Pre-Colonial Tagalog Society

Hello everyone, this is your professor next door, Sir Joseph. So for today we will talk about one of the important parts of our history which is of course has something to do with our pre-colonial history. So we will focus our attention to one of the important documents that was written that clearly gave out a description of the pre-colonial life of the Filipinos particularly in the Luzon or in the Tagalog region. So... This is all about the customs of the Tagalogs. So as we all know, during our primary years, tinuturo sa atin sa sibig at kultura yung mga customs o yung mga tradisyon ng mga Filipinos bago pa dumating ang mga Castilla. So, san ba nanggaling ang information na yun? Of course, most of those informations came from the written report by Juan de Plasencia, the author of the customs of the Tagalogs. So the question is, who is Juan de Placencia? Juan de Placencia is a friar that came from, of course, the Franciscan Order. And he is one of the friars that is responsible for founding different towns here in the Luzon area. And of course, he is also one of the famous people who spread Christianity here in our Philippines. in our country and is also credited for printing the first book here in the Philippines which is of course what we call Boktrina Christiana. So now, Juan de Plasencia arrived in the Philippines around 1578 and he wrote the Customs of the Tagalogs around 1589. So now, what can we find in the custom subtegalos. We will find here the different writings that depicted the pre-colonial life of the Filipinos before we were completely influenced by the Castilians. So, the observation here by Juan de Plasencia is the traditions, cultures, and the way of life of the Filipinos before it was fully... In effect, the influence of the Castilians on us before they even knew us. So now, let's start the discussion on the social classes that exist in our country. So of course, usually when we study the existence of different social classes in the Philippines, the highest there is the DATU. So of course, the DATU, they are regarded as... the leaders of the barangay or the communities that exist in our country and they're also regarded as the decision makers for their communities. They decide what will happen in the barangay, what they need to do and of course, they are also the ones who decide the conflicts and problems that people face in their barangay. and Dato rin is also known as the most intelligent, the most talented, and the best in the community of our ancient Filipinos. Next to them are the Maharlika or what we call free people or noble people. Why are they called free people? One of the benefits they enjoy being in Maharlika is They do not really pay taxes. They don't pay taxes to the Datu. And then, their responsibility is that they need to join and they need to assist the Datu in their day-to-day activities. And of course, they are the ones who serve the Datu. So if the Datu needs help, if the Datu needs to go to this or that, they are always with their entourage. Maharlikas and of course, the Maharlikas are usually trained fighters. They are the warriors that the Datu expect to fight for them during times of war or conflict with other communities. Now, the next Maharlika are the Aliping na Mamahay. So, during our elementary years, we didn't really have an understanding of the difference between Filipinos and Filipinos. But here, if you will try to read the writing of Juan de Plasencia, he explained here what is a slave slave and what is another class of slaves. So here, when we say slave slaves, basically they are common people. Why did we say common people? They are not really slaves that can be sold, can be treated as commodities, but they are... We can say that the average people who work in a household as helpers of a maharlika or datu, they are the workers or those who serve the datu and the rich in that time. And of course, the difference between them and other alipins, the alipins of mamahay, they can still get married, they can still have their own property. They can have a good life. Of course, the main source of income is the service to those who are in high positions. So, what is the lowest? Of course, the lowest is the side job. When we say side job, they are the ones who do the lowest kind of work. For example, the heavy or extensive labor, and they can also be sold. They can be thrown away, they can be sent to wherever, they can also be used to pay the debt of their masters. So, in short, they don't hold their own life. So now the question is, how did the Alipin get to the side in this time? It's simple. First of all, if you have been proven guilty of a serious crime in your community, you can be a criminal. Or, for example, you are not able to pay your debt, you can also be a criminal in the neighborhood. Or, you can also be one of the captives or one of the people who have been a victim of the barangay in their fighting against other communities. That can happen. The other one is the customs in Mindanao, particularly for the Muslims there, they really have slave raiding, they really slaughter people and sell them as slaves. So that's it. Now, the aliping in the side, they don't really enjoy the rights compared to the aliping of the mamahay. So they have a big difference. So the aliping of the mamahay, They can own property, they can live happily, they can be prosperous. That's why if we compare, they are the common people nowadays. When compared to the other side, they are considered as the lowest of the low. Now, when it comes to different rudimentaries of the social classes of the Filipinos, Melanth- and they have other questions because there are many questions what if there is an intermarriage between a Maharlika and an Alipin it could happen before, not just in soap opera dramas so now, for example, the Alipin and the Maharlika is permanent. For example, the male is the Maharlika, the female is the Alipin, their children are Mahati. The first, the third, and the fifth will go to the father's side. So what does it mean? If the father is Maharlika, the first, third, and fifth will be Maharlika. Even numbers, second, fourth, or sixth, If there is a mother, it can be a child. So it's the same if the father is the child, then the first, third, fifth child, the second, fourth, and sixth will be the mother. So that's what can happen there. So they followed such rumors. So now, the Filipinos at that time, They can also own a land for their agricultural lands. So of course, they also pay taxes on their lands and they buy lands from the Datu. That's why the role of the Datu is very important when it comes to managing their communities. Then this one, in terms of the economy, the Filipinos back then, we used gold tiles or tiles that are hidden. We don't just keep trading through barter. what we usually pay for those things are usually gold or tiles so we already have a system of economy in those times and now, what if the maharlika wants to move to another barangay? actually, the maharlika who moved to other barangay are being banned why? because That's why we talked about the Maharlikas, they are the ones who serve the Datu as warriors, as protectors of the community. So if the Maharlikas will transfer from one barangay to another, the strength of the Datu can be weakened. So what will the Datu do there? The Maharlika needs to pay a lot in gold tiles to be allowed. He moved to another barangay and he also needed to sponsor a party. You will really be spending money. That's why the maharlika, they often stay put in the barangay where they are counted to avoid spending money. That's what Datu does to avoid him from spending all of his maharlika. So, ngayon, sa batas ng barangay, kadalasan, nag- The Dato will be punished for the crimes committed against his family. Of course, the Dato will also be the ones who will decide the crimes of the people in the community. but kadalasan yung judgment ng dato nauuwi lamang sa pagpapaalipin ng mga the person who committed the crime will be proven guilty. There is a death penalty but usually, the person who committed the crime is the one who is being punished. That's why the system is like that. So now, how do you choose the person who committed the crime in a barangay? Usually, it's the oldest person or the most experienced person. He's smart, he's the strongest, and of course, blood relations are also considered here. For example, the son of Datu, the brother, or something like that. They're still a dynasty, but if you can't find an immediate relative of Datu, the one who's being replaced is the one who has the capacity based on his age, based on his skills, based on his knowledge. That is the basis for choosing a beater. Now, the former Filipinos also practiced the marriage, dowries, and divorce. Separation of husband and wife. Now, when it comes to the dowry, the so-called dowry is the payment of the family or the man. to the family of the couple before they get married. It could be anything. It could be money, it could be property, it could be crops, or anything. Inequal to the value that the family will ask for or will get. So, as you can see here, the families have a conversation before they get married. It's like what we call now as pamamanhikan So the story is about the Dory of the parents of the girl So now the question is, how if the boy and the girl parted? Of course, the Dory will be enjoyed by the girl's parents So how if the girl has no parents, no siblings? They don't have a child yet, they separated. Basically, the Dory, the woman will enjoy it. But, if for example, the man separated and the woman married someone else, she needs to pay back the Dory that the man paid her. So, if the woman intends to get married to get a lot of money, that's not allowed in the marriage system. pagbibigay ng Dory sa atin, kailangan niyang isole. So, kapagka naman ang lalaki naman ang naghiwalay, ang humiwalay doon sa babae on the purpose of marrying another, isinosole sa kanya nung babae yung kalahati nung kanyang Dory. So, kapagka naman naghiwalay sila na meron silang anak, yung mga anak nila ang nakikinabang doon sa Dory. They are being directed towards the parents or relatives of the children. That is their systema in marriage. So, when it comes to religious activities, there are many different... methods of worship that were done by the Filipinos back then. There was worship in the streets, worship of different gods and goddesses. You can see in pre-colonial Filipino culture, there were many worships of Filipino gods and goddesses when it comes to different activities, like farming, fishing, fighting, and mountain climbing. So, they have different gods and goddesses. So, we will compare it. Almost the same as with the customs and cultures of other countries. In Greece, in China, in Japan. So, they have different gods and goddesses when it comes to different activities. So, it's almost the same. Now, there is another activity that Filipinos do here. Particularly for the women. So, kapag kayong babae, She experienced her first menstruation. What she did to her was this. Their eyes were blindfolded for four days and four nights. And in the meantime, the friends and relatives were all invited to partake of food and drink. And the young girl is confined in a house. So what does that mean? She was confined in a house while... All the relatives they invited to party outside. And then this, At the end of this period, the Catolonan took the young girl to the water, bathed her and washed her head, and removed the bandage from her eyes. So after that period of the woman, what the Catolonan does, which is their religious leader, their spiritual leader at that time, they bring her to the river. or in the body of water and then she is bathed. So now, what is the purpose of that? In the old Filipino culture, the purpose of that is for the woman to have a proper and strong life and they believe that it will bring good luck in the coming marriage of the woman if ever she can find her husband. So that's what we believe in. By the way, There are many customs of the Tagalogs about the culture and traditions of the Filipinos and I really wanted you to read the whole of it, the whole body of it. So I just presented the things that I think are important for us to know. Now, another thing that I want us to understand here is why was this written or what is the purpose of this for us as Filipinos? and as students. I want to understand our students, our listeners, our viewers here that before the Spanish and the Castilians came, we already have a culture, we already have a proper system of government, we already have a law, we already have a way of writing, we already have a... I mean... Our own culture, our own civilization. So, what does this mean? It's a good way to study the customs of Tagalogs so that we can get rid of the thought that our culture, our influences from different countries came from different places, from outside. No. Before they came here, we already have our own culture. We already have our own way, our own... way of life that we should be proud of. Not all the ways of life that we enjoy today are borrowed or borrowed from different countries. Before the Castilians arrived, we already have our own culture which is of course new when the Castilians arrived. Of course, there are many new things to us, to our customs and traditions when the Castilians arrived but nevertheless I want you to understand this. Very important that we be proud of our customs, be proud of our culture, that we have our own culture and we are not savages that what the Castiles portrayed to us that we are just fools, we don't know anything. That's wrong. What I want to point out here and what I want us to learn here is that Filipinos at that time were already civilized. So you can understand here that the Spaniards changed our way of life and changed our culture. And of course, they forced a lot of people to enter and make us Filipinos who are really new. And of course, that is based on their beliefs. That's what I want us to know. So now... So now I hope you understand our discussion in Cosmos of Tagalogs. And if you have questions, feel free to ask me. I will try to answer them one by one. And I will try to make sure that we can answer all of them. If you have comments, feel free to do so. And of course, don't forget to like, don't forget to subscribe, and of course, don't forget to share and watch my other videos. Thank you very much for watching and listening to me. Once again, this is your Prof. Nextdoor, Sir Joseph. And take care of yourselves and take care of everyone. Have a good day.

This is all about the customs of the Tagalogs. So as we all know, during our primary years, tinuturo sa atin sa sibig at kultura yung mga customs o yung mga tradisyon ng mga Filipinos bago pa dumating ang mga Castilla. So, san ba nanggaling ang information na yun? Of course, most of those informations came from the written report by Juan de Plasencia, the author of the customs of the Tagalogs.

So the question is, who is Juan de Placencia? Juan de Placencia is a friar that came from, of course, the Franciscan Order. And he is one of the friars that is responsible for founding different towns here in the Luzon area. And of course, he is also one of the famous people who spread Christianity here in our Philippines.

in our country and is also credited for printing the first book here in the Philippines which is of course what we call Boktrina Christiana. So now, Juan de Plasencia arrived in the Philippines around 1578 and he wrote the Customs of the Tagalogs around 1589. So now, what can we find in the custom subtegalos. We will find here the different writings that depicted the pre-colonial life of the Filipinos before we were completely influenced by the Castilians.

So, the observation here by Juan de Plasencia is the traditions, cultures, and the way of life of the Filipinos before it was fully... In effect, the influence of the Castilians on us before they even knew us. So now, let's start the discussion on the social classes that exist in our country.

So of course, usually when we study the existence of different social classes in the Philippines, the highest there is the DATU. So of course, the DATU, they are regarded as... the leaders of the barangay or the communities that exist in our country and they're also regarded as the decision makers for their communities.

They decide what will happen in the barangay, what they need to do and of course, they are also the ones who decide the conflicts and problems that people face in their barangay. and Dato rin is also known as the most intelligent, the most talented, and the best in the community of our ancient Filipinos. Next to them are the Maharlika or what we call free people or noble people.

Why are they called free people? One of the benefits they enjoy being in Maharlika is They do not really pay taxes. They don't pay taxes to the Datu.

And then, their responsibility is that they need to join and they need to assist the Datu in their day-to-day activities. And of course, they are the ones who serve the Datu. So if the Datu needs help, if the Datu needs to go to this or that, they are always with their entourage.

Maharlikas and of course, the Maharlikas are usually trained fighters. They are the warriors that the Datu expect to fight for them during times of war or conflict with other communities. Now, the next Maharlika are the Aliping na Mamahay.

So, during our elementary years, we didn't really have an understanding of the difference between Filipinos and Filipinos. But here, if you will try to read the writing of Juan de Plasencia, he explained here what is a slave slave and what is another class of slaves. So here, when we say slave slaves, basically they are common people. Why did we say common people?

They are not really slaves that can be sold, can be treated as commodities, but they are... We can say that the average people who work in a household as helpers of a maharlika or datu, they are the workers or those who serve the datu and the rich in that time. And of course, the difference between them and other alipins, the alipins of mamahay, they can still get married, they can still have their own property.

They can have a good life. Of course, the main source of income is the service to those who are in high positions. So, what is the lowest?

Of course, the lowest is the side job. When we say side job, they are the ones who do the lowest kind of work. For example, the heavy or extensive labor, and they can also be sold. They can be thrown away, they can be sent to wherever, they can also be used to pay the debt of their masters.

So, in short, they don't hold their own life. So now the question is, how did the Alipin get to the side in this time? It's simple.

First of all, if you have been proven guilty of a serious crime in your community, you can be a criminal. Or, for example, you are not able to pay your debt, you can also be a criminal in the neighborhood. Or, you can also be one of the captives or one of the people who have been a victim of the barangay in their fighting against other communities. That can happen. The other one is the customs in Mindanao, particularly for the Muslims there, they really have slave raiding, they really slaughter people and sell them as slaves.

So that's it. Now, the aliping in the side, they don't really enjoy the rights compared to the aliping of the mamahay. So they have a big difference. So the aliping of the mamahay, They can own property, they can live happily, they can be prosperous.

That's why if we compare, they are the common people nowadays. When compared to the other side, they are considered as the lowest of the low. Now, when it comes to different rudimentaries of the social classes of the Filipinos, Melanth- and they have other questions because there are many questions what if there is an intermarriage between a Maharlika and an Alipin it could happen before, not just in soap opera dramas so now, for example, the Alipin and the Maharlika is permanent.

For example, the male is the Maharlika, the female is the Alipin, their children are Mahati. The first, the third, and the fifth will go to the father's side. So what does it mean? If the father is Maharlika, the first, third, and fifth will be Maharlika. Even numbers, second, fourth, or sixth, If there is a mother, it can be a child.

So it's the same if the father is the child, then the first, third, fifth child, the second, fourth, and sixth will be the mother. So that's what can happen there. So they followed such rumors.

So now, the Filipinos at that time, They can also own a land for their agricultural lands. So of course, they also pay taxes on their lands and they buy lands from the Datu. That's why the role of the Datu is very important when it comes to managing their communities.

Then this one, in terms of the economy, the Filipinos back then, we used gold tiles or tiles that are hidden. We don't just keep trading through barter. what we usually pay for those things are usually gold or tiles so we already have a system of economy in those times and now, what if the maharlika wants to move to another barangay? actually, the maharlika who moved to other barangay are being banned why? because That's why we talked about the Maharlikas, they are the ones who serve the Datu as warriors, as protectors of the community.

So if the Maharlikas will transfer from one barangay to another, the strength of the Datu can be weakened. So what will the Datu do there? The Maharlika needs to pay a lot in gold tiles to be allowed.

He moved to another barangay and he also needed to sponsor a party. You will really be spending money. That's why the maharlika, they often stay put in the barangay where they are counted to avoid spending money. That's what Datu does to avoid him from spending all of his maharlika. So, ngayon, sa batas ng barangay, kadalasan, nag- The Dato will be punished for the crimes committed against his family.

Of course, the Dato will also be the ones who will decide the crimes of the people in the community. but kadalasan yung judgment ng dato nauuwi lamang sa pagpapaalipin ng mga the person who committed the crime will be proven guilty. There is a death penalty but usually, the person who committed the crime is the one who is being punished. That's why the system is like that.

So now, how do you choose the person who committed the crime in a barangay? Usually, it's the oldest person or the most experienced person. He's smart, he's the strongest, and of course, blood relations are also considered here.

For example, the son of Datu, the brother, or something like that. They're still a dynasty, but if you can't find an immediate relative of Datu, the one who's being replaced is the one who has the capacity based on his age, based on his skills, based on his knowledge. That is the basis for choosing a beater. Now, the former Filipinos also practiced the marriage, dowries, and divorce.

Separation of husband and wife. Now, when it comes to the dowry, the so-called dowry is the payment of the family or the man. to the family of the couple before they get married. It could be anything. It could be money, it could be property, it could be crops, or anything. Inequal to the value that the family will ask for or will get.

So, as you can see here, the families have a conversation before they get married. It's like what we call now as pamamanhikan So the story is about the Dory of the parents of the girl So now the question is, how if the boy and the girl parted? Of course, the Dory will be enjoyed by the girl's parents So how if the girl has no parents, no siblings?

They don't have a child yet, they separated. Basically, the Dory, the woman will enjoy it. But, if for example, the man separated and the woman married someone else, she needs to pay back the Dory that the man paid her. So, if the woman intends to get married to get a lot of money, that's not allowed in the marriage system.

pagbibigay ng Dory sa atin, kailangan niyang isole. So, kapagka naman ang lalaki naman ang naghiwalay, ang humiwalay doon sa babae on the purpose of marrying another, isinosole sa kanya nung babae yung kalahati nung kanyang Dory. So, kapagka naman naghiwalay sila na meron silang anak, yung mga anak nila ang nakikinabang doon sa Dory.

They are being directed towards the parents or relatives of the children. That is their systema in marriage. So, when it comes to religious activities, there are many different... methods of worship that were done by the Filipinos back then. There was worship in the streets, worship of different gods and goddesses.

You can see in pre-colonial Filipino culture, there were many worships of Filipino gods and goddesses when it comes to different activities, like farming, fishing, fighting, and mountain climbing. So, they have different gods and goddesses. So, we will compare it. Almost the same as with the customs and cultures of other countries. In Greece, in China, in Japan.

So, they have different gods and goddesses when it comes to different activities. So, it's almost the same. Now, there is another activity that Filipinos do here. Particularly for the women.

So, kapag kayong babae, She experienced her first menstruation. What she did to her was this. Their eyes were blindfolded for four days and four nights.

And in the meantime, the friends and relatives were all invited to partake of food and drink. And the young girl is confined in a house. So what does that mean? She was confined in a house while... All the relatives they invited to party outside.

And then this, At the end of this period, the Catolonan took the young girl to the water, bathed her and washed her head, and removed the bandage from her eyes. So after that period of the woman, what the Catolonan does, which is their religious leader, their spiritual leader at that time, they bring her to the river. or in the body of water and then she is bathed. So now, what is the purpose of that?

In the old Filipino culture, the purpose of that is for the woman to have a proper and strong life and they believe that it will bring good luck in the coming marriage of the woman if ever she can find her husband. So that's what we believe in. By the way, There are many customs of the Tagalogs about the culture and traditions of the Filipinos and I really wanted you to read the whole of it, the whole body of it. So I just presented the things that I think are important for us to know.

Now, another thing that I want us to understand here is why was this written or what is the purpose of this for us as Filipinos? and as students. I want to understand our students, our listeners, our viewers here that before the Spanish and the Castilians came, we already have a culture, we already have a proper system of government, we already have a law, we already have a way of writing, we already have a...

I mean... Our own culture, our own civilization. So, what does this mean?

It's a good way to study the customs of Tagalogs so that we can get rid of the thought that our culture, our influences from different countries came from different places, from outside. No. Before they came here, we already have our own culture.

We already have our own way, our own... way of life that we should be proud of. Not all the ways of life that we enjoy today are borrowed or borrowed from different countries.

Before the Castilians arrived, we already have our own culture which is of course new when the Castilians arrived. Of course, there are many new things to us, to our customs and traditions when the Castilians arrived but nevertheless I want you to understand this. Very important that we be proud of our customs, be proud of our culture, that we have our own culture and we are not savages that what the Castiles portrayed to us that we are just fools, we don't know anything. That's wrong.

What I want to point out here and what I want us to learn here is that Filipinos at that time were already civilized. So you can understand here that the Spaniards changed our way of life and changed our culture. And of course, they forced a lot of people to enter and make us Filipinos who are really new.

And of course, that is based on their beliefs. That's what I want us to know. So now...

So now I hope you understand our discussion in Cosmos of Tagalogs. And if you have questions, feel free to ask me. I will try to answer them one by one.

And I will try to make sure that we can answer all of them. If you have comments, feel free to do so. And of course, don't forget to like, don't forget to subscribe, and of course, don't forget to share and watch my other videos. Thank you very much for watching and listening to me. Once again, this is your Prof. Nextdoor, Sir Joseph.

And take care of yourselves and take care of everyone. Have a good day.

Transcript for:Pre-Colonial Tagalog Society

Transcript for:
Pre-Colonial Tagalog Society