Group 3 Volume 101 Fray Juan de Plasensia

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

The Customs of the This document was
Tagalogs is a written as an answer
narrative on the to the request of the
established culture of monarchy in Spain
the Tagalogs in Luzon to provide
written by Juan de information about
Plasencia, a the administration of
Franciscan justice, inheritances,
missionary in the slaves, dowries,
Tagalog region since worship, burial and
1578 until 1590. superstition in the
colony.
CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

1 Author
2 Political
Aspect 3 Social
Classes

4 Laws of
Inheritance 5 Religious
Beliefs &
Traditions
6 Relevance
of the Topic
Today
Author Volume 101 Juan de Plasencia

Fray Juan de Plasencia

Juan de Plasencia, his real name He was a Spanish Franciscan
is Joan de Portocarrero, was born friar who lived in the Philippines
in 1549 in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain. during the 16th and 17th
centuries.

He and a fellow, Franciscan Fray Father Plasencia spent most of

Diego de Oropesa, were assigned his life in the Philippines as a
to do mission work in the missionary.
Southern Tagalog Area.

Fray Juan de Plasencia's Works:

His continuous interaction with the people he converted to
Christianity enabled him to write a work titled Relacion de las
Costumbres de los Tagalogs, where he vividly described the political,
social, economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they
were Christianized.

He also helped in the foundation and organization of numerous towns

in Quezon, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan.
Author Volume 101 Juan de Plasencia

More about Plasencia

Plasencia did not limit himself to the task of
administering the sacraments and baptizing
new converts.

He wrote the Doctrina Christiana en Lengua

Espanola y Tagala, which later became the first
printed book in the Philippines in 1593.

His biggest challenge at that time was how to

make the articles of faith comprehensible to
people who had never heard of Christ or the
Catholic Church.
 The Book Volume 101 Customs of the Tagalogs

The book is a
Father Plasencia is
detailed description
best known for his
of Tagalog customs,
work "Custom of
beliefs, and
the Tagalogs,"
practices, including
which he wrote in
marriage, death,
the late 16th
religion, and
century.
governance.
Plasencia's Credibility Volume 101 Customs of the Tagalogs

The Credibility of Plasencia

to Write the Book
Father Plasencia's credibility As a Franciscan
as a source for information missionary, he lived
on Tagalog customs is among the Tagalogs and
generally considered to be learned their language
high. and culture firsthand.

While Father Plasencia's work is generally considered to be credible, there are some
criticisms of his descriptions of Tagalog customs. Some scholars have argued that his
descriptions are colored by his own biases and the biases of the Catholic Church,
which was the dominant institution in the Philippines at the time.
Political Aspect
during the
Pre-Colonial Era
Political Aspect Volume 101 Barangay

Barangay
Barangay was the earliest form
of government in the
Philippines.

Barangay is a tribal gathering

that is composed of few people,
as many as 100 houses and
even less than thirty houses.
Political Aspect Volume 101 Barangay

Why is it called
barangay?
Barangay came from Malay, which
means “sailboat.” The early settlers and
traders used this as transport to reach
the archipelago.
Political Aspect Volume 101 Dato

Dato
1. When there is a war, the dato is
accompanied by his subordinates.

2. If the dato went upon the water, he

will be rowed for.
The one who governs the
barangay, from its minor to 3. If he built a house, his people will
help him.
major activities.
4. The whole barangay will clear his
land for farming.
Datos lead in war, and are
shown obedience and 5. Some datos have fisheries.

reverence. Privileges of a Dato

Political Aspect Volume 101 Dato

Chief Executive

Roles
Sole leader of the Barangay

Legislator

of a
Lawmaker, making laws for the
Barangay

Dato Judge
Holds the position as the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
Political Aspect Volume 101 Dato

How is the position of dato obtained?

By Inheritance Barangay's Choice
If the dato dies, his first son will take Based on one’s wisdom, wealth, and
over. physical strength, one could become the
If the first son dies and has no heir, the chief of a barangay.
second son will take over.
If the dato has no son, the eldest
daughter will take over.
Social Classes
during the
Pre-Colonial Era
Social Classes Volume 101 Pre=Colonial Era

Chief Nobles Commoners Slaves

Dato Maharlicas Aliping Aliping
Responsible for governing Free born Namamahay Saguiguilir
the whole barangay and was
a captain in wars. Not responsible to pay tax Serve their master with half Serve their master in his
or tribute to the chief but of their cultivated lands. house and his cultivated
obligated to accompany the
Supreme or highest class lands.
chief to wars at his own
among the social classes.
expense.

Assist the chief to his day-

to-day activity.
Social Classes Volume 101 Aliping Namamahay

Children are the heirs of

Can choose who to their father's property.
marry
Enjoy the rank or
privileges of their father.
Can acquire
property and gold Cannot be made slaves.

Live in their own Cannot be sold, together

with the wife of the
house
commoner.
Privileges of Privileges
Aliping Namamahay of their Children
Social Classes Volume 101 Aliping Saguiguilir

People become slaves

• Captivity in war
• Debt or unpaid debt
• Inheritance
• By purchase
• By crime committed

Slaves can be emancipated by

• Forgiveness
• Paying of debt
• By bravery
• By condonation
Social Classes Volume 101 Differences between Alipins

Aliping Namamahay Aliping Saguiguilir

Versus

• serve their master • serve their master

• have some privileges • does not have privileges
⚬ choose who to marry, ⚬ unless emancipated
⚬ acquire own property • can be sold - lowest of the
⚬ live in their own house low
• can never be sold
Social Classes Volume 101 Inherited by Children

Social Class
Inherited
by Children
If two persons marry as maharlicas, the family remains maharlica.
If the maharlicas had children among their slaves, the children and their mother
became free.
If one of them has children by the slave of the other, she is obliged to give half of a
gold tael to her master because of her risk of death and for the inability to labor
during the pregnancy.
If a free woman had children by a slave, they were all free even if they're not
married.
Social Classes Volume 101 Marriages

Marriage of If two persons marry as nobles, children stays

nobles.
Different If two persons marry of whom one was maharlica
Classes and the other is slave, it is divided based on the
order of the children's birth.
Social Classes Volume 101 Economy

"The lands which they inhabited were divided among the The chiefs in some villages also had fisheries with
whole barangay, especially the irrigated portion, and thus established limits, and sections of the rivers for markets.
each one knew his own. No one belonging to another Only those who belong to the chief can fish unless those
barangay would cultivate them unless after purchase or who don't pay for the privilege to do so.
inheritance."

The lands on the tingues, or mountain-ridges are not

divided, but owned in common by the barangay.

Economic System
 Social Classes Volume 101 Practice and Culture

Social Practice and Culture

When maharlicas are There is also a case where
married, they cannot one married a woman
move from one village to from another village, their
another, or from one children were afterwards
barangay to another divided by the two
without paying a certain barangays in order to
fine in gold as arranged keep them obedient to
among them. their dato or chief.
Social Classes Volume 101 Laws

Laws They had laws by which they condemned to death a man of low-
birth who insulted the daughter or wife of a chief.

The punishment for the witches is death. All

other offenses were punished by fines in
gold.
This was done in the following ways:
1. Half the cultivated lands and all their produce
belonged to the master.

2. The father paid the fine charged for the crime.

3. If the relative or friend of the culprit paid the

debt.
Social Classes Volume 101 Investigation & Judgement

Investigation &
Judgement
Investigation made and sentences passed by the dato
must take place in the presence of those of his
barangay.

If the litigant felt aggrieved, an arbiter was

unanimously named from another village or
barangay.

If the controversy lay between two chiefs, when they

wished to avoid war, they also summoned judges to
act as arbiters. This is the same if the disputants
belonged to two different barangays.
Different
Laws
of Inheritance
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Legitimate Child

The Legitimate One

The legitimate children of a father and mother
inherited equally, except in the case where the father
and mother showed a slight partiality by such gifts as
two or three gold taels, or perhaps a jewel.

Page 100
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Dowry

Dowry
It is a payment made by
the bride's family to the
groom or his family during
marriage. Dower
The property given to the
bride herself by the groom,
which she maintains
control over. Any other
items that should have
been given to a son were
considered when
distributing property.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Recipients

If someone had children with multiple legal wives, each

child would receive the inheritance and dowry from their Page 100
mother, along with a portion of their father's estate.

Whom will have

and whom will
not?
If a man had a child with his slave, that child would not
receive any inheritance. However, the man's legitimate
children were required to free the mother and provide him
with either money or another slave if the father was a chief.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Recipients

In addition to his legal children, if he had a son with a woman who was not his
wife but was given a dowry, that child would be considered a natural child.
This is true even if the child was conceived after he got married.

Whom will have

and whom will
not?
Illegitimate child will
only receive
one-third.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Recipients

When there
were no
children by a
Inaasava legitimate wife,
An unmarried but only
woman who has children by an Whom will have
children with a inaasava, the
latter inherited and whom will
not?
man but is not
considered as his all. If he had a
wife. child by a slave
woman, that
child received
his share as
above stated.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Recipients

Whom will have and whom will not?

Rule I Rule II Rule III

If there were no If a child by a free If the adulterer was

legitimate or natural married woman, born not punished by the
child, whether there while she was married, if husband of the
was a son of a slave the husband punished the woman who had the
woman or not, the adulterer this was child, the latter was
inheritance will only considered a dowry; the not considered as his
go to the father or child will inherit. If child, nor did he
grandparents, therethere were no other inherit anything.
brothers, or nearest sons than he, the nearest
relatives of the relatives will inherit
deceased. equally with him.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Dowry Agreements

Dowry
Agreements
If the women's parents are living, they
enjoy the use of it. At their death, if the
dowry has not been consumed, it is
divided equally among the children,
except in case the father would bestow
something additional for the daughter.

If the wife, at the time of her marriage,

has no parents,or grandparents, she
enjoys her dowry.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Adopted Children & Divorce

Adopted
Children
The double of what was
paid for their adoption.

Divorce
In the case of a divorce If she left him, and did If he possessed children at
before the birth of not marry another, the the time of his divorce,
children, if the wife left dowry was returned. the whole dowry and the
the husband for the When the husband left fine went to the children,
purpose of marrying his wife, he will lost the and was held for them by
another, all her dowry half of the dowry. their grandparents or
and an equal additional other responsible
amount go to the relatives
husband.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Death

Death of Wife or
Husband

Upon the death of the wife who in a year's time

had borne no children, the parents returned one-
half the dowry to the husband In the other case,
upon the death of the husband, one-half the
dowry was returned to the relatives of the
husband.
Laws of Inheritance Volume 101 Marriage Dowries

Marriage
Dowries Marriage dowries that fathers give to
their sons when they are getting
married are more complicated than
they seem, as half of the dowry is given
even when the sons are still young.
Religious
Beliefs and
Practices
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Simbahan

In all the villages, or in other parts of the Filipinas Islands, there are no temples
consecrated to the performing of sacrifices, the adoration of their idols, or the general
practice of idolatry.

Simbahan
temple or place of adoration attached to
the house of the Chief of the Barangay
(Dato).

During the feast, the whole barangay

united and joined in the worship which
they call nagaanitos.
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Animism

AnimismThe attribution of a soul

to plants, inanimate objects, and natural
phenomena. Others also worshipped:

Sun

Badhala
“all powerful” Moon
“maker of all things”

Tala
(Morning Star)
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Animism

They
Seven Little Goats
also
Balatic or Greater Bear
recognized
Change of Seasons

Lic-ha

The Pleiades

Ursa Major

Mapulon
sculpted by the
people
 Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Patrons

Patrons Goddess of Lovers, Goddess of Labor Goddess of Fertility &

Childbirth and Peace &Good Deeds Agriculture

Dian Masalanta Idianale Lakapati

Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Animals

Buaya Tigmamanuguin

A water lizard ( crocodile)

that causes fear and harm An Omen bird that
to the people connects to auguries

Animal Idols
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Priests of the Devil

Priests of the Devil

Mangagauay Silagan Hocloban
Witches who If they saw anyone By simply saluting
deceived by clothed in white, to or raising the hand,
pretending to heal tear out his liver they killed whom
the sick and eat it. they chose.
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Priests of the Devil

Priests of the Devil

Catalonan Manyisalat Mancocolam
Either a man or They apply such remedies to Emit fire from
a woman to lovers that they would himself at night, once
whom the devil abandon and despise their or oftener each
enters own wives month
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Priests of the Devil

Priests of the Devil

Mangangayoma Osuang Sonat
They made charms for lovers Sorcerer; It can It helps one to die, at which
out of herbs, stones, and fly, murder men, time he predicted the
wood, which would infuse and ate their flesh salvation or
the heart with love. condemnation.
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Priests of the Devil

Priests of the Devil

Pangatahojan Bayoguin Magtatangal
A soothsayer, and signifies a shows himself at night to
predicted the future “cotquean” many persons, without his
head or entrails
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Concept of Heaven and Hell

Maca
The paradise of moral people

Sitan
The demon that

Casanaan lives in hell

A place of anguish
Religious Beliefs & Practices Volume 101 Ghosts

Vibit Tigbalaang Patianac

Ghost Phantoms Vampiric creature in

a toddler form
Cultural
Practices
Cultural Practices Volume 101 Manner of Determining Days

Manner of Determining Days

Summer Time Winter Time
Sun Time Water Time
Cultural Practices Volume 101 Manner of Offering Sacrifices

Manner of Offering Sacrifices

Their manner of offering sacrifice was to proclaim a feast, and offer to the
devil what they had to eat.

Reasons
• recovery of a sick
person
• prosperous voyage
• a good harvest
• victorious wars
• childbirth
• married life
Cultural Practices Volume 101 Manner of Burying Dead

Manner of Burying the Dead

The deceased was buried beside his house. If he were a
chief, he was placed beneath a little house or porch.
They mourned him for four days; and afterward laid
him on a boat (served as a coffin), placing him beneath
the porch, and was guarded by a slave.

If the deceased was a warrior, a living slave was tied

beneath the corpse until he died. Meanwhile, the
family of the deceased continued to mourn, singing
dirges and praising his good qualities, while drinking
and eating. It only ends when the family were tired of
grieving.
 I
Awareness of the
Relevance of Filipino cultural
heritage

the Topic II
Today Leads us to
appreciate more
our culture
today
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!