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Philippines Before
Magellan Came
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Society, Culture and Politics

 Mode of Dressing
• Male attire was composed of the
kanggan (sleeveless jacket) and bahag
(loincloth)
• the color of the kanggan indicates rank
– red for the chief, black or blue for the
commoners Bogobo man & woman
• men also wear a turban called putong ,
which also tell the social
status/achievement of the individual
wearing it

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• female attire consisted of baro or camisa
(jacket with sleeves) and saya or patadyong (a
long skirt)
• some women wore a piece of red or white cloth
on top of their skirt called tapis Kalinga &
subuanon women
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 Ornaments
• men and women wore ornaments to look
attractive
• both wear kalumbiga, pendants, bracelets,
and leglets
• these ornaments were made of gold
• some wore gold fillings between the teeth
• tattoos were also fashionable for some pre-
colonial Filipinos; they also exhibit a man’s war
record
• Islas del Pintados – term coined by the
Spaniards for the Visayans
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 Houses
• built to suit the tropical climate
• called bahay kubo, made of wood,
bamboo, and nipa palm; it was built on
stilts and can be entered through ladders
that can be drawn up
• some Filipinos, such as the Kalingas,
Mandayas and Bagobos built their houses
on treetops
• others, such as the Badjaos, built their
houses on boats
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 Social Classes
• the society was made up of three classes:
– nobles (made up of the datu and their families)
– mahadlika or maharlika (freemen)
– the alipin (dependents)
• members of the nobility were addressed with the title
Gat or Lakan among the Tagalogs

• alipin or dependents acquired their status by

inheritance, captivity, purchase, failure to settle debts,
or by committing a crime
• there were two kinds of dependents: – aliping
namamahay – aliping sagigilid

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 Status of Woman
• women in pre-colonial Philippine society had the right to
inherit property, engage in trade and industry, and succeed
to the chieftainship of the barangay in the absence of a
male heir
• had the exclusive right to name their children
• men walked behind them as a sign of respect

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 Marriage Custom
• men were in general, monogamous; while their wives are called asawa, while
concubines are called “friends”
• in order to win the hand of his lady, the man has to show his patience and
dedication to both the lady and her parents
• courtship usually begins with paninilbihan
• if the man wins the trust of the parents, he does not immediately marry the
woman, but he has to satisfy several conditions:
• - give a dowry or bigay-kaya
• - pay the panghihimuyat
• - pay the wet nurse bigay-suso
• - pay the parents himaraw
• - bribe for the relatives called sambon (among the Zambals)
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• once he had settled all of the above requirements, he brings his parents to meet
with the bride-to-be’s parents to haggle and make the final arrangements; this is
called pamamalae or pamamanhikan or pamumulungan
• the wedding ceremonies vary depending on the status of the couple; but normally,
those from the upper class, a go-between was employed
• weddings are officiated by the priestess or babaylan
• uncooked rice is thrown on the couple after the wedding ceremony

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 Marriage Ceremony – eating rice

Tausog Wedding Ceremony

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 • Muslim Filipinos have similar marriage customs. The first stage was called pananalanguni or
bethrothal
• it was followed by the consultation with the girl’s parents, who relay their decision to the village
chief, who in turn informs the suitor’s parents of the decision
• dowry was also settled by the chief (pedsungud).
• There were seven kinds of Dowry:
1. kawasateg - money given to the bride’s close relatives
2. siwaka - brassware given to those who helped arrange the wedding
3. enduatuan - brassware or animals for the village chief
4. pangatulian - jewelry given to the bride’s mother and aunts
5. tatas - blade given to the girl’s uncle
6. langkad - money given to the girl’s parents as fine for having bypassed the girl’s elder sister if she
had any
7. lekat, amount of money given to the girl’s attendant.

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• once everything is settled, the pegkawing, or the
wedding ceremony follows
• the wedding ceremony is officiated by the hadji
• six days of festivities followed, and only on the
seventh day could the couple sleep together Muslim
wedding

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 Mixed Marriage, Inheritance and
Succession
• mixed marriages were allowed in pre-colonial society
• the status of children were dependent upon the status of the parents
• often, the status of children in mixed marriages is divided evenly between the parents
• single children of mixed marriage were half-free and half-dependent
• legitimate children inherited their parents’ property even without any written will and
was divided equally among the children
• natural children inherited only a third of the inheritance of legitimate children
• children of dependent mothers are given freedom and a few things
• nearest relatives inherit the property of childless couples
• In succession, the first son of the barangay chieftain inherits his father’s position; if the
first son dies, the second son succeeds their father; in the absence of male heirs, it is the
eldest daughter that becomes the chieftain

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Oldest Past
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Time Line

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Understanding B.C and A.D. 

B.C. or B.C.E. means Before Christ or Before Common Era –

these are the years before 1 AD or Anno Domini

It is important to remember that 500 BC is similar to 500 BCE

and for the years prior to AD, we count backwards.

e.g.
400 BC occurred before 200 BC
 
 

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 The Laguna Copperplate
Inscription (Filipino:
Inskripsyon sa Binatbat na
Tanso ng Laguna, Malay:
Prasasti keping tembaga
Laguna; often shortened into
the acronym LCI), a legal
document inscribed on a
copper plate in 900 CE, is the
earliest known calendar-dated
document found in the
Philippines

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 The Manunggul Jar is a
secondary burial jar excavated
from a Neolithic burial site in
the Manunggul cave of the
Tabon Caves at Lipuun Point in
Palawan. It dates from 890–710
B.C. and the two prominent
figures at the top handle of its
cover represent the journey of
the soul to the afterlife

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 In 1965, Dr. Robert Fox found a unique
artifact at Lagen Island,El Nido, Philippines.
This artifact is an earthen jar that resembles a
yawning man. This is the reason why
archaeologists called it “The Yawning Jar.”

Estimated to have existed in 265 BC

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 Researchers, as spearheaded by
Dr. Armand Mijares of the
University of the Philippines,
digging in the Philippines's Callao
Cave, Cagayan, found teeth and
bones that they say belong to a
distinct species of ancient human,
which they have named Homo
luzonensis.

The small-bodied hominin, named

Homo luzonensis, lived on the
island of Luzon at least 50,000 to
67,000 years ago (which predates
the 47,000-year-old Tabon Man).
The hominin—identified from a
total of seven teeth and six small
bones

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Theories on the Origins of the Philippines

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 Pacific Theory

According to Bailey Willis, a noted geologist, the Philippine

islands were formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. These
volcanoes were found under the Pacific Ocean towards the
eastern region of Asia. The Pacific Theory or the Volcanic
Theory says that some 200 million years has passed since the
eruption of these volcanoes. This natural phenomenon
caused the splitting of rocks followed by the waters
surrounding them.

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 Asiatic Theory

According to the Asiatic theory of Dr. Leopoldo Faustino, the

islands were form through the process of diastrophism. This
explains the movement of the earth that caused some parts
either to rise or sink. This happens with the folding, faulting,
and wrapping of the earth.

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 Wave of Migration Theory

According to the theory of H. Otley Beyer, a renowned

archaeologist, the Philippines was once a part of the Asian
continent because of land bridges. This geographical feature
was common during the Pleistocene Period or the Ice Age
some 1.8 million years ago. Waves of migrants from
Mainland Asia made their way to the Philippines crossing
these land bridges.

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 Main minority groups: Tagalog (24.4 per
cent), Bisaya/Binisaya (11.4 per cent), Cebuano (9.9 per
cent), Ilocano (8.8 per cent) Hiligaynon/Ilonggo (8.4 per
cent), Bikol/Bicol (6.8 per cent) Waray (4 per cent), other
local ethnicities (26.1 per cent) as of 2010 census.    

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Fist settlers in the Philippines: Negritos, Indonesians, and
Malays

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 Women, LGBT

Dr. Dorothy Jose of the University of the Philippines- Manila

* Maria Clara
*Identity of men is attached to the women
*Babaylan or Katalonan
*Seclusion of a daughter
*The more experienced the better
*Ulog; test of sexual compatibility
*Tudruk at Sakra ( for 1 to 2 days intercourse)
* Urbana and Felisa

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Dr. Judy Taguiwalo of University of the Philippines- Diliman
*No local equivalent of the term “virgin”
* Abortion
* “Friends”
* Double Standard

Dr. Zeus Salasar of University of the Philippines- Diliman

*Pre-marital sex
*Marriage because of pregnancy

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Assignment:
1. Kindly search for the different tribes and ethnic groups
( including their culture and tradition) in the Philippines from
Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

2.Animism and the beliefs in aswang, engkanto, and multo.

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