The Pre-

Colonial
Philippines
The Setting, Before the Conquest, Early
Customs and Practices, and Pre-Colonial
Culture
►The Caraballo del Sur
forms the nucleus of the system
Abra, Ilocos Norte, and Cagayan
► The Caraballo Occidentales
divide into the Cordillera Norte and Cordillera
Central and traverse the region west of the Cagayan
River
► The Sierra Madre
also known as the Pacific coast range , begins at Baler,
Quezon, and crosses Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and
Cagayan
►Zambales Range
starts at Cape Bolina and follows the China Sea coast
to Bataan Peninsula
► Tagaytay Range
passes through Cavite and Batangas and, with Mt.
Makiling, forms the mountain system of the
Southern.
► The Mindoro Mountain Range
begins at Mt. Haclon and is divided into three ranges.
►Negros
divided into two by a range running from northwest
to southeast, with Kanlaon Volcano a notable peak.
► Panay
has a range from north to south that separates:
Antique from Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan
► Mindanao
Surigao Range, Butuan Range, Central Range, and
Western Range
►The Rio Grande de Cagayan and its tributaries
Drain the Cagayan Valley
►Agno Grande
Drains Benguet and the valleys of Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan,
and Tarlac
► Abra River Systems
Receives its tributaries from the Cordillera and drains
Lepanto, Bontoc, and Abra
► Rio Grade de Pampanga and its tributaries
Drain the fertile valleys of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and
Bulacan
 10 volcanoes – active
Iraya in Batanes Island; Taal in Batangas; Banahaw in
Queszon; Mayon in Albay; Hibok-hibok in Camiguin
Island; Makaturing in Lanao; and Apo in Davao.
►Irregular Coastline
10,850 statue miles
make for numerous fine harbors and landlocked
straits.
► Fertile plain and rich valleys
Diverse crops – intended for exportation
► Rice
Central Plains of Luzon
Breakthrough in rice production during the incumbency of late Pres. Marcos, Sr.
► Products for Exportation
Copra, abaca, gums, rubber, and sugar.
► Philippine Forest
Timber, hardwoods
► Mining
Copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, zinc, manganese, and chromium
 Mixture of races
Blending of East and West
Mestizo and Natives
Mestizo – his social and financial status looked down upon the
“native” as a boor.
Native- resented this attitude, pretentious, boastful, arrogant.
►Hospitality
►Close Family Ties
►Respect for the elders
►Fatalistic
►Loyalty
►Tendency to be indolent (lack of initiative)
►Naturally curious
►Jealousy
►Regionalistic
►Samtoy (Ilocos Region)
Frugality is proverbial and compares favorably with that of the
Scot.
The Samtoy is not a born humorist
Biag ni Lam-ang ( a poetry that requires sustained effort
►Tagalog (Central Plains)
Feel superior to the rest of the Filipinos
His code of ethics is strict; his pride fierce
Developed a strong tendency to live with his parents or in-laws
even after his marriage
Lyrical, he is a dreamer and takes the slightest opportunity to
burst into a declamation
Sing-song nature (Balagtasan)
►Tagalog (Central Plains)
Jose de la Cruz: Huseng Sisiw
Francisco Balagtas
Jose Corazon de Jesus
Fernando Guerrero
Cecilio Apostol
Manuel Bernabe
Jesus Balmori
Claro M. Recto
Jose Garcia Villa
Nick Joaquin
►Bicolano
Temper and religiosity
Enjoy life and take offerings
Fond of spicy food
He is contemplating it in the church or seminary
►Visayan
Happy-go-lucky
Ready to spend his last peso to enjoy life to its last drop
Spendthrift
Adventurous and is afflicted with wanderlust
Self-reliant
Hedonist
►Muslim
Fiercest lover of freedom
Adventurous
Man of honor who sticks to his plighted word and will brave
dangers to redeem his vow or promise.
Best friend that anyone can have and at the same time worst
enemy
Proud of his culture
Guarded his citadel, and swept the sea with this fast vinta to
protect himself from Spaniards
Has not been integrated into the Philippine’s body politic
➢Dr. Fritjof Voss, a German scientist studying
Philippine geology proved that the
Philippines was never a part of mainland
China.
➢It rose from the bottom of the sea and
continues to rise as the thin Pacific crust
moves below it.
➢The Philippines lies along the great earth
faults extending to deep trenches.
➢F. Landa Jocano, a Filipino anthropologist
disputed the Wave Migration Theory
➢Tabon Man (Palawan Cave in 1992)
Skull cap and jaw are presumed to be those of
human beings, showing conclusively that man came
earlier to the Philippines than to the Malayan
peninsula.
➢They stand co-equal as ethnic groups,
without anyone being the dominant group
racially or culturally
► Arab traders missionaries and teachers
► 14th century (Mudum in Malaysia)
► In 1380 proceeded to Sulu and preached the doctrines
of Mohammed.
► In 1390 Sumatra arrived in Sulu and promptly
converted some of the natives to Islam
► In 1940, Abu Bakr left Palembang for Sulu
► Abu Bakr and Paramisuli marriage.
► Serif Kabungsuan arrived from Johore, and immediately
began laying the foundations of Islam.
► He converted many tribes and having married into an
influential family.
► The first ever sultan of Mindanao.
► 900 and 1200 AD
► Southern Annam
► Men of Champa established a trade post in Sulu.
► No intention of dominating politically and lay
their interests in trading.
► The fame of Sulu reached as far as northern Borneo
and soon Banjarmasin and Brunei.
► Famous pearl beads
► Beautiful women
► Sulu developed into an emporium, and trading ships
from Cambodia, China, Java, and Sumatra cast anchor
at Sulu ports to savor their wealth and splendor
► Sung Dynasty (960-1127)
Chinese good flow continuously
founded on the coast of the Philippines
► Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
colonies established in the hinterland
► Middle of the 14th century
Cambodia, Champa, Siam
porcelain to Philippine wares
► Yung Lo (1402-1424)
sent a large fleet and visited the Lingayen, Manila
Bay, Mindoro, and Sulu
➢ Maragtas (Settlement of Malay in Panay)
➢ 13th century, Sultan Makatunaw of Borneo mistreated his subjects.
➢ Datus Puti, Bangkaya, Dumalugdog, Sumakwel, Lubay, Paiburong,
Dumangsil, Balensusa, Paduhinog, and Dumangsol.
➢ They reached Panay which was settled by the Negritos and headed
by Marikudo and his wife Maniwantiwan.
➢ Luzon: Datus Puti, Balensusa, and Dumangsil
➢ Antique under Datu Sumakwel; Ilo-ilo under Datu Paiburong,
Aklan under Datu Bangkaya.
❖ Mainly in economic
❖ Languages
❖ Use of umbrellas, gongs, lead, porcelain, the
manufacture of gunpowder, mining methods, and
metallurgy.
❖ Arranging of marriage, Visayan wearing white
when mourning.
❖ Primarily reflected in languages,
particularly in Tagalog.
❖ Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera
❖ Signify intellectual acts, moral
conceptions, emotions,
superstitions, names of deities,
planets, numerals of higher
numbers, botany, war, titles, some
animals, instruments, industry, and
names of money.
❖ Present in the ancient religious
belief of the Filipinos.
❖ Indra Batara (Muslim) most
prominent mythological figure.
❖ Ancient paganism amounted to
demon and spirit worship.
❖ The modern Philippine Barong
Tagalog is the same cut and
embroidery as the Kurta of
Lucknow India
❖ Cord and veil ceremony.
► Men
Kanggan (black or blue collarless jacket with
short sleeves)
Bahag (Strip of cloth wrapped around the waist,
passing down the thighs)
Putong
► Women
Baro or Camisa
Saya or Patadyong
Tapis (around the waist)
► Kalumbiga
► Pendants
► Bracelets
► Gold Rings
► Earrings
► Leglets
► Tattoos
► Visayan People as the Pintados
Built to suit the tropical climate
Made of wood, bamboo, and nipa palm

► Ilongots, Kalingas, Mandayas, and Bagobos

Treetops
► Bajaos
Boat houses
 ► Barangay
► Gat or Lakan
Nobles (Tagalog)
► Mahadlika
Freemen ► Alipin (Namamahay
and Sagigilid)
Dependents
► Enjoyed a unique position
► Equal to men
► Exclusive rights to give names to their children
► Men walked behind the women.
► Barangay
► 30-100
► Balangay
► Chieftain
to rule and govern his subjects and to maintain
welfare and interests.
executive, legislator, and judge
► Customary
handed down orally from generation to
generation
constituted the bulk laws of the barangay
► Written
promulgated by the chieftains and elders
Code of Kalintaw and Muslim Laws
► Inheritance, divorce, usury, partnership, crime,
and punishments
► Trial by Ordeal
► Council of Elders
► Umalookan
► Bathala
► Bathalang Maykapal
► Idinayale, Sidapa, Balangaw
► Agni
► Magwayen
► Lalahon
► Siginarugan
► Diyan Masalanta
► Adorned sun and moon, reverenced the crocodile, old
tress, Cult of the Dead, anitos and anitas
► Life after death
► Laraw: Mourning of the dead
► Sipa: fasting of Tagalogs (limited only to the
vegetables)
► Balata: avenging
► Pasiyam: staging a play in honor of the dead called
tibawan
➢Ancient Filipinos put very much stock in divination,
auguries, and magic charms
➢Flight of birds, barking of dogs, singing of lizards,
etc., good or bad omen.
➢Salaksak bird
➢Soothsayer or pangatauhan
➢Aswang, mangkukulam, manggagaway, tiyanak,
tikbalang, etc.
➢Agimat or anting-anting, gayuma, odom, wiga, sagabe
➢Agriculture: rice, coconuts, sugar cane, cotton, hemp,
bananas, oranges, etc.
➢Kaingin and Tillage
➢Use of irrigation (Rice Terraces)
➢Public Landholding: less arable and along the
mountain slopes
➢Private Landholding: rich and cultivated lands
➢Poultry, stock-raising, fishing, mining, lumbering, and
shipbuilding, and weaving.