Module 2

Before the Conquest

Introduction
• Philippine history writing started during Spanish time when
Ferdinand Magellan landed in the Philippine archipelago in the year
1521, followed by Filipinos like Dr. Jose Rizal who annotated Antonio
Morga’s Book “Sucessos de Las Islas Filipinas” (Events of the
Philippine Islands) and Americans. But before the Spaniards, there
were archaeological records of early Chinese and some Muslim
scholars narrating the existence of civilization in the archipelago.
Learning Objectives
• Recognize the racial origins of man and the early settlers in Philippine Archipelago

• Define the early Philippine society, the customs and practices of the Filipinos.

• Demonstrate appreciation for the Filipino racial origin and communities.

• Describe the economic systems being practiced by the early settlers in the
Philippines.
Early Dwellers in the Philippines

• Tabon Man the Tabon Man skull cap was discovered

by Dr. Robert Fox, an American
Anthropologist, in the Tabon cave in
Palawan in 1962.
According to research this man lived on
the early days called Stone Age and
inside the cave.
He also found evidence that these early
human already knew how to make and
use tools.
Experts said skeletal remains found in
Tabon were not a Negrito
Early Dwellers in the Philippines

• Callao Man Dr. Armand Mijares of University of the

Philippines led the team of archaeologists in
2007.
They found a foot bone inside the Callao
Cave in Cagayan.
Callao Man is said to be 20,000 years older
than the Tabon Man.
The Uranium Series Dating method was used
in determining the age of the bone which was
conducted in France.
 Early Dwellers in the Philippines

• Negrito
Henry Otley Beyer, a known
anthropologist, introduced
the “Theory of Migration”
that the first Human who
came to the Philippine
Archipelago through through
the Land Bridges were
Negritos, the Ancestors of the
Aetas, has many
anthropologists and experts
opposed and disproved this
belief
 PHILIPPINE
INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES
 PHILIPPINE
INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES
What is the meaning of Philippine Indigenous
Communities?
The indigenous people of the
Philippines are ethnolinguistic groups
or subgroups that maintain partial
isolation or independence throughout
the colonial era, and have retained
much of their traditional pre-colonial
culture and practices.

https://www.masterstudies.com
What is the meaning of Philippine Indigenous
Communities?
The indigenous people of the
Philippines are ethnolinguistic groups
or subgroups that maintain partial
isolation or independence throughout
the colonial era and have retained
much of their traditional pre-colonial
culture and practices.
https://www.masterstudies.com
 RA Indigenous Peoples
8371 Rights Act (IPRA)

• The Philippines has adopted the United Nations Declaration of the

Rights of Indigenous People, ILO Convention 169
• Was enacted in 1997
• It has been praised for its support for the cultural integrity of
indigenous people. the right to their lands and right to self-directed
development of these lands.
PILLARS
OF
IPRA
Rights to ancestral domain
Rights to self-governance and
empowerment
Rights to social justice and
human rights
Rights to cultural integrity
 Land
Registration Act STATE POLICIES TOWARD
of 1902 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
 Philippine
Commission Act STATE POLICIES TOWARD
No 178 of 1903 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Mining Law of
STATE POLICIES TOWARD
1905
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
 Public Land
STATE POLICIES TOWARD
Acts of 1913, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1919 and 1925
 Presidential
Decree 705 of
the Revised STATE POLICIES TOWARD
Forestry Code, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
enacted in May
1975
 National
Integrated
Protected Areas
Systems
(NIPAS) Act of STATE POLICIES TOWARD
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
1992, Mining
Act of 1995 and
Official
Development
(ODA) projects
LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI)
• The oldest written documents in Philippine history
was found in Lumbang River in the province of
Laguna by a sand worker and he sold it to
National Museum.
• According to the story, a Dutch anthropologist
named Anton Postma translated the inscription.
• where the Dutch anthropologist recognised the
writing on the plate as being akin to Kawi, an ancient
Javanese script
• The translation shows the Chief of Tondo
pardoned the debt of Namwaran.
• LCI names several places in Philippines and
Indonesia
LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI)
"Long Live! Year of Siyaka 822, month of Waisaka, according to astronomy. The
fourth day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion, Lady Angkatan, and her
brother whose name is Buka, the children of the Honourable Namwaran, were
awarded a document of complete pardon from the Commander in Chief of Tundun,
represented by the Lord Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa.

"By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable Namwaran has been forgiven of
all and is released from his debts and arrears of 1 katî and 8 suwarna before the
Honourable Lord Minister of Puliran, Ka Sumuran by the authority of the Lord
Minister of Pailah.

"Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief, the Honourable and widely
renowned Lord Minister of Binwangan recognized all the living relatives of
Namwaran who were claimed by the Chief of Dewata, represented by the Chief of
Medang.

"Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable Namwaran are forgiven,
indeed, of any and all debts of the Honourable Namwaran to the Chief of Dewata.

"This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth that on some future day
should there be a man who claims that no release from the debt of the Honourable
…"
—1994 translation by Paul Morrow
LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI)
• The copperplate discloses the influence of Hindu culture in the
Philippines before 900 AD (Anno Domini).

• Khemir Empire
• Known for their building skills

• Constructed large temples (Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu)

LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION (LCI)

• It proves that Manila was already populated and civilized before the
arrival of Muslims in the year 1100’s to 1200’s.

• It also indicates the interaction of the early Filipinos to its neighboring

Asian countries before Ferdinand Magellan
THE EARLY PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

• Communities of early Filipinos

were build along the mouth of
the coastal areas
• Economic opportunities
• Easy access to the land and water
• Barangay set up with 50 to 2000
people as residents
BARANGAY

• Ten Bornean Datus together with their family who were believed to
sailed in the direction of the Philippines onboard their boat called
BALANGAY.

• To escape the cruelty of Sultan Makatunaw of Borneo

TRADITIONAL FILIPINO COMMUNITIES
• RAJA or DATU
• Ruled the barangay
• Their duty is to look over to the people and maintain peace within the community
• Lead their community if there are intruders who would like to conquer them.
• The historic Sandugo of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna
of Bohol
• Tribal leader adopted the symbolic ceremony
• Preservation of friendship between the two tribes.
• Arrange marriage
• Give way to the merging of the two formal rival kingdoms
• become larger, strong and more powerful tribe
How does early barangay choose their
leader?
1. Age – their leader must be at around 30 years old and above.

2. Physically Fit – leader is expected to be physically strong to lead the Barangay

in maintaining peace and order and a protector from outside aggressors.

3. Inheritance – based on bloodline relations to the former Raja or Datu (first

born son, daughter, or an immediate relative).

4. Extent of knowledge – had enough knowledge about the customs and the
traditions of Barangay
SOCIAL CLASSES IN THE BARANGAY
1. Raja or Datu – was the title of the leader in the barangay during pre-Hispanic time.

2. Maharlika (The Noble People) – This class of people does not pay taxes in the
community; they are relatives of the Datu or Raja.

3. Timawa (The Free Man) – these classes of people are free commoner.

4. Alipin - Aliping Namamahay - who had received a piece of land from his master.
Aliping Sa Gigilid – single men and women who worked to their master’s home
PRE COLONIAL DWELLINGS

The early Filipinos used caves for their

housing until they leaned to build houses
outside using woods or bamboo and nipa
leaves or cogon grass.

That they are NOMADS who moves from

place to place to find pasture and foods
CLOTHINGS AND ORNAMENTS
• native men and women were barefoot, without
upper clothing, only Bahag for men while women
wear a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist.
They always wear necklaces and armlets
EARLY RELIGION
• Early natives did not have religion, but
they their god as Bathala or Maycapal in
Mountain Province. Islam is already
present in the archipelago by 1380, way
before the Spaniard’s arrival
SUPERSTITIUOS BELIEF and FILIPINO
MYTHOLOGY
• Filipino Mythology
• Early Filipinos believed in the
existence of aswang, kapre,
dwende, tiyanak, at tikbalang.

• Superstitious belief (Pamahiin)

EARLY PHILIPPINE WRITING

• Baybayin or Alibata – pre-Hispanic writing

system in the archipelago ; from Kawi
(Javanese in Indonesia) or Sanskrit in India
ECONOMY DURING THE PRE-HISTORIC TIME

• Archeological artifacts suggest that

early Filipinos already are engaged
in trading, rice planting, hunting,
and fishing.
ECONOMY DURING THE PRE-HISTORIC TIME
• Barter Trading is already practiced; Chinese traders were in the
archipelago

• Implication of trading
1. External trade established new settlements or communities near the major rivers and bays
2. External trade stimulates the emergence of domestic trading groups, and in the process
expanded domestic trade itself.
3. External trade fostered the consolidation of dew trading communities
MUSIC AND DANCE
• Filipino folk dances and music portray the Filipino’ s rich culture and tradition, whose
diversity reflects influences of various races.
1. Kudyapi - 2-stringed boat-shaped guitar.
2. Kalaleng (Tongali) - flute blown by the nose.
3. Gangsa – a flat gong.

4. Batikok-kok – a bamboo drum.

5. Kundiman – known as love song.

6. Kumintang – known as sinaunang awit at sayaw pandigma.

7. Ang Dalit/ Imno/Oyayi/Hele - ang himno o dalit ay isang awit ng papuri, luwalhati, kaligayahan o
pasasalamat, karaniwang para sa Diyos.
8. Dugso - dance from Bukidnon (danced during harvest, prayer for thanksgiving and invocation for
protection)

9. Salip - from Kalinga (Courtship Dance)

END OF THE LESSON