CUSTOMS OF THE

TAGALOG
 Governing System
• Dato/Datu is the overall leader
• Governs between 30 – 100 people
• The tribal gathering is called a barangay
• They don’t settle far from others
• Subjects are connected through friendship and relationship
• The chiefs (datus) help one another in times of war
 The Caste (Social System)
• Noblemen
• Commoners
• Slaves
• If Maharlica marries a slave, the first child goes to the
father and so on.
• The children will inherit the status of the parent it belonged.
 Slaves

• 1. Namamamahay
• • Can’t be sold
• • Can’t be transferred to other barangays
unless by inheritance, provided they stay in
the same village.
 Slaves
• 2. Saguiguilid
• • Can be sold

• MAHARLICA – no moving from one village to another without first complying the
following:

• • Fine jewelry and gold ( depends from barangay to barangay)

• • A banquet to the entire barangay
• • If they marry from other barangays, the children will be divided
• Sentences are passed by the datu:
• • They condemn a man at low caste who
disrespects his daughter or wife of datu.
• • The children of the accomplices are turned into
slaves
 The Worship of the Tagalogs
• There were no temples to serve as the place of worshipping their idols.
• SIMBAHAN means a place of adoration; because when the locals wished to
hold feasts, called PANDOT, it is done in a large house. Sometimes, it is in
the house of the chief.
• The beating of drums which signifies the beginning of the feast, usually lasts
for four days. During this, the barangay or family unite to worship their
idols. This is referred to as NAGAANITOS.
• The natives believed in OMENS and the things they see in nature. They
believe in some omens as a sign of good luck or bad luck.
 The Worship of the Tagalogs
• Among their many idols, the one they worshipped the
most was “BATHALA”, which meant "all powerful", or
"maker of all things.”
• They also worshipped the sun, for its beauty, and the
moon for its brightness.
• Some of the natives adored the stars, especially the
morning star, which they called TALA.
 Feast
• This was their method of offering sacrifice.
• They first offered to the devil what they had to eat.
• This was usually done in front of the idol.
• CATOLONAN – The officiating priest.

• According to legend, the devil sometimes can be able to enter the body of
the Catolonan.
• Objects of the sacrifice were goat, fowls and swine.
 THE REASONS FOR OFFERING THESE
SACRIFICES AND ADORATIONS WERE:
• The recovery of a sick person
• A prosperous voyage
• Favorable result in war
• Good harvest
• Successful delivery of babies
• Happy outcome in married life
• Girls who had their monthly periods had their eyes blindfolded for four days and four
nights. At the end of the period, the Catolonan took the young girls to the water. The old
men said that they did in order to have better luck in finding good husbands for their
daughters.
 MANNER OF BURYING
• The deceased were buried beside their houses.
• Chiefs, on the other hand, were placed in porches created for
their burial purposes. They are mourned for four days. After
which, they are placed in a boat which will also serve as their
final resting place. It will be dragged by animals across the sea.
• Warriors are buried along with a living slave until the slave
himself dies.
 Superstitious Beliefs

• • Believed in aswang, dwende, kapre,

tikbalang, patyanak/tiyanak.
• • They also believed in the magical power of
amulets and charms such as anting-anting,
kulam and gayuma or love potion.