MARITIME ACADEMY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC-KAMAYA POINT

DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMICS
Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines – PTGWO-ITF
Kamaya Point, Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan

Name: 3Cl Fernandez, Leovel A.

Section: Miyako

SEATWORK 4: CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Using the 6Cs of Primary Source Analysis Template, the students will analyze, by groups of five,
the readings below. Kindly refer to the given materials together with this template.
Reference: CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS

CITATION CONTEXT

Plasencia, F. J. (1589). Customs of the

Tagalogs. In E. H. Blair & J. A.
Robertson (Eds.), The Philippine Islands,
1493-1898 (Vol. 7, pp. 165–187). story, Juan
de Plasencia, O.S.F.
The author belonged to the Franciscan order
and he was one of the first batches of
missionaries who arrived in the Philippines.
They were assigned to do mission works in
the Southern Tagalog area. The mission
works led him to many interactions that led
him to write this book Relacion de las
Costumbres de Los Tagalos or Customs of the
Tagalogs. He wrote this for Filipinos who
wanted to deepen their faith and be more
devoted to being a Christian.
The book was made in 1589 during the
colonialization where missionaries are calling
Filipinos to enter religious life. It was made
during a time where Filipinos were not
Christianized. The pre-colonialization era was
the time where Plasencia recorded and
observed the customs of the Tagalogs. He was
the one who observed and recorded it making
this a primary source of the topic customs of
the Tagalogs.

CONTENT CONNECTIONS

It contains comprehensive records because the Years have passed and we are currently living
book contains descriptions of the political, far differently than in the past. The book can
social, economic, and cultural practices of be used to inform about the practices and
 MARITIME ACADEMY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC-KAMAYA POINT
DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMICS
Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines – PTGWO-ITF
Kamaya Point, Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan
Filipinos before they were Christianized. It
shows the situations and customs before
Filipinos got Christianized in which they
worship different kinds of Gods from anitos
to trees. The superstitious beliefs and
supernatural beings of the native Tagalogs.
The book shows a brief discussion of the
customs of the Tagalogs before Christianity
spread across the country.
COMMUNICATION
The book was written by a missionary during
the pre-colonialization of the Philippines. It
was an observation of what was Filipinos do
and how the society of Filipinos worked. It is
a reliable source for Fray Juan de Plasencia he
witnessed the events and discussed them in
his account. From Plasencia’s observation like
beliefs like the superstitions, it can be seen
even during the present time.
beliefs back then and the practices and beliefs
we have right now. It shows how unique the
customs of the Tagalogs were before
colonialization. Some of these remained until
the modern time like the belief of
superstitions and different mythical creatures
like
CONCLUSIONS
From the topic, at hand, I concluded that as
years pass we change. The customs of the
Tagalogs were not removed because of the
influence of the Spaniards during their
colonialization. History involves learning the
past society, systems, ideologies, cultures, and
more, analyzing the primary source provided
is an effective way in learning history because
the customs of the Tagalogs written helps in
understanding the past like how the past
affects the understanding of why we have
these perspectives and why our society is like
this.