Note 6 — II. Industries at the Time of Discovery and Conquest

When the role played by the Filipinos in the history of Spanish achievement in the Philippines comes to be finally written, their share, in the form of service, direct—and indirect—and suffering of different kinds, will occupy a considerable part of the account.6 First of all, the many lives sacrificed in connection with the building of ships should be considered.7 Then, the effect on the industries of the country was disastrous.8 Besides, very frequently the laborers were not paid their wages.9 And worse than the physical cruelties practiced on them, the Filipinos were not only helping the King in the extension of his empire, but also those who actually abused them10 to get rich. It is not strange, therefore, that we should find good intentioned persons, among them the early religious men—who wrote to the King and prayed for redress.11 In this connection, it is of interest to add that the Filipinos who served as seamen in the galleons suffered as much as their brethren who built the ships.12