Social Organization (Life and Works of Rizal)

Historical Events of the Philippine Islands by Dr. Antonio de Morga as Annotated by Jose Rizal
Submitted by Corbo, Gabor, Necesario, Niez, and Violanda

Dr. Antonio de Morga Dr. Jose Rizal William Henry Scott Group Remarks

Social Organization (Social Classes and Other Role)

Page 275 - Throughout these islands,
there were neither kings nor lords to
rule them in the same manner as in
kingdom and provinces elsewhere.
Instead in every island and province
many principals were known among
the natives each have his own
followers and henchmen, forming
barrios and families who obeyed and
respected them. Whenever any
native had any controversies or
differences with others on pecuniary
matters, on property, or regarding
insults and physical injuries to their
persons there were appointed elders
among the same clan or group, who
heard them in the presence of the
parties, and their necessary
witnesses whenever evidence was
necessary, and then decided the
matter on their findings, thus
following the same procedure used
by their forefathers in similar cases.
Thus, their decision was respected
and executed without any further
process or delay.
Page 275 - In view of the lack of
rapid communications, if
government of all islands reside in
only one hand, one sole will and for
everything people hand to go to
and consult in one place. The life in
the town would be greatly
paralized. Moreover, considering
the circumstances then, if the fate
of these Island depended upon one
person alone, many fates and lives
would be exposed. Many fortunes
would depend on the will of one
man alone, who may be ignorant,
brutal, ambitious, avaricious and
who does not know or love the
subject he governs .This is very
simple and crude but it was more
speedy, and the judges were
persons of the locality, forming a
jury, elected by both parties who
knew the case the customs and
usages better than the gowned
judge who comes from outside to
make his fortune, to judge a case
he does not know and who does
not know the usages, customs, and
language of the locality.
A datu is acted as judge
(hukom) in both civil claims
and criminal cases, sometimes
in consultation with an expert
in custom law, by hearing
testimony of sworn witnesses.
If the results were
inconclusive, he night order
the litigant to submit to trial by
ordeal-- for example, retrieving
an object from a pot of boiling
water with the least injury, or
staying underwater longest.
Any altercation that resulted in
wounding had to be
compensated with hilugo,
blood-price, and insult was
also valid grounds for
litigation.
Morga said that even
before the Spaniards came,
our ancestors already had a
leader in their towns. This
leader was known as
Principal who decide for
the betterment of the town
and helps them in their
daily living. However, rizal
seems against toward
leading a town by one
person. He argues that
giving the authority or a
right to a person to lead
and decide in behalf of the
people resided in a town
will probably paralized the
community. On the other
hand, scott's social
organization is totally
different from morga's
thought. He said that the
town was manage by a
datu.
Page 276 - The privileges of
a principalship were also enjoyed by
the women of noble birth on a par
with the men.
Page 276 - When any of these
principal men became more
outstanding that the others in war
and in other matters, he thereby
acquired (illegaba) more privileges
and a greater following of
henchmen, and he governed other
people even principalis themselves,
while retaining for himself his own
authority over his particular
Barangai or clan with datus and
other particular leaders who
attended directly to the needs of the
Barangai.
Page 276 - In this regard the
Filipinos acter very much
inconformity with natural laws,
being ahiad of the Europeans,
whose women lose their nobility
when they marry plebians and
among whom descent is along the
male line which offers the least
guarantee. This proves besides the
high consideration that the women
in these Islands had enjoyed since
antiquity.
Page 276 -
(1) Perhaps the word yllegaba in
the Spanish original should be
Ilevaba or Allegaba.
(2) They formed a kind of
confederation, like the states of the
Middle Ages, with their barons,
counts, dukes who elected the
bravest to lead them or they
accepted the authority of the most
important of them.
(3) From the Tagalog balangay,
name of a vessel on which it is
supposed the Indios who now
inhabit the Philippines came.
Children of both sexes All three talks about the
inherited equally unless their same idea about the
parents specified some benefits and privileges
preference in a will (bilin). when women marrys.
Illegitimate children inherited
only at the pleasure of the
legal heirs. But heritage strictly
followed bloodline:
stepchildren inherited only
from their actual parents, and
spouses did not inherit from
each other. A man and wife
might bequeath to each other
conjugal property which they
had accumulated together, but
not what they had inherited.
Timawa paid tribute called Compared to the other two
buhis or handug and, in theory Scott used a different term
at least, were free to transfer to refer to these men but
their allegiance to some other all of these referred to
datu. But those attached to these men’s privileges.
their lord as personal vassals Also, unlike Morgan and
paid no tribute and rendered Rizal, Scott didn’t elaborate
no agricultural labor: thus the much about it.
Boxer Codex called them
"knights and hidalgos." They
won their tattoos beside him in
battle, rowed and manned his
warship, received his favors,
and shared in the public
accolade for his victories. Their
datu was obligated to defend
or avenge them at the risk of
his own person if need be, and
to share booty and captives

Page 279 - Others had their own
houses for their family apart from
the house of their master and who
would come to the house from time
to time to help in the tilling of the
land and in harvesting, also to serve
as crewmembers when their masters
made sea-voyages; those who
helped in building the master's
house and to serve frequently as
helpers in the same when there are
guests, and to serve there whenever
the master requires them to do so,
also without any compensation, and
the latter are known as
Page 279 - Namamahay from bahay
(house), one who lives in his own
house. This kind of slaves, if they
can be called slaves, still exist and
are called kasama (for being now
the partners or laborers of a
capilatist or farmer.) Bataan means
servant, kampon, tao, etc.
with them. They attended his
feasts as retainers and
familiars, acting as his wine
tasters, and were sometimes
honored by receiving a cup
from his own hand from which
he had already taken a sip.
They were sent as his
emissaries to open marriage
negotiations for his sons, and
at the time of his death, acted
as bailiffs to enforce his
mourning tabus, and three of
the most renowned among
them would accompany his
grieving womenfolk on a ritual
voyage in which they boasted
of their personal conquests
and bravery.
A man became tinubos Morgan and Rizal talks
(redeemed or ransomed) to about the namamahays in
any creditor who underwrote general and what their
his debt, and could be takes are while Scott talks
transferred from one to about how the duty a
another for profit, and his namamahay could extend
obligations varied with the until to their children.
value of the bond. In Iloilo, a
tumataban slave could be
bonded for 6 pesos in the
1580s, his creditor then
enjoying five days of his labor
per month, while a
tumaranpok was valued at 12
pesos, for which he rendered
Namamahayes slaves whose
children and descendants are also
slaves to serve in the same capacity.
Page 248 - The natives of these
Islands drink this liquor in the day
and night without end in their
meetings, weddings, feasts and
circles, accompanied by singing by a
few who are so inclined and who
come to drink and have a good time,
although this habit does not carry
with it according to their estimation,
any dishonor or infamy.
Page 278-279 These slaves were of
various kinds. Some were for all
purpose and servitude just as we have
them and these were called
saguiguilires who served inside the
apartments whose children also served
in the same manner.
Page 248 - It must be admitted that
the Filipino people have improved
in this regard, thanks perhaps to
the wine monopoly. Today hardly
can one see in provinces one or so
drunkard and in Manila only
foreign sailors are given to this
vice. That drunkenness, however,
was not dangerous for colin says:
“But rarely do they become furious
or wild; they only become more
gay and talkative and say
something amusing things.
Page 278- We can’t find the etymology
of this word which in its Tagalog form
ought to be sagiggilid. The root gilid
means in Tagalog “edge”, “blank”
“shore”. The reduplication of the first
syllable, if it is tonic, means active
action in the future, and if it is not,
and to the root is added the suffix an,
it denotes the place where the action
of the verb is often executed: the
preposition as indicates place, time,
four days' labor out of seven.
Both occupied their own
houses with their families but
their wives were also obliged
to perform services, namely,
spinning cotton their master
supplied them in the boll.
During the wedding
celebration, the couple drank
together, an old man rose and
made public announcement of
the match, stated the
conditions pertaining to the
bride-price in the case of
either one went astray, and
called on those present to act
as witness.
Some were members of their
master’s household and suckled
at the same breast as his own
children. Some were
householders who gave their
masters or creditors a portion of
their crops or labor. Oripun who
lived in their master’s house were
hayohay or or ayuey.
Morga and Rizal talks about
the social practices of
Filipinos during their time
and how it influences the
lifestyle of native filipinos.
On the other hand, Scott
encapsulates the practice
of wedding which gathers
people, thus, creating
social ties and relate this
one to common practice of
Filipinos which is drinking.
Specifically the role of
drinking during weddings
as remarkable and often
practiced
Rizal tried to describe the
word sagiggilid while Scott
used a different term in
describing a slave who
served inside the house of
the master.

Page 277- Whenever any native had
any controversies or differences
with others on pecuniary matters,
on property or regarding insults and
physical injuries to their persons
there were appointed elders among
the same clan or group, who heard
them in the presence of the parties,
and their witnesses whenever
evidence was necessary and then
decided the mater on their findings,
thus following the same procedure
used by their forefathers in similar
cases. Thus, their decision was
respected and executed without any
further process or delay.
Morga, A., & Rizal, J. (1962). Historical events of the Philippine Islands: Published in Mexico 1609. Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission.
Scott, W.H. (2010). Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine culture and society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
reference. The unaccented
reduplication can mean also plurality
and in this case the name in singular
would be sagilid, that is, “on the
border”, the last, this is the slave.
Page 277- This is very simple and
crude but it was more speedy and
the judges were persons of locality,
forming a jury, elected by both
parties who knew the case the
customs and usages better than
the gowned judge who comes from
outside to make his fortune, to
judge a case he does not know and
who does not know the usage,
customs, and language of the
locality.
A datu acted as judge (hukom) Scott and Morga’s claims
in both civil claims and criminal are quite similar. I think
cases, sometimes in what Rizal was trying to
consultation with an expert in express was his dissent for
custom law, by hearing foreign judges who only
testimony of sworn witnesses. does it for fortune.
If the results were
inconclusive, he might order
the litigants to submit to trial
by ordeal- for example,
retrieving an object from a pot
of boiling water with the least
injury or staying underwater
longest.