The Rise of the Philippine Middle Class (Ilustrados)
In the mid-18th century (1750s), there were 5 principal social classes in the Philippines. These were the Peninsulares, the Insulares, the clase media or middle class, the Chinese and the indio. The Peninsulares, which included the Spanish friars, were the Spaniards born in Spain, ( the Iberian peninsula) and were the wealthiest and most politically powerful among the social classes. The Insulares were the Spaniards born in the Philippines. The clase media consisted of three subclasses: the Spanish mestizos or mestizos de Español; the principalia; and the Chinese mestizos or mestizos de Sangley. The Chinese and the indio or natives made up the lower half of the social pyramid.The mestizos or half-breed, which initially referred only to those of Spanish-native descent, had an indio parent and a Spanish or Chinese parent. Usually, Spanish who married indios were in the lower strata of Spanish society.Mestizos, in general, constituted no more than 2% of the population but because of the even smaller population of creoles in the Philippines, they were able to take some control over commerce and industry and acquire (and dispense of) a disproportionate share of wealth. Chinese mestizos who had a higher position in societ
These liberal ideas also reached the Philippines because of the Suez Canal and the establishment of a regular steamship, which traveled between Manila and Europe. This was the beginning of the reformist campaign of the ilustrados. The ilustrados served as the spokesmen for the cries of the people. The last option would be for the borrower to buy the land before the deadline expired and to sell the land to somebody else for the same or for a higher price, by entering into another pacto de retroventa contract. Chinese expulsions were also carried out against the Chinese in 1755 and 1766, because of Spanish suspicion, but they were repealed in 1788 when the Spanish recognized the contributions the Chinese could make to the Philippine economy. 30) The money borrowed was only 1/3 or ½ the true value of the land and the borrower was given a certain period within which he must repay the loan. In the beginning of the 19th century, the contracts were made verbally, thereafter the contracts were notarized. The pacto de retroventa, landgrabbing (via land laws like the Maura Law), royal grants and the buying of royal estates (realengas) were the principal ways used to amass large estates, which became the foundation of the hacienda system. The borrower and the lender had several options under the contract. The center of their activities where in Spain where they felt that it would be easier for them to express what they wanted to say and they believed that if the Spanish Government became aware of the evils of the Spanish colonial policy and the abuses of the friars, they would do something about it. They began acquiring rice lands and renting lands from religious estates, which were concentrated in Central Luzon, while some mestizos migrated to Negros. The mestizos and the natives who were in Spain and were exposed to liberal ideas became known in Manila as los ilustrados or "the enlightened ones". Non-productive rent collectors, however, reduced the share of the kasamahans.
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