Filipino Culture and Stages of Development

Stages of Development in Filipino Culture

Paleolithic Era

• Utilized stone tools for hunting and gathering found in Cagayan and Tabon caves.
• Characterized by the use of rough stone tools.

Neolithic Era

• Marked the New/Polished Stone Age with the transition to finely crafted artifacts.
• Pottery developed, evidenced in Cagayan Valley, Palawan, and Albay.

Age of Metals

• Introduction of copper, bronze, iron, tin, and gold in the Philippines.
• No evidence of local metal production has been found.

Age of Contact & Trade

• Arabs initiated trade in the 11th century followed by Chinese traders in the 13th century.
• Emergence of large communities in port towns like Cebu, Manila, and Iloilo due to trade.
• Political structures began to evolve as a result of trading activities.

Food and Agriculture

• Shift from hunting to agriculture, with root crops such as taro and yam being cultivated.
• Rice became a staple food, supported by the Banaue Rice Terraces in various provinces.
• Advancements in planting and farming techniques due to improved stone tools.

Crafts and Industries

• Pots served multiple purposes: storage, cooking, rituals, burials, and aesthetic expression.
• Weaving and wood carving were common, along with vital boat building.

Burial and Early Beliefs

• Beautifully designed burial jars found in regions like Cagayan, Palawan, and Albay, often containing jewelry and personal items.
• Early Filipinos were pagans, worshipping anitos and diwatas.
• Key roles included Maganito (sacrificer), Katalona (priest), Babaylan (priestess), and Bathala (supreme god).

Early Arts and Music

• Music played an integral role in pre-colonial Philippines with instruments like bamboo flutes, guitars, and gongs.
• Indigenous songs celebrated life stages, courtship, marriage, and activities like planting and hunting.
• Tattoos and body painting often signified war achievements or were used for aesthetic purposes.

Writing and Literature

• Writing existed before Spanish colonization on materials like tree bark, leaves, and bamboo.
• Baybayin was a 17-letter script used by groups like the Mangyans and Tagbanuas.
• Early literature included awit (songs), bugtong (riddles), salawikain (proverbs), myths, legends, and poetry.

Social Organizations

• Early communities, organized along rivers, formed social units called barangays, deriving from "balangay" (boat).
• Each barangay consisted of 30-100 families, led by a datu (chief) with significant power as an executive, legislator, and judge.
• Maharlica were nobles aiding the datu, maintaining order and customs.
• Timawa assisted in promoting barangay welfare.
• Alipin were divided into categories based on their status and means of being bound to servitude.

Alipin Class Structure

• Saguiguilid: No property, required master's permission for marriage, could be sold.
• Namamahay: Owned property, married at will, could not be sold.
• Maginoos: Council of elders assisting datus in law-making.

Law Making and Judicial System

• Written legal codes included the Code of Maragtas and Code of Kalantiaw, reflecting the early governance structure in barangays.