Customs-of-the-Tagalogs1234567891112.ppt

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1. Customs of the Tagalogs
by Juan de Plasencia

2. Juan de
Plasencia

3. Background of Juan de
Plasencia
Born in the early 16
th
century to the illustrious
family of the Portocarreros in Plasencia in the
region of Extremadura, Spain
He was a Spanish Friar of the Franciscan order
Said to have been inspired to be a Franciscan
because of his upbringing spent during a
spiritual and religious resurgence affected by
Spain’s siglo de oro

4. Arrival in the Philippines
Came with the first batch of Franciscan
missionaries in the Philippines
Dispatched Seville in 1577 and stopped over
Mexico for 6 months
His real name is Joan de Puerto Carrero,
del
 convento de Villanueva de la Serena
Arrived at a port in Cavite in July 2, 1578

5. Life in the Philippines
Started preaching in Laguna de Bay and Quezon
areas as early as two months upon arrival in
Manila
Also preached in provinces of Bulacan and Rizal
Elected as the custos of the friars in May 23,
1584 and held it until 1588
Passed away in Liliw, Laguna in the year 1590

6. Juan de Plasencia
Initiated the Reduccion Policy
Policy to reduce or resettle natives in central
locations
Some of his works aimed to put an end
to some injustices being committed
against the natives by certain government
officials

7. Works of Juan de Plasencia
Arte de la Lengua (Art of Language)
Vocabulario
Coleccion de frases tagala (Collection of
Tagalog Phrases)
Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana (1581)
Translated the Christian Doctrines in Tagalog

8. Works of Juan de Plasencia
Diccionario Tagalog (1580)
La Santina (1585)
Opus on prayer and meditation
Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalos
(1589)
First Civil Code of the Philippines

9. Historical Background
Prior to the colonization of the Spaniards, the
Filipinos, particularly the Tagalog, already had customs
and beliefs that they followed and are accustomed to.
 
These customs and beliefs show how systematized and
civilized their way of living is.
 
Fr. Juan de Plasencia received a letter from his lordship
requesting him to write and discuss the customs and
beliefs of the Indians.

10. Historical Background
In order to fulfill this request, he thoroughly informed
himself by collecting people from different districts
(old men and those with the capacity to tell him) all
known to him.
He then tried to compile the facts with regard to the
Indians’ government, administration of justice, slaves,
inheritance and dowries.

11. Analysis – Customs
Datos (chiefs)
governed them and were captains in their wars, and
whom they obeyed and reverenced
subject who committed any offense against them, or
spoke but a word to their wives and children, was
severely punished.
Ruled a barangay

12. Analysis – Customs
Barangay
as many as a hundred houses, sometimes even less than
thirty
many barangays in a town, they are not subject to one
another, except in relationship and friendship (Chiefs
helped one another in wars)

13. Analysis – Customs
Maharlica (nobles)
Didn’t pay taxes/tribute to dato, accompanies him in
wars instead (at his own expense)
very close to the chief (Feast before wars, division of
spoils after, rows boat for dato, helps build house for
dato and are fed for it)
Some cases, they paid a hundred gantas of rice annually
(when a new chief buys the land, new chief divided
lands as he see fit)

14. Analysis – Customs
Division of lands
the land of a barangay, especially the irrigated portion, is
divided upon the members
cannot be cultivated by a person from another barangay
UNLESS: purchased or inherited
TINGUES (mountain ridges) owned in common by
barangay
Chiefs had fisheries (with limits) and section of rivers (for
market), no one could fish or trade except members of
barangay. (Special exception to those who pay the privilege
in doing those)

15. Analysis – Customs
Aliping namamahay (commoners)
married and serves master (datu or not) with half of
cultivated lands
has own houses, property, gold
children inherits these lands, properties
cannot be sold and made slaves (saguiguilir)
If they should fall by inheritance into the hands of a son of
their master who was going to dwell in another
 village, they
could not be taken from their own village and carried with
him; but they would remain in their native village, doing
service there and cultivating the sowed lands.

16. Analysis – Customs
Aliping sa guiguilir (Slaves)
includes those who cannot pay debts, captives of war
can be a namamahay (commoner) when they pay their masters a
certain amount of gold (usually greater than 5 taels)
serves master in his house and on his cultivated lands
can be granted a portion of harvest for them to work faithfully (not
always and only if master profited from his work)
can be sold, servants born in house of master are rarely sold
Consequently, the alcaldes-mayor should be instructed to ascertain,
when anyone asks for his
 
alipin, to which class he belongs, and to
have the answer put in the document that they give him.

17. Analysis – Customs
Conception of Children on Non-Married couples
Maharlicas on both father and mother side are maharlicas
forever (can be slaves through marriage)
If a maharlica had children among his slave, the child and
mother becomes free
If the child is from a slave-woman of another, mother should pay
half of a gold tael to master (because of risk of death and
inability of servitude during pregnancy)
If child is recognized by the father(by supplying with food) , half of
him was free. If not, the child is wholly a slave
If a free-woman has children by a slave, they are free provided
that she is not married to the slave.

18. Analysis – Customs
Conception of children on married couples
If a maharlica marries an alipin (whether namamahay or
saguiguilid), the 1
st
, 3
rd
, 5
th
child belonged to father, 2
nd
, 4
th
,
6
th
, to the mother. If father is free, children are free. If father
is a slave, children are also slaves. Same applies to the
mother (when the number of children is even number)
When the number of children is odd, the odd one is half-
free/half-slave
If only 1 child, the latter is half-free/half-slave
Those who became slaves fell under the category of servitude
which was their parent's, either namamahay or sa guiguilir

19. Analysis – Customs
Transferring of barangays
Aliping saguiguilir can be transferred to other barangays
when sold
Aliping namamahay cannot be sold and can only be
transferred through inheritance (barangay should be on the
same village)
Maharlicas cannot transfer village or barangays after marriage
unless they pay a certain fine of gold.(depends on the village.
Ranges from 3 taels to banquet to entire barangay)
failure of payment might result to war to the barangay he left
and entered

20. Analysis – Customs
Laws and punishments
Investigations made and sentences passed by dato
should take place in front of the barangay members
On special cases, an arbiter (unanimously chosen) is
named as a judge. (chosen because they are just and fair
men)
if person accused feels aggrieved,
if controversy lay between two datos who wish to avoid
war
when disputants belonged to two different barangays

21. Analysis – Customs
Laws and punishments
Condemned to death
a man of lowbirth who insulted daughter or wife of chief
witches and the like
slavery is never a punishment
unless a persons merited the death penalty
children and accomplices of witches
if fines were not paid
All other offenses were punished by fines in gold
if not paid, the culprit serves person aggrieved until payment
has been made

22. Analysis - Customs
Inheritances
legitimate children of a married couple inherited equally,
except when parents showed a slight partiality such as
gifts like gold taels or jewels
If one had children to two or more legitimate wives,
children receives inheritance and dowry of mother and
share of father’s estate
If one had a child to slave and to his legitimate wife,
former had no share of inheritance but the mother will
be freed and will be given a tael or a slave (if father is a
datu)

23. Analysis - Customs
Inheritances
If one had a child to a legitimate wife and another free woman
( inaasaya), legitimate child gets 2/3 of inheritance and the other gets
1/3
If no legitimate children and only from the inaasaya, the latter gets all
inheritance.
If a married woman had a child from another man
if husband punished adulterer, it’s considered dowry and the child is
part of the inheritance
If the husband did not punish the adulterer, the child is not considered
legitimate and gains no inheritance
Adopted children inherits the double on what was paid for their
adoption

24. Analysis – Worship
Simbahan
A temple or place of adoration
The whole barangay united and joined in the worship
which they call nagaanitos
Place to conduct a festival or “pandot”

25. Analysis – Worship
Bathala
“All powerful” or “maker of all things”
Sun
Moon
Stars
Lic-ha
Idols which were images with different shapes

26. Analysis – Worship
Dian masalanta
Patron of lovers and of generation
Lacapati and Idianale
Patron of the cultivated lands and of husbandry
Crocodiles
Paid reverence in fear of being harmed by them
A portion of what they carried in their boats

27. Analysis – Worship
Auguries
If they left their house and met on the way a serpent or
rat, or a bird called tigmamanuguin which was singing in
the tree, considering the incident as a sign that some
evil might befall them

28. Analysis – Worship
No established division of years, months, and days
Cultivation of the soil
Counted by moons
Different effect produced upon the trees when yielding
flowers, fruits, and leaves

29. Analysis – Worship
Manner of Offering Sacrifice
Proclaim a feast, and offer to the devil what they had to
eat
Done in front of the idol and praise it in poetic songs
sung by the officiating priest (Catolonan)
Objects of sacrifice were goats, fowls, and swine
Flayed, decapitated, and laid before the idol
A jar of rice
Buyos – small fruit wrapped in a leaf with some lime
Fried food and fruits

30. Analysis – Worship
Reasons for Sacrifices
Recovery of a sick person
Prosperous voyage of those embarking on the sea
Good harvest in the sowed lands
Propitious result in wars
Successful delivery in childbirth
Happy outcome in married life

31. Analysis – Worship
Young girl’s first monthly period
Blindfolded for four days and four nights
The friends and relatives were all invited to partake of
food and drink
At the end of this period, the catolonan took the young
girl to the water, bathed her and washed her head, and
removed the bandage from her eyes
Did this in order that the girls might bear children, and
have fortune in finding husbands to their tase

32. Analysis – Worship
THE PRIESTS OF THE DEVIL
1. Catalonan
Man or woman
Honorable one among the natives
Held ordinarily by people of rank

33. Analysis – Worship
2. Mangagauay
Witches
Deceived by pretending to heal the sick
Induced ailments by their charms
Capable of causing death
Prolong life for a year by binding a live serpent to the
waist
Serpent – believed to be the devil, or at least his
substance

34. Analysis – Worship
3. Manyisalat
Same as magagauay
Power of applying remedies to lovers
They would abandon and despise their wives
Prevent having intercourse with the wives
Abandoned women – bring sickness (discharge
blood and matter)

35. Analysis – Worship
4. Mancocolam
Emit fire from himself
Fire – could not be extinguished or emitted
Except if the priest wallowed in the ordure and filth
which falls from the houses
He who lived in the house fell ill and died

36. Analysis – Worship
5. Hocloban
Greater efficacy than the mangagauay
By simply saluting or raising their hand, they killed
whom they chose
Only in Catanduanes

37. Analysis – Worship
6. Silagan
To tear out the liver of anyone clothed in white and eat
it
Only in Catanduanes
Calavan – they tore out in this way through his anus all
the intestines of a Spanish notary

38. Analysis – Worship
7. Magtatangal
Show himself at night without his head or intestines
The devil walked about carried, or pretended to carry,
his head to different places
In the morning, returned it to his body
Catanduanes

39. Analysis – Worship
8. Osuang
Equivalent to “sorcerer”
Seen him fly and he murdered men and ate their flesh
Visayas Islands
9. Mangagayoma
Another class of witches
Made charms for lovers out of herbs, stones, and wood,
which would infuse the heart with love

40. Analysis – Worship
10. Sonat
Equivalent to “preacher”
Help one to die, at which time he predicted the
salvation or condemnation of the soul
11. Pangatahojan
Soothsayer, predicted the future
12. Bayoguin
Signified a “cotquean”, a man whose nature inclined
toward that of a woman

41. Analysis - Worship
Manner of burying the dead
Deceased was buried beside his house
If he were a chief, he was placed beneath a little house or
porch which they constructed for this purpose
If he were a warrior, a living slave was tied beneath his
body until in this wretched way he died
Mourned for four days
Laid him on a boat which served as a coffin
Also accompanied by eating and drinking

42. Analysis – Worship
Manner of burying the dead [Aetas or Negritos]
Dug a deep, perpendicular hole
Placed the deceased within it, leaving him upright with
head or crown unburied, on top of which they put half
a coconut which was to serve him as a shield
Pursuit of some Indian, whom they killed in
punishment for the Negrito who had died
To this end they conspired together, hanging a certain
token on their necks until some one of them procured
the death of the innocent one

43. Analysis – Worship
Another life
“Maca”
“Paradise” or “village of rest”
Those who lived without doing harm
Possessed other moral virtues
“Casanaan”
“A place of anguish”
All the wicked
Here dwelt the demons, sitan
Heaven
Only Bathala who governed from above

44. Analysis - Worship
Ghosts
Vibit
Phantoms
Tigbalaang
Patianac
If any woman died in childbirth, she and the child
suffered punishment

45. Relevance to PH History
Caste system
Maharlica – nobles, free
Aliping sa guiguilir – slaves, could be traded
Aliping namamahay – commoners
Tribal gathering called barangay
Chinese influence already present
Tael

46. Relevance to PH History
Marriage was present even before the Spaniards came.
Filipinos had a religion before Christianity was
brought by the Spaniards
place of worship “Simbahan”
God called Bathala

47. Relevance of the Document
Proved that Filipinos had their
own culture before the
Spaniards came
Proof against the
Spaniards’ belief of “The
Indolence of the Filipinos”
Sobre la indolencia de los
filipinos by Dr Jose Rizal
Important piece of literature
giving us a glimpse of our
ancestors’ beliefs and practices

48. Relevance of the Document
We see the relations of our current
superstitions to the superstitions of our
ancestors
Mancocolam – priest of the devil; emit
fire from himself
Osuang – sorcerer; murdered men and
ate their flesh
Mangagayoma – made charms for lovers
to infuse the heart with love
Patianac – if a woman died in
childbirth, she and the child were
punished and at night could be heard
lamentin

49. Relevance of the Document
The term “barangay” is still used now for division of
towns/cities

50. Highlights of the Book
I.The Philippines Before and After Christ
1. The peopling of the Pacific
2. The Philippines before Magellan
3. The Philippines in prehistoric times
4. Racial and cultural history of the Filipinos
5. A rough survey of the prehistoric legislation of the
Philippines

51. Highlights of the Book
II. Asiatic Contacts
1.Early history of Philippine relations with foreign countries
2.A thousand years of Philippine history before the coming of
the Spaniards
3.The relations of the Chinese to the Philippine Islands
4.Chinese pottery in the Philippines
5.Chau Ju-Kua’s description of the Philippines in the thirteenth
century

52. Highlights of the Book
III. Spanish Contacts
1.Relation of the Philippine Islands
2.Customs of the Tagalogs
3.Customs of the Pampangans in their lawsuits
4.Relation of the Philippine Islands
5.Relation of the Philippine Islands and of their natives,
antiquity, customs, and government
6.The manners, customs, and beliefs of the Filipinos of long ago

53. References
http://ofmphilarchives.tripod.com/id8.html