Beyond tobacco

Cigars are usually associated with urbane gentlemen who possess both power and sophistication, but not many Filipinos are aware that one of the oldest tobacco companies in the world is the Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, more popularly known as Tabacalera, which was founded in 1881 by an influential Spaniard.

Tabacalera was the first Philippine-based multinational company of Spain, and over the years, it has played a very significant role in our economic history, with businesses in other industries such as maritime transport, alcohol, rice, paper, sugar and others. The company was also instrumental in the construction of public infrastructure such as irrigation channels, railways, public buildings and other structures that served the communities in areas where the company operates.

Filipinos now have an opportunity to discover Tabacalera’s heritage and history via an exhibit at the Ayala Museum in Makati City with Prof. Martin Rodrigo, a historian from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona serving as curator. The exhibit, which runs until July 6, showcases Tabacalera’s history through images, maps, books, antiques and art objects from private collectors as well as Spanish and Philippine institutions.

Filipinos would certainly appreciate getting a glimpse of history through the exhibit (sponsored by S&R and organized by the Ayala Museum in cooperation with the Spanish Embassy and Instituto Cervantes Manila) that features the luxurious offices of the company both in Manila and Barcelona, the tobacco haciendas in Tarlac and Negros, and many other interesting photos and materials.

The complex and rich history of Tabacalera has also caught the attention of Filipino and Spanish historians and researchers who want to delve deeper into the tobacco monopoly, and how the company was able to survive despite the changing political landscape in the Philippines. As Professor Rodrigo noted, it would be difficult to discuss the economic history of the Philippines without taking into account the contribution of the Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas or Tabacalera. 

Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz