Abstract

On the 20th of December 1863, the Spanish government issued the Royal Decree on primary education in the Philippines, which included the establishment of a Normal School for training Filipino teachers. From 1863 onwards, Filipinos formed part of the colonial structure that aimed to propagate the “civilizing mission” throughout the islands. Their position as teachers turned them into intermediaries between the colonial government and its subjects. Their task was vital for the success of Spain’s dream to Hispanicize her frontier colony. This study focuses on the activity of some teachers in Luzon and the role they played in colonial society negotiations. The study aims to raise possible questions from the personal records of teachers in order to determine their role in the interaction between colonial and indigenous discourses. It is hoped that this paper can a guide further examination of the abundant documentation available on Filipino primary school teachers in the late Spanish period.