Lesson 4

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Examine the context and perspective of the document
2. Explain the relationship among the members of a barangay
3. Discuss the religious and spiritual practices and beliefs of early Filipinos
4. Determine the significance of the document to Philippine history

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Customs of the
Tagalogs
(Juan de Plasencia O.S.F)

GOVERNING SYSTEM LEAD BY DATOS

• Governs only few people between 30- 100
• This tribal gathering is called barangay
• They don’t settle far from others
• They are not subject to one another, except
friendship and relationship
• The chief (datu) help one another in wars
THE CASTE
 Commoners
 Slaves
 If Maharlica marries a slave, the first child
goes to the father and so on.
 The children will inherit the status of the
parent it belonged.
SLAVES
1. Namamamahay
• Can’t be sold
• Can’t be transferred to other barangay
unless by inheritance, provided they stay in
the same village
2. Saguiguilid
• Can be sold
MAHARLICA – no moving from one village to
another without complying the following:
• Fine and gold (depend from barangay to
barangay)
• A banquet to the entire barangay
• If they marry from other barangay the
children will be divided
• Sentences are passed by the datu
• They condemn a man at low caste who
disrespect his daughter or wife of datu.
• The children of the accomplices are turned
to slave
WITCHES - As for the witches, they killed them
and their children and accomplices became
slaves of the chief after he had made some
recompense to the injured person. Other
offences are punished by fines in gold which not
paid with promptness, exposed the culprit to
serve until the payment should be made,
person aggrieved to whom the money was to be
paid.
PUNISHMENTS WERE DONE IN THE
FOLLOWING WAY:
• Half the cultivated lands and all their
products belonged to the master. The
master will provide the culprit with food
and clothing thus enslaving him and his
children.
• The master will have the possession of the
children if ever the payment could not be
met by the father.
• Aliping Saguiguilid - service within the
house; serve the master to whom the
judgement applied.
• Aliping Namamahay - living independently;
served the person who lent them
wherewith to pay.
LOANS – The same way goes to a debtor
concerning loans wherein he will give half of his
cultivated lands and profits until the debt has
been paid or else he's condemned to a life of
toil and becomes slave. After the father's death,
the children will continue to pay the debt or the
payment will be doubled.
INHERITANCES – Legitimate children of a father
and mother will be inherited equally not unless
the father and mother showed a slight partiality
by gifts such as 2 to 3 taels or a jewel.
DOWRY - should be greater than the sum given
to the other sons.
TWO OR MORE LEGITIMATE WIVES – If one
had children by two or more legitimate wives,
each child will receive the inheritance and the
mother's dowry with its increase and share of
his father's estate.
SLAVE WOMAN – If a man had a son from one
of his slaves as well as legitimate children, the
former will have no share in the inheritance. If
he had a child with a slave woman, that child
will also receive some of his share.
UNMARRIED WOMAN (ISAANAVA) – If ever he
had children by an unmarried woman, she will
still receive a dowry but is not considered as a
real wife and her children are said to be natural
children. If the father has a legitimate wife but
did not have a son but had children to the
unmarried wife called Inaasava, the latter will
inherit all.
FREE MARRIED WOMAN – In case of a child of a
free married woman which was born while she
was married, if the husband punished the adulterer and was considered a
dowry, that child will also have a share in the inheritance. ADOPTED CHILDREN'S
INHERITANCE Dowry: • Upon divorce before the birth of the children• Upon
the death of the wife/ husband• Upon engagement• Arranged marriage THE WORSHIP
OF THE TAGALOGS• There were no temple for their idols, SIMBAHAN means
a place of adoration; because when they wish to do feast, called PANDOT or
WORSHIP in a large house of chief. There it's constructed to provide shelter, with
sheds for on both sides called SIBI, means roof. On each posts there's a small lamp called
SORIHILE; in the center of three column divided for people to gather, a large lamp with
leaves of white palms into many designs. • The use of drums which beats the feast until it
ends for usually four days. During this; the barangay or family unite to worship which
they called NAGAANITOS. • Among their many idols, there was named BATHALA,
means signify "all powerful", or "maker of all things", which they worship the most. •
They also worship the sun, for its beauty. Also they worship the moon, especially
when it sets to be new. • Some of them adored the stars, knowing it to be the morning
star, which they called TALA. • Also, they knew the “seven little goats"[THE
PLEIADES], and the change of season called MAPULON and BALATIK, happens when
the GREAT BEAR [URSA MAJOR]. • They have many idols named LICHA, which
comes in many forms. They had another idol called DIAN MASALANTA, who
was the patron of lovers and of the generations. The called LACAPATI and
INDIANALE, patron of cultivation of land and husbandry. • Honoring the crocodiles,
named BUAYA, fear from being the harmed. • Moreover, they tend to look at omens
at what they encounter. For example, a bird called TIGMAMANUGUIN which sings
from the tree, they consider good or bad omens may come in their journey. They
also practice divination as to show their luck. • These natives determine time; by
cultivation of soil, counted by moons, and other more effects of the nature: all these helps
to make the year. The winter and summer were named as SUN-TIME and
WATER-TIME. • The years of the advent of the SPANIARDS, seasons were
determined by names, and have been divided into weeks. FEAST • Their Manner of
offering sacrifice. • They offer to devil what they had to eat. • Done in front of the idol.
CATOLONAN – The officiating priest. • Devil sometimes liable to enter the body of the
Catolonan. • Objects of the sacrifice were goat, fowls and swine. THE REASON FOR
OFFERING THIS SACRIFICEAND ADORATION WAS: • The recovery of sick
person• The prosperous voyage • Propitious result in war• Good harvest• Successful
deliver of childbirth• Happy outcome in married life• The girls who had their monthly
courses had their eyes blindfolded for four days and four nights. At the end of the
period, the Catolonan took young girls to the water. The old men said that they
did this for girls to have a fortune of finding their husband. DISTINCTIONS OF
DEVILS ACCORDING TO THEPRIEST• CATOLONAN – this office was an
honorable one among the natives. • MANGAGAUAY – wishes who deceived by
pretending to heal the sick. • MANYISALAT – had the power of applying
remedies to lovers that they would
abandoned and despise their own wife.
• MANCOCOLAM – its duty was to emit fire
from himself at night.
• HOCLOBON – without the use of medicine,
and by simply saluting or raising the hand,
they killed whom they chose.
• SILAGAN – if they saw anyone in white,
they’ll tear out its liver and eat it, thus
causing his death.
• MAGTATANGAL – her purpose was to
show herself at night without his hear or
entrails.
• OSUANG – (sorcerer) they say that they
have seen him fly, and that he murdered
men and ate their flesh.
• MANGAGAYOMA – they made charms for
lovers out of herbs, stones, and wood which
would infuse the heart with love.
• SONAT – which is equivalent to “preacher.”
It was his office to help one to die, at which
time he predicted the salvation or
condemnation of the soul.
• PANGATAHOJAN (babaylan) – is the
spiritual leader of the tribe in pre-colonial
Philippines. They are also soothsayers, and
predicts the future.
• BAYOGUIN – signified a “cotquean,” a man
whose nature inclined toward that of a
woman.
MANNER OF BURYING
• The deceased was buried beside his house,
and if they were a chief, he was placed
beneath a little house of porch which they
constructed for his purpose. Before
entering him, they mourned him for four
days, and afterwards, placed him in a boat
which served as a coffin or bier. In place of
rowers, various animals were place at the
oar by twos - male and female. It was the
slave's care to see if they were fed.
• If the deceased is a warrior, a living slave
was tied beneath his body until it is
wretched way he died. And for many days,
the family of the dead man bewailed him.
Until finally they wearied of it.
• The Aetas or Negrillos (Negritos) had also a
form of burial, but different. They dug a
deep, perpendicular hole, and placed the
decease within it leaving him upright with
head or crown unburied on top of which
they put half a coconut which was to serve
him as a shield.
SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS
• Believes in aswang, dwende, kapre,
tikbalang, patyanak/tiyanak.
• They also believes in magical power of
amulet and charms such as anting-anting,
kulam and gayuma or love potion.

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