1. Juan de Plasencia
Spanish Friar (Frasciscan Order) Relacion de las Custombres de los Tagalos en Filipinas
2. Luzon Noble Couple
Source: National Quincentennial Committee
BARANGAY and SOCIAL CLASS
Contents
MARRIAGE, JUSTICE and
INHERITANCE
FASHION and ORNAMENT
BELIEFS and SUPERSTITIONS
THE AUTHOR
Prepared
by
John
Henry
Briones
3. Name: Juan de Plasencia
Birth Place: Plasencia in the region
of Extremadura, Spain
Known for:
1. Founded the town of Tayabas,
Antipolo, and Meycawayan
2. Information on die customs which
the natives of Pampanga
anciently held
Objective: Put an end to some injustices
committed by certain government
officials.
Reduccion Policy
Aims:
a. Bringing people within hearing
distance of church bells (bajo de
campana)
b. Facilitate mass conversion to
Catholicism
c. Consolidate control (political,
economic, and religious) over the
indigenous communities
4. Barangay
The chiefs ruled over but few people,
as many as 100 houses, sometimes
even less than 30.
(Excerpt from The Customs of the Tagalogs)
DATU
(Chief of barangay)
Nagdarato: To rule a barrio or barangay
Duties:
1. Govern his people
2. Lead them in war
3. Succor them in struggles and
needs (according to Morga)
4. Render judgement in lawsuit
5. Control over disposition of real
property
Scale
model of
Balanghai
Source: https://www.pinasmuna.com/2014/09/national-
museum-in-butuan-city.html
5. Social Classes
Estates/Castes
(Fr. Plasencia)
Tagalog Social Structure
(W. H. Scott)
Visayans Order
(Miguel Loarca)
Noblility
Datu
(principales)
Lakan/Rajah (town)
Datu (barangay)
Maginoo
Datu
Tumao
Freemen
Timawa
Maharlika (hidalgos)
Common People
(pecheros)
Timawa
Maharlika
(birthright aristocracy)
Timawa
Slaves
Alipin
Oripon
Enclavos
Aliping Namamahay
Aliping sa guiguilir
Alipin Namamahay
Alipin Sagigilid
Tumataban
Tumarampok
Ayuey
6. Classes of Slaves (Miguel de Loarca)
Ayuey
Served their master within his house
and worked three days for his master.
Tumarampok
They lived in their own houses and
worked one day for his master.
Tumataban
They worked for his master when
summon (banquet or revel).
Source: National Quincentennial Committee
7. Paninilbihan
Act of servitude at the lady’s home was
executed by gentlemen in order to
depict their genuineness and loyalty
toward the woman they love and adore.
Dowries are given by men to the
women's parents
1. Bigay - kaya (a piece of land or
gold)
2. Panghihimuyat (a gift for the brides
parents)
3. Bigay - suso (for brides wet nurse)
Castes
1. Maharlica + Maharlica = Maharlica
2. Maharlica + Slave = Freemen
3. Maharlica + Slave(another) = Half of
the child was free or wholly slave
(not recognized by the father)
4. Freemen (woman)+ Slave = Freemen
(provided he were not her husband)
5. Maharlica + Slave = Children were
divided
a. Odd Birth- Father
b. Even Birth- Mother
c. One child- Half Freeman and Slave
8. 1. If any of the litigants felt himself
aggrieved, an arbiter was
unanimously named from another
village or barangay
Litigants: The one engage in lawsuit
Arbiter = judge
2. If the controversy lay between
two chiefs, they also convoked
judges to act as arbiters.
Reason: To avoid war
3. Condemned to death
a. Insulting the chief’s family
b. Witches and others of the
same class.
4. Other offenses were punished by
fines in gold
Note: If not paid with promptness,
exposed the culprit to serve, until the
payment should be made.
5. For loans, there’s an excess of
usury (life of toil)
9. 1. Legitimate children
a. Inherited equally
*Except, showed slight partiality
2. Any son married to chiefs
daughter
a. Dowry is greater than the sum
given to other sons
3. Had Children by two or more
legitimate wives
a. Each received inheritance and
dowry of his mother and increase
share of the father’ estate.
4. Had child by one of his slaves,
legal wife, and unmarried woman
a. Slave: No Inheritance
b. Legitimate: Free the mother
c. Natural child: only the third
part
*No children from B, inheritance goes
to C
** No children from A, B, and C,
inheritance goes to the nearest
relatives of the deceased
10. 5. A child by a free married woman,
born while she was married
Case 1: If the husband punished the
adulterer, there’s inheritance
Case 2: If not, there’s no inheritance
Case 3: Solo, inherited equally with
the with the nearest relatives
6. Adopted children
*Inherit the double of what was paid
for their adoption
1. For divorce
Case 1: Marrying other
All her dowry and an equal additional
amount fell to the husband
Case 2: Did not marry another
The dowry was returned
2. Man leaving the wife
Partition: Half given to the
wife/husband
With children: dowry and the fine
went to the children
11. In precolonial period, Filipinos were
mostly pagans.
Terms
Simbahan Temple or place of
adoration.
Pandot Worship
Sorihile Small lamps
Nagaanitos Idol
Lic-ha Images with different
shapes (idols)
Balatic Great Bear
(constellation)
Deities
1. Bathala
All powerful or maker of all things
2. Moon, Sun and Star (Tala)
3. Mapolon
Change of seasons
4. Dian Masalanta
Patron of lovers and of generation.
5. Lacapati and Idianale
Patrons of the cultivated lands and of
husbandry
*Paid reverence to a buaya (crocodile)
16. Tigmamanuguin
Posess magical powers that brought a
foreboding omen
Heard anyone sneeze, they would
retrace their steps.
(Excerpt from Relacion de las Islas Filipinas by
Pedro Chirino, S.J.)
Offering Sacrifice
1. Recovery of sick person
2. Prosperous voyage
3. Good harvest
4. Happy outcome in married life
Burials
Laraw/Larao mourning for chieftain
Maglahe for dead man
Morotal for dead woman
Maca Paradise
Casanaan Place of punishment.
They buried their dead in their own
houses…They venerated the skulls of the
dead as if they were living and present.
(Excerpt from Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas by
Antonio Morga)
17. 1. Catalonan (man or a woman)
A healer, shaman, seer and a
community leader.
2. Mangagauay or witches
Who deceived by pretending to heal
the sick.
3. Manyisalat
Had the power of applying such
remedies to lovers that they would
abandon and despise their own wives.
4. Mancocolam
Whose duty it was to emit fire from
himself at night.
5. Hocloban
By simply saluting or raising the
hand, they killed whom they chose.
6. Silagan
Who preys on anyone who is dressed
in white.
18. 7. Magtatangal
Show himself at night to many persons,
without his head or entrails.
8. Osuang
Equivalent to ” sorcerer;” they say that
they have seen him fly, and that he
murdered men and ate their flesh.
9. Mangagayoma
They made charms for lovers out of
herbs, stones, and wood
10. Sonat
Equivalent to ” preacher.” It was his
office to help one to die.
11. Pangatahojan
Was a soothsayer, and predicted the
future.
12. Bayoguin
Signified a “cotquean,” a man whose
nature inclined toward that of a
woman.
19. ▪ Song of the bird sayasaya was a
bad omen
▪ When the ricefield of some person
stood out over the rest, this was
supposed to be a bad omen
Caste
Napido
Principalia who was pulled down to
the level of timawa or oripon.
Natimawa
Slaves that are freed by their master
from bondage.
Beliefs and Superstitions
Gugurang supreme being
Kamurawayan state of bliss/sky
Katambay spirits assigned to
individuals
Okot forest spirit.
Maguindara underwater beings
Kulapnitan gods of bats.
Sarimao ferocious animal
Onglo
Believed to be a very black and ugly
monster
20. Marriage
Pamalaye
The suitor and his kinsmen would go
to the bride’s house
Hikao
A practice which allowed the
disengagement of any contract made
to the groom if another suitor of
higher social standing proposed a
higher amount of dowry.
Burial
Pasaka ritual for the death of
maguinoos
Paraarang professional mourner
❑ Burial grounds along river banks
❑ Cave-earliest communal burial
ground (Batungan Cave)
Manunggul Jar
Photo from National
Commission for Culture and
Arts
21. Male
❑ Kanggan Collarless short-sleeve jacket
❑ Bahag G-string loincloth
*A strip of cloth wrapped around the waist
and in between legs.
❑ Putong Men’s headgear
Female
❑ Baro Wide sleeved jacket
❑ Patadyong Skirt
❑ Tapis
*Additional cover wrapped around the waist
Luzon Noble Couple
Source: National Quincentennial Committee
22. They do not, however, on this account go naked; they wear
well-made collarless robes, which reach the ankle and are
of cotton bordered with colors: when they are in mourning,
these robes are white. They take off these robes in their
houses, and in places where garments are unnecessary;
but everywhere and always they are very attentive and
watchful to cover their persons, with great care and
modesty, wherein they are superior to other nations,
especially to the Chinese.
(Excerpt from Relacion de las Islas Filipinas by Pedro
Chirino, S.J.)
Visayan Noble Couple
Source: National Quincentennial Committee
23. Luzon
❑ Bracelets with fluted design and
flaring rims.
❑ Large conical necklace finials.
❑ Pair of long pendant double swirl
earrings.
❑ Large square quatrefoil earrings.
❑ Set of five graduated bracelet.
Visayas
❑ Patan-aw or “look at me” earrings.
❑ Uod or caterpillar ear ornaments.
Mindanao
❑ Kandit sashes
❑ Dragonfly “tutubi” necklace
❑ Kamagi gear head necklace
❑ Pair of heavy waist cord
Five ear
ornaments
with petaloid
protrusions
Source: https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-
daily-inquirer-1109/20160526/281646779381679
28. 1. Blair, E. H. and Robertson, A. (2005.). The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XII, 1601-1604.
Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15022/15022.txt
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History. Quezon City, REX Printing Company, Inc.
3. Camagay, M. L. T., Ancheta, J. A. C., Bernal, M. S., Guiang, F. J. P. A., Malban, F. J. M., Ramos II, D. P. G.
2018.Unraveling the Past. Quezon, City, Vibal Publishing House, Inc.
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our-filipino-ancestor
5. Gutay, Rev. Jose. D. (n.d.). Life and Works of Fray Juan de Plasencia.
http://ofmphilarchives.tripod.com/id8.html
6. Espiritu, Rogelio. (2016) . LET Reviewer in Social Science. Manila, MET Review Center
7. Funtecha, Henry F. (2007). Slavery practiced by the ancient Bisayans. Retrieved from
https://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/06/29/slavery.as.practiced.by.the.ancient.bisayans.html#:~:text=In%20th
e%20Visayas%2C%20they%20were,called%20ayuey%2C%20tumarampok%20and%20tumataban.
REFERENCES
29. 8. Social Organization in Pre-colonial Manila | Presidential Museum and Library. (2015). Malacanang.gov.ph.
http://malacanang.gov.ph/75825-social-organization-pre-colonial-manila/
9. Scott, W. (1980). Filipino Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century. Philippine Studies, 28(2), 142–175.
http://www.philippinestudies.net/files/journals/1/articles/1605/public/1605-3710-1-PB.pdf
REFERENCES
1. Blair, E. H. & Robertson, A. (2004, June 16). The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898, Volume VII, 1588–1591.
Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm
2. Witches in the Philippines or Spanish propaganda? (2015). https://www.aswangproject.com/witches-in-the-
philippines/
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
