Pacalna, Anifah B.

BSA-2

Does our pre-colonial ancestors (before the coming of the Spaniards) are civilized or
not?

It is widely believed in today’s generation that Philippines was found by Magellan

which leads to the beginning of Philippines’ history. Many believed that before the coming of
Spaniards, our ancestors were uncivilized (Balderrama, 2010). According to article published
by Britannica Inc., Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that was exposed to
Western colonization before it had the chance to grow as a civilized country. However, all
these viewpoints are based from the Spanish perspective which is no big surprise why a few
of us see our progenitors as slavish, unprogressive, and nothing without the Spaniards.

In the olden times, occupants of the Philippines were from different groups of people
who showed up in diverse influxes of movement from the Asian territory. Although
interactions with other groups of people were noted, influence from those groups of people
was of little significance. Moreover, even before the Spaniards colonized the Philippine
archipelago, our pre-colonial ancestors were essentially living in a promising land.
Philippines pre-colonial ancestors already achieved a progressive stage of social and cultural
development.

In reference to the later gathered records, Filipinos of the fifteenth century have been
active and involved principally in switching agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Evidently, just
in the mountains of northern Luzon lies the expanded rice terraces built somewhere 2,000
years back then, were vocation and social group associated to a fixed region. The other
groups of people lived in broaden family relationship known as barangays, each under the
authority of a datu, or chieftain. The barangay, which conventionally totaled to not exceeding
a few hundred people, was normally the biggest stable monetary and political unit during that
time. With this, it can be grasped that our pre-colonial ancestors were not just people of no
function and uncultured living, verily, besides being farmers, hunters, weapon-creators, and
sailors, our pre-colonial ancestors likewise outshined and outdid in a few different fields. To
give some examples, many got engaged with so many vocations such as mining, textiles, and
smithing. From the incredible craftsmanship of the Filipinos, personal creation of objects and
artifacts like pots, gems, and dresses were profoundly looked for in different nations.
Naturally, our ancestors were gifted craftsman.
 In terms of religious views, our pre-colonial ancestors observed different beliefs. The
gratification of spirits demands various customs; however, this diverse belief doesn’t indicate
any religious hierarchy. In religion, as in social structure and financial movement, there was
significant variability between and inside islands. In addition, they worshipped the sun, the
moon, the living being, the flying creatures and even old trees. They give credence to
ancestral spirits known as anitos of the Tagalogs and diwatas of the Visayans. They have
babaylan and katalona which are priestesses who perform ceremonial contributions of
offering (Jocano, 2014).

Another point that proves our pre-colonial ancestors are already civilized is the
existence of their working judicial and administrative framework. As stated by FilipiKnow
online magazine, the system of our ancestors was represented by a lot of rules, both written
and not, with provisions in respect to civil and criminal laws. For the most part, it was the
datu and the town older folks who declare such laws and then reported and disclosed to the
individuals by a town messenger so-called as umalohokan. The datu and the older folks
likewise went about as de facto courts if a discourse should arise between people of their
town. Furthermore, punishments were also established for anybody saw as liable of a wrong
doing which comprises admonitions, fines, detainment and demise.

Although pre-colonial Philippines system is not as complex and intricate as of ours

today, the way that our ancestors previously had a working judicial and administrative
framework just demonstrates that they were knowledgeable and informed in the idea of
justness. Indeed, our ancestors went through a lot of stages both intense and serene in their
quest for political maturity and independence. However, at the point when the colonizers
came, everything opposing to their own framework needed to go. Structures and sculptures,
messages, religious rituals, and for all intents and purposes everything else regarded as foul,
malicious or harmful to their standards were removed.

On the account of early Filipino community, it would be unfair to compare the degree
of achievement with that of the modern Filipino society. The reason has something to do with
the needs of the group and the way they reacted and responded to it. The notion of
civilization being the sum total of the achievement of a society is firmly identified with the
degree of achievement done by the early Filipino community. Despite the fact that ancestors
might not have done much compared today, they had in any case, followed same pattern of
advancement like the others. They also had system of writing, language, and various form of
arts (Ongsotto, 2002).

In conclusion, our pre-colonial ancestors are definitely civilized. They were not just a
mere retrogressive, desert living barbarians. In fact, our ancestors previously had an
exceptionally propelled human advancement path before the happening of Spanish
colonization. They had a labyrinthine working community with beliefs and culture packed
with works of expressions and writings very different from the views and rulings of
Philippine colonizers. Certainly, our pre-colonial ancestors had a detailed development
previously. Even so, this accomplishment didn't come to be a significant fragment of the
Filipino awareness due to the emergence and arrival of colonizers during which a
systematized deformity on our discerning towards ourselves was executed.

https://putok.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/before-the-spaniards-colonized-the-philippines-the-
filipinos-were-already-civilized/
https://filipiknow.net/life-in-pre-colonial-philippines/#:~:text=We%20already%20had%20an
%20advanced%20civilization.,-Painting%20by%20Fernando&text=Contrary%20to
%20foreign%20accounts%2C%20our,the%20coming%20of%20the%20Spanish.
Philippine History Module-based Learning I 2002 Edition by Rebecca Ramilo Ongsotto,
Reena R. Ongsotto