Chapter One: Our Forefathers

• Long before the arrival of Spain, the Philippines traded with Japan and China. They also traded with other islands from south and southwest Asia.
• It was through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo that Indonesians and Malay traveled northward into the Philippines.
• Years ago, the only people living in the Philippines were the Aetas. They were short and black, having a flat nose and kinky hair. They hunted with bows and arrows. Some still live in the mountains and are called Negritos.
• Later on, other immigrants from southeast Asia known as Indonesians arrived. They were not as dark as the Aetas. They were tall and slender and had high noses and long wavy hair.
• The Indonesians drove the Negritos to the mountains, using spears in hunting and fighting.
• After the arrival of the Indonesians, the Malays came to live in the Philippines. They were different from both races as they were taller than the Aetas and wiser than the Indonesians. Their hair was straight and black, and their skin was brown. They were known to be fearless of the ocean as their boats sailed far in the seas. Many people think that the Malays were the first to live in Southeast Asia.
• A Malay boat was built like a banka, but it was many times larger and stronger. Some boats could carry an entire family. It was through these boats that the Malays arrived in the Philippines.
• "The Story of the Ten Datus" is an old story that tells the arrival of the Malays in the Panay Islands. A long time ago, the inhabitants of Panay were Aetas with Marikudo as their chief. Later on, strange ships arrived with ten datus with Datu Puti as their greatest. They were welcomed with open arms and bought the lowlands in exchange for a gold Sadok. The new owners industrialized their newfound land and punished those who did not work. They divided the islands into three sakops with a datu ruling each. The whole land was ruled by a greater datu.
• The Malays often had conflicts with the Aetas and Indonesians, driving them to the mountains and forest. However, some Indonesians remained at peace with the Malays, becoming one people. These people are now known as our forefathers.
• Most of the Islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao belonged to the Malays.
• Our forefathers loved the sea as they built their houses near the seacoast and on the river banks. Their houses were raised high from the ground with wooden or bamboo posts. Under the houses were places for animals and fowls.
• The chieftains had larger and stronger houses compared to others. They also had furniture worth thousands of pesos.
• The men wore short-sleeved jackets of red, blue, and black cloth. They also wore a strip of cloth wrapped around the hips and between the legs with their feet being bare. They wore a piece of cloth around their head known as potong.
• Small canons were known as lantaka.
• Women wore sleeved waists and skirts of various colors. They were worn tightly around the hips and reached the ankles. Wives of wealthy men wore finer clothing of silk with embroidered gold.
• Our Forefathers loved ornaments. They wore earrings, bracelets, and rings.
• In terms of courtesy, our ancestors were very polite. When friends met, they removed their potongs. Upon entering a household, they made a low bow with extended arms. The youth were taught to respect older people, especially their parents.
• villages are called barangays. Sometimes, a hundred families lived in a single barangay, and multiple barangays formed a town. A datu was the ruler of a barangay.
• A man can be a datu if his father was one. A brave and wise man who is not of the same blood could also become a chief. The datu led his warriors in battle and made laws for the barangay with the help of the elderly. Everyone was subjected to obey otherwise they will be punished.
• A datu who is greater than others is often called a raja. With the help of datus, he ruled the whole town.
• When new laws were needed, the raja would call upon his datus to discuss such matters. If all datus agreed, a public crier would announce the new law to the people.
• In 1433, chief Kalantiaw wrote a set of laws. Some of which we have today. But many of these laws were written customs by fathers to their sons. These were followed strictly as if they were laws.
• If one were to disobey a law, he/she would brought to the datu to be tried. If he is found guilty he/she would be punished.
• When a young man wishes to marry a young woman, he does not talk to her directly. Instead, his father would send a friend to her father's household. When approved, the young man would then marry the girl.
• When someone died, his relatives would eat very little. The men would wear rattan armlets and bands while the women would wear white dresses.
• When a datu dies, a messenger is sent to all parts of the village. No quarrels were taken place, no singing was allowed, and no colored clothes were worn. Men carried their spears pointed downwards.
• Our Forefathers were religious, praying either inside their houses or under a tree. Feasts can take place for days with drums endlessly beating.
• They believed that Bathala was the maker of all things.
• They believed in several other gods such as Dian Masalanta, Lalahon, and Sidapa.
• Our forefathers prayed to the spirits of their ancestors known as anitos. They made wooden or metallic representations of them.
• Rice was the people's chief food.
• The Chinese were the first foreign merchants in the Philippines. They sold silk, iron needles, pans, and other useful things.
• Main jobs in the early days were trading, fishing, and farming. Others made oil, wine, boats, and jewelry.
• Early writing was composed of 15 letters written on leaves or bamboo shoots with a sharp iron point as a pen.