ECONOMIC LIFE AND LIVING STANDARDS

The islands’ precolonial period, during which indigenous peoples engaged in healthy trade with various
cultures and economies in the region.

 Filipino women were on equal footing with men. - During pre-colonial times, women shared equal
footing with men in society. They were allowed to divorce, own and inherit property, and even
lead their respective barangays or territories.

 The earliest coin was made of gold. - It’s no surprise that most pre-colonial Filipinos had no
knowledge of money, but instead were trading through gold. In author Angelita Legarda’s essay
“Small Change,” she noted that early Spanish chroniclers noted that Filipinos then were already
experts at evaluating the quality of gold.

 We already had an advanced civilization. - Contrary to foreign accounts, our ancestors were
not just some backward, jungle-living savages. In reality, pre-colonial Philippines already possessed
a very advanced civilization way before the coming of the Spanish. Our ancestors possessed a
complex working society and a culture replete with works of arts and literature. When the
colonizers came, everything contradictory to their own system had to go. Sculptures, texts,
religious ceremonies, and virtually anything else deemed obscene, evil or a threat to their rule were
eliminated.

 The literacy rate was high. - sing the ancient system of writing called the baybayin, the pre-
colonial Filipinos educated themselves very well, so much so that when the Spanish finally arrived,
they were shocked to find out that the Filipinos possessed a literacy rate higher than that of Madrid.
However, the high literacy rate also proved to be a double-edged sword for the Filipinos once the
Spanish arrived. Eager to evangelize and subjugate our ancestors, the missionaries exploited
the baybayin for their own ends, learning and using it to translate their various works.
Consequently, the pre-colonial Filipinos became more easily susceptible to foreign influence.

 Several professions already existed. - Aside from being farmers, hunters, weapon-makers,
and seafarers, the pre-colonial Filipinos also dabbled—and excelled—in several other professions
as well. To name a few, many became involved in such professions as mining, textiles, and smithing.
Owing to the excellent craftsmanship of the Filipinos, locally-produced items such as pots, jewelry,
and clothing were highly-sought in other countries. In fact, it is reported that products of Filipino
origin might have even reached as far away as ancient Egypt. Clearly, our ancestors were very
skilled artisans.

 They had the know-how to make advanced weapons. - Our ancestors—far from being the
archetypal spear-carrying, bahag-wearing tribesmen we picture them to be—were very proficient
in the art of war. Aside from wielding swords and spears, they also knew how to make and fire
guns and cannons. Rajah Sulayman, in particular, was said to have owned a huge 17-feet-long
iron cannon.
 Our forefathers in the pre -colonial Philippines already possessed a working judicial
and legislative system. - Although not as advanced (or as complicated) as our own today, the
fact that our ancestors already possessed a working judicial and legislative system just goes to
show that they were well-versed in the concept of justice. Life in pre-colonial Philippines was
governed by a set of statutes, both unwritten and written, and contained provisions with regards
to civil and criminal laws. Usually, it was the datu and the village elders who promulgated such
laws, which were then announced and explained to the people by a town crier called
the umalohokan.

 We had smoother foreign relations. - We’ve all been taught that before the Spanish galleon
trade, the pre-colonial Filipinos had already established trading and diplomatic relations with
countries as far away as the Middle East. In lieu of cash, our ancestors exchanged precious
minerals, manufactured goods, etc. with Arabs, Indians, Chinese, and several other nationalities.
During this time period, many foreigners permanently settled here after marvelling at the beauty
of the country and its people.

 We were self-sufficient. - In terms of food, our forefathers did not suffer from any lack
thereof. Blessed with such a resource-rich country, they had enough for themselves and their
families. Forests, rivers, and seas yielded plentiful supplies of meat, fish, and other foodstuffs.
Later on, their diet became more varied especially when they learned to till the land using
farming techniques that were quite advanced for their time. The Banaue Rice Terraces is one
such proof of our ancestors’ ingenuity.

 Society was more tolerant in pre-colonial Philippines. - While it could be said that our
modern society is one of the most tolerant in the world, we owe our open-mindedness not to the
Americans and certainly not to the Spanish, but to the pre-colonial Filipinos. Aside from allowing
divorce, women back then also had a say in how many children they wanted. Sexuality was not as
suppressed, and no premium was given to virginity before marriage. Although polygamy was
practiced, men were expected to do so only if they could support and love each of his wives
equally. Homosexuals were also largely tolerated, seeing as how some of the babaylans were
actually men in drag.
References:

“Kasaysayan: The Earliest Filipinos” by Cecilio G. Salcedo, Wilfredo P. Ronquillo,

Eusebio Z. Dizon, and Fr. Gabriel S. Casal

“Isabelo’s Archive” by Resil B. Mojares [accessed online]

Funtecha, H. (2006). The pre-colonial government of the Filipinos. [online] The News
Today. Available at: http://goo.gl/9Z5DFI [Accessed 10 Nov. 2014].

Families in a Global Context by Charles B. Hennon, Stephan M. Wilson

Philippine History Module-based Learning I 2002 Edition by Rebecca Ramilo Ongsotto,

Reena R. Ongsotto

Development in Asia: Interdisciplinary, Post-Neoliberal, and Transnational:

Interdisciplinary, Post-neoliberal, and Transnational Perspectives by Derrick M. Nault

The Philippines: A Global Studies Handbook by Damon L. Woods

An Introduction to Philippine Social Science by Maximo M. Kalaw

Colonial Counterpoint: Music in Early Modern Manila by D. R. M. Irving

The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia by Felix Wilfred

The Embarrassment of Slavery: Controversies over Bondage and Nationalism in the

American Colonial Philippines by Michael Salman

Cultural Institutions of the Novel by Deidre Lynch, William Beatty Warner