1.) What is the SOCIAL STRATIFICATION in the Customs of the Tagalogs?

* Chieftain (datu) captain in wars and the one governing its people, in return, they must be obeyed and
respected.
*Nobles (free born) which is known as Maharlica. They don’t pay tax or any tribute to the datos but they
are required to accompany in war.
*Commoners called as aliping namamahay lives in their own house and serves their master. They own
their properties and golds.
*Slaves (aliping saguiguilir) serves their master in his house and his cultivated land. They can be sold
and others may be captives of war.
2.) Give at least five (5) examples of the customs of the Tagalogs mentioned in the reading.
* Customs of slavery wherein a person can be made into slaves by a) being captured in war; b) purchase;
c) by committing a crime d) parents inheritance e) and by rendering service to unpaid debts
* Custom of marriage wherein the parents will give dowry to any of his son in order to marry him to an
unmarried woman. If the parents decided to marry his son to a chief’s daughter, the dowry to be
presented will be greater than the sum given to the other sons.
* Celebrating a festival in the chief’s house. These festivals is called pandot wherein they celebrate to
worship their idols. The feast usually lasted to 4 days and sound of drums are heard and the house is
adorned with leaves of the white palm. The house was divided into 3 compartments and during this
time, the house will be called as temple.
* They are fond of auguries. For example whenever they left their house, if they met a serpent or a bird
tigmamanaguin singing in the tree, they would go back to their house thinking that there may be
accident that would befall on them.
* After death, tagalogs believed that there is a life of rest called maca. Those who are just and lived their
life doing good deeds go to this place. They also believed that after death, there a place that they may
go to, a place of punishment, anguish and grief called casanaan.
3.) What is the importance of SLAVERY? How has the concept changed?
* For me, slavery played a vital role during the datus’ times. Slavery provided labor. The concept of labor
in the old times changed when the Spaniards colonized our country. The slavery by the Philippines
seems to be less harsh than the Spaniards. Aliping saguiguilir have the chance ti make themselves as free
unlike the Spaniards colonization.
4.) Why is the term PIRATE “problematic” in describing the raiders?
* The term pirate is very problematic in describing the raiders since pirate tends to rob off and plunder
by attacking for their own private gain. However, the raiders in Sulu are only fighting for their freedom.
They wanted to chase away the oppressors. They felt oppressed that’s why they tend to go to war.
Raiders in Sulu are not ravages.
5.) What is the significance of the FORTS?
* Forts is used to fend off the enemies from attacking with its strategic structure that cannot be easily
broken out. As what shown in the documentary, fort is used to fend off the raiders. Given with its
strategic structure, artilleries and canons were successfully fired to the raiders which reduces the no. of
raiders. The fort was also utilized by throwing rocks to the raiders which are climbing the wall of the fort.
Spilling hot water by the wall was utilized as a desperate measure to fend off the raiders.
6.) What is the role RELIGION played in the film, Raiders of the Sulu Sea?
* Islam is the main religion of the Mindanao and Islam was starting to spread in some regions in Visayas.
But with the Spaniards colonization in Luzon and Visayas, Islam faced an obstacle. Muslims in the
Mindanao felt contempt towards the Christianity. That’s when both religion started to contest their
ideologies. Christianity wanted to Christianize the southern part of the Philippines. Mindanao, on the
other hand, first goal was to eradicate the presence of Christianity in the Zamboanga which is held by
Spaniards. That’s when the raiders started to stand their ground and chase away the oppressors from
their land.
7.) What are the details subject to further inquiry in the references (Customs of the Tagalogs, Raiders
of the Sulu Sea)?
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