ALFANTE, Joshua Roman O.

11713534

KASPIL2 C32

1. Research and write down the differences between the peopling theories of

Peter Bellwood and Wilhelm Solheim. (There are three)

Peter Bellwood’s Out-Of-Taiwan (OOT) theory, as stated in Everington (2017),

postulates that Taiwan is the origin of many of today's Pacific islanders based on

carbon dating of materials used by Austronesians, such as pottery, adzes, spindle

whorl, etc.. Additionally, Bellwood drew information on archeology, genetics, and

linguistics. The OOT Theory is one of the most accepted Austronesian theories.

Countering Bellwood, however, is Willhelm Solheim and his Nusantao

Maritime Trading and Communication Network (NMTCM) Theory. Derived from

the root words nusa which means ‘south’ and tao which means ‘man’ in

Austronesian, the theory suggests that the spread of culture and language

happened because of the trading and communication that happened among the

early Southeast-Asian population.

Overall, Bellwood’s theory focuses more on concrete and physical

evidences and language as compared to Solheim who emphasizes on culture.

2.Discuss a working definition of Philippine prehistory and give its significance of

studying it in the present times. Cite examples of its use today.

As discussed in class, Philippine prehistory discusses developments that

occurred before history was recorded. This can be achieved by examining artifacts, oral
evidence, fossils, and the like. Studying this branch of history helps us uncover truths

about our past and aids us in having our own national identity. Provided that prehistory

gives us information on how the Philippines was like before the Spanish rule, it proved

that even before our colonizers, we had rich culture and we were civilized.

3. Write a short reflection (500 words or more) of our prehistoric heritage based

on any of the videos viewed during the lesson.

By watching the documentary of Butch Nolasco namely: National Treasures: A

Journey Through History, the thing that got most of my attention was the Manunggul

Jar. This burial jar, as said in the documentary, was discovered by a team of

archeologists that was led by Dr. Robert Fox who is considered to be one of the leading

historians of the pre-history of the Philippines. In addition, this ancient artifact was said

to be recovered in the Manunggul Cave of Quezon, Palawan.

This work of art, believed to be made at around the late Neolithic period, depicts

two persons that are believed to be ‘souls’ rowing on a boat. According to Butch

Nolasco, these two models represent souls that are venturing toward the afterlife. These

figures were believed to be souls due to the fact that they were wearing a band tied over

their heads and underneath their jaws. More importantly, the front figure’s arms can be

seen folded across its chest, which is a known burial practice in the Philippines.

Although small in size, with a width of 51cm and a height of 66 cm, the Manunggul Jar

came up to be one of the most defining pieces of Philippines pre-history because it

shows the early Filipinos’ concept of soul, culture, and art. Given that the ancient burial

jar was made at around 700-800 BCE (late Neolithic period), I was amazed at how the

early Filipinos were capable of doing such masterful and sophisticated artworks and
designs. Moreover, the boat and the ‘souls’ symbolize their belief in the afterlife. For me,

this also shows the Philippines’ connection to the oceans and other bodies of water. By

venturing towards the afterlife on a boat, this means that Filipinos associate bodies of

water with the concept of farewell and new beginnings. This is because the Philippines

is surrounded by bodies of water.

Ultimately, the Manuggul Jar was of paramount significance to Philippine pre-

history and the Philippines honored this artwork by incorporating it to the country’s 1000

peso bill.

Moving on, Kara David’s “Ang Huling Mambabatok” also caught my attention.

The documentary was about Apo Whang-Od, a tattoo artist from Kalinga. Being the last

of her kind, she made me more appreciative of our culture. By using a bamboo stick, the

Kalinga Warriors added tattoos whenever they kill someone. On the other hand, Kalinga

women get tattoos that symbolize beauty. This shows that even if the early Filipinos did

not have a writing system yet, they still were able to express themselves through the art

of tattooing.

References
Everington, K. (2017, September 12). Birthplace of Austronesians is Taiwan, capita...
Retrieved from https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3247203
ALFANTE, Joshua Roman O.

11713534

KASPIL2 C32

1. Discuss enculturation in the Philippine context by answering the ff questions:

a.) How did enculturation change Philippine culture through the years? Did it

make our culture better? Or did it destroy vestiges of our identity? Explain.

Since the Philippines had a number of colonizers that came and went, there is no

doubt that the Filipinos were influenced by their culture. Whether it be in the arts,

cuisine, language, or architecture. However, not all aspects of culture were welcome by

the nation. In my opinion, enculturation is the ‘middle-point’ of accepting and rejecting

another country’s culture. By changing or altering some of the culture’s characteristics,

the people were able to make their own culture. In other words, the people incorporated

the Philippine identity into another country’s culture.

This is why I believe that enculturation made the Philippine culture better. Since

some of the products of enculturation became part of our identity as Filipinos today. For

example, encultured cuisine such as lumpia and pancit from the Chinese and language

from the Spaniards such as garahe and yelo. These examples only added to the

already-diverse culture of us Filipinos.

2. Based on the chart in the next slide, make a worksheet of at least 5 examples in

our culture that were affected by enculturation.

Pancit molo (food) -Chinese

-Adaptation of Chinese wonton soup

-Ilonggo dish

Turon (food) -Chinese

-Adaptation of spring rolls

-Used bananas instead of spring vegetables and

meat

Ate/kuya (language) -Chinese

-Derived from the words atsi (older sister) and koa

(older brother)

Salamat (language) -Arabic

-Came from the Arabic word “salamat” which means

“be safe” or “peace and blessings”

Kuba (language) -Arabic

-Came from the word “quba” which means curve or

arch