Social Classes in the Philippines during the Spanish Era

This is the lowest level in the Philippines racial hierarchy. This group possessed minimal or zero rights and worked as labors in the Spanish colonial system.

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Term that was used to refer the native Malays, but if we consider the legal classification, this term was only used to refer the Christianized Malays who lived in closeness to the Spanish colonies. This was the second lowest rank in the hierarchy.

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This is a level used in hierarchy to demonstrate the persons of pure Chinese ancestry.

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Subordinate to the Tornatras, this term was used to describe people of mixed Filipino and foreign ancestry.

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These were the persons of mixed indigenous Spanish ancestry (referred to as Filipino or Peninsular), Chinese (referred to as Sangley), and Malay (referred to as Indio).

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