CUSTOMS OF THE

TAGALOGS
By: Juan de Plasencia

First Year- BSIT

Group 1
I. Background of the Author
 He was born in the 16th century to the illustrious family of the
portocarreros, in Placensia, in the region of Extermadura, Spain.

 His real name was Juan Portocarrero.

 Juan de Placensia was a spanish friar of the Franciscan Order who came
together with first batch of missionaries to the Philippines in 1578, He
was assigned to Southern Tagalog area.

 He wrote Customs of Tagalogs which describes the political, social

economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they were
Christianized.

 He helped in the foundations and organizations of towns in Laguna,

Quezon, Rizal and Bulacan
II. Historical background of the document
Customs of Tagalogs, originally Las Costumbres de los
Indios Tagalog de Filipinas was written by Juan de
Placensia when he was tasked to collect information
about the customs of the Filipinos that could be used
by the Spanish to understand and exploit the Filipinos.
In this document, Placensia was able to note the details
such as social classes, types of clothing, ornaments,
government and justice structure, inheritance, slave,
marriage customs, religious and superstitious beliefs,
economics and language.
 III. Content Presentation
 Barangay – the name originated when people came to land by means of
boat called barangay.

 Datus – the chief of barangay and captains in their wars who is obeyed
and reverenced.Three Castes: Nobles, Commoners, and Slaves

 Nobles – they accompany the datu in war and freeborn/maharlika.

They don’t pay tax or tribute to datu.

 Commoners – they serve their master but cannot be sold (aliping

namamahay), lives in their own house.

 Slaves – they can be sold and live to their master’s house (aliping

saguguilar)
 Economic Customs
 Foreign trade with Borneo, China, Java, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan
 Fishing in seas and rivers
 Hunting in high lands
 Planting of rice, crops, fruits and vegetables
 Trade of products with other barangays by boat
 Houses are made of bamboo, wood and nipa palm

Language and System of Writing

 Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon,

Magindanaw and Samarnon are used that originated from the Malayo-
Polenisian Language
 Alphabets consisted of 3 vowels and 14 consonants called Baybayin.
 Wrote on plant leaves, bamboo tubes, and bark of trees
 Used tap of trees as ink and pointed stick as pencil.
 Cultural Customs
 Sons and daughters are trained in proper choice of

mate by their parents

 Courtship begins with Paninilbihan

 Pamamanhikan (approval) before marriage

 The man needs to give dowry (payment) to the

woman’s family before marriage. It can be bigay-kaya

(a piece of land or gold), panghihimuyat (a gift for the
bride’s parents), bigay-suso (for brides wet nurse)
 Marriage between two different social classes were not

common
 Several grounds of divorce are adultery, abandonment

on the part of the husband, cruelty and insanity.

 Religion Customs
 Pandot or worship is a festive celebration, includes

performing of sacrifices to their idols that lasts for few days.

 Often sacrifices goats, fowls and swine. This was performed

for the healing of the sick, good harvest, happy

marriage, successful childbirth etc.
 They have feast for the members of barangay which is called

Nagaanitos.
 Worship is performed in a large house of a chief.

 The place of worship was called temple.

 They worship many gods and godesses: Bathala, supreme

being; Idayanale, god of agriculture; Sidarapa, god of

death; Agni, god of fire; Balangaw; god of rainbow;
Mandarangan, god of war; Lalahon; god of harvest;
Siginarugan, god of hell.
 They also believe in sacred animals and trees
Superstitious Beliefs

 They believe in aswang, dwende, kapre, tikbalang, tiyanak

 They also believe in magical power of amulet and charms
such as anting-anting, kulam, and gayuma.

Manner of burying

 The deceased was buried beside his house, and if they

were a chief, he was placed beneath a little house of porch
which they constructed for his purpose. Before entering
him, they mourned him for four days and afterwards,
placed him in a boat which served as a coffien or bier.
Distinction of Priest and the Devil
 Catalonan

 Mangangauay

 Manyisayat

 Mancocolam

 Hocloban

 Silagan

 Mantatangal

 Osuang

 Mangangayoma

 Sonat

 Pangatahojan

 Bayoguuin
 IV. Analysis of the important historicalinformation found in the document

 The historical information in Customs of Tagalog describes the

way of life of the Filipinos before Spanish and Christian
influences.

 Marriage, rituals, burial, social classes and political stratifications

of the Tagalog region were tackled in this primary source.

 The claim of the Spaniards that when they arrive in the

Philippines, Filipinos were still uncivilized and lacking inculture
was proven wrong by Placensia’s account.

 During the pre colonial time, Filipinos became more aware of

morality and the beliefs of Christianity that the Spaniards brought
to us.
V. Contribution of the document in understanding the grand
narrative of Philippine history

 The original work itself is a product of observations and

judgments. Therefore, it is probable that Juan de Placensia’s
work might contain partiality in presenting his observations
and judgment.

 It has continued to serve as a basis for historical

reconstructions of Tagalog society.

 Pre-conquest society were not swept by the advent of the

Spanish regime.

 This account served as the framework for Spanish laws and

policies.
 VI. Relevance of the document to contemporary
times
 It serves as an evidence that during the pre-his

panic period, Filipinos already have government

as well as a set of beliefs and practices.
 This account is considered to be the foremost

source of information about the old customs of

the Filipinos.
 Most of the 16th  century beliefs and practices are

already not present today.

 Placensia’s account preserves and popularizes

the unwritten customs, traditions, religion

and superstitious beliefs of us Filipino.
  VII. Individual Reflection / Learning experience

 This proves that the Spanish colonization greatly changed the

cultures and traditions of the early Filipinos especially when
they introduced Christianity. It states how during that period,
Filipinos already have asystematic government and rulers as
well as set of beliefs and practices. What I don’t like about the
early Filipino’s customs is the castes system. I realize that we are
very lucky that at the present time, this social stratification is not
existing anymore. However, there are also some customs that I
wish were still existing like the marriage customs such as
paninilbihan and pamamanhikan. I think it would be good if we
have preserved these traditions. All in all, this account of
Placensia thought me that not all of the customs that we had are
influence of the colonizers and Philippines had rich culture even
before the colonizers.