Early Filipinos originated from mainland Southeast Asia, arriving over land bridges during the Ice Age. They lived as hunter-gatherers until developing agriculture around 10,000 BC. Their culture was influenced by traders from India, China, the Malay Archipelago, and Arabia. Pre-colonial Philippine society was organized into autonomous barangays led by datus. Social classes included datus, maharlikas, timawas, and alipins. Religion centered on animistic beliefs and ancestor worship. Filipino communities practiced trade, agriculture, and established ethnic traditions that survive today.

1. PRE-COLONIAL
PHILIPPINES
CHAPTER 3

2. 11
Cultural Evolution
Early Filipinos

3. • Historians believed that during the Pleistocene epoch, the first
settlers of the Philippines came from the present-day islands of the
Malay Archipelago when sea levels were lower, creating land
bridges connecting to the Southeast Asian mainland.
Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
• These Paleolithic hunters may have followed herds of wild animals
across these land bridges to the Philippine Islands.
• Some western historians assume that the origines of the Philippines
were the Astralo-Malasian people who are distinctively small with
dark skin and curly brown hair. They were the ancestors of the
people known today as Negritos or Aetas

4. • The Mainland Origin Hypothesis by Peter Bellwood if the Austalina
National University and K.C Chang of Harvard University maintains
that the early inhabitant originated from South China and Taiwan.
Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
• Island Origin Hypothesis by Wilhelm Solheim II of the University of
Hawaii believes that the prehistoric people originated and
dispersed from an island in Southeast Asia.
• Historians presuppose that between 300 and 200 B.C., inhabitants
of Malay-Polynesian descent settled in the Philippine archipelago.
They were mainly the agricultural and fishing people.

5. •Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Period – (50,000-10,000 B.C.) is
the era of crude stone tools and weapons.
Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
 In the Philippines, it was believed to have started in Cagayan
Valley. This can inferred from archeological materials
unearthed in the area, bearing imprints of human use.
 Man had no other tools than sharp edged stones that could
be held by the hand. Many kinds of stones, which naturally
produce sharp edges when broken or chipped, were
commonly used.

6. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
 Core tools - the remaining core itself is used as the tool
Pebble tools – are those rounded stones like found in the
riverbeds.
Cobble tools – these rounded stones are larger
Flake tools – are skillfully edged and shaped.
 Man’s principal way of adaptation to the environment was
by hunting. These stone stools could be used for smashing the
bones of animals and shellfish that they have gathered.
• Kinilaw – archeological evidence shows the earliest
method of preparing fish for consumption where vinegar or
lime juice enhances the taste of the fish.

7. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
 Tabon Cave Complex in Lipuun Point, Quezon, Palawan,
some 30,000 years ago is an example of prehistoric planning
adaptation. Upon discovery in 1962, the present surface of the
Tabon Cave was noted to have been a habitat of the Tabon
Bird (also known as the Philippine mound bulider)
•New Stone Age or Neolithic Period – (10,000-500 B.C.) otherwise
known as Agricultural Revolution by anthropologist. New types of
stone tools appeared in various parts of the Philippines, more
polished and highly specialized, primarily blade and ax- and
adz- like form for forest clearing and boat making.

8. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
 Root crops like taro(gabi) and yan (ubi) were among the
important crops.
 Sparks have been produced, which resulted to the making of
fire at will by ancient settlers.
Production of baked clay pots had been fully utilized.
Fire eventually change their lifestyle, particularly in the
preparation of their meals.
 Jars as burial coffins for secondary burial were also made.
 Manunggul jar(now at tge National Museum), an example if
funerary vessel dating between 890 B.C. – 710 B.C., is now
considered a National Treasure of the Philippines.

9. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
 The first metal to be widely used was copper
•Early Metal Age – (500 B.C.) refers to the time in the
development of human culture where tools and weapons were
made of metal.
•Metal Age – Consist mainly beads. There were beads made of
jade, stones, glass, shells, seeds, twigs and stems, especially
reeds of plants created into necklaces and other ornaments.
•Development Iron Age – The appearance and utilization of
improved iron tools as the major technological device for
exploiting the environment constitute

10. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Community life throughout the archipelago was dominantly
founded on trade and by increasing specialization in
craftsmanship.
•Age of Contact – (500 -1,400 A.D.) which is the period of trading
relations with neighboring islands, mostly by Asian Traders.
For the natives to succeed in engaging maritime trade with
their Asian neighbors, they have to improve their seamanship
and boat-building skill.
Ex. Balangay – was basically a plank boat

11. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Malay was the principal language of Southeast Asian
commerce during those times.
•Malay loan words to Philippine language pertain to
commerce. This include:
Talaro (scales), upa (payment), lako (peddle), gusali (hall),
tunay (real) means “hard cash” and biyaya (grace) means
“disbursement.”
Others words illustrate the impact of commerce on culture like:
Atsara (pickles), patis (brine), puto (native cake), kalan
(stove), pinggan (plate), aral (learning) and pagsamba
(adoration)

12. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
India were Indianized traders left vivid traces on Filipino history
and culture, such as religious beliefs, language, literature, and
customs of the ancient Filipinos.
•Bathala, the name of the chief god of the pre-Christian
Tagalogs, came from a Sanskrit term Bhattara, meaning
“Great Lord.”
•Many fables were linked to Indian literature. Some of this
are the story of: monkey and the turtle, the tale of the race
between the deer and the snail, and the Visayan anecdote
of the hawk and the hen.

13. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
India
•In Filipino folk literature is also influence by Indian literature
such as the popular epics, including Darangan of Lanao,
Lam-ang of Ilokandia, Ibalon of Bicolandia and Alim and
the Hudhud of the Mountain Province, were inspired
Mahabharata (Sanskrit “Great Story”) and Ramayana
(Sanskrit “Story of Rama”)
•Early Filipinos had already developed a system of syllabic
writing with each representing a syllable.
•Baybayin or Alibata – is a tagalog script
•Sipol – used as a writing instrument, a sharp pointed iron.

14. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
India
•Customes and traditions of the early Filipinos influenced by
Hindu
o placing a fresh flower garland around the neck of a visitor
o giving bigaykaya (dowry)
oThrowing rice of grains to the newlyweds.
oOffering of buyo to a guest as an expression of hospitality
oSuperstitions
• Mode of dressing shows Indian influences.
oPutong (turban) of early Filipino men and the sarong (lower
garment) of the early Filipino women resemble the Indian
putees and sari.

15. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
China
•Pointed out the honesty of the early Filipinos in their business
transactions with the Chinese traders.
•The manufacture of gunpowder, the art of metallurgy, the
use of porcelain, gongs, lead, silver, tin and certain
occupations like blacksmithing and gold smiting in the
country were learned from the Chinese.
•Practiced a form of duck culture around Pateros and
Taguig, includes the artificial incubation of eggs

16. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
China
•They also taught the kite-flying and other games including
various forms of gambling.
•The Chinese improved the culinary art of the early Filipinos.
•The Filipino manner of dressing bore Chinese traces.
•Social customs showed also Chinese influence, such as
arrange marriage, honoring of the departed ancestors, and
the employment of professional mourners during the funeral.

17. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
China
•Linguistic influence of China on the Filipino language
•About,1,500 Chinese loan words are included I the present
vocabulary of the Filipinos.
Ex. Ate, Sanse, kuya, diko, sangko, suki, gunting, hiya,
pakyaw, and susi
Japan. In the 13th century Japan was said to have traded with
the Philippines based from the early historical records in Ryuku.
•They taught our people in manufacturing of arms and tools
and the tanning of deerskins.

18. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Muslim
•In the middle of the 14th century, the Muslim traders from
Malaysia brought Islam (in Arabic means “submission to the will
of God”) to the Philippines.
•Tuan Masha’ika brought the Islamic faith in Sulu.
- He was mentioned to have established the first Muslim
(“one who surrenders to God”) community in the
archipelago
•Karim ul Makhdum he was a noted judge and scholar from
Mecca. He built a house for religious worship (a mosque) at
Tubig-Indigan on the Island of Simunul and won many converts.

19. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Muslim
•Sharif ul-Hashim (Sayid Abu Bakr). (1940 A.D).He married
Princess Paramisuli, the beautiful daughther of Raha Baginda.
•Siat Saen one of the Muslim traders who introduced Islam in
the town of Balayan Batangas
•Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuwan a legendary Jahore Muslim
attributed the Islamic conquest on Mindanao.
•Alawe Balpake and Arab Sharif from Sarawak, Borneo, last
recorded missionary to bring Islamic faith into the country

20. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Muslim
•The spread of Islam occurred in two waves:
- First wave – Arabia to Middle East, North Africa, Spain,
Central Asia, and Latter parts of Eastern Europe
- Second wave – Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia
•Islam, which professes monotheism (belief of a single God).
•Muhammad – was the last and the most important in a series
of prophet

21. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Muslim
•Five pillars of Islam
- Shahada (profession of faith)- “There is no God but Allah, and
Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
- Salat (ritual prayer)
- Zakat (almsgiving)
- Sawm (fasting)
- Jihad Arabic means “to struggle” or “to exhaust one’s effort”
in order to please God. Considered as the 6th pillar of Islam by
some Muslims.

22. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
Muslim
•Mosque is their place of worship and point of convergence for
social activity.
•Imam the prayer leader
•The Muslim settlers also in brought their political system by
establishing a series of sultanates in Mindanao.

23. Traditional Filipino
Communities
22

24. Traditional Filipino Communities
•Barangay – the unit of social organization with broader political,
economic and religious features than the family, headed by the
native chieftain called datu or rajah.
•Consolidated of barangays was formed through marriages and
blood compact, locally known as sandugu
•Sandugu – the traditional ceremony signifies that the partakers of
such rite become blood brothers, presumably because the same
blood now flowed in their veins. They drew blood from their arms
and mixed it with wine, which they shared and drank at the same
time, as viewed by witnesses.

25. Traditional Filipino Communities
• Social stratification system of pre-colonial Filipino community
organization based on wealth, political influence, and social
privileges enjoyed. The ranks were as follows:
1. Datu Class or the ruling class;
2. Maharlika or aristocracy;
3. Timagua (pronounced timawa) or the common class;
4. Alipin (also known as uripon among the Visayans) or the
dependent class.

26. Traditional Filipino Communities
The datu or rajah ruled the barangay.
• The term barangay came from the word balangay, which means
boat, Fr. Juan de Plasencia, a Spanish chronicler in the 16th century,
speculated that the role of the datu arose from the captain of a boat
migrating to the Philippines with his family, relatives, and servants
• Datus who live in the same town obey the wealthiest among them
(Miguel de Loarca)
• The best warriors were obeyed (Antonio Morga)
• Only men were qualified for the title (Boxer Codex 16th century
manuscript)
• The datu exercised administrative, legislative and judicial powers.
1. DATU

27. Traditional Filipino Communities
2. MAHARLIKA
• Other historians include the family, relatives, and elders of the
datu as members of the aristocarcy
• The maharlikas were believed to be the descedants of mixed
marriages between a ruling dynasty and the one out of power
3. TIMAWA
• The timawa class enjoyed their rights to a portion of the
barangay land.
4. ALIPIN
• There are two kinds of alipin, aliping namamahay and the
aliping sagigilid

28. Traditional Filipino Communities
• The barangay had both oral and written laws.
- Oral laws were their customs (ugali), which had been handed
from generation to generation
- Written laws were promulgated by datus with the help of
council elders.
* Umalohokan – written laws were announced to the people by
a barangay crier.
• They believed that after death, the soul would travel to another
world and receive due reward or punishment.
- Good soul would go to kalwalhatian (state of bliss) according
to the Tagalogs and ologan, to the Visayans.
- Bad soul would go to a place of doom called kasamaan by
the Tagalogs and solad by the Visayans.

29. Traditional Filipino Communities
• The religion was animistic or based on the worship of spirits of
dead relatives and other spirits such as nature deities.
- Anito concept to honor ancestors.
- Umalagad called for Visayan ancestor spirits (from the word
alagad or follower)
- Diwatas the notion of spirits dwell in nature
• The abstract idea of religion was concretely shown in sculptured
objects known as licha(pronounced likha) or larawan, reverently
worshipped by the natives
• Aside from sculpture objects, the relationship between ancient
spirits and men expressed in elaborate paintings executed on the
bodies of human beings.

30. Traditional Filipino Communities
• Minor Gods and idols
- Lakambini the god of throat
- Bibit who was offered food by the people for good health
- Lakambacod guard of the crops
- Lakapati the god of fields and had half-woman and half-man figure
• Major gods considered by ancient Filipinos
- Bathala or Abba supreme god of Tagalogs
- Lumawig the creator and preserver of life of Bontoks and Kankanays
of Central Cordillera
- Kabunian Ifugaos’ highest of all their deities, who dwells in the fifth
region of the universe.

31. Traditional Filipino Communities
• Mediums were called upon to communicate with spirits who often
resorted to divination to ascertain the will of gods.
- Patipat or tagitag was an Ifugao ritual performed by the menfolk of
the community to drive away bad spirits that bring poor harvest or
ailment to people.
- Paniwata one of the most popular religious ceremonies during
ancient times, frequently celebrated for thanksgiving for curing
illness.
- Catalonan (tagalog) Babaylan/baylan (Visayan) the religious rituals
were performed by mediums and healers, belong the highest rank of
early Filipino caste. Mankokolam the lower rank of priestly caste.

32. Traditional Filipino Communities
• In many provinces, winemaking is an age-old enterprise.
- Tuba most popular wine, made from the sap of coconut or nipa palms.
- Basi an Ilocano wine from sugarcane juice.
- Pangasi a Visayan wine from rice
- Lambanog a Tagalog wine produced by distillation of tuba
- Tapuy an Igorot wine made from rice
• From the Negritos and similar aboriginal people in the mountains
of Luzon, Panay, and other islands came indigenous dances and
music made by primitve jaw harps of bamboo, flutes of mountain
cane and bamboo violin with abaca string.

33. Traditional Filipino Communities
• Ancient songs exhibited varied emotions, with themes about
thanksgiving, birth, death, love, war, labor, religion, and victory.
- Tagumpay
- Ayeg-klu Igorot serenade song
- Bactal Tagbanua death song
- Tudob Agusan harvest song
• Ethnic dances, which had been part of every tribe and culture,
reflected the sentiments and artistry of the populace. Their
dances, customarily lighthearted and mimetic, were in
connection with their beliefs in spirits, in thanksgiving and healing,
in courtship.

34. Traditional Filipino Communities
• Some of the native dances
- Mahinhin a Tagalog courtship dance.
- Dandansoy a Visayan tuba dance.
- Sua-Sua dance a Sulu courtship dance
- Paunjalay a Muslim wedding dance.
• Theater originate within early communities through ritual
practitioners in their dance-dramas to appease supernatural
powers that were believed to control natural forces, to ensure
good harvest and success in hunting and battles.
• Kali or Arnis popular during Spanish era. Method of self defense
with rattan canes or betel nut tree trunks.

35. Traditional Filipino Communities
• In commerce, the early Filipinos had their own weights and measures.
• They also knew the art of coinage and had gold used as medium of
exchange.
• To the mountain Cordillera, a basket was a functional household or
agricultural container.
• The usual method of trading during those times was barter in which
they offered their own products in exchange of other goods.
• Mat-making was also popular in the islands. Various palms sources for
this flourishing industries.
• The early natives also knew mathematics. They could count up to
100,000,000 (bahala) and could add, subtract, multiply and divide.

36. Traditional Filipino Communities
• They also learn how to calculate time and identify seasons by reading
the signs of nature.
• The early inhabitants also had some knowledge of medicine.
• Long before the coming of Spaniards, the native of the islands were
already wearing clothes.
• When the first Spaniards arrived in 16th century, they were surprised to
see early Filipinos living in these well-organized and independent
villages, the barangays.
• The native dwellers lived in houses made of wood and bamboo,
roofed by nipa palm leaves called bahay kubo (nipa hut).
• Furniture in bahay kubo is minimal, commonly with a low table for
meals and a bulit-in seat called papag.