Odango, Clint Xavier F.
June 20, 2020
GE2 2:15-4:15 pm. Dly.
BSN
Kindly make a content and contextual analysis of the given document by
giving the following items:
1. Background of the author
Fray Juan de Plasencia was born in the 1520 in the Region of
Extremadura, Spain. His real name is Joan de Puerto Carrero, del
convento de Villanueva de la Serena.
He was a member of the Franciscan Order who came together with the
first bact of missionaries to the Philippines in 1578 and said to have been
inspired to become a Franciscan because of his upbringing spent during a
spiritual and religious resurgence affected by Spain's Siglo de Oro.
Plancensia wrote the Customs of the Tagalog which is a popular primary
source pertaining to the customs of Filipino people during the precolonial
period. He spent most of his missionary life in the Philippines, where he
founded numerous towns in Luzon and authored several religious and
linguistic books, the Cetecismo de la Doctorina in tagalog Doctrina
Cristiana in 1581, the first book ever printed in the Philippines. He
Converted natives, taught catechisms, and organized towns and barangays
in the Philippines. Promoted the understanding of both the Spanish
language among the natives, and the local languages among the
missionaries, to facilitate the task of spreading Christianity.Some of his
works aimed to put an end to some injustices being committed against the
natives by certain government officials.
2. Historical background of the document
It was written on the year 1589 during the Spanish Colonial Period. After
receiving the Lordship’s letter, Plasencia wished to reply immediately; but he
postponed his answer in order that he might first thoroughly inform himself in
regard to People’s request, and to avoid discussing the conflicting reports of
the Indians. Therefore, he collected Indians from different districts – old men,
and those of most capacity; and from them he have obtained the simple truth,
after weeding out much foolishness, in regard to their government,
administration of justice, inheritance, slaves, and dowries.
Customs of the Tagalogs is a part (either chapters or subsections) of longer
monographs written by the chroniclers of the Spanish expeditions to the
Philippines during the early 16th and 17th centuries. They appeared initially in
Blair and Robertson’s 55 volumes, The Philippine Islands (1903) and in the
Philippine Journal of Sciences (1958).
3. Content presentation and analysis of the important historical information
found in the document
Customs of Tagalog it detail about the government, the social classes,
their marriage, their religious and superstitious beliefs of the Filipino people
early 15th century. The chief they called dato is a captain in wars, who
governed them, and they obeyed and reverenced. The tribal gathering called
in Tagalog a barangay. There are three castes it includes nobles, commoner
(Aliping namamahay), and slaves (Aliping guiguilir). The nobles or maharlica
they did not pay tax, Commoners or Aliping namamahay is who owned their
hoses and only served their master as-needed basic, and Slaves or Aliping sa
guiguilir is who didn’t own a thing nor enjoyed any social privileges. The man
has to court women its called Paninilbihan. The men will give dowries to the
women parents as a sign of their marriage. They also allow divorce for the
reason adultery, negligence, cruelty and insanity. In the past they also worship
supreme called bathala. They also have a temple or a place of adoration in
Tagalog simbahan. They also many idols such as Lic-Ha, Tala (Stars), Seven
Little Goats (the Pleiades), Mapolon (change of seasons), Balatic (greater
Bear), Buaya (crocodile), Tigmamanuguin (rat or a bird singing in the tree),
They haven't established the division of years, months, and days. The
distinctions made among the priest of the devil such as Catalonan,
Manganguay, Manyisalat, Mancocolam, Hocloban, Silagan, Magtatangal,
Osuang, Mangagayoma, Sonat, Pangatahojan, Bayoguuin. Aside from the 12
priest of devil there are also evil creatures such as Sitan, Tigbalaang and
Patianac. Some of this devil creatures are very similar to the Philippines
Mythology.
4. Contribution and relevance of the document in understanding the grand
narrative of Philippine history
- Customs of Tagalog is important in Philippine history because it mainly
accounts the life system of the Filipinos during the pre-hispanic period.
- Knowing with these facts opens up the idea of the current Filipino people that
the life system nowadays is not much stricter compared to the system before.
- That Plasencia accounts the religious system before that he mentioned that
the early Filipino people have “Bathala” whom they worshiped with., bathala is
all powerful and maker of all things. There are different kinds of evil person
such as mangagauay, mancocolam, hocloban, etc.
- Some of the beliefs and practices Plasencio mentioned are presents until this
days
- Some of our preceptions on Filipino beliefs and practices are somehow on
different from Juan de Plasencia’s point of view
- The Customs of the Tagalogs acts as a standard source of the references as
to the pre-conquest natives as it was considered as a primary source.
5. Learning experiences
This Spanish era have some event yet may not know about colonization in
our country for me, so this Customs of Tagalog tells me how important to look
back and to know our traditions and beliefs. Some are mentioned in this
document have a similar to our nowadays.
