History of Physical Education in the Philippines: Pre-Spanish Times

SPEAR 201 Historical and Philosophical
Background of Physical Education
Prepared by: Noralie B. Morales
HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
IN THE PHILIPPINES
PRE-SPANISH TIMES
( - 1521)

PRE-SPANISH TIMES ( - 1521)
Philosophy: Survival, Enculturation & Recreation
Activities:
Children were instructed in the proper use
of spears, bows and arrows, and swords.
Essential in their living because the skills involved
were useful in:
catching animals for their daily meals
securing clothing articles
finding shelter materials
fighting off enemies whether man or beast
providing props for their religious ceremonies

As the elders worked, the children took
time out from their household chores to
indulge in frolics such as:
climbing trees
running and jumping all over the wide
open spaces
crossing streams and rivers
Activities:

 playing their own game of make believe
imitating their parents in such activities
such as:
-hunting
-fishing
-housekeeping
-making weapons and tools
-worshipping
Activities:

The men and boys were involved in:
 long-distance underwater swimming
 double underarm stroke
 diving to fish for pearls which they sold
at a profit to neighboring countries
 rowing/paddling the banca
Activities:

Rituals involving various body movements
and deep breathing exercises to glorify God.
Activities:

War Dances
 incite the fighting spirit
 to express the hatred the people harbored
against their enemies and the type of
vengeance they had planned
 oftentimes, the members of the war
council danced solemnly while trying to
decide the course of war
Activities:

War Dances
Saut - characterized by quick runs, distinct
body elevations, and much body
quivering performed to the rhythm
of the guimba, or drum
Activities:

War Dances
Himog or death dance
- a ceremonial dance executed to the
accompaniment of the bangibang, or
wooden clapper
Activities:

If one was accused of committing a serious crime, the accused was
subjected to trial by ordeal. It was assumed that if a person was guilty, he
would not be able to pass the ordeal that would have be given to him. If
some persons were suspected of stealing, they were brought to the deepest
part of the river and required to jump. Whoever came out first was
considered the guilty one. The elders believed that the gods punished
those who were guilty and absolved the innocent ones.

Funeral Dances
 In case of illness in the family, the people
also danced to hasten recovery.
 When a person died, the neighbors
perform this type of dance characterized
by slow swinging of feet up in the air by
a line of men standing with arms on each
other’s shoulders.
Activities:

Beneseew or witch dance
-held precisely to drive away evil spirits
that inhabit the balete tree
Activities:

Tabing Baila
- An exotic ceremonial dance which was a
prayer for a bountiful fish catch.
- The movements stimulated those of a
fish, with the hands curling in and out
like a fin, arms circle here and yon, and
the body twisting and contorting much
like a marine creature.
Activities:

Festival Dances
Bumayab
- started auspiciously with a limliwa or
chant
- notable for its elaborate footwork and
hand movements
- music was provided by gongs, gongha,
tubob, and habat
Activities:

Festival Dances
Tanggugo
- a dance with hardly any arm movement
- men and women rotated bodily,
stepped sideways, and stamped
animatedly with kulong-kulong around
their feet to the accompaniment of the
tanggungguan, or gongs suspended by
ropes from a triangular rack
Activities:

Festival Dances
Unomey-umey
- a thanksgiving dance for the diwatas for
a rich crop
Activities:

Courtship Dances
Tadek
-both man and woman danced on tiptoe,
feet remaining always on the ground
carrying a piece of red cloth which they
fluttered from side to side as they shook
their whole body to the measure of the
ganza, or native drum
Activities:

Courtship Dances
Tadek
- the highlight of the dance was the
exchange of symbolic keepsakes
wherein the wife offers her husband a
dagger to show that she looked up to
him; in turn, the husband gave her a
piece of cloth to signify their common
bond
Activities:

Courtship Dances
Kinal-logong
-the man remained in place as the woman
teasingly sang and danced around him,
trying each time to place a hat on his head
Activities:

Courtship Dances
Takik
- the man danced with a blanket on his
shoulders
Activities:

Courtship Dances
Pinanyo-wan
- both man and woman danced with a
handkerchief, the man chasing after his love
like a rooster, until she showed acceptance
by placing her handkerchief on the
shoulder of the suitor
Activities:

Wedding dances
- the babaylan or priestess usually climaxed a
marriage ceremony with a dance at the end of
which she threw her javelin to kill a sacrificial
animal
Activities:

Wedding dances
Tagum Di Malahim
- characterized by energetic birdlike
movements of the bridegroom, enlaced
with elegant, flexuous movements of the
bride
Activities:

Mimetic dances
Munggayong
- a line of men and another of women
participants danced around a pile of pots
Activities:

Mimetic dances
Munggayong
- the dancers sat down afterwards and
went through the motions of making pots
- as they did so, tapuy or rice wine was
passed around in coconut shells
Activities:

Mimetic dances
Sayaw Tu Baud
- a pigeon dance
-an imitation of the flight of pigeons from
hunters stalking them
Activities:

Mimetic dances
Ninanog
-a hawk dance
-feigned the movements of a hawk as it
pounced on its quarry
Activities:

Funny/comical primitive dances
Kinnotan or ant dance
- showed a man dancing and gesticulating
to another person who had been attacked
by ants
- with deft movements, the former
scratched the hurt parts of the body of the
victim
Activities:

Camote or Yam dance
- imitated the movements of a man
attempting to steal yam
Activities:

Pinubag or bee dance
- the steps and movements simulated a
bee gathering honey
Activities:

Inamo-amo or monkey dance
- mimicked the movements of a monkey as
it bounced and gamboled about
Activities:

 The early Filipinos were hardy,
adventurous, and energetic people
endowed with a vigorous and strong
physique. Valiant and unafraid, they
frequently engaged in battles.
 Even in early times, the Filipinos were
religious people. They performed, for
example, certain rituals which contributed
greatly to their physical development.
Points to remember:

 Dancing was a popular and common
activity among the early Filipinos; almost
all occasions were celebrated by dancing.
Points to remember:

HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Reference: History of Physical Education in the
Philippines by Cecilia Bocobo-Olivar

History of Physical Education in the Philippines: Pre-Spanish Times

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