Native Economy 17th Century

by

Roel Cantada

Antonio de Morga, a Spanish governor general in the early part of Spanish colonization lamented that only thirty-two years after the conquest of the Philippines, due to an unenlightened economic policy, the enterprising indios abandoned their trade and industry, forgetting “much about their farming, poultry and stock-raising, cotton growing and weaving of blankets as they did when they were still pagans.” (As cited in Agoncillo & Guerrero)

Who can blame the indios? The Spaniards did introduce new agricultural technology. They brought new crops like the camote, potato, tobacco, papaya, cocoa etc. from Latin America. They probably encouraged the use of the Chinese plow, and the carabao. They also probably encourage the construction of large stone irrigation systems which included dams, although the Banaue rice terraces tells us that our ancestors were knowledgeable in such matters. But despite the fact that these technologies may have improve agricultural production particularly rice, the natives did not benefit from them. Instead it only increased their labor as they have to feed more non-farming people like the Spaniards, the former datus who now ape the Spaniards and no longer till the soil, the indios whom the Spaniards removed from the fields like the laborers (polistas), native soldiers (regular army), and domestic servants.

It was the timawa who has to bear the brunt of these mouths to feed. And the Spaniards instituted a confiscation system for agricultural crops particularly rice known as the Bandala. “It consisted of the assignment of annual quotas to each province for the compulsary sale of products to the Spanish colonial government. To compound the abuse the prices the government set were lower than the market prices, so that a person who could not fill his quota with his own produce had to buy at a higher price in order to sell at a lower price to the government. And the government seldom pay, they just hand out worthless promissory notes that the government itself will not accept as payment for tributo (tax).” (Constantino 1975) Of course this system of technical confiscation led to the native’s revolts.

This is on top of the tributo (taxes) which was abused by the collectors—cabeza de barangays, gobernadorcillos and alcalde mayors. They usually collected more than required to put in their pockets. In the early part of the Spanish colonization such tribute can be paid in kind. One form of tribute is cotton cloth which was used by the Spaniards for the large sails of their galleons. So instead of the women weaving cloth for their own families, they had to weave cloth for the Spaniards. This definitely discourage native weaving.

Despite all these abuses the Spaniards could not get rich enough from the natives. Initially they confiscated all the gold and bronze of the natives, even the ones buried in ancient graves. When these were all gone they relied on the Galleon Trade to get rich. The galleon trade is exclusive to the Spaniards. They buy Chinese goods, put them in galleons in Manila and send them to Mexico for sale. It is paid for in Mexican silver. The indios only took part in this trade as sailors and slave labor to build the galleons. And they forbade the indios from trading with their neighbohrs unlike in the 16^th century. The large balangay boats were also gone. So most of Spaniards did not encourage industry or large scale agriculture, they were all in Intramuros, Manila waiting for their profits so that they can return to Spain rich. The indios remained poor and exploited by the Spaniards. The Spaniards particularly the friars later on will even have the gall to blame the poverty of the country on the laziness of the indios. An insult on top of injury.

Reference:

Agoncillo, T.A., & Guerrero, M.C. (1977). History of the Filipino people. (5^th Ed.). Quezon city: R.P. Garcia.

Constantino, R. (1975). The Philippines: A Past Revisited, Pre-Spanish-1941. Philippines: Renato Constantino.