The word polo refers to community work, and the laborer was called polista.[4] The community activities that polistas have to perform may include cutting of trees for timber, and building Galleon trade ships,[5] churches, government buildings, roads, and bridges.[6]
Polo y servicio required males from 16 to 60 years old for a 40-day period per year.[4] The laborers could be placed on any community project, and anyone who refused to follow was fined and imprisoned.[7]
Polo y servicio was imposed to local indigenous male population in the Philippines since the late sixteenth century.[7]
In 1863, a strong earthquake struck Manila, and killed more than a thousand people and destroyed much of the city.[8] To support with the city reconstruction, a decree was promulgated to extend the polo y servicio, called prestación personal at that time, to Spanish and other foreigners in the Philippines.[7]
In 1867, the Spanish colonial government mandated male Chinese residing in the Philippines, between 18 and 60 years old, to render forced labor.[7] Similar to the local population, the Chinese laborers were tasked to build churches, government buildings, and roads.[9] Chinese who had the money preferred paying the falla of three pesos to be relieved from the forced labor system.[7]
Polo y servicio contributed to the construction of several churches and government projects in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, such as:
For colonial Spain, the forced labor system was necessary to establish a reliable source of labor in the Philippines.[7] It was also a source for government revenue as males who want to avoid polo y servicio had to pay the falla, which was the equivalent of one and half reales per day.[14]
However, the system crippled the ability of the local male population to feed themselves and their families, which caused hunger.[4] In particular, the system affected the agricultural sector because of the lack of male farmers, which resulted in low harvests.[15]
Moreover, it led to injury and death of many men working in hazardous projects.[4]
Polo y servicio also resulted in numerous rebellions and movements against colonial Spain, such as:[15]
InNorthern Samar, Agustin Sumuroy held a rebellion against polo y servicio on 1649.[citation needed] He rebelled against the sending of his fellowmen to the shipyards in Cavite, which is quite far from his hometown in Northern Samar.[16] A rebel government was successfully established in the mountains, however he was captured and executed in 1650.[17]
InPampanga, Francisco Maniago rebelled in 1660 due to forced labor.[18] His fellowmen were made to work for eight months as timber cutters and were not paid. Maniago mutinied and set their campsite on fire.[19] As a result, he and Governor-General Sabiniano Manrique de Lara met to negotiate conditions to end the rebellion.[20]
InBohol, Francisco Dagohoy, from 1744 to 1829, led the longest revolution against Spain in the Philippine history.[21] Polo y servicio is one of the reasons for Dagohoy's revolution.[22]
