Customs of the tagalog

Contribution and relevance of the document in understanding the grand narrative of Phil. History

First and foremost we must why the author of The Las Costumbres de los Indios Tagalos de
Filipinas or Customs of Tagalog. In this era, during the 16th century, the Spaniards’ expeditions
were very evident. With these adventures of theirs, it is a must for them to take into accounts
their glorious journey.

Juan de Plasencia’s work gave descriptions of our ancestors at that time. Most of these are
through our culture, which they think are exotic. This was mostly for the advantage of the
Spaniards to exploit our ancestors. “Customs of the Tagalogs” is written through the eyes and
hands of a Spaniard. It is not surprising how the author did not fully comprehend the socio-
political status of the Luzon.

It is surprising how The account of Juan de Plasencia entitled “Customs of the Tagalogs” was
due to his missionary work in the Philippines. He wrote about the culture and society of the
people in Luzon, thus such title was written.

In conclusion, this document serves as significant evidence that offers insights into multiple
aspect, the Socio-political status of luzon, cultural, perspective of others on how they view
Filipinos. Even after this Book was written, It doesn’t really signifies the truth about our customs
and culture, since our customs were new to them so it lead to misconceptions and prejudice of
our ancestors.