What Is Polo y Servicio? About The Spanish Term And Practice
POLO Y SERVICIO – In this topic, we are going to know and learn about the Spanish term and practice known as Polo y servicio.
The Spanish term translates to “Forced labor” in the English language.
As a practice, it was employed by Spanish colonizers for over 250 years, which required forced labor of all Filipino males from 16 to 60 years of age for 40-day periods.
The workers could be placed on any project the Spanish wanted, despite conditions that were deemed hazardous or unhealthy.
Not only were Filipinos forced to do this service but also Chinese mestizos as well, according to TagalogLang.
Polo from this term refers to community work and the laborer, was called polista. Community projects included cutting logs in forests, building ships, repairing churches, constructing government buildings, roads and bridges, among others.
Effects
According to the website, the Philippines served as the epicenter of the Spanish Galleon trade from Manila to Acapulco. This deemed prosperous for Spain that it neglected to consider and develop the local industries of the colony.
Filipino people were agriculturally based and grew crops for their own diet and profit. This practice crippled the ability of the Filipinos to feed themselves, which caused hunger and frustration and in worse cases, injuring and killing many Filipino males. This also resulted in numerous rebellions.
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