1.
Background of the author Juan de Plasencia was the author of Customs of tagalog and a Spanish
friar of the Franciscan Order. He was among the first group of Franciscan missionaries who arrived in
the Islands on July2,1578. FrayJuan was born to the illustrious family of the Portocarrero in Plasencia
in the region of Extremadura,Spain ,in the early 16thcentury. He spent most of his missionary life in
the Philippines ,where he founded numerous towns in the
Provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, and Rizal. He authored several religious and linguistic books ,most
notably the Doctrina Cristiana (ChristianDoctrine) ,the first book ever printed in the Philippines. Juan
de Plasencia passed away in Liliw,Laguna ,in the year 1590.
2.Historical background of the document
Customs of the Tagalogs, like any other colonial document written during the Spanish colonial period,
was written with the intention of providing annex oticized description of the Tagalog natives that would
be appealing to them, obviously fed by politicians and propaganda and operated with the Western
gaze. The King of Spain charged Juan de Plasencia with documenting the customs and practices of
the colonized (natives) based on his research and judgment in a letter. He gathered Indios from
several areas, older males, and those with the high estability. He has gotten the straight forward truth
from them after sorting through a lot of nonsense about their government, enforcement of justice,
patrimony, slaves, and dowries. "CustomsoftheTagalogs" is a section (or chapters) of larger
monographs published by chroniclers of Spanish expeditions to the Philippines in the early 16th and
17th century.
3.Content presentation and analysis of the important historical information found in the document.
This narrative of Juan de Plasencia supports the concept tthat Filipinos had their own set of traditions,
rituals, and behaviors before the Spaniards occupied the Philippines. They have beliefs and a
government to which they adhere. He supplied facts that can help today's generations comprehend
our history and learn about traditions that are no longer performed. Eventoday,some16th-century
practices are still practiced by some ethnic groups in the Philippines, such as the Bagobo system,
which requires the bride-to-father be's to make are turn present equal to one-half of what ever is
agreed upon as dowry, and there are still people, particularly the elders, who believe in the existence
of tikbalang and tiyanak.
4.Contribution and relevance of the document in understanding the grand narrative of Phil.History
"Tagalog Customs" revealed how our fore fathers survived without the support of large Western
governments. Our fore fathers had their own way of ruling over a group of people known as
Barangays. They are already doing business with neighboring countries. The study of the ancient
lifestyles of the people who lived in central Luzon was made possible by the “CustomsofTagalog”. It is
still used as a foundation for historical analyses of Tagalog society. The text's contents produced vivid
pictures, enabling comparisons with other narratives of earlier eras and crucial moments in Philippine
history as well as additional examination of the ancient Tagalogs'customs.
5.Personal Insights
Plasencia's work is twisted because he believes Christianity is superior to the beliefs of the early
Filipinos. It just helps to emphasize how lowly the early Filipinos were regarded by the Spanish. Last
but not least, Plasencia's characterization of other indigenous people as Devil Priests piqued my
interest. It appeared to be propaganda designed to persuade everyone reading the paper that
aboriginal Americans with unique abilities were devils. They are simply normal humans that appear to
be devils duet of their attitudes and habits. They're only doing their civic job, but I can see how
Plasencia misinterpreted it given his differing religious beliefs. We don't know if Plasencia's work is
prejudiced in general since he is a Spaniard, but it did make a significant contribution.
