Biala, Christine Joyce G. PI 100
01 March 2016
Pre-Hispanic Pre-Hispanic Class Structure, a! an" #r"er
$hat si%ilarities an" "i&erences "o you see 'et!een the class structure in 16th-century Philippines an" 21st-century Philippines(
) person can percei*e the !orl" he li*e li*es s in an" an" reali eali+ +e that that lie lie is unair, an" it/s not si%ply so%e %ere 'a" luc or unoreseen unoreseen circu%stances circu%stances.. It/s ust that a person !as alrea"y 'orn to 'e eith either er %or %ore a*o a*ora ra'l 'le e or less less ortunate than another. Mean!hile, Joe is an a*erae person, 'ut ho! a*erae can an a*erae person e3actly 'e(
accu%ulat accu%ulate e !ealth !ealth an" assets assets as !ell, !ell, !hich is their stronest suit, in "eclar laration o 8nancial an" 83e" ac4uis ac4uisiti itions ons !hich !hich are are propo proporti rtiona onall to their social status. So%e %ay interere !ith politics, !hile others ha*e e%pires o their o!n, such as corporate entities an" an 'ases9thin o Henry Sy an" his %all e%pire.
Social classes ha*e e3iste" since the rise o ci*ili+ations, an" ha*e ne*er ail aile" e" to pro% pro%ot ote e soci social al ine4 ine4ua uali lity ty,, e3cept or co%%uni unis%. 5hey are syst syste% e%at ati+ i+e" e" into into hier hierar arch chies ies !hic !hich h th ser* ser*e e thei theirr role roles s in the the soci societ ety y. 16 century century Philippines Philippines !ere "i*i"e" "i*i"e" sociosociopolitically, as co%pare" to the conte%pora conte%porary ry ilipinos ilipinos !ho are "i*i"e" "i*i"e" socioecono%ically.
#ther people %ay also upra"e their social statuses. :urin 16th century, there there occurre" occurre" inter%arr inter%arriaes iaes 'et!een 'et!een "i&erent social rans, !ith the spouse o lo! lo!er socia cial ran ran assu% ssu%e" e" an inin'et!een ran as !ell as the resp respon onsi si'i 'ilit litie ies s alon alon !ith !ith it. it. 5o"ay o"ay,, people people are are "is "istin tinui uishe she" " accor" accor"in in to their 4uality o lie9occupations, ranin ro% ro% entry-le*e entry-le*ell to e3ecuti e3ecuti*e *e positions positions,, capacity to pay, liestyle, ac4uisition o assets, orani+ational status, reputations, etc.
Hihest social rans ha*e al!ays 'een the %ost pri*ilee". In 16thcentury, century, there !ere datus. datus. )s the social an" an" poli politi tica call syst syste% e%s s !er !ere stro stron nly ly interconne interconnecte" cte",, they assu%e" assu%e" political political responsi'i i'ilities as they lea" an" o*erne" their people, settle" "isputes, prote protect cte" e" the territ territory ory ro% ro% ene%ie ene%ies, s, an" lea" in 'attles. 5hey !ere not 'rats let 'y their athers to leisurely sit still uns unsil ille le", ", as they they !er !ere trai traine ne" " an" an" speciali+e" as !ell. 5hey accu%ulate" as %uch %uch !eal !ealth th as they they coul coul" " ac4u ac4uir ire, e, !hic !hich h shou shoul" l" 'e a ar ar cry cry ro% ro% 'ein 'ein in"e in"e't 'te" e",, !hic !hich h !as !as co%% co%%on only ly the the reas reason on !hy !hy peop people le !ere !ere "e%o "e%ote te" " as sla*es. 5heir conte%porary counterparts are the hih-inco%e class, !hose people ran rane e ro% ro% capi capita tali list st poli politi tici cian ans s to corporate iants to the %ost in7uential %ulti-%illionaire cele'rities !ith %ultiple *entures. ie the datus, datus, they
Mi""l i""le% e%e en ha*e a*e al!ay l!ays s ha" ha" ree"o%, as !ell as ha*in responsi'iliti ities !hich ser*e" an a"*a a"*ant nta ae e to the the ruli rulin n clas class. s. In 16th cent centur ury, y, ther there e !er !ere the the timawas, timawas, !ho !ere calle" the ree%en as they !ere ree ro% any 8nancial insta'ility. 5hey ser* ser*e" e" alon alons si" i"e e the the rulin rulin clas class s as nihts an" hi"alos. Timawas, Timawas , espe especi cial ally ly thos those e !ho !ho ele* ele*at ate" e" thei theirr social rans, ha" to pro*e the%sel*es as true a n" reconi+e" ginoos. ginoos. Mean!hile Mean!hile,, all %o"ern-"ay %o"ern-"ay citi+ens are enti entitl tle" e" to ree ree !ill !ill,, !ith ith ui" ui"an ance ce acco accorr"in "in to the the la! la!, rath rather er than than a pri* pri*il ile ee e to a part partic icul ular ar stat status us.. 5he 5he cont conte% e%po pora rary ry %i"" %i""le le%e %en n are are %i"%i"inco%e earners, !ho are also sille" as they they !or !or in *ariou *arious s occupa occupatio tions ns an"
in"ustries, an" their sills taen a"*antae 'y larer entities, %ay it 'e or the 'ene8t o hu%anity or or pro8t. Mi""le class has a !i"e rane ;e.. upper-%i""le an" lo!er-%i""le<, an" people ten" to pro*e their ='etter> social status throuh liestyle9%o'ility, consu%ption, resi"ential location, etc.9 !hiche*er 'oosts their eos. 5hey also eel the nee" to secure assets or uture use as !ell as their heirloo%, !hich the timawas !ere also capa'le o, sans the ull control to transer properties to their heirs. $hen the Spaniar"s arri*e" in the 16 century, datus !ere con*erte" into Christians an", alon !ith timawas, pai" tri'ute to the colonial o*ern%ent, !hich "e%ote" the timawas as co%%oners. )t present, or rather a e! years ao, "ue to stron political ties, the Philippine o*ern%ent appro*e" o the set-up o the ?S %ilitary 'ases !ithin the country, !hich %any ilipinos e3presse" !ith "isappoint%ent, as it th
%iht 'e a strateic approach to!ar"s ?S hee%ony, lea"in to ilipinos 'ein treate" as colonial su'ects all o*er aain. 5he lo!est social ran !ere the co%%oners. In the 16th century, there !ere the olipun, !ho !ere 'ouht an" sol" as sla*es in the %aretplaces, a"acent to poultry an" other pro"uce. 5he status %ay either 'e te%porary, such as those !ho ser*e or their "e'ts, or per%anent, such as those !ho !ere 'orn "urin the parent/s sla*e status. 5he conte%porary counterpart is the lo!-inco%e class, !ho !ere also calle" masa or the slipper cro!", in reerence to the staple oot!ear, bakya. 5hey ha*e the riht to ree"o%, as !ell as strules to constantly loo or o' opportunities, !hich are usually te%porary. )s a source o %anpo!er, they are e3ploite" 'y lare entities, alonsi"e the e3ploitation o natural resources !ithin the en*iron%ent.
