READPH030: MIDTERM NOTES  As part of their monitoring, they performed

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS administrative functions such as collection of

taxes, implementation of the Royal orders to
Fray Juan de Plasencia the localities, and other civic duties. Thus,
 born in the early 16th century to the illustrious friars played significant roles in the
family in the region of Extremadura, Spain pueblo.
 His real name is Joan de Puerto Carrero del  Among their administrative duties, friars
convento de Villanueva de la Serena were requested to make reports informing
 He came with the first batch of their superiors on their experiences in their
FRANCISCAN missionaries to the assigned localities.
Philippines on July 2, 1578.  Fray Juan de Plasencia also received this
 He started preaching in the Tagalog region request.
specifically in Laguna, Quezon, Bulacan,  To fulfill this request, Fray Plasencia
and Rizal areas together with Franciscan thoroughly informed himself by observing
Fray Diego de Oropesa. and talking to people from different localities;
 He was one of those who initiated the by experiencing those practices with the
Reduccion Policy, a policy to resettle natives; and by compiling all those
natives in central locations. information about the political and socio-
cultural activities of the people in the Tagalog
 His works include:
 Arte de la Lengua (Art of Language) region.
 Coleccion de Frases Tagala
(Collection of Tagalog Phrases) HIGHLIGHTS FROM CUSTOMS OF THE
TAGALOG
 Diccionario Tagalog ( Tagalog
Dictionary)
 Doctrina Christiana en Lengua The Customs
 Datos (Chiefs)
Española y Tagala which became the
first printed book in the Philippines in  governed them and were captains in
their wars, and whom they obeyed
1593.
and reverenced
 His experiences with the natives he
 subject who committed any offense
converted to Christianity influenced him to
against them, or spoke but a word to
write the book entitled RELACION DE LAS
their wives and children, was
COSTUMBRES DE LOS TAGALOGS
severely punished.
(Customs of the Tagalogs) in 1589. This
 Ruled a barangay
book describes in details the cultural,
 Barangay
economic, social, and political practices of
 as many as a hundred houses,
the Filipino natives before the Spaniards
sometimes even less than thirty
arrived.
 many barangays in a town, they are
 He died in Liliw, Laguna in 1590.
not subject to one another, except in
relationship and friendship (Chiefs
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
helped one another in wars)
 Maharlica (Nobles)
 Before the colonization by the Spaniards, the  Did not pay taxes/tribute to dato,
Filipinos particularly the Tagalog, already
accompanies him in wars instead (at
had customs and beliefs that they followed his own expense)
and were accustomed to. These customs  very close to the chief (Feast before
and beliefs showed how systematized and
wars, division of spoils after, rows
civilized their way of living was making it boat for dato, helps build house for
difficult for the Spanish colonial government
dato and are fed for it)
to administer the natives.
 Some cases, they paid a hundred
 Also, some of the Spaniards did not want to gantas of rice annually (when a new
live outside Intramuros.
chief buys the land, new chief divided
 For this reason, Filipino natives were allowed lands as he see fit)
to be gobernadorcillos. But friars were
assigned to monitor those gobernadorcillos.
 Division of Lands  Conception of Children on Non-Married
 the land of a barangay, especially the Couples
irrigated portion, is divided upon the  Maharlicas on both father and mother
members side are maharlicas forever (can be
 cannot be cultivated by a person from slaves through marriage)
another barangay UNLESS:  If a maharlica had children among his
purchased or inherited slave, the child and mother becomes
 TINGUES (mountain ridges) free
owned in common by barangay  If the child is from a slave-woman of
 Chiefs had fisheries (with limits) and another, mother should pay half of a
section of rivers (for market), no one gold tael to master (because of risk of
could fish or trade except members of death and inability of servitude during
barangay. (Special exception to pregnancy)
those who pay the privilege in doing  If child is recognized by the father (by
those) supplying with food) , half of him was
 Aliping namamahay (Commoners) free. If not, the child is wholly a slave
 married and serves master (datu or  If a free-woman has children by a
not) with half of cultivated lands slave, they are free provided that she
 has own houses, property, gold is not married to the slave.
 children inherits these lands,  Conception of Children on Married
properties Couples
 cannot be sold and made slaves  If a maharlica marries an alipin
(saguiguilir) (whether namamahay or saguiguilid),
 If they should fall by inheritance into the 1st, 3rd, 5th child belonged to
the hands of a son of their master father, 2nd, 4th, 6th, to the mother. If
who was going to dwell in father is free, children are free. If
another village, they could not be father is a slave, children are also
taken from their own village and slaves. Same applies to the mother
carried with him; but they would (when the number of children is even
remain in their native village, doing number)
service there and cultivating the  When the number of children is odd,
sowed lands. the odd one is half-free/half-slave
 Aliping sa guiguilir (Slaves)  If only 1 child, the latter is half-
 includes those who cannot pay debts, free/half-slave
captives of war  Those who became slaves fell under
 can be a namamahay (commoner) the category of servitude which was
when they pay their masters a certain their parent's, either namamahay or
amount of gold (usually greater than sa guiguilir
5 taels)  Transferring of Barangays
 serves master in his house and on his  Aliping saguiguilir can be transferred
cultivated lands to other barangays when sold
 can be granted a portion of harvest  Aliping namamahay cannot be sold
for them to work faithfully (not always and can only be transferred through
and only if master profited from his inheritance (barangay should be on
work) the same village)
 can be sold, servants born in house  Maharlicas cannot transfer village or
of master are rarely sold barangays after marriage unless they
 Consequently, the alcaldes-mayor pay a certain fine of gold (depends on
should be instructed to ascertain, the village. Ranges from 3 taels to
when anyone asks for his alipin, to banquet to entire barangay)
which class he belongs, and to have  failure of payment might
the answer put in the document that result to war to the barangay
they give him. he left and entered
 Laws and Punishments  If a married woman had a child from
 Investigations made and sentences another man
passed by dato should take place in  if husband punished
front of the barangay members adulterer, it’s considered
 On special cases, an arbiter dowry and the child is part of
(unanimously chosen) is named as a the inheritance
judge. (chosen because they are just  If the husband did not punish
and fair men) the adulterer, the child is not
 if person accused feels considered legitimate and
aggrieved, gains no inheritance
 if controversy lay between  Adopted children inherits the double
two datos who wish to avoid on what was paid for their adoption
war
 when disputants belonged to The Worship
two different barangays  Simbahan
 Condemned to death  A temple or place of adoration
 a man of lowbirth who  The whole barangay united and
insulted daughter or wife of joined in the worship which they call
chief nagaanitos
 witches and the like  Place to conduct a festival or
 slavery is never a punishment “pandot”
 unless a persons merited the  Bathala
death penalty  “All powerful” or “maker of all things”
 children and accomplices of  Sun
witches  Moon
 if fines were not paid  Stars
 All other offenses were punished by  Lic-ha
fines in gold  idols which were images with
 if not paid, the culprit serves different shapes
person aggrieved until  Dian masalanta
payment has been made  Patron of lovers and of generation
 Inheritances  Lacapati and Idianale
 legitimate children of a married  Patron of the cultivated lands and of
couple inherited equally, except husbandry
when parents showed a slight  Crocodiles
partiality such as gifts like gold taels  Paid reverence in fear of being
or jewels harmed by them
 If one had children to two or more  A portion of what they carried
legitimate wives, children receives in their boats
inheritance and dowry of mother and  Auguries
share of father’s estate  If they left their house and met on the
 If one had a child to slave and to his way a serpent or rat, or a bird called
legitimate wife, former had no share tigmamanuguin which was singing in
of inheritance but the mother will be the tree, considering the incident as a
freed and will be given a tael or a sign that some evil might befall them
slave (if father is a datu)  No established division of years, months,
 If one had a child to a legitimate wife and days
and another free woman ( inaasaya),  Cultivation of the soil
legitimate child gets 2/3 of  Counted by moons
inheritance and the other gets 1/3  Different effect produced upon the
 If no legitimate children and only from trees when yielding flowers, fruits,
the inaasaya, the latter gets all and leaves
inheritance.
  Manner of Offering Sacrifice  They would abandon and despise
 Proclaim a feast, and offer to the devil their wives
what they had to eat  Prevent having intercourse with the
 Done in front of the idol and praise it wives
in poetic songs sung by the officiating  Abandoned women – bring sickness
priest (Catolonan) (discharge blood and matter)
 Objects of sacrifice were goats, 4. Mancocolam
fowls, and swine  Emit fire from himself
 Flayed, decapitated, and laid before  Fire – could not be extinguished or
the idol emitted
 A jar of rice  Except if the priest wallowed in the
 Buyos – small fruit wrapped in a leaf ordure and filth which falls from the
with some lime houses
 Fried food and fruits  He who lived in the house fell ill and
 Reasons for Sacrifices died
 Recovery of a sick person 5. Hocloban
 Prosperous voyage of those  Greater efficacy than the
embarking on the sea mangagauay
 Good harvest in the sowed lands  By simply saluting or raising their
 Propitious result in wars hand, they killed whom they chose
 Successful delivery in childbirth  Only in Catanduanes
 Happy outcome in married life 6. Silagan
 Young girl’s first monthly period  To tear out the liver of anyone clothed
 Blindfolded for four days and four in white and eat it
nights  Only in Catanduanes
 The friends and relatives were all  Calavan – they tore out in this way
invited to partake of food and drink through his anus all the intestines of
 At the end of this period, the a Spanish notary
catolonan took the young girl to the 7. Magtatangal
water, bathed her and washed her  Show himself at night without his
head, and removed the bandage head or intestines
from her eyes  The devil walked about carried, or
 Did this in order that the girls might pretended to carry, his head to
bear children, and have fortune in different places
finding husbands to their tase  In the morning, returned it to his body
The Priests of the Devil  Catanduanes
1. Catalonan 8. Osuang
 Man or woman  Equivalent to “sorcerer”
 Honorable one among the natives  Seen him fly and he murdered men
 Held ordinarily by people of rank and ate their flesh
2. Mangagauay  Visayas Islands
 Witches 9. Mangagayoma
 Deceived by pretending to heal the  Another class of witches
sick  Made charms for lovers out of herbs,
 Induced ailments by their charms stones, and wood, which would
 Capable of causing death infuse the heart with love
 Prolong life for a year by binding a 10. Sonat
live serpent to the waist  Equivalent to “preacher”
 Serpent – believed to be the devil, or  Help one to die, at which time he
at least his substance predicted the salvation or
3. Manyisalat condemnation of the soul
 Same as magagauay 11. Pangatahojan
 Power of applying remedies to lovers  Soothsayer, predicted the future
12. Bayoguin  Patianac
 Signified a “cotquean”, a man whose  If any woman died in childbirth, she
nature inclined toward that of a and the child suffered punishment
woman
 Manner of burying the dead CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DOCUMENT IN
 Deceased was buried beside his UNDERSTANDING THE GRAND NARRATIVE IN
house PHILIPPINE HISTORY
 If he were a chief, he was
placed beneath a little house  The writing of Fray Plasencia presents the
or porch which they way of life, political and socio-cultural
constructed for this purpose practices, and political stratifications of the
 If he were a warrior, a living early Filipino people specifically in the
slave was tied beneath his Tagalog region.
body until in this wretched  It discusses the idea of a tribal gathering
way he died known as barangay and social classes
 Mourned for four days during the early Filipino communities. It
 Laid him on a boat which served as a tackles the privileges and responsibilities of
coffin the datos, the maharlicas, the commoners,
 Also accompanied by eating and and the slaves.
drinking  Because of Fray Plasencia’s accounts,
 Manner of burying the dead [Aetas or unwritten traditions, customs of worship,
Negritos] laws, religious practices, and superstitious
 Dug a deep, perpendicular hole beliefs were preserved.
 Placed the deceased within it, leaving  It is considered as an important piece of
him upright with head or crown literature giving us a glimpse of our
unburied, on top of which they put ancestors’ beliefs on mancocolam, osuang,
half a coconut which was to serve him mangagayoma, patianac, and other
as a shield superstitious beliefs of the Filipino people.
 Pursuit of some Indian, whom they  This account proved that Filipinos had their
killed in punishment for the Negrito own culture before the Spaniards came ---as
who had died reiterated by Fray Plasencia that Filipinos
 To this end they conspired together, had systematized politically and
hanging a certain token on their economically their social structure. Early
necks until some one of them Filipinos had their structured political system,
procured the death of the innocent laws and punishments, and system of
one taxation. Also, Filipinos had a religion before
 Another life Christianity was introduced by the
 “Maca” Spaniards. They had their concepts of the
 “Paradise” or “village of rest” supreme being, manner of burying the dead,
 Those who lived without and life after death.
doing harm  The account of Fray Plasencia serves as an
 Possessed other moral inspiration to the missionaries not only during
virtues the Spanish colonization period but also at
 “Casanaan” the present time. Missionaries acknowledge
 “A place of anguish” the importance of knowing the culture and
 All the wicked mastering the language of their assigned
 Here dwelt the demons, sitan areas in spreading the Christianity.
 Heaven
 Only Bathala who governed
from above
 Ghosts
 Vibit
 Phantoms
 Tigbalaang