READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY - CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS (BSN)

YEAR OF OUR LORD

28 May 202113:16

Summary

TLDRMiguel Juan de Placentia, a Spanish Franciscan friar, arrived in the Philippines in 1578 and played a pivotal role in the early missionary efforts. He founded towns in Luzon and authored religious and linguistic works, including the 'Doctrina Christiana,' the first book printed in the Philippines in 1593. This book, written in Spanish and Tagalog, aimed to facilitate the spread of Christianity and provide a linguistic bridge between the Spanish and the natives. It contains biblical passages, the Ten Commandments, and details about the pre-colonial Tagalog society, including their legal system, religion, and social structure. The book also sheds light on the attire, inheritance customs, and spiritual beliefs of the time, offering a window into the rich cultural tapestry of the pre-colonial Philippines.

Takeaways

📜 Miguel Juan de Placentia was a Spanish Franciscan friar who arrived in the Philippines in July 1578 as part of the first group of Franciscan missionaries.
🏰 He founded numerous towns in Luzon and authored several religious and linguistic books, significantly contributing to the cultural and religious landscape of the region.
📖 His most notable work, 'Doctrina Christiana', is the first book ever printed in the Philippines, showcasing his efforts to promote understanding between the Spanish and the native population.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Born in the early 16th century, Placentia was one of seven children and came from a background where his father was a captain of a Spanish schooner.
🌐 'Doctrina Christiana', written in 1593, is a bilingual text in Spanish and Tagalog, using the Roman alphabet and Baybayin script, reflecting the linguistic diversity and educational efforts of the time.
🏛️ The book contains basic biblical teachings, including the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, the Ten Commandments, and the sacraments of the Holy Church, aimed at introducing Christianity to the local population.
📜 The use of Baybayin script in the book is a testament to the pre-colonial Philippine culture and the narrative of the community that existed before Spanish colonization.
🏡 The script also provides insights into the early legal system, social relationships, and forms of government among the Tagalogs, as well as their pre-colonial religion and beliefs.
👕👗 It describes traditional Filipino attire and social customs, such as the use of different colors in clothing to denote social status and the practice of elevating houses for protection.
🔮 The text mentions various local spiritual practices and beliefs, including the roles of different spiritual leaders and the influence of Spanish missionaries in reshaping these beliefs.

Q & A

Who was Miguel Juan de Placentia?
-Miguel Juan de Placentia was a Spanish friar of the Franciscan order and one of the first group of Franciscan missionaries who arrived in the Philippines in July 1578.
What significant contribution did Miguel Juan de Placentia make to the Philippines?
-Miguel Juan de Placentia founded numerous towns in Luzon and authored several religious and linguistic books, including the 'Doctrina Christiana', which is the first book ever printed in the Philippines.
Where was Miguel Juan de Placentia born?
-He was born in the early 16th century in Puerto Guerrero in Placentia, in the region of Extremadura, Spain.
What was the purpose of the books written by Miguel Juan de Placentia?
-The books were primarily designed to promote the understanding of the Spanish language among the natives and the local languages among the missionaries to facilitate the task of spreading Christianity.
What is the 'Doctrina Christiana' and why is it significant?
-The 'Doctrina Christiana', written in 1593, is believed to be the first book printed in the Philippines. It is significant as it was one of the first books produced in the European tradition in the Philippines and contains basic biblical texts along with the ten commandments and sacraments of the Holy Church.
Where can the only known extant copy of 'Doctrina Christiana' be found?
-The only known extant copy of 'Doctrina Christiana' can be found in the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress.
What languages are used in the 'Doctrina Christiana'?
-The 'Doctrina Christiana' consists of texts in Spanish and Tagalog, with the Tagalog transliterated into Roman letters.
How does the 'Doctrina Christiana' reflect the pre-colonial Philippine culture?
-The use of ancient Baybayin script in some parts of the book reminds us of the existence of pre-colonial Philippine culture and bears witness to the narrative of the Philippine community that existed even prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.
What does the first chapter of 'Doctrina Christiana' discuss?
-The first chapter of 'Doctrina Christiana' discusses the earliest recorded legal system of the country, detailing the social relationships of the Tagalogs and their form of government.
What does the second section of 'Doctrina Christiana' revolve around?
-The second section revolves around the pre-colonial religion and beliefs of the people, primarily their form of worship.
What were the typical materials used for houses in pre-colonial Philippines?
-The houses were typically made of light materials like wood, bamboo, and nipa, and were often elevated from the ground for protection against enemies and wild animals.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Early Spanish Missionary Work in the Philippines

Miguel Juan de Placentia, a Spanish Franciscan friar, was part of the first group of missionaries to arrive in the Philippines in July 1578. He dedicated his life to missionary work, establishing towns in Luzon and authoring significant religious and linguistic texts. His most notable work, 'Doctrina Christiana,' printed in 1593, is the first book ever printed in the Philippines. Born in Placentia, Spain, in the early 16th century, Placentia aimed to facilitate the spread of Christianity by writing books that promoted understanding of the Spanish language among the natives and local languages among missionaries. 'Doctrina Christiana,' written in Spanish and Tagalog, is a 74-page text containing basic biblical teachings, the Ten Commandments, and sacraments of the Holy Church. It also features the use of the ancient Baybayin script, reflecting the pre-colonial Philippine culture and providing insights into the Tagalogs' social relationships, government, and religious beliefs.

05:27

🏡 Pre-Colonial Filipino Culture and Traditions

The script describes the architectural and cultural aspects of pre-colonial Filipino society. Houses were made of light materials like wood, bamboo, and nipa, elevated from the ground for protection against enemies and wild animals. Ladders were used for access, and when not in use, were placed to deter intruders. Traditional male attire included the putong, kangan, and bahag, with the kangan indicating social status and the number of enemies killed. Female attire consisted of the baro or kamisa and the saya, a long skirt, with some women wearing a tapis, a piece of cloth on top of the skirt. Both men and women wore ornaments for attractiveness and status. Inheritance was patrilineal, with the first son inheriting the chieftain's position, or the eldest daughter in the absence of male heirs. The script also discusses the roles of spiritual and cultural figures, such as the catalonian, a respected position held by people of rank, and the mangaway, a witch who pretended to heal the sick. It touches upon the practices of love spells and potions, reflecting the rich and complex belief systems of the time.

11:37

🔮 Filipino Folklore and Spiritual Beliefs

This paragraph delves into the spiritual beliefs and practices of early Filipinos, including the concept of the gyuma, a love spell, and the gummagamit, a person of high standing who was not allowed to fulfill certain functions. It also mentions the Spanish mission's efforts to cleanse the lands of pagan beliefs and the influence of the Catholic mindset on the local population. The Spanish were successful in eliminating the belief in deities and empowering spiritual leaders, reflecting the cultural and religious transformation that occurred during the early period of Spanish colonization.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Franciscan Order

The Franciscan Order, also known as the Order of Friars Minor, is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. In the context of the video, Miguel Juan de Placentia was a friar of this order, which implies his commitment to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as well as his mission to spread the Christian faith. The Franciscan missionaries played a significant role in the early evangelization of the Philippines.

💡Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. In the video, it is mentioned as the place where Miguel Juan de Placentia spent most of his missionary life, founding towns in Luzon and authoring religious and linguistic books. The Philippines serves as the geographical and historical backdrop for the spread of Christianity and the cultural exchanges depicted in the video.

💡Doctrina Christiana

Doctrina Christiana, or 'Christian Doctrine' in English, is a significant work authored by Miguel Juan de Placentia. It is noted as the first book ever printed in the Philippines and contains basic biblical teachings, including the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and the Ten Commandments. The book is an example of the early efforts to introduce Christianity to the native population and also serves as a linguistic resource, with texts in Spanish and Tagalog transliterated into Roman letters.

💡Tagalog

Tagalog is one of the major languages spoken in the Philippines. The video mentions that the Doctrina Christiana was written with texts in Spanish and Tagalog, indicating the importance of local languages in the missionary work. The use of Tagalog in religious texts like the Doctrina Christiana facilitated the understanding of Christian teachings among the native population.

💡Pre-colonial Philippine Culture

The term 'pre-colonial Philippine culture' refers to the indigenous cultures and societies that existed in the Philippines before the arrival of Spanish colonizers. The video script mentions that the use of ancient Baybayin script in the Doctrina Christiana reminds us of this pre-colonial culture, bearing witness to the narrative of the Philippine community that existed prior to colonization.

💡Baybayin

Baybayin, also known as Alibata, is an ancient script used in the Philippines. It is mentioned in the video as part of the Doctrina Christiana, where some parts of the book are written in Tagalog using the Baybayin script. This inclusion reflects an effort to preserve and acknowledge the pre-colonial writing system and cultural heritage of the Philippines.

💡Legal System

The video script discusses the earliest recorded legal system of the Philippines, detailing the social relationships and form of government among the Tagalogs. This refers to the traditional laws and governance structures that were in place before the Spanish colonization, which were part of the indigenous societies' social fabric.

💡Inheritance

Inheritance customs are mentioned in the video, particularly the practice where the first son of a barangay chieftain would inherit his father's position. This reflects the traditional social structures and leadership succession in pre-colonial Philippine communities, where lineage and family ties played a crucial role in social organization.

💡Attire

The video describes the traditional attire of the Tagalogs, including the putong, kangan, and bahag for men, and the baro, kamisa, and saya for women. These garments are not only clothing but also cultural symbols that indicate social status and roles within the community. The attire is an example of the material culture of the pre-colonial Philippines.

💡Spiritual Beliefs

The video touches upon the pre-colonial spiritual beliefs and practices of the Filipinos, including the roles of various spiritual figures such as the catalonian and mangaway. These beliefs and practices were integral to the indigenous worldview and were later influenced by the arrival of Christianity and the efforts of missionaries like Miguel Juan de Placentia.

Highlights

Miguel Juan de Placentia was a Spanish friar and one of the first Franciscan missionaries in the Philippines.

He founded numerous towns in Luzon and authored religious and linguistic books.

Placentia's most notable work is 'Doctrina Christiana', the first book printed in the Philippines.

Born in the early 16th century, Placentia was from the region of Extremadura, Spain.

His books aimed to facilitate the understanding of Spanish and local languages for spreading Christianity.

'Doctrina Christiana' was written in 1593 and is the first book in the European tradition in the Philippines.

The only known extant copy of 'Doctrina Christiana' is in the Library of Congress.

The book contains basic biblical texts, the Ten Commandments, and sacraments of the Holy Church.

It includes the use of ancient Baybayin script, reflecting pre-colonial Philippine culture.

The book details the earliest recorded legal system and social relationships of the Tagalogs.

It discusses pre-colonial religion and beliefs, including forms of worship and local deities.

Historical information on housing materials and construction to prevent intrusion and animal attacks.

Descriptions of traditional male and female attire, including the significance of colors and materials.

Ornaments are mentioned as decorative objects enhancing the appearance and status of individuals.

Inheritance practices where the first son or eldest daughter inherits the position of the barangay chieftain.

Descriptions of spiritual and religious roles such as the 'sambon' and 'manga-way', and their impact on society.

The Spanish mission's efforts to eliminate local beliefs and empower Christian spiritual leaders.