Historical Overview

• The social status and role of women and men in Philippine society have changed over the past centuries due to such historical events as colonialism, the struggles for national independence, and efforts to establish a dynamic and modern nation-state
• Gender relations across age groups, social classes, and ethnic identities have been heavily influenced by the modernization of agriculture and subsequent expansion of the industrial and manufacturing sectors of the local economy
• Some areas in the country had big populations, others were small, composed only of a few scattered family units averaging ten members
• In provinces like Leyte, Cebu, Panay, Mindoro, and Manila where Chinese vessels would unload their trade items. Other communities, on the other hand, were occupied by Filipinos who engaged primarily in fishing, hunting swidden farming, and forging
• Women in precolonial Filipino communities


  • Played key roles in economic production and management of community affairs
  • Resolved family conflicts and pacified warring parties mainly through religious and peaceful means of group negotiations
• Consanguineal bilateral reckoning


  Both males and females traced their descent from both their father's and mother's side. No distinction was made as to which of the two was dominant
• Barangay


  The basic unit of social organization, mainly consisting of residents related to each other through consanguineal or affinal ties
• Leadership in the community


  Commonly assumed by the oldest member of the kin group and one with extensive knowledge of local lore and traditions
• Customary laws and traditions


  • Gave women the power and opportunities to perform their duties and roles within the family and kinship units, in economic production as well as village affairs
  • Women had the rights to own properties and pass on their accumulated wealth to whoever they wished to inherit it
  • Women could probably obtain divorce easily and remarry
• The punishment of death for the crime of marital infidelity was not applied to women if they became concubines of the village chieftain (rajah or datu)
• Tagalog word for god


  BA THA LA - The first consonant is the fist syllable of the word babae which symbolizes generation. The third consonant is the first syllable of lalake which symbolizes potency. They are joined by the middle consonant and inspired H which means light or spirit. The word therefore means the union of man and woman in light
• Tagalog word for god backwards


  LAHATBA - Meaning total generation, total creator (Todo Creador)
• Female power and influence in precolonial times


  • Came from the role of being the community priestess and folk healer or babaylan (in Visayas) or katalonan (in Tagalog)
  • The position of religious preacher could be occupied by both sexes, it was mainly assumed by elderly women and males with feminine traits (binabae, asog, bayoc)
  • Some mainly engaged in ritual healing (mananambal), others used herbs to cure ailments or engaged in fortune telling or divination
• The imposition of Spanish laws in the Philippines brought about radical changes on the status of Filipino women
• Civil Code of 1885


  • The decree mandated the husband to protect the wife while she must obey him
  • She was obligated to follow the decision of the husband on where to establish residence in any place within the country
  • She had to take the nationality of the husband in case he was a foreigner
  • The husband was the administrator of conjugal properties and could sell them even without the consent of the wife
• The power to freely engage in business and accumulate property that Filipino women enjoyed in precolonial times was restricted
• A widow is prohibited from remarrying until after 301 days from the death of her husband or after she had delivered her child in case she was pregnant when he died
• A widow would immediately lose parental authority over her children, unless the deceased husband left a will allowing her to have legal custody over their children even if she remarried
• It is the main cause on why the societal disposition of women in the Philippines drastically changed.

  Colonialism
• In the pre-colonial Philippines, the barangays are mostly composed of ______ with members averaging ten interrelated persons.

  families
• The following are places where Chinese vessels unload their trade items, except _____.

  Samar
• What makes women distinct in pre-colonial times in terms of management of community affairs?

  Women pacify the warring parties mainly through religious and peaceful means.
• What does it mean when Filipino communities reckoned consanguineal bilaterally?

  No distinction was made as to which of the two was dominant.
• If the family is the basic unit of society, what about the basic unit of social organization in pre-colonial Philippines?

  Barangays
• Contrary to the colonial period, women are allowed to own properties.

  Yes, because customary laws and traditions gave women the right to own property and pass it on to whoever they wished to inherit it.
• The following is NOT true about women in the pre-colonial Philippine society, except ____.

  women could probably obtain divorce easily and remarry.
• The punishment of death for the crime of marital infidelity was not applied to women if ______.

  they became concubines of the village chieftain
• Ba: Babae, La: ________.

  1/1LakandulaLakanLacapateLalaki
• Tagalog men and women are joined by the middle consonant “H” which means ______.

  Light or Spirit
• What does babae symbolize according to “BA THA LA”?

  Generation
• What does lalaki symbolize according to “BA THA LA”?

  Potency
• Which of the following is NOT among male babaylans/katalonans with feminine traits?

  Bayoguin
• If a woman plans to re-marry after the death of her husband, she needs to wait for about 301 days.  Additionally, she cannot obtain legal custody of her children under what circumstances?

  If the deceased husband did not leave a will allowing her to have such legal custody