JUAN DE PLASENCIA early 16th and 17th centuries.

❖ Spanish friar of the Franciscan order ❖ This document comprises the

❖ Was among the first group of Franciscan explorations by early navigators,

missionaries who arrived in the PH (July 2,
descriptions of the islands and their
1578)
people, the history and records of
❖ Born into the illustrious family of the
Portocarreros in Plasencia, Extremadura, Spain the catholic missions.
in the early 16th century
❖ Given the significant number of
❖ Spent most of his missionary life in
biases, inaccurate judgment, and
the PH; founded numerous towns:
pretensions of the author of the
Bulacan, Laguna, and Rizal
Customs of the Tagalog, the next was
❖ Authored religious and linguistic
not for local consumption but
books: Doctrina Christiana – first
Western readers.
book printed in the Philippines
❖ The Customs of the Tagalog was
❖ Passed away in Liliw, Laguna (1590)
intentionally made to provide an

eroticized description of the Tagalog

BACKGROUND OF THE CUSTOMS
natives, clearly fed by politics and
OF THE TAGALOGS
propaganda.
❖ The King of Spain tasked Juan de
Plasencia, through a letter, to THE CUSTOMS OF THE
document the customs and TAGALOGS
traditions of the natives based on his Caste System
observation and judgment
❖ Datu/Chief
❖ He collected Indios from different o Governs the barangay
districts and obtained the simple o Leads the barangay in wars
truth from them o Presides and gives sentences
❖ “Customs of the Tagalogs” is a part of in litigations
longer monographs written by the ❖ Maharlika/Noble
chroniclers of the Spanish o Do not pay taxes
❖ expeditions to the Philippines in the
Accompany the Datu in wars
o Need to pay if they’re going
to move to another barangay
❖ Aliping Namamahay/Commoners
o Act as servants
o Get married
o Own properties
o Cannot be sold
o Cannot be obliged to leave
the barangay with their
masters
❖ Aliping Saguiguiler/Slave
o Serve their master until the
end
o Can be sold
o Lowest of the caste system
Lands of the barangay belongs to the
citizens of the barangay unless
purchase or inherited.
Mountain ranges have no owner;
shared by all.
Fisheries are only for those who
belong to the chief’s barangay.
There are barangays where
Maharlika pays the Dato; this only
happens if the barangay is purchased
by another Datu.
Children from Maharlika + slave
parents are half free man, half slave.
Unmarried woman’s child to a slave
will be considered a free man; if the
slave is not her husband.
Marriage
❖ Maharlika + slave = odd birthed
children belong to the father; even
birthed children belong to the
mother
❖ Only child and/or the last odd birthed
child will be half free and half slave
❖ Marrying a woman of another
barangay will result to a division of
their children to the barangays
involved.
Investigations, Sentences, and
Offences
❖ Litigations happen in front of the
whole barangay.
❖ Drinks will be commenced by the
plaintiff after the litigation.
❖ If the litigant felt injustice, another
dato will be invited to preside over
the case; this’ll also happen if there’s
a controversy between two chiefs.
❖ Insulting the family of a dato
constitutes a crime
❖ Death penalty is bestowed upon
witches, those of low class, and those
of the same class as the ones who
insulted the dato
❖ Debt and failure of payment of such
will result in being demoted to an
aliping namamahay
❖ If the debt is shouldered by another
person, the slave will then have to
pay double the amount of the debt
❖ Slavery is not condemned unless he
merited it on himself.
❖ Witches will be killed and their
descendants will be slaves for the
dato.
Family Relations, Inheritance, and
Dowries
❖ Inheritance is to be equally given by
the parents, unless a stipulation is
made.
❖ Children born from a slave mother
and father, with legitimate children,
will get no inheritance and the
legitimate children will free the
mother and give a tael or slave, or
both, if his father is a chief or if
decided unanimously by the
barangay.
❖ Legitimate children enjoy inheritance
and dowry by both his parents.
❖ Children born from adultery will only
be able to inherit if the adulterer has
been punished.
❖ In the case of adoption with many of
them, the inheritance is the doubled
amount of what was paid for him.
❖ Divorce before the birth of a child will
oblige the husband for the dowry of
the child.
❖ If the woman did not marry another,
the dowry will be returned.
❖ Some villages practice returning half
dowries to a widowed partner and
the other half to the dead’s relative.
❖ Dowries of a son marrying a chief’s
daughter is larger than a son
marrying a woman of a lower class.
Gods and Superstitions
❖ Simbahan are used to celebrate
pandot or worship
❖ Whole community joins the worship
called nagaanitos
❖ Badhala is the one they believe who
is “all powerful” and “maker of all
things”
❖ They worshipped the sun, moon, and
the stars (called Animism)
❖ Lic-ha – images with different shapes
❖ Romanus – brave dead man who
gives protection in their tribulations
❖ Dian – patron of lovers and
generation
❖ Lacapati and Idianale – patrons of
cultivated lands and of husbandry
❖ Tigmamanguin – feared bird; when
the bird sings, something evil will
happen in their journey
❖ Believed in divination, using
weapons that are lucky and useful
❖ Use the environment to determine
whether the occasion has changed
and what is there to come; changed
when the Spaniards came
❖ Catalonan – male or female priest;
anointed and praised through poetic
songs
❖ Young girls were asked to be
blindfolded for four days and four
nights, during their first monthly
courses, and the catalonan will bring
the girl to the water, bathe her, and
wash her head, then remove the
bandage after. They believed that
this will increase the girl’s chance in
marrying a husband to their taste
which would not leave then in their
youth.
❖ Mangunguay – witches who pretend
to heal the sick
❖ Manysilat – power to apply remedies
to lovers that they would abandon
and despise their own wives;
homewrecker
❖ Hocloban – kill someone with just a
raise of the hand or salute
❖ SIlagan - eats livers of those wearing
white
❖ Magtatangal - shows up at night
while holding his head or entrails
❖ Osuang – sorcerer; eats flesh of men
and flies
❖ Manggagayoma – specialize in
making charms and antidotes
❖ Pangatahojan – soothsayer; predicts
the future
❖ Bayoguin – male that acts like a
woman
❖ Catalonan – gives redemption to
people
❖ Sonat – preacher; ability to help
someone die, whether salvation or
condemnation
❖ Objects of sacrifice: goats, fowls, and
swine; decapacitated, flayed, and
laid before the idol o They believe in the existence

❖ Reason for sacrifice and adoration: of maca and casanaan

personal matters o Vibit - ghosts

Burials o Tigbalaang – phantoms

❖ Tagalogs o Patianac - Any woman who

o Chief – placed below a little o died during the birth of the

house or porch which they child will receive punishment

made; mourned for 4 days; where the woman will be

place in a boat-like coffin heard crying

after. In the boat, different

animals were placed; 2 male CONTRIBUTION

and 2 female per specie. ❖ Enabled the exploration of the

o Warrior – an alive slave will ancient lives of people living in

be tied under his body until Central Luzon.

he/she dies. For a number of ❖ Serve as basis for historical

days, the corpse’s relatives reconstructions of Tagalog society.

will sing, lament, and praise ❖ Allowed for further analysis of the
him; they’ll celebrate a feast. practices of the ancient Tagalogs and

❖ Negritos comparisons with other accounts of

o Dug a deep hole where they succeeding period and significant

will place the corpse. Put a events in Philippine history.

half coconut on top Aids in realizing the mastery of local

representing a shield. language and culture led to the

o They will hunt and kill Indians success of Christianity in the PH

as punishment for the death ❖ Inform the Filipinos about the

of their kind. differences and similarities of our
o They hang tokens on their culture then and now
necks to avenge the fallen ❖ Confirms that Filipinos have their
one
own government and beliefs even

before the Spaniards came

❖ Disproves the claim of some

Spaniards that locals were uncivilized

and lacking in culture, as it provided

an elaborate observation on the

functioning government, tax system,

criminal justice system, indigenous

calendar, long standing customs and

traditions, and beliefs.