Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
CONTENT
What is the main idea?
Juan del Plasencia described the everyday living of the ancient Filipinos, their social
status, and customs in a time when Spaniards were quite unaware of the pre-colonial.
The Chief or called Datos who governed the people and were captains in their war whom
they obey and reverence.
Barangay is a family of parents and children, relations, and slaves. And the chiefs, in
their various wars, helped one another with their respective barangays.
The people on the barangay would divide the land; each would respect their Ownership;
no outsider in the barangay could use the land unless it is sold or inherited by the
owner.
Three castes: The nobles, commoners, and slaves where nobles or Maharlicas are free,
and they don’t pay taxes. And commoners or aliping namamahay own a house and land.
And lastly, the Slaves or aliping saguguilid wherein their masters can sell them.
CREATOR
Who creates the source?
Juan de Plasencia, “Customs of the Tagalogs. October 21, 1589,” in Emma H. Blair and
James A. Robertson, the Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Vol. XVII.
CONTEXT
What is going on when the source is created?
During this era, Plasencia allowed us to know what happens at that time. Ancient people
have been governed by Dato. Datos were highly respected by their people, and they
need to follow whatever it commands. And not even with the wife or the children of the
Dato were exempted from getting a punishment when they disobeyed them. A Dato only
governs a small group of people and have a territory called Barangay. Datos don’t let
other Datos interfere with their land, and they only treat Datos as a family, ally, or
enemy. There was a caste system being followed in every barangay at that time. They
are classified into three social statuses: Maharlika, Commoner, and Slaves. In that
time, debts are the main reason why there are times that a nobleman becomes a slave.
Sometimes, slaves came from the captives of war. For a slave to be set free, they have
to pay a minimum amount of gold to their masters. There are times when the Datos
becomes a judge for the two rival parties so that the judgment will be equal. When the
two Datos don’t get along with each other; They call other Datos to be the judge to
prevent war. The punishment at that time was as brutal as being hanged or being put
into boiling water. Diving a property is unfair at those time because of the status of
their parents. The one who gets a big part of the property is the one with high status
as children of Maharlika from the slaves who get the smallest part of the property.
CONNECTION
What is your prior knowledge and your newly acquired knowledge?
In the document of Plasencia, It talks about the everyday living of the ancient Filipinos,
their system of government, their social status, and their customs, and beliefs. This
document is important for determining how the Spaniards will govern the Filipinos
during the Spanish era. Early Filipinos were very much alike to the Malays based on
their language. Even before they came here to the Philippines, they were governed by a
Chief or Dato. A Dato only governs a small group of people; The territory of a Dato is
called Barangay. There are three castes called: Maharlika, Commoner, and Slaves. And,
also in his document, Plasencia observed the beliefs of the Tagalogs about their Gods,
devils, witches, burials, and their beliefs afterlife. All these customs were practiced by
the Tagalogs or the early Filipinos even before the Spaniards came into the Philippines.
With this kind of fact, it can be concluded that early Filipinos have their style of
governing their people and having a fair justice system.
COMMUNICATION
Is the source reliable?
In Plasencia’s work, it concludes that the Custom of the Tagalog is the product of
observation and judgments. Several of his perspective on our ancient practices and
beliefs were not different from our own point of view. There was slight to very little
bias incorporated in writing the text due to the nature of Plasencia as an expedition on
foreign land. He needs to be open-minded in order to successfully done the document.
Therefore, at some point, it is probable that Juan de Plasencia’s work might contain
partiality in presenting his observations and judgments. The pre-conquest society was
not swept by the advent of the Spanish regime. It has continued to serve as the basis
for historical reconstructions of Tagalog society.
CONCLUSION
How does the source contribute to your understanding of the past?
In my understanding of the past, it acquired a lot of information with regards to how
the system of the Philippines works back then and which our society is made up of
different types of people classified by their social status wherein the rich ones can
rule and have great power among the others who at the lower class. And, also we
noticed that many of the 16th-century beliefs and practices are still present today. It
declares that during the pre-Hispanic period, Ancient Filipinos already have a
government as well as a set of beliefs and practices.