MCT O S S U F O

E T H GA G T A L S O
C U S T MO S F O
E T H TA GG A L O S
C U S T OM S O F
TH E TA GA L O G S
 CUSTOMS OF
THE TAGALOGS
BY: JUAN DE PLASENCIA
• A Spanish Friar of the
Franciscan Order 8
• he was among the first group of
Franciscan missionaries who
arrived in the islands on July
02, 1577.

• he spent most of his missionary

life in the Philippines where he
founded numerous towns in
Luzon.

• Authored several religious and

linguistic books most notably
the “Doctrina Christiana”, 1581.
The first book ever printed in Juan de Plasencia
the Philippines.
CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS
• Written by Fr. Juan de Plasencia, by the request of the King
of Spain to know more about the natives in the Philippines.

• the contents of the writing of Fray Juan de Plasencia depicts

the ancient or pre-colonial life of the Filipinos before and
upon the arrival of Spain as embodied in Plasencia's detailed
narration on how was the life of Filipinos during this time.

• It just proved that these occurrences beliefs and practices had

been existing long before the arrival of Spaniards.
 SOCIAL
CLASSES
 5
Governed and captains
in the war.
DATU

Freeborn; they do not

NOBLE pay tax.

Aliping Namamahay; lived in

their own little houses.
COMMONERS
Aliping Sagigilid; lived in the
house of their master

SLAVES
DAT U • the Datu are the chieftain of war,
whom governed, obeyed and
reverence.

• ruled the “BARANGAY”

• the subject who committed any

offense against them, or spoke bad
words to their wives and children was
severely punished.

• the Datu are the one implementing

laws, ensuring and giving protection
to his people.
Noble or maharlika

• the Nobles were the freeborn whom they

called Maharlikas.

• Maharlikas on both the father’s and

mother’s side continue to be forever.

• If two persons married, of whom was a

maharlika and the other a slave the children
were divided.
MAHARLIKA + SLAVE
Father Mother Father Mother Father Mother

• the Maharlikas could not easily after marriage move

from one village to another, or from one barangay to
another.
Commoners or aliping
namamahay

• They live in their own houses.

• they are not at all slave, as they

are often only obligated to do
communal work and paid
vassalage fee.

• The children, then enjoy their

property and lands, and they
cannot be slave nor can either
parents or children be sold.
Commoners or aliping
namamahay

• They may sometimes be called

upon their masters for harvesting
sowing fields building new
structures.

• they can be also freely buy their

way out of debt and marry
without the consent of their
master.
Slaves or aliping sagigilid

• refers to unmarried alipin without a

house and whose existence is
completely dependent on the graces
of their master.

• Their obligation can be transferred or

sold to other master.

• a portion of harvest given to them but

according to the quality of work.
MARRIAGE
CUSTOMS
 Marriage customs
• courtship begin with Paninilbihan.

• requires to give dowry (1) Bigay kaya (a piece of land

or gold); (2) Bigay suso (for bride wet nurse)

• in the case of divorced, if the wife left husband for the

purpose of marrying another, all dowry fell into
husband. But if she left him and did not marry another
the dowry was returned.
 Different grounds of
divorce

• Adultery

• Abandonment in the part of the husband.

• Cruelty
The worship of the tagalog

• Simbahan (place of adoration)

• Pandot (a festival celebrated)

• Sibi (temporary shed)
• Sorihile (small lamps)
• Pag-aanitos
The worship of the tagalog
They worship many gods and goddesses:
• Bathala (All powerful or Maker of all things”)
• Sun (Respected and Honored by Heathens)
• Moon
• Mapulon (Changed of Season)
• Any little trifle ( dead man who are brave in war)
• Buaya
MYTHICAL
CREATURES
CATOLONAN

• Either a man or a woman.

• Specialized in communicating and

appeasing the spirit
MANGAGAUAY

• Witches who deceived by

pretending to heal the sick.

• If they wish to kill they could; or they co

also prolong life.

• Goddess of sickness and helper of Satan

 MANYISALAT

• Those who tasked to destroy and break

every happy and united family that
they could find.

• Had the power of applying remedies to

lovers that abandon and despise their
own wives.
MANCOCOLAM

• A person employing or using

“KULAM”

• It puts emphasis on the innate

power of the self and a secret
knowledge of low magic.
 HOCLOBAN
• They appear in a very old,
crooked woman

• Another kind of witch, greater

efficacy than a MANGAGAUAY.

• Without the use of medicine or

by simply saluting or raising their
hand they can killed whom they
chose.
MAGTATANGAL
S

• A female who is capable of flying

about on its own .

• As it flies, the stomach and

intestines dangle below it.

• As it fly at night it preys on

pregnant women with an
elongated tongue.
 MACA S
• Paradise or the Village of the
Rest.

CASANAAN
• Place of punishment, grief
and affliction.
 Write an essay about your learnings from the discussion base on the
given question.

• Do some customs and traditions of the Pre-colonial

Philippines reveal in the document still exist today ? Why ?