CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Juan de Plasencia O.S.F

Governing System Lead By Datos

•Governs only few people between 30- 100

• This tribal gathering is called barangay
• They don’t settle far from others
• They are not subject to one another, except friendship and relationship
• The chief (datu) help one another in wars

The Caste

• Commoners
• Slaves
• If Maharlica marries a slave, the first child goes to the father and so on.
• The children will inherit the status of the parent it belonged.

Slaves

1. Namamamahay
• Can’t be sold
• Can’t be transferred to other barangay unless by inheritance, provided
they stay in the same village

2. Sa guiguilid

• Can be sold

MAHARLICA – no moving from one village to another without complying the

following:

• Fine and gold ( depend from barangay to barangay)

• A banquet to the entire barangay
• If they marry from other barangay the children will be divided
• Sentences are passed by the datu
• They condemn a man at low caste who disrespect his daughter or wife
of datu.
• The children of the accomplices are turned to slave

WITCHES - As for the witches, they killed them and their children and
accomplices became slaves of the chief after he had made some
recompense to the injured person. Other offences are punished by fines in
gold which not paid with promptness, exposed the culprit to serve until the
payment should be made, person aggrieved to whom the money was to be paid.

PUNISHMENTS WERE DONE IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:

• Half the cultivated lands and all their products belonged to the
master. The master will provide the culprit with food and clothing thus
enslaving him and his children.
• The master will have the possession of the children if ever the payment could
not be met by the father.

•Aliping Saguiguilid - service within the house; serve the master to

whom the judgement applied.
•Aliping Namamahay - living independently; served the person who lent
them where with to pay.

LOANS – The same way goes to a debtor concerning loans wherein he will
give half of his cultivated lands and profits until the debt has been paid or else he's
condemned to a life of toil and becomes slave. After the father's death, the children
will continue to pay the debt or the payment will be doubled.

INHERITANCES – Legitimate children of a father and mother will be inherited

equally not unless the father and mother showed a slight partiality by gifts such
as 2 to 3 taels or a jewel.

DOWRY - should be greater than the sum given to the other sons.

TWO OR MORE LEGITIMATE WIVES – If one had children by two or more

legitimate wives, each child will receive the inheritance and the mother’s dowry
with its increase and share of his father's estate.
SLAVE WOMAN – If a man had a son from one of his slaves as well as legitimate
children, the former will have no share in the inheritance. If he had a child with a
slave woman, that child will also receive some of his share.

UNMARRIED WOMAN (ISAANAVA) – If ever he had children by an unmarried

woman, she will still receive a dowry but is not considered as areal wife and her
children are said to be natural children. If the father has a legitimate wife but did
not have a son but had children to the unmarried wife called Inaasava,
the latter will inherit all

FREE MARRIED WOMAN – In case of a child of a free married woman which was
born while she was married, if the husband punished the adulterer and
was considered a dowry, that child will also have a share in the inheritance.

ADOPTED CHILDREN'S INHERITANCE

Dowry:

• Upon divorce before the birth of the children

• Upon the death of the wife/ husband
• Upon engagement
• Arranged marriage

THE WORSHIP OF THE TAGALOGS

• There were no temple for their idols, SIMBAHAN means a place of
adoration; because when they wish to do feast, called PANDOT or WORSHIP in
a large house of chief. There it's constructed to provide shelter, with
sheds for on both sides called SIBI, means roof. On each posts there's a small
lamp called SORIHILE; in the center of three column divided for people to gather,
a large lamp with leaves of white palms into many designs.

• The use of drums which beats the feast until it ends for usually four days. During
this; the barangay or family unite to worship which they called NAGAANITOS.
• Among their many idols, there was named BATHALA, means signify "all
powerful", or “maker of all things", which they worship the most. • They also
worship the sun, for its beauty. Also they worship the moon, especially
when it sets to be new.
• Some of them adored the stars, knowing it to be the morning star, which
they called TALA.
• Also, they knew the "seven little goats"[THE PLEIADES], and the change of
season called MAPULON and BALATIK, happens when the GREAT BEAR [URSA
MAJOR].
• They have many idols named LICHA, which comes in many forms. They
had another idol called DIAN MASALANTA, who was the patron of lovers and of
the generations. The called LACAPATI and INDIANALE, patron of cultivation of
land and husbandry.
• Honoring the crocodiles, named Baafi from being the harmed.
• Moreover, they tend to look at omens at what they encounter. For
example, a bird called TIGMAMANUGUIN which sings from the tree, they
consider good or bad omens may come in their journey. They also practice
divination as to show their luck.
• These natives determine time; by cultivation of soil, counted by moons, and
other more effects of the nature: all these helps to make the year. The
winter and summer were named as SUN-TIME and WATER-TIME.
• The years of the advent of the SPANIARDS, seasons were determined by
names, and have been divided into weeks.

FEAST
• Their Manner of offering sacrifice.
• They offer to devil what they had to eat.
• Done in front of the idol.

CATOLONAN – The officiating priest.

• Devil sometimes liable to enter the body of the Catolonan.

• Objects of the sacrifice were goat, fowls and swine.

THE REASON FOR OFFERING THIS SACRIFICEAND ADORATION WAS:

• The recovery of sick person
• The prosperous voyage
• Propitious result in war
• Good harvest
• Successful deliver of child birth
• Happy outcome in married life

• The girls who had their monthly courses had their eyes blindfolded for four days
and four nights. At the end of the period, the Catolonan took young girls
to the water. The old men said that they did this for girls to have a fortune of
finding their husband.

DISTINCTIONS OF DEVILS ACCORDING TO THEPRIEST

•CATOLONAN – this office was an honourable one among the natives

•MANGAGAUAY – wishes who deceived by pretending to heal the sick.

•MANYISALAT – had the power of applying remedies to lovers that they

would abandoned and despise their own wife.

•MANCOCOLAM – its duty was to emit fireform himself at night.•HOCLOBON –

without the use of medicine, and by simply saluting or raising the hand, they
killed whom they chose.

•SILAGAN – if they saw anyone in white, they’ll tear out its liver and
eat it, thus causing his death.

•MAGTATANGAL – her purpose was to show herself at night without his hear or
entrails.

•OSUANG – (sorcerer) they say that they have seen him fly, and that
he murdered men and ate their flesh.

•MANGAGAYOMA – they made charms for lovers out of herbs, stones, and
wood which would infuse the heart with love.

•SONAT – which is equivalent to “preacher. “It was his office to help one to die,
at which time he predicted the salvation or condemnation of the soul.

•PANGATAHOJAN (babaylan) – is the spiritual leader of the tribe in pre-

colonial Philippines. They are also soothsayers, and predicts the future.
•BAYOGUIN – signified a “cotquean,” a man whose nature inclined toward
that of a woman.

MANNER OF BURYING

• The deceased was buried beside his house, and if they were a chief, he
was placed beneath a little house of porch which they constructed for his
purpose. Before entering him, they mourned him for four days, and afterwards,
placed him in a boat which served as a coffin or bier. In place of rowers,
various animals were place at the oar by twos - male and female. It was the
slave ‘scare to see if they were fed.

• If the deceased is a warrior, a living slave was tied beneath his body until
it is wretched way he died. And for many days, the family of the dead man
bewailed him. Until finally they wearied of it.

• The Aetas or Negrillos (Negritos) had also a form of burial, but different.
They dug a deep, perpendicular hole, and placed the decease within it
leaving him upright with head or crown unburied on top of which they
put half a coconut which was to serve him as a shield.

SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS

• Believes in aswang, duwende, kapre, tikbalang, patyanak/tiyanak.

• They also believes in magical power of amulet and charms such as
anting-anting, kulam and gayuma or love potion.