This excerpt from Labor Evangelica which is a primary source written by Fr. Francisco Colin, S.J. will help students understand that some Spanish friars during the colonial PHilippines had stood their ground to defend the rights of the Filipino natives.
This excerpt from Labor Evangelica which is a primary source written by Fr. Francisco Colin, S.J. will help students understand that some Spanish friars during the colonial PHilippines had stood their ground to defend the rights of the Filipino natives.
This excerpt from Labor Evangelica which is a primary source written by Fr. Francisco Colin, S.J. will help students understand that some Spanish friars during the colonial PHilippines had stood their ground to defend the rights of the Filipino natives.
This excerpt from Labor Evangelica which is a primary source written by Fr. Francisco Colin, S.J. will help students understand that some Spanish friars during the colonial PHilippines had stood their ground to defend the rights of the Filipino natives.
There are three kinds and classes of people: the chiefs, whom the Visayans call dato and the Tagálogs maginoo; the timauas, who are the ordinary common people, called maharlicà among the Tagálogs; and the slaves, called oripuen by the Visayans and alipin by the Tagálogs.
The most general origin of those slaveries were interest and usury. That was so much practiced among them, that no father would aid his son, no son his father, no brother his brother, and much less any relative his relative, even though he were suffering extreme necessity, without an agreement to restore double. If payment was not made when promised, the debtor remained a slave until he paid. That happened often, for the interest or increase continued to accumulate just so long as the payment was deferred. xxx Other slaveries were due to tyranny and cruelty. For slaves were made either in vengeance on enemies, in the engagements and petty wars that they waged against one another, in which the prisoners made remained slaves, even though they were of the same village and race.
The worst thing is that all those who had been made slaves by war, or for punishment of debts, were rigorously regarded as such, as slaves for any kind of service or slavery, and served inside the house. The same was true of their children, in the manner of our slaveries, and they could be sold at will. However, the masters were not accustomed to sell those born under their roof, for they regarded them in the light of relatives. Those slaves were allowed to keep for themselves a portion of any profit which they made. The Tagálogs called such true slaves sanguiguilir, and the Visayans halon.
Other slaves were called namamahay, for they did not serve their master in all capacities, nor inside his house; but in their own houses, and outside that of their masters. They were bound, however, to obey their master’s summons either to serve in his house when he had honored guests, or for the erection of his house and its repair, and in the seasons of sowing and harvest. They [had also to respond] to act as his rowers when he went out in his boat, and on other like occasions, in which they were obliged to serve their master without any pay.
