EARLY KAWI

SCRIPT
 A writing system that 
originated and Java and used 
across Maritime Southeast Asia.

AUSTRONE
SIAN
Language family spoken throughout 
Maritime Southeast Asia, 
Madagascar, and the Islands of the 
Pacific Ocean.
19 ERNESTO LACERNA LEGISMA

JOHANNES DE CAPARIS
&
ANTOON POSTMA
THE
LAGUNA
COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION
 THE LAGUNA
COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION
OLDEST KNOWN DOCUMENT IN PH

• 900 AD
• Outdates the SUCESOS DE LAS
ISLAS FILIPINAS
• An official and legal
certificate
THE LAGUNA
COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION
PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE
THE LAGUNA COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION
PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE
• Blackened roll of 
copper sheet
• About the size of 
a magazine
• Contains strange 
characters
• Written in 10
lines
• Similar to the 
Kawi script
THE LAGUNA
COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION
FORM OF
WRITING
THE LAGUNA COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTIONFORM OF
WRITING
• Sanskrit 
• Old Javanese
• Old Malay
• Old Tagalog
 WHY WAS
COPPERPL
A
TE USED?
STORY TIM
E
TRANSLATION &
CONTENT
 A document of full acquittal
Wardama

ed
q u i tt
ac

Namwran Lady Chief of

Angkatan Tundun
 Saka Date of 822 or 

WHEN?
AD 900

WH E R E?
Pulilan
 H
Social class

W Maharlika The Chiefs & Leaders
Timawa The Commoners
Alipin The Slaves

Y?
Debt
 WH
O?
Court scribe, someone in
the higher ranks, or the
right hand man of the
chief.
THE LAGUNA Mantyasih Inscription
COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION

Oj Randoesari

Central Java, Indonesia
 MATERIALS
Names
RELEVANCE
• Lady Angkatan
• Bukah
• Namwran
• Kasumuran
• Ganasakti
• Bisruta
Kingdoms
Rulers
• Chief and Commander
• Leader of Pailah
• Leader of Puliran
• Leader of Binwagan
• Chief of Dewata
• Chief of Mdang
 MATERIALS
RELEVANCE
Even before the Spanish arrived to colonize the
Filipinos, there is an existing system

A challenge to evaluate the Philippine history

We may consider reexamining and revising our

history