Political system was first of many fortresses to protect the islands from invaders such as pirates and other colonizers. The Spanish quickly organized their new colony according to their model. The first task was the reduction, or relocation of indigenous Filipinos into settlements. The earliest political system used during the
conquista period was the
encomienda system, which resembled the feudal system in medieval Europe. The conquistadores, friars and native nobles were granted estates, in exchange for their services to the King, and were given the privilege to collect tribute from its inhabitants. In return, the person granted the
encomienda, known as an
encomendero, was tasked to provide military protection to the inhabitants, justice and governance. In times of war, the
encomendero was duty bound to provide soldiers for the King, in particular, for the complete defense of the colony from potential invasions of outside powers such as the
Dutch,
British, and
Chinese. The
encomienda system was abused by
encomenderos and by 1700 was largely replaced by administrative provinces, each headed by an
alcalde mayor (provincial governor). The most prominent feature of Spanish cities was the plaza, a central area for town activities such as the fiesta, and where government buildings, the church, a market area and other infrastructures were located. Residential areas lay around the plaza. During the
conquista, the first task of colonization was the reduction, or relocation of the indigenous population into settlements surrounding the plaza.
National government ,
Iloilo City , part of
Intramuros, Manila ), Manila. On the national level or social class, the
King of Spain, via his
Council of the Indies (
Consejo de las Indias), governed through his representative in the Philippines, the
Governor-General of the Philippines (
Gobernador y Capitán General). With the seat of power in
Intramuros, Manila, the Governor-General was given several duties: head of the supreme court, the
Royal Audiencia of Manila; Commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and the economic planner of the country. All executive power of the local government stemmed from him and as
regal patron, he had the authority to supervise mission work and oversee
ecclesiastical appointments. His yearly salary was 40,000 pesos. The Governor-General was commonly a
peninsular Spaniard, a Spaniard born in Spain, to ensure loyalty of the colony to the crown.
Provincial government On the local level, heading the pacified provinces (
alcaldías), was the provincial governor (
alcalde mayor). The unpacified military zones (
corregimiento), such as
Mariveles and
Mindoro, were headed by the
corregidores. City governments (
ayuntamientos), were also headed by an
alcalde mayor.
Alcaldes mayores and
corregidores exercised multiple prerogatives as judge, inspector of
encomiendas, chief of police, tribute collector, capitan-general of the province, and even vice-regal patron. Their annual salary ranged from P300 to P2000 before 1847 and P1500 to P1600 after 1847. This could be augmented through the special privilege of "
indulto de commercio" where all people were forced to do business with him. The
alcalde mayor was usually an
Insular (Spaniard born in the Philippines). In the 19th century, the
Peninsulares began to displace the
Insulares, which resulted in the political unrests of 1872, notably the
1872 Cavite mutiny and the
Gomburza executions.
Municipal government The
pueblo or town was headed by the
Gobernadorcillo or little governor. Among his administrative duties were the preparation of the tribute list (
padron), recruitment and distribution of men for draft labor, communal public work and military conscription (quinto), postal clerk and judge in minor civil suits. He intervened in all administrative cases pertaining to his town: lands, justice, finance and the municipal police. His annual salary, however, was only P24 but he was exempted from taxation. Any native or Chinese mestizo, who is a member of the
principalía, is 25 years old, proficient in oral or written Spanish and has been a
cabeza de barangay of 4 years can be a
gobernadorcillo. Any member of the
Principalía, who speaks or who has knowledge of the Spanish language and has been a
Cabeza de Barangay of 4 years can be a
Gobernadorcillo. Among those prominent is
Emilio Aguinaldo, a
chinese mestizo, and who was the
Gobernadorcillo of Cavite El Viejo (now
Kawit). The officials of the pueblo were proficient. taken from the
Principalía, the noble class of pre-colonial origin. Their names are survived by prominent families in contemporary Philippine society such as Duremdes, Lindo, Apalisok, Tupas, Gatmaitan, Liwanag, Mallillin, Pangilinan, Panganiban, Balderas, Zabarte and Agbayani,Aguinaldo to name a few.
Barrio government Every barangay was further divided into "
barrios", and the
barrio government (village or district) rested on the
barrio administrator (
cabeza de barangay). He was responsible for peace and order, recruited men for communal public works, and collecting the barrio's taxes.
Cabezas should be literate in Spanish and have good moral character and property. Cabezas who served for 25 years were exempted from forced labor. In addition, this is where the sentiment heard as, "Mi Barrio", first came from.
The Residencia and the Visita To check the abuse of power of royal officials, two ancient Castilian institutions were brought to the Philippines: the
Residencia, dating back to the 5th century, and the
Visita, which differed from the
residencia in that it was conducted clandestinely by a
visitador-general sent from Spain and might occur anytime within the official's term, without any previous notice.
Visitas could be specific or general.
Maura law The legal foundation for municipal governments in the country was laid with the promulgation of the
Maura Law on 19 May 1893. Named after its author, Don
Antonio Maura, the Spanish
Minister of Colonies at the time, the law reorganized town governments in the Philippines with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous. This law created the municipal organization that was later adopted, revised, and further strengthened by the American and Filipino governments that succeeded Spanish. ==Territorial divisions==