Pre-Colonial

Philippines
1. Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos
2. Traditional Filipino Communities
 Cultural Evolution of the Early Filipinos

 Historians believed that during the Pleistocene epoch, the

first settlers of the Philippines came from the present-day
islands of the Malay Archipelago.
 Paleolithic hunters may have followed the herds of wild
animal across these land bridges to the Philippine Islands.
 Austro-Melanesian people who are distinctively small with
dark skin and curly brown hair were believed by some
western historians as the aborigines of the Philippines.
 Mainland Origin Hypothesis

 By Peter Bellwood of Australian National University

and K.C. Chang of Harvard University.

Stated that the early inhabitants originated from

South China and Taiwan.
 Island Origin Hypothesis

 By Wilhelm Solheim II of the University of Hawaii.

 Believes that the prehistoric people originated and

dispersed from an island in Southeast Asia.
 The Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Period

This is the era of crude stone tools and

weapons.
In the Philippines, it was believed to have
started in Cagayan Valley.
Man principal way of adaptation to the
environment was by hunting.
 Kind of Tools
Core tools – if the remaining core itself is
used as a tool.
Pebble tools – those rounded stones likes
those found in the riverbeds.
Cobble tools – if the rounded stone is larger.
Flake tools – skillfully edged and shaped.
Kind of Stone Tools
Core Stones

Pebble Stones
Kind of Stone Tools
Cobble Stones

Flake Stones
 Method of Cooking
Kinilaw – the earliest method of preparing fish
for consumption where vinegar or lime juice
enhances the taste of the fish.
In Mindanao, they used the juice of the tabon-
tabon (Hydrophytune orbiculatum) a green fruit,
is added to remove the fishy smell.
In Cebu and Leyte, they used Coconut Milk.
 New Stone Age or Neolithic Period
was characterized by new types of stone tools.
By Anthropologists, it was also known as
Agricultural Revolution where root crops like
taro (gabi), yam (ubi) were among the
important crops.
Rice farming was also developed.
 Fire Discovery
The discovery of fire made a great impact in the
lifestyle of people.
Production of baked clay pots.
People were able to grill and boil food, practice
slash-and-burn (kaingin).
Manufacture of pottery was made possible by a
process called Kilning.
 Burial, Funerary offering or Pabaon
They include clothes, food, and weapons.
“the dead will use these materials when he sojourns
towards the soul world”
Other cover the faces of the dead with thin sheaths of
gold to prevent bad spirit from entering the body.
Bones washing and bone dipping with materials like
sappan wood or red dye wood and hematite (iron ore)
for protection from decay.
 Manunggul Jar
 Jars are used as burial coffins as evidenced by the
Manunggul Jar of Palawan.
 Manunggul Jar- now considered
a National Cultural Treasure
of the Philippines.
 Metal Age
 refers to the time in the development of human culture where tools and
weapons were made of metal, which gradually replaced stone tools.
 Copper was the first metal to be used.
 The use of jewelry as an ancient art began in this period.
Consists mainly of beads like:
• Jade • Stones
• Glass • Shells
• Seeds • Twigs & Stems
• Reeds of plants created into necklaces & other ornaments
 Age of Contact
Filipino contacts with other countries became
intensified.

Is the period of trading relations with

neighboring islands, mostly by Asian traders.
 Malayan Influences
The barangay system
In language, words such as:
 upa “payment”  pinggan
 tunay “hard cash”  aral
biyaya (grace)  pagsamba
“disbursement”
 Hindu Influences
In religion, the term Bathala referring to the chief God.
The belief that the universe is filled with good and bad
spirits.
Sipol, a pointed iron instrument used in writing.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription
Oral and written literature such as: bugtong,
salawikain, and awit.
 Hindu Influences
Bigaykaya (dowry) and placing of fresh flower
garland around the neck of a visitor.
Superstitious belief
Industries like boat building, weaving of cotton
clothes, and metal work.
Borrowed words from Sanskrit language such
as: sandata, maharlika, saksi, tala.
 Chinese Influences
In language, particularly Tagalog, reveals a
good number of loaned words like: ate, kuya,
katay, hukbo, pansit, sungka, lumpiya.
Use of umbrella, porcelain, gongs, lead, fars,
and bakya.
Wearing of white dress when mourning and
hiring of professional mourners.
 Chinese Influences
Manufacture of gunpowder and blasting
of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.
Mining methods and Metallurgy.
Parental-arrangement (in marriage).
Haggling between the merchant and
buyer.
 Arab Influences
 The sultanate political system.
 Arabic alphabet, Islamic Holiday, and Arabic arts like singkil.
 Sarimanok- an indigenous bird motif.
- developed by Maranaos
- A bird or rooster holding
a fish in its claws.
 Arab Influences
Five Pillars of Islam:
•Shahada- the profession of faith
•Salat- the ritual prayer
•Zakat- the practice of giving aims
•Hajj- the pilgrimage to Mecca
•Sawn- fasting
 Traditional Filipino Communities
 Chroniclers note 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
2.) the Maharlika- or the aristocracy
3.) the Timagua- (pronounced timawa) or the common class
4.) Alipin- (also known as uripon among the Visayans) or the
dependent class.
 Traditional Filipino Communities
 Gintubo – if a person born alipin, he inherits the debts of his parents.
 2 kinds of Alipin:
1.) Aliping Namamahay – alipin with land rights(householder). He
came at his master’s call to work on the fields and do other services.
2.) Aliping Sagigilid – were member of the master’s household who
ate from their master’s pot. They may be transferred to another creditor
at any moment and may be rewarded at their master’s pleasure.
 Umalohokan– a baranggay crier.
 Terminologies
 Anito – concepts to honor ancestors
 Umalagad – the Visayans called their ancestor spirit
 Diwatas – dwell in nature
 Bul-ul – signifying as ancestral spirits gods
 Bathala or Abba – the supreme God of the Tagalogs
 Lumawig – the creator and preserver of life
 Kabunian – dwells in the 5th region of the universe
 Lakambini – god of the throat
 Bibit – who was offered food by the people for good health
 Lakambacod – guard of the crops
 Lakapati – god of the fields and had a half-woman and half-man figure
 Rituals and Musical Instruments
Rituals and ceremonies to appease the
different divinities were celebrated
customarily by the people, ranging from
simple to complex performance of rites
appropriate for the occasion.
There are also musical instruments which
played by our natives.
 Terminologies
 Patipat – an Ifugao ritual performed by the menfolk of the community to drive away
bad spirits.
 Baki – starts at the crack of dawn.
 Paniwata – celebrated for thanksgiving and healers.
 Maganito – month-long celebration of putting lights to several poles.
 Kudyapi – Tagalog guitar
 Kaleleng – Tinggian nose flute
 Babandil – Maguindanao gong
 Kulintang – Muslim xylophone
 Silbay – Ilocano reed flute
 Suracan – Subanum cymbal
 Tambuli – Trumpet made from carabao horn
 Early Filipino Weights and Measure
Talaro – kind of balance with
scale
Kaban – 25 gantas
Salop – one ganta
Kaguitna – one-half ganta
Gatang – one chupa
 Early Filipino Length Measurement
 Dipa – the length of the outstretched
arms.
 Tumuro – the length between the tip of
the thumb and the fore finger
extended.
 Sandamak – the width of the hand with
the five finger pressed together.
 Sandali – the width of the one finger
 Ancient Songs and Dance
• It exhibited varied emotions, with themes about love, war, labor,
religion and death.
• Example of this are:
Ayeg-klu – Igorot serenade song
Tagumpay – Tagalog song of victory
Bactal – Tagbanua song
Tadub – Agusan harvest song
• Ethnic dances had been part of the culture. Their dances in connection
with their beliefs in spirits, thanksgiving and healing, courtship.
Thank you!! 