pre-colonial family

• Family Ties


  In precolonial tribal society, people obtained their security and greatest happiness from their family rather than from wealth and friends
• Any prestige a person might gain in life was considered meaningless unless the family validated and benefited from it</b>
• "Blood is thicker than water" as the saying goes, meaning family relations were very important in ancient times
• The family meant more than anything else to the individual, even more than all he possessed
• The possession of land was the only means of wealth and it was necessary
• A business was always a family business but its loss was only diminution of wealth and not the end of the world
• The poor people always had their family to fall back on
• Any success an individual attained would be nothing unless he could return to his family, use his wealth to help relatives and be recognized in his village as great man
• Family members lived under one roof, or in several houses close to each other
• All the earnings of the individual members were considered to belong, not to the individual, but to the family as a whole
• The family properties were held in common and none of the land could be alienated or in any way disposed of without the agreement of the members
• A woman who married into the family was regarded as a member of her new family and had to be acceptable to the head of the family or the clan
• Aging parents did not worry about being neglected in old age, as they would rely upon their children's care and respect
• Old age was not a curse, but a blessing because it held the promise of respect and attention
• Any favor or good treatment was held as a debt of the spirit (utang na loob) and to be called ungrateful or unreciprocal was the worst curse
• Strong Genealogical Sentiment


  The idea of continuity and uniqueness remained strongly developed for those who have bonded and experienced much together
• The preservation of genealogies became important, with many recounting their ancestors and accomplishments for five or six generations
• A written history had not yet been done at the time, but important transactions were put in writing, such as the Laguna Copperplate Inscription from 900 AD
• Native Attire and Personal Habits

  • The wealthy wore more pieces of clothing, had a head cloth called putong, and wealthy women wore patadyong and baro
  • They bathed frequently, washed their hair with gugo, and anointed their hair and skin with coconut oil and aloes
• Personal Ornaments


  • Even poor women wore beads, bracelets and necklaces made from seeds, twigs, stems, shells, horn, and pebbles
  • Rich women wore imported jewelry of gold, jade, and camelian beads
  • Both men and women inserted gold into their teeth as ornaments to show their wealth
• Marriage Patterns


  • Marriages were arranged between families of the same social status
  • The groom was required to pay a dowry or bride price (bigay kaya) or provide free work in the latter's house or farm (maninirahan)
  • The engaged couple lived together without a formal marriage ceremony and were expected to engage in pre-marital sexual relations
• The House


  • The first inhabitants lived in caves and rock shelters, then built small nipa huts or bahay kubo with thatched roofs, sawali walls, and bamboo posts
  • The roof was raised high to provide shade and shelter
• The Food


  • They ate raw food, meat and vegetables, then later learned to cook and preserve their food
  • Food was considered a blessing from the gods and eating was a sacred rite
• Dances and Songs


  • The "maglalatik" was a vigorous dance depicting a mock fight with sweet coconut meat
  • The "Sayaw sa Bangko" was a playful but precarious dance by a man and woman on top of a narrow bench
• Language


  Our ancestors communicated in a language now known as "Tagalog" which means "tagailog" or "people of the river or the water"
• Writing and Literature


  • The Filipino writing came from the Asokan Alphabet of India, consisting of 3 vowels and 14 consonants
  • They wrote on bamboo tubes, woods, and plant leaves, with a horizontal direction from left to right
  • Many early Filipinos were literate and very good in communication