Asynchronous Activity, Readings in Philippine History

Instruction: Fill-out the matrix with historical details based on the accounts of Pigaffeta
and Filipino authors as regards the description of Pre-colonial Philippines. Comment on
the similarities and differences. What do you think accounts for the said similarities and
differences? Use the matrix below.

Particulars Pigafetta’s Filipino Similarities What accounts

Account Historian’s and/or for the said
Account Differences Similarities and
Differences

Political Based on - According to Similarities: - When

Antonio Alvin Pigafetta first
Pigafetta’s Aguinaldo, the - Both arrived in the
“The First barangay accounts said archipelago, he
Voyage Around represented that the thought that
the World” the common different Filipinos are
book: community islands of the uncivilized,
throughout the pre-colonial thieves, and
- Since they archipelago. Philippines is sort of
lack any Each barangay at least ruled liberated
senior, each of is a political by a raja or a because there
them lives and economic Datu. are no rulers
according to unit governing the
his or her own independent - Both said that communities.
preferences. from other pre-colonial This claim was
barangays, Filipinos uses not reliable
- People do not wherein they weaponries. since he has
use weapons included only a only been in
often except a tiny area and a small part of a
spear with a few hundred of Differences: much larger
fishbone at the locals. A archipelago.
end. However, chieftain - Both Our historians,
the soldiers of known as the accounts said however,
the leader may rajah or Datu that Filipino clarified that
use swords, served as the has an the pre-colonial
bucklers, head of each. established Philippines is
daggers, and leader ruled by
spears. - According to governing the numerous
Henry locals, datus and
- A king gives Futencha, the although rajahs.
the command main Pigafetta first
for his men to responsibility claimed that - Pigafetta had
board the ships of the Datu pre-colonial an impression
 although he was to lead, Filipinos lives that Filipinos
will wait in his manage, and according to are not yet
balangay until advance the their own will civilized
his own welfare of his due to lack of a because they
soldiers citizens. During senior or a only had
peaceful times, chief. simple tools
he is the and
legislator, - Pigafetta weaponries.
judge, and claimed that Although,
chief Filipinos during Filipino
executive; in that era used historians later
times of war, simple ruled this out
he is the leader weapons. since there are
of the leader of However, artifacts of
his warriors. It Filipino more
was typical for historians state advanced
the Datu to that they used weaponries in
also be the more museums
Babaylan in advanced today that
Western types of disproved that
Visayas. weaponries. claim.
Because of his
mystical
prowess, the
babaylan was
the most likely
candidate for
communal
leadership,
particularly if
he was a man.

- Marivir
Montebon
claims that the
Filipinos at that
time used
larger iron
cannons with
more powerful
firepower.

Economic - Pigafetta had Based on the Similarities: - The first

an impression account of Tina impression of
that Filipinos S. Clemente, - Both Pigafetta that
back then are foreign traders, accounts of Filipinos were
poor and such as from Pigafetta and poor and
thievish India, Arab Filipino uncivilized
countries, historians say because they
- People before Japanese, and that the were thievish
were Chinese were pre-colonial was a fine
well-informed welcomed by Philippines claim, because
of the barter the different was rich in this was his
system in kingdoms and different experience.
which they thalassocracie resources. However, our
exchange s for barter of historians said
goods for the products such - Both that this not the
other products. as golds, pots, narratives case for the
rice, and other claimed that majority of
- The natives items. Filipinos were pre-colonial
learned how to knowledgeable Filipinos since
create different - Maximo M. on how to we had a
products out of Kalaw claims barter their barter system,
the coconut of that the goods with wherein people
the palm tree pre-colonial other exchange their
such as oil, Filipinos had nationalities. goods like
vinegar, and already forged coconut, rice,
milk. diplomatic and palm wine, etc
commercial Differences: for other
- He claimed ties with - Upon his products with
that Zubu was nations as far arrival, different
the biggest and away as the Pigafetta nationalities
the most active Middle East. thought that already.
in trading. Our Filipinos were
predecessors poor because
traded they were
manufactured thievish.
items, valuable However,
minerals, etc. Filipino
for currency historians
with Arabs, disproved this
Indians, claim since
Chinese, and a Filipinos had
number of an established
other nations. barter system
with other
- According to foreign country
“Kasaidayan: long before his
The Earliest arrival in the
Filipinos” by archipelago.
 Gabriel S.
Casal et. al,
the earliest
coins were
made of gold.
However,
Filipinos had
no
understanding
of gold as
money so they
mainly traded
through it.
Early Spanish
chroniclers
reported that
Filipinos were
skilled enough
to determine
the quality of
the gold at that
time, according
to the essay
‘’Small
Change’’ by
Angelita
Legarda.

Social - Filipinos back - According to Similarities: - Based on first

then threw the account of hand
rocks at Maximo Kalaw, - Both experience,
Pigafetta and the Bayanihan accounts Pigafetta wrote
his mates was a stated that in his book that
because they noteworthy pre-colonial our ancestors
were not characteristics Filipinos are were naturally
familiar to of the Filipinos very hospitable,
them. They said to be welcoming value kinship
also looted adapted from people, are and friendship.
their ships. our Malay good in Filipino
ancestors. socializing, and chroniclers
- When natives Hospitality is a value agreed with his
became prominent camaraderie writings
familiar with character of and kinship. because
them, they told Filipinos which Filipinos as the
Pigafetta their set them apart - Both time went by,
names and from other Pigafetta and have shown
other things. nationalities. Filipino characteristics
historians of being
- Upon - According to accounts amicable and
Pigafetta’s “Social stated that welcoming on
arrival in Structure of natives in that both foreign
Samar in Filipino” by period already and local
March 18, the Bonita have an people.
chief of the Montina, there established
natives there are different social structure - Filipino
were very class or hierarchy historians’
welcoming and composing the such as accounts
showed signs society: the Maginoo, showed that
of joy to them, noble class or Maharlika, the norms of
in which Maginoo, the Timawa, and inequality for
thereafter he warrior class or Alipin; despite women was
gave them Maharlika, the of Pigafetta not perceived
different freeman class only saying during the
presents such or Timawa, that the class pre-colonial
as porcelain and the laborer difference period.
jars with rice class or Alipin. between Pigafetta only
and many people are had this
others. - According to recognizable perception of
Alvin by how they inequality since
- The noble Aguinaldo’s interact with he came from
class and slave ‘’Social each other. Europe where
class were Classes’’, the discrimination
distinguishable people of the against
by how they Philippine Differences: females were
interact and archipelago usual.
give orders had already - In Pigafetta’s
with each achieved a account,
other. semi-communa women were
l and portrayed as
- Women in semi-slave inferior to men
their social structure since they only
communities, in several parts stay in their
unlike men as well as a houses to
who work in feudal system household
the fields, in some, chores and
stayed inside particularly in make products.
the house Mindanao and However,
weaving Sulu, where Filipino
baskets, mats, such a feudal historians’
and other belief as Islam account
items needed had already claimed that
in the house. taken roots. this is
 The Aetas had inaccurate
the lowest type since women
of societal enjoy the same
organization, rights,
which was opportunities,
primitive and privileges
communal. as men did in
their
- As stated by communities.
the activist
Mary John
Mananzan,
pre-colonial
women had an
equal rights as
did men.
Furthermore,
there were
instances in
which females
do not lose
their names
when marrying.
Women were
trusted when it
came to
banking, land
holdings, and
contracts with
Chinese
merchants;
their signatures
are even
required
because they
were proven to
be
dependable.

Cultural - Native people - According to Similarities: - Long before

do not worship Alvin colonizers
anything Aquinaldo, - Both have arrived in
spiritual accounts the
- Filipinos went traditions were stated that our archipelago,
naked except already ancestors wore our ancestors
there are practiced by clothes in had a form of
coverings on pre-colonial accordance worship and
their private Filipinos in with their social belief that was
parts woven which they position. heavily
from the bark believed that anchored on
of the tree. the world is Differences: nature and
Although, there inhabited by spiritual beings
were chiefs supernatural - In Pigafetta’s that inhabit it.
who dressed in entities and book, he stated However,
cotton cloths spirits. that Filipinos these practices
with silk at the did not have were
ends. They - Our anything to eradicated by
used beniseed predecessors worship. colonizers
and coconut oil lived in a However, because they
to anoint complex, Filipino deemed them
themselves as functional historians as unethical,
a form of civilization with accounted that evil, and a
protection. a rich literary beliefs and threat to their
and artistic culture of our rule.
- Chiefs were tradition. ancestors was
ornately Everything that based on the - When it
dressed, conflicted with belief that the comes to
heavily attired, the colonists' world is clothings,
and the system had to populated by Pigafetta’s
best-looking be removed. spirits and views was
men among Obscene other somehow
them, in artwork, evil supernatural inclined
accordance writings, beings, both towards men
with their religious good and bad, and how it
customs. They rituals, and and that represented
are usually pretty much respect should their class,
adorned with anything else be shown to especially the
two sizable that posed a them through chiefs or datus.
golden danger to their nature worship, However,
earrings and control were but that when Filipino authors
painted with destroyed. colonizers characterized
tattoos all over arrived, women's
their bodies. - Early clothing anything clothing as
of Tagalog and deemed being
Visayans offensive, evil, somewhat
included both or a threat to prestigious or
baro and saya. their rule was comparable to
Gold necklaces eliminated. that of
and earrings, noblemen.
which - Pigafetta’s
symbolized account only
wealth and highlighted the
beauty, were men and how
frequently worn they wore
by women. tattoos and
Women in clothes but in
some tribes the Filipino
also wore historians’
tattoos that account,
represented women wore
their wealth, jewelries and
power, and tattoos to
beauty. symbolize
beauty and
- In power.
pre-colonial
Philippines,
one's clothing
revealed their
social position
and, in the
case of men,
how many
opponents they
had killed. Men
wore bahag
while women
wore malong.
However,
soldiers who
personally
killed an
enemy might
wear red
bahag
although they
typically had
natural colors.
The male
Pudong
headdress
followed the
same rule.
Because red is
a traditional
emblem of
bravery, it
becomes
 logical that the
most
successful
soldiers of that
era proudly
donned red
Bahag and
Pudong.

Rubrics:

Logical Presentation of Ideas - 3 points

Historical Accuracy - 5 points
Form (presentation, references used, choice of words)- 2 points
Total - 10 points