GE 2 Unit 1

PAGKITAN
MODULE OF READINGS
IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Jose Abrian D. Casela, M.A. SS.
Eric D. de la Vega, M.A. Ed.
Aimee B. Denamarquez, M.A. Ed.
Beverly S. Germo, M. Ed.
Corazon Pama- Fernandez, Ph. D.
1 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Coming up with a module in a short amount of time is harder as we spent

sleepless nights and fatigues in the process. Returning back and forth in the
university, being anxious about the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic and series of
deliberations, and critiquing of the content have finally come to an end with the
materializing of this book entitled, Exploring the Past: Module of Readings in
Philippine History.
This would have been possible without the help of Dr. Raul F. Muyong,
ISAT University President, who gave us encouragement to come up with a
module. Dr. Corazon Corbal and Dr. Belinda Go, for their constant pressure to
finish the module on time and for their insightful comments. Thank you also to Dr.
Alejo P. Biton, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Campus
Administrators of the External Campuses of Iloilo Science and Technology
University for their motivations.
We would like also to thank Ms. Michelle Lima-Lasap and Mr. Aeron
Gabriel Mediodia who contributed to the success of the physical creation and
completion of this book through their services in editing the final draft and the lay-
out of this module.
Finally, we gratefully acknowledge our colleagues in the Social Sciences
Department, our students and our family members for their support, love and
prayers.
May the Almighty God abundantly bless all of you!
Jose Abrian D. Casela, M.A. SS.

Eric D. de la Vega, M.A. Ed.
Aimee B. Denamarquez, Ed. D.
Beverly S. Germo, M. Ed.
Corazon Pama- Fernandez, M.Ed. Ph. D.
Iloilo City, August 2020

PREFACE
Responding to one of the biggest challenges the education system has

experienced, five History and Social Sciences faculty members of Iloilo Science
and Technology University gathered together to come up with a way of
supplementing education through a module. With the absence of face to face
classes due to Covid-19, an independent, structured and guided learning module
for students was materialized.
Integrated in the module are different primary and secondary sources in
the mandated new course Readings in Philippine History. Looking at the main
title of the course, the main element expected of students now are to “READ”!
This module will guide them of the newer approach of studying this subject which
is in a thematic approach or with the help of selected themes or topics in
Philippine History.
It is the goal of the authors as well to help students to become
nationalistic, responsible and learned individuals. The five- unit module uses the
Four A’s Method designed to help students not only to master topics but also to
assess their learning. The exercises are presented to help the students challenge
themselves, test and apply what they read, reflect, and have a little fun along the
way.

HOW TO USE THIS MODULE:
This module is divided into five units.

Each unit contains the following elements:
Unit Title and Outcomes: This introduces you to the main subject of the
unit and the focus or objectives that you must attain at the end of the unit.
Introduction: This states the overview of the whole unit and serves as
substrate or context to the different lessons that you are to undertake in the unit.
Topics: This section outlines the different lessons that you will tackle.
Each lesson contains the following elements:
Corresponding Key
Icon Specification
Words
This specifies the

knowledge, skills and
values that you must be
able to demonstrate
Lesson Title and after learning the lesson.
Outcomes The outcomes are
stated in a specific,
measurable, attainable,
realistic and time bound
(SMART) manner.
This icon states the
background of the whole
lesson and bridges you
Introduction to the expected activity
that you need to
encounter at the end of
the lesson.

This icon states the
purpose to stimulate and
to facilitate your learning
Activate activity that will prepare
and increase your
interest towards the
lesson.
This icon narrates

the whole content that
Acquire you are expected to
learn, acquire and
master.
This icon gives you

activities to do for you to
Apply:
attain the learning
outcomes.
This icon will determine

Assess: if the intended learning
outcomes are realized.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement ................................................................................................ 2
Preface ................................................................................................................. 3
“How to Use the Module:” ..................................................................................... 4
UNIT I - INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE HISTORY ......................................... 8

Lesson 1 - Introduction to History: Its Meaning, Sources and Importance ............ 9
Lesson 2 - The Philippines and Its People ......................................................... 19
Lesson 3 - Our Malayan Heritage ....................................................................... 32
UNIT II - CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY

SOURCES .......................................................................................................... 52
Lesson 1 - First Voyage Around the World
(of Magellan) by Antonio Pigafetta ................................................... 54
Lesson 2 - The Kartilya of the Katipunan by Emilio Jacinto ................................ 67
Lesson 3 - The Act of Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People ...... 76
Lesson 4 - The Philippines during the American Period
from the Caricatures Compiled by Alfred McCoy .......................... 94
Lesson 5 - The Speech of Corazon Aquino Before the US Congress .............. 104
UNIT III - ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES: CONTROVERSIES AND

CONFLICTING VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Lesson 1 - Site of the First Catholic Mass ........................................................ 119
Lesson 2 - Cavite Mutiny of 1872 ..................................................................... 132
Lesson 3 - Retraction of Jose Rizal ........................................................................
Lesson 4 - First Cry of the Revolution ....................................................................
UNIT IV – SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN

PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Lesson 1 - Agrarian Reform Policies:
Development of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines..............................
Lesson 2 - The Evolution of Philippine Constitution................................................
Lesson 3 – Taxation ...............................................................................................
Lesson 4 - The Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of the Philippines ..................................
UNIT V – EXPLORING HISTORY

Lesson 1 - Local and Oral History ..........................................................................
Lesson 2 - Doing Local and Oral History: A Guide for Students .............................
Rubrics ...................................................................................................................

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
Who you are and what you are is said to be a product of your own
childhood and our own past is obviously the prologue of our own present. The
term “past” is always synonymous to the study of history. Every time we open our
history classes in elementary and high school, we are always taught on the
introduction to the subject from the meaning down to the relevance or importance
of studying it. The first unit of this module is no ordinary to that of your teachers
in your elementary or high school years but the manner of introducing is deeper
in approach. For sure, you can still remember that the teaching of Philippine
History in your elementary and high school years were chronological in approach
with the division from the Precolonial period, Colonial periods down to the
present day Fifth Republic.
Unit Outcomes:
At the end of the unit, you must have:
1. explained the importance of studying history;
2. differentiated primary from that of secondary sources of history;
3. evaluated primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance;
4. presented different theories concerning the peopling of the Philippines in early
periods;
5. described the Philippine cultures prior to Spanish occupation; and
6. analyzed the importance of studying the formation of the Filipino nation.
Topics:
 Introduction to History: Its Meaning, Sources and Importance

 The Philippines and Its People
 Our Malayan Heritage

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY: ITS
MEANING, SOURCES AND IMPORTANCE
LESSON OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you must have:

1. defined history and its relations with other branches of Social Sciences;
2. differentiated primary from that of secondary sources; and
3. discussed the importance of studying history.
“If given a chance to go back in time and witness an

event in the past, what would it be and why?”
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Have you reflected on your own answer? Did you provide an event in our
country’s history or your own personal account? Once in your life, you possibly
thought also of a possibility of riding in a time machine or teleporting back in time.
The reality, however, is more muddled.
The idea of returning back in the past is only one of the concepts expected
of you in dealing with history. With this, it is now time for you to learn more of the
underlying content in dealing with the introductory unit.

Meaning of History
So what exactly is the meaning of history?
Providing definition to history has the traditional and modern definitions. In
its traditional form- we always use its simplest meaning, ‘the study of the past or
the record of the past.” Traditional historians from the concept of record of the
past also conforms to the notion of “no written records, no history” isolating the
discipline solely to the literatures or written accounts. Modern historians
contradict the idea of isolating the discipline from written records alone, they
would have it defined as the interpretative and imaginative study of records of the
past may it be written or unwritten with the main goal of enlightening or finding
answers to human existence.
Dictionary.com defines history as the branch of knowledge dealing with
past events and as a continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating
to a particular people, country, period, person, etc., usually written as a
chronological account; chronicle.
The word history has entered the English language in 1390 with the
meaning of "relation of incidents, story". The study of history is Greek in origin; it
came from a word ἱστορία (historía) which means "inquiry", "knowledge from
inquiry", or "judge". As used by Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a
systematic account of a set of natural phenomena, whether or not chronological
factoring was a factor in the account… by its most common definition, the word
history now means, “the past of mankind.”… (Gottschalk, 1950). With history as
one contribution by the Greeks, the man named Herodotus also has the
recognition as the “Father of History” due to his contribution in the field and his
book he published entitled, “the Histories”.
History is a branch of Social Science. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
Social Science as a branch of science that deals with the institutions and
functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of

individuals as members of society. History being a branch of Social Science is
also arguably labelled as the “Queen of Social Sciences.” Other branches of
Social Sciences includes Economics, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology,
Geography, Sociology, Political Science and other disciplines that connect
human and society as the main subject itself.
As you continue to read and tackle the content of this module, you will be
encountering questions about the different events in our country’s history that will
allow you to reflect on the very essence of studying it. The several questions that
you are to encounter in the study of history can be answered by historiography.
In the early modern period, the term historiography meant "the writing of history"
or the history of history, and historiographer meant "historian". Historiography
was more recently defined as "the study of the way history has been and is
written – the history of historical writing", which means that, "When you study
'historiography' you do not study the events of the past directly, but the changing
interpretations of those events in the works of individual historians."
You are more likely confused with the difference between history and
historiography. Just remember the simplest definitions of the two. History is the
study of the past while historiography is the history itself. Thus, historiography
widens your own understanding of history.
Sources of History
One of the requirements expected of you to earn a degree in this
university is for you to publish your own book or let’s say a thesis. In dealing with
your own research, you include in your Review of Related Literature all your
supporting researches from different references. You classify them according to
their reliability, credibility and provenance. This is where the sources of history
will help in distinguishing them.
There are several sources of history depending on the references you will
follow but you will be using the simplest and easiest types of sources: the
Primary and the Secondary.
So what is the difference between primary source and secondary source?

A primary source is a document or physical object which is written or
created during the time under study. These sources are present during an
experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event while a
secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources
are one or more steps remove/s from the event. Secondary sources may have
pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.
Examples of Primary Sources are original documents (excerpts or
translations acceptable): diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews,
news film footages, autobiographies, and official records. Creative works:
poetry, drama, novels, music, and art. Relics or Artifacts: pottery, furniture,
clothing, buildings. The best examples of Secondary Sources are publications
like textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries and
encyclopédias.
There is another source which can be considered as tertiary source and
these are called general references. General references help point a primary or
secondary source to the reader. Examples of tertiary source are information
found in the card catalogues about books or documents, thèses, dissertations
and book abstracts.
In dealing with research and the study of history, you are always expected
to rely first on the use of primary sources more than the secondary sources but it
does not mean that secondary sources are not important.
Why Study History?

Before you read the importance of studying history, I would like you first to
provide a brief answer to this question.
If you are to become a figure from the past, who would it be and why ?
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Did you select a person close to you? A historical figure or a fictional one? A
figure in our country or a figure famous in the world?
You are possibly counting yourself as one of those who hate the idea of
memorization- specifically remembering the dates, names and facts. The idea of
memorization or let say remembering is inevitable in the study of history.
However, you need to ponder on the very reason why knowing the figures from
the past is significant because without history great people are more likely to be
forgotten.
So why do you need to study history ?

The new teaching of history as mentioned in the introduction is different
from that of the approach you grew up with way back when you were in the basic
education. You can possibly remember how the chronological method of
teaching history was but the new Readings in Philippine History permits you to
go back to the past by reading the actual primary sources of our nation’s story. It
also allows you to return to the actual time for you to fully grasp the events. Since
many of the accounts that tackle about our own history are also coming from
foreign writers, their own perspective are much in focus than that of our own. As
you deal with contradicting and conflicting primary sources, it is your
responsibility in the end to develop critical thinking so that you can create a
conclusion that is factual or even close to truth.
These are some of the common reasons why studying history is
important :
1. History Helps You Understand OUR WORLD
 You cannot understand people if you do not understand their past. This
is where an adage, do not judge a book by its cover is most applicable
to.
 You cannot understand our community if you do not know how it came
to be. Kindly look at the changes in your own place through the years
and you will notice how change is truly unavoidable. We have those

who are experiencing change in a faster phase and those who are
experiencing it slowly.
 You cannot understand our nation without history. History is the
discipline that will allow you to have the understanding of the present
status of the nation today. Our questions may be about: “Why is the
Philippines considered to be one of the richest countries in Asia now
lagging compared with our neighboring countries? Why is corruption
rampant? Why is poverty sporadic?” Looking into our history or
experiences in the past can serve as bases in providing answers to
these questions.
 You cannot understand our world if you do not understand history.
Why did we have two Koreas? Why are China and the US not in good
terms? With the many social and political issues surrounding the
international arena, turning back to the events in the past will provide
you with the idea of the present issues we have today.
2. History Gives You Identity

 Studying history gives people a sense of nationalism. The Philippines
is presently having territorial disputes with claimant countries in the
Spratly’s and with Sabah. Internally, we also have decade long strife
with communists and Muslim separatists in the south. With the many
years that we have been facing both internal and external problems,
the experiences of the nation has molded the people to continually
defend and fight for its sovereignty. Therefore, history helps you
understand current world affairs and conflicts by understanding the
root of the problems.
 It gives family and personal identity as well. Who you are and what you
are is a factor that is said to be a product of your own experiences in
the past. Thus, we also look at our own genealogy in tracing at our
identity.

3. History Helps You Understand People
 Culture is relative and the study of history allows us to see our society
and people from other societies once comparison is looked into. Just
imagine for example how the shaking of the hands must be monitored
when you go to Muslim provinces; why it is expected of you to place
your right hand on your right chest after shaking hands with them as a
form of friendship and warm greetings; or why Ilonggos are having
stereotypes in Mindanao like them being labelled as “tikalon” or “show-
off” and how among Muslims have their own division among
Maranaos, Maguindanaoans, Tausugs, etc. History can provide clarity
to some existing stereotypes among ethnic groups in the country. This
is where history gives ethnic groups a sense of identity.
 History acts as a “social laboratory”, one of the few ways we can help
predict the future behavior of such a large group.
4. Those That Study and Understand History Become Good Citizens

 It provides national identity. History unites us to have a concept of a
nation, with shared identity united by same language despite the
differences in culture and languages available in the country. It allows
us to better understand who we are and what we are as a nation.
 It provides examples of success, morality and of course the examples
of the opposite. History is significant for it allows us not forget the
contributions of great people in history. Again without history, great
people are forgotten.
 It offers support in making decisions and it encourages, “responsible
public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an
informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.”

Task: Write your own autobiography using only primary
sources such as documents (e.g. your birth certificate,
baptismal certificate, anecdotal records, etc.) and with an
interview with your family members as your reference.
 Type it in a short bond paper using Tahoma 11

 Single spaced with 1 inch margin on all sides
 Must not be more than 3 pages and not less than 2 pages
 Submit together with your work a copy of the primary source used and
name of the informant whom you conducted an interview with.
Your life story might not be that long. However, these 15 questions will guide you
in writing an autobiography that you can be proud of.
1. What famous quote can describe your life?
2. What are the 3 adjectives that best define you as a person?
3. Who influenced your personal development?
4. What are your best and worst childhood memories?
5. What is your family’s social and ethnic background?
6. How can you describe your relations with your parents and other
relatives?
7. What are your main achievements in life?
8. What are the weaknesses that you would like to get rid of?
9. What are your goals for the future?
10. What places would you like to visit and why?
11. What skills would you like to develop and why?
12. What was the most memorable day in your life?
13. What was the most important lesson you have ever learned in your life?
14. In your opinion, what are the most important values in life?
15. Which fault committed would you never forgive others or yourself?

Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________
Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________
_______________________________________

Name: __________________________ Score: _________
Section: ________________________ Date: _________
I. PRIMARY OR SECONDARY
A) Let us see if you can already distinguish primary from that of secondary
sources. You write P if is Primary and S if it is Secondary on the space provided
before the number. Each item is worth one (1) point.
________1. Manunggal Jar ________7. PowerPoint presentation
________2. The Constitution of the on the Voyage of
Philippines- the 1987 Ferdinand Magellan
Constitution ________8. The ISAT University
________3. Diary of Anne Frank Journal on Social
________4. NSO Birth Certificate Sciences
________5. A journal/ magazine ________9. 10 peso-coin and 100
article which interprets or Php. paper bill
reviews previous findings ________10. Encyclopedia of the
________6. Textbook on Readings in American Civil War
Philippine History
B. IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY (ESSAY)

Choose one and discuss your answer in three to five sentences.
Content is 10 points; Organization is 5 points, for a total of 15 points.
1. Cite one personal experience and discuss as to how it has greatly impacted
you as a person or as to how it has molded you to become who you are in the
present.
2. Cite one specific historical event in the past and discuss as to how it gave us
the ‘’Filipino Identity’’.

LESSON 2: THE PHILIPPINES AND ITS PEOPLE
LESSON OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you must have:

1. described the different theories on the origin of the Philippines and of
the Filipino race;
2. discussed the characteristics of different groups of early Filipinos; and
3. written a personal reflection on the beginning of the Filipino nation.
In the preceding lesson, you have learned the meaning of history, the
difference between the primary and secondary sources and the importance of
studying history. Lesson Two will provide you the understanding of the beginning
of Philippines and its people.
In dealing with this lesson, I want you first to complete the statements by
citing unique Filipino attributes and features of the Philippines.
1. I am a Filipino because ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. The Philippines is unique compared to other countries in the world
because ____________________________________________________
3. A Filipino is an Asian because ________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Filipinos are considered Pacific Islanders because ________________
___________________________________________________________

Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, once described Philippine history as “300 years
in a convent and 50 years in Hollywood.” We always associate Philippine history
as a product of series of conquest or colonization from the two Western powers,
Spain and the United States. The argument about our own formation as a nation
is also expounding with us being associated as Hispanic, Asians and Pacific
Islanders.
Figure 1: Map of Southeast Asia depicting the location of the Philippines

(Source: CIA 2003)
The Origin of the Philippines

If you are to ask a foreigner about his or her own impression of
what a true Filipino attributes are, majority of them are more likely to provide you
answers that we are predominantly brown in complexion, short in height and with
black hair. Our own concept of a Filipino identity is always conniving to that of
what much of us can see around us. Without us realizing that the kind of people
that we have today is actually a product of intermarriages and interactions with
other races from both the west and the east.
The history of the Philippines is traced back to some 709 thousand years
ago (please refer to Reading 1) contradicting earlier findings of 50,000 years ago

due to stories of Homo sapiens that did exist in Palawan some 50,000 years ago
based on archaeological findings in the country.
The Philippines is located slightly above the equator and is situated in the
maritime region of Southeast Asia. Countries and natural bodies of water
surrounding the Philippines in the North is Taiwan, in the West are Vietnam and
the West Philippine Sea, in the South are the Celebes Sea separating it from
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and in the East by the Philippine Sea, Pacific
Ocean and Palau. It is one of the largest archipelagoes in the world with 7,641
islands in the latest census. The Philippines has one of the longest coastlines in
the world with 17,000 kilometers long and with a wide networks of river as well.
Some of the important rivers in the country are Rio Grande de Cagayan, the
Agno River, Abra River, Pampanga River, and Pasig River in all the areas of
Luzon and Rio Grande de Mindanao and also Agusan River in Mindanao.
There are several theories that can explain about the beginning of the
Philippines from the legends and fairytales down to the scientific ones. One
legend tells about the story of how islands of the Philippines is a part of a huge
ball of rock that was thrown away by a giant and a legend about the battle
between the sea and the sky. There are several known scientific theories about
the Philippines. First is the Land Bridges Theory. It states that the Philippines
used to be connected to main land Asia via land bridges. After the ice age, the
ice melted and the water level rose and the land bridges vanished. The
Philippines was then isolated from mainland Asia. Another theory is the Tectonic
Plate Theory which explains how major landforms are created as a result of
Earth’s subterranean movements. The theory, which solidified in the 1960s,
transformed the earth sciences by explaining many phenomena, including
mountain building events, volcanoes, and earthquakes. The Philippine Plate is
one of the tectonic plates in the world. One less known theory is the Lost
Continent Theory which states that the Philippines used to be part of a huge
continent which sank at the bottom of the sea. The remaining parts of this huge
continent are the islands of the Philippines.
The next part of this chapter will tackle about the origin of the Filipino
people.

THE FIRST FILIPINOS
Who were the first people to live in the Philippines? Where did they come
from? What happened to them? These are some of the curious questions we
have in dealing with the origin of the Filipino people.
There are three main sources on the origin of the Filipino people. These
are the Biblical, Legendary and the Scientific Theories. First is the Biblical
Theory. Kindly ponder on these questions first: Do we have a mention of the
term “Philippines” in the Bible? What about the term “Filipino”? The answers? No!
Then why is it that we have a Biblical Theory on the beginning of Filipinos if we
don’t have it mentioned in the bible? Fr. Francisco Colins, a Jesuit historian wrote
that the first settlers of our country was Tharsis, son of Javan and great grandson
of Noah, together with his brothers and their descendants of these Biblical
characters settled in the parts of the world that we now know as Asia, including
the islands of the Philippines. Another theory is the legendary or mythological.
There are also various legends and fairy tales about the origin of the first Filipino,
but these were just the imaginary stories told by old folks to little children to keep
them interested in their past. Two of the known stories are the Racial Superiority
of the Brown People, depicting the creation of Bathala of the three pairs of clay:
the black, white and brown, and the origin of Malakas and Maganda from a
bamboo.
Next theory will fall on the Human Theory of Evolution classified into two-
the Core Population Theory and the Migration Theory. Core Population
Theory states that the ancient Filipinos already inhabited and also migrated from
the islands to other parts. In 1962, there was a human skull found in the caves of
Tabon in Palawan. The discovery of the fossils proves that there was already
existence of humans in the Philippines more than 20,000 years ago. The
Philippines has been proved by early scholars to be a clean geographical slate
until occupied by ancient peoples through a series of waves of migration. The
immigration routes, we are told, were through land and sea routes. These early
people also represented different racial stock. (Jocano, 1998).
Dr. Henry Otley Beyer’s migration theory regarding the peopling of the
Philippines became the most widely known version of the prehistoric period of

the country. He states that the first people who came to the Philippines arrived in
stages of waves or waves of migration. The first to reach the archipelago was the
caveman “Dawn Man” type, similar to the Java Man and Peking Man and other
fossils of Homo sapiens discovered in Asia about 250,000 years ago. Dr. Beyer
called the first Filipino the “Dawn Man”, for his emergence on the islands at the
dawn of time (Halili, 2004). These are the different waves and order of migrants
from the accounts of Dr. Beyer as summarized by F. Landa Jocano:
1. The primitive type of people similar to the Java Man of 250,000 years ago.
2. The Negritos and other primitive Australoid-Sakai type between 25,000 and
30,000 years ago. About 9.5% of the 20th century population is said to have
descended directly from this group.
3. The sea-travelling and stone-using Indonesian “A” who came via rafts and
plank-built boats who came about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago.
4. The seafaring group from Indo-China and South China coast to Luzon and
Formosa (Taiwan) via good-sized dugouts who came about 1,500 BC.
5. The more advanced group, a terrace-building people from Central Asia who
arrived from between 800 and 500 BC.
6. The civilized Malays, who came by dugouts via Borneo, Palawan and
Mindoro from whom a majority of the contemporary population descended;
between 300 and 200 BC.
7. The people who came to our country during the Christian era, known as the
modern Asians.
The Negritos
Any students of history that has the knowledge of the beginning of the first
people in our country would say that the first to inhabit the Philippines were the
Negritos. Thus, their conclusion is leading with the idea that they are the true
aborigines of our own country. Relying on the account of Dr. Beyer, in the
disappearance of the Dawn Man came the Negritos who arrived between 25,000
to 30,000 years ago through land bridges. The Negritos are generally
characterized as small in height as they were less than five feet tall. They were
called by the Spaniards as “Negritos” or little black people because they had

black skin, short kinky hair, thick lips and flat noses. The concept of an advanced
or civilized society was not yet in existence during this period. They wore little
clothing, and had no government, no writing and no permanent homes. They
wandered in the forests and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants
and fruits. They typically lived in a lean-to, a type of shelter due to their nomadic
lifestyle. They used the bow and arrow for hunting. Today, there are still Negritos
in the hills of Zambales, Panay and Negros. The island province of Negros is
actually named after the Negritos. They are known as Ati, Aeta, or Ita.
The Negritos have a lot of contributions that they can truly be proud of
especially in the formation of Filipino society and culture. When you go to Negrito
communities in our country, the earlier characteristics of the Negritos provided to
you is more likely to confuse you, too. In the discussion of indigenous people in
the Philippines, in the latter part of this module you will dig and analyze the
reasons behind the marginalization that they are experiencing despite the many
contributions that they have in the formation of our nation.
The Indonesians
Aside from the Negritos, the Indonesian settlers had also come in two waves
about 3,500 to 5,000 years ago coming from the waters of Indonesia. The name
Indonesia was derived from the term Indos Nesos (Indian Islands) and
popularized as Indonesia from 1881 to 1884 by the German geographer Adolf
Bastian (Jocano, 1998). In the account of Dr. Beyer, he labelled the two types of
Indonesians who came to the Philippines; the Indonesian Type A and Type B.
The Indonesian “A” type was slender, fair complexioned, sharp and with thin-
faced, with deep-set eyes. The Indonesian “B” type, who came later (about 1500
BC), was shorter in height, but larger in build, darker in complexion with well-
pronounced jaws, a broad rectangular face, large thick nose, large mouth, thick
lips and large firmly set eyes. About 12% of the population are said to have
descended from Indonesian “A” group and 3 percent from the Indonesian “B”
group. Indonesians are generally characterized as a group that started to live in
permanent homes. They used fire to cook their food and lived by hunting, fishing
and farming. They also painted their bodies with colorful figures.

Today, the Indonesian minority tribes are found in some interior parts of our
country. They are the Apayaos, Gaddangs, Ibanags, and Kalingas of Northern
Luzon; the Tagbanuas of Palawan; and the Bagobos, Manobos, Mandayas,
Bukidnons, Tirurays and Subanuns of Mindanao.
The Malays
The Malays came after the Indonesians, about 2,000 years ago. They also
arrived in boats called balangay from Southeast Asia. They were medium in
height, brown-skinned, with dark eyes, flat noses and straight black hair. They
drove the Indonesians into the forests and lived in the lowlands. The Malays
were more civilized than the Indonesians. They lived in larger villages and had
government, writing, music, arts and sciences. They lived by agriculture, fishing,
mining and trading.
The history of the coming of the Malays was best depicted in the story of
“Maragtas” or the coming of the 10 Bornean Datus to the island of Panay but as
to the authenticity and reliability of the account, much of it are still in question.
Majority of Filipinos today come from the Malay or brown race. Thus, there are
Muslim Malays in Mindanao, Jolo and Palawan. In addition, there are Christian
Malays in the whole country. There are also Malay tribes like the Igorots, Ifugaos,
Bontoks, and Tinggians of Luzon.
Figure 2: Depiction of the Newly Discovered 800 year-old Butuan “Mother Boat” (Balangay)
excavated in 2012 (Source. Via GMA News Online

Name: __________________________ Score: _________
Section: ________________________ Date: _________
Reflection Paper
You are expected to select one from the three options and provide your own
views.
1. “Unity in Diversity” – the Philippines have more than 180 languages, 80
provinces, 17 geographical regions and different ethnic and religious
compositions.
2. How come Filipinos have varied physical features?
3. “He who does not look back to where he came from will not know where he
is going.”

Name: __________________________ Score: _________
Section: ________________________ Date: _________
Directions: Fill in the different boxes provided with the information

by citing the characteristics of the three groups of Early Filipinos.
Precolonial Negritos Indonesians Malays

Filipinos
Economic Life
Unique
Characteristics
Desirable Traits
Physical
Characteristics

Reading 1:
A d i s c o v e r y a l m o s t l o s t t o t i m e : K a l i n g a ' s Ar c h a e o l o g i c a l
Treasure
By Jamie Joie Malingan
SITIO GREENHILLS. The rolling grassland in the small town of Rizal, Kalinga keeps a
collection of artifacts that tells a story of the past.
(PIA)--A plain, open grassland in a remote provincial town. Who would've
thought that a rolling pasture land in the municipality of Rizal, Kalinga keeps a
collection of records that tells a story of the past?
In the recent years, the small area in Sitio Greenhills, Barangay San
Pedro in Rizal, Kalinga made international headlines with a big discovery that
can rewrite history.
The Elephant Hill

But before all the media attention started in 2014, the site has already
been a subject of archaeological research and studies since 1935.
"The first discovery was in 1935. Then series of excavations
were conducted but there were only some years that they have successful finds,
"said former Rizal Mayor Marcelo de la Cruz, Jr.
Scientists have already unearthed a rhino lower jaw in 1935 and an
elephant fossil and tusk in 1971 and 2001. The latter finds earned the area the
nickname ‘The Elephant Hill.’

Because of these series of discoveries, then President Ferdinand Marcos
declared the site as an archaeological reservation through Presidential Decree
No. 1109 on March 28, 1977.
Rewriting History
Although it has been years since experts started to excavate and uncover
fossils in the area, it was only in 2014 that they found a critical link to better
understand the history of the Philippines and the world.
"Our archaeological site came into the limelight in 2014 when they
discovered a 75% rhino fossil (Rhinoceros philippinensis) intact," said Maila
Depalog who is the designated Municipal Tourism Officer.
The almost-complete rhino fossil was found to have cut marks which are
signs of butchering. In the same layer point that the rhino fossil was discovered,
stone tools were also present.
In an article of T. Ingicco, et, al. published in the science journal Nature in
2018, the rhino fossils from Rizal were described to have "percussion marks
presumably made with the intention to smash the bones and gain access to the
marrow."
Aside from the rhino, fossils of animals like the elephant, turtle, deer, and
lizard were also uncovered. This set of evidence which are dated 709 thousand
years ago indicates the possibility earlier existence of "pre-modern hominins" in
the country.
Creating Opportunities
Rizal's fossils did not only open realizations for the scientific community
but also created various opportunities for the locals.
The municipality looks into archeo-tourism as one of the possibilities to
improve livelihood opportunities for the local community while protecting the
archaeological area.
"In the economic aspect, there will be a time when visitors will come to see
the site and who will be there to entertain them if not the locals," said Depalog.

Still in the process of developing and promoting the archaeological area
and the idea of archeo-tourism, the site has already accommodated visits from
national and regional offices and schools.
"They can capitalize on that positioning that it is an archaeological site.
The story about it is good. Can you imagine that they found a breakthrough in
terms of finding the origin of humans," explained Department of Tourism
Cordillera OIC Jovi Ganongan.
Ganongan recommends that since the area is still under study, the
municipality can come up with educational activities about the findings to
promote the rhino fossil story and the archaeological reservation.
"They can have a museum tour, for instance. They can put up a marker for
the excavation sites. It is about the story behind that digging," she added.
BUTCHERED? The Rhino fossils, now kept at the National Museum, have "percussion marks
presumably made with the intention to smash the bones and gain access to the marrow."
A Community Affair
While Sitio Greenhills has long been an area of archaeological study
under the care of the National Museum, residents were alarmed when the
diggings resumed in 2014.

"At first the residents, especially here in Barangay San Pedro, were
against the excavations because of suspicions of treasure hunting," said
Depalog.
After several information, education, and communication campaigns, the
locals started to understand the purpose of the project. The team of
archaeologists also hired some of the residents to help in the excavations. This
also helped remove the uncertainties the community had for the study.
"My experience as working with the team of scientist is that it is only the
bones that they get. After the digging, they always return the soil back," shared
Jose Batungkig, the caretaker of the Elephant Hill site who is also a local in the
place.
Moving Forward
"They did not stop the farmers to work in their fields but the problem is that
archaeological reservation has no clear delineation of boundaries," said
Batungkig.
The municipality has already forwarded a request for the delineation of the
archaeological reservation to the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources. A clear definition of the boundaries of the archaeological area will
strengthen the protection of the site by preventing the expansion of agricultural
activities and building of permanent structures.
Keeping History for the Future

More than 80 years passed since the first discovery was made in The
Elephant Hills, the local government unit and the community in Rizal, Kalinga
continue to find ways to promote and preserve this part of history.
“For me, I will protect the site because it will be for the improvement of
Rizal, especially Barangay San Pedro. Maybe we, the elders, will die but our
children will reap the benefits of this project in the future,” said Batungkig.
(JDP/JJPM-PIA-CAR)

LESSON 3: OUR MALAYAN HERITAGE
LESSON OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you should have:

1. described Philippine society prior to the coming of the Spaniards;
2. assessed whether the Precolonial Philippines in general were already
civilized or not;
3. identified remnants or practices of the Malayans that are still in
existence today; and
4. hypothesized information on primary sources about precolonial cultures
and practices.
Every time we talk about major civilizations in the world, the common
answers that you are more likely to provide are the Mesopotamian, Egyptian,
Indian and Chinese. You also count some of the known classical civilizations of
Rome, Greece, Inca, Maya, Aztec, Japanese and Korean. These civilizations are
known due to their contributions that are still in existence today. The question is,
what about the Philippines? Are we also civilized similar to our neighbouring
countries in Asia? Do we also have contributions that we can be proud of? In the
previous lesson, you focused on the different groups of people who came to the
Philippines by waves of migration.
Lesson Three will provide you the understanding that our precolonial
ancestors were also advanced and are comparable to that of other major
civilizations in the world. In the discussion about selective topics in Philippine
history, you are expected to discuss about the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan
and the first Catholic Mass. This lesson will also strengthen your foundation and
bridge the discussion about the coming of the Spaniards as it will provide you the
context of how the Spaniards perceived the early Filipinos at the time when they
first landed in the Philippines.

If given a chance to travel to any country in the
world, where would it be and why?
What did you consider before deciding to travel in that country? Did you
consider the natural and manmade attractions? Did you also think of its unique
culture or even the safety and security? The Philippines has always been
labelled as one of the most beautiful countries in the world because of our
beautiful destinations that we can be proud of. The island of Palawan was even
recently declared as the most beautiful island according to a renowned travel
publication Travel + Leisure. On the contrary despite the many recognitions, we
are still visited by fewer tourists compared to our neighbouring countries in the
region. What do you think is the reason behind and why?
In the information provided above, it was stated that the Philippines in the
precolonial period was comparable to that of other major civilizations in the world.
As you read about the story of the precolonial Philippines, kindly check the
reasons behind why despite the many advancements we have, our civilization is
still not famous. This lesson will broaden your perspective about our Malayan
heritage. It is worthy to note first that the term Malay, is an ethnic term, based on
the language of the group encountered by the Europeans when they came to
colonize Southeast Asia. Historically, the term Malay refers to the ethnically
related peoples inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (Jocano, 1998)
Long before the coming of the Spaniards, ancient Filipinos

had already a developed or relatively advanced level of
civilization. They had their own form of government, mode of dressing, religion,
houses, system of government, marriage customs, traditions, superstitious
beliefs, arts, literature, social classes, advancement in science and mathematics,
medicine, domestic and foreign trading and other economic activities.

We have been mentioning about the concept of civilization, but what
exactly is the meaning of civilization?
In the book Filipino Prehistory by F. Landa Jocano, it was stated that the
core achievement approach combines most factors enumerated by scholars
(past and present) as the criteria for distinguishing and judging civilized from non-
civilized prehistoric societies. These criteria are: (1) efficient technology, (2)
predictive sciences, (3) writing, (4) art and religion, (5) foreign trade, (6) big
population, (7) megalithic structures, (8) government, (9) laws and (10) warfare.
In the introduction of this lesson, you are informed that the precolonial
Philippines was also advanced. Looking at the criteria provided on how a civilized
society is different from that of other prehistoric societies, it is worthy to conclude
first that culture is relative. Hence, China, India, Egypt and Mesopotamia were all
civilized societies but their level of advancements differ with that of classical
civilizations like Rome and Greece. The same is true with the Philippines. Let us
cite megalithic structures for instance. If Egypt has the pyramids and China has
the Great Wall, in the case of the Philippines our own Batanes Castle or Idjangs
and Banaue Rice Terraces are obviously on a different category but still
classified as important structures that are categorically labelled as advanced for
its time.
Figure 3: Depiction of the Batanes Castle or Idjangs

(Source: Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology)

The Barangay and the Government
The first communities were called barangays. The barangay was the basic
territorial and political unit then. It had in all aspect attained the status of a state.
It had territory, people, government and sovereignty; four basic and important
elements of a state. The government revolved around the authority and
administrative control of the datu. The datu is the lawmaker, a religious leader
and an administrator. He is also the one that maintains peace and order in his
community and in charge of defending his people from enemies and invaders. He
gives advice to those who come to him, is expected to rule with justice and in
accordance with their traditions and beliefs, protects the welfare of his
constituents and helps the sick and the needy among others. As the chief
executive of the barangay-state, he is assisted by a council of elders, known in
Panay as agorang (elders).
Each barangay was composed of between 30 to 100 families. Some
barangays were big such as Zubu (Cebu), Butuan, Sulu, Maktan (Mactan), Irong-
irong (Iloilo), Bigan (Vigan) and Selurong (Manila). Each of these big barangays
had a population ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 people. The barangays in Jolo,
Butuan, Panay, Cebu, Manila (Binondo-Tondo), Pampanga, Pangasinan and the
Laguna de Bay area were big commercial centers (Jocano, 1998). If you are to
observe at the geographical attributes of these barangays, you will notice that
they are predominantly located at the headwaters or near the banks of big river
systems. Like the Iloilo River in Iloilo, Agusan River in Butuan and Pasig River in
Manila. It is noteworthy to compare them with the Tigris-Euphrates of
Mesopotamia, Indus of India, Nile of Egypt and Huang Ho of China. These areas
developed agriculture and became centers of world’s civilization.
Social Organization
The barangay had a complex social organization different to that of the
present barangay that we have today which is known to us a smallest social
organization. The barangay that we have prior to the coming of the Spaniards
acts as a separate independent state. They have the basic social institutions with
the government, religion, economy, education and family in existence although

different in structure from that of the Muslim sultanate in Sulu archipelago and
Mindanao. The precolonial period although appearing to be closed or exclusive in
terms of movement, it was actually open and has the mobility or movement within
the rank (Jocano, 1998).
The highest in rank in a barangay is a datu or in some areas, he is known
as maginoo; it is from his class that the leaders were chosen. This is different
from that of a Sultanate, existing among Muslims where the highest in rank is a
sultan. Alliances among datus were normally done through sanduguan or
intermarriages. The datu who had the influence over the other datus was called
pangulo (head or leader). If he were at the same time the founder of the
barangay, he was called the pinuno. In a big barangay, which had contacts with
Muslim traders, the datu took the title of a rajah, as in the case of Rajah Matanda
and Rajah Soliman (Jocano, 1998).
Next to the datu is the maharlika class. They came from the wealthy
people who aside from datu group, enjoyed certain privileges not given to other
groups like exemption from paying taxes. The group of warriors (bagani) were
generally from this class. Next to the maharlika is the timawa class. This class
was composed of commoners. They have the largest percentage in the
population and are neither chiefs nor slaves. They served the datu and the
maharlika in return for service and protection in times of danger.
Datu/
Chiefly Class
Maharlika
Timawa
Alipin / Uripon
(Saguiguilid/ Namamahay)
Figure 4. Hierarchy of Social Classes during the precolonial times.
The lowest in rank are the alipin or the uripon. There are two types of the
alipin, the aliping namamahay and the aliping saguiguilid. The namamahay
has their own house. They are expected to help their masters when they needed

their assistance such as planting and harvesting crops, constructing houses, any
emergency related assistance and travelling with their masters. In the case of the
saguiguilid, they do not own anything. Most of them were captured during wars
and lived in the house of their master or in a kubo (hut) constructed for them near
the farm. In a later document, the Boxer Codex of 1590 stated that a sagigilir
(saguiguilid) could become a namamahe (namamahay) through marriage with a
namamahe, although he might still be required to serve the former master.
Marriage with a person of a higher rank raised the children’s status to that rank
while the reversed have not been noted (Jocano, 1998).
Food and Drinks

The staple food of the Filipinos was rice. Aside from rice, their food consisted
of carabao meat, pork, chickens, sea turtles, fish, bananas and other fruits and
vegetables. They cooked their food in earthen pots or in bamboo tubes. They ate
with their fingers and used banana plants as plates and coconut shells as
drinking cups. They made fire to cook their food by rubbing two pieces of dry
wood which when heated, produced a tiny flame. They stored their drinking water
in big earthen jars or in huge clean bamboo tubes.
Mode of Dressing
You need to remember that there are different groups of people in the
country before and they also vary when it comes to their modes of dressing. On
the contrary discussing about the Malays, generally the men wore a collarless,
short-sleeved jacket called kangan and a strip of cloth, called bahag, wrapped
around the waist and in between the legs. The kangan reached slightly below the
waist. It was dyed (tining) either in blue or black except the chief which was red.
Instead of a hat, the men used the putong, a piece of cloth wound around the
head. They had no shoes. They had jewels, such as gold necklaces, gold armlets
called kalombigas, and gold anklets filled with agates, carnelians and other
colored glass. The women wore a wide-sleeved jacket called baro. Their skirt
was called patadyong. It was a piece of cotton cloth which they wrapped about
their waists and let fall to their feet. Their jewels consisted of gold necklaces, gold

bracelets, large gold earrings, and gold rings. They tied their long, black hair in a
graceful knot at the back of their heads. Like men, they went about barefoot.
Both men and women also inserted gold between their teeth as an ornament.
Tattoos
The early Filipinos tattooed their bodies with various designs representing
animals, birds, flowers and geometric figures. The tattoos served two purposes:
1) to enhance their bodily beauty; and 2) to show their war record. The women
were less tattooed than men and the children were not tattooed at all.
Figure 5: The Pintados from the Visayas. Image from the Boxer Codex (1595)
Natural Courtesy and Politeness

The concept of being filial, courteous and polite is said to be rooted among
Filipinos since the precolonial period. The early Filipinos were courteous and
polite. When two persons of equal rank met on the road, they removed their
putong (turban) as a sign of courtesy. When a person addressed his superior, he
took off his putong, put it over his left shoulder like a towel, and bowed low. In the
case of the Tagalogs, they addressed their superior with the word “po”, which is
equivalent to “sir” and spoke in polite language.

Cleanliness and Neatness
The early Filipinos were clean and neat in their personal habits. They
bathed daily. Their favorite hour for bathing in the river was at sunset when they
had finished their daily toil. They washed their hair regularly with gugo and water.
They anointed it with coconut oil and other lotions. They washed their mouths
and cleaned their teeth upon waking up in the morning. They chewed buyo which
made their teeth colored red but strong.
Amusements
The early Filipinos were not always fighting or working. They held
banquets to celebrate a good harvest, a wedding, religious sacrifice, and a
victory in war. These banquets were celebrated with much eating, drinking,
singing and dancing. They had other forms of amusements. They had such
games as carabao races, wrestling, fencing, boat races, and stone-throwing
contests.
Music
The fascination to music is also connected to us since the precolonial
period. Precolonial Filipinos were lovers of music. They had various musical
instruments and numerous dances and songs for different occasions.
Among their musical instruments were the kudyapi, Tagalog guitar; the
kalaleng, Tinggian nose-flute; the kulintang, Moro xylophone; the tultugan,
Bisayan bamboo drum; the silbay Ilocano red flute; and the suracan, Subanon
cymbal.
Marriage Customs and Wedding Ceremony

It was customary for them to marry within their rank, that is, for a
nobleman to marry a noblewoman, a freeman to marry a freewoman, and a slave
man to marry a slave woman.
The early Filipinos practiced divorce. The grounds for divorce were (1)
adultery on the part of the wife; (2) desertion on the part of the husband; (3) loss
of affection; (4) cruelty; (5) insanity; (6) childlessness. Precolonial Filipinos are

predominantly monogamous, although polygamy was permitted and practiced in
some places. Among lower classes, it is common for a man to render service to
the family of a woman.
Conjugal property was equally divided between the couple should they
agree to divorce. As Morga had noted:
The property they had acquired together was divided into halves, each
one disposed of his own. If one made any profit in which the other did not
have a share or participate, he acquired it for himself alone.
The wedding ceremony would take place at the groom’s house. The
leader of the groom’s friends carried the spear of the groom. Upon arrival at the
house, the bride pretended to be shy and would refuse to ascend the stairs. The
groom’s father would give her a gift to make her go up. Once inside the house,
she would refuse to sit down, to smile, and to drink- unless more gifts were given
to her. She is normally showered with rice as sign of bounty. Marriage also
involved the giving of the dowry by the groom to the family of the bride. In the
case of the Visayans, the dowry was initially given to the father-in-law, but this
reverted back to the couple as soon as children were born. In the account of
Loarca he reported:
In regard to the dowry, neither the husband nor the wife can enjoy it until
they have children; for until then it belongs to the father-in-law.
Pregnancy and birth

Are you not wondering about some of the grounds of divorce with
childlessness and desertion on the part of the husband as present? Are you not
wondering about the possibility of having abortion and their practices related to
pregnancy and birth?
In the Boxer Codex of 1590, it was mentioned that abortion was
universally practiced by ancient Filipinos. The Codex reported that…
There are women for this calling (abortion) and by massaging the stomach and
placing herbs the creature later dies and the pregnant woman aborts. Those
who are not married are also accustomed to do this when they are pregnant

because they consider it a disgrace to have children when they are not
married, although they do not have to answer for this to the man as they are
unmarried and live with them in concubinage.
Women had the exclusive right to name their children. There are also
several practices related to pregnancy among precolonial Filipinos. Among the
Visayans, for example, the woman who wished to become pregnant raised pigs.
The Codex reported that…
…delicately, giving them to eat food of the most palatable sort available and
from that time on dedicate them for sacrifice at birth to the anito. They have
so much faith in this that they believe that would make them pregnant which
is a thing in particular.
A man is not allowed also to cut his hair until his wife delivers, especially
when a woman became heavy with child on a belief that if he does so the child
would not be born, although this belief is not prevalent everywhere but only in
some parts. In the case of the Tagalogs, they believed that, should the husbands
cut their hair, their offspring would be born bald and hairless (Jocano, 1998).
Having many children was considered highly undesirable, especially by
those who
… inhabit the towns near the sea, saying that in having many children they
are like pigs, for which reason after having one or two (children), the next time
they get pregnant, when they are already three or four months (with the
baby), they kill the creature in their body and abort.
Loarca corroborated this account when he wrote about the Visayans:

It is considered a disgrace among them to have many children; for they
say that when the property is to be divided among all the children, they will
all be poor, and that is better to have one child and leave him wealthy.
The account of Loarca is a manifestation that the precolonial period is

different from that of Filipino kind of mentality that a family should have many

children for them to have many hands that will assist in tilling and cultivating the
land and for higher chances of alleviating their status from poverty.
Laws
The political leadership was legitimized and supported by sets of custom
laws called battasan/ ugali in some barangays. Each barangay possessed an
elaborate legal system. The early Filipinos had both oral and written laws. The
oral laws were the customs of the race which were handed down from one
generation to another. The written laws were promulgated by the datus with the
help of the elders, and were put into writing. These written laws were announced
to the people through a barangay crier known as umalohokan.
The only record we have of ancient laws came from Spanish historians
and oral tradition. There is even the Code of Kalantiaw, a well-known code of
laws supposedly given by Datu Bendehara Kalantiaw of Aklan, a third chief of
Panay in 1433 but it was later declared as just a clever hoax. The hoax was done
by Jose E. Marco an antique collector from Negros Occidental who gave the
document to James E. Robertson of the National Library in 1914. It was in 1968
that it was proved by William Henry Scott, then a doctoral candidate from
University of Santo Tomas that the code was a historical fiction by Marco titled
Las Antiguas Leyendas de la Isla de Negros. He attributed the code itself to a
priest named Jose Maria Pavon.
It could not be authentic because of its suspicious origin, the strange
writing and modern words in the text, the un-Filipino harshness of its laws (e.g
flogging, exposure to ants, swimming for hours). The same with the story of
Maragtas since many historians are still looking at some of the information
provided by the code as legitimate.
Religion
With the exception of the Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu, the ancient
Filipinos were pagans or animistic. They worshipped a myriad of spirits inhabiting
all parts of the universe. These spirits were contacted by the mediums
(babaylans) during folk-healing rituals. The babaylans are normally women.

Their supreme God or the spirit pantheon was Bathala, creator of heaven, earth
and men. Only the anitos could speak to bathala. The anitos were represented
by idols known as likha or bulul for the Ifugaos. These statuaries were placed in
all important parts of the house–like the granaries or the fields especially during
planting and harvesting times.
Burial and Mourning Customs

Early Filipinos believe in life after death. The corpse was embalmed like in
ancient Egypt, and was buried amidst the deep sorrow near his home, in a cave
or on a headland overlooking the sea. Clothes, food, weapons and sometimes
slaves were buried with the dead. During the period of mourning, the relatives of
the dead wore rattan bands around their necks, arms, and legs. They also
abstained from eating meat and drinking wine. The mourning custom for a
deceased datu was called larao.
When a datu died, a herald announced the event and the larao was then
observed. No colored clothes were worn by the grieving people. All wars and
quarrels were suspended. Singing in boats while returning from the sea was
prohibited. All warriors carried their spears with their tips pointed downward and
their daggers with hilts reversed.
Early inhabitants also used gold
ornaments for the dead. The face of the
corpse was covered with delicately
worked sheets of gold. The burial practice
of covering the eyes, nose and mouth of
the dead with sheets of gold is a custom
of the southern Chinese and it was also
practiced by a limited group of Filipinos. It
is believed that when the face of the dead
is covered with a gold mask; evil spirits
Figure 6: Image of the “Oton Death Mask”
(Image taken at the National Museum cannot enter the body. One important
Collection) discovery was the 14th to 15th century

“Oton Death Mask”. It was discovered by archaeologists Alfredo Evangelista and
F. Landa Jocano in the 1960’s at a gravesite in San Antonio, Oton in Iloilo.
Writing and Education

The early Filipinos used a sharp pointed iron instrument called sipol as
pen. They wrote on banana leaves, tree barks, and bamboo tubes. After
sometime, formal schools called bothoan were established in Panay. Students
were also taught on how to get anting-anting and galing or charms, which they
called lubus. Similar forms of syllabary writings were noted by the early friar
chroniclers at the time of Spanish contact. Every major region, Visayans,
Tagalog, Pangasinan and Pampanga had their system of writing. The discovery
of Laguna Copperplate Inscription in 1990, said to be an artifact depicting “semi-
official document” of acquittal of a debt incurred by a person in high office,
together with his relatives believed to be in the 10th century is a confirmation of
once existing system of writing in the country. Today, the ethnic communities of
Mangyan in Mindoro and Tagbanua of Palawan are still using their ancient
scriptwriting.
There are different lessons taught to boys, such as training for battles,
fishing, farming, livestock breeding, hunting, making of war weapons like spears
and sailing. In the case of girls they are taught of weaving, sewing, cooking, other
household chores, personal hygiene and responsible motherhood. All children
were also expected to learn the skills on reading, writing, singing, counting,
manners of worship, their customs, beliefs, traditions, proper decorum and even
interpersonal relationships.
Before the coming of the Spaniards, there was a high degree of literacy in
the Philippines. “All of these islanders, wrote Father Chirino, are much given to
reading and writing, and there is hardly a man, and much less a woman, who
does not read and write…”
Literature
They had oral and written literature. Their oral literature consisted of myths
and legends which recounted of the world and the origin of man, woman, birds,

flowers, animals and other things; songs and poems which chanted the deeds of
their gods and heroes; and fables (pabula), proverbs (sawikain) and riddles
(bugtong). There are also known epics like Darangan of the Maranaos, Hinilawod
of the Panay-Bukidnon and Ilim and Hud-hud of the Ifugaos.
Sciences
Precolonial Filipinos also had an advancement in the field of sciences.
They knew the curative value of medicinal plants and herbs. Their medicine men
had herbs as antidotes for different kinds of poison. They knew astronomy and
they knew the direction of the stars, the moon and the sun. They could add,
subtract, divide and multiply. They could count up to 100,000,000. They had
native terms for numerals such as isa (one), pulo (ten), daan (hundred), libo
(thousand), angao (one million), kati (ten million) and gahala (one hundred
million)
Foreign Trade
Archaeological artifacts recovered all over the country show that, by the
Emergent Phase, 1st to 14th centuries AD, our ancestors had made contacts with
other peoples in Asia, initially India and Indonesia (Jocano, 1998). According to
Captain Miguel de Loarca, the Filipinos of the inland region exchanged their rice
and cotton for fish, salt and other products raised by the dwellers of the coastal
district. In the account of an Indian scholar Najeeb Saleeby, he stated that the
Indian influence in the Philippines entered not later than the 5th century AD. This
is where Hindu civilization started to influence the Philippines and by the end of
7th century AD comes the Srivijayan influence in trading from Western Indonesia.
The Chinese also had an early contacts with the Filipinos and it became
extensive probably at the turn of the 11th century AD and reached their peak by
the middle of the 14th and 15th centuries. There were also discoveries of Thai
ceramics on rivers that can indirectly connect Siam (Thailand) and the
precolonial Filipinos. At the period 9th to 15th centuries comes the introduction of
Islam with the coming of traders from the Middle East. There are also
connections with Borneo, Japan, Cambodia, and Annam (Vietnam).

Formulating an Ancient Law Activity
Imagine yourself living in the time and location of the ancient people. You
assume the position of a datu or a chieftain. In an attempt to better promote an
orderly society, you are to formulate a counterpart of the “Ten Codes.” In doing
so, simply follow the directions stated below.
1. Written is the title heading “Ten Codes of Barangay ____________.”
2. For your first task, write a name which you think best identifies the ancient
barangay you lead.
3. After accomplishing the first task, begin formulating your set of laws
arranged into the degree of importance, the first one being the most
important followed by the second more important and so on.
4. Use any medium: English, Tagalog or Hiligaynon language but not
Taglish.
5. Create your work with matching sketches/ pictures.
6. Kindly use the space provided for your activity.

Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________
Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________
_______________________________________

Name: __________________________ Score: _________
Section: ________________________ Date: _________
Fill in the Box
In the table provided below, kindly fill in with the needed information about
the comparison between the precolonial Filipinos’ practices, customs and beliefs
with that of your locality’s present practices, customs, and beliefs.
PRACTICES PRECOLONIAL PRESENT
Barangay
Trial and Determination

of Guilt
Courtship and Marriage
Burial Practices/
Beliefs
Education
Cleanliness and
Neatness

References:
Alonso, R. (2014). The Castles of Batanes. [Online] philSTAR.com. Available at:

http://goo.gl/xWY2Tc [Accessed 27 Aug. 2014].
Furay, Conal; Salevouris, Michael J. (1988). The Methods and Skills of History: A
Practical Guide. Harlan Davidson. p. 223. ISBN 0-88295-982-4.
Gottschalk, Louis. (1969). Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Jocano, Felipe Landa (1998). Anthropology of the Filipino People I: Filipino
Prehistory: Rediscovering Precolonial Heritage. Philippine Center for
Advanced Studies.
Websites:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/11-things-you-should-know-
about-the-filipino-culture/
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-
archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998)
https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1027937
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/plate-
tectonics/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Row
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Navigation/Community/Arcadia-and-THP-
Blog/June-2016/Why-It%E2%80%99s-Important-That-We-Study-History
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1305380/palawan-hailed-as-best-island-in-the-world-
in-2020
https://opinion.inquirer.net/115006/history-heritage-bones

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PAGKITAN

1 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Coming up with a module in a short amount of time is harder as we spent

Jose Abrian D. Casela, M.A. SS.

2 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Responding to one of the biggest challenges the education system has

3 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

This module is divided into five units.

Each lesson contains the following elements:

This specifies the

4 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

This icon narrates

This icon gives you

This icon will determine

5 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

UNIT I - INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE HISTORY ......................................... 8

UNIT II - CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY

UNIT III - ONE PAST BUT MANY HISTORIES: CONTROVERSIES AND

UNIT IV – SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN

UNIT V – EXPLORING HISTORY

6 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

 Introduction to History: Its Meaning, Sources and Importance

8 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

At the end of the lesson, you must have:

“If given a chance to go back in time and witness an

9 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

10 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

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Why Study History?

12 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

So why do you need to study history ?

13 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

2. History Gives You Identity

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4. Those That Study and Understand History Become Good Citizens

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 Type it in a short bond paper using Tahoma 11

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17 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

B. IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY (ESSAY)

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At the end of the lesson, you must have:

19 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Figure 1: Map of Southeast Asia depicting the location of the Philippines

The Origin of the Philippines

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Directions: Fill in the different boxes provided with the information

Precolonial Negritos Indonesians Malays

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The Elephant Hill

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Keeping History for the Future

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At the end of the lesson, you should have:

32 MODULE OF READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY