A.

Society
1. Mode of Dressing
2. Ornaments
3. Houses
4. Social Classes
S. Status of Women
6. Marriage customs
7. Mixed Marriages, Inheritance and
. AOl ÏtÏCS C. Religion
1. Government 1. Relipious Beliefs
2. L a r s 2. Burial
3. Legislation 3. Divination and M‹
4. Judicial Process
S. Trial by Ordeal
D. Economic Life E. Culture
1. Agriculture 1.
2. Livestock Languages
2. System of Writing
3. Fishing 3. Literature
4. Mining 4. Music and Dance

7. Trade
Long before the Spaniards came to the
Philippines, Filipinos had a civilization of
their own.This civilization partly came from
the Malay settlers and partly from their
esponse to the new environment.
Many of these customs and traditions
government and way of ife, have come
down to the present day, despite the changes
brought about by westernization and
modernization. This is why it is possible tO
know about our distant past by simply
observing some customs and practices that
have resisted change and mOdernization.
 Philippine pre-colonial society is both
different and the same as in the present.
Some aspects of the pre-colonial period have
survived into our time. The following is a
description of the way of life of pre- colonial
Filipinos.
 Mode of Dressing
• male attire was composed of the
kanggan (sleeveless jacket) and
bahag (loincloth)
the color of the kanggan indicates
rank — red for the chief, black or
blue for the commoners
ñ• men also wear a turban called
BogobD man & wpman
/s la r/, which also tell the social
status/achievement of the
individual wearing it
female attire consisted of Caro or
camisa jacket with sleeves) and
dyong (a Ion kirt)
some women wore a piece of red or
white cloth on top of their skirt
Kalinga & subuanon women
called tapis i
Bogabn man
Ornaments
• men and women wore ornaments to
look attractive
• both wear kalumbiga, pendants,
bracelets, and leglets
• these ornaments were made of gold
• some wore gold fillings between the
teeth
• tattoos were also fashionable for some
pre-colonial Filipinos; they also exhibit a
man's war record
• lslas del Pintados — term coined by the
Spaniards for the Visayans
Bontoc men
Houses
• built to suit the tropical
ciimaze
a • called bahay kubo, made of
wood, bamboo, and nipa palm;
it was built on stilts and can be
entered through ladders that can
be drawn up
• some Filipinos, such as the
Kalingas, Mandayas and
Bagobos built their houses on
treetops
• others, such as the Badjaos,
built their houses on boats
 Social Classes
• the society was made up of
three classes: nobles (made
up of the datu and their
families), mahadlika or
maharlika (freemen) and the
alipin (dependents)
• members of the nobility
were addressed with the
title Gal Dr Takan among
the Tagalogs
• alipin or dependents acquired their status by
inheritance, captivity, purchase, failure to settle
debts, or by committing a crime
• there were two kinds of dependents: liping
namamahay and aliping sagigilid
• in the Visayas.
dependents were
of three kinds :
tumataba
tumarampok, and*
the ayuoy
 Status of Women
• women in pre-colonial Philippine society had
the right to inherit property. engage in trade
and indust and succeed to the
chieftainship of the barangay in the absence
of a male heir
• had the exclusive right to name their
children
• men walked behind them as a sign of
respect
 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 wet nurse bigay-suso
- pay the parents himaraw
bribe for the relatives called sambon (among the
als
• once he had settled all of the above
requirements, he brings his parents to meet with
the bride-ID-be’s parents to haggle and make the
final arrangements; this is called
pamamalae or pamamanhikan or
pamumulung n
› the wedding ceremonies vary depending on the
status of the couple; but normally, those frDITI the
upper class, a go-between was employed
› weddings are o ciated by the priestess or
babaylan
› uncooked rice is thrown on the couple
after the wedding ceremony
babaylan

eliefs
 Marriage ceremony - eating rice

Tausog wedding
ceremony
• Muslim Filipinos have similar marriage customs; the first
stage was called pananalanguni or bethrothal; it
was followed by the consultation with the girl's parents, who
relays their decision to the village chief, who in turn
informed the suitor's parents of the decision
• dowry was also settled by the chief (pedsungud). This
was of seven kinds: 1. kawasateg, money given to the
bride's close relatives; 2. siwaka, brassware given to those
who helped arrange the wedding; 3. enduatuan, brassware
or animals for the village chief; 4. pangatulian jewelry
given to the bride's mother and aunts; 5. tatas, blade given
to the girl's uncle; 6. langkad, money given to the girl's
parents as fine for having bypassed the girl's elder sister if
she had any; and 7. lekat, amount of money given to the
girl's
attendant.
• once everything is settled, the pegkawing, or the
wedding ceremony follows
• the wedding ceremony is officiated by the hadji
• six days of festivities followed, and only on the
seventh day could the couple sleep together

wedding
Mixed Marriages, Inheritance and Succession
• mixed marriages were allowed in pre-colonial
society
• the status of children were dependent upon the
status of the parents
› often, the status of children in mixed marriages
is divided evenly between the parents
• single children of mixed marriage were half-free
and half-dependent
• legitimate children inherited their parents'
property even without any written will and was
divided equally among the children
• natural children inherited only a third of the
inheritance of legitimate children
children of dependent mothers are given
freedom and a few things
• nearest relatives inherit the property of
childless couples
• in succession, the first son of the barangay
chieftain inherits his father s position; if the
first son dies, the second son succeeds their
father; in the absence of male heirs, it is the
eldest daughter that becomes the chieftain
 Government
› unit of government was the barangay,
which consisted of from 30 to 100 families.
The ten 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
• the chief or datu was the chief executive, the
legislator, and the judge; he was also the
supreme commander in times of war
• alliances among barangays were common and
these were formalized in a ritual called
• those found guilty of crimes were punished either
by fine or by death; some punishments can be
considered as torture by modern standards
• however, it must be noted that ancients did not
believe in endangering society by letting loose a
gang of thieves of recidivists who are incapable of
reform
• before laws are made, the chief 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
 disputes between individuals were'settIed by a
.court made up of the.villagechief and thd
council of: elders; between barangays, a board made
up of elders from neutral barangays acted as arbiter
• the accused and the accuser faced each other in
front of the ”court” with:their respective
witnesses
• both took an oath to tell the truth, most of the
time. tha one who presents the rriolt witnesses

always.take the side of the winner

• ’to determine the innocence if an accused,
he is made to go through a number of
ordeals which he must part
• examples include dipping .one s hand in
boiling water. holding a lighted candle that
must”notb extinguished, plunging into a
river and staying underwater for.as long as
possible, che ing uncooked rice and
spitting, etc.
• among the lfugaos, .ordeal by combat was
common, ›.e. bultong (wrestling), alaw (duets
Philippine pre-colonial culture was basically
Malayan in structure and form. They had
written language which was used not just
for communication but also for literary
expression. They also had music and dances
for almost all occasions and a wide
variety of musical instruments that shows
their ingenuity.