Readings in Philippine History

MODULE 2 - Spiritual Beliefs of Filipinos

The early Filipinos had a unique culture even before the arrival of the Spaniards in the country, reflected in
the archaeological remains which are called artifacts. These can be used to determine how Filipinos lived
during a particular period in history.

The Manunggul Jar

Among the archaeological artifacts that have been discovered in the Philippines, the Manunggul jar can be
considered one of the most famous. This earthen jar was discovered in March 1964 at Lipuun Point, Quezon
Palawan province by Victor Decalan, Hans Kasten, and other volunteers from the United States Peace
Corps. The earthen jar was estimated to have been made between 890 and 710 BCE.

The Manunggul jar shows that early Filipinos had their own distinctive method of burying the dead. Looking
back, we would find that there were two stages of burial during ancient times. First the dead were buried to
allow the body to decompose. Secondly, the bone was cleaned and deposited inside an earthen jar before
it was again buried.

Ancient Burial

Through their burial practice, early Filipino demonstrated their respect for the deceased members of their
families and communities. This also showed their belief in life after death.

Ancient Worship

The early Filipinos believe in gods and idols. For early Filipinos, the gods and idols possessed a power that
could bring them good or bad fortune. Because of this, they worshiped these things by paying high respect,
offering sacrifices, and performing rituals and ceremonies. Among the famous god worshiped by the natives
are Bathala the foremost god of the Tagalogs; Amanikable, god of the sea; and Kaptan, the most powerful
god of the Visayans.

The Manunggul Jar according to Dr. Robert Fox

The Manunggul jar is a distinctive masterpiece that was created by the Filipino race. Dr. Robert Fox, a well-
known anthropologist and former chairman of the Division of Anthropology at the National Museum of the
Philippines, described it as follows:

“The burial jar with a cover featuring a ship-of-the-dead is perhaps unrivaled in Southeast Asia the work of
an artist and master potter. This vessel provides a clear example of a cultural link between the
archaeological past and the ethnographic present. The boatman is steering rather than paddling the ship.”
The mast of the boat was not covered. Both figures appear to be wearing a band tie over the crown of the
head and under the jaw line, a pattern still encountered in burial practices among indigenous peoples in
Southern Philippines. The manner in which the hands of the front figure are folded across the chest is also
a widespread practice in the Islands when arranging the corpse.

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Burial

The early Filipinos had their own methods of burial. This was validated by the account of Father Juan de
Plasencia.

“Their manner of burying the dead was as follows: The deceased was buried inside his house; and if he
were a chief, he was placed beneath the little house or porch which they constructed for this purpose.
Before entering him they mourned him for four days and afterward laid him on the boat which served as a
coffin or bier, placing them beneath the porch, where the guard was kept over him by a slave. In place of
rowers, various animals were placed within the boat, each one being assigned a place at the oar by twos-
male and females. In course of time, all suffered to decay; and many relatives of the dead man bewailed
him, singing praises of his good qualities; until finally, they were weary of it. This grief was also accompanied
by eating and drinking. This was a custom of the Tagalog’s.”

Ancient Philippine Society

Even before the invaders arrived in the Philippines, there were already communities that had established
their own civilization. They were formed by the merging of ancient Filipino culture with influences from
nearby countries in Southeast and East Asia. This is because early Filipinos served as mediators between
different cultures and traditions in the countries of Asia.

The system of writing that was created by the early Filipinos was called baybayin. This was composed of
17 symbols. The early Filipinos used bamboo, leaves, or tree branches to write on, sharp metal or knives
as writing tools, and sap as ink. There were two types of laws that were obeyed by citizens of society;
written and unwritten. Unwritten laws are passed down orally from generation to generation.

The datu, along with the councils of elders, drafted the laws which were implemented within their territory.
It was the responsibility of the umalohokan to announce to the citizens a new law. The system of legislation
or justice was based on the fate of the person. The defendant had to pass a trial and whoever failed was
considered guilty. On the other hand, the defendant who passed the trial was considered to be under God’s
protection. The power to decide on what punishment to impose was in the hands of the datu or sultan.

The early Filipinos also had rich literature. This includes proverbs, sayings, and riddles. Their songs were
accompanied by dances. Songs such as uyayi, tagumpay, suliranin, balikunkong and dupayanin were also
famous.

The early Filipinos had technological know-how related to tool making, planting, warfare, and boat making.
They made swords, spears, arrows and digging tools, knives, and other tools made from iron. They also
had expertise in the use of gold to decorate the body. The country's rich deposits of gold were one of the
reasons why foreigners decided to colonize the Philippines.

Another product of Filipino architectural expertise is the rice terraces found in Banaue and surrounding
areas. This only proves how skilled Filipinos were at addressing the challenges they faced. Unearthed
porcelain goods and jars as well as borrowed words and styles of clothing serve as evidence that Filipinos
traded with people from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other neighboring countries. Communities in Cebu
and Manila became centers of trade at the time.

Ancient Philippine culture proves that there was a civilization in the Philippines before it was occupied by
foreigners. This historical fact is something Filipinos take pride in and value.

Readings in Philippine History / Page 2 of 4

A. Recounted The Customs of Early Filipinos In Naming Their Children.
(The excerpt was adopted from a book by Father Pedro Chirino, Relación de las Islas Filipinas
(1604)
“When a child is born, it is the mother’s duty to give it a name, and whatever appellation she gives it must
remain its name. The names are most often conferred on account of certain circumstances as for example,
Maliuag which means difficult because the child’s birth was such; Malacas, which signifies “a man of
strength”, because the mother thinks that the child will be strong, or desires that it be so. At other times
they name it without any symbolism or special reason, by the first word which occurs to them as for example
Daan, which signifies road, Babui, which means pig; or Manug which signifies “fowl”. All people are called
by these names from birth, without using surnames until they are married. The firstborn son or daughter
then gives his or her name to the parents for until they die they are called the father AMA ni Coan, father
of so and so, and the mother INA ni Coan, “mother of so and so…..

It is a general custom among all these nations not to have any special family names, titles, or surnames”.

B. Marriage Practices
The excerpt was adapted from a book by Father Pedro Chirino, Relación de las Islas
Filipinas(1604)

For marriage they have distinct formalities of betrothal which are accompanied by conventional penalties,
most rigorously executed… Here is an example…. Si Apai promises to marry Cia Polosin, these married
person makes an agreement with another married pair, while their wives are with child, that if the womb of
their respective wives should bear a male and a female those two children shall be joined in marriage,
under penalty of ten gold taes. This compact was solemnized by a feast, where they eat, drink and become
intoxicated and he who later is the occasion of breaking the compact must pay the penalty. This is
betrothal, in the marriage there figures a dowry and the surrender of the woman with the consent of the
present but not perpetual. It is not the wife but the husband, who gives her the dowry - an amount agreed
upon and fixed in accordance with his means.

C. Livelihood
(The excerpt was adapted from the book of Miguel de Loarca titled Relación de las Islas
Filipinas)

Present a different way of living on the island of Cagayan and Cebu. It shows observations of Loarca on
the livelihood of Filipinos before the establishment of the Spanish Colony.

The Island of Cagaian. Sailing south-southeast from the town of Arevalo, one comes to the open sea; for
there are no other islands in that direction except the one called Cagayan - two low islets about fifteen
leagues from the island of Panay. They are surrounded by many low reefs and unless their narrow entry is
well known, the ships which go there encounter great dangers. These islands have about 400 inhabitants
all of whom are very skillful shipbuilders. It is said that a few years ago the native people of hese islands
in order to fortify themselves by the reefs, for fear of pirates. They undertook to return to the island of Panay
in order to dwell there, but very many of their women died there. Seeing this, they set to return to the island
of Cagayan, where they set out every year and scattered themselves over the islands to build ships.

Island of Cebu, the island of Cebu, was the first to be settled by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi… the town has
the best port of this island and it was for this reason that Miguel Lopez de Legaspi founded a settlement
there. The island of Cebu produces a small quantity of rice, boron, and millet; for the cloth which the natives
use for their garments is made from a kind of banana. From this they make a sort of cloth resembling
colored calico, which the native called medrinaque.

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Antonio De Morga’s Observation On The Livelihood Of The Early Filipinos

The women have needlework as their employment and occupation, they are very clever at it and at all kinds
of sewing. They wave cloth and pin cotton, and serve in the houses of their husbands and fathers. They
raise fowls and swine and keep the houses while the men engage in the labor of the field and their fishing,
navigation, and trading.

“All these islands are in many districts rich in placers and mines of gold, a metal which the native dig and
work. Since the advent of the Spaniards in the land, the natives proceed more slowly in this and content
themselves with what they already possessed in jewels and gold handed down from antiquity and inherited
from their ancestors.

Some placers and mines were worked at Paracale in the province of Camarines, where there is good gold
mixed with copper. This commodity is also traded in the Ilocos for the rear of this province which borders
the seacoast are certain lofty and rugged mountains which extend as far as Cagayan.

Antonio de Morga was a Spanish lawyer with a high position in the Spanish colonial government in the
Philippines. Morga was also a historian, published his book Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas in 1609

Types Of People In Ancient Filipino Society

(Excerpt from the work of Juan de Placencia’s description of the existing social class in Luzon)

“These people always had chiefs, called by them datus, who governed them were captains in their wars,
and whom they obeyed and reverenced. The subject who committed any offense against them or spoke
but a word to their wives and children, was severely punished.

“These chiefs ruled over but few people; sometimes even less than thirty. This tribal gathering is called in
Tagalog a barangay… even at the present day, it is ascertained that this barangay in its origin was a family
of parents and children, relations, and slaves. There were many of these barangays in each town.

“In addition to these chiefs… there were three castes: nobles, commoners, and slaves. The nobles were
the free-born whom they called Maharlika. They did not pay tax or tribute to the datus but must accompany
her in times of war at their own expense.

“The commoners are called aliping namamahay. They are married and serve their master whether he may
be a datu or not, with half of their cultivated land as what was agreed upon in the beginning. They
accompanied him whenever he went beyond the island and rowed for him. They live in their own houses
and are lords of their property. They live in their own houses and are landlords of their property and gold.
Their children inherit and enjoy their property and lands.”

The slaves are called aliping saguiguilid. They serve their master in his house and in his cultivated lands.
The master grants them, should see fit and provided that he has profited through their industry, a portion
of their harvest so that they may work faithfully.”

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