CARDENAS, Angelika Julliane Chrystle C.

(2017142397)

GED103 / B13

Exercise 2.1.2

I. Identify at least 5 distinctive or unique practices, customs, and traditions in your province or
community.
a. The basic unit of governance is the barangay.
b. In our province, Cagayan Valley, most of the time the doors or gates are left unlocked
without or with little fear of intrusion.
c. Partaking in pasyon or penitencia during Lenten season
d. Treating the elders and higher authorities with respect, which is often observed in using
po and opo when talking to them
e. Praying grace before and after a meal

II. In 300 to 500 words, compare those practices to the observations discussed by Plasencia in his
article.

Many customs in Pre-Hispanic times have been lost through time and colonization, most
notably by the Spanish which held is firm grasp on the nation for approximately 400 years. They have
contributed much to the nearly complete eradication of tribal customs and reducing them only to
minorities. Due to the extensive stay and control of the Spanish colonizers, most of the prominent
customs practiced today are deeply rooted in their culture. Among these are the most common
religious practices often attributed to Roman-Catholicism. This includes the pasyon, a reliving of the
passions of sufferings of Christ; and the penitencia which is a form of extreme act of penitence
involving ritualistic physical infliction of pain often by using a spiked whip. On the other hand, the
practice of praying before and after meals is also another custom picked up form the Spanish.
However, influences of the tribal era still managed to find its way into the modern Filipino lifestyle. In
fact, the concept of barangay, is a system of governance hailing back from pre-Hispanic times. It is
the most basic unit of government which, in early times, had a population ranging from less than thirty
to nearly a hundred houses. A barangay is headed by a dato. This tightly-knit social order entails a
greater sense of belongingness and comfort of an individual with her/his community. That said, the
custom of leaving the doors unlocked for long periods of time can be seen as a resonance of this pre-
Hispanic mindset. Another notable influence of this forgotten age is the whole concept of celebrating
blessings and graces can be rooted back to pre-Hispanic times. This is often in the form of festivals
called pandot or “worship” which is done in a communal gathering place which is similar to a
simbahan. Meanwhile, the widely known Filipino culture of respect can also be rooted back to tribal
times. The subjects of the dato are expected to treat him and his family and immediate relatives with
utmost respect and reverence. The same is also observed with other members of the barangay, even
women and slaves. However, the dato is always held on a higher regard.