https://www.humanrights.

com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-rights/Natural-law-transformed
-into-natural-rights

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592706240271

High respect for equal rights, notable in the matriarchal societies of pre-colonial ethnic groups,
which includes the legality of divorce, equal stand on decision-making from any gender, retention
of names after marriage whether women or men, equal suitability of any work for any gender

The precolonial people of the Philippines have been noted for revering women and feminized
men.[21] Women and men enjoyed the same rights and privileges.[21] Additionally, virginity was
not an issue and children and elders were given the same respect,[21] as children were also noted as
capable of things that an elder can do if given the proper training. Unwed mothers or fathers were
not shamed,[21] as many of their gods and goddesses were the same.[21] Divorce was also practiced,
and was highly accepted.[64][21][65]
The practice of abortion and infanticide was widespread in pre-colonial Visayas, as it was
considered a disgrace to raise a large family, presumably because having many children usually
result to poverty. Abortions were carried out for unmarried women in pre-colonial Visayan
society.[66] In pre-colonial Tagalog society, infanticide was also routinely practiced for children
born to unmarried women, however it does not appear to have been as widespread as in
the Visayas.[67] Unlike Visayans, the ancient Tagalogs prefer to raise large families, as evidenced
by the numerous superstitions that encouraged fertility and the survival of infants.[68]
After marriage, women did not lose their name.[21] In fact, if a woman was especially distinguished,
either from her own merit or her family's merit, her husband usually took her name as she was seen
as far superior to her husband.[21] During this time, women and feminized men were also given high
distinction as many of which took on the role of shamans (such as babaylans), who also took on the
role as interim head[21] of the domain every time a datu is absent or goes into a journey.[21]
The people can freely marry and have children,[69] including male asog who were recorded by early
Spanish colonists as being married to other men, an early notion of same-sex marriage, although the
distinction between heterosexual and homosexual marriages was never given as both were viewed
as equally the same thing.[22][23][note 2][24]
When the Spaniards came and started colonizing the Philippine islands in 1521, the colonialists and
friars were shocked in the perspective of the natives towards women, feminized
men, marriage, divorce, and virginity. The Spaniards acknowledged the "superior quality of the
indigenous"; however, they also sought out to remold many precolonial concepts of equality, which
led to much colonially-imposed hate crimes[70][65] discrimination, and gender inequality in the
Philippines.[21][65]
SOCIETAL NORMS