its more fun in the philippines

The Archipelago’s Name
Section 1. The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago1, with all the islands and water embraces therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecting islands of the archipelago regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines. 1987 Phil Constitution

Derived from the Greek word pelagos which means sea. It has been defined as a sea or part of a sea studded with islands, often synonymous with island groups or as a large group of islands in an extensive body of water, such as sea.

1. Ma-yi (Ma-i) – appears in Sung Dynasty sources in 982 A.D, refer to the island of Mindoro
2. Filipinas – given to the archipelago in 1543 by the ill-starred (Philip) of Austrias, who later became Philip II, the greatest king of Spain.
The name for the archipelago first appeared in a rare map published at Venice in 1554 by Giovanni Battista Ramusio, an Italian geographer.
3. Philippine Islands (P.I) – during the American era.
4. Republic of the Philippines (R.P) – after the recognition of its independence in 1946.
Filipinos proposed new names:
5. Rizaline Republic – proposed by Aretemio Ricarte, a Katipunan general
6. Maharlika – proposed by president Ferdinand Marcos
Other names:
7. Gems of the East
8. Emerald islands
9. Treasure Islands of the Pacific
10. Isles of Fear
11. Isles of Hope
12. Orphans of the Pacific
13. Pearl of the Orient Seas – the most romantic name of Philippines

Because of its strategic location, the Philippines is destined to play a great role in the world (Zaide, 6:1999)
1. The Philippines serves as a bridge between the cultures of the East and West.
2. It lies at the crossroads of international air and sea routes.
3. It looms as a bastion of democracy in an area where dictators and communism hold sway over Asian nations.
4. It is the citadel of Christianity between the largely Christian West and largely non-Christian East, hence its role as “the Christian light to the World.

The Philippines in Ancient times

Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Period (800,000 – 5, 000 years ago)
The era of crude stone tools and weapons.
In the Philippines, it was believed to have started in Cagayan Valley.
Man had no other tools than sharp edged stones that could be held by the hand. These stone tools could be used for smashing the bones of animals and shellfish that they have gathered. Archeological evidence shows kinilaw to be the earliest method of preparing fish for consumption where vinegar or lime juice enhances the taste of the fish.

New Stone Age or Neolithic Period (5,000 – 2,500 years ago) otherwise known as Agricultural Revolution by anthropologists
New types of stone tools appeared in various parts of the Philippines, more polished and highly specialized, primarily blade and ax – and adz – like forms for forest clearing and boat making
Root crops like taro (gabi) and yam (ubi) were among the important crops.
This period also indicates that upland rice farming has been developed.
Light and heat became available any time of the day.
The manufacture of pottery was made possible by a process called kilning, which makes use of fire.
Jars as burial coffins for secondary burial were also made.

Early Metal Age (500BC)
Refers to the time in the development of human culture where tools and weapons were made of metal which gradually replaced stone tools.
Jewelry as an ancient art began as amulets and charms to ward off bad spirits or to give supernatural powers to the wearer. In particular tribes like the T’boli, wore body ornaments to please the gods and to signify the status of the wearer.
Early Filipinos made metal implements like knives, the sumpak (blowguns), the kalikot for pounding betel nuts into powder, and gongs to mark the hours of the day and night.

Scholars contend that during this age important industries were
1. Metal working,
2. Pottery making,
3. Glassmaking, and
4. Tie – and – dye weaving

Some families from surrounding island kingdoms set sail in boats and established their communities along riverbanks or on deltas

Age of Contact (500 – 1400 BC)
The period of trading relations with neighboring islands.
Community life throughout the archipelago was dominantly founded on trade and by increasing specialization in craftsmanship.
Indianized traders left vivid traces on Filipino history and culture.
System of writing was already developed.
Both oral and written literature had already flourished in the country (ex. Bugtong (riddles), awit (songs), salawikain, legends, myths and folk epics (Ilocano Lam-ang, the Ifugao alim and hudhud, Kalinga Ulalim, Bicol Handiong, Maranao Bantugan, and Maguindanao Indarapatra and Sulayman).

According to paleographical experts, the ancient Filipino writing originated from India. Dr. T.H. Pardo de Tavera mentioned that, there are more than 340 Sanskrit words found in the Tagalog language. Dr. Jose Villa Panganiban, gives a longer list of 375 Sanskrit loan words in the Filipino words to name a few:
1. Ama 6. kuta
2. Nanay 7. Sutla (silk)
3. Asawa 8. saksi
4. Halaga 9. Tala (star)
5. kalapati 10. Sandata

Historically speaking, Sino- Philippine relations began in the 10th century A.D.

In the 13th century, Japan was said to have traded with the Philippines based from the early historical records in Ryukyu. They taught our people some industries such as manufacture of arms and tools and tanning of deerskin.
In the middle of the 14th century, the Muslim traders from Malaysia brought Islam to the Philippines.

Significance of the Introduction of Islam
1.a..1. Unification of Mindanao and Sulu
1.a..2. The spread of Islam to the Visayas and Luzon
1.a..3. The successful resistance if Muslims to Spanish Colonialism
1.a..4. The present secessionist movement in Mindanao and Sulu, and the protracted conflict between the Philippine Government and the Moro rebels may be understood as partly an offshoot of earlier conflicts between Christians and Muslims.

According to Jocano a U.P. anthropologist, in his paper “The Vision of our Future Must Be Rooted on our Image of the Past” argues that, the Filipinos possessed an elaborate civilization in the past. This achievement did not become part of the Filipino consciousness, even today because the advent of colonization during which a systematic distortion of our perspectives about ourselves was carried out.

Scholars all over the world have tentatively agreed on ten major indices of cultural achievement as criteria for classifying societies into “civilized and non-civilized”.

1. Effective technology
2. Big Population centers
3. Possession of predictive sciences;
4. Highly-developed art;
5. Existence of foreign trade;
6. Presence of writing;
7. Religion;
8. Public Monument;
9. System of Government;
10. Laws; and
11. Warfare2

System of government

It is said that people deserve the kind of government they have. In the case if the Filipino people, they went through a lot of stages, both forceful and peaceful, in their quest for political maturity and independence

Barangay – the Filipino’s earliest form of government, it was independent settlement consisting if thirty to one hundred families usually situated along a river bank or at the mouth of a river spilling out to the sea.
The term barangay was derived from the Malay word barangay or balangay, which means sailboat.
Each barangay was ruled by a datu or village chief who was also known as raha or raja. Duty of the datu:
1. To rule and govern his subjects;
2. To promote their well-being
3. In time of peace, he was the chief executive, legislator, and judge;
4. In times of conflict, he was supreme commander of the warriors.

According to Renato Constantino (1975), the datu was not an absolute ruler. The scope of his authority was given limits by traditional body of customs and procedures.

He could be replaced if
1. He was found incapable of leading the community
2. His position was weakened.

The datu usually obtained his position by inheritance. However, one could also become a datu through:
1. Display of his prowess and valor in battle,
2. By proving his leadership skills or other traits useful for the barangay’s survival

In matters of succession in the vent of the datu’s death, the first son usually succeeded him. In the absence of any male heir, the eldest daughter could become a chieftain. This clearly indicates that women’s rights and abilities were recognized during pre-Spanish times.

If a datu died without any heir, the people of the barangay choose a man to become the new chieftain on the basis of his (a) wisdom, (b) wealth and (c) physical strength.

According to Renato Constantino (1975), the two types of political leaders at that time were:
1. The leader with clear administrative function, and the
2. Leader with undefined function and position.

Inter – barbaric relations consisted of agreements for commerce and friendship or alliance. Agreements were necessary because wars between barangays existed.

The causes of conflicts between barangays according to Miguel de Loarca (in Jocano, 1975) were:

1. When one goes to another village and there was put death without cause;
2. When their wives or daughters are stolen from them; and
3. When they go to any village in a friendly manner and there under the guise of friendship were wronged or maltreated.

Sultanate - is a supra-barangay political institution in Islamic regions of the Philippines during pre-colonial times. The leader of sultanate is called sultan and the position was invested by Islam with political status superior to that of the datus.

Panglima – was administered in each district by the sultanate. This official is one rank lower than a datu.

The duties of the panglima:
Collecting taxes
Adjudicating disputes
Organizing conscripted labors
Announcing royal decrees.

The first sultanate was established in 1450 by Abu Bakr in Jolo.
Sharif Kabungsuwan, a native from Johore, Malaysia formed another sultanate was formed in Maguindanao.

Sultan - is an Islamic title of Arabic origin which meant (1) strength, (2) authority or rulership.

Traditional Filipino Communities Chronicles noted and characterized the social stratification system of pre-colonial Filipino community organization based on wealth, political influence and social privileges enjoyed. The ranks were as follows:
1. The Datu class or the ruling class
The datu exercised administrative powers.
Exercised legislative powers, calling his people all together and securing their consent.
He had the duty to protect his community.
He could render judgment in any dispute.
The chieftain received the agricultural produce, personal services as well as respect from his people.
He took his share of the harvest as tribute except from the aristocary or the maharlika.
Were believed to be the descendants of mixed marriages between a ruling dynasty and one out of power.

2. The Timawa
Enjoyed their rights to a portion of the barangay land.
Their normal obligation was agricultural labor but they were also called to catch fish, to accompany expeditions, or paddle boats.
They were also called out for irregular services like supporting feasts and building houses.

3. Alipin (also known as Uripon among the Visayans)
An alipin was a man indebted to another.
Second level of the society. It includes legitimate children, captives in wars or raids, ransomed slaves marked for sacrifice and criminals with death sentence.
A person may be born alipin, for that reason he was called gintubo.
He inherent the debt of his parents or who were under sentence for wrong doings.

Two kind s of alipin
a.i.1. Aliping namamahay (Householder)
a.i.1.a. He owned a house
a.i.1.b. He came at his master’s call to work on the fields and do other services.
a.i.1.c. A man enters the namamahay status either by:
Inheritance from namamahay parents, dropping down from the timawa status or Rising from the sagigilid status.
a.i.1.d. They were actually free but his status was not secure.

a.i.2. Aliping sagigilid (Heart Slave)
a.i.2.a. They may be transferred to another creditor at any moment and may be rewarded at their master’s pleasure.
a.i.2.b. Slaves purchased from outside the community
a.i.2.c. Captives in battles or raids.
a.i.2.d. They were dependent on the master
a.i.2.e. Lived and ate at the master’s house.
a.i.2.f. They can be promoted to timawa by paying 90 pesos (this can be possible for they’re working as goldsmiths)
a.i.2.g. They could sell or transfer to another creditor.

Laws (Funtecha et al., 2010: ch.3; Bederio et al., 2004: ch. 2; Agoncillo, 1990:ch.3)
a. Laws were either customary or written
a.i. The customary or oral laws were the kaugalian handled sown orally from generation to generation. These constituted majority of the laws of the barangay.
a.ii. The written laws were promulgated by the datu.
b. Among the subject covered in ancient Filipino laws were family relations, property rights, inheritance, contracts, partnerships, loans, usury, crimes and their punishment, adoption, and divorce.
c. Those considered as major crimes were rape, incest, murder, witchcraft, insult, trespassing, sacrilegious acts, and larceny. A person guilty of any of these crimes was punished by death or by a heavy fine.
d. Minor crimes, on the other hand, consisted of such misdemeanors as adultery, cheating, petty theft, perjury, disturbance of peace at night by singing, and destroying documents owned by a chief. These misdemeanors were punished by exposure to ants, by a small fine, by flogging, by cutting the fingers of one hand, or by swimming for a number of hours.

Judicial Process All trials involving criminal and civil cases were usually decided peacefully before a court, although not always in some cases, disputes between parties were resolved by arbitration in a body composed of elders from other barangays acting as arbiters.

The barangay court was composed of the chieftain as the judge and the community elders as “jury”

Trials were held in public where the plaintiffs and defendants pleaded their own case.

In all criminal cases, when there was doubt to establish the guilt of the accused, trial by ordeal to show that God with His infinite wisdom, protected the innocent and punished the guilty.

To determine the guilt of the accused,

1. River ordeal where the suspects plunged into the river pr lake with lances, long, shafted weapons with metal heads, and he who came to the surface first was adjudged as the culprit;
2. The boiling water ordeal where the suspect was ordered to place a stone in a hollow utensil or vessel to take out the stone. The suspect who refused vehemently to obey the order was regarded as the guilty party;
3. Candle ordeal, the suspects were given lighted candles of the same size. The suspect whose lighted candle died first was regarded the guilty person.
4. The ordeal by wrestling still existed and this is called bultong. The defeated wrestler in the contest was considered the culprit and consequently, may lose his life as a just punishment.

Marriage traditions The man gave the bigay-kaya (dowry) to the family of the bride. The bigay –kaya, literally “what one is capable of giving” consisted of land, gold or slaves.
Ancient Filipino allowed divorce. The just causes of divorce were:
Adultery of the wife
Childlessness
Abandonment on the part of the husband
Loss of love Religious Beliefs The ancient Filipinos believed in their supreme god, the Bathala and other deities. Bathala – was the creator of earth, heaven and man. Supreme god of the tagalog. Bathala Deities Idinayale – the god of agriculture Sidapa – god of death Balangaw – the god of rainbow Mandarangaw – the war god Lalahon – the goddess of harvest Agri – the fire god

There were also minor gods and idols: Lakambini – the god of the throat; Bibit – who was offered food for good health Lamkambacod – guard of the crops Lakapati – who was the god of the fields and had a halt-woman and half-man figure.

The early Filipinos were pagans and worshipped ancestral spirit called anitos (tagalong) or diwatas (Bisayan).

They offered prayers and food to their anitos, the sacrifices were performed by priest or priestesses called Katalona or babaylan, and consisted of food, wine, pigs and gold.

They also worshipped and venerated almost any object that had influence and close to their daily lives.

Ancient Filipinos kept alive the memory of their dead members of the family by carving and fashioning idols of stones, ivory or gold, which they called Likha and adored them with respect and honor as if they were alive.

They believed that after death, the soul would travel to another world receive due rewarded or punishment.
1.a. The good soul would go to kalwalhatian (state of bliss)
1.b. The bad soul would go to a place of doom called kasanaan Distinction of mourning: Maglahi – a dead man Morotal – for dead women Larao – for a dead datu

When datu died, the whole barangay was immediately informed and prohibitions were relayed; e.g.
a.a. All wars and petty quarrels were ordered stopped;
a.b. Singing in the boats coming from the sea or from the river was prohibited;
a.c. All warriors carried their spears with points downward and their daggers with hilts reversed, and
a.d. Wearing of louse colored clothes was not allowed.
a.e. The expression of grief ceased after the dead were laid to rest; however, eating and drinking continued until the ninth day after the death of a person, “pasiyam.”

Divination and Magic Charms (Agoncillo, 1990: ch.3)
a. Early Filipinos were fond of interpreting signs in nature as good or bad omens depending upon circumstances. Among these are sounds of insects and animals, flight of the birds, and barking of the dogs.

b. They believed in black and sorcerers and the mangkukulam; tikbalang, who appeared in the form of horse, the aswang, who with bat-like and half-bodied and suck blood of victims, and the tiyanak.

c. They believed in various magical powers of amulets to ward off evil or bring good fortune such as anting – anting or agimat, gayuma and tagabulag that could make the possessor walk or swim in a river without getting wet.