Customs of the Tagalogs PDF

**CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS** **Pre- Discussion** Juan de Plasencia, a Franciscan missionary who resided in the Tagalog region from 1578 to 1590, penned **\"The Customs of the Tagalogs,\"** providing insight into the entrenched cultural practices of the Tagalog people in Luzon. This narrative offers...

**CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS** **Pre- Discussion** Juan de Plasencia, a Franciscan missionary who resided in the Tagalog region from 1578 to 1590, penned **\"The Customs of the Tagalogs,\"** providing insight into the entrenched cultural practices of the Tagalog people in Luzon. This narrative offers a captivating exploration of Philippine culture, revealing the intricate social structures, religious observances, and ceremonial traditions that shaped the Tagalog identity. By delving into and safeguarding these customs, we not only pay homage to the esteemed heritage of the Tagalog community but also deepen our comprehension of Filipino culture in its entirety. **At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:** a\. Identify the main argument in the documents. b\. Examine the purpose of writing the documents. c\. Appreciate the Tagalog Customs. **Lesson Outline** This document was crafted in response to a request from the Spanish monarchy, aimed at furnishing details regarding the governance, judicial systems, inheritance practices, slavery, dowries, religious observances, burial customs, and superstitions prevalent among the \"Indians\" residing in the colony. Moreover, it seeks to correct any inaccuracies present in prior reports concerning the lifestyle of the people in the region. **CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS** This community always had leaders, referred to as **datos**, who governed and served as captains in their wars, commanding obedience and reverence from their subjects. Anyone who disobeyed against them or even spoke a word against their wives and children faced severe punishment. These chiefs typically presided over a small number of people, ranging from as few as thirty to around a hundred households. This social unit was known as a **barangay** in Tagalog. The name **\"barangay\"** was likely adopted due to their classification, within the Malay nations, and when they settled in the land, the head of the barangay assumed the role of a dato. Even today, the barangay is recognized as originating from a family structure comprising parents, children, relatives, and slaves. Apart from the chiefs, akin to knights in our context, there existed three distinct classes: ***nobles, commoners,** and **slaves***. The **nobles** known as **maharlica,** were free-born individuals exempt from taxes or tributes to the dato but obligated to join him in warfare at their own expense. Prior to battles, the chief would host a feast for them, and afterwards, they would share in the spoils. The lands on the mountain ridges, known as **tingues**, remained undivided and were collectively owned by the barangay. Therefore, during the rice harvest, any individual from the barangay could cultivate and sow land without coercion to abandon it. In certain villages, such as **Pila de la Laguna,** the nobles or maharlicas annually contributed a hundred gantas of rice to the dato. This tradition stemmed from the circumstance where upon settlement, another chief had previously owned the lands, which the new chief purchased with his own resources. Consequently, members of his barangay paid him for the arable land, and he allocated it to those he deemed worthy. However, this system changed with the arrival of the Spaniards. **Commoners,** known as aliping namamahay, were married individuals who served their master, whether a dato or not, by offering half of their cultivated lands as agreed upon initially. They accompanied their master beyond the island and worked for him, yet they retained ownership of their homes, property, and gold. Inheritances were equally distributed among legitimate children, with slight variations based on gifts given by parents. Dowries were given by men to the parents of women, and unmarried women owned no property, with all their labor benefiting their parents. The **slaves** are called aliping saguiguilir. They serve their master in his house and on his cultivated lands, and may be sold. The master grants them, should he see fit, and providing that he has profited through their industry, a portion of their harvests, so that they may work faithfully. For these reasons, servants who are born in the house of their master are rarely, if ever, sold. That is the lot of captives in war, and of those brought up in the harvest fields. In the event of divorce before the birth of children, the disposition of dowry depended on the circumstances. If the wife left to marry another, her dowry and an equivalent sum went to her husband, while if she remained unmarried, the dowry was returned. Conversely, if the husband initiated the divorce, he forfeited half the dowry, with the remainder returned to him. If children were involved, the entire dowry and fine went to them, managed by grandparents or responsible relatives. **Tagalog Worship, Deities, Burial Practices, and Superstitions** Across the villages and various regions of the Filipinas Islands, there are no dedicated temples for sacrifices, idol worship, or widespread idolatry practices. Though they use the term **\"simbahan\"** for temple or place of worship, it stems from the practice of celebrating festivals, known as **pandot or \"worship,\"** in the large houses of chiefs. During such festivities, a temporary shelter is erected to accommodate the gathered people, with the house divided into compartments resembling ships. Lamps and drums adorn the place while the community engages in worship ceremonies, called **nagaanitos**, typically lasting four days. Among their idols, **Badhala** holds significance, seemingly representing omnipotence or creator of all things. They also venerate the sun, admired for its beauty, along with the moon, especially during the new moon phase, marked by grand celebrations. Additionally, they pay homage to stars, albeit without specific names, except for the morning star known as Tala. Their belief system extends to various idols, including **Lacapati and Idianale**, associated with agriculture, and **Dian masalanta**, patron of love and procreation. Water lizards, referred to as **buaya or crocodiles** are also revered, with offerings made to them out of fear. The Tagalogs often interpret signs and omens from encounters with animals or events like sneezing, influencing their decisions and actions. Divination practices are employed to determine the efficacy of weapons or foresee future events. Their calendar revolves around agricultural cycles and natural phenomena, with no fixed division of years, months, or days until the arrival of the Spaniards. Sacrificial rituals involve feasts where offerings are made to the devil, anointed with fragrant perfumes, while poetic songs are sung by officiating priests known as **catolonan**. Young girls experiencing menstruation for the first time undergo rituals blindfolded for four days, believed to ensure fertility and a prosperous marriage. The society recognizes various classes of priests, including catolonan, mangagauay, manyisalat, mancocolam, hocloban, silagan, magtatangal, osuang, mangagayoma, sonat, and pangatahojan, each fulfilling specific roles ranging from healing to divination. Burial customs involve mourning the deceased for four days, followed by placing them in boats serving as coffins, accompanied by animals. Chiefs receive special burial under a porch beside their house, sometimes with a living slave tied beneath them, expected to perish alongside. The grieving period is marked by dirges, praises, eating, and drinking, embodying the Tagalog customs surrounding death and remembrance. Additional Reading. Please click the link: **(Document of Customs of the Tagalogs)** Source: *()* **Summary** The Tagalog community\'s social structure is centered on leaders known as datos, who govern and lead in warfare, demanding respect and obedience. These chiefs oversee small groups of people, referred to as barangays, which encompass a family unit comprising parents, children, relatives, and slaves. Aside from datos, there are three classes: nobles, commoners, and slaves. Nobles, or maharlicas, are exempt from taxes and contribute to warfare, while commoners serve their masters and own property. Inheritance and dowry customs vary based on marital status and circumstances of divorce, ensuring property rights for legitimate children. Tagalog worship and superstitions reflect a belief system centered on nature and ancestral spirits. Temples are makeshift structures for festivals, and idols represent various aspects of life and nature. The community interprets omens from encounters and employs divination practices. Burial customs involve mourning, placing the deceased in boats, and rituals to ensure fertility and prosperity. Tagalog society recognizes different classes of priests, each fulfilling specific roles in healing, divination, and spiritual guidance.