KARL MARX TUESDAYS

PHILIPPINE SOCIETY AND THE ARMED REVOLUTION AGAINST THE PHILIPPINE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

By: Comrade Mark Cua

II. Feudalism

1. The Meaning of Feudalism

On reaching the stage of imperialism, capitalism as a world historical phenomenon has Become moribund, parasitic and decadent. US imperialism exports to STI STI Capital surplus semicolonies colonies and not to raise the economy of These to the level of capitalist development but Merely to extract superprofits by exploiting the local cheap labor and cheap raw materials drawing out. Only very limited extent to some US enterprises will be set-up to process on the spot Certain raw materials available locally. The extent and quality of US monopoly equity injected into the Philippine economy since the beginning of the 20th century Merely Have Caused the subordination of domestic feudalism to US imperialism. It is in the nature of US imperialism to cause uneven and spasmodic development, to Maintain a few cities ruled by the purchaser class and preserve a vast countryside ruled by the landlord class.

Feudalism still Persists in the Philippines, Although US imperialism has Introduced a certain degree of capitalist development. US monopoly capital city has Assimilated the seed of capitalism That Is Within the womb of domestic feudalism but at the same time it has prevented us the full growth of esta seed into a national capitalism. The persistence of feudalism and the growth of a limited degree of capitalism can only be Understood by delving into history. Feudalism is a mode of production in Which the main forces of production are the Peasants and Which They till the land and the relations of production are Basically Characterized by landlord oppression and exploitation of the peasantry. The most immediate manifestation of feudalism is the possession of vast areas of arable land by a few landlords WHO Themselves do not till the land and WHO compel a big number of tenants to do the tilling. Relations Between the parasitic feudal landlord class and the peasantry productive Essentially Involve the extortion of exorbitant land rent in cash or kind from the Latter by the former. Such basic tenant-relations Peasants leave the impoverished as their share of the crop is just enough or even Often Inadequate for Their subsistence. They are further subjected to feudal Such practices as usury, compulsory menial service and various forms of tribute. The old landlord class Essentially Which Utilizes rent land for private pleasure and luxury STI is Satisfied with the backward method of agriculture Because it gets more than enough for STI needs from the sheer exertion of physical work With a simple agricultural implements by a big mass of tenants. On the other hand, the WHO has only tenant His Own Assigned plot to till is further impoverished by the low level of technology.

It was not the first Spanish colonialists WHO laid the foundation of feudalism in the country. The sultanates of Mindanao, Especially Those of Sulu and Maguindanao, Preceded by the Spanish conquerors At least a century in doing so. These Were the first to create a feudal mode of production producing an agricultural surplus to support a landed nobility of substantial membership, fighters, religious teachers and traders. The growth of feudalism under the Islarnic faith was stimulated by the brisk trade That was centered in Sulu. Later on, the feudal society Became determined to further consolidated by ITS resistance to Spanish colonialism. Representing a higher form of social organization than That Which Obtained in other parts of the archipelago, the sultanates of Mindanao Could more Effectively resist the Spanish colonialists Represent Who Did not any higher form of social organization and Who Were Easily Identified as an external enemy due to the long-standing conflict of Islam and Christianity then.

It was Spanish colonialism, however, Which Compelled the institution of feudalism on the widest scale in the archipelago. Under ITS administration, it developed the feudal mode of production to the fullest extent. In Their rule of more than three centuries, colonial Authorities Took the two major steps to entrench feudalism in the Philippines. These Were 1) the assignment of parcels as a royal grant, a reward for service or loyalty to the Spanish crown and 2) the compulsory cultivation of crops for export Certain starting During the Latter Part of the 18th century.

The parcel was a royal grant to religious orders, charitable Institutions and Individuals. It encompassed a large area and several barangays Brought together into one economic and administrative unit. The chiefs of barangays Were converted to Become the chief running dogs in every locality in Their capacity as tribute collectors, enforcers of corvee labor and main Devotees of the alien faith. The essential purpose of the assignment, indeed was to Facilitate the collection of tribute in cash or agricultural commodity, the enforcement of corvee labor and the indoctrination of the people in Such a feudal ideology as Roman Catholicism. The colonialists used Christianity to foster docility and servility.

A surplus in agricultural production was created but only to support and feed the Spanish Administrators, clergy, soldiery and the Indigenous nobility. The tribute was Collected as a Means of supporting the foreign rulers, Especially for providing them with food and luxuries. Corvee labor was employed to expand the agricultural fields, build government and church buildings and Improve Communications Between the villages and the town settlement Where the set-up curate His quarters.

Within the parcel, Spanish laws on private property in land Began to be applied arbitrarily By Both the clergy and lay trustees. Communalism was abolished in fully colonized areas. The Spanish encomenderos Claimed vast tracts of land as Their private property. Also the Indigenous nobility was allowed to lay claims on private agricultural lands and at the same time it was cajoled into making direct donations of land to the Catholic Church. In cases Where the people resisted, the colonialists cruelly Grabbed the lands from them by force of arms. All Conquered lands Were Considered property of the royal crown, subject to arbitrary colonial disposal by the Authorities. Systematically corvee labor was used to clear new lands or in cases Where the people on Their Own volition would create new agricultural fields for Their own needs, They would only be subsequently These Told That did not belong to them but to the royal crown or to some encomendero Who Had Gained title over these.

When the friars later Advocated the abolition of the encomienda system, it was not really With the view of having feudal abuses eliminated. Their intention was mainly to demand the application of Spanish laws Rigorous Within a more orderly administrative system So THAT clerical and lay landlords would not collide Too Often With Each Other In Their common landgrabbing activities. Friar entrusted criticism of the system Merely led to the creation of provinces under the Central administration of Manila. The system entrusts HAD Already taken deep roots. The religious orders HAD Already accumulated vast lands.

Either Spanish lay trustees chose to stay in the archipelago to breed successive generations of island and mestizos or to sell out to other merchants and landlords, bring gold back to Spain and Retain Their status as peninsular. The native landlords HAD Their Own Within the landowning class stratum. Some of them Became only landlords at the expense of fellow Indians Who Were Their dispossessed through sheer landgrabbing Who Fell into bankruptcy or through the due Processes of feudalism.