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Customs and Society of 16th Century Tagalogs

Juan de Plasencia was a 16th century Franciscan missionary who authored several religious and linguistic works about the Philippines. His work "Customs of the Tagalogs" describes the social hierarchy, family structures, and religious practices of the Tagalog people, including a class system of nobles, commoners, and slaves. It provides insights into Tagalog society prior to Spanish colonization but may contain some biased observations from Plasencia's perspective. The work continues to be an important historical source on pre-Hispanic Philippine culture.

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874 views19 pages

Customs and Society of 16th Century Tagalogs

Juan de Plasencia was a 16th century Franciscan missionary who authored several religious and linguistic works about the Philippines. His work "Customs of the Tagalogs" describes the social hierarchy, family structures, and religious practices of the Tagalog people, including a class system of nobles, commoners, and slaves. It provides insights into Tagalog society prior to Spanish colonization but may contain some biased observations from Plasencia's perspective. The work continues to be an important historical source on pre-Hispanic Philippine culture.

Uploaded by

joan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The Customs of

the Tagalogs
By: Juan de Plasencia
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND
 was born in the early 16th century
 He was among the first group of Franciscan
missionaries who arrived in the Islands on July
2, 1578.
 His real name is Joan de Puerto Carrero, del
convento de Villanueva dela Serena
 He spent most of his missionary life in the
Philippines, where he founded numerous
towns in Luzon and authored several religious
and linguistic books
Customs of the Tagalogs is a part of
longer monographs written by the
chroniclers of the Spanish
expeditions to the Philippines during
the early 16th and 17th centuries.
Contents:

Datos- the chief who governed


the people and were captain in
their wars whom they obey and
reverence
Barangay – a family of
parents and children,
relations and slaves
The Three Castes:

Nobles
Commoners
Slaves
Summary #1
Those who are maharlicas on
both the father’s and mother’s
side continue to be so forever,
and if it happens that they
should become slaves, it is
through marriage.
Summary #2
If maharlicas had children
among their slaves, the
children and their mothers
became free.
Summary #3
If maharlicas had children by the
slave-woman of another, the slave-
woman was compelled when pregnant,
to give her master half of a gold tael.
In this case, half of the child was free
if the father ( Maharlica) recognized
him. If not, the child will become a
whole slave.
Summary #4

If a free woman had children


by a slave they were all free,
provided he were not her
husband.
Summary #5
O If two persons get married, of whom one was
maharlica and other is a slave (namamahay) ,
the children were divided:
O Odd birth order( 1st, 3rd, 5th)
O -Belongs to the father
O Even birth ( 2nd, 4th, 6th)
O -Belongs to mother
O Only Child
O -Hald free, Half Slave
Maharlicas could not after marriage
move from one village to another
without paying a certain fine in
Gold, as arranged among them.
When one married a woman of
another village, the children were
afterwards divided equally between
the two barangays.
Investigations were made and
sentences passed by the dato must
take place in the presence of those
his barangay.
Dowries are given by men to the
women’s parents before marriage. If
the parents are both alive, they both
enjoy the use of it.
Worship of the Tagalogs
O No temples
O Simbahan-temple or place
of adoration
O Pandot or a festival
celebrated
O Sibi
O Sorihile
IDOLS
O Bathala
O Lic-ha
O Dian masalanta (Patron of lovers
and of generation)
O Lacapati and Idianale (Patron of
cultivated lands and of husbandry)
IMPLICATIONS
The original work itself is a product
of observations and judgements.
Therefore, it is probable that Juan de
Plasencia’s work might contain
partiality in presenting his
observations and judgements.
It has continued to serve as
the basis for historical
reconstructions of Tagalog
society.
What is it’s relevance to the
Contemporary times?
• Many of the 16th century beliefs
and practices are still present
today.
• It affirms that during pre- Hispanic
period, Filipino’s already have a
government as well as set of
beliefs and practices
O Some of our perceptions on
Filipino beliefs and practices
are somehow no different from
Juan de Plasencia’s point of
view.

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