Gassil, Venlyn D.

Using the 6 C's, analyze the article about the Customs of the Tagalog by Juan de Plasencia.

 CONTENT - To avoid debating the Indians' contradictory reports.He has obtained the
basic truth from them, after weeding out much stupidity, in reference to their governance,
administration of justice, inheritance, slaves, and dowries, after weeding out much
foolishness.

 CITATION - JUAN DE PLASENCIA

 COMMUNICATION – The first chapter focused on the country's earliest recorded legal
systems, detailing Tagalog social relationships and forms of government. It talked about
the barangay as the smallest unit of society, governed by a datu or chief, and the people
being divided into three distinct social classes: the Maginoo, the Maharlika, and the
Alipin. It went into detail about the origins of these social classes, as well as the various
rights to property ownership and marriage and inheritance privileges that each of them
entailed. It described the legal system of the time, including a remark on the types of
leaders the datus had and the types of leadership the people desired. Plasencia recognized
the necessity for reform of this type of government to rearrange the mechanisms within
each community from here.

Meanwhile, the second section focused on the people's pre-colonial religion and beliefs,
particularly their mode of worship. It demonstrated that the early Filipinos practiced
idolatry by sculpting graven images to which they endowed offerings, as well as
paganism, venerating Bathala alongside the sun, moon, stars, animals, and other gods and
goddesses who served different functions for them. They believed in superstitions and
divinations, with which they aligned their daily activities. They also have different ways
of burying the dead, but there is a single concept for heaven and hell. Various types of
priests were also introduced and discussed, as well as various ghosts and phantoms they
believed to be true and existing.
 CONTEXT – Customs of the Tagalogs, like any other colonial text written during the
Spanish colonial period, was written with the intention of providing an exoticize
description of the Tagalog natives that would appeal to them. It was clearly fed by
politics and propaganda and operated with the Western-gaze outsider's.
  CONNECTION – Disprove some Spaniards' claims that natives were uncivilized and
lacked culture by providing detailed observations on how the government, tax system,
criminal justice system, indigenous calendar, and long-standing customs and traditions
worked. Comparable to Southeast Asian civilization and culture, such as clothes, gold
jewelry, houses, and idols.

 CONCLUSION – After reading the text, I realized that the Philippines had to undergo a
great deal of transformation in order to get at the society we have now. It made me
respect the cultural fusion that uplifted and preserved the Filipino culture's uniqueness,
giving us the present Filipino identity that we cherish today.

Customs of the Tagalog was

among the many colonial texts
written during the Spanish
colonial period
and was authored by Fray Juan
de Plasencia. He was a Spanish
missionary from the Franciscan
order of friars
who came in the Philippines
around 1578 for the purpose of
preaching the Good News of
Christianity and convert
the pagan natives into
Catholicism. Unlike other
abusive friars, he lived a life
free of luxury and always stood
with his people, being their
defender and voice in times of
oppression. He studied their
language and understood
their customs and beliefs. The
production of the Doctrina
Christiana as the first book to be
printed in the Philippine
islands is attributed to him,
along with other books that
tackled the pre-colonial era of
the Philippines.
It was by the order of the King
of Spain that Fray de Plasencia
documented the practices and
traditions of
these natives. The provided text
of this historical document was
divided into two parts. The first
chapter tackled
the earliest recorded legal
systems of the country,
detailing the social relationships
of the Tagalogs and their form
of government. It discussed the
barangay as the smallest unit of
the society, which is governed
by a datu or the
chief and the people being
divided into three distinct social
classes: the Maginoo, the
Maharlika, and the Alipin.
It elaborated on the origin of
these social classes and the
different rights to ownership of
properties and privileges
to marriage and inheritance
each of them entailed. It
detailed the justice system of
these times which even included
a commentary as to what kind
of leaders the datus were and
what form of leadership the
people desired. From
here, Plasencia sensed the need
for the reform of this kind of
government to reorganize the
systems among each
community. Meanwhile, the
second section revolved around
the pre-colonial religion and
beliefs of the people,
primarily their form of worship.
It showed that the early
Filipinos practiced idolatry by
sculpting graven images
to which they endow offerings,
as well as paganism, venerating
Bathala alongside the sun, the
moon, the stars,
the animals, and other gods
and goddesses that served
different purpose for them.
They believed in certain
superstitions and divinations to
which they align their daily
undertakings. They also have
varying practices of
burying the dead but a single
concept remains for heaven and
hell. Different types of priests
were also introduced
and discussed, together with
various ghosts and phantoms
they believed to be true and
existing.
Written in Spanish somewhere
in 1589, Juan de Plasencia’s
Customs of the Tagalog
provided us with
primary accounts of how the
Filipinos lived prior to Spanish
occupation from which we
could understand their
early traditions, practices, and
beliefs for better appreciation.
English translations of this
document have emerged
as secondary sources yet the
essence of this text remains to
give an explanation as to what
kind of people the
Filipinos originally were
before they were discovered
by the foreigners. It affirmed
that even before, the
Philippines already followed a
specific system of leadership
and social relationships and
acted upon certain beliefs
which formed and kept their
communities somehow
organized and at peace in their
own perspective.
After reading the text, I came to
realize that the Philippines went
through so much reformation
too end up
with the kind of society we are
having at the present. It led me
to appreciate the cultural
integration which uplifted
and kept the uniqueness of the
Filipino culture, giving us the
existing Filipino identity that
we live for right now.
Customs of the Tagalog was
among the many colonial texts
written during the Spanish
colonial period
and was authored by Fray Juan
de Plasencia. He was a Spanish
missionary from the Franciscan
order of friars
who came in the Philippines
around 1578 for the purpose of
preaching the Good News of
Christianity and convert
the pagan natives into
Catholicism. Unlike other
abusive friars, he lived a life
free of luxury and always stood
with his people, being their
defender and voice in times of
oppression. He studied their
language and understood
their customs and beliefs. The
production of the Doctrina
Christiana as the first book to be
printed in the Philippine
islands is attributed to him,
along with other books that
tackled the pre-colonial era of
the Philippines.
It was by the order of the King
of Spain that Fray de Plasencia
documented the practices and
traditions of
these natives. The provided text
of this historical document was
divided into two parts. The first
chapter tackled
the earliest recorded legal
systems of the country,
detailing the social relationships
of the Tagalogs and their form
of government. It discussed the
barangay as the smallest unit of
the society, which is governed
by a datu or the
chief and the people being
divided into three distinct social
classes: the Maginoo, the
Maharlika, and the Alipin.
It elaborated on the origin of
these social classes and the
different rights to ownership of
properties and privileges
to marriage and inheritance
each of them entailed. It
detailed the justice system of
these times which even included
a commentary as to what kind
of leaders the datus were and
what form of leadership the
people desired. From
here, Plasencia sensed the need
for the reform of this kind of
government to reorganize the
systems among each
community. Meanwhile, the
second section revolved around
the pre-colonial religion and
beliefs of the people,
primarily their form of worship.
It showed that the early
Filipinos practiced idolatry by
sculpting graven images
to which they endow offerings,
as well as paganism, venerating
Bathala alongside the sun, the
moon, the stars,
the animals, and other gods
and goddesses that served
different purpose for them.
They believed in certain
superstitions and divinations to
which they align their daily
undertakings. They also have
varying practices of
burying the dead but a single
concept remains for heaven and
hell. Different types of priests
were also introduced
and discussed, together with
various ghosts and phantoms
they believed to be true and
existing.
Written in Spanish somewhere
in 1589, Juan de Plasencia’s
Customs of the Tagalog
provided us with
primary accounts of how the
Filipinos lived prior to Spanish
occupation from which we
could understand their
early traditions, practices, and
beliefs for better appreciation.
English translations of this
document have emerged
as secondary sources yet the
essence of this text remains to
give an explanation as to what
kind of people the
Filipinos originally were
before they were discovered
by the foreigners. It affirmed
that even before, the
Philippines already followed a
specific system of leadership
and social relationships and
acted upon certain beliefs
which formed and kept their
communities somehow
organized and at peace in their
own perspective.
After reading the text, I came to
realize that the Philippines went
through so much reformation
too end up
with the kind of society we are
having at the present. It led me
to appreciate the cultural
integration which uplifted
and kept the uniqueness of the
Filipino culture, giving us the
existing Filipino identity that
we live for right now.
Customs of the Tagalog was
among the many colonial texts
written during the Spanish
colonial period
and was authored by Fray Juan
de Plasencia. He was a Spanish
missionary from the Franciscan
order of friars
who came in the Philippines
around 1578 for the purpose of
preaching the Good News of
Christianity and convert
the pagan natives into
Catholicism. Unlike other
abusive friars, he lived a life
free of luxury and always stood
with his people, being their
defender and voice in times of
oppression. He studied their
language and understood
their customs and beliefs. The
production of the Doctrina
Christiana as the first book to be
printed in the Philippine
islands is attributed to him,
along with other books that
tackled the pre-colonial era of
the Philippines.
It was by the order of the King
of Spain that Fray de Plasencia
documented the practices and
traditions of
these natives. The provided text
of this historical document was
divided into two parts. The first
chapter tackled
the earliest recorded legal
systems of the country,
detailing the social relationships
of the Tagalogs and their form
of government. It discussed the
barangay as the smallest unit of
the society, which is governed
by a datu or the
chief and the people being
divided into three distinct social
classes: the Maginoo, the
Maharlika, and the Alipin.
It elaborated on the origin of
these social classes and the
different rights to ownership of
properties and privileges
to marriage and inheritance
each of them entailed. It
detailed the justice system of
these times which even included
a commentary as to what kind
of leaders the datus were and
what form of leadership the
people desired. From
here, Plasencia sensed the need
for the reform of this kind of
government to reorganize the
systems among each
community. Meanwhile, the
second section revolved around
the pre-colonial religion and
beliefs of the people,
primarily their form of worship.
It showed that the early
Filipinos practiced idolatry by
sculpting graven images
to which they endow offerings,
as well as paganism, venerating
Bathala alongside the sun, the
moon, the stars,
the animals, and other gods
and goddesses that served
different purpose for them.
They believed in certain
superstitions and divinations to
which they align their daily
undertakings. They also have
varying practices of
burying the dead but a single
concept remains for heaven and
hell. Different types of priests
were also introduced
and discussed, together with
various ghosts and phantoms
they believed to be true and
existing.
Written in Spanish somewhere
in 1589, Juan de Plasencia’s
Customs of the Tagalog
provided us with
primary accounts of how the
Filipinos lived prior to Spanish
occupation from which we
could understand their
early traditions, practices, and
beliefs for better appreciation.
English translations of this
document have emerged
as secondary sources yet the
essence of this text remains to
give an explanation as to what
kind of people the
Filipinos originally were
before they were discovered
by the foreigners. It affirmed
that even before, the
Philippines already followed a
specific system of leadership
and social relationships and
acted upon certain beliefs
which formed and kept their
communities somehow
organized and at peace in their
own perspective.
After reading the text, I came to
realize that the Philippines went
through so much reformation
too end up
with the kind of society we are
having at the present. It led me
to appreciate the cultural
integration which uplifted
and kept the uniqueness of the
Filipino culture, giving us the
existing Filipino identity that
we live for right now.
Customs of the Tagalog was
among the many colonial texts
written during the Spanish
colonial period
and was authored by Fray Juan
de Plasencia. He was a Spanish
missionary from the Franciscan
order of friars
who came in the Philippines
around 1578 for the purpose of
preaching the Good News of
Christianity and convert
the pagan natives into
Catholicism. Unlike other
abusive friars, he lived a life
free of luxury and always stood
with his people, being their
defender and voice in times of
oppression. He studied their
language and understood
their customs and beliefs. The
production of the Doctrina
Christiana as the first book to be
printed in the Philippine
islands is attributed to him,
along with other books that
tackled the pre-colonial era of
the Philippines.
It was by the order of the King
of Spain that Fray de Plasencia
documented the practices and
traditions of
these natives. The provided text
of this historical document was
divided into two parts. The first
chapter tackled
the earliest recorded legal
systems of the country,
detailing the social relationships
of the Tagalogs and their form
of government. It discussed the
barangay as the smallest unit of
the society, which is governed
by a datu or the
chief and the people being
divided into three distinct social
classes: the Maginoo, the
Maharlika, and the Alipin.
It elaborated on the origin of
these social classes and the
different rights to ownership of
properties and privileges
to marriage and inheritance
each of them entailed. It
detailed the justice system of
these times which even included
a commentary as to what kind
of leaders the datus were and
what form of leadership the
people desired. From
here, Plasencia sensed the need
for the reform of this kind of
government to reorganize the
systems among each
community. Meanwhile, the
second section revolved around
the pre-colonial religion and
beliefs of the people,
primarily their form of worship.
It showed that the early
Filipinos practiced idolatry by
sculpting graven images
to which they endow offerings,
as well as paganism, venerating
Bathala alongside the sun, the
moon, the stars,
the animals, and other gods
and goddesses that served
different purpose for them.
They believed in certain
superstitions and divinations to
which they align their daily
undertakings. They also have
varying practices of
burying the dead but a single
concept remains for heaven and
hell. Different types of priests
were also introduced
and discussed, together with
various ghosts and phantoms
they believed to be true and
existing.
Written in Spanish somewhere
in 1589, Juan de Plasencia’s
Customs of the Tagalog
provided us with
primary accounts of how the
Filipinos lived prior to Spanish
occupation from which we
could understand their
early traditions, practices, and
beliefs for better appreciation.
English translations of this
document have emerged
as secondary sources yet the
essence of this text remains to
give an explanation as to what
kind of people the
Filipinos originally were
before they were discovered
by the foreigners. It affirmed
that even before, the
Philippines already followed a
specific system of leadership
and social relationships and
acted upon certain beliefs
which formed and kept their
communities somehow
organized and at peace in their
own perspective.
After reading the text, I came to
realize that the Philippines went
through so much reformation
too end up
with the kind of society we are
having at the present. It led me
to appreciate the cultural
integration which uplifted
and kept the uniqueness of the
Filipino culture, giving us the
existing Filipino identity that
we live for right now.
Customs of the Tagalog was
among the many colonial texts
written during the Spanish
colonial period
and was authored by Fray Juan
de Plasencia. He was a Spanish
missionary from the Franciscan
order of friars
who came in the Philippines
around 1578 for the purpose of
preaching the Good News of
Christianity and convert
the pagan natives into
Catholicism. Unlike other
abusive friars, he lived a life
free of luxury and always stood
with his people, being their
defender and voice in times of
oppression. He studied their
language and understood
their customs and beliefs. The
production of the Doctrina
Christiana as the first book to be
printed in the Philippine
islands is attributed to him,
along with other books that
tackled the pre-colonial era of
the Philippines.
It was by the order of the King
of Spain that Fray de Plasencia
documented the practices and
traditions of
these natives. The provided text
of this historical document was
divided into two parts. The first
chapter tackled
the earliest recorded legal
systems of the country,
detailing the social relationships
of the Tagalogs and their form
of government. It discussed the
barangay as the smallest unit of
the society, which is governed
by a datu or the
chief and the people being
divided into three distinct social
classes: the Maginoo, the
Maharlika, and the Alipin.
It elaborated on the origin of
these social classes and the
different rights to ownership of
properties and privileges
to marriage and inheritance
each of them entailed. It
detailed the justice system of
these times which even included
a commentary as to what kind
of leaders the datus were and
what form of leadership the
people desired. From
here, Plasencia sensed the need
for the reform of this kind of
government to reorganize the
systems among each
community. Meanwhile, the
second section revolved around
the pre-colonial religion and
beliefs of the people,
primarily their form of worship.
It showed that the early
Filipinos practiced idolatry by
sculpting graven images
to which they endow offerings,
as well as paganism, venerating
Bathala alongside the sun, the
moon, the stars,
the animals, and other gods
and goddesses that served
different purpose for them.
They believed in certain
superstitions and divinations to
which they align their daily
undertakings. They also have
varying practices of
burying the dead but a single
concept remains for heaven and
hell. Different types of priests
were also introduced
and discussed, together with
various ghosts and phantoms
they believed to be true and
existing.
Written in Spanish somewhere
in 1589, Juan de Plasencia’s
Customs of the Tagalog
provided us with
primary accounts of how the
Filipinos lived prior to Spanish
occupation from which we
could understand their
early traditions, practices, and
beliefs for better appreciation.
English translations of this
document have emerged
as secondary sources yet the
essence of this text remains to
give an explanation as to what
kind of people the
Filipinos originally were
before they were discovered
by the foreigners. It affirmed
that even before, the
Philippines already followed a
specific system of leadership
and social relationships and
acted upon certain beliefs
which formed and kept their
communities somehow
organized and at peace in their
own perspective.
After reading the text, I came to
realize that the Philippines went
through so much reformation
too end up
with the kind of society we are
having at the present. It led me
to appreciate the cultural
integration which uplifted
and kept the uniqueness of the
Filipino culture, giving us the
existing Filipino identity that
we live for right now.