Philippine State College of Aeronautics
Villamor Airbase, Pasay
Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences
General Education Department: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Area
GEC 1201 Readings in Philippine History
Name & Section Oraa, Eine Keile L.
Student No. 12223MN-000912
ANALYSIS PAPER #1: CUSTOM OF THE TAGALOG BY: JUAN DE PLASENCIA
CONTENT ANALYSIS
Background/ Bibliography of Author/s
- Juan de Plasencia was born in the early 16th century
as Juan Portocarrero in Plasencia, in the region of
Extremadura, Spain. He was one of the even children of
Pedro Portocarrero, a captain of a Spanish schooner.
- Plasencia is well reputed as the one who took the
leading role in fostering the spread of primary education.
He is the author of what is believed to be the first book
printed in the Philippines.
- He worked as a missionary for the most of his life in
the Philippines, where he established numerous Luzon
towns and wrote numerous theological and linguistic
works.
Reason/s of writing this Primary Sources
- It was purposefully created to give them an exoticized,
modernized view of the Tagalog people that would
appeal to them. This view was obviously influenced by
politics and propaganda.
- Also to record the practices and lifestyle of the
the largest ethnic group in the world, Tagalog in order to
aid in their conversation in Christianity
Highlights of its content
- Understanding who we are as Filipinos today and
where we come from in the past had an important
influence. These documents provided us our unique
identity, demonstrating that Filipinos had their own
traditions and rituals even before the arrival of the
Spaniards, and that we are still adopting them into
Instructor Mr. Anton Rivera
Date April 17, 2023
CONTEXT ANALYSIS
Main Argument
- The author argues that although the Philippines has a
rich culture, the natives' culture was very different to
their own. He records unfamiliar customs in his
accounts.
- He also informs the world that the Philippines already
had a unique culture before people landed there. To
maintain peace and order in the villages, a society's
unwritten rules were adhered to. He also discusses how
people behave in terms of relationships and property in
connection to the unwritten social norms.
Bias
- “Customs of the Tagalogs” is written through the eyes
and hands of a Spaniard. It is not surprising how the
author did not fully comprehend the socio-political status
of the Luzon. In fairness, the author wrote the contents
of this account from his experiences throughout his
journey in Luzon. He has lived in the Philippines for 10-
20 years which could be fair to write this account.
- The way Plasencia wrote this is somewhat biased
because he thinks that Christianity is far superior than
the beliefs of early Filipinos. It only shows how the
Spaniards think of early Filipinos as a low class people.
Importance in understanding Philippine History
- Knowing what happened in the past and understanding
how it happened are importance of studying and
understanding Philippine history. Learning about history
means gaining new knowledge and insights about all
aspects of life, It provides a better understanding of our
country’s past. It also helps develop a sense of pride
 contemporary life now. This text also demonstrates how and patriotism for the Philippines.
the Spaniards viewed our historical rituals and traditions
in a negative and inferior manner, in addition to showing
information about the early Filipinos.

References:

Juan de Plasencia The Customs of Tagalogs. (2021). Studocu; Studocu.

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/west-visayas-state-university/reading-in-history/juan-de-
plasencia-the-customs-of-tagalogs/23508756

Guest. (2020). Customs of Tagalogs Reaction Paper - PDFCOFFEE.COM. Pdfcoffee.com;

PDFCOFFEE.COM. https://pdfcoffee.com/customs-of-tagalogs-reaction-paper-pdf-free.html