Juan de Plasencia.

He spent most of his missionary life in the Philippines, where he founded numerous
towns in Luzon and authored several religious and linguistic books, most notably the Doctrina Cristiana
(Christian Doctrine), the first book ever printed in the Philippines.

Juan de Plasencia " Custom of the Tagalogs "

1. Las Costumbres de los Indios Tagalos de Filipinas Juan de Plasencia: John Rey D. Ravago BSED 1-
Science A

2. Background of the Author

3. ✣ Born to the illustrious family of Portocarreros in Plasensia in the region of Extremadura, Spain in
the early 16th century. He was one of the seven children of Pedro Portocarrero, a captain of a Spanish
schooner. ✣ Juan de Plasencia grew up during the period known as the Siglo de Oro, a Golden Age when
arts and literature flourished in many parts of Spain, among them his native Extremadura. ✣ Fray Joan
de Puerto Carrero, del convento de Villanueva de la Serena. Was his real name.

4. ARRIVAL IN THE PHILIPPINES ✣ Fray Juan de Plasencia came together with the first batch of
Franciscan missionaries in the Philippines. ✣ Arrived at a port in Cavite, a few kilometers south of
Manila on the 2nd of July 1578. 4

5. Purpose: Relacion de las Costumbres and Instruccion ✣ To put an end to some injustices being
committed against the natives by certain government officials. 5

6. “The chronicler, Francis enemies, and so I can hardly express the sadness I feel any time the news of
such incidents reach my ears or I myself am involved; however, if one is to choose between enmity and
friendship and between peace and war, I believe enmity is to be preferred. For considering the kind of
persons most of the alcaldes mayores are nowadays, nothing indicates that friendship with them will
help the missions in any way. On the contrary, it will destroy them. Because, as I have observed, you can
hardly find one that is not blinded and moved by greediness, thus destroying his own soul as well as the
lives and possessions of the poor Indians.” 6

7. References ✣ OFM ARCHIVES – PHILIPPINES by: Fr. Jose "Long" D. Gutay, OFM
(http://ofmphilarchives.tripod.com/id8.html) ✣ The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 Volume VII, 1588–
1591 (Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson with historical
introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne) 7

8. Historical Background of the Document

9. Chieftain (Datu) Nobles (Maharlika) Commoners (Aliping Namamahay) Slaves (Aliping Saguiguilir)
Social Classes

10. datu chief, captain of wars, whom governed, obeyed and reverenced. 10

11. Nobles or maharlika Free-born, they do not pay taxes. 11

13. Slaves or aliping sa guiguilir They serve their master in his house and his cultivated lands and can
be sold. 13

14. houses ✣ Made of wood, bamboo, and nipa palm. 14

15. Mode of Dressing Male Headgear is called Putong (symbolizes the number of persons the wearer
had killed) (Upper) a jacket with short sleeves called kanggan. (Lower) bahag 15

16. Mode of Dressing Female (Upper) Baro or Camisa (Lower) Saya 16

17. Ornaments ✣ A decorative object or detail that adds quality or distinction to a person, place or
thing. 17

18. Government ✣ The unit of government is called Barangay ruled by a chieftain, and consist of 30 to
100 families together with their relatives and slaves. 18

19. Administration of Justice ✣ The chieftain’s executive function includes implementing laws,
ensuring order and giving protection to his subject. ✣ Disputes between individuals were settled by a
court made up of the chieftain and council of elders. 19

20. Inheritance ✣ The 1st son of the barangay chieftain inherits his father’s position; if the 1st son
dies, the 2nd son succeeds their father; in the absence of male heirs, it is the eldest daughter that
becomes the chieftain. 20

21. Slaves ✣ A person becomes slave by: (1) by captivity in war, (2) by reason of debt, (3) by
inheritance, (4) by purchase, and (5) by committing a crime. ✣ Slaves can be emancipated through: (1)
by forgiveness, (2) by paying debt, (3) by condonation, and (4) by bravery (where a slave can possibly
become a Datu) or by marriage.21

22. Marriage Customs ✣ Men were in general, monogamous; while their wives are called Asawa. ✣
Courtship begins with Paninilbihan. ✣ Prior to marriage the man requires to give a dowry: (1) Bigay-
kaya (a piece of land or gold); (2) Panghihimuyat (a gift for the brides parents); (3) Bigay-suso (for brides
wet nurse). ✣ Marriage between couples belonging to defferent social classes were not common. ✣
Several grounds of divorce are: (1) Adultery, (2) Abandonment on the part of the husband, (3) Cruelty,
and (4) Insanity. 22

23. Religious Belief ✣ They worship many gods and goddesses: (1) bathala, supreme being; (2)
Idayanale, god of agriculture; (3) Sidarapa, god of death; (4) Agni, god of fire; (5) Balangaw, god of
rainbow; (6) Mandarangan, god of war; (7) Lalahon, god of harvest; and (8) Siginarugan, god of hell. ✣
Also believe in sacred animals and tress. 23

24. Superstitious Beliefs ✣ Believe in Aswang, Dwende, Kapre, Tikbalang, Patyanak/Tiyanak. ✣ They
also believe in magical power of amulet and charms such as anting-anting, kulam and gayuma or love
potion. 24
25. Economic Life ✣ Agriculture in the plane lands: planting of rice, corn, banana, coconut, sugar
canes and other kinds of vegetable and fruits. ✣ Hunting in high lands. ✣ Fishing in river banks and sea.
✣ Shipbuilding, weaving, poultry, mining and lumbering. ✣ Domestic trade of different barangays by
boat. ✣ Foreign trade with countries like Borneo, China, Japan, Cambodia, Java, and Thailand. 25

26. 26

27. Language and System of Writing ✣ Major languages: Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Pangpangan,
Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon, Magindanaw and Samarnon this languages is originated from the Malayo-
Polenisian language. ✣ System of writing: the alphabets consisted of 3 vowels and 14 consonants called
Baybayi. ✣ They used tap of tress as ink and pointed stick as pencil. ✣ They wrote on large plant leaves,
bark of a tree or bamboo tubes. 27

28. 28

29. References ✣ History of the Filipino People (Eighth Edition) by Teodoro Agoncillo ✣ The Philippine
Islands, 1493–1898 Volume VII, 1588–1591 (Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James
Alexander Robertson with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne

Excerpt from: CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

The distinctions made among the priests of the devil were as follows:

1. The first, called CATOLONAN, as above stated, was either a man or a woman. This office was an
honorable one among the natives, and was held ordinarily by people of rank, this rule being general in
all the islands.

2. The second they called MANGAGAUAY, or witches, who deceived by pretending to heal the sick.
These priests even induced maladies by their charms, which in proportion to the strength and efficacy of
the witchcraft, are capable of causing death. In this way, if they wished to kill at once they did so; or
they could prolong life for a year by binding to the waist a live serpent, which was believed to be the
devil, or at least his substance. This office was general throughout the land.

3. The third they called MANYISALAT, which is the same as magagauay. These priests had the power of
applying such remedies to lovers that they would abandon and despise their own wives, and in fact
could prevent them from having intercourse with the latter. If the woman, constrained by these means,
were abandoned, it would bring sickness upon her; and on account of the desertion she would discharge
blood and matter. This office was also general throughout the land.

4. The fourth was called MANCOCOLAM, whose duty it was to emit fire from himself at night, once or
oftener each month. This fire could not be extinguished; nor could it be thus emitted except as the
priest wallowed in the ordure and filth which falls from the houses; and he who lived in the house where
the priest was wallowing in order to emit this fire from himself, fell ill and died. This office was general.

5. The fifth was called HOCLOBAN, which is another kind of witch, of greater efficacy than the
mangagauay. Without the use of medicine, and by simply saluting or raising the hand, they killed whom
they chose. But if they desired to heal those whom they had made ill by their charms, they did so by
using other charms. Moreover, if they wished to destroy the house of some Indian hostile to them, they
were able to do so without instruments. This was in Catanduanes, an island off the upper part of Luzon.

6. The sixth was called SILAGAN, whose office it was, if they saw anyone clothed in white, to tear out his
liver and eat it, thus causing his death. This, like the preceding, was in the island of Catanduanes. Let no
one, moreover, consider this a fable; because, in Caavan, they tore out in this way through the anus all
the intestines of a Spanish notary, who was buried in Calilaya by father Fray Juan de Merida.

7. The seventh was called MAGTATANGAL, and his purpose was to show himself at night to many
persons, without his head or entrails. In such wise the devil walked about and carried, or pretended to
carry, his head to different places; and, in the morning, returned it to his body - remaining, as before,
alive. This seems to me to be a fable, although the natives affirm that they have seen it, because the
devil probably caused them so to believe. This occurred in Catanduanes.

8. The eighth they called OSUANG, which is equivalent to " sorcerer;" they say that they have seen him
fly, and that he murdered men and ate their flesh. This was among the Visayas Islands; among the
Tagalogs these did not exist.

9. The ninth was another class of witches called MANGAGAYOMA. They made charms for lovers out of
herbs, stones, and wood, which would infuse the heart with love. Thus did they deceive the people,
although sometimes, through the intervention of the devil, they gained their ends.

10. The tenth was known as SONAT, which is equivalent to " preacher." It was his office to help one to
die, at which time he predicted the salvation or condemnation of the soul. It was not lawful for the
functions of this office to be fulfilled by others than people of high standing, on account of the esteem in
which it was held. This office was general through- out the islands.

11. The eleventh, PANGATAHOJAN, was a soothsayer, and predicted the future. This office was general
in all the islands.

12. The twelfth, BAYOGUIN, signified a " cotquean," a man whose nature inclined toward that of a
woman.