CUSTOMS OF
THE
TAGALOG
By Juan de Plasencia, O.F.M
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• Fray Juan de Plasencia, also known as Juan de Portocarrero (real
name), was a member of the Franciscan Order who arrived in the
Philippines in 1578 along with the first group of missionaries.
• He was a Spanish Franciscan friar.
• He spent the majority of his life as a missionary in the Philippines,
where he established a number of towns in Luzon and wrote
numerous religious and linguistic works, including the Catecismo
de la Doctrina Christianna, 1581, which was the first book ever
printed in the country and translated the Christian Doctrines into
Tagalog.
• Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalogs (Customs of the
Tagalogs, 1589), a work in which he vividly described the political,
social, economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they
were Christianized, was made possible by his ongoing interaction
with the people he converted to Christianity.
• He believed that teaching the catechism, or outlining the
fundamental beliefs of the Catholic faith, is another crucial task of
a missionary. He failed to limit himself to the task of administering
the sacraments and baptizing new converts. At the time, his main
struggle was explaining the tenets of the faith to those who had
never heard of Christ or the Catholic Church. In 1593, he
published the Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Espaola y Tagal,
which went on to become the first book to be printed in the
Philippines. He read it to learn more about those faiths. In 1590,
Plasencia passed away in Liliw, Laguna.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE
DOCUMENT
• The chroniclers of the Spanish expeditions to the Philippines in
the early 16th and 17th centuries wrote larger monographs that
included sections on “Customs of the Tagalogs” (either chapters
or subsections).
• The Customs of the Tagalog was written for Western readers
rather than locals because of the author’s numerous biases, often
incorrect judgment, and pretensions.
• It was done on purpose for The Customs of the Tagalog to give
an eroticized portrait of the Tagalog people, which was obviously
influenced by politics and propaganda.
• In order to make it easier for missionaries to spread Christianity,
Juan de Plasencia published The Customs of Tagalog to
encourage natives and non-natives alike to understand
Spanish. He recognized early on the importance of learning the
native tongue in order to facilitate evangelism and cited some of
his endeavors to that effect in a letter to the King of Spain dated
June 18, 1585.
• He gathered elder men and those with the greatest capacity
among the Indios from various neighborhoods. After sorting
through a lot of nonsense regarding their government, the way
justice is administered, inheritance, slaves, and dowries, he was
able to get the simple truth from them.
ABOUT THE TEXT
• Original document of Customs of the Tagalogs is currently kept in
the Archivo General de Indias.(A.G.I) in Seville, Spain.
• Duplicate copy of it is kept in the Archivo Franciscano Ibero-
Oriental in Madrid, Spain
• English translation appeared in Volume VII of the Blair and
Robert’s The Philippine Island
CONTENT, PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
OF THE IMPORTANT HISTORICAL
INFORMATION FOUND IN THE DOCUMENT
• The story was able to explain the Datu-led government that native
Filipinos at the time had in place.
• The executive function of Datos comprises putting legislation into effect,
preserving tranquility and order in the barrio and providing his subjects
with protection.
• The main narrative provided a thorough description of the caste.
• System within the barangay made up of three social classes: the
Maharlika (nobles), Aliping Namamaay (commoners), and Aliping
Sagigilid (slaves), as well as their roles and restrictions both inside and
outside the barangay.
• Dowries, marriage between people of the same gender and different
genders (Maharlika and Alipin), and social class, norms, and customs
were all extensively discussed.
• Placensia includes a thorough listing of the guidelines for determining a
• Then he gave a thorough explanation of the laws and procedures
governing the partition of inheritances. Laws, sentencing, and
penalties for those found guilty within the barangay as well as
between two barangays, as in childbirth and marriage, were also
provided.
• The concept of life after the rest of the native Tagalogs was
discussed; (a.) Macaor Paradise for those who are upright, brave,
and morally righteous (b.) Casanaan, or the place of suffering,
misery, and punishment. A region of suffering for the evil, inhabited
by the devil Sitan.
• Plasencia’s report is primarily descriptive because it was meant to
depict the Tagalogs’ daily existence. The first work itself is the result
of perceptions and conclusions.The presentation of Juan de
Plasencia’s views and evaluations may therefore be biased in his
work.
CONTRIBUTION AND RELEVANCE
OF THE DOCUMENT IN UNDERSTANDING
OF THE GRAND NARRATIVE OF THE
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
• The examination of the prehistoric lives of the people who lived in
central Luzon was made possible by the Tagalog customs. The
text’s information produced vivid picture that enabled further
investigation of the old Tagalog customs as well as comparisons
with other accounts of the subsequent era and key historical
occurrences in the Philippines.
• Numerous customs and beliefs from the 10th century can be
inferred to still be in use today, including the belief in mythological
creatures and other superstations. Additionally, it confirms that
the Philippines had a government and a distinct culture
throughout the Pre-Hispanic era. In addition, the barangay
continues to be the smallest level of governance in our nation,
similar to datus in the past, which is likewise led by the barangay
captain now.
• The original work was produced through observation and
evaluation. As a result, it is likely that Juan de Plasencia’s work
has bias in how he presents his observations and conclusions.
• It is still used as a foundation for historical analyses of Tagalog
society.
• Many of the habits and beliefs from the 16th century are evidently
still in use today, including superstitions and the belief in legendary
creatures.
• The vivid description of Filipino life before Spanish and Christian
influences makes Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalog an
extremely well-liked primary source.
• It also includes a number of subjects that areapplicable to many
academic fields.
• For instance, political scientists find it useful because it offers details
about the social classes, political echelons, and legal system in the
Tagalog region.
• Additionally, it addresses issues like property rights, customs
surrounding marriage and burial, and how justice is administered.
• The narrative of Plasencia also records and popularizes our culture’s
unwritten conventions, traditions, and superstitious and religious
beliefs.
• The art of Plasencia also addresses our historical understanding of
hukluban, gayuma, aswang, and manananaggal.
