All therelatives and friends who go to weddings were also wont to take each some little

present.These gifts were set down very carefully and accurately,in an account, noting whatever each one
gave. For if Pedro So-and-so gave two reals at this wedding, two reals were also given to him if he had
another wedding in his house. All this money is spent, either in paying,if anything is due for the
wedding, or as an aid in the expenses. Or if the parents of both the young couple are niggardly,they
divide it and keep it. If they are generous, they use it in the pamamuhay, or furnishing of the house of
the couple.Consequently, there is no regular custom in this. The nearest relatives give the couple a jewel
as a mark of affection, but do not give money. These jewels belong to the bride,and to no one else.

Three days before the wedding all the relatives of both parties assemble at the house where it is to
be celebrated, to make the pàlapàla, which is a sort of bower, by which they make the house larger so
that all the guests may be accommodated easily. They spend three days in making this. The next three
days are those custornary to the wedding and its feast. Consequently, there are six days of expense,of
racket, of reveling, of dancing and singing, until they fall asleep with fatigue and repletion,all helter-
skelter without any distinction. Often from this perverse river the devil in turn gets his little harvest--
now in quarrels and mishaps which have happened, and now in other more common sins; the greatest
vigilance of the father ministers is insufficient to stop these wrongs, and there are no human forces
(although there ought to be) which can banish these pernicious ogalis.

In the olden days they employed certain ridiculous ceremonies, which had but little decency GUIDE QUESTIONS
attending the intercourse of the couple upon the night of the wedding, customs which have now been
How did Juan Francisco de
totally uprooted. The least indecent was the coming of the catalona or babaylan to celebrate the San Antonio describe the
espousals. They brought a hog for this purpose, and with it and on it performed their rites as in other Visayan marriage tradition?
sacrifices. The young couple seated themselves on their bridal bed, in the laps of certain old women How did the Visayan dowry
who played the part of godmothers of the espousal. These women fed the young couple with their own system work?
hands from one dish, and they both drank from one vessel. The groom said that he loved the bride, and Has this dowry system persisted
she that she loved the groom.Thereupon the shouts of joy broke out, and cries, and there was singing up to now? Explain your answer.
and dancing and drinking. Then the catalona arose with great gravity, and so many were the blessings
that she showered down upon the young couple that,according to some that I have heard among these
natives,they would exceed without any doubt the flatteries of our gypsy men and women,when they tell
the fortune of one who has given them a large reward.

Source: The Philippine Islands, Vol. XL.

Excerpt from the Boxer Codex

The Boxer Codex is a comprehensive account of the Philippines and other parts of Asia-Pacific in the late sixteenth century.
Prominently acquired by the British scholar Charles R. Boxer in 1947, the manuscript was then translated by the National
Artist Carlos Quirino, and scholars Ma. Luisa Garcia and Mauro Garcia. Anonymously-authored, this work is a significant
source of early Filipino belief systems, customs, and tradition. More importantly, the detailed and colored illustrations found
in this manuscript set this codex apart from other contemporary accounts which makes it highly important to Philippine
historiography. The original manuscript of the Boxer Codex is presently housed by Indiana University in their Lilly Library, one
of the largest rare book and manuscript libraries in the United States.

The excerpt below is from the fourth chapter of the codex titled“Customs, Ceremonial Usages, and Rites of the
Bisayans"wherein the focus is on the tattooing and clothing traditions of the Visayans.
s islas
Primary Source
ntly Rizal in gives
light ditions of
during tion.Rizal The Bisayans are accustomed to paint their bodies with some very elegant tattoos. They do this with iron or brass rods,
rrected,ervations
the points of which are heated on a fire. They have artisans who are adept at this.They do this with such order,
on es
symmetry, and coordination that they elicit admiration from those who see them.These aredone in the manner of
Commons illuminations, painting all parts of the body,such as the chest,the stomach,legs,arms,shoulders, hands,muscles, and
among some, the posteriors.The women paint only the hands very elegantly. To the men, these paintings serve as
clothing,and thus they look alright although they usually go around naked,and wear nothing on the body except a
cotton cloth two fathoms long or a bit longer, and three-fourths of a fathom wide, which with a few polished
turns,they wrap around the waist and between the legs so as to cover their private parts and posteriors,leaving the
rest of the body naked. This cloth they call in their tongue bahaque, and with this and the paintins on their bodies,
they look well as if they were dressed very elegantly.They have another type of clothing,which consists of cotton
blankets that they make into morning wear.These are closed at the front.The men carry on their heads some very fine
multi-colored head-scarfs which they wear as some sort of Turkish turban. They call these in their language purones,
and they certainly are nice-looking and elegant. The young men wear them very finely with many inserts of strips of
gold.

The garments and dresses of Bisayan women consist of some blankets with diverse colored stripes made of
cotton, and others are made from a plant they have; some wear plain tafetta and damask that come from China. These
are made as follows: a blanket is sewn in such a way it becomes like a big sack of wheat with two openings; the head is
placed through one of opening, folding it down to the waist with both openings of the blanket falling below; a slipknot
with the same blanket is made above the waist by grasping it since it is very wide to be able to make the knot; it then
hugs the body,with the knot to one side, very elegantly done, and now it appears as if they were wearing a dress with
two skirts.One side is longer than the other because of the fold they make, and they appear in this fashion I have
described. With this they wear a pezuelo, a chemise with half sleeves that reach the elbows.although some wear them
with full sleeves. They are close fitting, without collars,and are low-necked or low-cut and are fastened at the front
with braids or cords of silk. Many wear a lot of gold jewelry that they use as fasteners and small golden chains, which
TIONS
they use as best as they can. They do not wear any kind of blouse, nor have they become used to it, because all they
hor describe
wear is next to the skin;the waist and the stomach,together with the legs,are uncovered to palm length. When they go
d clothing out,they bring a shawl-like wrap made of white cotton,some of colored tafetta. When the women leave their homes to
isayans? visit others, they walk very slowly, making a thousand movements with their body,with one sleeved arm
ficance of
upraised,because they consider it fashionable to do so. The men likewise do so, and if belonging to the principalia,the
women wear crowns and garlands on their heads made of tinsel imported from China,and sometimes when they do
ornaments to
not have these, they wear garlands made of roses and flowers from the fields.

Source: Boxer Codex

Excerpt from Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

by Antonio de Morga
Antonio de Morga's massive Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1609) was one of the most important account of the
Philippines in the early colonial period. This accout was made possible because of Morga's access to government
documents as a member of the Royal Audiencia. Thus, it is not surprising that numerous aspects of the cultural
traditions of early Filipinos were documented in the Sucesos. However, as stated in the last chapter, some of Morga's
statements were prominently annotated by Rizal in