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TAGOLOAN Community College
Baluarte, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental
Tel.No. (08822)740-835/(088)5671-215

College of Arts & Sciences

GEC 2 : Readings in Philippine History
2nd Semester of A.Y. 2021-2022

The Customs of the Tagalogs

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Introduction
In this module you are going to examine the context and perspective of the document during the Spanish rule,
local politics of the barangays & the systems of the society in the early days of colonization. It will be a
perfect venue for you to re discover what was the life before of our ancestors and how the society works long
ago.

Rationale

Examine the context and perspective of the document.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Present the religious and spiritual practices and belief of early Filipinos.
2. Display the relationship among the members of a barangay.
3. Determine the significance of the document to the Philippine history.

Level of Learning

Analyzing : Learn history through Primary Sources.

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Discussion

Las Costumbres de los Indios Tagalos de Filipinas

Juan de Plasencia
Background of the Author
Image : en.wiki.org

Fray Juan de Plasencia (Joan de Porto Carrero) was a member of the Franciscan
Order who came together with the first batch of missionaries to the Philippines.
Fray Joan de Puerto Carrero, del Convento de Villanueva de la Serena, was
his real name. Arrived at a port in Cavite, a few kilometers south of Manila on the 2nd of July 1578. He and
a fellow Franciscan Fray Diego de Oropesa, were assigned to do mission works in the Southern Tagalog area.
Plasencia also helped in the foundation and organization of numerous towns in Quezon, Laguna, Rizal &
Bulacan. His Continuous interaction with the people he converted to Christianity enabled him to write a work
titled, Relacion de las costumbres de Los Tagalongs (Customs of the Tagalogs,1589) where he vividly
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described the political, social, economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they were
Christianized. Born to the illustrious family of Portocarreros in Plasencia in the region of Extremadura, Spain
in the early 16th century. He was one of the seven children of Pedro Portocarrero, a captain of a Spanish
schooner. Juan de Plasencia grew up during the period known as the Siglo de Oro, a Golden Age when arts
and literature flourished in many parts of Spain, among them his native Extremadura.
Purpose: Relacion de las Costumbres and Instruccion
To put an end to some injustices being committed against the natives by certain
government officials.

“The chronicler, Francis enemies, and so I can hardly express the sadness I feel any time the
news of such incidents reach my ears or I myself am involved; however, if one is to choose
between enmity and friendship and between peace and war, I believe enmity is to be
preferred. For considering the kind of persons most of the alcaldes mayores are nowadays,
nothing indicates that friendship with them will help the missions in any way. On the
contrary, it will destroy them. Because, as I have observed, you can hardly find one that is
not blinded and moved by greediness, thus destroying his own soul as well as the lives and
possessions of the poor Indians.”

References

OFM ARCHIVES – PHILIPPINES by: Fr. Jose"Long" D. Gutay, OFM (http://ofmphilarchives.tripod.com/id8.html)

The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 Volume VII,1588–1591 (Edited and annotated by Emma Helen
Blair and James Alexander Robertson with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne)

Historical Background of the Document

Social Classes
Chieftain
(Datu)
Nobles (Maharlika)
Commoners (Aliping Namamahay)
Slaves (Aliping Saguiguilir)

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datu

chief, captain of wars, whom governed, obeyed and reverenced

Nobles or maharlika
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Free-born, they do not pay taxes.

Commoners or aliping namamahay

They live in their own houses and lords of their property and gold.
Slaves or aliping sa guiguilir
They serve their master in his house and his cultivated lands and can be sold.

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Houses : Made of wood, bamboo, and nipa palm

Government
 The unit of government is called Barangay ruled by a chieftain, and consist of 30 to 100 families
together with their relatives and slaves.

Administration of Justice
 The chieftain’s executive function includes implementing laws, ensuring order and giving protection
to his subject.
 Disputes between individuals were settled by a court made up of the chieftain and council of elders.

Inheritance
 The 1st son of the barangay chieftain inherits his father’s position; if the 1 st son dies, the 2nd son
succeeds their father; in the absence of male heirs, it is the eldest daughter that becomes the
chieftain.
Slaves
A person becomes slave by:
(1) by captivity in war,
(2) by reason of debt,
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(3) by inheritance,
(4) by purchase, and
(5) by committing a crime.

Slaves can be emancipated through:

(1)by forgiveness,
(2) by paying debt,
(3)by condonation, and
(4) by bravery (where a slave can possibly become a Datu) or by marriage.

Marriage Customs
 Men were in general, monogamous; while their wives are called Asawa.
 Courtship begins with Paninilbihan.
 Prior to marriage the man requires to give a dowry:
(1) Bigaykaya(a piece of land or gold);
(2) Panghihimuyat (a gift for the bride’s parents);
(3) Bigay-suso (for brides wet nurse).
✣ Marriage between couples belonging to different social classes were not common.

Several grounds of divorce are:

(1) Adultery,
(2) Abandonment on the part of the husband,
(3) Cruelty, and
(4) Insanity

Religious Belief
 They worship many gods and goddesses:
(1) bathala, supreme being;
(2) Idayanale,
god of agriculture;
(3) Sidarapa, god of death;
(4) Agni, god of fire;
(5) Balangaw, god of rainbow;
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(6) Mandarangan, god of war;
(7) Lalahon, god of harvest; and
(8)Siginarugan, god of hell.
 Also believe in sacred animals and tress.

Superstitious Beliefs
 Believe in Aswang, Dwende, Kapre, Tikbalang, Patyanak/Tiyanak.
 They also believe in magical power of amulet and charms such as anting-anting, kulam and gayuma
or love potion.

Economic Life
 Agriculture in the plane lands: planting of rice, corn, banana, coconut, sugar canes & other kinds of
vegetable and fruits.
 Hunting in high lands.
 Fishing in river banks and sea.
 Shipbuilding, weaving, poultry, mining and lumbering.
 Domestic trade of different barangays by boat.
 Foreign trade with countries like Borneo, China, Japan, Cambodia, Java, and Thailand.
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Language and System of Writing

 Major languages: Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Pangpangan, Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon, Magindanaw
and Samarnon this languages is originated from the Malayo Polenisian language.
 System of writing: the alphabets consisted of 3 vowels and 14 consonants called Baybayi.
 They used tap of tress as ink and pointed stick as pencil.
 They wrote on large plant leaves, bark of a tree or bamboo tubes.

RELEVANCE
Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs is a very popular primary source as it vividly describes the way of life
of the Filipinos before Spanish and Christian influences. It also covers numerous topics that are relevant in
many disciplines. Political scientist, for instance, find it useful because it contains information about the
social classes, political stratifications, and legal system of the Tagalog region. Many of what we know about
the duties and responsibilities of the datu, maharlika and alipin came from Plasencia’s account. Moreover, it
tackles property rights, marriage rituals, burial practices, and the manner in which justice is dispensed.
Plasencia’s account also preserves and popularizes the unwritten customs, traditions, and religious and
superstitious beliefs of the Filipinos. One can also say that our historial knowledge about the manananggal,
aswang, hukluban, and gayuma, among others came from Plasencia’s works.

Priests and missionaries also read Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs and Doctrina Christiana because they
contain insights that can help and inspire them to become effective evangelizers. The realization that one
needs to master the local language and study the culture of the people to be a successful missionary is one
insight from Plasencia. They also learned from Plasencia that preaching should be accompanied with reading
materials that contain the basic elements of faith. These readings will serve as guide and reference when the
missionaries are no longer around. All these insights from Plasencia are applicable not only to missionaries
but to other professions as well.

Plasencia’s historical writings also disprove the claim of some Spaniards that when they arrived in the
Philippines, Filipinos were still uncivilized and lacking in culture. It is clear in the excerpts quoted that at the
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time Plasencia was assigned in the Tagalog region, Filipinos were already politically and economically
organized. They had a functioning government, tax system, set of laws, criminal justice system, indigenous
calendar, and long-standing customs and traditions. Moreover, they had a concept of a supreme being
(Bathala), practiced burial customs, and believed in life after death. Lastly, Plasencia mentioned that the
people he met were wearing garments and gold ornaments, and their houses were decorated with idols. All of
these lead to the conclusion that prior to the coming of the Spaniards, Filipinos were already civilized and
maintained a lifestyle that was on a par with or even better than that of the people from other countries in
Southeast Asia.

Links & Other Additional Sources

Video links :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkWJbktUGNg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogOHCAOzAA8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcMRtC8ubQ

Assignment

Learning Activity: Local Interview

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1. Find an older member of your family, clan or even your neighbor

( ex. Lolo. Lola, ingkong, inse )
2. Make an interview asking them the following question.

“ What are some of the practices of the Filipino youth during

their period that is not observed now a days ( already a taboo)?

Example of this practices are:

1. Household practices ( children’s responsibilities / playing / studying )
2. Courtship/dating
3. Marriage
4. Political system
3. Based on your critical analysis of the above interview about the early culture of your elders, draw
some points which you do not agree on their way of life, thinking or system. Point specific case or
example of that practice.
4. Highlight on the other hand the things that you most cherished or agree on their practices that you
think should still be practiced now a days. Explain why?

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Please follow proper protocol & social distancing !

Submission ( How & where to submit )

1. Right after the interview take a picture of your interviewee which is your elder during the
interview ( ex. Lolo or older neighbor )remember to follow protocol of correct social
distancing .
2. Attached the picture on your document and narrate what are the discussions made during the
interview.
3. Answer the 2 questions I posted above.
4. Reminders: You are expected to submit your assignment based on your interview.
5. Please refer to our LMS (Learning management System) in Google classroom and find the
Assignment bin section to drop your assignment.
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6. Please be guided. Goodluck !

Sources Additional Resources

Candelaria, J. & Alporha, V.(2018) Readings in Philippine History, Manila, Philippines, Rex Publishing
I
Torres, J.V.(2018). Batis: Sources in Philippine History. Manila, Philippines, C & E Publishing, Inc.

Teodoro Agoncillo ,History of the Filipino People (Eighth Edition)

Alexander Robertson with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne)
The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 Volume VII, 1588–1591 (Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James

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