CUSTOMS OF THE

TAGALOGS
by JUAN DE
PLASENCIA
BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
 JUAN DE PLASENCIA
• Fray Juan was born to the illustrious family of the Portocarreros in
Plasencia
in the region of Extremadura, Spain in the early 16th century.

• His father, Don Pedro Portocarrero, was a captain of a Spanish schooner,

who died in Naples, Italy in 1574. Juan de Plasencia died in Liliw, Laguna in
1590.

• He is believed to have arrived to the Philippines in 1578, after a stopover

in Mexico.
As soon as he arrived, he joined forces with another missionary, Fray Diego
de Oropesa,
and they both started preaching around Laguna de Bay and Tayabas,
Quezon, in Quezon Province, where he founded several towns.
• During the following years they are also credited with the foundation of a
large number of towns in the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal,
such as Tayabas, Caliraya, Lucban, Mahjayjay, Nagcarlan, Lilio(Liliw), Pila,
Santa Cruz, Lumban, Pangil, Siniloan, Morong, Antipolo, Taytay, and
Meycauayan.

• He was also known to be a defender of the native population, looking

after the poor, ill, or neglected, and standing up for their rights on
numerous occasions.

• He was also very keen on creating primary schools, and requested official
sanction for the creation of educational centers where "Filipinos could
not only learn Christian doctrine, but also reading and writing, and some
arts and crafts, so they would become after, not only good Christians but
also useful citizens", an initiative that was approved by Domingo de
Salazar, the first Bishop of the See of Manila (1512–1594
BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTS
 • It was written on the year 1589 during the Spanish Colonial Period. After receiving the Lordship’s letter,
Plasencia wished to reply immediately; but he postponed his answer in order that he might first thoroughly
inform himself in regard to People’s request, and to avoid discussing the conflicting reports of the Indians.

• Therefore, he collected Indians from different districts old men, and those of most capacity; and from them he
have obtained the simple truth, after weeding out much foolishness, in regard to their government,
administration of justice, inheritance, slaves, and dowries.
 • It was written on the year 1589 during the Spanish Colonial Period. After receiving the Lordship’s letter,
Plasencia wished to reply immediately; but he postponed his answer in order that he might first thoroughly
inform himself in regard to People’s request, and to avoid discussing the conflicting reports of the Indians.

• Therefore, he collected Indians from different districts old men, and those of most capacity; and from them he
have obtained the simple truth, after weeding out much foolishness, in regard to their government,
administration of justice, inheritance, slaves, and dowries.
BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTS
• Customs of the Tagalogs is a part (either chapters or subsections) of longer monographs written by the
chroniclers of the Spanish expeditions to the Philippines during the early 16th and 17th centuries. They
appeared initially in Blair and Robertson’s 55 volumes, The

• Philippine Islands (1903) and in the Philippine Journal of Sciences (1958).

CONTENT ANALYSIS
 • DATOS
• the chief who governed the people and were captains in their wars whom they obey and reverence

• BARANGAY
• a family of parents and children, relations and slaves.
 THE THREE CASTES
• Nobles or Maharlicas
•  Free-born Do not pay tax or tribute to the dato, but must accompany him in war at their own expense.
The chief offered them beforehand a feast, and afterward they divided the spoils.
• Commoners or Aliping Namamahay
•  They are married, and serve their master, whether he be a dato or not, with half of their cultivated lands,
as was agreed upon in the beginning.
• SLAVES
• They serve their master in his house and on his cultivated lands. May be sold even their child. They can be
either farmers or slaves. Slaves were fed by their master while farmers were given them part of their harvest
based on their hard work for them to eat
 • SITUATION 1
• Those who are maharlicas on both the father’s and mother’s side continue to be forever, and if it happens
that they should become slaves, it is through marriage.

• SITUATION 2
• If maharlicas had children among their slaves, their children and their mothers became free

• SITUATION 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.
 • SITUATION 4

• If a free woman had children by a slave they were all free, provided he were not her husband.

• If two persons married, of whom one was a maharlica and the other a slave (namamahay or sa guiguilir ) the
children were divided.
• Odd birth order (1st,3rd,5th)

• – belong to the father. Even birth order (2nd, 4th, 6th)

• – belong to the mother. Only child

• –half free, half slave.

• SITUATION 5

• Maharlicas could not, after marriage, move from one village to another without paying a certain fee in gold
(ranging from one to three

• tales and a banquet to the entire barangay) as arranged among them.

 • Special Case
• When one married woman of another village, the children were afterwards divided equally between the two
barangays. Investigations made and sentences passed by the dato must take place in the presence of those
his barangay.They had laws by which they condemned to death a man of low birth who insulted the daughter
or wife of a chief; likewise witches, and others of the same class.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.Divorce and Dowries Death
of Wife or Husband Dowry and Arranged Marriage
 • Worship of the Tagalogs
• No temples
• Simbahan
• Temple or Place of Adoration.

• Pandot
• or a festival celebrated

• Sibi
• Sorihile
• Nagaanitos
 IDOLS
• Bathala
• Lic-Ha
• Dian Masalanta (Patron of Lovers and of Generation)
• Lacapati and Idianale (Patrons of Cultivated Lands and of Husbandry)
• Tala
• Seven Little Goats (the Pleiades)
• Mapolon (change of seasons)
• Balatic (greater Bear)
• Buaya
• Tigmamanuguin
• bird
• No established division of years, months, and days
• Catolonan (officiating priest)
• Offerings and sacrifices
• Belief on bearingchild
 IDOLS
1.Catalonan

2.Manganguay (Witches)

3.Manyisalat

4.Mancocolam

5.Hocloban

6.Silagan

7.Magtatangal

8.Osuang

9.Mangagayoma

10.Sonat

11.Pangatahojan

12.Bayoguuin
 • The original work itself is a product of observations and judgments. Therefore, it is
probable that Juan de Plasencia’s work might contain partiality in presenting his observations and judgments.

• Pre-conquest society were not swept by the advent of the Spanish regime.

• It has continued to serve as a basis for historical reconstructions of Tagalog society

Contribution to historical narrative
• Our culture is a big reflection of our great and complex history. It is influenced by most of the people we have
interacted with. A blend of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic culture with the influence from Chinese,
Indians Arabs, and other Asian cultures really contribute to the customs and traditions of the Filipinos.
Relevance to contemporary times
 • RELEVANCE
• Many of the 16th
• century beliefs and practices are still present today.

• If affirms that during the pre-Hispanic period, Filipinos already have government as well as a set of beliefs and
practices.
• Some of our preceptions on Filipino beliefs and practices are somehow on different from
• Juan de Plasencia’s point of view
BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTS
 LEARNING EXPERIENCE
• I learned about the customs and beliefs of the Filipinos then and now. Like how the people believed in God,
even then there are different beliefs about God up until now. But back then, they praised the things that they
can see around them like the sun, moon etc. To this day, people still have different names and beliefs for God
but they only believe in one God. It made me realize that even before, our society are made up of different
types of people classified by their social status wherein the rich ones has the greater power among others
who are in lower class. Also, always look back to our past because it is who we are it is us before colonialism,
we shouldn't set aside our own culture that we had before the Spaniards came.