UNIT II
Pre-Colonial Life and Culture
BARANGAY AS AN ANCIENT
COMMUNITY
Filipino today live in Barangay. The barangay is the smallest
political unit of government today. But the term barangay originated
among the early Filipinos.
The ancient Filipinos lived in communities composed of families.
This community was called barangay. In this barangay, early Filipinos
were stratified into social classes that dictated their status in society.
ORIGIN OF THE WORD ‘BARANGAY
The migration of Austronesian from Southern
China became possible because of their
knowledge of navigation and boat-building.
They were able to reach the island through
their boat called balangay. According to
historian Jaime B. Veneracion, the concept of
barangay as a community was derived from
the concept of balangay since both are
composed of families and both had leaders
who guided them in their undertakings.
The balangay and the
barangay both require unity and
coordination among members in
order to reach their destination and
fulfill their objective. The spirit of
unity and cooperation are both alive
in the balangay and the barangay.
According to the Spanish
chronicler, Juan de Plasencia, the
Tagalogs had their own leader. The
leader was called datu, who also
served as the leader in war. Each
barangay was composed of 30-100
families. The barangay did not exist
under the authority of other barangays
but lived independently in harmony
and in relation with one another.
There was social hierarchy within the
barangay where each member
belonged to a particular class.
BARANGANIC RELATIONS
They concluded treaty of friendship
and alliance with each other through
the ritual, the sanduguan (blood
compact). Some barangay
confederations were formed through
the marriage of a noble of one
barangay. Barangays also merged
for protection against enemies.
BARANGAY LAWS
The earliest laws of our ancestors were mostly oral handed down from one
generation to another. These were made up of traditions, beliefs, practices, and
customs. The council of elders together with the wise people in the entire
barangay ratified the laws made by the datu with the help of his advisers. Once
approved, the laws were announced to the people through the umalohokan or
town crier.
BARANGAY LAWS
Some of the written laws of our ancestors are:
1. The leader of the barangay should be respected;
2. Creditors should pay on time;
3. Everyone should be hardworking. Those who are found lazy
will become slaves;
4. Couples should only have two offspring so that they can
sufficiently provide for their needs;
5. The crime of murder is punishable by death; and
6. A finger will be cut from anyone who will be caught stealing.
THE TRIALS
Trials then were public, as they are nowadays. The datu served as the
judge. He consulted the elders and the wise men. People who had
conflicts were asked to face each other and explain what happened.
They were allowed to bring in their own witnesses. The one who
bought the most witnesses won the case.
SOCIAL HIERARCHY IN LUZON
The Scholar William Henry Scott
studied the chronicles or records
The Maginoo
of the first Spaniards in the
Class
Philippines. Based on Spanish The Maharlika and
records, Scott concluded that there Timawa
were three social classes in pre- The Slaves
(Aliping namamahay,
Spanish Luzon and Visayas. Aliping Saguiguilid)
THE MAGINOO CLASS
The maginoo class was the highest among all classes. This is composed of
datus and their families. The babaylans were also members of this
prestigious class. The datu was the political and economic leader
The babaylans were also members
of this prestigious class, babaylan
or katalonan was the spiritual
leader. Babaylan is the Visayan
term for the spiritual leader and
katalonan is its Tagalog
counterpart.
THE MAHARLIKA
This class was composed of warriors
who served as protectors of the
barangay from its enemies. It was
duty of the Maharlika to keep peace
and order in the barangay.
THE TIMAWA
This class was composed of warriors who served as protectors of the barangay from its
enemies. It was duty of the Maharlika to keep peace and order in the barangay.
According to the study of historian Nancy Kimuell-Gabriel on the timawa, the change in the
meaning of the term can be traced back to the Spanish colonial system when the concept of
slavery was abolished since everyone had become a timawa or a free person. During the
Spanish period, being a timawa meant being free to be exploited and enslaved by the
Spaniards.
The free people, composed the main bulk of the population. They engaged in different
economic activities such as agriculture, fishing, basket making, pottery, weaving, and other
activities. Since they were the ones who derived profit from these activities, they had the
obligation to pay taxes to the datu. They could also be summoned by the datu to row his boat
or accompany him in his trip.
SLAVES
Aliping
Aliping namamahay
saguiguilid
lived in their own lived in the datu’s house
houses and were because of a large debt
called only by the datu he had incurred which
to help in building a was payable by serving
house or in farming. the datu.
A citizen becomes A slave can be
slave freed
1. Born to slave parents; 1. Was freed by his or her master;
2. Captured during war; 2. Paid a certain amount to his or
her master;
3. Sold as payment for a
3. Married somebody who
loan; and
belongs to an upper societal
4. Bought or punished for a class; and
crime. 4. Displayed bravery during war.
Social Classes in the Visayas
The Datu
The Tumwa
The Oripun
THE DATUS
The highest class was the datu.
The datu refers to the position of
the leader and also to the highest
social class. The authority of the
datu emanated from his family
and ancestry.
But his power depends on his
Wealth
number of slaves
intellectual and physical
prowess
THE TUMWA
In the Visayas, the timawa accompanied
the datu during war, served as the datu’s
representative in arranging the wedding of
the children of the datu, and the food
taster who sampled the datu’s wine. The Datu
The Tumwa
The Oripun
THE ORIPUN
The oripun was the lowest class. They could be bought and sold. There
were many kinds of oripun. Here were those who served the families of
their masters. Some were engaged in farming and were given their share
of the profit.
The lowest oripun was called hayohay or those who lived in their
masters’ houses, received clothing and food from them, and had one out
of four days allotted for themselves only.
SOCIAL MOBILITY IN PRECOLONIAL PHILIPPINES
The existence of the social mobility in precolonial
Philippine society makes it very different from other
societies in the world. For example, under the caste
system in India, belonging to a specific social class was
a lifetime and interclass marriages were strictly
prohibited.
INDIA’S CASTE SYSTEM
Caste is a form of social
stratification characterized
by endogamy, hereditary
transmission of a style of
life which often includes
an occupation, ritual
status in a hierarchy, and
customary social
interaction and exclusion
based on cultural notions
of purity and pollution
In the Philippines, one could be
promoted or demoted in terms of social
status due to some factors. For instance,
an aliping saguiguilid could become an
aliping namamahay if the aliping
saguiguilid had already paid his or her
debt to the datu. The aliping namamahay
could become a timawa after marrying
Maharlika.
On the other hand, a datu could become a slave if captured by
another datu during a war or if the datu committed a serious crime
and he was not able to pay the penalty for it. The nature of the
ancient social class system encouraged the people to strive harder
and be promoted to a higher class or to maintain their dignity in
order to retain their social class.
RELIGION
The early Filipinos believed in immortality
of the soul. They also believed in life after
death. They worshipped a Supreme Being
they called Bathalang Maykapal
OTHER MINOR DEITIES THEY
WORSHIPPED ARE:
Idianale-God of agriculture;
Sidapa- God of death;
Agni- God of fire;
Mandarangan- God of war
Lalahon- goddess harvest
Siginarugan- God of Hell
EDUCATION
The education of Pre-Hispanic Filipinos was fit for the needs of
their times. There was no formal schooling. Parents trained their
children informally. Mothers educated their female children in
housekeeping, weaving, basket-making and other agriculture-
related activities.
Fathers trained their male children in hunting, carpentry,
agriculture, shipbuilding and mining. Skills taught would vary
on their industries and locations, i.e., whether highland,
lowlands or along seashores. Education was oral, practical and
hands-on.
EDUCATION
During the Pre-Spanish period, education
was still decentralized. Children were
provided more vocational training but
lesser academics, which were headed by
their parents or by their tribal tutors.
They used a unique system of
writing known as the baybayin. Pre-
Spanish Period BAYBAYIN. The term
Baybay literally means "to spell “in
Tagalog. It also known as the alibata,
were in it is the ancient writing system
that was used before by the Filipinos.
Did you know?
Cuneiform is an ancient writing
system that was first used in
around 3400 BC. Distinguished by
its wedge-shaped marks on clay
tablets, cuneiform script is the
oldest form of writing in the
world, first appearing even earlier
than Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Hieroglyphics are an original form of
writing out of which all other forms
have evolved. Two of the newer forms
were called hieratic and demotic.
The word hieroglyph literally means
"sacred carvings". The Egyptians
first used hieroglyphs exclusively for
inscriptions carved or painted on
temple walls. This form of pictorial
writing was also used on tombs,
sheets of papyrus, wooden boards
covered with a stucco wash, potsherds
and fragments of limestone.
MARRIAGE AND WEDDING
The traditional marriage proposal takes
the form of the pamanhikan
or pamamanhikan or the "parental
marriage proposal", a formal way of
asking the parents of the woman for her
hand.
Pamamanhikan enforces the
importance of the familial nature of the
wedding, as traditionally a marriage is
the formation of an alliance between
two clans as well as the joining of
individuals.
Marriage among the Ifugao is
traditionally arranged by parents
and elders of the community. The
Ifugao wedding is a well–established
ritual in Chaja interwoven with
traditional ceremonies and rites and
requires material and financial
offerings in the observance of the
ceremonies
T’Boli kesiyahan or marriage is a long
process that may be conducted in three
major stages: childhood, puberty and
adolescence and the crowning celebration
called moninum. Marriages are
prearranged by the parents and may be
contracted at any age, even immediately
after the child’s birth. The moninum is a
series of six feasts, hosted alternately by
the families of the bride and the groom.
Done over a period ranging from 2 to 6
years, the moninum is an optional
celebration which only wealthy T’Bolis
can afford
ORNAMENTS
In terms of ornaments, ancient Filipinos were used
gold and precious stones. Kalumbiga, pendants,
gold rings, earrings, leglets, and bracelets. Whether
men or women wore such ornaments. In order to
adorn their teeth, fillings were made. Not only the
teeth but also the body and faces were adorned.
Tattooing, for them, had another meaning. It was a
man's war record. If a man had more tattooed the
more he was admired by the people for his bravery
in the battle. The most tattooed people in the
Philippines were the Bisayans, that was, according
to the first Spanish missionaries who wrote about
the ancient Filipinos. A painted or tattooed people
of Bisayans were called "pintados" by the Spanish
missionaries.
