KASAYSAYAN 1 Review Notes
Lastly, the Emergent Period was
Peopling of the Philippines
Beyer’s Waves of Migration
At around 20,000 years ago, people from the
south, migrated northwards to the Philippines
through the land bridges. These group of people
came to be called the Negritos. They are said to
be hunter and gatherers. At around 5, 000 years
ago another group reach the islands with the use
of boats. And subsequently it was followed by
another group of people of the same type 2,500
years ago. These groups are known as the
Indones A and Indones B respectively. The first
one are said to be of tall and slender physique
while the other one was shorter and stockier and
more advance in tool making. Both these
Indones groups are horticulturalist. According to
Beyer, the last group that migrated to the
Philippines were the Malays. Beyer argued that
this last group of people to reach the Philippines
were far more advanced than the first two in
terms of the technology they use and the culture
they have. Compared to the Indones, the Malays
also possess better boat building technology
being able to build larger boats than their
predecessors.
Jocano’s Core Population Theory
Jocano’s theory proposed that there is a positive
proof that man was in the Philippines at least as
early as 21,000 years ago. According to
archeological evidence linked with the discovery
of a portion of a jaw in the Tabon cave, man
came earlier in the Philippines than to the Malay
peninsula which disproves the Waves of
Migration Theory.
This theory was developed promoting a view
that the cultural development in the Philippine
islands started from within. The Formative
Period was characterized by the usage of crude
stone tools and pot making. The Incipient Period
on the other hand was characterized by the
usage of polished stone tools and of simple tools
made of metal.
characterized by the development of trading
networks with several parts of Southeast Asia.
Bellwood’s Out-of-Taiwan Model
Bellwood’s model suggests of the migration of
the Austronesian speaking people from south
China to Taiwan and then travelling further south
to the Philippines before dispersing to different
directions. The term Austronesian commonly
referred to as a linguistic family though
sometimes it also refers to the speakers of the
language.
The Neolithic revolution is probably one of the
reason why the Austronesians migrated from
their homeland to island south. Population
growth led to the movement of population in
search for new lands that can support such.
Nusantao Maritime Trading Network
Different from Bellwood’s model, Wilhelm
Solheim posits that the migration of the
Austronesians originated from the southern
islands. Interestingly, Solheim also distinguished
the language from its speaker referring to them
as the Nusantao.
In several researches, it seems that the Solheim’s
hypothesis is more viable as compared to
Bellwood’s for several reasons. The Kurushio
Current between the Philippines and Taiwan
made impossible the southward movement of
the Austronesian population. Environmental
pressure also played an interesting role in the
movement of the population northward from
the southern islands. The rising of sea levels
submerged much of Sundaland thus creating the
Southeast Asian archipelago. Compared to a
land-locked geographical characteristic found in
southern China, a strong maritime tradition is
more likely to be developed in the southern
islands and as we know the Austronesian
speaking population possess a great affinity with
the sea. Lastly, Archaeological evidence also
suggest that the Austronesian population most
likely originated from the south. The presence of
the Javanica variety of rice in the Philippines
predates the existence of any rice variety coming
from Taiwan and Southern China.
Pre-Colonial Philippines
Social Classes
Datu/Maginoo
Datu refers to the ruling elite of the pre-colonial
Philippine society. In the Visayas, the term Datu
refers to both the political and social class. In the
context of the Tagalogs, maginoo is use to refer
to the social class.
 Gat – honorific for the male maginoo
 Dayang – honorific for the female
maginoo
 Sabali – a man who become a member
of a Datu class by marriage
 Potli or Lubus nga Datu – refers to the
member of the Datu class with unmixed
ancestry.
 Kalibutan – a member of the Datu class
that is pedigreed in 4 sides
(grandparents)
 Rajah, Batara, aand Sarripada – those
who ruled seaforts with foreign trade.
 Panginoon – was used to those with
lordship over many slaves and valuable
property like houses and boats.
The right to rule depended on the direct decent
from former rulers (Hereditary). The Datus can
take secondary wives called Sandil. Children of a
Datu with a sandal is called Tumao. In case the
Sandil came from the commoners/slaves they
became a member of the timawa.
A Datu’s authority is based on his lineage while
his power is based on his wealth, number of
slaves and physical prowess.
 Bahandi – heirloom owned by a Datu.
May come in form of goldwork,
porcelain and gong. It can be acquired
through raids, sale of local produce, and
control of trade.
 Honos – anchorage fees collected from
foreign trading vessels.
In collecting and recording tributes, the Datu is
assisted by the Paragahin.
To maintain peace and order, the Datu was
assisted by the Bilanggo who lives in the
Billanggowan.
The Datu’s roles are to govern his people, settle
the disputes, protect his subjects from their
enemies, and lead his people in battle.
Though the Datu serves as the overall head of a
community or Barangay, his power only lies in
the political. When it comes to the other aspects
of the lives of the pre-colonial Filipinos, they seek
the help of the Panday and Babaylan.
Timawa
In Spanish dictionaries, Timawa is both defined
as a term for freemen or freedmen. Alipin can be
freed from their bondage and become a member
of the Timawa. In such cases, he/she will be
called Ginoo.
Among the duties of a Timawa was to pay tribute
to his/her Datu. The tribute is known as either
buhis or handug.
A Timawa is free to transfer his allegiance to
another Datu if he wills it. Members of the
Timawa who served the Datu in their own
personal capability paid no tribute and rendered
no agricultural labor. Despite these privileges,
Timawas have no right to booty beyond what the
Datu gave them, and were even held
accountable for wounding or killing a captive.
The illegitimate offsprings of the Maginoo class
with their unmarried slaves were absorbed into
the Timawa class. On the other hand, Alipin who
successfully repaid their debts, completed their
indenture, or literally bought their freedom in
gold also become part of the Timawa class.
In the sixteenth-century Tagalog society, the
Maharlika are considered to be of lower
aristocracy who rendered military services to
their lords.
Alipin/Oripun
The word Oripun seems to have originated from
the word udip, meaning “to let live” – for
example sparing a life in the battle field,
ransoming a captive, or redeeming debt
equivalent to a man’s price. Circumstances
behind the emergence of this class seems to be
brought about by several factors. (1) shortage of
labor in exploiting the rich natural environment,
(2) prevalence of debt slavery due to limited
supply of goods as such debtors have little
collateral except their own persons. Others were
foreign captives.
Individual status in this class depended on
birthright, inherited or acquired debt,
commuted penal sentence, or victimization.
Those who were captives were called bihag. The
bihags can be marketed by dealers similar with
the bahandi.
In the context of the Visayas, “slaves” who live in
their master’s house are called the hayohay or
ayuey which is equivalent to the saguiguilid in
Tagalog societies. Such kind of alipin does not
have any land rights. The hayohay or saguiguilid
were dependent on their creditors. They eat in
their master’s pot, and are also clothed by them.
Alipin who owns a land and a house is called
namamahay in both the Visayas and Tagalog.
Such kind of Alipin supported themselves, giving
their masters only a share of their labor or crops.
They can venture in other enterprises in where
they can earn enough to pay off their debt. The
tribute that they give to their master is called
handog, yet it is also commonly called as buwis.
Namamahay came into such status in three
ways: (1) inheritance from a namamahay parent,
(2) dropping down from Timawa status, or (3)
rising up from the saguiguilid.
Role of Women in the Pre-Colonial society
Babaylan similar to the datu, the babaylan was
also called by different names: baylan or baglan.
For the Tagalogs, they were called as katalonan.
A male can also serve the role as a babaylan so
long as they possess effeminate characteristics –
that is the wear female clothes and speak like
females. We call them as bayog, bayogen, or
asug. Still, most were females from prominent
and wealthy families.
Babaylan also produce saulupong or kapong
(charms) which rendered men or fighting cocks
invincible.
They also lead the community sacrifice known as
the pandot usually performed under the balete
tree. It is during this occasion that taboos on
labor or travel were proclaimed.
The babaylans also lead ceremonial sacrifices in
the community called pag-aanito. (healing,
successful travel, abundant harvest, successful
childbirth, victory in war, and a happy marriage).
When a babaylan performs a ritual, it is usually
accompanied by dancing and singing. The rituals
are followed by feasting.
Similarly, the babaylans also perform private
rituals for individuals. Such rituals were usually
done to diagnose and heal a sickness.
The babaylans also presided over all rites of
passage – womb into the world, youth into
marriage, or life into death.
In the pre-colonial society, witches are to be
differentiated from the babaylans and are
considered to be their enemies.
The term binukot is an adjective meaning
confined, secluded, or restricted.
These women were daughters of datus who
were kept hidden in special rooms and were not
allowed to be seen by any man. In a sense, she
belonged to the elite and was esteemed as equal
in rank to the datu.
The parents choose either the eldest, or the most
beloved, or the fairest, or the most beautiful to
become a binukot.
Datus desired binukot maiden for their wives –
usually depicted in numerous epics all over the
Philippines. In the Panay society, having binukot
as a wife means increasing a datu’s prestige. In
Maranao society, they call the structure were the
binukot is being kept as the lamin (tower rooms).
Most of the times the binukot passes her time in
seclusion doing weaving and embroidery work.
The binukot holds the amulet whose power can
save the community, she who can call on the
spirits and gain access to the heavens whose
powerful amulets are stored.
Pre-colonial practices
The pre-colonial Filipinos performed several
alterations to their physical appearances. For
example, the Sangka or teeth filing. Variations
included opening of space between teeth, or
grinding them to saw-toothed points. After such
process the, teeth were colored in different
ways. By chewing an anipay root making the
teeth black in color.
Goldworks were also added and are generally
called as pusad. A specialist performs the task
and was called as mananusad.
Batuk was the general term for tattoos but
sometimes referred to as patik.
The usual design of tattoos were snakes or
lizards which symbolized a man’s valor.
Tattoos were only applied only after a man had
performed in battle with fitting courage. Tattoos
were accumulated with additional feats. Those
who had not killed or captured an enemy but had
himself tattooed were scorned and considered
counterfeit.
Tattooing itself is painful enough to serve as a
test for a person’s physical prowess. Those with
tattoos right up to the eyelids were considered
the best of all the warriors.
Visayan men wore a pin through their penis for
the greater stimulation of their sex partners.
The pins were called the tugbuk. The ends of the
pins were decorated with a kind of ring or
cogwheel called the sakra.
To the foreign eyes, the practice of having penis
pins for men is attributed to an inordinate sexual
appetite.
Religion
To the Tagalogs, Bathala was considered to be
the most supreme of the anitos. Looking most
closely, the term Bathala is actually of Sanskrit
origin from the word batara, meaning holy.
Lesser deities on the other hand were called as
anito. Usually anitos are named describing their
functions as with that of Lakan Bakod.
The images of these deities were known as the
likha but also sometimes called as larawan. Such
were mostly made of wood and usually have an
anthropomorphic form.
Performing an offering to an anito is reffered to
as naga-anito.
In the Visayan context, gods and goddesses were
called as diwata or umalagad. They are usually
benevolent or neutral and are called upon for
good harvest, health, and fortune. Though
sometimes they may cause illness if not given the
proper respect.
Crocodiles at the same time were both feared
and venerated. A Salaksak bird was also
considered sacred as it is permitted to pick a
crocodile’s teeth without harm. Such belief
stemmed from the idea crocodiles had the souls
of the deceased human beings. The Balete tree
was also given offering.
It is to Ancestor worship which the greatest
religious attention was given.
Spirits of the parents, grandparents, and
occasionally of popular hero known for his
bravery, ferocity, and active love life.
These spirits if not appeased usually cause illness
or misfortune.
It was also believed that supernatural forces
filled the natural world with signs and portents
that it would be unwise to ignore.
Death and Afterlife
Unlike in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, pre-
colonial Filipinos do not have the concept of a
heaven or hell. Nonetheless, they have the
concept of the land of the dead. The Visayan calls
such as the Sulad or Saad. The soul of the dead
was delivered to the Sulad by means of a boat.
It is the belief in the afterlife that married
couples were to be reunited to continue their
accustomed activities when they were still living.
Nonetheless those who drowned or died at sea,
their souls will remain at sea. Those killed in war
or by a crocodile travelled up to the rainbow.
Grave sites were usually placed outside the
village limits, sometimes dug into the banks of
upstream rivers or sea coast.
Islam started in Mecca, in year 610 AD by
Prophet Muhammad when angel Gabriel
appeared before him bringing the message of
Allah. The period before 610 AD is called the
jahilliyah or period of ignorance. The Qu’ran is
Islams holy book. The Islamic community is
called the ummah.
Five Pillars of Islam
 Shahadah – belief that there is only one
God and his name is Allah and his
prophet is Muhammad.
 Salat – refers to the five prayers done by
Muslims (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha)
 Zakat – alms given by fortunate Muslims
to the less fortunate members of the
ummah.
 Saum – fasting in the time of Ramadan.
 Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca.
Entrance of Islam in the Philippines
Islam was introduced in Southeast Asia around
the 13th century by traders from India and the
Arabian Peninsula. In the Philippines, an Arab
trader, by the name of Tuan Mashaika who
introduced Islam by establishing communities in
Mindanao in the year 1280. Tuan Mashaika
married the daughter of the local ruler A
hundred year after, a Muslim missionary by the
name of Karim ul-Makdhum established the first
mosque in the Philippines.
By 1405, the Sultanate of Sulu was established
and its first sultan was Sharif ul-Hashim or
popularly called as Sayyid Abu Bakr. He was
married to Paramisuli, a member of a local ruling
class. At around 1500, another sultanate was
Shariff Muhammad Kabungsuwan who was also
its first sultan.
Despite the changes brought by Islam
particularly in Mindanao, previously dominant
cultural and religious practices continue exist.
The use of the honorific titles such as rajah, datu
and dayang still continue. Muslim beliefs mixed
with the indigenous religious practices. The
tradition of slave raiding, pangagayaw, still
persisted. These mixing of the old and new belief
is called religious/cultural syncretism.
In order to qualify as a sultan, he must be able to
satisfy several requirements.
  Bangsawan – must be coming from the
direct line of the Prophet Muhammad.
This is based on the tarsila.
 Kamagulangan – must be of right age
 Ilmawan – knowledge of the Sharia law.
Literacy in Arabic.
 Altawan – wealth
 Rupawan – charismatic leader
Age of Discovery and Exploration
The period between the 15th to 17th century was
referred to as the Period of Discovery and
Exploration. It was during this period that
leading European monarchies started sending
expeditions to the lesser known parts of the
globe to discover new lands.
There are several factors that lead to the
discoveries of the new lands known as the terra
incognita.
 Mercantilism
 Spice Trade and the Silk Road
 Accounts of European Travellers
 Scientific and Technological
Development
 Opening of Banks in Europe
 Environmental and Historical Factor
The discovery of new lands by Spain and Portugal
led both countries into conflict. And to solve such
conflict, Pope Alexander VI released a papal bull
called the Inter Caetera in 1493. An imaginary
line was drawn. All lands to be discovered west
of that line will belong to Spain and all the lands
in the east will belong to Portugal.
The agreement was rejected by Portugal as they
believed that with the Pope being a Spaniard, he
made the bull more favorable for Spain. To
resolve the conflict an agreement was reached in
1494 between the two nations. The agreement
is now known as the Treaty of Tordesillas. The
first main provision of the treaty was the
establishment of an imaginary line 370 leagues
from Cape Verde.
Spanish Expeditions to the Philippines
 Ferdinand Magellan
 Garcia Jofre Loiasa
 Sebastian Cabot
 Alvaro de Saavedra Ceron
 Ruy Lopez de Villalobos
 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
With the arrival of the Portuguese and Spanish in
Southeast Asia another agreement was agreed
upon by both countries to resolve any ensuing
conflicts. The Treaty of Zaragoza signed in 1529
provided for an anti-meridian or an imaginary
line 297 ½ leagues from the island of Maluku in
the Moluccas.
Spanish colonial policies
Political Transformation
Unlike in the pre-colonial Philippine society, the
Spaniards began centralizing the power to an
authority. Under the colonial rule, the
recognized sovereign is the King of Spain.
The King has the privilege called the patronato
real, that was granted to him by the pope. From
this resulted in the so-called union of the church
and the state, wherein all religious officials also
became servants of the state and were paid by
stipends provided by the crown.
Under the King of Spain was the office of the
Royal and Supreme Council of the
Indies/Council of Indies. This office is
responsible for the administration of the
colonies and as well as the creation of laws for
these colonies. By 1861, this office will be
replaced by the Ministerio de Ultramar
The highest administrative position in the
Philippines was that of the Governador y
Capitan-Heneral which was usually referred to
as the Governor-General. The Governor-General
is chosen by the king upon the recommendation
of the Council of Indies.
The duties of the Governor-General were to
administer the colony and appoint colonial
officials (administrative). He also serves as the
commander-in-chief of the Spanish forces in the
Philippines. At the same time, he also
administers the port of Cavite (military). The
Governor-General also serves as the president of
the Real Audiencia. He is also considered as vice-
real patron, and as such it is also part of his duty
to nominate priest in ecclesiastical position
(ecclesiastical). He also supervises economic
affairs inside the colony. Distribution of
boletas/tickets to be able to take part in the
Galleon trade (economic).
The Governor-General may choose not to follow
the King’s decree in the colony if he see it
detrimental to the colony’s overall welfare. This
power is called cumplaste.
In exchange for his service to the colony, the
Governor-General receives 40,000 pesos per
year.
At the end of his term, the Governor-General is
required by law to stay for another 6 months in
the colony. Within these 6 months he will be
tried by the Residencia. The Residencia is
composed of the newly appointed Governor-
General and the members of the Real Audiencia.
Besides the residencia, there is also the Visita
which is a secret agent of the King, to spy on the
colonial officials. Governor-Generals who were
proven to be corrupt are imprisoned and are
stripped of their wealth.
In the case of the Corregidor and Alcalde Mayor,
they are usually peninsulares and are trained
lawyers. They assist the governor-general in
collecting tributes, maintaining peace and order,
and judge in the tribunal. Compared to the
annual income of the Governor-General, an
alcalde mayor only receives around 24,000 pesos
a year. Nonetheless, other sources would have it
that he also takes part in the income from
indulto de comercio (business license) which
amounts to around 50,000 pesos.
The highest office in the colonial administration
that a native of the islands can hold was the
gobernadorcillo. They served as head of the
town and are more popularly called as capitan.
The gobernadorcillo of the town also has similar
functions as the alcalde mayor. The
gobernadorcillo is elected among the cabeza de
barangay of the town and usually serves only for
a year.
The system that the Spaniards employed to
facilitate the resettlement was the Reduccion.
The word Reduccion comes from the word
reducir. Reducir could mean several things like
to return from a previous state, change, to
shorten, to divide, or to discipline. This system
was first suggested by Friar Juan de Plasencia in
the Synod of Manila in 1582.
Under this system, the colonizers tried to
reorganize the natives in areas that are more
accessible to the government administrators and
friars. The places where the natives were
reorganized were called reducciones which later
on became the basis for the pueblos. It was said
that as long as an individual hears the ringing of
the church bells, he is part of the reduccion. Such
conception of the colonial space was called bajo
el son de la campana or bajo el toque de la
campana.
The most distinct and important characteristic of
the pueblo was the plaza complex. Inside the
plaza complex were the primary colonial
edifices/structures like the government
buildings, churches, markets, schools, and the
houses of the principalia. Another feature of the
plaza complex was a large open area in the
middle were most community activities and
festivities are done. The church bells also serve
as a warning signal for a Muslim raid.
Those who refuse to be part of the pueblo
considered as outsiders or tagalabas. They are
also called by several terms such as remontados,
tulisanes, vagamundos, malhecheros and
indocumentados.