CAP College Self-Learning Series

for

History 1
(Philippine History and Culture)

Module I
(Introduction to Philippine History)

Contents

Lesson 1. Geographical Setting

Lesson 2. The People and Early Culture

Lesson 3. The Pre-Spanish Foreign Influences

1
 History 1
(Philippine History and Culture)

Module I. Introduction to Philippine History

Copyright c 1991

CAP College
149 Legaspi St., Makati
Metro Manila

and

SONIA M. ZAIDE, Ph.D.

55 Rizal Street
Pagsanjan, Laguna 4008
Philippines

Revised by

CARIDAD A. RODRIGUEZ,M.A., Professor Emeritus

Silliman University
1994

All rights reserved

2
 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT

At CAP COLLEGE you learn through self-instructional modules, otherwise

known as CAPsels (short for CAP College Self-Learning Series), such as the one you are
now reading. To gain the most out of these materials, it is important that you observe the
following instructions:

1. Every subject or course has an average of five modules, each one of which
contains two to five or more lessons. You must satisfy the work prescribed by each
module before you can sit for the final examination that will determine whether you pass
or fail the course.

2. Make effort to do some extra reading. The titles listed under Suggested
Readings are neither exclusive nor conclusive. Any reference book on the subject will do.

3. Test your own progress by performing the Self-Progress Check Test at the end
of each lesson. Read the test instructions carefully and understand them well. Do not look
at the answers while taking the test.

4. Check your answers with the key at the end of the module. Unless there is
specific instruction on how to score your paper, compute it by dividing the correct
answers with the total number of points and multiplying the quotient by 100. Keep your
own scores. If you get 70% or higher, you pass; otherwise, you have to review the lesson
and to do the re-test, if any, before advancing to the next one. Take note that in some
cases, these lesson tests are presented as Activities. Do them the same way.

5. After doing the test of the last lesson in each module, perform the Module Test
at the end of the module. Clip the question sheet or sheets from the module and submit
them with the answer sheet or sheets to: The Dean of Studies, CAP College, 126
Amorsolo St., Makati, and Metro Manila. If you are in the province, mail them to the
same address. Make sure to affix the proper amount of postage stamps. Your paper will
be corrected at the College and you will be informed of the result soon thereafter.
Meanwhile, go to work on the next module, observing the same procedure all over again.

6. When you are done with all modules of all subjects in which you are enrolled,
you are to come to the College to take the final tests in person. If you are in the province,
arrangements will be made for you to take them at a pre-designed place or center.

3
 History 1
Philippine History and Culture

Description of the Course

This course is a study of the indigenous culture and the foreign influences on the
political, cultural, social and economic history of the Philippines from the pre-colonial
period, the Spanish era, the American period, the Japanese occupation. It includes the
development of democratic institutions and the consequent problems of our present
Republic.

Scope of the Course

This course in History 1 consists of six modules, namely:

Module I Introduction to Philippine History

Module II The Spanish Colonial Era
Module III The American Colonial Period
Module IV The Japanese Occupation
Module V The Third Republic and its Problems
Module VI Rizal's Life, Labors and Writings

Objectives of the Course

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1.comprehend the major political, cultura, social and economic development of the
various historical periods;
2.develop critical thinking and analysis as well as understanding the significant
forces that affected the development of the nation;
3.know as well as discern between the good and the bad aspects of the various
foreign influences;
4.gain understanding and insight into the causes or background of the problems of
the country with the hope to achieve possible solutions.

Suggested Readings

Agoncillo, Teodoro A. A Revolt of the Masses. Quezon City, Philippines: U.P., 1965.

Alana, Francisco Ignacio, S.J. Historia de las Islas Indios de Bisayan. (1668). Trans.
by Paul Lietz (1960).

4
 Beyer, H. Otley & de Vera. Philippine Saga.

Chirino, Pedro, S.J. Relacion de las Islas Filipinas. Trans. by Echevarria. Historical
Conservation Society (1969).

Constantino, Renato. the Philippines: A Past Revisited. Quezon City, Philippines: Tala
Publishing, 1975.

Corpuz, Onofre D. Roots of the Filipino Nation. Quezon City, Philippines: Aklahi,
1990.

Costa, Horacio de la. Readings. Chapter I.

Fox, Robert B. Prehistory of the Philippines. Manila: National Media Production

Center for the National Museum, 1987.

Loarca, Miguel de. Relacio de las Islas Filipinas. Blair and Robertson. Vol. V.

Majul, Cesar A. Muslims in the Philippines. (1973) Chapters I and II.

Morga, Antonio de. Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. Blair and Robertson. Chapter XVI.

Patanne, E. P. The Philippines in the World of Southeast Asia. 1972.

Rosenberg, David A. ed. Marcos and Martial Law in the Philippines. Ithaca and
London: Cornell University Press, 1979.

Scott, William Henry. Prehispanic Source Materials. (1958). Chapters IV - VII.

Wu Ching-hong. "A Study of References to the Philippines in Chinese Course . . . "

Philippine Social Sciences and Humanities Review. Vol. XXIV. Jan. - June 1958, 1 -
182.

Zaide, Gregorio F. Documentary Source of Philippine History. 2 vols. Manila:

National Book Store, 1990.

____________, and Sonia M. Zaide. History of the Republic of the Philippines.

Manila: National Book Store, 1987.

____________. The Philippines Yesterday and Today. Manila: National Book Store,
1989.

5
 Module I
Introduction to Philippine History

Scope of the Module

Module I of this course consists of three lessons, namely:

Lesson 1. Geographical Setting
Lesson 2. The People and Early Culture
Lesson 3. The Pre-Spanish Foreign Influences

Overview of the Module

This first module will give the physical geography of the Philippines, the
climactic conditions, the natural forces affecting it due to its location, and the
characteristics and culture of the people from earliest times to the coming of foreign
influences from Asian civilizations like Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Islam.

Objectives of the Module

1. To acquaint the students with the geography, both physical and cultural, the
natural and the climactic forces affecting the social and economic development of
the country.

2. To know the characteristics and culture of early people and those who migrated
to the islands in pre-colonial times.

3. To realize and appreciate the Asian heritage of the Philippines from India, China,
Japan, and Arabia.

6
History 1
Module I

Lesson 1. THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

The Name Philippines. In pre-Spanish times there was no name for the Philippine
archipelago because it was not considered a separate country but just a group of islands
strewn alongside the South China Sea. Chinese traders who frequented the islands then
were reported to have called the island of Mindoro as Ma-i or land of gold.
The name "Filipinas" was first given to our country by the Spanish explorer Ray
Lopez de Villalobos, in the year 1543, in honor of the crown prince who later became
Philip II, the great king of Spain. When the Americans came to colonize in 1898, they
just anglicized that name to "the Philippine Islands." And, after independence in 1946,
that became "the Republic of the Philippines."
However, the country has also been romanticized in the popular name of "Pearl of the
Orient," by the Spanish friar-historian Fr. Juan J. Delgado in 1751 and by the Filipino
National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, in an article for the Hong Kong Telegraph in 1891.

Origin of the Philippines. There are several geological theories about the origin of the
Philippine archipelago, including the remnant theory, volcanic theory, and the land
bridges theory. According to the remnant theory, the Philippines is a remnant of a vast
continent in the Pacific that sank below the ocean in prehistoric times. This lost continent
was called Lemuria or Mu, and its remnants include the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia,
the islands of Oceanic and Hawaii.
However, the most popular theory is that of the land bridges one. This claims that the
Philippines, Japan, Formosa, Borneo, and Indonesia were once attached to the Asian
continent. But during the post-glacial age, the sea level rose and covered the land bridges
which connected these islands to the mainland. Thus, the Philippines was separated from
the Asian mainland.

Geographical Setting. The Philippines is a country of about 7,107 islands, almost 700
of which are inhabited. The archipelago extends generally from north to south for around

7
1000 miles and from east to west for about 400 miles at its widest point. Luzon is the
biggest island followed by Mindanao, Samar and Negros.
The land area is 300.780 sq. km. or 111,107 sq. miles. This makes the country larger
than Britain, as large as Italy and a little smaller than Japan.
The climate of the Philippine is tropical and maritime with an average temperature of
85øF and is very humid. In most of the Philippines, February, March and April are the
months with the least rainfall while the rainy months are from June to November. It has
only two pronounced seasons, the wet and the dry. The southwest monsoon brings a lot of
rain to the country, while the northeast monsoon carries very little rain. Rice is widely
cultivated because of the monsoon rains. The Philippines abounds in fish because it is
located in the Sunda platform.
The Philippines suffers from disasters caused by natural forces like typhoons,
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This is because the Philippines is located along the
Pacific Platform where most of these disturbances happen.

Typhoons. Annually, there are around 20 to 30 typhoons that hit the Philippines in
varying speed. They cause floods, soil erosion and much damage to life and property. To
minimize the destruction caused by these typhoons the Philippine Atmospheric
Geographical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) warns the people
of forthcoming typhoons.

Earthquakes. There are about 100 earth faults in the Philippine and it is only to be
expected that the people suffer from earthquakes of varying intensities. To mention a few
one of the worst earthquakes to hit the country was on June 3, 1863. It killed 400 people
and destroyed 47 buildings in Manila including the Manila Cathedral and the Palacio del
Gobernador at Intramuros. On May 5, 1925 at 5:00 PM a superearthquake hit Central
Visayas causing the earth to crack and streams to change course in the island of Negros
aside from the destruction of life and property.

Volcanic Eruptions. The Philippines has around 50 active volcanoes of which around
13 are still active like: Canlaon in Negros, Mayon in Albay, Taal in Laguna and Hibok-

8
bibok in Camiguin. The Mt. Pinatubo volcano eruption in June 1991 has become the
world'st worst volcanic eruption. It erupted furiously, sending dust and ashes traveling
around the world and lahar covering up to ten feet farms and towns in four provinces in
Central Luzon.

Filipino Character. With so many natural calamities to face, it is no wonder that the
Filipinos have developed a strong and resilient character, as well as a deeply spiritual
inclination. Filipinos tend to have close family ties and are hospitable like other Asians.
But the first common trait of a Filipino is hospitality. They are intelligent, friendly, and
open to foreigners. They love music, the arts and sciences -- and unfortunately,
gambling. They are an exceedingly brave people, who are helpful and cooperate easily
(the "bayanihan spirit").
Fr. Horacio de la Costa, Jesuit historian, wrote in "The Jewels of the Pauper," that the
Filipinos have two gifts -- the gift of faith and the gift of music. Their musical and
romantic nature is balanced with a deep spirituality that often mixes biblical Christianity
with folk superstitions.
On the bad side, Filipinos love extravagance -- clothes, jewelry, parties and fiestas.
Many Filipinos love to gamble in games, sports, cockfights, lotteries, and casinos. Many
do not have discipline and are too lazy and easy-going. Perseverance and diligence are
not common to the Filipinos, unlike the Chinese, Japanese or Koreans.

Importance and Uniqueness of the Philippines. The Philippines is a unique nation,

due to the following reasons: (1) location; (2) religion; (3) political history; and (4)
cultural heritage.

1. Location between East and West. If we look at the map of the world, we can see
the Philippines at the gateway between the East and the West. Because of this strategic
position, the Philippines has played a significant role in world history. It was on these
shores that the greatest Western power of the 16th centyre (Spain) first established a
colonial and Christian bastion in Asia. Again, the greatest power of the 20th century (the
United States) used the Philippines as a springboard for world power at the turn of the

9
century. The openness of the Philippines to foreign trade and influence, unlike other
Asian nations, gives it the potential of becoming the melting pot of races and a great
entrepot of international commerce.

2. The Only Christian Nation in Asia. The Philippines is the only Christian nation
in Asia. Over 93% of the Filipinos are normally Christian, while the rest are Muslim,
Iglesia ni Cristo or other religions. Of the Christian Filipinos, 85% are Roman Catholics
(due to Spain's influence), 7% are Aglipayans (members of the breakaway Filipino sect),
and the rest are Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and other Protestant
evangelical sects. Since the 1970's a growing Christian revival in the country has drawn
many millions of Filipinos into the charismatic and born-again Christian movements.
Indeed, the Philippines has been a haven for Christianity since the Spanish era. It was
from these shores where Catholic missionaries took the gospel to China, Japan, and other
countries in Asia. During the American colonial era, bible-based missionaries found a
fertile soil in the Philippines, where millions of Filipinos were converted to Protestant
Christianity, including Enrique Sobrepe¤a, Sr., who became the first Filipino bishop of an
evangelical Christian church and co-founder of other Christian colleges and mission
works in the country. Missionaries and Christians in China and other Asian countries
took refuge in the Philippines whenever they encountered waves of persecution in their
countries, and the Philippines is the communications center for bringing the gospel to
Asia and other nearby lands.
The disappointment with politics, economic hardships, natural calamities, and social
problems, in the Philippines, together with the innate Filipino spirituality, evidently make a
good combination for the Christian beatitudes of "good news for the poor" and one's only
hope of glory being in Christ.

3. Political Leader in Asia. The Philippines has been the doorway for world
domination for two great powers -- Spain in the 16th century and the United States in the
20th century. On their own, the Filipinos became: the first Republic in Asia (Aguinaldo's
First Republic in 1898 - 1901); the first Asian nation to win independence from a
Western power by revolution (the Philippine Revolution against Spain, 1896 - 1898); the

10
Asian nation to achieve autonomy from the colonial power (from the United States in
1935); and the first Southeast Asian nation to become independent after World War II
(1946). During the era of the Third Republic (1946 - 72), the Philippines was the
showcase of democracy in Asia. With the most stable government, the freest elections,
the freest press and media, the best economy, communications and transport system in
Asia. Other Asian nations, including Japan, China, India and others, looked to the
Philippines then for leadership and example.

4. Uniqueness of Four Cultural Heritage. The Filipinos are also unique in the
world because they have assimilated four different sources of cultural heritage --- the
Asian, the European, the Latin (Mexican), and the American. Even Arnold Toynbee, the
great British historian author of A Study in History acknowledged the uniqueness of the
Philippines in this respect. Our history is indeed unique due to the variety, the intensity,
the duration, and the richness of our political, social, and cultural relations with other
nations. While some "nationalist" thinkers regret the colonial past and heritage of the
Philippines, they miss the other side of the coin, which is the blessings of the heritage in
terms of shaping and coloring the character and destiny of our nation.

11
History 1
Module I Lesson
1

SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

Multiple Choice: Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank space before the
number.

_____ 1. The Philippine archipelago had no name (a) during (b) before (c) after the
coming of the Spaniards.
_____ 2. The name Ma-i referred to the island of (a) Mactan (b) Mindanao (c) Mindoro.
_____ 3. The most accepted theory about the origin of the Philippine archipelago is the
(a) land bridge theory (b) volcanic theory (c) remnant theory.
_____ 4. The biggest isalnd in the Philippines is (a) Mindanao (b) Visayan (c) Luzon.
_____ 5. The climate of the Philippines is (a) temperate (b) tropical (c) equatorial.
_____ 6. Rice is widely cultivated because of the (a) monsoon rains (b) it is the staple
food (c) fertile soil.
_____ 7. In most of the Philippines the months of (a) April and May (b) March and April
(c) June and July are the months with the least rainfall.
_____ 8. The Philippines suffers from disasters caused by typhoons, earthquakes, and
volcanic eruptions (a) some of these (b) several of these (c) all of these.
_____ 9. The Philippine archipelago extends generally from north to south for around (a)
1000 miles (b) 1500 miles (c) 900 miles.
_____ 10.One of the most active volcanoes found in the Bicol region is (a) Taal (b)
Pinatubo (c) Mayon.

True or False: On the blank before the number, write True if the statement is true and
False if it is otherwise.
_____ 1. Because of many natural calamaties, the Filipino people have developed a weak
and nervous temperament.
_____ 2. Filipinos have strong family ties and are helpful.
_____ 3. The most frugal and industrious of the Filipinos are the Ilocanos.
_____ 4. As a people the Filipinos are musical and artistic.
12
_____ 5. The average temperature of the country is 82øF.
_____ 6. Patience and hard work are not a characteristic of the Filipinos.
_____ 7. The location of the Philippines is not conducive to trade and commerce.
_____ 8. Seven percent of the Filipinos are Muslims, the rest are normally Christians.
_____ 9. In Southeast Asia the Philippines was the third to become independent after
World War II.
_____ 10.Our cultural heritage from other Asian civilization has been beneficial to us.

13
History 1
Module I

Lesson 2. THE PEOPLE AND EARLY CULTURE

The dim centuries prior to Magellan's arrival in 1521 were formerly unknown to
historians. It is only in recent years that history's frontiers have been explored by both
historians and archaeologists. By means of intensive researches in ancient Asian records
and by new archaeological discoveries at various sites in the archipelago, new light has
been shed on Philippine prehistory.

First Man in the Philippines. According to recent archaeological findings, man is

ancient in the Philippines. He first came about 25,000 B.C. during the Ice Age or Middle
Pleistocene Period, by way of the land bridges which linked the archipelago with Asia.
He was a cousin of the "Java Man", "Peking Man" and the other early men in Asia.
Professor H. Otley Beyer, eminent American authority on Philippine archaeology and
anthropology, called him the "Dawn Man", for he appeared in the Philippines at the dawn
of time.
Brawny and thickly haired, the "Dawn Man" had no knowledge of agriculture. He
lived by means of gathering wild edible plants, fishing, and hunting. It is probable that he
reached the Philippines while hunting. At that time the boars, deer, giant and pygmy
elephants, rhinoceros, and other Pleistocene animals roamed in the country. Fossil relics
of these ancient animals have been found in Pangasinan and Cagayan Valley.
In the course of time the "Dawn Man" vanished, without leaving a trace. Until the
present time his skeletal remains of artifacts have not yet been discovered by
archaeologists. So far the oldest human fossil found in the Philippines is the skullcap of a
stone age Filipino, about 22,000 years old. This human skullcap was discovered by Dr.
Robert B. Fox, American anthropologist of the National Museum, inside Tabon Cave,
Palawan, on May 28, 1962. This human relic was called the "Tabon Man."

The Coming of the Negritos. Ages after the disappearance of the "Dawn Man", the
Negritos (Aetas) from the Asian mainland peopled the Philippines. They came about
25,000 years ago, walking dry-shod through Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the land

14
bridges. The Philippines was thus cut-off from the Asian mainland. The Negritos lived
permanently in the archipelago and became the first inhabitants.
The Negritos are among the smallest people on earth. They are below five feet in
height, with black skin, dark kinky hair, round black eyes, and flat noses. Because of their
black color and short stature, they were called Negritos (little black people) by the
Spanish colonizers. In the Philippines they are known as Aetas, Ati, Agta or Ita. Their
descendants near Mt. Pinatubo are the worst victims of the volcanic eruption in July
1991. They are also found in the hinterlands of Panay and Negros.
The Negritos were a primitive people with a culture belonging to the Old Stone Age
(Paleolithic). They had no permanent settlements. They wandered in the forests and
lived by hunting and fishing, and gathering wild fruits and roots. Their homes were
temporary sheds made of jungle leaves and branches of trees. They wore little clothing.
They had no community life; hence they developed no government, writing, literature,
arts, and sciences. They had a crude kind of religion, which was a belief in fetishes.
They made fire by rubbing two dry sticks together to give them warmth. They had no
pottery and never cooked their food. However, they were among the world's best archers,
being skilled in the use of the bow and arrow.

The Indonesians - First Sea-Immigrants. After the submergence of the land

bridges, another Asian people migrated to the Philippines. They were the maritime
Indonesians, who belonged to the Mongoloid race with Caucasian affinities. They came
in boats, being the first immigrants to reach the Philippines by sea. Unlike the Negritos,
they were a tall people, with height ranging from 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 2 inches.
It is said that two waves came about 3000 B.C.; the second wave about 1000 B.C. The
Indonesians who came in had light complexion. Those in the second migratory wave were
shorter in height, bulkier in body, and darker in color.
The Indonesian culture was more advanced than the Negritos, it belonged to the New
Stone Age (Neolithic). The Indonesian lived in grass-covered homes with wooden
frames, built above the ground or on top of trees. They practiced dry agriculture and
raised upland rice, taro (gabi), and other food crops. Their clothing was made from
beaten bark and decorated with fine designs. They cooked their food in bamboo tubes, for
they knew nothing of pottery. Their other occupations were hunting and fishing. Their
implements consisted of polished stone axes, adzes, and chisels for weapons. They had
one domesticated animal -- the dog.

15
 Exodus of the Malays to the Pacific World. The seafaring Malays also navigated
the vast stretches of the unchartered Pacific, discovering and colonizing new islands, as
far north as Korea and southern Japan, as far east as Polynesia, and as far south as Africa
and Madagascar. Their unchronicled and unsung maritime exploits impressed the British
Orientalist A. R. Cowen, who wrote: "The Malays indeed were the Phoenicians of the
East, and apparently made even longer hauls than the Semitic mariners, their oceanic
elbowroom giving them more scope than the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Red
Sea."
The prehistoric Malays were the first discoverers and colonizers of the Pacific world.
Long before the time of Columbus and Magellan, they were already expert navigators.
Although they had no compass and other nautical devices, they made long voyages,
steering their sailboats by the position of the stars at night and by the direction of sea
winds by day.

Malayan Immigration to the Philippines. In the course of their exodus to the Pacific
world, the ancient Malays reached the Philippines. They came in three main migratory
waves. The first wave came from 200 B.C. to 100 A.D. The Malays who came in this
wave were the headhunting Malays, the ancestors of the Bontoks, Ilongots, Kalingas, and
other headhunting tribes in northern Luzon. The second wave arrived from 100 A.D. to
the 13th century. Those who came in this migratory wave were the alphabet-using
Malays, the ancestors of the Visayans, Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Bicolanos, Kapampangans,
and other present-day Christian Filipinos. The third and last wave came from the 14th to
the 16th century A.D. The Muslim Malays were in the third migratory wave and they
introduced Islam into the Philippines. The Malays. Daring and liberty-loving, the Malays
belonged to the brown race. They were medium in height and slender in physique, but
were hardy and supple. They had brown complexion, with straight black hair, dark brown
eyes, and flat noses.
Culturally, the Malays were more advanced than the Negritos and the Indonesians, for
they possessed the Iron Age culture. They introduced into the Philippines both lowland
and highland methods of rice cultivation, including the system of irrigation; the
domestication of the animals (dog, fowls and carabaos); the manufacture of metal tools
and weapons; pottery and weaving; and the Malayan heritage (government, law, religion,
writing, arts, sciences, and customs). They tattooed their bodies and chewed betel nuts.
They wore dresses of woven fabrics and ornamented themselves with jewels of gold,
pearls, beads, glass, and colored stones. Their weapons consisted of bows and arrows,

16
spears, bolos, daggers, krises (swords), sumpits (blowguns), shields and armors made of
animal hide and hardwood, and lantakas (bronze cannons).
Legends and Hoaxes about the Malay Settlers. The legends surrounding the settling of
the Philippines by Malay migrants are notably celebrated in the Ati-atihan festival and
perpetrated by hoaxers in the fraudulent documents containing the Maragtas chronicle
and the Code of Kalantiaw.
According to one legend, at around 1250 A.D., ten datus and their families left the
kingdom of Borneo and the cruel reign of Sultan Makatunaw to seek their freedom and
new homes across the seas. In Sinugbuhan, Panay, they negotiated the sale of Panay's
lowlands from the Negrito dwellers, who were led by their Ati King Marikudo and his
wife Maniwantiwan. The purchase price consisted of one gold saduk (native hat) for
Marikudo and a long gold necklace for Maniwantiwan. The sale was sealed by a pact of
friendship between the Atis and the Bornean Malays and a merry party when the Atis
performed their native songs and dances. After the party, Marikudo and the Atis went to
the hills where their descendants still remain, and the Malay datus settled the lowlands.
One of Aklan, Panay's fascinating festivals to this day is the Ati-atihan, a colorful
mardi gras celebrating the legendary purchase of Panay's lowlands. It is held in Kalibo
annually during the feast day of Santo Ni¤o in January. The riotous participants, with
bodies painted in black and wearing bizarre masks, sing and dance on the streets, re-
enacting the ancient legend of the welcome by the Atis for the Malay colonizers. The
black Ati-atihan is now danced everywhere during street celebrations.
The Maragtas goes on to describe the formation of a confederation of barangays
("Madya-as") led by one Datu Sumakwel who passed on a code of laws for the
community. The fictitious story also alleges the expansion of the Malay datus to other
parts of the Visayas and Luzon.
Although previously accepted by some historians, it has become obvious that the
Maragtas is only the imaginary creation of Pedro A. Monteclaro, a Visayan public
official and poet, in Iloilo in 1907. He based it on folk customs and legends, largely
transmitted by oral tradition.
The Code of Kalantiaw, a code of laws said to have been promulgated by Datu
Kalantiaw of Aklan in 1433, was also previously accepted by historians and lawyers. But
this is even worse because it has been proven to be a fraud.
The Code of Kalantiaw was contained in a set of documents sold by Jose E. Marco, a
collector and author from Negros Occidental, to Dr. James E. Robertson, Director of the
Philippine Library and Museum, in 1914. Robertson then published an English

17
translation of the penal code, and Filipino scholars came to accept the code's authenticity
without question.
However, the suspicious story of its discovery in a cave, the strange writing and
anarchronisms in the documents produced by Marco, and the incredible severity and
viciousness of the laws it purpotedly contains, have led modern historians to dismiss the
code as a deliberate hoax.

Challenge to the Migration Theory. The migration theory offered by H. Otley

Beyer to explain the early settlement of the Philippines has been challenged by such
scholars as Robert B. Fox and F. Landa Jocano. According to these scholars, Philippine
prehistory is far too complex to be explained by "waves" of migration. It seems doubtful
that early immigrants came in a fixed period of time and with a definite destination. Nor
can archaeological and ethnographic data show that each "wave" of immigrants was
really a distinct racial and cultural group.
According to the other viewpoint, the early Filipinos were not passive recipients of
culture but also active transmitters and synthesizers of them. For example, comparative
studies of Pacific cultures show that some of the inhabitants of Micronesia, Polynesia,
and other Pacific islands came from the Philippines. Moreover, by the time the
Spaniardscame to the Philippines, the early Filipinos had developed a distinctly Filipino,
as opposed to Malayan civilization.

Birth of the Filipino People. Whether one accepts the migration theory or not, it
appears that out of the interracial mixture of the early settlers -- indigenous tribes or
Asian latecomers -- was born the Filipino people. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans,
the Filipinos had already established a propensity for intermarriage with the assimilation
of multiple races and cultures. The Filipino belongs to a mixture of races but basically he
is Malayan.

Early Relations with India. The early relations between the Philippines and the
Indianized empires of Sri Vijaya and Majapahit were commercial and cultural, not
political. As a free and independent people, the early Filipinos carried on trade with
Borneo, Celebes, Java, Sumatra, and other countries of Southeast Asia. Through Sri
Vijaya and Majapahit, they received India's cultural influences. The early contact
between India and the Philippines was decidedly indirect via Malaysia.

18
 India's Cultural Influences. The impact of Indian civilization in the Philippines
profoundly affected the culture of the Filipinos. The Brahmanistic elements in ancient
Filipino religion and the names of their gods and mythological heroes were of Indian
origin. The term "Bathala" (supreme god of the ancient Tagalog) originated from the
Sanskrit Bhattara Guru, meaning "the highest of the gods."
The sarong (shirt) and putong (turban) of the pre-Spanish Filipinos and the
embroidered shawls of the present-day Muslim Filipino women revela Indian influences.
The ancient Filipino alphabet originated from India. About 25% of the words in the
Tagalog language are Sanskrit terms. Among such words are dala (fishnet), asawa
(spouse), diwa (thought), puri (honor), lakambini (princess), and wika (language).
Filipino literature and folklore show the impress of India. The Maranao epic
Darangan is Indian in plot and characterization. The Agusan legend of a man named
Manubo Ango, who was turned into stone, resembles the story of Ahalya in the Hindu
epic Ramayana. The tale of the Ifugao legendary hero is similar to Arjuna's adventure in
Mahabharata, another Hindu epic.
Many Filipino customs are of Indian origin. Among them are the following:
(1) placing a sampaguita flower garland around the neck of a visitor upon his
arrival and departure as a symbol of hospitality and friendship;
(2) before marriage, a groom gives a dowry to the bride's parents and renders
domestic services to his future in-laws;
(3) when the guests throw rice on the bride and groom after the wedding; and
(4) when a childless couple goes on a pilgrimage to a holy shrine, believing that
the god of the shrine will grant their prayer for fertility.

Another Indian influence is seen in the decorative art and metal work of the early
Filipinos, and in their use of brass, bronze, copper, and tin. The boat-lute, a musical
instrument in southern Philippines, is of Indian origin.
Finally, about 5% of the blood in Filipino veins is Indian. Because of their Indian
lineage, the Filipinos possess dignity of bearing, indifference to pain, and a fantastic
outlook in life.

Early Relations with China. Sino-Philippine relations began long before the arrival
of the white men in the Orient. According to Terrian de Lacouperie, the Chinese had
knowledge of the Philippines as early as 200 A.D. By the 10th century trade between
China and the Philippines was already well established. In 982 A. D. an Arab ship

19
arrived in Canton with a cargo of Filipino goods from Mindoro. The Chinese trade junks
made regular visits to Ma-i (Mindoro), San-hsu (Central Visayas), Palaoyu (Palawan),
P'u-li-lu (Polillo), and Lisung (Luzon). Two early Chinese writers Chao Ju-kua (1225)
and Wang Ta-yuan (1349) described the early trade intercourse between China and the
Philippines. They praised the honesty of the Filipinos in their commercial dealings with
the Chinese trades.
The Ming-shis (Annals of the Ming Dynasty) recorded that the early Filipinos sent
tribute embassies to China from 1372 to 1424. In the year 1417, for instance, a Butuan
tribute embassy led by Sultan Paduka Pahala arrived in Peking, where it was welcomed
by Emperor Yung-lo (1403 - 1424). On the way home to Sulu, the sultan got sick and
died near the city of Dezhou, Shandong Province, East China. He was given a royal
funeral by Emperor Yung-lo. His tomb is now preserved in this Chinese City. On his
tombstone can be read a royal inscription personally written by the Chinese emperor.
It is also mentioned in Chinese records that a Chinese-tribute collector named Pan Tao
Kung (also known as Pei-Pon-Tao), a member of Admiral Cheng Ho's first voyage of
Malaysia, died on December 26, 1405, while Cheng Ho's fleet was anchored off Jolo's
shore, and was buried at Jatti Manggal, Jolo. His tomb is preserved until the present day.
Every year, on the 26th of December, the Chinese residents of Jolo make a pilgrimage to
his tomb.

China's Cultural Influences. From the Chinese, the Filipinos learned the use of
porcelain, umbrellas, and gongs, as well as silver and other commercial metals, the
manufacture of gunpowder, and the art of metallurgy. The loose style of the early
Filipino dress, the sleeved jackets and loose trousers of the Muslim Filipino women, and
the use of slippers and umbrellas reveal Chinese influences. Also of Chinese origin was
the use of the yellow garb by the nobles and of the blue dress by the commoners in pre-
Spanish Philippines, and white clothing for mourning.
Certain customs of the early Filipinos were of Chinese origin. Among them were the
arrangement of marriage by the parents of the bride and the groom, the practice of having a
go-between in marital negotiations, the employment of professional mourners during
funerals, the veneration of ancestors, and the filial respect accorded by children to their
parents and elders.
The Filipino racial stock has been improved by intermarriage with the Chinese. It is
said that 10% of the blood in Filipino veins is Chinese. Consequently, the Filipinos has
acquired the fine traits of the Chinese, such as love of family, frugality, patience, and

20
humility. Many great Filipinos possessed Chinese blood, such as Dr. Jose Rizal (Filipino
national hero), General Emilio Aguinaldo (President of the First Philippine Republic),
and Sergio Osme¤a (first Speaker of the Philippine House of Representative and second
President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines).
Many Chinese words are found in the Filipino language. Among them are sangko
(eldest brother), pansit (noodles), pingga (porter's pole), tinghoy (oil lamp), and susi
(key). Also Chinese are the surnames of many Filipino families, such as Cojuangco,
Lim, Tan, Limjuco, Palanca, Tongko, and Yan.

Early Relations with Japan. In the year 645 A.D., according to the Nijonji (ancient
Japanese chronicle), "two men and two women of the land of Tukhara" drifted to
Kyushu. Their boat was wrecked at sea. If Tukhara refers to the Philippines, as Japanese
scholars have asserted, Philippine relations with Japan can really be said to be old. Early
historical records in Kyushu describe the flourishing trade between Japan and the
Philippines in the 13th century A.D. Adventurous Japanese Wakos (pirate-traders) sailed
the seas of the Orient and visited the Philippines to trade or to establish settlements.

Japan's Cultural Influences. The Japanese made some contributions to Philippine

life. They taught the Filipinos certain industries, such as the manufacture of arms and
tools, the tanning of deerskins, and the artificial breeding of ducks and fishes. The last-
named industry was Japan's greatest legacy to the early Filipinos. So advanced was this
method of artificial breeding that the Spaniards were highly impressed and admitted its
superiority to the aquaculture prevailing in Europe at the time.

Early Relations with Arabia. As early as the first century of the Christian era, the
Arab traders frequently sailed the seas of the Orient, visiting India, Malaysia and China.
In the third century A.D. they established a trading colony in Canton. The early Arab
traders, in the course of their trips to China, visited various places in the Philippines.
These places were Palawan, Mindanao, Calamianes, Mindoro, and Luzon.
After Prophet Muhammad's death (623 A.D.), the Arabs carried the torch of Islam to
Malaysia. By 1276 the Islamic religion was rooted in Malacca, which became the capital
of the Muslim Malaccan Empire. The religion spread to Java, Sumatra, the Moluccas,
Borneo, and the Philippines.
The first Arab missionary who introduced Islam in the Philippines about 1380 was
Makdum, noted judge and scholar. He was followed by Raha Baginda, Muslim Malay

21
prince from Sumatra, who arrived (with his officials and warriors in Sulu about 1390).
Incidentally, he introduced the first firearms and elephants in the Philippines. The third
Muslim missionary to propagate Islam in Sulu was Abu Bakar from Johore. He arrived in
Sulu about 1450, married Baginda's daughter named Princess Paramisuli and founded the
Sulu sultanate.
The first to introduce Islam in Mindanao was Sharif Kabungsuwan, son of an Arab
sharif and a Malay princess of Johore. He arrived in Maguindanao (Cotabato) about
1475 and propagated Islam among the natives. He married a native princess named Putri
Tuni¤a and founded the sultanate of Maguindanao.

Arabia's Cultural Influences. The greatest gift of Arabia to the Filipinos was Islam,
still a thriving religion in Mindanao and Sulu. With this religion came a new form of
government -- the sultanate, a new alphabet -- the Arabic script; the Moorish arts and
sciences; and the use of firearms. The Sarimanok design in the Maranao decorative art is
Arabic in origin. Islamic art also gave emphasis to flower, plant, and geometric designs
aside from water decor or fountains.
The calendar, law, and literature of the Muslim Filipinos are of Arabic origin. Many
stories in the Maranao and Tao-sug literature were based on the Arabian Nights.
Arabic words are found in the Muslim languages of Mindanao and Sulu. Among them
are Kali (judge), shara (law), Qu'ran (bible), dunya (world), pandita (priest), and nabi
(prophet). Even in the Tagalog language, there are some Arabic words notably pilat (scar)
and sulat (letter).

Early Relations with Other Asian Lands. The Philippines also had relations in
early times with Borneo, Java, Sumatra, the Moluccas, Malaya, Cambodia, Thailand, and
other countries of Southeast Asia. Long before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos
traded with these countries. In 1521 Magellan met a Thai trader in Cebu. Later, in 1565,
Legazpi captured a vessel near Butuan, whose Malay pilot was an experienced navigator.
This pilot had such knowledge of the Philippines, China, India, Borneo, Malacca, and
Java, because he frequently visited these countries.

22
History 1
Module I Lesson
2

SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

Multiple Choice: Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank before the numbers.

_____ 1. The skeletal remains of the earliest man in the Philippines were found in a cave
in (a) Pangasinan (b) Palawan (c) Cagayan Valley.
_____ 2. Of the early migrants to the Philippines, the (a) Malays (b) Indonesians
(c) Negritos came by passing the land bridges.
_____ 3. The Malays belonged to the (a) Bronze Age (b) New Stone Age (c) Old Stone
Age culture.
_____ 4. The Malays cultivated rice, domesticated animals, wore cloth and made pottery
(a) some of these (b) all of these (c) three of these.
_____ 5. Duck raising and fish culture are (a) Chinese (b) Indian (c) Japanese influence.
_____ 6. The manufacture of gunpowder and the art of metallurgy were influences from
(a) China (b) India (c) Japan.
_____ 7. Philippine languages have been much influenced by (a) Arab (b) Chinese
(c) Indian influence.
_____ 8. Islam came to the Philippines mainly by way of (a) Arabia (b) Malacca
(c) India.
_____ 9. One of the early migrants to the Philippine who were excellent sailors and
navigators were the (a) Negritos (b) Indonesians (c) Malays.
_____ 10.The waves of migration theory were developed by (a) H. Otley Beyer (b)
Robert Fox (c) F. Landa Jocano.

True or False: On the blank space before each number, write True if the statement is
true and False if it is otherwise.

_____ 1. The Muslim Malays were the first group of Malay to migrate to the Philippines.
_____ 2. Houses on tree tops were built by Indonesians.
_____ 3. The Code of Kalantiaw was found to be authentic or genuine documents.
_____ 4. The Maragtas tells about the ten Bornean datus who went to Panay.

23
_____ 5. The early Negritos knew how to build fire but did not cook their food.
_____ 6. By the time the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines the people had already
developed a distinctly Filipino culture.
_____ 7. Pre-Spanish Philippines was politically under the rule of Sri Vijaya and
Madjapahit.
_____ 8. Culturally the Indian influence in early Philippines was more than the Chinese
influence.
_____ 9. Arrangement of marriages by parents of both bride and groom is an Indian and
Chinese influence.
_____ 10.Chinese influence in early Philippines was mainly commercial.

24
History 1
Module I

Lesson 3. ASIAN HERITAGE OF THE FILIPINOS

Ages before the coming of the white men to the Asian world, our Filipino ancestors
had their own culture and lifestyle, which included their customs, society, government
and laws, writing and language, literature, music, religion, superstitious beliefs, economy
and arts and sciences. All these things, in the course of time, became the Asian heritage
of the Filipino people.

The Barangays. When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they were
surprised to see the early Filipinos having a civilization of their own and living in well-
organized independent villages called barangays. The name barangay originated from
"balangay", a Malay word meaning "sailboat." Evidently, our seafaring ancestors named
their villages after their sailboat.
The barangay was a self-sustaining community, ruled by a datu. Generally, it
consisted of 30 to 100 families. Some barangays were quite large, each having a
population of more than 2,000. Among them were Sugbu (Cebu), Maynilad (Manila),
Bigan (Vigan), and Maktan (Mactan).

Houses and Dwellings. The ancient Filipinos lived in houses in the barangay. These
houses were made of wood and bamboo, roofed by nipa palm leaves and was called
bahay kubo (nipa hut).
Each house had a bamboo ladder that could be drawn up at night or when the family
was out. It had also a gallery, called batalan, where big water jugs were kept for bathing
and washing purposes. Under the house were kept the rice, firewood and animals (dogs,
cats, and chickens).
Some of these ancestors lived in tree-houses which were built on top of trees for better
protection against the enemy. The Bagobos and Kalingas still live in such houses.
The Badjaos (sea-gypsies) of the Sulu Sea still live in boat-houses, as their forefathers
did in ancient times.

25
 Food and Drinks. The staple food of the early Filipinos was rice. Aside from rice,
their food consisted of carabao meat, pork, chicken, sea turtles, fish, bananas, and other
fruits and vegetabls. They cooked their food in earthen pots or in bamboo tubes. They ate
with their fingers, using the banana plants as plates and the coconut shells as drinking
cups. They made fire to cook their food by rubbing two pieces of dry wood which, when
heated, produce a tiny flame. They stored their drinking water in big earthen jars or in
huge clean bamboo tubes.
Their most popular wine was the tuba, which was taken from coconut sprouts. The
other wines they manufactured were the basi, an Ilocano wine brewed from sugarcane;
pangasi, a Visayan wine made from rice; lambanog, a Tagalog wine taken from the
coconut palm; and the tapuy, an Igorot wine made from rice.

Mode of Dressing. Long before the coming of the Spaniards the early Filipinos were
already wearing clothes. They were not the naked savages like the Old Stone Age people
in Europe or America. The men wore a collarless, short-sleeved jacket called kanggan
and strip of cloth, called bahag, wrapped around the waist and in-between the legs. The
jacket (kangan) reached slightly below the waist. It was dyed either in blue or black,
except that of the chief, which was red. Instead of a hat, the men used the putong, a piece
of cloth wound around the head. They had no shoes. They had jewels, such as gold
necklaces, gold armlets called kalombigas, and gold anklets filled with agates, carnelians
and other colored glass.
The woman wore a wide-sleeved jacket called baro. Their skirt was called patadyong, a
piece of cotton cloth that they wrapped about their waists and let fall to their feet. Their
jewels consisted of gold necklaces, gold bracelets, large gold earrings and gold rings.
These jewels were filled with aagtes, carnelians, pearls and other precious gems. They
tied their long, black hair in a graceful knot at the back of their heads. Like the men, they
went about barefoot. Both men and women inserted gold between their teeth as an
ornament.

Tattoos. The early Filipinos tattooed their bodies with various designs representing
animals, birds, flowers, and geometric figures. The tattoo served two purposes:
(1) to enhance their bodily beauty, and (2)
to show their war record.

26
 The more men a warrior had killed in battle, the more tattooed he was. The men
living in the Visayas were the most tattooed. The women were less tattooed than the men.
The children were not tattooed at all.
Natural Courtesy and Politeness. The Filipino ancestors were courteous and polite.
When two persons of equal rank met on the road, they removed their putong (turban) as a
sign of courtesy. When a person addressed his superior, he took off his putong, put it over
his left shoulder like a towel, and bowed low. He addressed his superior with the word
po, which is equivalent to "sir." He spoke in polite language.
The women were shown courtesy everywhere. When a man and a woman walked
together, the man was always behind the woman. It was considered impolite for a man to
walk ahead of his woman companion. However, the father and sons followed behind.

Cleanliness and Neatness. Our Filipino ancestors were clean and neat in their
personal habits. They bathed daily. Their favorite hour for bathing in the river was at
sunset when they had finished their daily toil.
They washed their hair regulalry with gogo and water. They anointed it with coconut
oil and other lotions. They washed their mouth and cleaned their teeth upon waking up in
the morning. They filled their teeth to make them even. They chewed buyo which made
their teeth colored but strong.
They kept their homes clean. According to the Jesuit historian, Fatehr Francisco
Colin: "They keep a vessel full of water at the door of every house, and every person,
whether belonging to the house or not, upon entering, takes water from this vessel and
washes his feet, especially during the rainy seasons."

Family Life. The family was the basis of society in ancient Philippines. Family ties
then, as they are today, were close and strong. The children were given considerable
attention, affection, and disciple by their parents. They were trained to be loyal to the
ancestral gods, to respect the elders, to love their parents and to obey the datu and the
barangay laws.
The parents took good care of the children. The father was the head of the family. His
word was law to the children. The mother, on the other hand, was the housekeeper. She
enjoyed the sole privilege of naming the children. The names she chooses for them were
usually based on certain circumstances. If she gave birth to a baby girl who showed traces
of beauty she named her Maganda (Beautiful); if the baby happened to be a boywho
showed signs of physical strength, she named him Malakas (Strong).

27
 Society and Social Classes. Pre-Spanish society was divided into three social classes:
(1) nobles, (2) freemen and (3) slaves. The noble called maharlikas, constituted the
barangay aristocracy, the highest social class. This class was composed

of the affluent slave-owning families, including the datu, his family and relatives and the
rich people. The members of this social class enjoyed political and social privileges,
which were denied to the freemen and the slaves.
The freemen, called timawas, constituted the middle class in the barangay. They were
free-born persons and emancipated slaves. By and large, the freemen formed the
majority among the inhabitants of every barangay.
The slaves, called alipin, belonged to the lowest social class. The causes of slavery in
pre-Spanish Philippines were (1) birth, (2) captivity in war, (3) purchase (4) failure to apy
debts and (5) penalty for crimes committed. Unlike in India, there was no caste system in
the country. A noble could become a slave in ancient Philippines, a freeman could rise to
the nobility and a slave could become a freeman. These slaves are given the term
dependents by some historians because they were not treated like the slaves in Europe.

Emancipatio of Slaves. In pre-Spanish times, a Filipino slave could emancipate

himself and become a freeman. The various ways of emancipation were as follows: (1)
marriage, (2) purchases and (3) voluntary action of the master.
A slave woman who married a freeman or a noble automatically became free. A slave
man could become free by paying his master a certain sum of gold. And a slave owner,
according to customary laws, might emancipate his slave for saving his life in the war or
having served his family faithfully for many years.

Kinds of Slaves. Among the ancient Tagalogs, there were two kinds of slaves: (1)
aliping namamahay and (2) aliping saguiguilid. The aliping namamahay lived in their
own houses. They owned their property. They could marry without their master's
consent. And they could not be sold. On the other hand, the aliping saguiguilid could not
marry without his master's consent; and they could be sold anytime.

Woman's Position in Early Society. Women occupied a high position in ancient

Philippines. Tribal laws and customs recognized them as the equal of men. They could

28
own and inherit property. They could engage in trade and industries. If they were
daughters of datus who had no sons, they could inherit the chieftaincy and rule the
barangays. Moreover, as already mentioned, they had the exclusive privilege of naming
their children.
Many women became famous in songs and stories. Among them were Sibabae, the
legendary first woman in the world; Lubluhan, the legendary lawgiver of the Visayas;
Lalahon, the Visayan goddess of fier and volcanoes and kalangitan, the sultana of the
Pasig and Lakan Dula's grandmother.

Amusements. The early Filipinos were not always busy fighting or working. They
also had their leisure time. They held banquets to celebrate a good harvest, a wedding, a
religious sacrifice and a victory in war. These banquets were celebrated with much
eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. Although they drunk much wine, they seldom lost
their senses. They only became more lively and talkative. After the party, they could find
their way home without any help. Aside from the enjoyment they derived from barangay
banquets, they had other forms of amusements. They had games, such as carabao races,
wrestling, fencing, boat races and stone-throwing contests.

Music. The early Filipinos were lovers of music. They had various musical
instruments and numerous dances and songs for different occasions. Among their
musical instruments were the kudyapi, Tagalog guitar; the kalalong, Tinggian nose-flute;
the kulintang, Moro xylophone; the tultogan, Visayan bamboo drum; the silbay, Ilocano
reed flute; and the suracan, Subanun cymbal.
Among their folk dances were the following: the kimintang, Tagalog love dance; the
mahinhin, Tagalog courtship dance; the dandansoy, Visayan tuba dance; the kinnoton,
Ilocano ant's dance; the panjalay, Moro wedding dance; and the tadek, Tinggian love
dance.
Their songs expressed all aspects of life -- love, war, labor, religion and death.
Among them were the tagumpay, Tagalog song of victory; the dally, Negrito religious
songl the ayeg-klu, Igorot serenade song; the bactal, Tagbanua death song; the dallot,
Ilocano ballad song, which recounts the exploits of Lam-ang, mighty hero of Ilocandia;
the kuilay-kuilay, Tinggian wine song; and the tudob, Agusan harvest song.

Marriage Customs. It was customary among the ancient Filipinos to marry within
their rank, that is, for a nobleman to marry a noblewoman, a freeman to marry a

29
freewoman and a slaveman to marry a slavewoman. However, there was no strict
prohibition against intermarriages between the nobility and the commoners and between
the rich and the poor. Thus, a prince could marry a slave girl or a freeman could marry a
princess.
Before marriage, the groom gave a dowry to the family of the bride. This dowry was
called bigaykaya. It consisted of gold, land, slaves or anything else of value. Aside from
this dowry, the groom had to work in the house of the girl for a certain period of time. He
carried water and firewood to the house. He assisted the girl's father in plowing the field.
And he helped in the planting and harvesting of rice.
Early Filipinos practiced divorce. The grounds for divorce were: (1) adultery on the
part of the wife; (2) desertion on the part of the husband; (3) loss of affection; (4) cruelty;
(5) insanity and (6) childlessness.

Barangay Government. The barangays of pre-Spanish Philippines were virtually

independent village-kingdoms like the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia. Each
barangay was ruled by a chieftain or king called datu. The rulers of bigger barangay
kingdoms assumed the title of raha, hari, or lakan.
The datu exercised great powers. In time of peace, he was the chief executive,
legislator, and judge of the barangay; and in time of war he was the commander of the
barangay warriors. He obtained his position by inheritance, being a son or daughter of a
datu. In case a datu died withou any daughter or son the people of the barangay choose
their new daty -- he had to be the strongest, richest or wisest man in the barangay.
The barangay government was in some ways democratic. The datu, despite his great
powers, was not an absolute ruler. In matters of importance, such as the declaration of
war with an enemy barangay, the marriage of the barangay lakan (prince) or lakambini
(princess), and the negotiations of a political alliance with another barangay, the datu had
to consult the barangay elders and obtain their approval. These barangay elders also took
part in judicial trials of persons accused of certain crimes and the datu's decision could
not be binding without their approval. Furthermore, the datu had to seek the advice of the
elders in making new laws for the barangays. In case a datu died without any heir or
heiress, all freemen and maharlikas met together and elected a new datu.

Confederation of Barangays. Some barangays in pro-Magellanic times united and

formed a confederation. The causes for the emerggence of such confederation were (1)
for better protection against enemies and (2) the marriage of a lakan or a barangay with

30
the lakambini of another barangay. By their marriage, the two barangays might merge
into a confederation.
There were some historical examples of a confederation of barangays. At the time of
Legazpi's arrival in the country, the barangays around Manila as far as Laguna and
Pampanga recognized
the authority of Raha Sulayman of the Islamic kingdom of Maynilad. The Sugbu
Confederacy existed then under the overall rule of Raha tupas.

Baranganic Relations. Normally, the ancient barangays had peaceful relations

among them. They carried on trade and communications with one another. Persons of one
barangay married in other barangays. Barangays also concluded treaties of alliance and
friendship with each other, sealed by the traditional ceremony of the blood compact called
sandugo (one blood).
Sometimes wars broke between the barangays. The causes of these baranganic wars,
according to Captain Miguel de Loarca, were as follows: "The first is when an Indian
(Filipino -- Z) goes to another village and is put to death without cause; the second, when
their wives are stolen from them, and third is when they go in peace to any village, and
they are wronged or maltreated."

Laws. The early Filipinos had both oral and written laws. The oral laws were their
customs (ugali), which had been handed down orally from generation to generation.
According to legend the lawgiver in pre-Spanish Philippines was a woman named
Lubluhan, the great granddaughter of the first man and the first woman in the world.
The written laws were promulgated by datus with the help of the elders and
announced to the people by a barangay crier known as umalohokan. Unfortunately,
because of the use of perishable materials for writing, destruction of ancient Filipino
writings by Spanish colonizers and by the ravages of time, we do not have an authentic
example of early Filipino laws. The Code of Kalantiaw has been proven to be fake in
origin and contents, as we discussed in the previous chapter. According to William
Henry Scott, "Genuine Philippine custom law as described in early Spanish accounts
permits even the most serious offenses to be settled amicably by the payment of fines,
and this is still true to Filipino groups who never submitted to Spanish sovereignty... what
is incredible about the Kalantiaw Code is its severe punishments: plunging the hand into
boiling water three times, cutting off the fingers, laceration with thorns, exposures to ants,
swimming for three hours, drowning weighed with stones, beating to death, or being

31
burned in boiling water, stoned, crushed with weights, cut to pieces, or thrown to
crocodiles." These simply show that the early Filipinos practiced trial by ordeal.

Religion. The early Filipinos were pagans. Their supreme god was bathala, creator of
heaven, earth and men. Below him were other gods and goddesses -- Indianala, Tagalog
goddess of agriculture; Lakampati, Tagalog god of harvests; Sidapa, Visayan god of
death and Laon the god of fire; Apolaki, Pangasinan war god; Kidul, Kalinga god of
thunder; Dal'lang, Ilocano goddess of beauty; Malyari, Zambal god of power and
strength; Poko, Tagbanua god of the sea; and Kolyog, Ifugao god of earthquakes.
They worshipped ancestral spirits called anitos (Tagalog) or diwatas (Visayan). To
those anitos the sacrifices, called maganito, were offered. The ritual was performed by a
priest or priestess, called katalona or babaylan.
They also worshipped nature -- rivers, mountains, old trees, crocodile and fields -- in
the belief that such natural objects were the habitats of spirits.
They also believed in life after death. According to them, man was composed of an
ethereal and an eternal soul. After death the soul would travel to the next world to
receive its reward or punishment. The good soul would go to heaven, called kawalhatian
by the Tagalog and ologan by the Visayans, while the bad soul would go to hell, called
kasamaan by the Tagalog and solad by the Visayans.

Burial and Mourning Customs. Because of their belief in the next world the early
Filipinos took great care in burying their dead. The corpse was embalmed as in ancient
Egypt, and was buried near his home, in a cave or on headlands overlooking the sea.
Clothes, food, dishes, jewelries, weapons, and sometimes, slaves were buring with
thedead.
During the period of mourning, the relatives of the dead wore rattan bands around
their necks, arms, and legs; they used white garments; and abstained from eating meat
and drinking wine.
Mourning for a dead man was called maglahe; for a dead woman, morotal; and for a
daty, larao. When a datu died, a herald announced the event and the larao was then
observed. No
colored clothes were worn by the grieving people. All wars and quarrels were suspended.
And singing in boats returning from the sea was prohibited. All warriors carried their
spears with points downward and their daggers with hilts reversed.

32
 Superstitions. The ancient Filipinos, like all other people on earth, had their
superstitions. They believed in witches, or about (Visayan) such as the asuang, who
assumed the form of a dog, a bird or any other animal, and devoured human flesh; the
mangkukulam, who caused people to die or be sick by pricking a toy with his magic pin;
the tianak, who sucked the baby's entrials by means of his elongated proboscis; and the
tigbalang, who appeared in the form of a dog, a horse or an old man to deceive his
victims.
They believed in the magical power of amulets or charms, such as the anting-anting,
which was believed to make its possessors invulnerable; gayuma, or lumay (Visayan) a
love potion which can arouse an adamant woman's affection; odom, Bicol magic herb
which makes its possessor invisible to the human eye; and uiga, a Visayan charm which
enables any many to cross a river without getting wet.
Many of these ancient superstitious beliefs survive to the present day. Among them
are the following:
(1) the appearance of a comet is an ill omen, for it is a harbinger of war,
pestilience, or calamity;
(2) if a pregnant woman cuts her hair, she will give birth to a hairless child;
(3) a pregnant woman would not eat twin bananas, otherwise she will give birth
to twins;
(4) a girl who sings before the stove while cooking will marry an old widower;
(5) when a cat wipes its face with its paw, a visitor is coming to the house.

Languages. The early Filiponos had different languages and dialects. But by
learning one Filipino language, it was comparatively easy to know the other languages
because all of them originated from a common linguistic source -- the Malayo-Polynesian
language, the mother tongue of the Pacific races. Thus wrote Father Pedro Chirino in
1640: "There is no single or general language of the Filipinos extending throughout the
islands, but all of them, though there are many and different tongues, are so much alike
that they may be learned and spoken in a short time."
Of all the native languages, the Tagalog was regarded by the early Spanish writers as
the best. "I found in this language," wrote Father Chirino, "four qualities of the four
greatest languages of the world, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Spanish: it has the
abstruseness and obscurity of the Hebrew; the articles and distinctions in proper as well
as in common nouns, of the Greek; the fullness of elegance of Latin; and refinement,
polish and courtesy of the Spanish."

33
 Writing. The ancient Filipinos had their own system of writing. According to Father
Chirino, almost all of them knew how to read and write. Their alphabet, called baybayin,
originated from the Asokan alphabet of India. It consisted of three (serving as five)
vowels and fourteen consonants -- a total of 17 letters.
They used as pen a sharp-pointed iron instrument called sipol. With this iron
instrument, they engraved words on bamboo tubes, wooden boards and leaves of plants
which were used as paper like banana leaves. The directions of their writing was
horizontal, from left to right, unlike Chinese or Japanese writing, which runs vertically
from right to left.
Their ancient writing is still preserved by the Mangyans of Mindoro and the
Tagbanuas of Palawan, both of whom still use the ancient alphabet.

Literature. The early Filipinos had both oral and written literature. Fortunately, their
oral literature, which has been handed down from generation, is still preserved as a
priceless heritage of the race. It consists of awit (songs), bugtong (riddles), salawikain
*proverbs), myths, legends and poetry (lyrics and epic). Unfortunately, most of this
written literature of the past has been lost.
Of the interesting folk epics of pre-Spanish literature, the following have, fortunately,
been preservd: the Ifugao Alim and Hudhud, the Ilocano Lam-ang, the Bicol Handiong,
the Kalinga Ullalim, the Maranao Bantugan, the Maguinadao Indarapatra and Sulayman,
the Illanon Agyu and the Taosug Parang Sabil, and the Ulahingan of the Manobos of
Cotabato.

Education. The children in ancient Philippines were given the rudiments of education.
Such education was both academic and vocational. The father trained his sons to be
warriors, hunters, fishermen, miners, lumbermen and boatbuilders. The mother, on the
other hand, trained her daughters in cooking, gardening, sewing and other household arts.
It is said that in ancient Panay there was a barangay school called bothoan under the
charge of a teacher, usually an old man. The subjects taught to the children in this
barangay school were reading, writing, arithmetic, use of weapons and lubus (acquiring
kinaadman or amulets).

Arts. Architecture in pre-Spanish Philippines was expressed in the bahay kubo style
of dwelling, which was cool, cozy, and well adapted to the tropical climate. In naval

34
architecture, ancient Filipinos excelled; they built various kinds of boats from the one-
man canoe called banka, to the 230-man warboat, called karakoa (caracoa).
Their early painting was the tattoo. Skilled tattoo artists used human bodies as
canvases, dagger points as brushes and black soot and plant saps as colors. They painted
gorgeous designs on human bodies, representing the sun, moon, stars, flowers, animals
and geometric figures.
Sculpture was manifested in the anito statues of stone, wood, and gold made by tribal
carvers. The handles of weapons and bolos were usually fancifully-carved, expressing
primitive sculptural art. Clay pots and jars with beautiful designs were skillfully done.
Sciences. Although their medical lore was associated with magic, early Filipinos had
some knowledge of medicine. They knew the curative power of many medicinal plants.
There were herbalists who were experts in the use of poisons.
There was some crude knowledge of astronomy. Heavenly bodies were attributed with
god-like powers. The morning star was called Tala by the Tagalog; the Pleiades, Poyo-
Poyo by the Bagobos; and the Dipper, Monbunkol by the Ifugaos. The early Ilocanos
knew astrology, and they called an astrologer mamacta.
They also knew mathematics. Prior to the Spanish conquest, they could count up to
100,000,000 and could add, multiply, subtract, and divide. They had native terms for
numerals, such as isa (one), puo (ten), daan (hundred), lino (thousands), yuta (one
hundred thousand), a¤gao (one million), kati (ten million) and bahala (one hundred
million).

Weights and Measures. They had their own weight and measures. For weighing
things, they used the talare, which was a kind of balance with scales. Their measures of
capacity were the kaban (25 gantas), the salop (one ganta), the kaguitna (one-half ganta),
and the gantang (one chupa). Their measures for length were the dipa or dupa (Visayan)
the length of the outstretched arms, the tumura or dangao, the length between the tip of
the thumb and that of the forefinger when extended; the sandamak, the width of the hand
with the five fingers pressed together; and the sandali, the width of one finger.

Calendars. The Ifugaos still use the calendar of their ancestors. This Ifugao calendar
contains 13 months in a year, each month having 28 days. The Ifugaos have a tribal
calendar recorder called tumunoh, who keeps 13 strings representing the 13 months of the
year. At the end of each day, he ties one know on a string to show that one day has
elapsed. He ties 23 knots per string to represent one month. The Ifugao calendar

35
contains 364 days a year. In case of a leap year, one more day is added to the 13th month
to make 365 days.

Domestic and Foreign Trade. Domestic trade existed in ancient Philippines.

Barangay traded with barangay, island with island. This early domestic trade was carried
on by means of barter. According to Captain Miguel de Loarca, the Filipinos of the
inland region exchanged their rice and cotton for fish, slat and other sea products raised
by the dwellers of the coastal district.
They also carried on commerce with China, Japan, Siam (Thailand), Malacca, India,
Borneo, Sumatra, Java and other Asian lands. The usual method of trading was by barter
in which they offered their own products in exchangge for the products of other
countries. Sometimes they used gold dust, shells and bronze gongs as money. It was
observed by two early Chinese writers, Chao Ju-kua (1225) and Wang Ta-yuan (1349),
that they were honest in their commercial transactions.

Coinage and Gold Coins. It is interesting to note that the early Filipinos knew the art
of coinage and had gold coins, which they used as a medium of exchange in their
business transactions among themselves and with foreign traders.
Many of these ancient gold coins have been found in the country as early as in 1887
when a poor Filipino farmer, while plowing his field in Mandaluyong, near Manila,
accidentally found an old Chinese jar full of ancient gold coins. Much later in 1914,
another Filipino farmer named Alberto Ledesma discovered a large pot of ancient gold
coins while plowing his land in the barrio of Tiis, Bagac, Bataan.
Modern Filipino and foreign numismatists call these ancient Filipino gold couns
piloncitos (little coins) because of their conical shape. Such peculiar shape for gold coins
is the result of pouring molten gold into banana leaves folded into a cone. Each of these
ancient gold coins measures nine millimeters in diametrical base and six millimeters in
height. At the round base is engraced the ancient letter "MA" of the ancient Filipino
alphabet.

Agriculture and Industries. Farming was the main industry of ancient Filipinos.
Two methods of cultivation were used by the farmers. The first method was the kaingin
method, in which the land was cleared by setting fire to the shrubs and bushes after which
holes were bored in the ground with pointed sticks and seeds were then planted there. The
second method was the regular means of tillage using wooden plows and harrows

36
drawn by carabaos. In some regions, irrigation was used to increase production as
evidenced by the famous Ifugao terraces of northern Luzon.
They also recognized both systems of public and private ownership of land. The
mountain slopes and less arable land where considered public property of the barangay.
The cultivated lands were owned privately by the different families. These private lands
were acquired by occupation, purchase or inheritance.
Other industries were fishing, mining, lumbering, weaving, metal work, making of
tools and weapons, manufacturing of wines, raising of poultry and stock, tanning and
shipbuilding. But the most flourishing industry in pre-colonial Philippines was fishing.
The existence of agriculture and industries in the Philippines during pre-Spanish times
showed that our Filipino forefathers possessed a relatively high culture. In the words of
Dr. Rizal:
"All the histories of those first years, in short abound in long accounts about the
industry and agriculture of the natives; mines, gold-washings, looms, farms, barter, boat
construction, raising of poultry and stock, weaving of silk and cotton, distilleries,
manufacture of weapons, pearl fisheries, the civet industry, the horn and hide industry,
etc., are things encountered at every step, and, considering the time and the conditions in
the islands, proved that there was life, there was activity, there was movement."

37
History 1
Module I Lesson
3

SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TEST

Multiple Choice: Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank space before each
number.
_____ 1. The oldest pre-Spanish towns of the Philippines were called (a) pueblo (b)
barangay (c) sitio (d) hamlet.
_____ 2. The most popular wine was called (a) sangria (b) lambanog (c) tuba (d) ginebra.
_____ 3. Instead of a hat, the pre-Spanish Filipinos wore (a) putong (b) sari (c) turban (d)
fez.
_____ 4. Filipina women wore a skirt called (a) s arong (b) patadyong (c) sari (d) baro.
_____ 5. This was worn in the teeth as a sign of wealth (a) braces (b) gold (c) silver (d)
retainers.
_____ 6. The early Filipinos washed their hair in this (a) soap (b) water (c) nganga (d)
gugo.
_____ 7. The legendary lawgiver of the Visayas was a female called (a) babae (b) lalahon
(c) kalangitan (d) lubluhan.
_____ 8. The supreme god of the Filipinos was called (a) Bahala na (b) Vishnu (c)
Bathala (d) Jesus.
_____ 9. The Filipino men wore _____ to make them invisible.
(a) gayuma (b) anting-anting (c) odom (d) viga
_____ 10.Of all the native dialects, the Spaniards like the (a) Cebuano (b) Ilocano (c)
Waray (d) Tagalog.

True or False: On the blank space before each number, write the word True if the
statement is true and False if it is otherwise.

_____ 1. The barangays were in some ways democratic.

_____ 2. A nobleman could marry a slave woman.
_____ 3. If there is no son, a daugther could succeed to the position of a datu.
_____ 4. The pre-Spanish Filipinos had a system of writing.
_____ 5. The early Filipinos recognized private ownership of land.

38
_____ 6. The worship of many gods was practiced by Luzon and Visayan Filipinos.
_____ 7.There was a total of 24 letters in the pre-Spanish alphabet.
_____ 8.The education of the children was the duty of both the father and mother.
_____ 9.The Igorots still use the calendar of their ancestors.

_____ 10.Early Filipinos knew the art of coining gold.

39
History 1
Module I

ANSWER KEYS TO THE SELF-PROGRESS CHECK TESTS

Lesson 1

Multiple Choice: True or False:

1. b 1. False 2.
2. c True 3. True
3. a 4. True 5.
4. c False 6. True
5. b 7. False 8.
6. a True 9. False
7. b 10. True
8. c
9. a
10. c
True or False:
Lesson 2 1. False 2.
True 3. False
Multiple Choice: 4. True 5.
1. b True 6. True
2. c 7. False 8.
3. a True 9. True
4. b 10. True
5. c
6. a
7. c
8. b True or False:
9. c 1. True 2.
10. a False 3.
True 4. True
5. True 6.
Lesson 3 True 7.
Multiple Choice: False 8.
1. b True 9.
2. c False
3. a
4. b
5. b
6. d
7. d
8. c
9. c
40
10. d 10. True

41