MODULE 4:

CUSTOMS OF THE
TAGALOGS
BY JUAN DE PLASENCIA
JUAN DE
PLACENCIA
• SPANISH PRIEST THAT WAS AMONG
THE FIRST GROUP OF MISSIONARIES
THAT ARRIVED IN THE PHILIPPINES IN
1577.
• HE DOCUMENTED THE CUSTOMS OF
THE TAGALOGS AS PER THE REQUEST
OF THE KING OF SPAIN.
 Spanish Title of the Customs of the Tagalogs

 " LAS COSTUMBRES DE

LOS INDIOS TAGALOS
DE FILIPINAS "
• Dato/s – chiefs that ruled over the barangay.

Old tagalog societies practices the SEMI-CASTE SYSTEM

Three Social Classes:

1. Maharlica – free-born

2. Aliping Namamahay – commoners

3. Aliping sa Guiguilir – slaves

• Free-born nobles
• Do not pay taxes or give tributes to
the dato Maharlica
• Do what the dato ask them to do.
• Translated as “Servant who is housed”
• Give half of their cultivated lands to Aliping
their master
• They have their own properties
Namamahay
• Translated as “Alipin sa Gilid”
• Serve his master in his house
Aliping sa
• Can be sold Guiguilir
 Aliping Namamahay
1. Servant but can live in their own households
2. Not at all slaves but they are obligated to pay
a percentage of their earnings and harvest to
their masters.
3. They can marry without the consent of their
masters.
Alipin sa Guiguilir
1. Servants in their master’s households
2. Their existence is completely dependent on
their masters.
3. They can only marry with the approval of
their masters.
Reasons to be slaves Reasons to be a freeman
1. Captivity of war 1. Bravery / Good Deeds

2. Inheritance 2. Condonation/ Forgiveness

3. Crime 3. Payment

4. Debt 4. Marriage
 Mother Father Offspring
Maharlica Maharlica Maharlica

Slave Slave Slave

Slave of their own Maharlica Children and mother

becomes maharlica

Slave of others Maharlica Children will become a

maharlica; mother will
have to pay to his master.

Maharlica Slave Maharlica

• If two persons are married, one being a maharlica and the other is a
slave, the status of the children will be divided.

Father side – odd number (1st, 3rd, 5th child, …)

Mother side – even number (2nd, 4th, 6th child, …)
MARRIAGE

• A man give dowry to the family of the desired bride.

• The maharlicas could not, after marriage, move to another village
without paying a certain fine of gold.
• When one married a woman of another village, the children were
divided equally among barangays.
 LEGAL SYSTEM

• Investigations are made in the presence of those in his barangay.

• If they felt unfairly treated, arbiter from another barangay was called.
• If the controversy lay between two chiefs, they summon an arbiter. Same goes
of the disputants belonged to different barangays
 INHERITANCES

• Legitimate children inherited equally.

• If a man had two or more wives, the children will inherit from their own mothers and get a
part from their father.
• If a man has a child with a slave, the child won’t get anything but his legitimate children shall
free the mother.
• Adopted children inherit the double of what was paid to adopt them.
 SACRIFICES

• Recovery of a sick person

• Prosperous voyage
• Good harvest
• Propitious result in wars
• Successful delivery in childbirth
• Happy outcome in married life
 RELEVANCE
1.THE ORIGINAL WORK ITSELF IS A PRODUCT OF OBSERVATIONS
AND JUDGMENTS. THEREFORE, IT IS PROBABLE THAT JUAN DE
PLASENCIA’S WORK MIGHT CONTAIN PARTIALITY IN PRESENTING
HIS OBSERVATIONS.

2.PRE-CONQUEST SOCIETY WERE NOT SWEPT BY THE ADVENT OF

THE SPANISH REGIME.

3.IT HAS CONTINUED TO SERVE A BASIS FOR HISTORICAL

RECONSTRUCTIONS OF TAGALOG SOCIETY.
 RELEVANCE OF THE DOCUMENTS IN THE MODERN TIME

1. MANY OF THE 16TH CENTURY BELIEFS AND

PRACTICES ARE STILL PRESENT TODAY.

2.IT AFFIRMS THAT DURING THE PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD,

FILIPINOS ALREADY HAVE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS
SET OF BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.

3. SOME OF OUR PERCEPTIONS ON FILIPINO BELIEFS

AND PRACTICES ARE SOMEHOW DIFFERENT FROM JUAN
DE PLASENCIA’S POINT OF VIEW.
 “THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT
THE PAST, THE BETTER PREPARED
YOU ARE FOR THE FUTURE.”

-THEODORE ROOSEVELT