Pre – colonial Era in the

Philippines
 Mountain Systems: Three Largest Mountain
Ranges
• Caraballo Del Sur – its highest peak reaches the
intersection of Abra, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan. This
range divides the north Cordillera from the Central
Cordillera, the region west of Cagayan River.
• Sierra Madre – a.k.a. the Pacific coast range.
Begins from Baler, Quezon and across Isabela,
Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan. The longest
continuous range in the Philippines.

• Caraballo De Baler – from Baler to the South

eastern tip of Luzon
 River Sytems:
•Rio Grande de Cagayan - which drains the
Cagayan Valley
•Agno Grande – drains the Benguet and the
valley of Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Tarlac.
 • Abra River system – from Cordillera to Lepanto,
Bontoc and Abra
• Rio Grande de Pampangga – drain the fertile valleys
of Nueva Ecija, Pampangga and Bulacan
• The Rio Grande de Mindanao – The largest river
system of the Philippines. That drains the Agusan
and Surigao
Volcanoes and Earthquakes:
•Iraya in Batanes island
•Taal in Batangas – erupted 33 times, and the
smallest volcano in the Philippines
•Bunahaw in Quezon
•Mayon in Albay – erupted 30 times since
1615
•Hibok- Hibok in Camiguin Island
•Makaturing in Lanao
•Apo in Davao
 Coastline
• this coastline in the Philippines extends to about
10, 850 statute miles, twice as long as the
continent of United States.
Product and Natural Resources
– ThePhilippine forest covers 40,000 square miles that
produces timber.
Common Traits
– Hospitality, very close family ties, respect for the
elders, naturally fatalistic, loyalty, tendency of indolence,
lack of initiative, naturally curious, helpful and jealousy
 Regional Traits
• Ilokano or Samtoy – Adventurous, industrious,
hardworking, patient and frugal.
• Tagalog – Stay put in his locality and stays with parents
even after marriage.
• Bicol Region – mild temper, religious, knows how to
enjoy life, loves spicy food, many dancers and priests
come from this region.
• Muslim Land – known for their fierce love for
freedom. The best friend and the worst enemy.
• The Visayan – Happy go lucky, prefer to have
good time than hard work.
 Peopling of the Philippines
• Negritos – Dark skinned, wide nosed foragers. Also
called Australoids, or Homo sapiens that left Africa and
travelled up to Australia.
• Formosan and Malayo-Polynesian – was said related to
the Filipino because of language.
• Nusantao – the Badjao and Samal who are seafarers.
Introduction of Islam

– In 1380, Raja Baginda introduced Islam in Sulu. Serif

Kabungusan, the first sultan in Mindanao, laid the
religion’s foundation and it spread like a wild fire.
Relations with the Orang Dampuans (also known
as Men from Champ)
– another group to have migrated in the Philippines from
southern Annam after the Malays.
Buranons – people of Sulu that massacred the Orang
Dampuans because of jealousy.
Relations with Banjarmasin
– Came in the Philippines as traders from northern Borneo.

Relations with China

– During the Sung Dynasty the first import came to the
Philippines
The Ten Bornean Datus

– Datus Puti, Bangkaya, Dumalugdog, Sumakwel, Lubay,

PAiburong, Dumangsil, Balensusa, Paduhinog, and
Dumangsol. Who fled for freedom from Sultan Makatunaw.
 The Alleged Code of Kalantyaw
• Ye shall not kill, steal, hurt the aged ( drowned with stones or
boiled water if infringed)
• Ye shall obey and pay debts punctually. (receive lashes or
beaten to death)
• Let no one have women who are very young nor more than he
can support, nor be given excessive lust. (swim for 3 hours,
death by sharp thorns, lacerated with thorns)
 • Do not disturb the quiet grave. ( killed by ants or beaten by
thorns as a punishment)
• Exchange for food will be done in accordance with his word.
(exposed among ants all day)
• Obliged to reverse site in respect for trees and more important
sites. (pay with one month work’s in gold or honey)
• Do not kill trees, shoot the aged with arrows at night, enter the
headman’s house with no permission and kill sharks or
crocodile. (Death)
 • Do not steal women from the headmen, do not keep ill-
tempered dogs, do not burn the field of another. ( Slavery for
a certain time)
• Let mother teach daughters secretly pertaining to lust (sex
hygiene) and be prepared to womanhood, let not men be cruel
to women or punish the women when caught in the act of
adultery or having sex in a young age. (cut to pieces and fed
to crocodiles)
• Do not sing while traveling at night, kill a Manaul (eagle-like
bird), tear the headmen’s documents and mock the dead.
(Beaten for two days)
 • Do not escape punishment, kill young boys and steal women
of agorangs. (old men)
• Do not disobey your superiors (as a slave), do not abuse
yourself with lust, do not destroy idols (drowned)
• Do not kill a black cat during a new moon, steal from chiefs
and agorangs. (exposed among ants for half a day)
• Do not hide beautiful daughters from the chiefs and hide them
away due to lack of faith. (made slave for life)
 • Do not eat diseases flesh, kill young Manaul or the
white monkey. (beaten)
• Do not break idols in olongans (shrines), do not destroy
daggers and break jars of priests. ( fingers will be cut
off)
• Do not profane shrines, graves of diwatas and headmen.
(death)
• Those who do not obey these rules shall be stoned and
crushed to death if a headman and be eaten by sharks
and crocodile if an agorangs.
Chinese Influences
– Mainly economic. Filipinos learned to use umbrellas,
gongs, leads and porcelain.
Chinese Tagalog
A-chi Ate
Bi-hun Bihon
Indian Influences
– primarily reflected on the Philippine Languages (Sanskrit).
Sanskrit Tagalog
Swamin Asawa
Maha Mahal
Artha Halaga
Ganda Ganda
Agama Religion (Visaya)
Raja King (Mindanao)
 In the Mountain Province, Igorot women’s loom, clothe
and color scheme are identical to the indian.
The Barong Tagalog also resembles the same cut and
embroidery as the Kurta of Lucknow, India except for the
color and cuffs. The Chord and Veil used for weddings are
also identical to Hindu and Muslim weddings.
Early Customs and Pratices

Clothing
For men: Kanggan – Black or blue collarless jacket with
short sleeves. The color indicated the rank. Red – Chief, those
below his rank wore blue or black.
Bahag – wrapped around the waist, passing down
between the legs.
For women: Baro or Camisa – a jacket with sleeves
Saya or Patadyong – a loose skirt. We also
have Tapis, that was wrapped about the waist.
Ornaments
– the early Filipinos adored kalumbiga or armlets, pendants,
bracelets, gold rings, earrings and even leglets. They also made
gold as fillings between teeth or to cover the decayed tooth.
Tattooing their body to enhance beauty and manliness.
Houses
– Built to suit tropical climate. Universally stakes arigues
(Columns) high above the ground. Has open Batalanes or
galleries used for chores.
Social Classes
The noble – Chiefs and their families
The freeman – or the Mahdlika in tagalog. Composed of those
who earned their freedom.
The dependents – known as alipin. The lowest status in the
society.
The Position of Women
– Before the Spanish era , Women are given the right, to name
their child and are equal to men and could inherit property,
engage in trade and industry and be a chief to a barangay in the
absence of a male heir.
Marriage Custom
A man of a class should marry a woman of the same class.
The legal wife called asawa while the other woman regarded as
friends.
To marry a woman, man should serve the parents for months
and in some regions for years.
Bigay-kaya – a dowry given by a man who was approved by
the woman parents.
Panghimuyat – money given the woman’s mother for bearing
her wife.
Bigay-suso – given to the bride’s nurse for feeding her in her
infancy.
Himaraw – reimbursement for the amount fed to the woman
during infancy.
Sambon – a bribe given to the relatives.
Government
Baranggay- Consisted of 30 to 100 families. Each
ruled by chieftains.
Laws
Customary – Handed down to generations orally
Written – Code of Kalantyaw
How a law was made? Chieftains call elders of the barangay
for a meeting, the elders would either approve or not.
Umalohokan – a person who would announce the law
household by household calling their attention by ringing a
bell.
Trials are held publicly and the public would choose for the
criminal’s fate.
Religious Beliefs

Idiyanale – god of agriculture

Agni – fire god
Magwayen - god of the other world
Lalahon – goddess of harvest
Siginarugan – god of hell
Diyan Masalanta – god of love
Sidapa – god of death
Balangaw – rainbow god
Mandarangan – god of war
Burial Beliefs
Morotal – mourning for woman Maglahi –
for men
Laraw – for a dead chief
Magic Charm Beliefs- Anting- anting
Economic Life

– agriculture as a primary source of resources. Kaingin system

were started. Others are poultry, fishing, mining, stock-
raising, lumbering, ship building and weaving.
Pre- Colonial Cultures
Languages
8 Major Languages
Tagalog Iloko
Pangasinan
Pampangan Sugbuhan
Hiligayon
Samarnon or Samar- Leyte
Magindanao
 System of Writing
Baybayin
– five vowels and fourteen consonant
Music and Dance
Jew’s harp of Bamboo – the first instrument used by Negritos
Bansic – made of mountain cane
Kudyapi – small guitar
Potato – a dance where in a man is stealing sweet potato.
Toture – a dance that portrays an enemy being captured.
Duel – two dancers portraying a battle with wooden bolos,
bows and arrows.
Lover’s – a man dancing around a woman
Art
– the evidence of art of the primitive people in the
Philippines were their tools and weapons, mainly
used for survival. Ornaments that adorned their
body also are considered as art. Tattoos were also
an art since it enhances beauty of a person.
Thank You for
Listening!!