Customs of the Tagalogs

• Juan de Plasencia


  He was with the first batch of Franciscan missionaries who arrived in the Philippines in July 1578. author of Doctrina Christiana
• Dato /Chiefs


  Leaders who governed their own barangays. Captains during wars. They rule over as many as hundreds of houses and sometimes, even less than thirty. Highly respected and obeyed.
• Barangay


  Tribal gathering governed by chiefs. from the word "balangay",which were sailboats that brought early Filipinos coming from Malay nations to the Philippines. consists of a family of parents, children, relations and slaves.
• Social Classes


  • NOBLES
  • SLAVES
  • COMMONERS
• NOBLES (MAHARLICAS)


  were exempt from taxes but were required to assist the chief (dato) in combat. In Pila de Laguna, nobles paid an annual tribute of a hundred gantas (241.9 kilograms) of rice to the dato as compensation for occupying the lands. were born into this class and held their status indefinitely unless they married and became slaves. Children born to nobles and slaves were considered free. If a noble fathered a child with a woman slave, she owed the master half a gold tael due to her inability to work during pregnancy. Nobles faced challenges moving to other villages without payment, potentially causing conflicts between barangays.
• COMMONERS


  They serve their master whether he is a dato or not. The commitment included giving half of their cultivated lands, as stated in the initial agreement. Aliping Namamahay reside in their own houses, exercising control over their property and possessions. Children born to Aliping Namamahay inherit their fathers' social standing. A safeguard is in place ensuring that no parents nor children are subjected to slavery or sold, so preserving familial integrity. In cases where Aliping Namamahay might fall into the possession of their master's son relocating to another village, they are not forcibly removed from their native village. Instead, they continue their service and agricultural activities in their home village.
• SLAVES


  known as "Aliping sa Guiguilir," they serve their master both in the household and in cultivated areas, with the possibility of being sold. Masters, at their discretion, grant slaves a share of the harvest, acknowledging their contribution to agricultural activities and providing an incentive for faithful service. Those born as servants within their master's house are seldom sold. They can ransom themselves to transition to the status of "namamahay" if any gold in their possession surpasses the required sum for the master. The alcaldes-mayor, people resort to the illegal practice of abducting children born to "Aliping Namamahay" and utilizing them as servants in their households. If an "Aliping Namamahay" seeks justice, the legal proceedings confirm their identity as an "Alipin," similar to their parents, without distinguishing between "Namamahay" and "Guiguilir" - a judgment made without further proclamation.
• Property

  Inhabited lands are divided into the whole barangay in which every individual knows his own. The lands on the tingues, or mountain-ridges, are not divided, but owned in common by the barangay. There were also fisheries which were owned by chiefs and shared among the inhabitants of the barangay.
• Justice System

  The dato will resolve and penalize disruptions within the community. If a disputing party perceives unfair treatment, a neutral arbitrator from a different barangay will be chosen whether they were a dato or not. If there is a disagreement between two chiefs, they call judges to act as arbiters; the same thing is done when the disputants are from two different barangays. Whoever insults the daughter or wife of a chief will be condemned to death. Unless one deserved to die, no one was sentenced to slavery. Witches were killed and their children and accomplices became slaves to the chief after he had compensated the injured person. Other offenses were paid in gold. If not paid on time, the culprit has to serve the person wronged until he can pay the fine. As for loans and debts, the debtor is condemned to a life of labor and becomes a slave; after his death, his children must bear the responsibility of paying the debt. (The amount is doubled if the debt cannot be paid)
• Marriage Customs

  They should pay a fee first before moving to a different village or neighborhood. The fee depended on where they're going and depending on the datus or leaders of that village wanted. If they did not pay, a fight might arise between their old and new neighborhood.
• MAHARLIKA


  The first, third, fifth child (and so on) belonged to the father, regardless of the gender. (odd numbers) The second, fourth, sixth child (and so on) belonged to the mother. (even numbers) If there was only one child, they were half free and half slave.
• MAHARLIKA AND SLAVE (EITHER NAMAMAHAY / SA GUIGUILIR)


  If the father was free, all the children that belonged to him were free, and if he was a slave, all his children were slaves. The same applied to the mother. Sa guiguilir could be sold, but not namamahay and their children. The namamahay can be transferred by inheritance as long as they stay within their barangay/village.
• Inheritance


  LEGITIMATE CHILDREN will equally receive a share of inheritance from their parents. WHEN PARENTS PROVIDE A DOWRY FOR A SON'S MARRIAGE Any extra amount beyond the customary share is not factored into the property division. IF ONE HAD HAD CHILDREN BY TWO OR MORE LEGITIMATE WIVES Each child received the inheritance and dowry of his mother, with its increase, and that share of his father's estate which fell to him out of the whole. DIVORCE BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHILDREN When the wife leaves her husband for another man, all her dowry and an equal additional amount will fall to the husband. WHEN THE HUSBAND LEAVES HIS WIFE He will lose half of the dowry, and the other half will be returned to him. If he has children at the time of his divorce, the whole dowry and the fine will go to the children. These will be held for them by their grandparents or other responsible relatives. CHILDREN WHO WERE BORN FROM UNIONS OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE May only inherit one-third of what a legitimate child receives in terms of inheritance and dowry. ADOPTED CHILDREN Inherit the double of what was paid for their adoption. IF THE WIFE DOESN'T HAVE LIVING PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS Dowries are given by men to their wives' parents. But if she doesn't have living parents or grandparents, the dowry will be hers.
• Dowry


  Money or property brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage
• If the husband has children at the time of divorce

  The whole dowry and fine will go to the children
• If the wife doesn't have living parents or grandparents

  The dowry will be hers
• If the wife passed away without having children within a year

  Half of the dowry may be returned to the husband or his relatives
• If the children refused to marry someone that was arranged by his parents

  A fine is imposed
• Simbahan


  A temple or place of adoration
• Formerly, they held celebrations of a festival called "pandot" or "worship"


  1. In the large house of a chief

  2. They built "sibi" shelters on either side of the house to shield people from rain

  3. The house, which is divided into three compartments like ships, could accommodate a large gathering
• Idolatry

  The worship of idols or images
• Objects of worship

  • Badhala - "all-powerful" or "maker of everything"
  • Sun and moon
  • Stars, which they called "Tala"
  • Idols called lic-ha, which were images in different shapes
  • Insignificant things
• Patrons

  • Dian masalanta - the patron of lovers and of the generation
  • Lacapati and Idianale - patrons of the cultivated lands and of husbandry
• They paid respect to the buaya, or crocodiles, from fear of being harmed by them
• They practiced the habit of throwing into the water or placing on the bank a portion of what they carried in their boats as an offering to the animals
• Superstitions


  • Meeting a serpent or rat, or a bird called Tigmamanuguin which was singing in the tree, or if they chanced upon anyone who sneezed, they returned at once to their house, considering it as an augury that might befall them
  • The Tigmamanuguin's songs had two different forms: one was considered as an evil omen; one was considered as a good omen
  • They also practiced divination
  • They relied on nature for the division of years, months, and days
• Witches and creatures

  • Catolonan - priests of the devil; they used their charms to cause diseases
  • Mangaguay - witches who tricked people by claiming to be able to treat the sick
  • Manyisalat - they had the power to apply such remedies to lovers that they would abandon and despise their wives
  • Mancocolam - released fire from himself once or twice a month. This fire could not be extinguished
  • hocloban - witch who kills their victims by simply lifting their hands
  • silagan - witch cuts out someone's liver and consume it if they spotted someone dressed in white
  • magtatangal - shows himself to a large number of people at night, without his head or entrails
  • osuang - meaning "sorcerer"; some have claimed to have seen him fly and that he murdered men and ate their flesh
  • mangagayuma - witches who used herbs, stones, and wood to create charms for lovers that would infuse the heart with love
  • sonat - means "preacher"; his job is to assist someone in dying, at which point he would forecast whether the soul would be saved or condemned
  • pangatojan - a fortune-teller who foretold the future
  • bayoguin - a man whose nature was more feminine
  • tigbalaang - phantoms
  • patianac - if any woman died in childbirth, she and the child suffered punishment; and that, at night, she could be heard lamenting
• Death Ritual

  1. Warriors were laid on a boat and placed beneath a small house or porch. In a grim ritual, a surviving slave was bound beneath the warrior until death.

  2. Aetas, or Negrillos, dug a deep trench, leaving the deceased's head exposed. They placed half a coconut as a shield on top.

  3. Retaliation: An Indian was killed in response to a Negrillo's death.
• Beliefs about the afterlife

  • Some non-believers spoke of "maca", akin to paradise or a village of rest. Only Bathala, "the creator of all things," was believed to rule over this paradise.
  • Other pagans suggested that the wicked went to Casanaan, inhabited by demons known as "sitan".
• Relevance of the document

  • It offers valuable insights into the social organization, governance, religious beliefs, and daily life of the Tagalog society before Spanish colonization, aiding historians and researchers in comprehending the indigenous cultures of the Philippines during that era.
  • It plays a crucial role in preserving and illuminating the cultural legacy of the precolonial Tagalog community by presenting their customs, traditions, and practices that constitute their cultural identity.
  • It debunks the belief that Filipinos were uncivilized before the Spaniards arrived by highlighting the rich and complex culture of the Philippines prior to colonization.