This document discusses the colonial experience in Philippines politics and governance. It defines colonialism and describes the types of colonialism including settler colonialism, exploitation colonialism, surrogate colonialism, and internal colonialism. It then examines the effects of Spanish colonization from 1521-1896, which led to the decline of pre-existing Philippine economic and political centers and centralized territories. It also describes the pre-colonial Philippine government system of independent barangays led by datus, the three-tier social structure, and customary laws and justice processes involving councils and courts to settle disputes.
2. Definition of colonialism
The origin of the word “colonialism”can be traced back to the Latin
word“colonia”meaning a place for agriculture.The standard definition of
colonialism is“a policy and practice of a power in extending control over weaker
peoples or areas. It corresponds with the belief that the cultural values of the
colonizer are inherently superior to ones own.
3. What are the types of colonialism?
1. Settler colonialism –invovles at large scale as an outcome of religious
economic factors being prime motivates.The outcome is that any local
existing population will be largely replaced.The erst while colonies of
Australia United States of America and Canada are examples of settler
colonialism.
2. Exploitation colonialism -focuses on the exploitation of natural resources
and the local population as cheap labour that benefits the mother.
4. 3. Surrogate colonialism –invovles a settlement project supported by a colonial
power in which most of the settlers do not come from the same ethnic groups as
the ruling power.South Africa and Rhodesia (modern day Zambabwe and Zambia)
were examples of surrogate colonialism were large numbers of British settlers
became the dominant group despite being in minority as compared to the local
indigenous.
4. Internal colonialism – It is notion of uneven or even discrimination power
structure between different areas of state.
5. The effects of the colonization in the
Philippines government
Spanish colonization ( 1521-1896) led to the decline of pre – existing and
often prosperous economic and political centers in Philippines.Direct and
indirect rule one impact of colonialism was the political centralization of
territories having no central government or where centralization already
existed,the foreign take over or domination of pre- colonial central
government.
6. The pre-colonial Government
Philliphines laws and justice
Before the Spanish conquistactors came to the Philippines,the Filipinos had
their own laws and system of administrating justice.The government was
datriarchal in form.The unit of government was the barangay ,a settlement of
about 30 to 100 families.The barangays were independent of each other’s.
Barangay is derived from the Malay word barangay or balangi which means
sailboat.The barangay were utilized to move early Filipinos and their cargoes
across the Philippines archipelago each barangay was administered by datu or
village leader was also reffed to as araha or raja some datus,were powerful
than others and as result they were revered and welded.
7. The early politics were typically made of
three- tier social structure
1. Rulling class- were the Raha or lacan paramount ruler of the alliance of
barangay or the leader of an leader.
2. Middle class- were the temawa non- slaves who can attach themselves to
the datu of their choice.
3. Class of slaves- were alipin namanahi slaves who lived in their own houses
apart from their depth four.
8. The laws during the pre-colonial period
of the Philippines
Conflict between or among baron guys were settled by violence those who
win by force is always right.Laws were either customary handed down from
generation to generation orally or written promulgated from time to timeas
necessary arose.Those found guilty of crimes were punished either by fine or
by death some punish can be considered as tutore by modern
standard.However it must be noted that ancients did not believe in
endangering society by letting lose a gang of thieves of recidivist who are
incapable of reform.In terms of paying taxes ancient Filipinos pay their datu
with buis for the protection and help that receive from him and those who
not pay their taxes will be punished at this time except the family of datu.
9. The laws Making Process
Before laws are made the chief consult ls with a council of elders who
approved of his plan they are not immediately in force until the new
legislation is announced to the village by the amou who also explains the law
to everyone.
10. The Judicial Process/ Justice
Disputes between individuals were settled by a court made up of the between
barangays a board made up eldest from neutral barangay ls acted orbiter the
accused and the accuser face each other in front of the court with respective
witness.