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Polytechnic University of the Philippines Quezon City Campus

HEYOGRAPIYA AT KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS (HIST 1013)

CHAPTER II: PRE-COLONIAL PHILIPPINES

WRITTEN REPORT
Submitted to: Prof. Ester Gulmatico

Submitted by: Estavillo, Shanin A. Mandapat, Shirlene D. BBTE 3-1

2. TRADITIONAL FILIPINO COMMUNITIES Early Filipino settlements varied in population sizes. Some were inhabited by thousands of people while others were small, composed only of a few scattered family members. The unit of social organization with broader political, economic, and religious features than the family was the barangay, headed by the native chieftain called datu or rajah. Consolidation of barangays was formed through marriages and blood compact, locally known as sandugo. This traditional ceremony signifies that the partakers of such rite become blood brothers, presumably because the same blood now flowed in their veins. They drew blood from their arms and mixed it with wine, which they shared and drank at the same time as viewed by witnesses. Chroniclers noted and characterized the social stratification system of pre-colonial Filipino community organization based on wealth political influence and social privileges enjoyed. The ranks were as follows: (1) the datu class or the ruling class; (2) the maharlika or aristocracy; (3) the timagua (TIMAWA) or the common class; and the (4) alipin (also known as uripon among the Visayans) or the dependent class. The datu or rajah ruled the barangay. Since the term barangay came from the word balangay, which means boat, Fr. Juan de Plasencia, a Spanich chronicler in the 16th century, speculated that the role of the datu arouse from the captain of a boat migrating to the Philippines with his family, relatives, and servants. Miguel de Loarca, in his Relacion de las Islas Filipinas (1582) said that the datus who live in the same town obey the wealthiest among them. Furthermore, Antonio de Morga in his Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas mentioned that only the best warriors were obeyed. The Boxer Codex, an anonymous late 16th century manuscript mentioned that the only men were qualified for the title. The datus power depends upon the faithfulness of his followers. The datu exercised administrative powers. In arriving at important decisions, the datu also exercised legislative powers, calling his people all together and securing their consent. He had the duty to protect his community. A datu also was given judicial powers since he could render judgment in any dispute. He should hear the testimony of the claimants before handling down the verdict. His decision could be appealed t an arbiter of the claimants choice from another community. Control over disposition of barangay real property was vested in their native chief. The chieftain received the agricultural produce, personal services as well as respect from his people. He took his share of the harvest as tribute except from the aristocracy or the maharlika.

Other historians include the family, relatives, and elders of the datu as members of the aristocracy. The maharlikas were believed to be the descendants of mixed marriages between a ruling dynasty and one out of power. The timawa classes enjoyed their rights to a portion of the barangay land. Their normal obligation was agricultural labor but they were also called to catch fish, to accompany expeditions, or paddle boats. They were also called out for irregular services like supporting feasts and building houses. An alipin was a man indebted to another. His creditor could have been a datu, maharlika, timawa, or another alipin. His subordination was obligatory. A person may be born alipin, for that reason he was gintubo. He inherits the debt of his parents. The degree of alipin indebtedness may vary. For example, if alipin and timawa marry, their offspring would be half-alipin where he would only work half of his fathers obligation. There were two kinds of alipin, the aliping namamahay and the aliping sagigilid. The alipin with land rights was called namamahay (householder). He owned a house. He came at his masters call to work on the fields and do other services. A man enters the namamahay status either by inheritance from namamahay parents, dropping down from the timawa status or rising form the sagigilid status. The aliping sagigilid (gilid is the part of the house where the stove is) were members of the masters household who ate from their masters pot. They may be transferred to another creditor at any moment and may be rewarded at their masters pleasure. Slaves purchased from outside community and captivates in battles of raids were included in the sagigilid status. The barangay had both oral and written laws. The oral laws were their customs (ugali), which had been handed down from generation to generation. The written laws were promulgated by datus with the help of the council of elders. However, theses laws may be changed by consensus among ruling datus or by any among them by powerful enough to do so. Such written laws were announced to the people by a barangay crier known as umalokohan. The unwritten codes of conduct were strictly obeyed. Righteousness was cabanalan and an upright person was described banal. Any wrongdoing would mean reprehension form the community leaders and more importantly, from the supernatural beings. When a witness was called to testify against anybody, it was customary to say, may lightning strike me if I am telling a lie. May the heavens or the sun fall upon me if I will tell a lie. They believed that after death, the soul would travel another world to receive due reward or punishment. The good soul would go to kalwalhatian (state of bliss) according to the Tagalogs and ologan, to the Visayans. The bad soul would go to a place of doom called kasamaan by the Tagalogs and solad by the Visayans.

Aside from their strong belief for life after death, archaeological sites show that there was a local form of ancestor worship. Early Filipino contacts with other Asians brought about changes in the belief system like the anito concept to honor ancestors. The Visayans called their ancestor spirits umalagad (from the word alagad or follower). The notion of diwatas (spirits) that dwell in nature was also pervasive in the Visayas and Mindanao. The abstract idea of religion was concretely shown in sculptured objects know as licha (likha) or larawan, reverently worshipped by the natives. The Cordillera people carved anito figures called bulol, signifying as ancestral spirits and granary gods. This statue was placed in front of the door of a rice warehouse to serve as caretaker. Aside from sculptured objects, the relationship between ancient spirits and men were expressed in elaborate paintings executed on the bodies of human beings. Tattooing, as believed by some people, was done as a thanksgiving offering to the gods, while others in many instances, had it done to acquire protective powers from spirits or were applied after a man had shown remarkable courage in battle. The supreme god of the Tagalogs was Bathala or Abba. He was said to inhabit a faraway realm of eternal space known as kalwalhatian. For the Bontoks and Kankanays of the Central Cordillera, Lumawig was the creator and preserver of life. Among the Ifugaos, the highest of all their deities is Kabunian, who dwells in the fifth region of the universe. There were also minor gods and idols. Theses include lakambini, the god of the throat; bibit, who was offered food by the people for good health; lakambacod, guard of the crops; and, lakapati, who was the god of the fields and had a half-woman and half-man figure. Rituals and ceremonies to appease the different divinities were celebrated customarily by the people, ranging from simple to complex performance by the menfolk of the community to drive away bad spirits which they believe bring poor harvest or ailments to people. The worship services called the baki, which starts at the crack of dawn, was headed by a mumbaki (native priest). Animal sacrifices were offered to the gods for good omen. The participants, with their bodies adorned with leaves of the red Ti plant or the dongla, beat their wooden planks called bangibang (painted with chicken blood) from the terraces to the river and to their homes. This was to frighten hidden rodents and prowling wicked spirits. At the end of the ritual, the dongle leaves were removed from the participants and strung together. One of the most popular religious ceremonies during the ancient times was the paniwata, frequently celebrated for thanksgiving and for curing illness. The religious rituals were performed by mediums and healers, which the Tagalogs called catalonan while the Visayans termed as babaylan or baylan. They belonged to the highes rank of the early Filipino priestly caste. They were highly respected by the community members. The priestly caste also included

the mankokolam, which was of a lower rank. People feared him because he was believed to have the power to inflict diseases. One feast, the maganito was a month-long celebration. Usually, they put lights to several poles, which surrounded a central light. Leaves served as decorations. At times when the occasion demanded a sacrifice, the prettiest girl was first asked to stab the offering (usually a live pig). The people in the feast followed her, and the meat of the dead hog was then given to the guests. In many provinces, winemaking is an age-old enterprise. Their most popular wine was the tuba, made from the sap of coconut or rupa palms. The other wines manufactured in the islands were basi, and Ilocano wine from sugarcane juice; pangasi, a Visayan wine made from rice; lambanog, a tagalong wine produced by distillation of tuba; and the tapuy, an Igorot wine made from rice. The early Filipinos taught their children how to endure lifes challenges. The fathers trained their sons in hunting, fishing, timber cutting, boatmaking, mining, and agriculture. The mother, on the other hand, trained their daughters to do household tasks like cooking, gardening, and sewing. It is said that in ancient Panay, there was a barangay school called bothoan, under the charge of an old man, acting as the teacher. The subjects taught were reading, writing, arithmetic, the handling of weapons and the acquiring of amulets or kinaadman. Also part of the native tradition was indigenous music and dances. The musical instruments were made of bronze, wood and bamboo. In Northern and Southern Philippines, the lip valley notch flute became popular. Jaw harps were also found all over the archipelago. These were mostly made of bamboo, some of them were made of metal. The bamboo jaw harps of the Kalingas were called olibaw. The tagalongs called it barimbaw. In Mindanao, kubing was the common term for these bamboo jaw harps. Among the musical instruments being played by the natives were the kudyapi (tagalong guitar), kalaleng (Tinggian nose flute), babandil (Maguindanaoan gong), kulintang (Muslim xylophone), tultogan (Visayan bamboo drum), silbay (Ilocano reed flute), the suracan (Subanun cymbal) and tambuli (trumpet made from carabao horn). Bungkaka is a bamboo buzzer played by striking the split ends against ones palm. Ancient songs exhibited varied emotions, with themes about love, war, labor, religion, and death. Among these were as follows: tagumpay, Tagalog song of victory; ayeg-klu, Igorot serenade song; bactal, Tagbanua death song; and tudob, Ausan harvest song. Ethnic dances, which had been part of every tribe and culture, reflected the sentiments and artistry of the populace. Their dances, customarily light-hearted and mimetic, were in

connection with their beliefs in spirits, in thanksgiving and healing, in courtship. Some of the native dances included the mahinhin, a Tagalog courtship dance; the dandansoy, a Visayan tuba dance; the sua-sua dance, a Sulu courtship dance and the apunjalay, a Muslim wedding dance. Kali, later called arnis during the Spanish era, was popular all over the islands. It was a method of self-defense with instruments made of rattan canes or betel nut tree trunks. As an art of battle, the kali requires basic skills of parrying, offense and defense. In commerce, the early Filipinos had their own weights and measures. They used the talaro, a kind of balance with scales, for weighing things. Measurement for capacity were the kaban (25 gantas,) the salop (1 ganta), the kaguitna (one-half ganta), and the gating (one chupa). For length, measures used were the dipa, the length of the outstretched arms; the tumuro, the length between the tip of the thumb and that of the forefinger when extended; the sandamak, the width of the hand with the five fingers pressed together; and the sandal, the width of one finger. They also knew the art of coinage and had gold used as medium of exchange. Modern numismatists call these ancient gold coins piloncitos (little cones) because of their conical shape. Shells and bronze gongs were also used as money in exchange of other goods. However, the usual method of trading during those times was barter in which they offered their own products in exchange of other goods. Aside from rattan, pearls, precious shells, and other marine and forest products, the early Filipinos traded their native merchandise such as baskets and mats. Nontextile weaving industry in the archipelago was a result of the proliferation of organic materials such as bamboo, rattan, vines, and rono reeds. Mat-making was also popular in the islands. Various palms were sources for this flourishing industry. The natives made distinctively large mats for sleeping. Mats were also fashioned as home furnishing to sit on and receive distinguished guess. Sulu mats were the most intricately woven. They colorfully dyed pandanus mats and occasionally incorporated symbols and geometric designs. They early natives also knew mathematics. They could count up to 100,000,000 (bahala) and could add, subtract, multiply, divide. The terms for numerical were as follows; isa (one), puo (ten), daan (hundred), libo (thousand), yuta (one hundred thousand), angao (one million), kati (ten million, and bahala (one hundred million). They also learned how to calculate time and identify seasons by reading the signs of nature. The early or late flowering of certain plants could indicate a long dry season or early rains. The Ifugaos, on the other hand, devised a calendar, which contains 13 months in a year, each month having 28 days. Some members of this ethnic group still utilize this calendar method. They had a tribal calendar recorded called tumunoh, who kept 13 strings representing

the 13 month of the year. At the end of each day, the tumunoh tied a knot per string to show that a day had passed. A string with 28 knots represents one month. The Ifugao calendar has a total of 364 days a year. The early inhabitants also had some knowledge of medicine. Folk healers applied certain roots and leaves, flowers and fruits, branches and pistils of plants containing substances with curative powers. Long before the coming of the Spaniards, the natives of the islands were already wearing clothes. Men wore collarless, short-sleeved coat called kangan and a strip of cloth called bahag, wrapped around the waist and between the legs. Usually, they wore putong, a piece of cloth worn around the head. Though they had no footwear, they wore jewels such as gold necklaces, gold armlets called kalombigas, and gold anklets filled with agates, carnelians and other colored glass. The women wore a wide-sleeved bloused called baro. Their skirt was called patadyong. Their personal trimming consisted of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings made of gold at times filled with pearls, carnelian breads, and other precious gems. Numerous types of glass and stne beads have been unearthed in Philippine archaeological sites, providing substantial proof of early trade relations of the archipelago with foreign lands. One personal garb in the islands was the salakot (native hat), worn as protection from heat or sudden rain. Generally made of anahaw (a forest palm), the salakot was widely used in Central Luzon and the Visayas. The Ilonggts used leather (from animals they hunt) in making shallow hats, while neighboring Bontoks used coiled rattan. The Ifugaos, on the other hand, wore perfectly fitted carved bowl-like hats, while the Maranaos and the Bagobos (Davao) made wooden hats as shield for combat. When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they were surprised to see the early Filipinos living in these well-organized and independent villages, the barangays. The native dwellers lived in houses made of wood and bamboo, roofed by nipa palm leaves called bahay kubo (nipa hut). Other materials used include yantok (rattan), cogon grass, stone, and clay. These houses were elevated three to four meters from the ground and usually supported by four or more posts made of wood or bamboo. The space beneath the house called silong, served as workspace, storage space, a granary or pen for livestock. A hagdan (ladder), which could be drawn up at night or when the owners of the house went out, was used to enter the nipa hut. The roof of the bahay kubo may be constructed on the ground, then completed over the house frame. The wall was built from nipa shingles or bamboo. The tinilad na kawayan (bamboo slats) which served as the floor of the house, were set slightly apart to induce ventilation. The doors, as well as the stairs were made of bamboo. The windows of the house differ in size, with a tubok (mast) to prop the swinging cover open during the day.

The principal space inside the bahay kubo, called the bulwagan, about ten square meters in area or larger, could be used for receiving guests, dining, and sleeping. Furniture in the bahay kubo is minimal, commonly with a low table for meals called dulang and a built-in seat called papag. A small silid (room) served as a dressing room and closet for clothes, pillows, and mats.

Chapter Test No. 3 ANSWER KEY


Name:_____________________________________________ Course, Year and Section: _____________________________ I. Date: ___________________ Score: __________________

Multiple Choice: Choose the letter with the correct answer. Write your answer on the blanks provided: (20 pts.) _A_1. The term Nusantao has this meaning. a. Maritime-oriented prehistoric people b. Hunting and gathering population c. Austronesians from South China and Taiwan d. People speaking Proto-Austronesian language _B_2. This theory maintains that the early inhabitants originated from south china and taiwan, and from there spread southward and westward. a. Mainland Hypothesis b. Mainland Origin Hypothesis c. Island Origin Hypothesis d. Evolution Theory

_A_3. He undertook the analysis of the Tabon skullcap and mandible in 1975 and discovered that the earliest inhabitant of the islands died due to a fall or a blow to the head. a. Neil McIntosh b. Peter Bellwood c. K.C. Chang d. Wilhelm Solheim II

_C_4. These are large rounded stones found in the riverbeds used as tools by the native settlers. a. core tools b. flake tools a. bronze b. copper a. vinegar b. tabon-tabon fruit c. pebble tools d. cobble tools c. iron d. gold c. coconut milk d. bakawan bark

_B_5. This is first metal to be widely used by the early Filipinos

_C_6. In Leyte and Cebu, they used this ingredient to remove the foul smell of fish.

_A_7. Aside from sappan wood, the ancient Filipinos used this bone painting.

a. hematite b. hemmatite

c. hennatite d. hermatite

_A_8. The native dwellers lived in houses made of wood and bambo, roofed by nipa palm leaves called a. bahay kubo b. bahay buko _D_9. This Filipino term is of Malay origin. a. ama b. maharlika a. Orang Bandjars b. Orang Dampuan _D_11. Bhattara is a Sanskrit term which has this meaning. a. Divine Being b. Highest God a. Ganesha b. Garuda a. Chau Ju-kua b. Ma-Tuan-lin c. Only Lord d. Great Lord c. Siva d. Lokesvara c. Wang Ta-yuan d. Yung-lo c. pakyaw d. upa c. Malays d. Mandayas c. bungalow d. tabon cave

_D_10. These were the men of Champa who traded with the Buranuns.

_A_12. A copper image of said elephant god of the Hindus was found I Mactan.

_B_13. He recorded the earliest Sino-Philippine relations in 972 A.D.

_D_14. Based on this Chineses record, the Philippines sent eight tribute embassies to Beijing. a. Chu-fan-chi b. Wen Shiann Tung Kao c. Tao-I-chih-lio d. Ming Shih

_B_15. He was the first to be mentioned in the tarsilas to have brought Islamic faith to Sulu. a. Karim ul Makhdum b. Tuan Mashaika _C_16. He founded the Sulu sultanate in 1450 A.D. a. Karim ul Makhdum b. Tuan Mashaika c. Sayid Abu Bakr d. Raha Baginda c. Sayid Abu Bakr d. Raha Baginda

_C_17. The confession of the creed among Muslims is called the

a. zakat b. sawm

c. shahadah d. hajj

_A_18. He was the Spanish chronicler in the 16th century who speculated that the role of the datu arouse from the captain of the boat called balangay. a. Fr. Juan de Plasencia b. Antonio de Morga c. Miguel de Loarca d. Antonio Pigafetta

_B_19. This was a month-long celebration where the natives would put lights to several poles, which surrounded a central light decorated with leaves. a. pandot b. maganito _D_20. He was a tribal calendar recorder of the Ifugaos. a. mumbaki b. umalohokan II. c. uripon d. tumunoh c. paniwata d. dulang

Matching type: Match Columns A and B. Write the letters on the blanks provided: (20 pts.) COLUMN A Set 1 _D_1. Kabunian _B_2. Lumawig _E_3. lakambakod _A_4. lakambini _C_5. Bibit Set 2 _D_1. Basi _E_2. Lambanog _C_3. Pangasi _A_4. Tapuy _B_5. Tuba a. Igorot wine made from rice b. From coconut and nipa palm c. Visayan wine made from rice d. Ilokano sugarcane e. distilled tuba wine made from a. God of the throat b. for the Bontoks, and Kankanays, the creator c. for good health d. supreme god of ifugaos e. Guard of the crops COLUMN B

Set 3 _A_1. Barimbaw _C_2. Kulintang _B_3. Silbay _E_4. Kudyapi _D_5. Babandil Set 4 _B_1. Kinnoton _A_2. Paunjalay _D_3. Mahinhin _C_4. Dandansoy _E_5. Kumintang III. 2. Essay: (10 pts. Each) Discuss the cultural evolution of the early inhabitants of the Philippines. a. Muslim wedding dance b. Ilokano ants dance c. Visayan tuba dance d. Tagalog courtship dance e. Tagalog war dance a. Tagalog jaw harp b. Ilokano reed flute c. Muslim xylophone d. Maguindanaoan gong e. Tagalog guitar

1. How did the teachings of Islam influence the Filipino society?

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