CHAPTER 13: Filipino Revolts Against Spain

                The Filipinos love freedom. They do not like cruel foreigners telling them what to do or oppressing them. Now, the Spaniards did not really take good care of the Filipinos under Spanish rule. So, the Filipinos often rebelled against the Spanish government.

CAUSES OF REVOLTS

·         Our love for freedom and independence

·         Abuses of Spanish encomenderos

·         Tribute (residence tax)

·         Forced labor (polo)

·         Land grabbing by the friars

·         Basi (wine) monopoly

·         Religion

SOME OF REVOLTS:

1.      Dagohoy’s Revolt (1744 – 1829)

·         The revolt of Francisco Dagohoy was the longest revolt in Philippine history. It lasted for 85 years from 1744 to 1829. Dagohoy’s brother, a policeman in Inabangan, was killed in a duel with rebel. The catholic priest refused to give him a Christian burial because dueling was a mortal sin. Francisco Dagohoy got angry and led his people in a revolt. They killed two priest in the island of Bohol. Soon, the Boholanos wanted to get rid of all Spaniards in their island. They set up their own free government in the mountains. They no longer wanted to be under the Spaniards.

2.      Silang’s Revolt (1762 – 1763)

·         Diego Silang and his wife Gabriela led a famous revolt in Ilocos in 1762 – 1763. This revolt. This revolt happened during the British invasion. It started on December 14, 1762. Diego Silang proclaimed the independence of his people and made Vigan the capital of free Ilocos.

3.      Revolt Against the Tribute (1589)

·         One of the earliest revolts against the tribute (residence tax) started in Cagayan and Ilocos in 1589. In that year, the Filipinos here revolted because of the abuses of the tribute collectors. They killed many Spaniards. However, the Spanish governor, Santiago de Vera, pacified the rebel patriots. He pardoned many of them and improved the tax system.

4.      Sumuroy’s Revolt (1649 – 1650)

·         In 1649 the Visayan alcades mayor ordered to send men to work in the Cavite naval shipyards. The visayan men hated this order and did not like to leave their homes and their families. Sumuroy, a native Palapag, Samar, led them in an armed revolt. On thethe night of June 1, 1649 he and his men killed their parish priest. In those days. Priest was really like a government. Soon, the rebellion spread to other towns in Samar, Cebu, Masbate, Camiguin, Albay, Camarines, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga. Like Sumuroy and his men, the rebels in this areas hated the system of polo (forced labor).

5.      Agrarian Revolt (1745 – 1746)

·         Filipino landowners in the four provinces of Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna revolted against the Spanish rule. Their revolt was due to the land grabbing by Spaniards who took over their ancestral lands. The first spark of the revolt was at Lian and Nasugbu in Batangas. The Filipinos in these towns demanded the return of their lands occupied by the Spanish priests. The Filipinos burned the local churches, looted the convents and ruined the ranches of the priests. Soon, the nearby towns and provinces also sympathized with the revolt.

6.      The Basi Revolt (1807)

·         This was a most unusual revolt in the Philippine history. It was all about love for a homemade wine from sugarcane called basi. In 1786, the Spanish government took over the making and sale of wine. They banned people from making homemade wine. The people of Ilocos hated this order because they were now forced to buy the wine from government stores.

7.      The Religious Revolt of Mermano Pule (1840 – 1841)

·         It was led by Apolinario de la Cruz, popularly known as “Hermano Pule” of Barrio Pandak. Lukban, Tayabas (Quezon). Apolinario started his own religion in Lucban in June 1840. It was called the Confradia de San Jose (Confraternity of St. Jopseph). They had their own rituals, prayers and leaders specially suited for Filipinos. But the Spanish officials did not allow any other religion but the Catholic one. So they banned Hermano Pule’s new religion.

WHY THE REVOLTS FAILED?

                The early revolts by the Filipinos against the Spanish rule failed because of two reasons:

1.      The Filipinos were not united. Instead of helping each other to oust the Spaniards, the Tagalogs helped Spaniards, the Filipinos fought each other. For example, the Tagalogs helped stop a revolt in Pampanga. In retaliation, Pampanguenos helped the Spaniards when the Tagalogs revolted. So, the Spaniards used the Filipinos lack of unity to continue oppressing them. This was the policy of divide et imper (divide and rule).

2.      There were no national leaders who united the people. The leaders of these revolts had influence only in a small area-some towns, a few provinces, or some islands. There were no Gom-Bur-Za, Rizal, Bonifacio, or Aguinaldo then. These national heroes only came in the 19^th century.

HISTORICAL VALUES

                Out of the bitter failures of these early Filipino revolts came some lessons, as follows:

1.      “United we stand, devided we fall.” If Filipinos do not help each other solve their problems, then we will not be able to resolve these problems. These revolts failed because of lack of unity among Filipinos. Today our country is free and independent. So we must stop fighting and live in peace with one another.

2.      If officials abuse their power and oppress people, they will fall form power. The Spaniards who caused these revolts really helped to end Spanish rule in our country. The Filipinos never stopped fighting for their freedom and rights. Even of the early revolts failed, the Filipinos exploded in a revolution that finally toppled the Spanish government in the Philippines.