CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Jenelyn A. Bustillo, MBA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FRAY DE PLASENCIA

• Real name: Joandre Portocarrero

• Born and raised in Extramadura, Spain in the 16th century

• Member of the Franciscan Order

• His interaction with Tagalog converts to Christianity in uenced him in writing

the book Relation de las Costumbres de los Tagalogs (Customs of the
Tagalogs, 1589)

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ABOUT THE BOOK

• Original document of the book is currently kept in the Archive General de

Indias (A.G.I.) in Seville, Spain

• While the duplicate copy of it is kept in the Archive Franciscano Ibero-Oriental

(A.F.I.O.) in Madrid, Spain

• The English translation appeared in Volume VII of the Blair and Robertson’s
The Philippine Islands
DESCRIPTION OF THE
PHIL. SOCIETY DURING
PRE-HISPANIC TIME

• They have chiefs called “dato.”

These chiefs ruled over a few
people called “barangay”

• Chief, captain of wars, whom

governed, obeyed and reverence

• There were three castes: nobles,

commoners, slaves
SOCIAL CLASSES
The society was made up of 3 classes:

• Nobles - composed of the dates and their families

• Mahadlika or Maharlika

• Free-born, did not pay taxes or contribute to the dato

• Timawa

• consisting of the freemen or commoners

• Lived in their own houses and have freedom

• Slaves: Alipins and their dependents - (namamahay / guiguilir)

• They served their master in his house and his cultivated lands and can be sold

Members of the nobility were addressed as either Gat or Lakan by the Tagalogs
ON THE BARANGAY

• They have chiefs called “dato.” These chiefs ruled over a few people called
“barangay”

• The chief had some sheries, with established limits, and the sections of the
rivers for market

• No one could sh or trade in the market without paying for the privilege,
unless he belonged to the chief’s Barangay or village
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ALIPIN OR DEPENDENTS

• Acquire their status by

inheritance, captivity, purchase,
failure to settle debts, or by
committing a crime

• Aliping namamahay

• Aliping sagigilid
ALIPIN
SLAVES CAN BE EMANCIPATED THROUGH:

• By forgiveness

• By paying debt

• By condonation

• By bravery (where a slave can possibly become a dato) or marriage

 ALIPIN

• In these three classes, those who are maharlikas on both the father’s and
mother’s side continue to be so forever, and if it happens that they become
slaves, it is through marriage.

• If two persons married, one is commoner and the other was slave, the children
were divided

• “I have not been to ascertain with any certainty when or at age the division of
children was made”

• Whether namamahay or sa guiguilir - the children were divided in this way - the
rst whether male or female goes to the father as did the third and the fth; the
second, fourth and the sixth belonged to the mother and so on
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ALIPIN

• Dependents were not slaves although they are classi ed as one

• No distinction was made between them except that when the alcaldes-
mayores treated them as such, they are not distinguished between them

• Since no distinction was made between a namamahay and a sa guiguilir,

most of them are treated as same

• The alcaldes-mayores put this in document in order to resolve it

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POSITION OF WOMEN

• Women before the coming of the Spaniards enjoyed a unique position in

society that their descendants during the Spanish occupation did not enjoy.

• Customary laws gave them the right to be the equal of men, for they could
own and inherit property, engage in trade and industry, and succeed to the
chieftainship of a barangay in the absence of a male heir.

• They had the exclusive right to give names to their children.

• As a sign of deep respect, the men, when accompanying women, walked

behind them.
DOWRIES
Bigay-kaya

• Panghimuyat, bigay-suso, himaraw, sambon

• Dowries are given by men to the women’s parents before marriage. If the
parents are both alive, they both enjoy the use of it.

• In case of divorce, if the wife left the husband for the purpose of marrying
another, all her dowry will go to the husband, but if she did not marry another,
the dowry was returned.

• Upon the death of the wife, who in year’s time had borne no children, the
parents returned one-half the dowry of the husband
The dowry was of seven kinds:

1. kawasateg - consisting of a rather big amount to be given to the close

relatives of the bride

2. siwaka - consisting of brassware or a few hundred pesos to be given to

those who had helped in arranging the wedding;

3. enduatuan - consisting of brassware or money or animals to be given to the

village chief;

4. pangatulian - consisting of jewelry to be given to the girl’s mother

The dowry was of seven kinds:

5. tatas - consisting of a blade to be given to the girl’s uncle

6. langkad - consisting of a special sum of money to be given to the girl’s

parents as a sort of ne for having bypassed the elder sister of the bride, if
she had any;

7. lekat - consisting of an amount equivalent to ten or more pesos to be given

to the girl’s attendant.
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MARRIAGE / CHILDREN

• State of courtship: pamumulungan or pamamalae; panalanguni (Muslim) -

pegkawing

• In such cases, half the child is free, meaning the father will support the child;
in case, he did not support the child, it means he did not recognize the child
as his - in which case the child becomes a slave wholly

• If a free woman had children by a slave, they were all free, provided she did
not marry him

• If two persons get married - one is maharlika and other one is a slave
MIXED MARRIAGE

• Children of parents who are both maharlika remain as one throughout their
lives

• If it happens that they should become a slave, it is through marriage - if these

maharlikas had children with slaves, the children and their mother become
free

• If a maharlika had children by the slave of another, she was forced when
pregnant, to give her master half a gold tael due to risk of death and inability
to labor during pregnancy
INHERITANCE / SUCCESSION

• Legitimate children automatically inherited the property of their parents, even

without a written will.

• The property was divided equally among the children, although either parent
might show a little partiality in giving a favorite son or daughter an extra jewel
or a few pieces of gold.

• Things given in advance to any son or daughter, unless expressly considered

by the parents as outside the property to be inherited, were interpreted to be
part of the inheritance of the recipient.
INHERITANCE / SUCCESSION

• In cases where there were children by a free unmarried woman, aside from the legitimate
children, the former were considered natural children if begotten after the father’s rst
marriage.

• The natural children did not share the father’s property equally with the legitimate children.
The latter were given two parts, while the remaining part was given to the natural children.

• In the absence of legitimate children, the natural children inherited all the property of the
father. If a man had legitimate children as well as children by a dependent, the latter did
not inherit anything, but it was the duty of the legitimate to free the dependent woman
and to give something to her children.

• In the absence of heirs, however, the property of the couple went to their nearest relatives.

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LAW AND PUNISHMENT

• Sentences passed by the dato must

take place in the barangay

• Umalohokan = town cryer

• Dato = judge

• Council of elders = jury

• Oath: “May the crocodiles devour

me if I tell a lie”

• “May I die here and now if I do not

tell the truth”
TRIAL BY ORDEAL

• Consisted of ordering the

suspects, in case of theft, to dip
their hand into a pot of boiling
water

• Holding lighted candles by the

suspects

• Plunge into a deep river with

their lances

• Chew uncooked rice

WORSHIP

• Adoration of idols

• Pandot or worship

• Sarihile - small lamps

• Nagaanitos

• Bathala - Supreme Being

MINOR DIETIES

• Idiyanale - god of agriculture

• Sidapa - god of death

• Agni - god of re

• Balangaw - god of rainbow

• Madarangan - god of war

• Lalahon - goddess of harvest

• Siginarugan - god of hell

• Anito - soul-spirits
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CLOTHING

• Kangan - sleeveless jacket

• Red for chief, black or blue for

commoners

• Bahag - loincloth

• Putong - tells social status /

achievement of the individual
wearing it.
PRIESTS OF THE DEVIL
• Catalonan / babaylan - female priestess

• Mangagauay / tambalan - witches / healers or

doctors

• Manyisalat

• Mangkukulam

• Hocloban

• Silagan

• Magtatangal

• Using

• Mangagayoma

• Sonat

• Pangatahojan

• Bayoguin