CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

BY: JUAN DE PLASENCIA

BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT
 “Customs of the Tagalogs” (two relations) by Juan de Plasencia From The
Philippine Islands 1493-1898 September 2015--There are at least three major
discursive issues that can be extracted from the document, Customs of the
Tagalogs written by Juan de Plasencia in 1589, if we are to put socio-political
context into the text – first, the issue of authorship; second, the discourse of
power in colonial writing; and third, the logic of binarism or the Occident-
Other dichotomy. These are interrelated threads that probably constitute major
segments of colonial historical writing in the Philippines.
 The authorial voice or authorship plays a pivotal role in putting meaning(s) to
this colonial text. The author, Juan de Plasencia was, in the first place, not a
native Tagalog but a Franciscan missionary who first arrived in the Philippines
in 1577. He was tasked by the King of Spain to document the customs and
traditions of the colonized (“natives”) based on, arguably, his own observations
and judgments. Notably, de Plasencia wrote the Doctrina Cristiana, an early
book on catechism and is believed to be the first book ever printed in the
Philippines. Such initiatives were an accustomed practice of the colonizer
during the Age of Discovery to enhance their superiority over the colonized and
validity of their so-called duties and legacies to the World. It is a common fact
that during this era, the Spanish colonizers, spearheaded by missionaries, drew
a wide variety of texts ranging from travel narratives and accounts of the
colony to even sermons.
BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT
 In this particular text, de Plasencia tried to avoid discussing the “conflicting
reports of the Indians” through an “informed observation” to obtain the “simple
truth.” This “truth,” however, is debatable, and the manner of how he actually
arrived to his reports is even more problematic. The text foregrounds two
important figures: the observer (de Plasencia) himself, with his own
background, subjectivites and biases; and the observer’s subject (Tagalogs),
seen as the “Other,” a metonymic amalgam of communal characteristics, local
customs and traditions, etc. In colonial situations, the relationship of these
figures – the colonizer and the colonized – flows in both but unequal directions;
the former being the dominant, while the latter is the inferior one, or as Edward
Said put it, “a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a
complex hegemony… a sign of European-Atlantic power over the Orient than
it is a veridic discourse about the Orient” (72). Seen from the center looking
toward the culturally and politically inferior periphery, the colonizers find
identity in its compelling position as the sophisticated dominating “self” versus
the inferior dominated “Other.” The use of politically incorrect terms such as
“Indians,” “tribal” and “natives,” and adjectives such as “amusing,” “foolish”
and “absurd” in the text is just a manifestation of the conflicting Occident-
Other paradigm
BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT
 Clearly serving immediate colonial interests, many portions of the narrative are
problematic insofar as they posit the Tagalogs in such a way as to enhance the validity of
the colonizer’s allegiances. Skewed preconception and descriptive biases thrive
throughout the entire document. In de Placensia’s account on land ownership, for
example, he said that “the lands were divided among the barangay and…no one
belonging to another barangay would cultivate them unless after the purchase or
inheritance.” However, “since the advent of the Spaniards, it is not so divided.” Such
statement implies that the intervention of the colonizer has put order into the
divisiveness. He also made a conclusion that Catholicism was able to expel primitive and
evil belief systems of the Tagalogs regarding gods, burials and superstitions, saying that
“all the Tagalogs not a trace of this is left; and that those who are now marrying do not
even know what it is, thanks to the preaching of the holy gospel, which has banished it.”
This claim undermines that the Tagalog population did not fully embrace Catholicism but
appropriated it according to their indigenous religious practices. Generalized and
essentialist claims were also made by de Placencia in his discussion of the local customs
in “Laguna and tingues, and among the entire Tagalo race.” What constituted the Tagalo
race in the first place? How did he come up with such a category? The people of Laguna
were just a small member of the Tagalogs and referring them as the mirror of the entire
Tagalo race is erroneous.
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
1. What is the importance of the text?
• He is believed to have arrived to the Philippines in 1578, after a
stopover in Mexico. As soon as he arrived, he joined forces with
another missionary, Fray Diego de Proposal, and they both started
preaching around Laguna de Bay and Tayabas, Quezon, in Quezon
Province, where he founded several towns.
• During the following years they are also credited with the foundation
of a large number of towns in the province of Vulcan, Laguna and
Rizal, such as Tayabas, Colorado, Lucian, Mahjayjay, Nagcarlan,
Lilio(Liliw), Pila, Santa Cruz, Lumbar, Painful, Sicilian, Morning,
Autopilot, Taytay, and Meycauayan. As a friar, Juan de Plasencia lived
up to his pledge, leading a lifestyle devoid of any luxury and in
constant contact with the people he was trying to convert to
Christianity.
• He was tasked by the King of Spain to document the customs and
traditions of the colonized ("natives") based on, arguably , his own
observations and judgments.
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
1. What is the importance of the text?
 He was also known to be a defender of the native population,
looking after the pool, ill or neglected, and standing up for their
rights on numerous occasions. He was also very keen on creating
primary schools, and requested official sanction for the creation
of educational centers where "Filipinos could not only learn
Christian doctrine, but also reading and writing, and some arts
and crafts, so they would become after, not only good Christians
but also useful citizens", an initiative that was approved by
Domingo de Salazar, the first Bishop of the See of Manila(1512-
1594).
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
2. What is the background of the author?
 Fray Juan de Puerto Carrero, del convento de Villanueva de la Serena was his
real name
 Fray Juan was born to the illustrious family of the Portocarreros in Plascencia
in the region of Extremadura, Spain in the early 16th century He was one of the
seven children of his father Pedro Portocarrero who was the captain of Spanish
schooner
 *Life in the Philippines
 He was assigned by the king of Spain to documents the customs and traditionof
the colonized ("natives") based on, arguably, his own observation and
judgments
 Started preaching in Laguna de Bay and Quezon areas as early as two months
upon arrival in Manila
 Converted natives, taught catechisms and organized towns and barangays in the
Philippines
 Promoted the understanding of both the Spanish Language among the
missionaries, to facilitate the task of spreading christianity
JUAN DE PLASENCIA
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
3.The context of the document
Why it was written?
 Juan de Plasencia wrote the customs of tagalogs to promote the
understanding of both the Spanish language among the natives,
and the local languages among the missionaries, to facilitate the
task of spreading Christianity. He acknowledged at an early stage
the need of mastering the language of the natives in order to
facilitate evangelization, and in a letter to the King of Spain,
dated June 18, 1585, he mentioned some of his works to that
effect.
 • In 1859, Plasencia wrote a Relation of the worship of the
tagalogs, their Gods, and their Burials and Superstitions.
 • Said to have been inspired to be a Franciscan because of his
upbringing spent during a spiritual and religious resurgence
affected by Spain's siglo de oro.
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
3. The Context of the Document
When it was written?
 It was written on the year 1589 during the Spanish Colonial Period. After
receiving the Lordship’s letter, Plasencia wished to reply immediately; but he
postpone his answer in order that he might first thoroughly inform himself in
regard to people’s request, and to avoid discussing the conflicting reports of the
Indians.
 Therefore, he collected Indians from different districts. Old men and most of
the capacity; and from them he have obtained the simple truth after weeding
out much foolishness, in regard to their government, administration of justice,
inheritance, slaves and dowries.
 Customs of the Tagalog is a part (either chapters or subjections) of longer
monographs written by chronicles of the Spanish expeditions to the Philippines
during the early 16th and 17th centuries. They appeared initially in Blair and
Robertson’s 55 volumes. The Philippine Islands (1903) and in the Philippine
Journal of Sciences (1958).
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
3.The Context of the Document
What for that it was written?
 Plasencia, the author of the Customs of Tagalogs was
tasked by the King of Spain during the Spanish colonial
period to document the customs and traditions of the
natives.
 Customs of the Tagalogs was written to provide a
description of what the customs and traditions of the
Tagalogs.
 It would be a big advantage to the Spanish Colonizer
during the Age of Dicovery to have knowledge about the
natives to enhance their superiority over them.
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
3. The Context of the Document
Why are the contents are like what they were?
 The content of the customs of the tagalogs are clear
and realistic in terms of their idols whom they
worship, datu's, social classes, culture and norms. The
narration of the author through the circumstances and
the people was all judgements and observations on
how they live their life
CONTENT AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT
4. The Contribution of the Text in History
 Many of the 16th century beliefs and practices are still
present today
 It affirms that during the pre-Hespanic period,
Filipinos already have a government as well as set of
beliefs and practices
 Some of our perceptions on Filipino beliefs and
practices are somehow different from Juan de
Plasencia's point of view.