Spanish accounts of our historical development

are our concern particularly because we wish to

rectify some of the gross misconceptions of the
Spanish chroniclers.
 RECTO CONSTANTINO SAY’S:
“It should be remembered that most of the early Spanish
chroniclers were actually not describing pre-Spanish
societies but those they came in contact with several
decades after Spanish occupation. It is possible that such
societies already reflected to some extent relations
influenced by the class-imposed values of the conquerors
themselves”(1975:35-36)
Robert E. Fox relied heavily on the “distribution of known
archeological sites” (National Museum:2). The villages of
early Filipinos were classified as:

1. COASTAL
2. NEAR-COASTAL
3. RIVERINE IN ORIENTATION
This settlements orientation of the early
Filipinos could be attributed to a number of
reasons:
1.The rivers were there source of proteins. As probably
know by now, pigs, dogs, chickens, and carabaos were
“ritual food” and therefore did not constitute the daily
fare of the people.
2. The river and the ocean were good routes enabling people to
communicate and carry on trade relations with each other
groups.

3. Contacts with other groups facilitated the cultural changes

among people inhabiting the coastal areas because of their
exposure to traders who came not only from nearby islands but
also from other countries.
 • Examples of those
communities are:
1. Manila
2. Cebu
3. Butuan
4. Jolo

4. Villagers inhabited the coastal or

near coastal areas, their settlement
pattern may also be characterized as
nucleated and dispersed.
From Fox point of view
two factors gave rise to
this:

1. Land usage and economic activities, and

2. Theextent of development of the political or
organization.
The fact that early Filipinos were shifting cultivators, where they
had to move from one field to another within a period of three
years, gave to more dispersed settlement.

Then, we also have to reckon with the customs and traditions of

the people and their relationship with the concept of temporary
shelter. People had to abandon or burn dwellings when a member
of the family died. This was done to do away with the scent of
death and prevent another death in the family to follow soon.
 In other areas in Southeast Asia, Robert noted that “there occurred a
period (still-ill defined as to its date of megalithic building. In other
words, structures of stone were built for ritual and social purposes. A
good example would be:

The great temple of Borobodur in java which was

built during the second half of the eight century
A. D And consisted of nine terraces and huge
bell-shaped stupa.

IF STONE STRUCTURES WERE BUILT IN SOUTHEAST

ASIA DURING THE PHILIPPINE PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD,
WHY WERE THERE NONE IN THE PHILIPPINES?
A good number of reasons are:

 The early Filipinos more shifting cultivators and their houses

were temporary shelters.
 Stone structures, therefore would not be of practical use to
people engaged in this kind of economic activity.
Fox believed that instead of building stone structures, the
early Filipinos engaged in workwood and carving, which
they developed into an art.
The absence of stone structures in the Philippines may be
attributed to the fragmented political structure.
A Filipino community during the pre-Spanish period (as well as the
barrio today) was an aggregate of independent households. There
were no public buildings (even market except Southern Philippines)
upon which community life centered.

The “Plaza Complex” (the orientation of the church, municipio,

schools, and other public structures around a public square or
plaza), so prominent in many towns and municipalities today
introduced by the Spaniards.
Historical documents show that:
 There were large and compact communities in the Philippines,
composed of about few thousand members, such as Cebu and
Manila.

 Such type of nucleated communities, though smaller in size and

organized in terms of kinship, were also found in other areas,
specifically in Eastern Mindanao.

 Replicas of this latter type of community may be seen in Bulacan

and around the Northeast side of Laguna de Bay
The early Filipino adapted his dwelling and his community to the
environment in which he lived and, to a certain extent, to his
economic activities.

Houses were built over the water along the shore

at Catalagan, Batangas during the 14th and 15th
centuries because the inhabitants were engaged in
fishing and gathering of sea products

The same thing can be said of the Samal, a Muslim group in the
Southern Sulu archipelago, who evidences, have been fishermen
for hundred of years
 The tree houses found in, Northern
Luzon, among the Ilongot and
Gaddang, may also be considered
as their adaptation to the
environment and at the same time a
strategy to protect them from inter-
community strife of vendettas
associated with headhunting.

 The people of Batanes have

built dwellings that can
withstand the numerous
Typhoons that sweep the
regions annually.
BARANGAY
 Formerly referred to a barrio, is
the smallest administrative
division in the Philippines and is
the native Filipino term for a
village, district or ward.

The word barangay originated

The barangay itself is from Balangay, a kind of boat
sometimes informally used by a group of Austronesian
subdivided into smaller areas peoples when they migrated to
called purok or in English zone. the Philippines.
 A “unit of social organization with broader political, economic, and religious features
than a family”(Jocano,1975:172)

 The barangay connotes different meanings:

1. It refers to a boat, the barangay manned by a leader, an old man, known as the datu.
In his search for better trading and economic opportunities, the leader was usually
accompanied by his wife, children, relatives, friends and helpers.

2. The place they eventually inhabited became known as the barangay of

___________(the name of the leader). The term took on a different meanings it
referred to the “group who came via the boat of the same name.”(Jocano,1975:172-
173)

3. The term also refers to a kinship unit.

Inter-barangay relationship was attained through the ritual of Sandugo. This is
sometimes performed in order to Resolve hostilities between barangays, which were
commonly caused by questions of land ownership. The leaders who resorted to the
Sandugo became ritual kinsmen.
Other causes of inter-barangay conflicts were:

1. Unwarranted killing of residents in another community through surprise

raids
2. Stealing of wives from another barangay
3. Treachery, particularly to those who came with good intentions such as to
trade
There is argument too that the “people in the region were originally
Malays”(Jocano 1975:67). Jocano dismisses this argument as pure and
simple myth,

… Unless one takes the word Malay as a taxonomic label it is quite difficult to
accept this assertion in the light of fossil evidence. None of the fossil finds have so
far been labeled as such by the authorities who are themselves responsible for
what we know today about prehistoric man. On the basis of current usage, the
term Malay is an ethnic (hence cultural) term applied to a group of people who
speak Malay or the Melayu language. However, it has been used popularly (and
erroneously) to encompasses such biological entity as race. It is difficult to relate
the ethnic label to strictly paleo-biological evidences and still be accurate in
stating that the region of Island Southeast Asia had been peopled by the
Malays(Jocano, 1975:67)
LEADERSHIP
 WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
Is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an
individual or organization to “lead” or guide other individuals, teams, or
entire organization.

Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness,

courage, and discipline.
The leaders in the barangay were the oldest members.
Apart from age, kinship and knowledge of the traditions were
the asserts of the leaders.

Succession to the office was along the male line. Though

succession was not hereditary, the son of the chief had an
advantage because of his training and his exposure.
“However, any commoner might acquire the status of a
chief due to bravery skill, and ability to sway public
opinion in his favor. The son of a chief should also end
up as a commoner if he lacked the personality to
influence community decisions and to lead in any
undertaking as a raid” (Jocano, 1975:175-176)
 CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
LEADERSHIP

HONEST ABILITY TO INSPIRE

GOOD COMMUNICATION
ABILITY TO MAKE INFORMED
DECISION
CONFIDENCE

POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEM

LEADERSHIP IS NOT;
 ABOUT POSITION OR SENIORITY
ABOUT YOUR TITLE
ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL
ATTRIBUTES
MANAGEMENT
SOCIAL CLASSES
 What is social class?
 Social class is defined as broad category of people sharing the same
economic position, plus similar values, lifestyle, etc.

The concept of social class is not subject to exact measurement like points on
a compass, and different observers may come up with different lists of classes.
 How many social class?
In the Philippines, the middle class was often regarded as either small or
non existent, and the two social class categories were the rich and the
poor.

This was the analysis made several years ago by Father Lynch in a study of
Bicol town in which he found there were only two classes:

“Big people” “Little people”

(dakung tao) (Sadit na tao)
Though there was already a concept of social stratification as exemplified in
the kinds of houses as well as possessions owned, there was really no strict
social class to speak of.
There were a number of social classes. The chief and his family were regarded
as belonging to the upper class, and next To them were the freemen. They
were required to assist the chief, particularly in matters involving the welfare of
the community.

Next to the freemen in rank were the “dependent population”

whom the Spanish chroniclers referred to as slaves. According to
Constantino, these slaves were “debt peons rather than chattel slaves
in the classical European sense.
What is the importance of classifying the
Filipino according to their social class?
 PHILIPPINES SOCIAL HIERARCHY

Upper Class/ Maharlika Middle Class Lower Class

Aliping Aliping
Class I Class II Timawa Alipin
Namamahay Sangigilid

Datu Umahalokan

Datu’s Family Gat

Lakan
 HOME
UPPER CLASS/MAHARLIKA
These were the top most authority holder in this hierarchy and the richest of all in
the Philippines’ social hierarchy. This social class further got divided and sub-
divided as follow:

• CLASS I • CLASS II
This was the class of leader of the society These were inferior to datu and his family but superior
and his family. It incorporated the to rest of the people OF Philippine. The people in this
following: class were involved in administrative works like
trading, lawmaking, welfare, implementing of the laws,
 DATU handling and taking care of rituals and religion.
 DATU’S
FAMILY
 UMALAHOKAN  GAT

 LAKAN
DATU BACK
DATU’S FAMILY BACK
UMALAHOKAN BACK
LAKAN/GAT BACK
 MIDDLE CLASS
This was the middle level social class of the hierarchy. It further incorporated
two social classes that are portrayed as below. Just have a look:

• TIMAWA • ALIPING NAMAMAHAY

These were the Freed Slaves. They
bought their freedom by some possible
mean. They were engaged in agriculture,
boat making, livestock, carpentry,
hunting, fishing and many more such
manual work. They were allowed and had
family of their own
These were also sort of slaves but had
some rights provided by their owners. They
could get themselves free by any means
possible at that time. When an Aliping
Namamahay bought his freedom, he the
became a Timawa.
 BACK
TIMAWA
 ALIPING BACK

NAMAMAHAY
 LOWER CLASS
This was the lowest class of the hierarchy. It further incorporated into two
classes that are described as below:

• ALIPING SANGIGILID • ALIPIN

• This was the poorest class of the Philippines’ social • This was the lowest most class in Philippines’
hierarchy. These people had zero or negligible social hierarchy. These were people who had
rights. They were not allowed to own a property in
done crime in the past. People would inherit the
the country. They were not even allowed to get
‘Alipin’ blood from their criminal parents. There
married. They were pretty much like slaves who
were also some other sort of Alipin who were
could be traded or even sold out by their owners
buried under huge debts.
and were not allowed to repulse their master’s
decision.
 BACK
ALIPING
SANGIGILID
 BACK
ALIPIN
GROUP 1:
BEED-2B

1. FUENTES, MELANIE B.
2. CAHUTAY, MARJORIE
3. FLORES, HENELILIT
4. LOPEZ, MICHELLE ANN
 THANK YOU!
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY
GODBLESS