MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS

Customs of the Tagalogs

CUSTOMS OF TAGALOG (Relación de committed against natives by

las costumbres de los Tagalogs, 1589 certain government officials.
by Juan de Plasencia) - His continuous interaction with
the people he converted to
Juan de Plasencia Christianity enabled him to
- born in the 16th century write this book.
- Joan de Puerto Carrero, del - vividly describes the political,
convent de Villanueva de la social, economic, and cultural
Serena practices of the Filipinos before
- grew up in the illustrious family they were Christianized.
of Portocarreros in Plasencia
- grew up in the region of 1593
Extremadura, Spain during the - he published the book Doctrina
Golden Age Christiana en Lengua Espanola
➤ Renaissance Period Y Tagala
- belonged to the Franciscan ➤ first printed book in the
order Philippines
- came together with the first ➤ teachings of Christianity in
batch of Franciscan Philippine Archipelago
missionaries
➤ 2nd to arrive in the May 23, 1584
Philippines - elected as the custos of the
➤ July 2, 1578 - arrival friars until 1588
- inspired to be a Franciscan ➤ After several years of
➤ his upbringing spent during a converting the natives and
spiritual and religious teaching catechism, the
resurgence affected by Spain’s Franciscan Order honored him
siglo de oro with the title "Venerable."
- one who took the leading role in
fostering the spread of primary 1590
education - passed away in Liliw, Laguna
- Converted natives, taught
catechisms, and organized Historical Background of the
towns and barangays in the Document
Philippines - Customs of the tagalogs
- Initiated the Reduccion Policy ➤ a part (either chapters or
➤ pueblos - to centralize and subsections) of longer
control indigenous communities monographs
by relocating them into ➤ written by the chroniclers of
compact villages to fasten the the Spanish expeditions to the
conversion Philippines
- Some of his works aimed to put ➤ early 16th and 17th century
an end to some injustices being
MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS
Customs of the Tagalogs

- They appeared initially in Blair Datos/Datu

and Robertson’s 55 volumes, - the chief who governed the
The Philippine Islands (1903) and people
in the Philippine Journal of - were captains in their wars
Sciences (1958). whom they obey and reverence
- The original work itself is a - Any subject who committed
product of observations and any offense against them, or
judgments. Therefore, it is spoke to their wives and
probable that Juan de children, were severely
Plasencia’s work might contain punished
partiality in presenting his
observations and judgments. Barangay
- His work is a primary source - Balangay o Balanghai
➤ he personally witnessed the - a family of parents and children,
events and observations that relations and slaves
he discussed in his account - ruled by chiefs
- a friar account - barangay
- The original text of Plasencia’s ➤ they associate themselves
Customs of the Tagalogs is with the “Malay”
currently kept in Archivo - first people to arrive in
General de Indias (A.G.I.) in the Philippines through a
Seville, Spain. boat in which they call
➤ a duplicate copy of it in the “barangay”
Archivo Franciscano
Ibero-Oriental (A.F.I.O.), in Social Hierarchy
Madrid, Spain 1. Maharlica
- those who are born free
Content Presentation and Analysis of - did not pay taxes or
the Important Historical Information tribute to datu
Found in the Document ➤ must accompany him
in war, at their own
1. Community expense
➤ Barangay - would keep their status
➤ Dato for a lifetime
➤ Three Castes ➤ this can be taken if
2. Property he/she marries a slave
3. Marriage Customs ➤ the kids would be
4. Worship (Religion) divided and they would
➤ 12 Priests of the Devil inherit the status of their
5. Superstition mother or father
6. Burying of the Dead
2. Aliping Namamahay
● COMMUNITY
MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS
Customs of the Tagalogs

- those who serve their If maharlicas had children among their

masters slaves, the children and their mothers
- can have their own became free.
properties
Situation 3:
3. Aliping sa Guiguilid If maharlicas (men) had children by
- considered to be slaves the slave-woman of another, the
- served their masters or slave-woman was compelled when
can be sold of pregnant, to give her master half of a
gold tael.
● PROPERTY
Maharlica In this case, half of the child was free if
- The land area was divided the father (Maharlica) recognized him.
among the whole barangay, If not, the child will become a whole
especially the irrigated portions. slave.
- No one from a different
barangay could cultivate land Situation 4:
unless they inherit or buy the If a free woman had children by a
land slave, they were all free, provided he
- At the time of rice harvest, any were not her husband.
individual (regardless of their
barangay) that starts to clear Situation 5:
any land area may sow in it If two persons married, of whom one
➤ allowed to build houses was a maharlica and the other a slave
- Fisheries of chiefs had (namamahay or sa guiguilid) the
established limits, and sections children were divided.
of the rivers for market. **Unless ● Odd birth order (1st, 3rd,
you were a member of the 5th,…..) - belong to the father
chief’s barangay, you had to ● Even birth order (2nd, 4th,
pay for the privilege of fishing or 6th,…..) - belong to the mother
selling in the chiefs’ fisheries. ● Only child - Half free, half slave

Status/Social Class Dowries

Situation 1: - given by men to the women’s
Those who are maharlicas on both the parents before marriage
father’s and mother’s side continue to - If the parents are both alive,
be so forever, and if it happens that they both enjoy the use of it.
they should become slaves, it is ➤ Panghimuyat - Nocturnal
through marriage. Efforts
➤ Bigay-suso - Breast-feeding
Situation 2: ➤ Himaraw - Feeding the Girl
➤ Sambon - Relatives of the
woman
MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS
Customs of the Tagalogs

● MARRIAGE CUSTOMS - simbahan- temple or place of

Special Case adoration
- When one married a woman of - pandot or a festival celebrated
another village, the children ➤ feast to worship gods and
were afterwards divided equally goddesses in the house of Datu
between the two barangays. - sibi
- Investigations made and ➤ terrace sa gilid ng bahay ng
sentences passed by the dato Datu
must take place in the presence ➤ to provide shelter and
of those in his barangay. protection from the elements,
such as rain and sunlight
Divorce - sorihile
- If the wife would leave her ➤ parang sulu na nagsisilbing
husband for the sake of lamp
marrying another man, all her - nag-aanitos
belongings plus a certain ➤ traditional worship practice
amount would be given to her by communal gatherings that
former husband unite families and the entire
- If the husband would leave his barangay (community) in a
wife for the sake of marrying celebration of their deities
another woman, half of her
belongings would be returned. Idols
- If she chooses to leave and
does not have any plans to
marry, then all her dowry will be
returned to her.
- If the both had a deal to
separate and does not have
any plans to marry, equal
dowries will be returned.

Adoption
- The children would receive
double the value of how much
they were bought to be 12 Priests of the Devil
adopted 1. Catalonan
- Investigations and sentences for - priest from a people of rank
the accused shall be presented - officiates the offering sacrifice
and read in front of the tribe. for a feast and the food to be
eaten being offered to the devil
● WORSHIPS OF TAGALOGS 2. Mangagauay
- no temples - pretend to heal the sick in order
to deceive others
MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS
Customs of the Tagalogs

3. Manyisalat - Placencia’s referred to certain

- can cast remedies to couples ‘devil-ish belief’s e.g. the
for them to abandon one mangagauay and
another mangagayoma.
4. Mancocolam ➤ he regarded them both as
- can emit fire from himself which “witches” who performed
cannot be extinguished deceitful healing procedures, a
5. Hocloban judgment made by an outsider
- much more powerful than a who knew nothing about the
mangagauay complexity of indigenous
- can kill anyone without the use psyche
of any medicine - What he failed to realize is that
- can also heal those who are ill in traditional cultures, these
6. Silagan so-called “evil” practices were
- would tear out and eat the liver an integral part of Filipino folk
of those they saw were wearing beliefs
white
7. Magtatangal ● SUPERSTITION
- would go out at night without - find omens in events they
their heads and put it back into witness
their bodies before the sun rise - -(i.e. when someone
8. Osuang sneezed, met on their
- Tribesmen reported that they way a rat or serpent, or
saw the “osuang” who can fly the Tigmamanuguin bird
and murdered a man and ate sang they would go
his flesh home in fear that evil
9. Mangagayoma would befall them if they
- would seduce their partners continued their journey).
with charms and other ➤ The bird’s (a blue bird
accessories so they can as large as a turtle dove
deceive them Tigmamanuguin) song
10. Sonat had two forms: a good
- this devil helped people to die omen, and a bad omen.
- can also know if the soul they
helped to die can either be ● BURYING THE DEAD
saved or not (1) The corpse would be placed
11. Pangatahojan beside its house and be
- can predict the future mourned for 4 days.
12. Bayoguin (2) It will then be laid on a boat
- men who are in the nature of a which serves as a coffin which is
woman guarded by a slave.
MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS
Customs of the Tagalogs

(3) The grief of the relatives of the - Many of the 16th century beliefs
deceased is followed by eating and practices are still present
and drinking today.
- It affirms that during the
Burying the Dead of the pre-Hispanic period, Filipinos
Aetas/Negrillos already had a government as
● Maca well as set of beliefs and
- “village of rest” practices.
- Langit - Some of our perceptions on
- those who go to this Filipino beliefs and practices are
place are the just and somehow no different from
valiant Juan de Plasencia's point of
● Casanaan view.
- “place of anguish” - contains numerous
- Lupa o Impyerno information that historians
- place of punishment, could use in reconstructing the
grief and affliction political and sociocultural
● Sitan history of the Tagalog region
- demons on Casanaan
● Vibit
- ghost
● Tigbalaang
- phantoms
● Patianac
- any women died in
childbirth, she and the
child suffered
punishment

Contribution and Relevance of the

Document in Understanding of the
Grand Narrative of Philippine History
- Plasencia’s Customs of the
Tagalogs is a very popular
primary source
➤ vividly described the
situation of the Philippines
before it was tainted with
Spanish and Christian
influences.
- Pre-conquest societies were not
swept by the advent of the
Spanish regime.