Topic 3, GE 2

Readings in Philippine History

Filamer Christian University
College of Arts & Sciences

Course Description

The course aims to expose students to different facets of

Philippine History through the lens of eyewitnesses. Rather than
rely on the secondary materials such as textbooks, which is the
usual approach in Philippine History, different types of primary
sources will be used – written (qualitative & quantitative), orall,
visual, audio-visual, digital – covering various aspects of
Philippine life(political, economic, cultural). Students are
expected to analyze the selected readings contextually and in terms
of content(stated and implied). The end goal is to enable students
to understand and appreciate our rich past by deriving insights
from those who were actually present at the time of the event.

Learning Objectives

At the end of Topic 3, students should be able to:

1. Explain the significance of the Barangay as a political,

economic, and socio-cultural institution of the early
Filipino communities;
2. Discuss the similarities and differences of the early social
stratification (classes) of Tagalog and Visayan societies.
3. Discuss the significance of the Boxer Codex in understanding
the cultural life developed by the ancient Visayans based on
the said document (Boxer Codex).

Early Philippine society and Culture

Introduction

Before the advent of Spanish colonization, the barangay

was the primary political, economic, and socio-cultural
institution in the Philippines. among other factors, the
archipelagic nature of our country allowed these localized,
independent, and decentralized communities to exist. A
barangay can be composed of 30-100 families living in a not
well-defined, but customarily agreed territory. A barangay
can also form an alliance with other barangays to become
powerful and prosperous. This can be achieved through
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marriage and blood compact. Meanwhile, the baranganic society

can be divided into three (3) socio-economic classes. first
is the ruling class or nobility. They are known as maginoo in
Tagalog and kadatoan in Visayan. Second are the commoners or
freemen. They formed the majority of the people in the
barangay. They are known as maharlika in Tagalog and timawa
in Visayan. Last are the slaves. The slavery system in the
Philippines was different from other societies since “slaves”
were not considered property but a person becomes one through
debt bondage, raids and wars, and punishment for a crime.
While there are distinctions and differences in these social
classes, social mobility was possible in this kind of society.
Members of the barangay, particularly the commoners, can even
transfer to other barangay if they are against the rule of
the datu, the highest official of the barangay. As the most
powerful person in the barangay, the datu must be from the
ruling class because wealth, power, and influence were needed
to maintain such position. With help of the elders and other
lesser officials, the datu governs the barangay as its primary
maker, executor, and adjudicator of laws. He was also
responsible in providing protection for the barangay in times
of raids and wars as the leaders of the bagani, the warriors
of the community.
While Topic 2 talks about early Filipino beliefs, this
topic focuses on culture and society of these Filipinos to
familiarize students of history to different cultural and
social patterns such as social stratification, marriage
customs, slavery, clothing and ornament, and even food and
dainties of the barangay. This chapter would also dispel the
colonial idea of “uncivilized” Filipinos. Through the
discussion and analysis of primary sources coming from the
religious and the laity, the students will discover the rich,
complex, and unique traditions and customs of early
Filipinos.

Expert from Labor Evangelica: Of the Government and Political

Customs of these Peoples, by Francisco Colin, S.J.

There were no kings or rulers worthy of mention, throughout

this archipelago; but there were many chiefs who dominated
others less powerful. As there many without much power, there
was no security from the continual wars that were waged
between them. Manila had two chiefs, uncle and nephew, who
had equal power and authority. They were at war with another
chief, who was chief alone; and he was so near that they were
separated from from one another by nothing more than a not
very wide river. The same conditions ruled in all the rest of

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the island, and of even the whole archipelago, until the

entrance of the faith, when they were given peace – which
they now esteem much more than all that they then obtained
from those petty wars and their depredations. They were
divided into barangays, as Roma into districts, and our cities
into parishes or collations. They are called barangays, which
is the name of a boat, preserving the the name from the boat
in which they came to settle these islands. Since they came
subject to one leader in their barangay, who acted as their
captain or pilot – who was accompanied by the children,
relatives, friends, and comrades – after landing, they kept
in company under that leader, who is the dato. Seizing the
lands, they began to cultivate them and to make use of them.
They seized as much of the sea and near-by rivers as they
could preserve and defend from any other barangay, or from
many barangays, according as they had settled near or far
from others. Although on all occasions some barangays aided
and protected others, yet the slave or even the timaua or
freemen could not pass from one barangay to another,
especially a married man or a married woman, without paying
a certain quantity of gold, and giving a public giving a
public feast to his whole barangay; where this was not done,
it was an occasion for war between the two barangays. If a
man of one barangay happened to marry a woman of another, the
children had to be divided between the barangays, in the same
manner as the slaves.

Their laws and policy, which were not very barbarous,

consisted wholly of traditions and customs, observed with so
great exactness that it was not considered possible to break
them in any circumstance. One was the respect of parents and
elders, carried to so great a degree that not even the name
of one’s father could pass the lips, in the same way as the
Hebrews[regarded] the name of God. The individuals, even the
children, must follow the general[custom]. There were laws
also. For the determination of their suits, both civil and
criminal, there was no other judge than the said chief, with
the assistance of some old men of the same barangay. With
them the suit was determined in the following form. They had
the opponents summoned, and endeavored to have them come to
an agreement. But if they would not agree, then an oath was
administered in the following form. They had the opponents
summoned, and endeavored to have them come to an agreement.
But if they could not agree, then an oath was administered to
each one, to the effect that he would abide by what was
determined and done. Then they called for witness, and
examined summarily. If the proof was equal[on both sides],

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the difference was split but, if it were unequal, the sentence

was given in favor of the one who conquered. If the one was
defeated resisted, the judge made himself a party to the
cause, and all of them at once attacked with the armed hand
the one defeated, and execution to the required amount was
levied upon him. The judge received the larger share of this
amount, and some was paid to the witnesses of the one who won
the suit, while the poor litigant received the least.

In criminal causes there were wide distinctions made

because of the rank of the murderer and the slain; and if the
latter were a chief all his kinsmen went to hunt for the
murderer and his relatives, and both sides engaged in war,
until mediators undertook to declare the quantity of gold due
for that murder, in accordance with the appraisals which the
old men said ought to be paid according to their custom. One
half of that amount belonged to the chiefs, and the other
half was divided among the wife, children, and relatives of
the deceased. The penalty of death was never imposed by
process of law except when the murderer and his victim were
common men and had no gold to satisfy the murder. In such a
case, if the man’s dato or maginoo(for these are one and the
same) did not kill him, the other chiefs did, spearing him
after lashing him to a stake.

There are three kinds and classes of people: the chiefs,

whom the Visayans call dato and the Tagalogs maginoo; the
timauas, who are the ordinary common people, called maharlica
among the Tagalogs; and the slaves, called oripuen by the
Visayans and alipin by the Tagalogs. The last are divided
into several kinds, as we shall relate soon. The chiefs attain
that position generally through their blood; or, if not that,
because of their energy and strength. For even though one may
be of low extraction, if he is seen to be careful, and if he
gains some wealth by his industry and schemes – whether by
farming and stock-raising, or by trading; or by any of the
trades among them, such as smith, jeweler, or carpenter; or
by robbery and tyranny, which was the most usual method – in
that way he gains authority and reputation, and increases it
the more he practices tyranny and violence. With these
beginnings, he takes the name of dato; and others, whether
his relatives or not, come to him, and add credit and esteem
him, and make him a leader. Thus there is no superior who
gives him authority or title, beyond his own efforts and
power. Consequently, might was proclaimed as right, and he
who robbed most and tyrannized most was the most powerful. If
his children continued those tyrannies, they conserved that

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grandeur. If on the contrary, they were men of little ability,

who allowed themselves to be subjugated, or were reduced
either by misfortunes and disastrous happenings, or by
sicknesses and losses, they lost their grandeur with their
possessions, as is customary throughout the world; and the
fact that they had honored parents or relatives was of no
avail to them now. In this way it has happened that the father
might be a chief, and the son or brother a slave to his own
brother. [end]

Excerpt from the Sucesos de Islas Filipinas

by Antonio de Morga

Antonio de Morga’s massive Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas (1609)

was one of the most important account of the Philippines in the
early colonial period. This account was made possible because of
Morga’s access to government documents as a member of the Royal
Audiencia. Thus, it is not surprising that numerous aspects of the
cultural traditions of early Filipinos were documented in the
Sucesos. However, as stated in the last chapter, some of Morga’s
statements were prominently annotated by Rizal in 1889. Some of
the annotations focused on the early Filipino warring traditions
and advancement in weaponry, native boatbuilding tradition,
tattoing, adornments, weaving, and gastronomy. One of the more
famous of Rizal’s annotation was regarding the eating of bagooong
or fish paste by the Filipinos. Morga stated in Sucesos that
Filipinos were fond of eating decayed fish. Rizal, however,
correctly argued that when it comes to food, people are easily
repulsed with what they are not used to eat especially if it comes
from foreign countries. Rizal added that this kind of prejudice is
common among all nations even in Europe.
The excerpt below is quite related from the example above
because it would also discuss an old-age delicacy. While the
account of Morga in the second chapter talks about the pagan
religion of the early Filipinos, this account would discuss a
seemingly irrelevant and outdated parcel of our gastronomic
culture; the nganga or betel chew. Presently, the people from the
Cordillera and other parts of Mindanao are just some of the few
groups in the Philippines who chose to still chew nganga but as
one might infer from the excerpt, the dying tradition was very much
alive and important in the lives of the people in the pre-colonial
and colonial periods.

Primary Source

The ordinary dainty throughout these islands, and in many

kingdoms of the mainland of those regions, is buyo [betel].
This is made from a tree, whose leaf is shaped like that of
the mulberry. The fruit resembles an oak acorn, and is white

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inside. This fruit which is called bonga, is cut lengthwise

in strips, and each strip is put into an envelope or covering
made from the leaf. With the bonga is thrown in a powder of
quick lime. This compound is placed in the mouth and chewed.
It is so strong a mixture, and burns so much, that it induces
sleep and intoxication. It burns the mouths of those not used
to it, and causes them to smart. The saliva and all the mouth
are made as red as blood. It does not taste bad. After having
been chewed for a considerable time it is spit out, when it
no longer has any juice, which is called capa [sapa]. They
consider very beneficial that quantity of the juice which has
gone into the stomach, for strengthening it, and for various
diseases. It strengthens and preserves the teeth and gums
from all inflammations, decay, and aches. They tell other
wonderful effects of it. What has been seen is that the
natives and Spaniards – laymen and religious, men and women
– use it so commonly and generally that mornings and
afternoons, at parties and visits, and even alone in their
houses, all their refreshments and luxuries consist of buyos
served on heavily-gilded and handsomely adorned plates and
trays like chocolates in Nueva España. In these poison has
been often administered from which the persons eating them
have died, and quite commonly.

The natives (especially the chiefs) take whenever they

leave their houses, for show and entertainment, their boxes
of buyos – which they call buccetas – ready to use, and leaf,
bonga, and quick lime, separately. With these handsome boxes,
which are made of metal and of other materials, they carry
the scissors and other tools for making the buyo with
cleanliness and neatness. Wherever they may stop, they make
and use their buyo. In the parians, or bazars, buyos are sold
ready made, and the outfit for making them. (end)

Excerpt from the Boxer Codex

The Boxer Codex is a comprehensive account of the Philippines and

other parts of Asia-Pacific in the late sixteenth century.
Prominently acquired by the British scholar Charles R. Boxer in
1947, the manuscript was then translated by the National Artist
Carlos Quirino, and scholars Ma. Luisa and Mauro Garcia.
Anonymously-authored, this work is a significant source of early
Filipino belief systems, customs, and tradition. More importantly,
the detailed and colored illustrations found in this manuscript
set this codex apart from other contemporary accounts which makes
it highly important to Philippine historiography. The original
manuscript of the Boxer Codex is presently housed by Indiana

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University in their Lilly Library, one of the largest rare book

and manuscript libraries in the United States.
The excerpt below is from the fourth chapter of the Codex
titled “Customs, Ceremonial Usages, and Rites of the Bisayans”
wherein the focus is on the tatooing and clothing traditions of
the Visayans.

Primary Source

The Bisayans are accustomed to paint their bodies with some

very elegant tattoos. They do this with iron or brass rods,
the points of which are heated on a fire. They have artisans
who are adept at this. They do this with such order, symmetry,
and coordination that they elicit admiration from those who
see them. These are done in the manner of illuminations,
painting all parts of the body, such as the chest, the
stomach, legs, arms, shoulders, hands, muscles, and among
some, the posteriors. The women paint only the hands
elegantly. To the men paintings serve as clothing, and thus
they look alright although they usually go around naked, and
wear nothing on the body except a cotton cloth two fathoms
long or a bit longer, and three-fourths of a fathom wide,
which with a polished turns, they wrap around the waist and
between the legs so as to cover their private parts and
posteriors, leaving the rest of the body naked. This cloth
they call in their toungue bahaque , and with this and the
paintings on their bodies, they look well as if they were
dressed elegantly. They have another type of clothing, which
consists of cotton blankets that they make into a morning
wear. These are clothes at the front. The men carry on their
heads some very fine multi-colored head-scarfs which they
wear as some sort of Turkish turban. They call these in their
language purones, and they certainly are nice-looking and
elegant. The young men wear them very finely with many inserts
of strips of gold.

The garments and dresses of Bisayan women consist of

some blankets with diverse colored stripes made of cotton,
and others are made from a plant they have: some wear plain
tafetta and damask that come from China. These are made as
follows: a blanket is sewn in such a way it becomes like a
big sack of wheat with two openings; the head is placed
through one of opening, folding it down to the waist with
both openings of the blanket falling below; a slipknot with
the same blanket is made above the waist by grasping it since
it is very wide to be able to make the knot; it then hugs the
body, with the knot to one side, very elegantly done, and now
it appears as if they wearing a dress with two skirts. One

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side is longer than the other because of the fold they make,
and they appear in this fashion i have described. With this
they wear a pezuelo, a chemise with half sleeves that reach
the elbows, although some wear them with full sleeves. They
are close fitting, without collars, and are low-necked or
low-cut and are fastened at the fronts with braids or cords
of silk. Many wear a lot of gold jewelry that they use as
fasteners and small golden chains, which they use as best as
they can. They do not wear any kind of blouse, nor have they
become used to it, because all they wear is next to the skin;
the waist and the stomach, together with the legs, are
uncovered to palm length. When they go out, they bring a
shawl-like wrap made of white cotton, some of colored taffeta.
When the women leave their homes to visit others, they walk
very slowly, making a thousand movements with their body,
with one sleeved arm upraised, because they consider it
fashionable to do so. The likewise do so, and if belonging to
the principalia, the women wear crowns and garlands on their
heads made of tinsel imported from China, and sometimes when
they do not have these, they wear garlands made of roses and
flowers from the fields. [end]

Preliminary Examination:
Write an essay: in five to ten sentences, discuss and
elaborate the following topics:

1. The centrality of barangay in the lives of early

Filipinos. (10 points)
2. Based on the account written by Antonio de Morga
entitled, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, discuss the
role or function of nganga or betel chew in the lives of
the early Filipinos. (5 points)
3. Discuss the ancient religious beliefs and practices
developed by our ancestors. (5 points)

Enumeration:
Provide five(5) specific examples for each source of
historical research:

1. Primary sources
2. Secondary sources

[end]

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