Module 5

Customs of the Tagalogs

Learning Activity 1
Name: Bautista, Catabian, Duran, Yee
Section: ZGE 1106-1ECE-2A

Reinforcement Activity
1. Appreciating the culture of the inhabitants of the islands in their pristine nature

Complete the matrix below.

Cultural practices How were they practiced? What do they tell or picture
of the Tagalogs at that
time?
Social classes Governing system is led by the This tells that the Tagalogs
datos. The caste composts of back then was already has
nobles, commoners, and slaves. their own civilization.
The maharlicas are the free-born
nobles, If Maharlica marries a
slave, the first child goes to the
father and so on. The children will
inherit the status of the parent it
belonged. The slaves or
namamahay Can’t be sold
or can’t be transferred to other
barangay unless by inheritance,
provided they stay in the same
village. meanwhile, the saguiguilid
can be sold.

Civil relations When the parents gave a dowry to
(marriage, dowry, any son, when, in order to marry
inheritance) him to a chief’s daughter, the
dowry was greater than the sum
given the other sons, the excess was
not counted in the whole property
to be divided. Any other thing that
should have been given to any son,
though it might be for some
necessity, was taken into
consideration at the time of the
partition of the property, unless the
The slaves are called
aliping sa guiguilir. They
serve their master in his
house and on his cultivated
lands, and may be sold.
The master grants them,
should he harvest, so that
they may work faithfully.
For these reasons, servants
who are born in the house
of their master are rarely, if
ever, sold. That is the lot of

98
 parents should declare that such a captives in was and of
bestowal was made outside of the
inheritance.
Manner of worship mannere of worship include to
honoror show reverence for as a
divine being or supernatural power the existence of a supreme
to regard with great or extravagant referred to as Bathala
respect, honor, or devotion
Death (view and During the Pre-Hispanic period the
practices) early Filipinos believed in a
concept of life after death. This
belief, which stemmed from
indigenous ancestral veneration
and was strengthened by strong
family and community relations
within tribes, prompted the
Filipinos to create burial customs
to honor the dead through prayers
and rituals.
Spirit world Spiritual world include the
relationship to a superior being and
are related to an existential
perspective on life, death, and the
nature of reality. Spirit world
include practices/rituals such as
prayer or meditation and
engagement with religious
community members.
99
those brought up in the
harvest fields.
Early Filipinos were
animists who believed in
being whom the Tagalogs
they made offerings to
particular trees that were
thought to be the habitation
of benevolent deities, or
even certain ancestral
spirits. Other trees were
thought to house
malevolent spirits, and care
was taken to avoid sleeping
under these trees.
Due to different cultures
from various regions of the
Philippines, many different
burial practices have
emerged. For example, the
Manobos buried their dead
in trees, the Ifugaos seated
the corpse on a chari before
it was brought to a cave
and buried elsewhere.
Most early Filipinos
believed in
worshiping(spirit world)
different gods, creatures,
and spirits. They appease
them through various
practices, sacrifices, and
rituals. However, due to
the Philippines having a
long history of
colonization, religious
beliefs and traditions have
changed from animism to
Christianity.