Antonio de Morga:

Their discovery, conquest, and conversion were not

accomplished without great expenditure, labor, and Spanish
blood, with varying success, and amid dangers: these things render
the work more illustrious, and furnish a spacious field of which
historians may treat, for such is their office. Certainly the subject
matter is not scanty, and contains both serious and pleasant
elements sufficient to be worthy of attention, so that it will not
depreciate historians to treat of Indian occurrences and wars, which
those who have not experienced undervalue. For the people of those
regions are valiant and warlike nations of Asia, who have been
reared in continual warfare, both by sea and by land, and who use
artillery and other warlike implements, which the necessity of
defending themselves against great and powerful neighboring
kingdoms, taught them to use skilfully; andalthough somewhat
imperfectlythey have gained dexterity and have completed their
education in the school of Espaa, which recently brought war to
their gatesthus sharing the experience of other provinces of
Europe, who also had formerly been ignorant and careless of the use
of arms.

heirordinaryfoodisricepoundedinwoodenmortars,andcookedthisis
calledmorisqueta,[232]andistheordinarybreadofthewholecountry
boiledfish(whichisveryabundant),thefleshofswine,deer,andwild
buffaloes(whichtheycallcarabaos).Meatandfishtheyrelishbetterwhenit
hasbeguntospoilandwhenitstinks.[233]Theyalsoeatboiledcamotes
(whicharesweetpotatoes),beans,quilites[234]andothervegetables;all
kindsofbananas,guavas,pineapples,custardapples,manyvarietiesof
oranges,andothervarietiesoffruitsandherbs,withwhichthecountry
teems.Theirdrinkisawinemadefromthetopsofcocoaandnipapalm,of
whichthereisagreatabundance.Theyaregrownandtendedlikevineyards,
althoughwithoutsomuchtoilandlabor.Drawingoffthetuba,[235]they
distilit,usingforalembicstheirownlittlefurnacesandutensils,toagreater
orlessstrength,anditbecomesbrandy.Thisisdrunkthroughouttheislands.
Itisawineoftheclarityofwater,butstronganddry.Ifitbeusedwith
moderation,itactsasamedicineforthestomach,andisaprotectionagainst
humorsandallsortsofrheums.MixedwithSpanishwine,itmakesamild
liquor,andoneverypalatableandhealthful.

Intheassemblies,marriages,andfeastsofthenativesoftheseislands,
thechiefthingconsistsindrinkingthiswine,dayandnight,without
ceasing,whentheturnofeachcomes,somesingingandothersdrinking.
Asaconsequence,theygenerallybecomeintoxicatedwithoutthisvice
beingregardedasadishonorordisgrace.[236]
heircustomarymethodoftradingwasbybarteringonethingforanother,
suchasfood,cloth,cattle,fowls,lands,houses,fields,slaves,fishing
grounds,andpalmtrees(bothnipaandwild).Sometimesapriceintervened,
whichwaspaidingold,asagreedupon,orinmetalbellsbroughtfrom
China.Thesebellstheyregardaspreciousjewels;theyresemblelargepans
andareverysonorous.[324]Theyplayupontheseattheirfeasts,and
carrythemtothewarintheirboatsinsteadofdrumsandother
instruments.Thereareoftendelaysandtermsforcertainpayments,and
bondsmenwhointerveneandbindthemselves,butalwayswithvery
usuriousandexcessiveprofitsandinterests.
Inmattersofreligion,thenativesproceededmorebarbarouslyandwith
greaterblindnessthaninalltherest.Forbesidesbeingpagans,withoutany
knowledgeofthetrueGod,theyneitherstrovetodiscoverHimbywayof
reason,norhadanyfixedbelief.Thedevilusuallydeceivedthemwitha
thousanderrorsandblindnesses.Heappearedtotheminvarioushorrible
andfrightfulforms,andasfierceanimals,sothattheyfearedhimand
trembledbeforehim.Theygenerallyworshipedhim,andmadeimagesof
himinthesaidforms.Thesetheykeptincavesandprivatehouses,where
theyofferedthemperfumesandodors,andfoodandfruit,callingthem
anitos.[329]

Othersworshipedthesunandthemoon,andmadefeastsanddrunken
revelsattheconjunctionofthosebodies.Someworshipedayellow
coloredbirdthatdwellsintheirwoods,calledbatala.Theygenerally
worshipandadorethecrocodileswhentheyseethem,bykneelingdownand
claspingtheirhands,becauseoftheharmthattheyreceivefromthose
reptiles;theybelievethatbysodoingthecrocodileswillbecomeappeased
andleavethem.Theiroaths,execrations,andpromisesareallasabove
mentioned,namely,"Maybuhayaneatthee,ifthoudostnotspeaktruth,or
fulfilwhatthouhastpromised,"andsimilarthings.

Therewerenotemplesthroughoutthoseislands,norhousesgenerally
usedfortheworshipofidols;buteachpersonpossessedandmadeinhis
househisownanitos,[330]withoutanyfixedriteorceremony.Theyhad
nopriestsorreligioustoattendtoreligiousaffairs,exceptcertainoldmen
andwomencalledcatalonas.Thesewereexperiencedwitchesandsorcerers,
whokepttheotherpeopledeceived.Thelattercommunicatedtothese
sorcererstheirdesiresandneeds,andthecatalonastoldtheminnumerable
extravaganciesandlies.Thecatalonasutteredprayersandperformedother
ceremoniestotheidolsforthesick;andtheybelievedinomensand
superstitions,withwhichthedevilinspiredthem,wherebytheydeclared
whetherthepatientwouldrecoverordie.Suchweretheircuresand
methods,andtheyusedvariouskindsofdivinationsforallthings.Allthis
waswithsolittleaid,apparatus,orfoundationwhichGodpermitted,so
thatthepreachingoftheholygospelshouldfindthoseofthatregionbetter
preparedforit,andsothatthosenativeswouldconfessthetruthmoreeasily,
anditwouldbelessdifficulttowithdrawthemfromtheirdarkness,andthe
errorsinwhichthedevilkeptthemforsomanyyears.Theyneversacrificed
humanbeingsasisdoneinotherkingdoms.Theybelievedthattherewasa
futurelifewherethosewhohadbeenbraveandperformedvaliantfeats
wouldberewarded;whilethosewhohaddoneevilwouldbepunished.But
theydidnotknowhoworwherethiswouldbe.[331]

Theyburiedtheirdeadintheirownhouses,andkepttheirbodiesandbones
foralongtimeinchests.Theyveneratedtheskullsofthedeadasifthey
werelivingandpresent.Theirfuneralritesdidnotconsistofpompor
assemblages,beyondthoseoftheirownhousewhere,afterbewailingthe
dead,allwaschangedintofeastinganddrunkenrevelryamongallthe
relativesandfriends.[332]

DavidP.Barrows:

Page 97:
THEFILIPINOPEOPLEBEFORE1521.97peopleontheislandof
Paragua,useasimilarsyllabarytothisday.Besidespoems,theyhadsongs
whichtheysangastheyrowedtheircanoes,astheypoundedthericefrom
itshusk,andastheygatheredforfeastorentertainment;andespeciallythere
weresongsforthedead.Inthesesongs,saysChirino,theyrecountedthe
deedsoftheirancestorsoroftheirdeities
Page 105:

IlEFILIPINOPEOP'LEBEFOREl1etl.105TheReligionoftheFilipinos.
TheFilipinosonthearrivaloftheSpaniar(lswerefetishworshipers,but
theyhadonespiritwhomtheybelievedwasthegreatestofallandthe
creatorormakerofthings.TheTagalogcalledthisdeityBathala,'the
Bisaya,Laon,andtheIlocano,Kabunian.Theyalsoworshipedthespiritsof
theirancestors,whichwererepresentedbysmallimagescalled"anitos."
Fetishes,whichareanyobjectsbelievedtopossessmiraculouspower,were
commonamongthepeople,andidolsorimageswereworshiped.Pigafetta
describessomeidolswhichhesawinCebu,andChirinotellsusthat,within
thememoryofFilipinoswhomheknew,theyhadidolsofstone,wood,
bone,orthetoothofacrocodile,andthatthereweresomeofgold.They
alsoreverencedanimalsandbirds,especiallythecrocodile,theraven,anda
mythicalbirdofblueoryellowcolor,whchwascalledbythenameoftheir
deityBathala.2Theyhadnotemplesorpublicplacesofworship,buteach
onehadhisanitosinhisownhouseandperformedhissacrificesandactsof
worshipthere.Assacrificestheykilledpigsorchickens,andmadesuch
occasionstimesoffeasting,song,anddrunkenness.Thelifeoftherequest
ofDr.SantiagodeVera,thegovernorandpresidentoftheAudiencia.
AlthoughtherearereferencestoitbytheearlyhistoriansofthePhilippines,
thislittlecodedidnotseethelightuntilafewyearsago,whenamanuscript
copywasdiscoveredintheconventoftheFranciscansatManila,byDr.
PardodeTavera,andwasbyhimpublished.