MODULE 2 HISTORY 100

Reasons Filipinos have a Poor Knowledge of Their Past:

 Propagation of Christianity in the Philippines

 Early Filipinos prefer verbal communication
 Lack of Interest in Understanding Culture
 Filipinos had Different Priorities

Origin of the Philippine Islands:

1. Land Bridges Theory

- Philippines was believed to be part of Mainland Asia.
- About 250,000 years ago, bodies of water surrounding the Philippines were 156 feet lower than
its present level.
- the bridges were between Borneo connecting Palawan and Sulu, Mindanao and Papua New
Guinea and between Taiwan and Batanes.
2. Continental Drift Theory
- Alfred Wegener theorized that some 300 million years ago, the earth’s current continents were
part of a super continent called Pangaea.
- He theorized that if the continents were to be put together, it would appear as one.
- Scientists believed that the Philippines was separated due to geological changes.
3. Volcanic Theory
- About 225 million years ago, Earth was ravaged by violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
- Because of these eruptions, different lands were formed and emerged, thus the establishment
of Philippine islands.
4. Plate Tectonics Theory
- Scientists believed that the outer shell of the earth is composed of thin plates that relatively
move to each other.
- Movements and collisions of the plates created the different present landform, including
Philippines.

Origin of the Filipino Races

1. Legends
- the story of “Malakas at si Maganda”.
2. Waves of Migration
- Theorized by Prof. Otley Beyer
- The Negritos, Indonesians and Malays.
3. The Tabon Woman
- Found in Palawan who was present earlier than the Negritos.
4. The Callao Man
- Found in Cagayan believed to be present as early as 50,000 years ago.
5. Evolution Theory
- Theorized by Charles Darwin.
6. Creation Story
- The man is created in the image of God.
CAVEMEN

- Java Man (Links to an external site.), Peking Man (Links to an external site.), and other Asian
Homo sapiens
- 250,000 years ago
- lived by hunting and fishing

NEGRITOS

- 25,000 years ago, first settlers

- naked and were good at hunting, fishing and food gathering
- features: dark skin, thick lips, curly hair, 5 ft in height, round eyes, flat nose

INDONESIANS

- skilled in seafaring, by boats

- tools made out of stone and steel (more advanced)
- materials made of brass; they wore clothing and other body ornaments
- painted their bodies
- 500 years ago

MALAYS

- more than 2,000 years ago

- engaged in pottery, weaving, jewelry making and metal smelting
- introduced irrigation system
- They lived in larger villages, had government, arts and sciences and an advanced agriculture,
mining and trading
- features: brown-skinned and of medium height, with straight black hair and flat nose

Early Shelter

Caves

- early Filipinos believed caves were the safest place to settle.

- but later, they moved in plains for farming and coastal areas for fishing.

cave plains – inhabited for easier access to the fields.

coastal caves – inhabited for easier fishing.

Nipa Huts

- made of nipa leaves, wood and bamboo having a square shape and about 1 meter above
ground.
- it was the most common type of house early Filipino used for shelter
Tree Houses

- used to provide safety from attacking enemies and wild animals.

- ladder or ropes are used to access this type of shelter.

Houses on Stilts

- these are houses near coastal areas which is connected by a pathway.

- this type of shelter was commonly used by merchants in ancient times.

Early Clothing

Male:

Bahag – a strip of cloth wrapped around the waist and between the legs.

Putong – cloth wrapped in the head

 Red – killed a lot of people in war

 Weaved – killed people not less than 7

Kangan – a sleeveless coat

 Red – datu and Maharlika

 Blue- average male

Female:

baro - is the upper clothing

saya - is the lower covering of women.

Livelihood

Agriculture – main source of living

 Kaingin System – land was cleared by burning shrubs and bushes.

 Tillage System – land was plowed and harrowed, then followed by planting.

Industries

1. Fishing – most common industry.

Methods: use of nets, bow and arrow, lance or spear, the wicker basket, hook and line and fish
poison.
2. Mining – one important industry.
1569, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reported that there was more or less gold in the island.
3. Shipbuilding and logging

Birey – boats made for 50 to 100 people

Biroco – boats made for more than 100 people

 4. Barter system – goods were brought goods and sold thru trading

- Borneo, Thailand, Cambodia, Sumatra and India

5. Hunting and Gathering

- men were trained to hunt animals for the tribe and women were taught to gather vegetables
and fruits and to do household chores.
- the food was divided among the members of the tribe. The biggest part is given to the leader
and his family.

SOCIAL LIFE

1. Datu
- -he was the tribe leader and the chieftain.
- -in Tagalog region, he was known as Lakan or Gat.
- -he served as the religious leader, can declare war and made important tribal decision-making.
*Dayang-dayang - wives of the datu.
2. Maharlika (tumao)
- considered as the noble and free people.
- they always travelled with the chieftain.
- they are merchants in nature. Also, they were assigned to meet foreign traders.
3. Timawa (Timagua)
- they were composed of soldiers, rowers of boat and datu’s guards.
- they could live in other barangays as a privilege.
4. Alipin (Oripun)
- they have the lowest status in the society before.

3 Types:

1. Horo-han – they served their masters as warriors

2. Namamahay (freeman) – They can acquire a house and have a family.
3. Saguiguilid – They are considered as possession. (war prisoners)

Political System

1. Barangay
- standard unit of government
- -it consisted of 30 to 100 families.
- -it was ruled by a chieftain.

Powers and Functions of a Datu:

- Implementing laws and regulations

- Ensuring peace and order
- Giving protection to his subjects
- Act as judge during trials
* Trial by Ordeal

- Ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by
subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. The proof of
innocence was survival.

Taxation

- -the chieftain’s family,maharlika and timawa were exempted from paying taxes.
- -people pay taxes to the chieftain in exchange of protection they will receive. (Alipin class)
- -Non- payment of taxes was punishable.

War Declaration

- before declaring war against other tribes, the datu and the katalonan were the people
making decisions.

System of Writing

Baybayin

- the most common system of writing widely used by the Tagalogs.

- -it literally means “to spell”
- -this was commonly taught to the children of the datu and maharlikas.
- -it was mainly used for trading near coastal areas.

BURIAL CUSTOMS

1. Manunggul jar
- bones of the deceased are buried.
- the two human figures represent the soul on a journey to the afterlife.
2. Hanging corpse
- practiced by the Manobos.
- wrapped the corpse in mat and bamboo slats to hang up on the tree.
3. Hanging coffins
- practiced in Sagada, Mt.Province.
- believed to bring the deceased closer to heaven.
4. Tree trunk burial
- practiced by the Tagalogs
- a dying person chooses the tree beforehand when he or she becomes terminally ill, the
corpse is then entombed vertically inside the hollowed-out tree trunk.
5. Wrapped corpse burial
- practiced by the Apayao’s
- wrap the deceased person in a mat and buried.

Arts

1. Death Masks
 - These gold masks were buried with the dead to go along with them to the spirit world.
They believed that once they are ferried over a spiritual river to the afterlife, those who
wore gold and are covered with tattoos are recognized by the ancestors and deities.
They are supposed to wear these to be accepted. The masks usually covered the eyes,
nose and mouth and are delicately decorated depending on social status.
2. Kinnari
- The Kinnari was excavated in Surigao at around 1981. It is a gold artifact that symbolizes
the feminine beauty for it is a half-woman, half- bird, and a religious significance for it
encapsulates grace and accomplishment.

Jewelry

Filipino upper-class society, warriors, common people and slaves wore gold even to their grave. Of
course, the intricacy depends on their social status but imagine how rich the Philippines was then. It
was part of their everyday clothes.

Courting and Marriages

A man must serve the family of the woman for several years before marrying the woman.

- Cleaning the house

- Gathering food and firewood
- Fetching water
- Killing enemy tribes
- Dowry- giving a part of wealth to each family.

THINGS USED:

SURVIVAL

 nipa palm and bamboo – building houses.

 jar – storing foods to preserve it for a long time.
 pot – cooking foods.
 gold – trading
 stones (grounded and smoothened type) – carving woods.
 flake stone – cutting, slicing and grating.
 leaves and bamboos – “paper”

WEAPONRY

 balaraw – a dagger with a single-edged leaf shaped blade and a cross shaped hilt.
 kampilan – long and straight with a single edge which widens to a dual point.
 lantakas – small cannons.