Custom of the Tagalogs from Plascencia’s Account

Plascencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs is a very popular primary source because it

vividly described the situation of the Philippines before it was tainted with
Spanish and Christian influences. It tackles about the everyday living of then
ancient Filipinos, their system of government, their social statuses, and their
customs, traditions, and beliefs. This document is important for determining how
the Spaniards will govern the Filipinos during the Spanish era. Although it has
lesser value in the modern world right now, it is still important for us to trace the
roots of who we are in the past. Early Filipinos were very much alike with the
Malays based on their language. Even before they came here in the Philippines,
they were governed by a Dato who was like a king. Datos were highly respected
and they have to follow whatever it commands. Not even the wife or the children
of the Dato were exempted for getting a punishment when they disobeyed him. A
Dato only governs small groups of people approximately 100 houses only. The
territory of a Dato is called “barangay” which came from the word “balangay” (a
boat they ride for transportation). Dato don’t let other Datos conquer their land
and they only treat other Datos as a family, friend, ally, or an enemy. There was a
caste system being followed in every barangay during that time.Somehow this
kind of system still exists in our country like the caste system. Although we have
laws about protecting the human rights, we can’t deny the fact that the one with
a higher social status gets almost all the privilege of having a good life while
people in low class status always try their best to get out of where they are right
now. People who are wealthy and rich gets the highest seat and people who are
poor and doesn’t have anything gets the lowest seat. Another is I like the justice
system of the early Filipinos where they incorporate the fairness for each parties
headed by the Datu or other people who are veterans of this. I analyze the
document of Plasencia and searched the context of it. I learned that Plasencia was
told to document the customs and traditions of early Filipinos. As I read through
the work of Juan De Plasencia’s it taught me a lot.

Mica M. Reobilo
BS ENTREP 1B