Pre-Colonial

times
 Reporters :

01 Franshua Penid 04 Andrea Maldo

02 Gwen Peregrino 05 Llorca
Khian Roi

03 JR Yanson 06 JohnErwin
Roche
 Introduction to Pre Colonial
Times
What is pre colonial times in history of the Philippines? The history
of the Philippines between 900 and 1565 begins with the creation of
the Laguna Copperplate Inscription in 900 and ends with Spanish
colonisation in 1565. The inscription records its date of creation in
the year 822 of the Hindu Saka calendar, corresponding to 900 AD in
the Gregorian system. Therefore, the recovery of this document
marks the end of prehistory of the Philippines at 900 AD. During this
historical time period, the Philippine archipelago was home to
numerous kingdoms and sultanates and was a part of the theorised
Indosphere and Sinosphere.
• Indosphere - is a term coined by the linguist James Matisoff for
areas of Indian linguistic and cultural influence in South Asia and
Southeast Asia.

• Sinosphere - is a term that traditionally refers to the East Asian

cultural sphere, nations within Southeast and East Asia that have
been influenced significantly by various dynasties and subsequent
republics of China in terms of literary traditions, culture,
religions and social norms
 What is Archeology of
the Philippines?
The archaeology of the Philippines is the study of past
societies in the territory of the modern Republic of the
Philippines, an island country in Southeast Asia,
through material culture. The history of the Philippines
focuses on Spanish colonialism and how the
Philippines became independent from both Spain and
the United States. During the colonial times in the
Philippines archaeology was not used as it is today, it
mainly focused on ethnographic and linguistic studies.
● Archaeology was influenced greatly by H.
Otley Beyer who taught anthropology in the
Philippines in 1914. Beyer's teachings in the
Philippines gained many students to follow in
his footsteps into the field of archaeology. After
the Philippines gain their independence from
America in 1946, many students of Beyer
practiced archaeology all over the Philippines.
A few of Beyer's students and colleagues who
worked around the Philippines are Robert B.
Source: www.google.com
Fox, Alfredo Evangelista, and F. Landa Jocano.
Their contributions helped the Philippines
archaeology grow stronger when analyzing
artifacts and archaeological sites.
 ● Henry Otley Beyer (July 13, 1883 – December
31, 1966) was an American anthropologist, who
spent most of his adult life in the Philippines
 teaching Philippine indigenous culture. A.V.H.
Hartendorp called Beyer the "Dean of Philippine
ethnology, archaeology, and prehistory".

"Archaeological work is like a fascinating mystery story, with the specimens and site
data serving as vital clues - and everything is of most importance while both the
specimens and your memory of how and where they were found is still quite fresh,
and unconfused by later activities elsewhere."—In a letter to a colleague, March 1955.
 Knowledge about Discoveries during
Pre Colonial Times
There are many prominent sites throughout the Philippines and some
famous discoveries that were found date back to various time periods. A
few well known site in the Philippines are the Tabon Caves, Lapuz Lapuz
Cave, and Singhapala.

Additionally, some famous artifacts found in the Philippines are the Callao
Man, Tabon Man, Kabayan Mummies of Benguet. Death masks made of
.
gold dating back to precolonial times have also been discovered in the
Philippines.
 Trading System
Indigenous people of the Philippines, being descendants of the balangay, In modern times, some
fishermen and traders in the Visayas, Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan are still able to navigate long
distances over open water without the use of modern navigational instruments. Philippine sailing
ships called praos had double sails that seemed to rise well over a hundred feet from the surface
of the water. Despite their large size, these ships had double outriggers. Some of the larger sailing
ships, however, did not have outriggers.
Praos
People from the region enjoyed extensive trade contacts and immigration with other
cultures, such as Indians, Arabs, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Thais,
Malaysians, and Indonesians. Aside from trade relations, indigenous Filipinos were
also involved in aquaculture and fishing. The natives made use of the salambao,
which is a type of raft that utilizes a large fishing net which is lowered into the water
via a type of lever made of two criss-crossed poles.
Night fishing was accomplished with the help of candles made from a
particular type of resin similar to the copal of Mexico.
Use of safe pens for incubation and protection of small fry from
predators was also observed, a method that interested the Spaniards at
that time. Mining in the Philippines began around 1000 BC. Early
Filipinos worked in various mines containing gold, silver, copper and
iron. Jewels, gold ingots, chains, bangles, calombigas and earrings
were handed down from their ancestors and passed from generation
to generation.
Indigenous Filipinos were also known for the jewelry made of other precious stones such
as carnelian, agate and pearl. Some notable examples of Filipino jewelry include
necklaces, bangles, belts, armlets and rings placed around the waist. Among the
many former kingdoms and states in pre-colonial Philippines, the Rajahnate of
Butuan in Mindanao has produced the largest bulk and the most sophisticated gold
crafts in the archipelago.
 Traditions of Woman Leadership in the
Philippines
Before the Spanish colonized the Philippines, there existed a 500-year long tradition of indigenous
feminism that predated women’s liberation in the West. Babaylan refers to the pre-colonial
Philippine tradition of female mystical healers whose spiritual connectedness was a source of
political and social power.

Babaylan women serve as intermediaries between spiritual and material worlds in their communities.
Their leadership roles are multi-fold: warrior, healer, priestess and sage. Babaylans listen to the
community and lead through a deep understanding of the inter-connectedness of all life forms. To
this day, many babaylans remain politically active in advocacy, activism and working for justice
in their communities, especially in matters of land dispute, displacement, state violence,
increased militarization and the plundering of their land.
I often feel cheated by reductive
stereotypes that Filipina women are
meek and mahinhin. It is flat-out
disingenuous, especially when the
reality is that we are surrounded by
literally hundreds of real-life
examples of bold and brilliant
Filipina women leaders. And
having now learned about
babaylans and their unwavering
resistance to colonialism and
imperialism, I am humbled by a
quiet understanding that we,
powerful, tenacious Filipina
women leaders have always
existed.
1. What is the role
of archeologists,
ethnologists, and
anthropologists in
unlocking the life
and culture of the
early Filipinos?
Many major personalities and the many historical records linked with the sort of
artifacts and study undertaken over the years have influenced the history of
archaeology in the Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the
Philippines. Over 300 years of Spanish colonization have left an indelible mark
on the Philippines. To begin to comprehend the archaeology of the Philippines,
one must consider and comprehend Spanish colonization. In the Philippines, a
movement of anthropology indigenization is contesting foreign-adopted Western
notions, theories, and practices. Indigenization can be viewed as a historical
process, a perspective of native conceptions, and both a problem and a solution
caused by colonial or neocolonial educational curriculum to better comprehend
the perspectives of this process.
 2. What are the pieces of
evidence that will prove that the
pre-colonial inhabitants in our
islands have a rich past?
 Agriculture, sociological and environmental notions, spiritual
beliefs, and breakthroughs in technology, science, and the arts are
among the cultural achievements of native people's belief systems,
and culture in general, that are significant in many ethnic societies.
In pre-colonial Visayas, for example, staple crops like rice, millet,
bananas, and root crops were produced in swiddens (kaingin).
While historical and archeological evidence suggests that the
Philippines' pre-colonial ancestors were metal-using people, they
lacked the metallurgical understanding needed to forge military
cannons locally. The Philippines' original people were recognized
for their navigational abilities.
 Although most of them had no need for such gadgets,
some of them utilized compasses identical to those
used by Borneo's maritime populations and Chinese
traders. Some fishermen and traders in the Visayas,
Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan can still sail long
distances over open ocean without using modern
navigational tools in modern times. Filipinos worked in
gold, silver, copper, and iron mines in the early days.
Their ancestors left them jewels, gold ingots, chains,
bangles, calombigas, and earrings, which they passed
down from generation to generation. There were also
gold dagger handles, gold tableware, tooth plating, and
massive gold jewelry.
 3. What does the term
“seminal” means ? Why
did the writer consider
riddles seminal?
Seminal is defined as some discovery or event that
strongly influenced what came after and also used
to describe things such as books, works, events, and
experiences that have a great influence in a particular
field.

Examples of seminal in a Sentence

1. Kandel was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2000 for

his seminal observation that it was in the action of the synapses
between cells that memory existed, not in the cells themselves,
and that a molecule called cyclic AMP was what allowed cells to
retain memory over the long term.

2. Writer Susan Sontag died December 28 at age 71 after a long

battle with cancer. She left behind an impressive body of fiction
and criticism, including her seminal 1960s essays "Notes on
Camp" and "Against Interpretation."
central to the riddle is the talinghaga or metaphor
because it “reveals subtle resemblances between two
unlike objects” and one’s power of observation and
wit are put to the test. While some riddles are
ingenious, others verge on the obscene or are sex-
related. The proverbs or aphorisms express norms or
codes of behavior, community beliefs or they instill
values by offering nuggets of wisdom in short,
rhyming verse.
4. What are the
different genres of
literature from the
regions ? What are
their differences in
terms of form and
themes?
epic and folk songs are some examples of genres and literature,
their differences in terms of form and themes are epics are
varied, exotic and magical. They explain how the world was
created, how certain animals possess certain characteristics,
why some places have waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains in the
case of legends, an explanation of the origins of things. Fables
are about animals and these teach moral lessons. and folk songs
is a form of folk lyric which expresses the hopes and
aspirations, the people’s lifestyles as well as their loves. These
are often repetitive and sonorous, didactic and naive as in the
children’s songs or Ida-ida (Maguindanao), tulang pambata
(Tagalog) or cansiones para abbing (Ibanag). A few examples
are the lullabyes or Ili-ili (Ilongo); love songs like the
panawagon and balitao (Ilongo); harana or serenade (Cebuano);
the bayok (Maranao)
5. Why are our epics considered as “ethno-
epics?
We still must consider our folk epics, often known as
ethno-epics. Ethno-epics are frequently titled after
superheroes. Superheroes who fought monsters,
defeated great armies, rode the wind, traveled on
flying shields, and headed the earliest communities
on the islands are featured in ancient Filipino love
and adventure stories. Our epics are classified as
ethno-epics since they are "histories" of various
groups that consider themselves "nations," rather
than national epics.
6. What is/are the epic/s
in your region? Have
you read it? Tell us about
your experience in
reading it.
Example of epics that I read is ibalon from the region of
bicol When I first heard about this story, I was not really
amazed since the story is very chaotic and the characters are
unpleasant. But as I go deeply to what the story would want
the readers to learn, I concluded that this selection will
teach us the importance of not just being brave but also
being wise. Almost all epics would teach us about bravery
but one thing this selection defer from those is this will
made us realize that bravery can not just help us conquer
problems alone but we must also have the right wisdom.
Just like in the story, the heroes did not just fight without
thinking first. They waited for the right time in which they
think the monsters are more unconscious, powerless and
vulnerable. Because of their strategy, they were able to kill
the monsters and help their fellowmen from tragedy.
This also applies in real life. We must think first and try
to weigh out the situation before we react or do
something. We must not be deceived by our own
emotions because this may lead us to more bigger
problems. And as a future managers, we must learn how
to balance logic and emotion for us to make a better
decision and also for us to always have a good approach
in every situation.
This epic teaches us to brave. As a human, we
experience different challenges everyday. In the story
the three heroes defeat all the monsters because they
have courage to do so. We should imitate their bravery.
If we will stay weak, we will never overcome our
enemies. If we will always be afraid, we will never stop
them from their wrong doing. We need to overcome our
fear.
As I read the whole story of The Epic of Ibalon, I’ve
learned that this story is imposing the braveness and
being a good leader of the 3 Heroes who are Baltog,
Handiong, and Bantong. And by reflecting to the 3
heroes, I’ve learned that we always need to be brave. Try
to be brave even if you’re not. Let’s be honest, we
people have a lot of fears in life but if we’re not going to
let go of those, there’s nothing will happen. Be brave
even if you know that you are risking your life. And also
the story thought us that a good leader must always be
ready. We need to remember that being a good leader
takes a lot of courage to lead in change within one
specific place. A leader must learn how to empower
people, lead to change, share vision, and most of all is to
inspire the people around you.
Thank you
for
listening!