Pre-Colonial Period

The country has a rich culture, and I can tell that even before the Spaniards

arrived to colonize our country, the natives had their own civilization. The early Filipinos valued

their beliefs so highly that they passed them down through generations via various forms of oral

or written literature. Our forefathers expressed themselves through various aspects of culture

such as art, dance, and music.

Fashion caught my attention because Filipinos make excellent use of

clothing. They used various accessories as their design, as shown on the Boxer Codex. Gold

necklaces and belts were worn to demonstrate one's social standing. They wore brightly colored

woven clothes with intricate beadwork, as well as collarless shirts that were later embellished

with laces, buttons, and trimmings. They were covered with colored Bahag between the legs and

up to the mid-thigh for the males.

In the Philippines, a barangay is a smaller administrative division, whereas a

balanghai is a large boat used by Malay settlers. It is said to be the first native word learned by

Spaniards in our country. The head of the barangay was a datu, or chief of a small group of

people, as many as a hundred houses or as few as thirty. It has been determined that barangay

was originally one family of parents, children, slaves, and relatives. Other Filipinos live on the

seacoast or near lakes and streams, while others live in mountain ranges.

Other Filipinos live on the seacoast or near lakes and streams, while others

live in mountain ranges. Boats were their mode of transportation, as opposed to airplanes and

other vehicles that we now use. Traders must cross rivers in order to transport food or clothing
from island to island. Both the term and the institution were kept by the Spaniards as a

convenient way of collecting tribute from barangay heads.

As I recall, social classes are divided into four categories: Maginoo,

Maharlika, Timawa, and Alipin. The noble class is the Maginoo, the warrior class is the

Maharlika, the freemen are the Timawa, and the dependent class is divided into two categories:

"Aliping Namamahay" and "Aliping Saguiguilid."

They also worshipped Bathala and minor deities whose duties were directly

tied to the people's daily lives. "Biag ni Lam-ang" of the Ilocanos, "Tuwaang" of the Manuvus in

Central Mindanao, "Hinilawod" of the Sulod of Panay, "Hudhud and Alim" of the Ifugaos,

"Handiong" of the Bikolanos, and the "Bantugan" of the Maranaws, as seen in their myths and

epic poems.

Analogue, metaphor, riddles, poems, myths, and epics are all common

literary forms during the period. They used to solely write in Baybayin scripts on paper using

inks. These types of writing evolved over time and were utilized as a leisure and a source of

entertainment. Expression may be observed in their implements and weapons, potteries, beads,

amulets, and bracelets in the field of art. Clothing and tattoos are both examples of art.

Before the Spaniards arrived, the Filipinos had their own way of life. It is

clear based on the current culture that is being passed down to future generations. We already

have a pattern of conduct, which I believe is vital for us to investigate since it reveals who we

truly are.