Social Condition

“The Ancient House was

made of wood, bamboo, and
nipa palm”.-Antonio De Morga
These are universally set
upon stakes arigues
(columns) high above the
ground.
Above the house is the open
batalanes (galleries) used for
household duties.
There is little adornment and
finery in the house which is
called bahandin
Ifugao
Kalingas
Ilongots
Bagobos
Bajaos
The Ifugao House or Isket
The male attire was composed of the
upper, called kanggan, was a black or
blue collarless jacket with short
sleeves.
The chief wore a reed jacket, while
those below rank wore either blue or
black.
The lower part, called bahag,
consisted of a strip of cloth wrapped
about the waist, passing between the
thighs.
Is composed of the upper called baro
or camisa, was a jacket with sleeves.
The lower called saya by the
tagalogs and patadyong by the
visayans, was loose skirt.
A piece of red or white cloth called
tapis, was usually wrapped about the
waist.
The male had a
head gear
consisting of a
piece of cloth
called putong.
A red putong
signified that the
wearer had killed
a man in a war.
The color of the putong shows the
“manliness” of a man.
He who had killed at least seven was
privileged to wear an embroidered
putong.
The woman had no putong but wore
her hair gracefully knotted at the
back of her hair.
The women as well as the men
burdened themselves with such
trappings as armlets called
kalumbiga, pendants, bracelets, gold
rings, armlets and bracelets, but also
in the fillings between their teeth.
Tattooing the body with various
designs are indications of a bravery-
a war medals.
The pintados from Visayas are the
Philippine Society was divided into
three classes: the nobles, the
freemen, and the dependents.
The nobles consisting of the chiefs
and their families, wielded
tremendous influence in the
barangay. In the tagalog region, they
usually carried the title of Gat or
Lakan, as in Lakan Dula or Gat
Maitan.
The mahadlika by the tagalogs.
They were composed of freemen
and likewise of dependents who
had earned their freedom.
The alipin or the dependents
acquired low status in society by
inheritance, by captivity, by
failing to pay his debts, by
purchase or by committing crime.
The dependents were either aliping
namamahay or aliping sagigilid.
The namamahay had his own family
and house and served his master
during planting and harvest season.
The sagigilid had no property on his
own, lived with the master.
Among the Visayans, dependents
were of three kinds: the tumataban,
the tumarampuk, and the ayuey.
A man’s wife was his legitimate wife was
called asawa while the other women were
euphemistically called “friends”.
The man before should render services to
the girl’s parent for their marriage
approval.
The man should give dowry, called bigay
kaya, consisting of land, gold, or
dependents.
A poor man should give the bride-to-be’s
parent a certain amount of money known
as panghimuyat.
Another form of bribe called bigay-
suso, was to be given to the girl’s
wet-nurse who fed the bride during
her infancy.
This state of courtship is called
pamumulungan or pamamalae.

The dowry was of seven kinds: the

kawasateg, siwaka, enduatuan,
pangatulian, tatas, langakad, and
lekat.
The end…..
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