The Philippines in the Cortes of Cadiz

Abstract

This paper analyzes the participation of the Philippines in the Cortes of Cadiz, through the actions of deputy Ventura de los Reyes, a Creole elected in representation of the council of Manila. Studies, first, the process by which the Philippines came to be represented in a parliament that brought together representatives from all over the empire. Analyzes, then, the reform plan for the archipelago that Reyes presented in the Cortes and the issues discussed by the sum of members in relation to the Philippines: proposals for Philippine trade after the end of the Manila Galleon and how that affected the commercial traffic of all the empire; the convenience, or not, of differentiating policies depending on the state of the provinces; the practical problems for incorporating Filipinos into the political life of the empire and the issues that hindered the establishment of equality among all the Spaniards of both hemispheres; debates on the organization of future elections, the groups that should participate in them and the type of representation that the Philippines could send to a common parliament. Finally, the paper closes by evaluating the impact that these issues had in the archipelago; the groups that felt represented by Ventura de los Reyes and the sectors that felt excluded; the struggle for political power evidenced behind the performances; and how those early political battles of the first decades of the nineteenth century were essential for the political renewal of the Philippines.