Chapter 3.

2: Customs of Tagalog

Introduction

This lesson requires you to critically analyze The Customs of the Tagalogs written by Juan de
Plasencia, a Franciscan Missionary in the Tagalog region in 1578 to 1590. This would also elicit your
appreciation on how rich are the Tagalogs’ practices and belief systems. Besides, this would also give
us insights on how Spaniards view these customs during their occupation in the archipelago.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Familiarize oneself with the customs of the Tagalogs with the use of a primary source; and

2. Interpret properly Juan de Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalog through examining the content and
context of the document.

Customs of the Tagalogs

The authorship plays a pivotal role in putting meaning(s) to this

colonial text. The author, Juan de Plasencia was, in the first place, not a
native but a Franciscan missionary who first arrived in the Philippines in
1577.

He was tasked by the King of Spain to document the customs and

traditions of the colonized (“natives”) based on, arguably, his own
observations and judgments. Notably, de Plasencia wrote the Doctrina
Cristiana, an early book on catechism and is believed to be the first book
Juan de Plasencia:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sourc ever printed in the Philippines and The Customs of the Tagalogs
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accustomed practice of the colonizer during the Age of Discovery to
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enhance their superiority over the colonized and validity of their so-
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called duties and legacies to the World. It is a common fact that during this era, the Spanish
colonizers, spearheaded by missionaries, drew a wide variety of texts ranging from travel narratives
and accounts of the colony to even sermons (Mapanoo, 2015).

In this particular text, we are not just to look at it as a window of the past but as a mirror to
reflect if the descriptions used by Plasencia really match the customs of the Tagalogs in the context of
the Filipinos, the Tagalogs in particular. We are to critically examine its content and context validity.
Did Plasencia made biases in writing the account? How did he view these customs that are
completely strange of him? Is his account a credible source of our history? etc.

There are at least three major discursive issues that can be extracted from the document, Customs of
the Tagalogs written by Juan de Plasencia in 1589, if we are to put socio-political context into the text
– first, the issue of authorship; second, the discourse of power in colonial writing; and third, the logic
of binarism or the Occident-Other dichotomy. These are interrelated threads that probably constitute
major segments of colonial historical writing in the Philippines. (Mapanoo, 2015).

Outline of the Content Presentation and Analysis

Community

Barangay – tribal gathering ruled by chiefs. It is called a “barangay”

because they associate themselves with the “Malay” who are one of
the first people to arrive in the Philippines through a boat in which
they call “barangay”. Some consisted of around 30 - 100 houses.
Barangays also have some sort of diplomacy. All barangays were
equal in terms of status and political structure.

Datu- the chiefs of the village; they governed the people as captains even in wars,
were obeyed, and revered; any subject who committed any offense against them, or
spoke to their wives and children, were severely punished.

Social Hierarchy

Maharlica (nobles) • People who are born free

• Do not need to pay taxes

• Must accompany the datos in war

Aliping Namamahay • They have their own properties but has to serve their own masters

• Children belonging to this caste inherit the status of their parents

(commoners) • Cannot be treated as a slave nor can be sold off.

Aliping sa Guiguilir (slaves) • They serve their master in their houses and lands

• Can be sold off

• The master can reward his/her slaves by giving them a portion of th

harvest so that the slaves would be faithful to him/her

Status of Women

Women in pre-colonial Philippine society had the right to inherit property, engage in trade and
industry, and succeed to the chieftainship of the barangay in the absence of a male heir. They also had
the exclusive right to name their children. The men walked behind them as a sign of respect.
Property

The land area was divided among the whole barangay, especially the irrigated portions. No one
from a different barangay could cultivate land unless they inherit or buy the land. The lands on the
tingues, or mountain ridges, are not divided but owned by the barangay as a whole. Any individua l
(regardless of their barangay) that starts to clear any land area may sow in it.

Fisheries of chiefs had established limits, and sections of the rivers for markets.Unless you were a
member of the chief’s barangay, which owns such rivers and water systems, you had to pay for the
privilege of fishing or selling in the chiefs’ fisheries.

Marriage Customs

Men were in general, monogamous; while their wives are called asawa, while concubines are called
“friends”

In order to win the hand of his lady, the man has to show his patience and dedication to both the lady
and her parents

Courtship usually begins with paninilbihan

If the man wins the trust of the parents, he does not immediately marry the woman, but he has to
satisfy several conditions:

- give a dowry or bigay-kaya

- pay the panghihimuyat

- pay the parents himaraw

- bribe for the relatives called sambon (frequent practice among the Zambals)

Once he had settled all of the above requirements, he brings his parents to meet with the bride-to-be’s
parents to haggle and make the final arrangements; this is called pamamalae or pamamanhikan or
pamumulungan. The wedding ceremonies vary depending on the status of the couple; but normally,
those from the upper class, a go-between was employed. Weddings are officiated by the priestess or
babaylan. Uncooked rice is then thrown on the couple after the wedding ceremony.

In the case of a divorce, if the wife would leave her husband for the sake of marrying another man, all
her belongings plus a certain amount would be given to her former husband however, if she chooses
to leave and do not have any plans to marry, then all of her dowry will be returned to her.

In the case of an adoption, the children would receive double the value of how much they were bought
to be adopted.
Government

 Unit of government was the barangay, which consisted of from 30 to 100 families. The term
came from the Malay word balangay, meaning boat

 barangays were headed by chieftains called datu

 the subjects served their chieftain during wars, voyages, planting and harvest, and when his
house needs to be built or repaired; they also paid tributes called buwis

Alliances among barangays were common and these were formalized in a

ritual called sangduguan.

Conflicts between or among barangays were settled by violence; those

who win by force is always right.

he chief or datu was the chief executive, the legislator, and the judge; he
was also the supreme commander in times of war.

Legislation

Before laws are made, the chieftain or datu consults with a council of elders who approved of his plan.
They are not immediately enforced until the new legislation is announced to the village by the
umalohokan, who also explains the law to everyone

Laws

were either:

◦ customary (handed down from generation to generation orally) or

◦ written (promulgated from time to time as necessity arose)

◦ dealt with various subjects such as inheritance, property rights, divorce, usury, family
relations, divorce, adoption, loans, etc.

◦ those found guilty of crimes were punished either by fine or by death; some punishments
can be considered as torture by modern standards

Judicial Process

Disputes between individuals were settled by a court made up of the village chief and the
council of elders; between barangays, a board made up of elders from neutral barangays acted as
arbiter. Trial by Ordeal this is to determine the innocence of an accused, he is made to go through a
number of ordeals which he must pass. Examples include dipping one’s hand in boiling water, holding
a lighted candle that must not be extinguished, plunging into a river and staying underwater for as
long as possible, chewing uncooked rice and spitting, etc.

Religious Beliefs
 Pre-colonial Filipinos believed in the existence of a number of gods whom they worship and
made offerings to according to rank

i.e. Bathalang Maykapal (Creator),

 Idinayale (god of agriculture),

 Sidapa (god of death),
 Balangaw (rainbow god)
 Mandarangan (war god),
 Agni (fire god)
 Lalahon (goddess of harvest),
 Siginarugan (god of hell),
 Diyan Masalanta (goddess of love)

There were no temples or sacred places in which Filipinos would worship. The word simbahan means
a place to worship which is constructed at a large house of the chief where people of the tribe go to
celebrate festivals (aka pandot or worship). They beat large and small drums successively during the
feast which usually lasted four days.

 nagaanitos - worship; (anito - soul or spirit of ancestors)

 sibi - a temporary shed, made on each side of the chief’s house, for the assembled people.

 Bathala - one of their many idols, whom they specially worshipped.

They worshipped the sun, the moon, and some, even the stars or a particular dead man with special
capability that fought bravely or protected them in their time of need

Some anitos were considered bad and they made offerings to them too in order to appease them
or placate their anger; priestesses such as the babaylan/ baylana or katalona who acted as mediums to
communicate with these spirits.They also showed respect for animals and plants like the crocodile,
crow, tigmamanukin; some trees were not cut because they were thought to be divine and are dwelling
places of spirits. Diseases were thought to be caused by the temper of the environmental spirits.

‘12 Priests of the Devil’

1. Catolonan- Priest from a people of rank. Officiates the offering sacrifice for a feast and the food to be
eaten being offered to the devil

2. Mangagauay - They pretend to heal the sick in order to deceive others

3. Manyisalat -They can cast remedies to couples for them to abandon one another

4. Mancocolam - Can emit fire from himself which cannot be extinguished

5. Hocloban - Much more powerful than a mangagauay in which they can kill anyone without the use
of any medicine. They can also heal those who are ill.

6. Silagan - They would tear out and eat the liver of those they saw were wearing white.
7. Magtatangal - They would go out at night without their heads and put it back into their bodies before
the sun rise

8. Osuang- Tribesmen reported that they saw the “osuang” who can fly and murdered a man and ate
his flesh.

9. Mangagayoma- They would seduce their partners with charms and other accessories so they can
deceive them.

10. Sonat - This devil helped people to die. They can also know if the soul they helped to die can either
be saved or not.

11. Pangatahojan- They can predict the future.

12. Bayoguin -These are men who are in the nature of a woman.

Superstition

 They find omens in events they witness

 (i.e. when someone sneezed, met on their way a rat or serpent, or the Tigmamanuguin
bird sang they would go home in fear that evil would befall them if they continued their
journey)

   The Tigmamanuguin bird’s (a blue bird as large as a turtle-dove) song had two forms: a good
omen, and a bad omen.

Burial Practices/Beliefs

 Pre-colonial Filipinos venerated the dead by keeping alive their memory through the carving of
idols of stone, gold or ivory called likha or larawan; food, wine and other things were also
shared with the dead

 The dead was placed in a wooden coffin and buried under the house complete with cloth, gold
and other valuable things

 The bones of dead ancestors were placed under the house in order to ward off would-be
robbers/thieves (Taytay, Palawan)

 Mourning for a dead chief is called laraw, and this was accompanied by certain prohibitions
like engaging in petty quarrels, wars, carrying daggers with hilts in the normal position, singing
in boats coming from the sea or river, and wearing loud clothes

 The celebration held on the ninth night after the death of the person is called pasiyam, in which
a play called tibaw is staged to honor the dead. Relatives of the dead who was murdered would
not end their mourning until they have exacted vengeance or balata.
Contribution & Relevance of the Document

The document CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS had contributed much to the understanding of
the culture and heritage of the Filipinos. In a way, it has mainly provided us with significant and
meaningful information to better appreciate and be proud of the cultural legacy from our forebears. It
was able to instill in us a sense of oneness and nationhood that befits a rich culture that is of the
Filipinos’ and as a result would be able to move forward to progress hopefully with everyone
supporting one another in the process.

 Plasensia’s Customs of the Tagalogs is a very popular primary source because it vividly
described the situation of the Philippines before it was tainted with Spanish and Christian
influences.

 Scholars like it because it covered numerous topics that are relevant in many disciplines.

 Political scientists for instance find it useful because it contains a lot of information about the
social classes, political stratifications and legal system of the Tagalog region.

 Many of what we know about the duties and responsibilities of the datus, maharlikas and alipins
came from Plasensia’s account.

 Plasensia also preserved and popularized the unwritten customs, traditions, religious and
superstitious beliefs of the Filipinos.
 One can also say that our historical knowledge about the manananggal, aswang, hukluban,
gayuma, etc. came from Plasensia’s works, in addition to oral histories.
 They also learned from him that preaching should be accompanied with reading materials that
contain the basic elements of faith.
 These readings serve as their guide and reference when the missionaries are no longer around.
 All these insights from Plasensia are applicable not only to missionaries but to other
professions as well.
 Plasensia’s historical writings also disprove the claim of some Spaniards and other historians
that when they arrived in the Philippines, Filipinos were still uncivilized and lacking in
culture.
 It is clear in the excerpts quoted above that at the time Plasensia was assigned in the Tagalog
region Filipinos were already politically and economically organized.
 Lastly, Plasensia also mentioned that the people he met were wearing garments, gold
ornaments and their houses were decorated with idols.
 All of these lead to the conclusion that prior to the coming of the Spaniards, Filipinos were
already civilized and maintained a lifestyle that was at par or even better than other
countries in Southeast Asia.
 Chapter 3.2 Learning Activities

Process Questions:

Did Plasencia made biases in writing the account? How did he view these customs that are
completely strange of him? Is his account a credible source of our history?

Name:_____ ____ Date:

Course & Year:_ Score:

Give a concise explanation/discussion on the following items.

1. What is the physical nature of the document (letter, report, etc.)? What are the
major premises presented about the Tagalog in Luzon?

2. What was the author's main argument? What was he trying to say about the
customs of the Tagalog?

3. What do you know about the author like his nationality, occupation, and/or
position? Does any of these, matter? Why?

4. What was the author's purpose of writing the document?

5. What is the important connection of the document to your recognition and

appreciation
of the Tagalog customs?

Adopted from: Readings in the Philippine History by Ligan, et.al (2018)

Essay: Explain the important concepts of the following :

1. Political Organization of the Tagalogs

__________________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________.

2. Economic Organization of the Tagalogs

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________.

3. Cultural Practices and Traditions of the Tagalogs

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________.

Scoring Rubrics for Essay

Category Exemplary Superior Unsatisfacto

Satisfactory ry
Knowledge/ Demonstrates Demonstrat Demonstrat Demonstrate
Comprehensi thorough es es s
on understanding considerabl understandi limited
25% of topic. e ng understandi
understand of the topic ng
ing of topic
of the topic.
Content Response Response Response Response is
25% indicates depth indicates lacks focus unclear,
& complexity of simplistic or illogical or
thought in or demonstrat incoherent.
answering the repetitive es confused
essay. thoughts in or
answering conflicting
the essay thinking.
question.
Quality of Response was Response Response Response
Writing written in an was written had a little had no style
25% extraordinary style in an style or or voice.
& voice. interesting voice
style.
 Very information Somewhat Gives some Gives no
& well organized. informative new new
& information information
organized. but poorly & very
organized. poorly
organized.
Grammar, Almost no Few A number So many
Punctuation spelling, spelling & of spelling, spelling,
& Spelling punctuation or punctuatio punctuation punctuation
25% grammatical n errors, or &
errors. minor grammatica grammatical
grammatica l errors. errors that it
l errors. interferes
with the
meaning.
Sub Totals
100%

Over-all-
Score 100%