OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Pre-Colonial Era of the Philippines

Long before the coming of the Spaniards in

the 15 century, our ancestors already had a
th

government.

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OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Barangay
• came from the word “balangai”.
• consisted of 30 or more families
• no national government exists because the Pre-Spanish people w
not yet a nation.
• independent barangays had relations of war and peace.

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 OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Datu or Raja Powers of the Datu

• Ruler of the Barangay • Similar to the powers of a mona

• How a Datu obtained his position: (king) in Western Europe:
• Inheritance • Chief Executive
• Wealth • Legislator
• Wisdom • Judge
• Strength • Military Commander

• No election for position – it is inheritance

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 • Pact of Alliance and Friendships
(Sanduguan) Like free
• Free trade
• Intermarriages between people of states, our
barangays early
• At times, the barangays fought against barangays
each other (treatment, abduction, insulting
• Maltreatment of a visitor from another carried on
barangay relations of
• Abduction of a man’s wife by a man
belonging to another barangay
war and
• Insulting a friendly trader who was a peace
native of another barangay among
themselves
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Social
Classes in
a Datu, Raja Lakan
Barangay King
Prince
Lakambini
Princess

Nobles – known as
Maharlika, they
Gat Dayang
constituted the ruling Nobleman Noblewoman
class or barangay elite.

Titles of Nobility
More Freeman
known as Timawa; consisted of persons who were born as
Social free and emancipated slaves.
Classes in • They could own houses, lands, slaves, and other
a property
• They accompanied datus in war, in fishing, and in
Barangay hunting.

Slaves
they formed the lowest social class and were called as
Causes of Slavery: Alipin. They had no rights and privileges.
• Aliping namamahay – they owned property, married at will,
• Birth and could not be sold by their master.
• Captivity in wars • Aliping saguiguilid – they could not own property, could not
• Debt marry w/out the master’s consent, and could be sold by their
• Penalty for crimes master.
Social
Classes in
a
Barangay

Causes of Slavery:

• Birth
• Captivity in wars
• Debt
• Penalty for crimes
 OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Icon
Kinds of Laws

Oral Laws
• they were the ugali or customs of our ancestors handed
down from one generation to another

Written Laws
• our ancestors had written laws because of their knowledge of
the art of writing (baybayin/alibata).

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 OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Icon How laws were made?

• The laws of the Barangay were created by the Datu with

the help of the Elders.
• These new laws were announced to the people of the
barangay by a public crier called as an umalahokan.

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 1. All the trials were held in public and
presided over by the Datu, assisted by the
barangay Elders.

2. Litigants argued their own case.

2.1 There were no lawyers, no
clerk of court
2.2 Litigants presented their
witnesses

3. Oaths were taken by the witnesses.

Judicial
Trials in 4. The Barangay Court decided the case in
Ancient favor of the litigant who presented more
people.
Philippines
OUR GOVERNMENT BEFORE THE COMING OF SPAIN

Different Ordeals used in Ancient Trials

1. The River Ordeal - PAG UMAHON SA TUBIG YON ANG GUILTY

2. The Candle Ordeal - SISINDIHAN, KUNG SINO ANG UNANG MAPATAYAN NG
KANDILA GUILTY
3. The Boiling Water Ordeal - STONE IN BOILING WATER PAG NA DAMAGE ANG KAMAY
GUILTY
4. The Ordeal by Combat - BUGBUGAN KUNG SINONG MATATALO GUILTY

* BUT IT WAS IMPROVED IN THE COMING OF THE SPANIARDS

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Famous
Women in
Icon
Lubluban – legendary
lawgiver of our people

our Song
and Story
Icon

Kalangitan – Sultan of the

Pasig and great grandmother of
Icon Lakandula of Tondo

Prinsesa Urduja – legendary

ruler-warrior of Pangasinan