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What can we tell about the time period from this?

 Plasencia was believed to arrive in the Philippines in the year 1578. As soon as his arrival, he joined
forces with another missionary, Fray Diego de Proposal, and they both started preaching around
Laguna de Bay and Tayabas, Quezon.
 The piece affirms that Filipinos already had a government and a set of beliefs and practices during
the pre-Hispanic period. The work showed us how our ancestors lived according to their governing
style, the Barangay, and also showcased the social hierarchy in the society.
 The piece served as the foundation for Spanish laws and policies in the country, allowing the
Spaniards to rule, configure, and reconstruct Philippine society. For example, the Catholic faith is
considered the most enduring legacy of the Spaniards in the Philippines, evidenced by the
presence of old Spanish churches throughout the country.
 Since it was only based on the observation of Plasencia, many critics claim that it contains biases
and prejudices. However, most of the material is still relevant to our country’s history and society.

Does the author represent a particular side of the story?

 The author tried to avoid discussing the “conflicting reports of the Indians” through an “informed
observation” to obtain the “simple truth.” However, the “truth” is debatable, and how he arrived
at his reports is even more problematic. It mainly focuses on the government, administration of
justice, enslaved people, inheritance, and dowries. He tried to represent a particular side of the
story to end some injustices committed against the natives by certain government officials. It
intentionally provided an exoticized description of the Tagalog natives, clearly fed by politics and
propaganda and operated with the Western outsider’s gaze, that would appeal to them. It also
represents the governing system of the native at that time.
 Furthermore, he tried to talk about the Tagalog customs: there were no equal rights or treatment
for the enslaved people. He also wanted to promote understanding of both the Spanish language
among the natives and the local languages among the missionaries to facilitate the task of
spreading Christianity. Finally, it enabled the exploration of the ancient lives of the people and
the realization that mastery of the local language and culture led to the success of Christianity.
 Plasencia himself, with his background, subjectivities, biases, preconception, and descriptive
biases, thrive throughout the entire monograph. For example, Plasencia’s generalized essentialist
claims were also made by Plasencia in his discussion of the local customs in “Laguna and tingues,
and among the entire Tagalo race.” What constituted the Tagalo race and how did he come up
with such a category? The Laguna people were just tiny members of the Tagalogs, and referring
to them as the mirror of the entire Tagalo race is inaccurate. Furthermore, through his
observations, he could depict the lives of the Tagalogs in his monograph; however, there is an
obvious bias since he could not mention the injustices the Tagalogs have felt. He only said there
were no equal rights for the enslaved people but could not give concrete evidence; thus, he was
only selective of what he included in his piece.
What was going on in time when a particular piece was written? Does it reflect that time period?

 Based on his writings, he emphasized how people live their life through judgments and
observations. It is a clear and realistic manifestation of the natives’ worship practices, social
classes, cultures, and norms. It also reflects the comprehensive record of the rules in assigning an
individual’s social status depending on the parent’s social status. It reflected the governing
systems of the Tagalogs at that time, led by a Datu, and the caste systems of the people, including
the treatment they received based on their social classes. For example, there are three social
classes in the society: nobles, commoners, and enslaved people. The nobles were born free, the
commoners were middle-class individuals, and the enslaved people, wherein the Tagalogs were
categorized, evidenced by Plasencia’s statement that the Tagalogs were subjected to slavery
during that time, experiencing inequalities from the Spaniards.
 Moreover, dowries and marriage between individuals emphasize the need for the male to give
dowries to the female’s parents. Native’s rules and regulations regarding the division of
inheritance were tackled in detail, same with laws, sentences, and punishments for individuals at
fault, including the way natives worship their gods. The superstitious beliefs and supernatural
beings believed by the natives are described, as well as the proclamation of feast and offering,
including natives’ established divisions in terms of years, months, and days. In addition, the form
of burial and the manner of adoration, offering, and sacrifice are depicted in the document. In
general, the book reflects the daily lives of the Tagalogs.