Clarisse L.

Lumapas - R3 BS ARCH-1 21-0869-534 11/9/21

SOCSCI 031

ACTIVITY NO. 2

PART I

1. Explain the importance of knowing our country's history.

The importance of knowing our country’s history is to learn and helps us understand
more on how the society works, on how their government creates laws, the culture and
its traditions was before. Knowing our country’s history also helps us greatly in
remembering on how brave and powerful our fellow Filipinos fight against the Spanish
tyranny for independence, without them perhaps we will never be able to experience
freedom.

2. Describe the society in the ancient Philippines before the Spanish colonization.

The Philippines’ society before the colonization of Spaniards was very bizarre especially
its culture. Before the Spanish colonization, Tribes scattered all around in the
Philippines and has their own government called barangay, in each tribe they are
governed by the system of laws created by the Chieftain and promulgated by the Datu.
In these tribes they were divided into three groups: Maharlika which are the nobles,
Timawa the Freeman, and Alipin the slaves. There economic life was simple, they hunt,
do fishing, farming, weaving, mining, bartering, and also trading with the Chinese for
items.

3. Mention at least 10 customs & traditions by early Filipinos and give a short
description of each.
  Religion – In terms of religion, Filipinos are very devoted and has a deep
faith and belief in their God. Every Sunday or perhaps every day, Filipinos
always go to church and pray for their needs and their problems.
 Hospitality – Filipinos are known for being hospitable to others, even if you
are a stranger or a guest Filipinos tend to welcome you and serve you.
 Christmas in the Philippines – Christmas is one of the most exciting
holidays for Filipinos. Starting in the month of September, we prepared our
Christmas decorations and think for gifts, with that, Philippines earned the
world’s longest Christmas season.
 Living with Parents – Unlike in the USA, living with your parents’ house
despite of being 18 or perhaps married is very normal in the Philippines,
because Filipinos highly value the presence of family more than anything.
 Eating with Hands (Kamayan) – Eating with your hands is also a very
common tradition in the Philippines because with your hands it seems
more enjoyable especially with somebody.

4. Discuss the system of Government in the early Philippines.

In each tribe they are generally free and governed by system of laws, government in the
early Philippines called it barangay and consist of three important powers of the
government which is the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The cheiftain creates the
laws with the aid of barangay elders and while the umalahokan will publicly announce
the new laws around the barangay. In the early Philippines, there are two kinds of laws
which is the customary law wherein it is based in customs and beliefs and it is passed
down generation to generation, while the written law is made and promulgated by the
datus. When someone violated one of these laws, they are being punish, will be given a
heavy or small fine depending on how major is the crime, or put in the trial of ordeal.
Trial of ordeal is wherein it is practice by which the guilty or innocent are determined by
subjecting them to a painful experience, for instance by ordering the suspects to plunge
into the river with lances, he or she who came to the surface first is considered guilty.
 5. Give at least five (5) Filipino common traits and describe why these traits are
being practiced today.
 Respect for the elders – They are still practiced till today because we
believe that elders are more experience and older than us and that not
respecting your elders may lead to great karma which is why we respect
them.
 Hospitality – It is still practiced because for us, it is important to warmly
welcome them and serve others whether he or she is a stranger or a
visitor, being hospitable helps us build genuine relationships with them
that’s why we still practiced it till today.
 Utang na loob – It is practiced because it is important to return the favor to
someone who has help you, with this it builds and nourishes certain
relationships.

6. Mention some of the ways by which Spain unwittingly contributed to the rise of
Filipino nationalism.

The examples of Spain’s contribution to the Filipino nationalism are the oppression and
abuses of the Spaniards towards the Filipinos, the death of the three martyred priests
which is Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, the Secularization issue,
and the lastly the Cavite Mutiny wherein the soldiers and worker’s privileges are being
withdrawn.

7. Who were the Ilustrados, Creoles, and Peninsulares, and what role did they play
in the development of Filipino nationalism?

Ilustrados are Filipinos who are the well-educated and middle class during the Spanish
colonial period, their role was to fight for the rights of Filipinos, one of the ilustrados are
Juan Luna, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Graciano Lopez Jaena. Creoles or also known as
Insulares are Spaniards who were born in the Philippines, their role was to create
campaigns for the rights of the Filipino priests and secularization of the Philippine
parishes. And lastly, Peninsulares are Spaniards who were born in Spain and living in
the Philippines, their role was the same as the Creoles which is to aid the rights of the
Filipinos priests, the secularization of the parishes, and education.

8. What was the Secularization movement and how did it help in the development
of Filipino nationalism?

The secularization movement is a kind of movement where it is made for the rights of
the Filipino priests, it aims also to take the church power of Spanish and give Filipinos
the roles in the church affairs. It helps in the development of the Filipino nationalism
because of the rights given by this movement, by this they were able to revolt against
Spanish.

9. What was La Liga Filipina and what were its aims? What was the cause of the
split in its membership?

La Liga Filipina or the Philippine league is a Filipino civic association created by Dr.
Jose Rizal on July 3, 1892, the La Liga Filipina aims to mutually protect of the pressing
necessity, defend against the injustice and violence, encourage education, and lastly to
have a union of the Archipelago. But three days after the creation of the La Liga Filipina,
Rizal was captured by the Spaniards and was exiled to Dapitan which cause the
association to collapse and split in its membership.

10. Explain how each of the following character traits of the Filipinos adversely
affects the economic development of the Philippines.
 Ningas cogon mentality – Ningas cogon mentality is where you do a
certain task or job with full of effort and enthusiasm at first but then all of
the sudden you stop doing it because you lost interest of it. This kind of
 mentality greatly affects the economic development of the Philippines
because unfinish jobs or projects may lead to much difficult and numerous
problems, similar to the government of the Philippines, a lot of projects
such as roads and structures have been enthusiastically planned and
made but end up just piled there which is a waste of money and has a
chance of surging economic issues here in the Philippines.
 Bahala na attitude – Bahala na attitude or translated as “come what may”
is where you just leave things everything to God or accept your fate, this
fatalistic attitude is somehow a way to avoid responsibility and uncertainty.
Same as the Ningas cogon mentality, leaving unfinish jobs or projects may
lead to much difficult and numerous problems, with this kind of mentality it
can greatly change our economic development of the Philippines.
 Extravagance – Extravagance is a kind of trait wherein you always spend
a large amount of money on something until your wallet is empty. This
kind of mentality can greatly affect the economic development of the
Philippines because spending largely on something that isn't even
important can lead to bigger issues in our economic status, for instance
the Manila Bay Dolomite which costs about 389 million pesos.

PART II Case study in paragraph form

1. Give a glimpse of early Filipinos in comparison with the present and how it
affects our way of life culturally, politically, and religiously.

The difference between the early Filipinos and the present Filipinos is that early
Filipinos are richer in culture and has a weird or eccentric governmental system
whereas in the present Filipinos it is more on mixed culture due to Spanish, American,
and Japanese colonization, modern technology, and new governmental system which is
way more different than the early Filipinos.
 2. This is your guide question to formulate your discussion. In your own words and
opinion, what is the significance of these influences to Filipinos today? Was it
advantageous or the opposite? Why?

During the era of Pre-Spanish and Spanish colonization, these influences greatly affect
the Filipinos before which gave birth to the Philippine nationalism, because of these
influences they are inspired to fought back with bravery against the tyrannical Spaniards
until they finally received their awaited freedom. But the question is these influences still
significant to the present Filipinos and was it advantageous or the opposite? Well, I
personally think that these influences may slightly affect the Filipinos till today and is
advantageous.

As you can see nowadays, there are lot of corrupt government officials whose only
power and money they desired and use it for their own good. Based on the article
"Corruption in the Philippines worsens in 2019 global index" created by the CNN
Philippines, is that the corruption of the Philippines in 2019 has worsened and is ranked
in 113th of 180 countries. And in 2020 during the times of pandemic it is reported that
that it dropped two places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index
but is still struggling in corruption. With this reported statistical percentage, obviously
there are people who protest of this corruption and I think that these influences before
may not be as useful but may slightly help them in realizing on something.

These influences before may still be advantageous till now because it helps them to
remember, learn, and to be fully aware and prepared that those who are in power may
or may not abuse their power. Without these influences perhaps it wouldn’t help the
present Filipinos and history will only repeats itself.
REFERENCES:

https://lair.education/pluginfile.php/245425/mod_resource/content/3/Philippine
%20Revolution_01.pdf

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/1/23/Philippines-corruption-worsens.html?
fbclid=IwAR3oEreKQjj7onru3FviBhIE3MFkNcsgBkTZHHeeelOnXtGTefQ9pFz0mAI

https://www.rappler.com/nation/philippines-rankings-corruption-perception-index-2020