PRE-COLONIAL

• The barangay was the first unit of government for the Filipinos.

• It was a separate community made up of thirty to one hundred families that was typically located near a riverbank or at a river's mouth where it empties into the sea.

• A datu, sometimes referred to as a village leader or raha or rajah, oversaw each barangay.

• There was no national or central government because of the archipelago's stage of political development.

• No datu was strong enough to consolidate considerable power and to unite the archipelago into one nation.

• The primary duty of the datu was to rule and govern his subjects and to promote their well-being; he was the chief executive, legislator, and judge.

• Typically, the datu comes into his position by inheritance.

• The first son often succeeded the datu in matters of succession after his passing.

• The oldest daughter might take the throne if there are no male heirs.

• If a datu passed away without leaving any heirs, the barangay's residents would elect a man to succeed him based on his knowledge, money, and physical prowess.

SPANISH OCCUPATION

• The Philippines was initially seen by the Spanish as a gateway to the riches of the East Indies (Spice Islands)

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Miguel López de Legazpi (sent by King Philip II), established the first permanent Spanish settlement, in Cebu, in 1565.

• The majority of the coastal and lowland regions from Luzon to northern Mindanao were under Spanish rule by the end of the 16th century after the founding of the Spanish city of Manila in 1571.

• Soldiers and friars marched together, and within a short period of time, everyone in the area living under Spanish rule had nominally converted to Roman Catholicism.

• At first, tax farming/ tribute payers with religious instructions.

• Governor-general appointed by the king ruled.

• Manila dominated the islands and the commercial trades (Galleon) and over Chinese merchants.

• Governor-general and Archbishop vied for political supremacy.

• Later, by 17th to 18th century, the Archbishop powers ruled over augmenting political and religious powers.

• The priests and friars had a command of local languages rare among the lay Spanish, and in the provinces they outnumbered civil officials.

• The priests made an effort to herd everyone into the settlements or pueblos that were built around the large stone churches.

• The once-hereditary status of the datu was now open to Spanish appointment.

• Political and economic changes in Europe were finally starting to have an impact on Spain, and by extension, the Philippines, by the late 18th century.

• Trade became more open that foreign merchants experienced almost no restrictions.

• Public education didn't start in the Philippines until 1863, and even then, the church was in charge of the curriculum.

• Fewer than one-fifth of individuals who attended school were proficient in Spanish reading, writing, and speaking.

• Many sons of the rich were sent to study in Europe by the 1880s.

• There, amid the liberal environment, nationalism and a desire for reform grew.

• Propaganda Movement, La Liga Filipina, Noli and El Fili

• As a result of Rizal's incarceration in 1892, these militants swiftly established the Katipunan under Andres Bonifacio's direction.

Philippine Revolution

• Spanish friars discovered proof of the Katipunan's plans in August 1896, forcing its leaders to take hasty action.

• Around Manila, several provinces experienced uprisings.

• A truce was reached with the Spanish in December 1897. Municipal mayor and rebel army commander Emilio Aguinaldo received a sizable payment and was permitted to travel to Hong Kong with other officials.

• However, reforms took a while to materialize, and small rebel cells clung to their weapons out of mistrust for Spanish assurances, leading to more frequent conflicts.

Spanish American War

• War had broken out between Spain and the United States (the Spanish-American War).

• Adm. George Dewey assisted Aguinaldo in traveling back to the Philippines with his group.

• Aguinaldo rebuilt his soldiers and swiftly liberated many towns south of Manila because he was confident in American support. On June 12, independence was proclaimed.

• With significant assistance from the Filipino people, American forces compelled the Spanish commander to submit in August 1898.

• However, the Americans forbade the entry of Filipino soldiers into the city. Aguinaldo and his advisors soon realized that the prior sympathies for the independence of the Philippines expressed by Dewey and American consular officers in Hong Kong were of little value. They felt betrayed.

• Treaty of Paris, December 10, 1898.

• By the time the pact was ratified, fighting between American and Filipino forces had already started.

• After being taken prisoner in March 1901, Aguinaldo issued a call for his people to submit to American control.

Commonwealth

• Manuel L. Quezon endorsed Tydings McDuffie Act which provided for a 10-year commonwealth during which the U.S. would retain jurisdiction over defense and foreign affairs and Filipinos were to draft their own constitution, subject to the approval of the U.S. president.

• A rapid constitutional conference was chosen, and a draft constitution that closely resembled the one in the United States was later accepted by plebiscite and President. Theodore Roosevelt.

• The commonwealth was inaugurated on November 15, 1935. After settling its internal disputes, the Nacionalista Party nominated Osmea and Quezon for the presidency. They were resoundingly elected. They were elected overwhelmingly.

• The commonwealth era was supposed to be used to perfect democratic institutions and provide the groundwork for future economic and political independence.

• World War 2 happened.

• Jose P. Laurel, under an "independent Philippine Republic" under a Japanese sponsored regime.