid and Barcelona

There nationalism and the thirst for reform bloomed in the liberal atmosphere. The new enlightened
class in Philippine society would later lead the Philippine independence movement using the Spanish
language as their key means of communication. Out of this talented group of Students from the
Philippines arose what came to be known as Propaganda Movement.

The most prominent of the Illustrados was Jose Rizal who inspired the craving for freedom and
independence with his novels written in Spanish.

Explanation: Many locals took advantage of the opportunity to pursue higher and better education in
that continent, typically in Madrid and Barcelona, after the Suez Canal opened, which allowed travel to
Europe faster, easier, and more affordable.

There, in the liberal environment, nationalism and the desire for change developed. The Spanish
language served as the primary way of communicating for the newly enlightened class in Philippine
society as they eventually led the country's independence movement. This outstanding group of Filipino
students eventually gave rise to the Propaganda Movement.

Jose Rizal, the most well-known of the Illustrados, encouraged the desire for freedom and independence
through his Spanish-language books.