The basic political unit that existed prior to the 1400s was thebarangay, an independent polity (political

identity) which exercised authority over several communities within defined territory, was led by a datu,
who rose to the position either birth or by valor and feats achieved in war. In Luzon, the word datu
refers to the chieftain who belonged to the nobility and afforded great respect by the community. Datu
or Lakan implemented customary laws of the community and served as commander–in-chief during
times of war and responsible for the livelihood of the people and the barangay’s collective wealth. The
Sultanates of Sulu and Maguindanao represented a significant political advancement in precolonial
Philippines, as the Muslim communities of Mindanao achieved a level of political unity and stability that
enabled them to establish strong diplomatic relations with other Asian communities and successfully
resist Spanish conquest. The arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines in 1521 brought about the
establishment of a colonial government where the communities of the Philippines was reorganized and
brought under the colonial government under the authority of Spain. This phase of early colonization
was then followed by a period ofreduccion, or the relocation of local inhabitants into towns or pueblos.
In the first few decades of Spanish colonial administration, the Spaniards adopted a European- style
feudal system of government in the islands. The conquered territories were divided into districts called
encomiendas and were distributed among Spaniards who acted as feudal lords, or encomenderos.