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Study Guide in GEE 2 Philippine Indigenous Communities Module No._3_

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. __

The Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines during the Pre-Hispanic Period

MODULE OVERVIEW
The Pre-Hispanic society is an essential part of understanding the worldview of
Indigenous Communities. Vestiges of the beliefs and practices observed by Indigenous
Peoples in the present could be glimpsed to the time prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.
Thus, this module delves into the Pre-Hispanic society in order to trace the roots of the
traditional practices done by the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1.) Determine the customs and practices of Indigenous People during the Pre-Hispanic
Period
2.) Examine the belief systems of Pre-Hispanic societies in order to understand
Indigenous Peoples’ view of the world.
3.) Identify elements of Pre-Hispanic beliefs that are still adhered and practiced by
Indigenous Peoples in the present.

LEARNING CONTENTS

Filipino Communities Prior to Spanish Colonization

Since the term “Indigenous Peoples” came into usage only in the 17 th century as a
byproduct of Western Colonization to differentiate original settlers from the colonizers and
immigrants, it is best to avoid the term to refer to Pre-Hispanic Filipinos. This is to escape
from anachronism or putting a thing or concept that do not belong to its time. Thus, in this
lesson, Indigenous Peoples would be then referred according to the name of their ethnic
group or simply, they will be called as native Filipinos. Moreover, this lesson will primarily
present the history of Pre-Hispanic Philippine societies since many of the beliefs and
practices of the Indigenous Peoples in the present can be traced in this period.

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Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines in the 16 th century, the country
was composed of fragmented societies and settlements. It means that there was still no
Filipino nation. Thus, villages (such as barangays, ili, baley, and etc.) across the
archipelago were existing independently from each other. Some villages in the Pre-
Hispanic Filipino society were involved in tribal conflicts or war, while others entered into a
pact due to trade and intermarriage. During this period, the natives of the Philippines were
already in contact (through trade) with its Asian neighbors such as the Chinese, Japanese,
Indonesians, Vietnamese, to name a few. Although our ancestors’ contact with their Asian
neighbors influenced their way of life to a certain extent, they had formed their own belief
system and culture that is at some point unique from them.

Selected Pre-Hispanic Beliefs in the Creation of the World

a.) The Creation Story of the Bontocs (an Igorot group)

Rodel Layag, “When Lumawig went down the Earthworld,” 2012.

When the earth was still newly created, there were no humans on it. Seeing this, the
great deity, Lumawig then descended from the sky to cut several reeds on earth. He
distributed pairs of cut reeds in different locations in the world. He then commanded the
reeds, “you must speak,” and they became humans. The pairs of reeds transformed into a
man and woman, wherein every pair speak different language from other pairs. Afterwards,
he ordered the pairs to marry each other. The pairs obeyed Lumawig and they married.
Later on, the pairs had their own children, who also speak of the language of their parents.

When Lumawig saw the peopling of the world, he then introduced types of livelihoods for
the people in order to sustain their living. First, he produced salt and instructed settlers of
one place to boil it and peddle it to their neighbors. However, these settlers did not
understand the directions given by Lumawig, thus they did not touch the salt. When he
came back, he took it away and gave the salt to the people of Mainit. Lumawig then
entrusted the people of Mainit to take salt making as their main livelihood.

Lumawig then visited the Bontocs and instructed them to obtain clay and make it as pots.
The Bontocs unfortunately did not know how to make pots, therefore Lumawig said that
from now on, they will always have to buy pots from other groups of people and took it
away from them. He instead gave the livelihood of pottery-making to the people of Samoki
who crafted pots in an outstanding manner.

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Therefore, Lumawig has created livelihoods for people in order for them to sustain their
living.

b.) The Creation Story of the B’laan (a Lumad group)

In the beginning, there was a huge creature who lived in the heavens named Melu.
He was so huge that he almost occupies the entirety of the clouds. He was a creature with
utmost hygiene. His teeth were extremely clean, that it was made of pure gold. Aside from
that, his skin was pure white due to his frequent rubbing. As a result, his dead skin piled up
at one side of the clouds.

Melu was irritated of the dead skins that have piled up in the sky that he decided to make it
as earth. He did his best to craft the shape of the earth and when he was finished doing it,
he was satisfied of what he has done. He then decided to create two beings who will live on
the earth. From the same material, he crafted two beings and when he was about to finish
shaping it, except their noses, Tau Tana—a creature from the Underworld presented
himself to him to suggest about the form of the two beings.

Although Melu did not want Tau Tana to help, the latter was able to persuade Melu through
an argument. As a result, Tau Tana’s suggestion that the noses of the two beings should
be upside-down was followed. After the creation of the first two beings, Melu and Tau Tana
returned to the sky and the underworld, respectively.

Unfortunately, when a heavy rain came to earth, the two beings almost drowned because
the water that fell on their heads flowed through their upside-down noses. Thus, when Melu
saw their predicament, he immediately turned their noses to other side. As a sign of
gratitude to him, the two beings promised that they will do anything to appease him.
Moreover, the two beings requested Melu the creation of other beings as they were lonely
living as a pair. Melu then promised that he will form other beings when he comes back to
earth as long as they will store their dead skin and hair. Finally, when he came back to
earth to meet the two beings, he instantly created other beings. This is the reason behind
the peopling of the earth.

Selected Pre-Hispanic Leadership and Social Organization

a.) Pre-Hispanic Leadership among the Bontocs (an Igorot group)

The Bontoc society was usually composed of numerous “ili.” It indirectly translates
to a village. The ilis are then divided into districts called as “ato.” In the ili, the several
amam-a serve as the decision makers of the community. They were usually old men who
by their experiences in life qualify them to decide for the affairs of the community.
Furthermore, according to June Brett on his work “A Survey of Cordillera Indigenous
Political Institutions,” a person may serve as an amam-a due to other qualifications:
a.) articulate
b.) fair in making judgments as confirmed by villagers in the past settlement of cases
c.) a holder of a good war record
d.) wealthy

The Bontoc leadership was collective in nature as an individual amam-a had no power to
produce a decision for the community. It was only when several amam-a unite into a single

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body called as the “intugtukan” when they could have the power to make the power to
generate decisions for the community. The intugtukan serves as an executive, judicial, and
legislative body of an ili.

b.) Pre-Hispanic Leadership among the Mandaya (a Lumad group)

During the Pre-Hispanic period, the Mandayas had three principal leaders. They were the:
likid, bagani, and the maniklad.

Likid- he was usually an old man who serves as an adviser who helps in resolving disputes
in the Mandaya community. He was also referred as mangkatadong or magtambagay.

Bagani- in the absence of a likid, a bagani leads the Mandaya community. They were a
young village chief who were known for their bravery and physical power. He can also
settle disputes with the permission of the likid. Primarily, he was known for killing certain
number of persons who were considered as the enemies of the community. A son of a
bagani can also become a bagani if he was able to kill atleast 10 persons.

Maniklad- they were the ones who assisted the bagani during tribal wars. They serve as a
front line in battles together with the Bagani.

Selected Pre-Hispanic Religion

a.) Religion of the Bontocs (Igorot)

The Bontocs of the Cordillera believed in the existence of a supreme deity named
Intutungcho. The supreme deity can also be referred to as Kafunian or Kabunian in other
Igorot groups. They also believed that Intutungcho had a son named Lumawig, who was
also revered in the Bontoc Society. The deity Lumawig was responsible for the introduction
of different livelihoods to people during the creation of the world. Similar to other Indigenous
Peoples of the country, they also acknowledge the existence of anitos or the spirit of the
dead. The anitos should be appeased always as they could inflict harm, disease, or even
death if they were not given an offering.

In order to prevent the harm that could be inflicted by evil spirits, an insup-ok, who is
considered to be a traditional healer among the Bontocs performs different rituals. Example
of rituals to counter evil were the following: a.) kapya, or the ritual which involved prayers;
b.) animal sacrifice which includes a plate of rice with chicken’s leg or breast for the spirits;
c.) Mangmang, a ritual which also consist of pig or chicken offering for the anito in order to
prevent or stop sickness of one Bontoc member. The smaller version of Mangmang is
called man-manok which involves offering of chicken and salted meats. The Mangmang
with gong accompaniment is called as chao-es.

b.) Religion of the Bagobos (a Lumad group)

Similar to the societies of Luzon, the Pre-Hispanic peoples in Mindanao such as the
Bagobos believed in the existence of anitos. They also believe in diwatas who could help
them grant their wishes through giving offerings to them. The Bagobos credit the creation of
the world to their deity named Eugpamolak Manobo or Manama. Aside from their creator,
they also give reverence to numerous spirits which they call as gimokod. Similar to the

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priestess such as the Babaylan, women in Bagobo society play a huge role in providing
religious services. Traditional healers were called as Mabalian. Aside from serving as
healer/shaman, the Mabalians were also highly skilled in weaving. They weave fabrics with
embroidery, beads, and brass bells which were also used in rituals.

Selected Pre-Hispanic Birth, Marriage, and Funeral Practices

a.) Birth rituals among the Mandaya (Lumad group)

The Mandayas have numerous birth rituals and practices observed that ensured the
safe delivery of a child. Prior to childbirth, a balyan will determine the date of the mother’s
child delivery. To make sure that the pregnant mother will have a normal delivery, tradition
has it that all closed containers, doors, or windows should be opened. Moreover, a ritual
where older relatives will walk over the abdomen of the mother is also practiced in aims of
having a successful child delivery without much difficulty. It is the managamon, a midwife
in the Mandaya society who serves as a birth attendant. During the delivery of the child, a
kabaywa leaves (native lemon) should be fastened on the walls of the house so that the
child will not be taken by a wakwak or kikik, which inflicts harm. Three to seven days after
the birth of the child, a celebration was held called the bunong. Relatives and friends of the
mother assemble in this celebration. The commencement of the event also marks the time
wherein the mother is now allowed to take a bath.

b.) Aeta Marriage (Zambales, Negrito group)

The Aetas of Zambales had unique practices done during marriage. Bride price or
dowry is called as “bandi.” Bride price or bandi usually consists of arrows, bolos, bows,
knives, cloth, and money. When bandi was given to the bride’s family, it is only the time
where the wedding can be scheduled. Interesting wedding rituals of the Aetas include the
following:
a.) a ceremony involving the bride pretending to run away to the forest, wherein she should
be found by groom
b.) The father of the bride and groom should side-by-side swing the couple’s hammock
c.) The father of the bride should carry her daughter into the new hut/house of the couple.

Similar to other Pre-Hispanic Filipinos, divorce was allowed in the Aeta society. Grounds for
divorce include the misconduct or infidelity of the bride. In this case, the bandi or bride price
is given back to the groom. Another ground for divorce was the groom’s infidelity. In this
circumstance, the bride price given by the groom to the bride will remain at bride’s family
even if they separate from each other.

c.) Bontoc Funeral Practices (Igorot)

Bontoc traditional burial practices were elaborate in nature. The cloth worn by the dead
depended on his/her social class. The following are the appropriate attire given to the dead
according to their social class:

1.) Kachangyan: wealthy Bontocs who possessed great amount of material wealth
 Dead female kachangyan wears white lamma blouse and ultramarine blue fitay
(lower garment). Her dress is embellished with X design and 8 diamond forms which
represents rice mortar and palay grains respectively.

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 Dead male kachangyan wears loin cloth in langteb pattern or diamond patterns.
Patterns of ridge lines are also found on the loin cloth which may symbolize the rice
terraces.

2.) Ketna: a person who was born as kachangyan but died with less
properties/material possessions.
 Dead female ketnas wears white lamma blouse made of course yarn and loose
weaving. For their lower garment, they wear kain, a dark blue skirt with 7 diamond
forms.
 Dead male ketnas wears loincloth with ten ridge lines pattern without diamond
forms.Their cloth is called as wanes.

3.) Lawa: they are the poor Bontocs.

 Dead female lawa wears white lamma made of very coarse and thin weave called
fawfaw. Their skirt is also called lawa, but it is color black with white stripe.
 Dead male lawa wears loin cloth also done in fawfaw weave, meaning that the
fabric is coarse and thin. There are five to six sets of ridge lines that can be found
in the cloth.

All of the dead Bontocs regardless of their

social class undergo the rite of pot-potot.
The ritual involves dividing the funeral
blanket for the relatives and the dead
himself/herself. The panel or blanket is
used to wrap the dead before his/her
burial. The remaining portion of the
blanket is given to the relatives of the
dead. With the use of a knife, it is cut into
pieces and distributed to the bereaved
family and relatives. It serves as a funeral
remembrance.

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Do online research on the beliefs and practices of the Indigenous Peoples of the country. List
down at least 5 Pre-Hispanic practices of the IPs that are still observed until today. Explain
briefly the significance and usage of the practices that you have listed down.

SUMMARY
The Pre-Hispanic period plays an integral role to the formation of the worldview of
Indigenous Peoples. Their beliefs and practices on birth, marriage, and death was a result
of their continued experience with their natural environment. As the pre-colonial Philippines
was composed of fragmented societies, this allowed the emergence of different
ethnolinguistic groups with diverse set of beliefs. In order to understand the context behind
the practices done by Indigenous Peoples at the present, it is important to look first in the
pre-colonial period.

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REFERENCES

Ashliman, D. (2003) Creation Myths from the Philippines. Folklore and Mythology Electronic
Texts. https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/creation-phil.html#:~:text=The%20Creation-,Igorot,no
%20people%20on%20the%20earth.&text=Now%20Lumawig%20saw%20that%20there,sell
%20it%20to%20their%20neighbors.

Bielouss, E. (1938). The Marriage Ceremonies of the Philippines Peoples. Primitive Man 11
(3&4), 37-58.

Cole, M. (1916). Philippine Folk Tales. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co.

Ethnomedical documentation of and community health education for selected Philippine

ethnolinguistic groups: the Mandaya people of Davao Oriental, Philippines.

Death and Textiles in Bontoc Culture. UNESCO ICHAP.

https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/kor/ek/sub3/pdf_file/domain3/047_Death_and_Textiles_in_
Bontoc_Culture.pdf. 106-109.

Healers and Healing in the Cordillera. Philippine Alternative Medicine.

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Cordillera.html.

Domingo, M. (2004) Indigenous Leadership and Governance. Philippine Journal of Public

Administration. 48 (1&2), 1-39. https://pssc.org.ph/wp-content/pssc-archives/Philippine
%20Journal%20of%20Public%20Administration/2004/Num%201-2/05_Indigenous
%20Leadership%20and%20Governance.pdf.

Peoples of the Philippines: Bagobo. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/glimpses-peoples-of-the-
philippines/bagobo/.

Philippine Wedding Practices. Weddings at Work.Com.

https://weddingsatwork.com/philippine-wedding-practices/.

The Last Tribes of Mindanao, the Bagobo, the New People. Things Asian.
http://thingsasian.com/story/last-tribes-mindanao-bagobo-new-people.

Scott, W. (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City:
Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Valderrama, U. (1987). The Colourful Mandaya: Ethnic Tribe of Davao Oriental. Davao City:
Ursula Valderrama.

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