Bulacan State University

Malolos, Bulacan
Graduate School

SEMINAR IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION

WRITTEN REPORT ON PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
DURING PRE-SPANISH PERIOD

MARY JANE S. MALAPITAN

Doctor of Philosophy
Educational Management
 Tell Me and I might forget, Show me and I will Remember,

Involve me and I will Understand- --Chinese Proverb

1. The education of Pre-Hispanic Filipinos was fit for the needs of their times. There was no

formal schooling. Parents trained their children informally . Mothers educated their

female children in housekeeping, weaving, basket-making and other agriculture-related

activities. Fathers trained their male children in hunting, carpentry, agriculture,

shipbuilding and mining. Skills taught would vary on their industries and locations, i.e.,

whether highland, lowlands or along seashores. Education was oral, practical and hands-

on

2. ALIBATA Alibata is an ancient writing system that was used in what is now the

Philippines. Although it was all but extinguished by Western colonization, variants of it

are still used in parts of Mindoro and Palawan, and it is also increasingly used by Filipino

youth as a way to express their identity. It is composed of 3 vowels and 14 consonants.

3. Alibata or coast known in Unicode lett er & a writi ng system before the

Spanish colonizati on of the Philippines from Java and called Ancient

Kawi .Kani writi ng system belonging to the family Brahmic gikatuohang used

during the 14th century . It conti nued in use during the Spanish colonizati on

of the Philippines unti l the 14th century . The term of the coast from the

root word spellings Tagalog spelling . This means mind syllable .  The closest

parallel is writt en Hanunoo Buhid and Tagbanwa . Alibata a dozen alphabet

from the islands of Southeast Asia such as Sumatra Java and Sulawesi that

originated in ancient India and I say nature Sanskrit where any consonant is

pronounced with the vowel a following -diacriti cal marks are used to express
 other vowels. The aforementi oned writi ngs the Philippine alibata the

evidence and Tagbanwa.

4. The following methods were used during those time. A Show Me or demonstration

method was used. A Baybayin were used as the first writing system that enable the

Filipinos to read and write. And an Oral immersion (gossip) that let them acquire new

learnings.

5. While controlled by colonial rule for several years, once the Philippines gained their

independence they took over control of the educational system and began to move it in

their own direction.

6. During the Pre-Spanish period, education was still decentralized. Children were provided

more vocational training but lesser academics, which were headed by their parents or

by their tribal tutors. They used a unique system of writing known as the baybayin. Pre-

Spanish Period BAYBAYIN

7. The term Baybay literally means "to spell“ in Tagalog. It also known as the alibata, were

in it is the ancient writing system that was used before by the Filipinos.

8. The pre-Spanish system of education underwent major changes during the Spanish

colonization

The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries

Education was informal and unstructured . Children were provided with vocational

training and less academics by parents and houses of tribal tutors

While during SPANISH PERIOD

 education was “religion-centered”

 Education for the elite only

  Spanish is compulsory

 Boys and girls school are separate

Morally, they believed in Bathala, that there is a solidarity of family, modesty of women,

the children’s obedience and there was a respect for elders and in the valor of men.