Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Pre - Colonial Era in The Philippines
Pre - Colonial Era in The Philippines
Philippines
Mountain Systems: Three Largest Mountain
Ranges
• Caraballo Del Sur – its highest peak reaches the
intersection of Abra, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan. This
range divides the north Cordillera from the Central
Cordillera, the region west of Cagayan River.
• Sierra Madre – a.k.a. the Pacific coast range.
Begins from Baler, Quezon and across Isabela,
Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan. The longest
continuous range in the Philippines.
Clothing
For men: Kanggan – Black or blue collarless jacket with
short sleeves. The color indicated the rank. Red – Chief, those
below his rank wore blue or black.
Bahag – wrapped around the waist, passing down
between the legs.
For women: Baro or Camisa – a jacket with sleeves
Saya or Patadyong – a loose skirt. We also
have Tapis, that was wrapped about the waist.
Ornaments
– the early Filipinos adored kalumbiga or armlets, pendants,
bracelets, gold rings, earrings and even leglets. They also made
gold as fillings between teeth or to cover the decayed tooth.
Tattooing their body to enhance beauty and manliness.
Houses
– Built to suit tropical climate. Universally stakes arigues
(Columns) high above the ground. Has open Batalanes or
galleries used for chores.
Social Classes
The noble – Chiefs and their families
The freeman – or the Mahdlika in tagalog. Composed of those
who earned their freedom.
The dependents – known as alipin. The lowest status in the
society.
The Position of Women
– Before the Spanish era , Women are given the right, to name
their child and are equal to men and could inherit property,
engage in trade and industry and be a chief to a barangay in the
absence of a male heir.
Marriage Custom
A man of a class should marry a woman of the same class.
The legal wife called asawa while the other woman regarded as
friends.
To marry a woman, man should serve the parents for months
and in some regions for years.
Bigay-kaya – a dowry given by a man who was approved by
the woman parents.
Panghimuyat – money given the woman’s mother for bearing
her wife.
Bigay-suso – given to the bride’s nurse for feeding her in her
infancy.
Himaraw – reimbursement for the amount fed to the woman
during infancy.
Sambon – a bribe given to the relatives.
Government
Baranggay- Consisted of 30 to 100 families. Each
ruled by chieftains.
Laws
Customary – Handed down to generations orally
Written – Code of Kalantyaw
How a law was made? Chieftains call elders of the barangay
for a meeting, the elders would either approve or not.
Umalohokan – a person who would announce the law
household by household calling their attention by ringing a
bell.
Trials are held publicly and the public would choose for the
criminal’s fate.
Religious Beliefs