FILAMER CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Early Filipino beliefs and forms of worship

in Luzon and Visayas

Vince Laurence A. Blancaflor

BSTM 1A 1ST Semester SY 2020-201
Readings in Philippine History
Topic 2 GE 2
Page l
1

Introduction

Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct

native religions of various ethnic groups in the
Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line of
forms and worship of the people in Luzon and Visayas.

Rural peoples of the Philippines believe in the existence

of superhuman beings as well as in the influence they
exercise on human lives. The belief is found in Luzon, and
also is quite common in the Visayas and in Mindanao. What is
noteworthy is that this belief seems to have perjured for at
least centuries.

The aim of this journey is to initiate the Early Filipino

beliefs forms and worship that has been passed down by our
ancestors through generations and are still alive and well
in our culture.

Another aim is to explore and explain the similarities

and differences of forms and religious belief present in
Luzon and Visayas which include animism, indigenous
religious beliefs and mythologies such as Anito, Engkantos,
and influences from Hinduism and Buddhism and religious
phenomena which supplied the early peoples of these lands
with what religion has always supplied: satisfaction of
their existential needs. In which these needs were both
material and psychic: the longing for fuller life, for a
deeper and more satisfying communion with one another.
Page 2
1

Philippine Religion at the Time of the Conquest

Before the coming of Christianity, the peoples of these

islands already had some kind of religion. No people,
however primitive, is ever devoid of religion. This pre-
Spanish religion may have been Animism, composed of a
complex of religious phenomena including myths, legends,
rituals and sacrifices, beliefs in high gods as well as low;
noble concepts and practices as well as degenerate ones:
worship and adoration as well as magic and control.

Religion gave them solace in their griefs, holding out to

them the promise of salvation, of the continuity of the
flame of life even after it has been lost in death. Through
the shamans whom thev called bailanas or daetan, the will of
the gods Was channelled to the community. These persons were
the specialists of the sacred: they were held in high esteem
by the people: they were the diviners, the healers, the
prophets, the psychopomps, the performers of sacrifices;
they played an important social role by providing the
psychic: equilibrium for the community.

These religious phenomena supplied the early peoples of

these lands with what religion has always supplied:
satisfaction of their existential needs. These needs were
both material and psychic: the longing for fuller life, for
a deeper and more satisfying communion with one another.
Page 3

Similarities: beliefs and forms of worship in Luzon and Visayas

The similarities among beliefs and forms of worship in

Luzon and Visayas are that they both believed in worshiping
different gods, creatures, and spirits. They appease them
through various practices, sacrifices, and rituals. However,
due to the Philippines having a long history of
colonization, religious beliefs and traditions have changed
from animism to Christianity. In marrying animism and
Christianity, the impact of Filipino superstitions remains
to affect everyday life, spanning from fortune, love, and
marriage to family, illness, and death

Many irrational beliefs from the pre-colonial past still

exist and continue to shape the opinions, decisions, values,
and actions of Filipinos in modern times. While it may seem
harmless at first glance, pamahiins often interfere with how
Filipinos cope with illnesses and respond to mental health
issues. Filipinos, especially older adults, tend to cope
with illness by relying on advice from family, friends,
quack doctors/ shamans, and by faith in God. In fact,
experiencing a complete recovery from an illness is often
regarded as personally witnessing a miracle—greatly
Page 4
influencing how Filipinos view healthcare.

When it comes in worshiping, their spiritual practices

include attendance in worship services and observance of
religious rituals, seeking God’s guidance through prayer and
devotion. This may be seen, for example, in practices
connected with honouring one's ancestors. Observers have
seen here a clear and rather free interchange of pagan and
Christian elements. The influence of primitive religion
still lingers on, even among those nominally converted to
Christianity. Rural Filipinos may, more often than not,
still feel it more important to pay one's respects to
inhabitants of the spirit-world.

Differences: beliefs and forms of worship in Luzon and Visayas

LUZON:

They have those similarities from the Visayan peop;e but

aside to that they have their own set of cultural
traditions, beliefs, and practiced a religious system. The
early Filipinos of Luzon believe in a Supreme Being, the
Supreme Being as one of the who stands at the apex of a
scale of powerful spirits. The most known one is Anitism
which is slightly more Tagalog centric was widely practiced
in the pre-colonial Philippines.

Today, only a handful of the indigenous tribes continue

to practice the old traditions. The term animism encompasses
a collection of beliefs and cultural mores anchored more or
less in the idea that the world is inhabited by spirits and
supernatural entities, both good and bad, and that respect
must be accorded to them through worship. These nature
spirits later became known as "diwatas", despite keeping
most of their native meanings and symbols, due to the
influence of Hinduism in the region

These perceptions of existence towards gods, goddesses,

deities, and spirits in the sacred native Filipino
religions, is the same way how Christians perceive Page 5
the
existence of their god they refer as God .

Visayas:
The majority of Visayans are Roman Catholic but some
belong to other religions with the denomination. They make
up a large part of the Christian population. The Visayans
are known for their religious festivals. Some festivals they
celebrate are: Ati-atihan, Sinulog, Dinagyang, Sandugo and
the MassKara. A huge part of the Visayan people’s life is
their ritual life.

In the Visayan regions, shamanistic and animistic beliefs

in witchcraft and mythical creatures like aswang (vampires),
duwende (dwarves), and bakonawa (a gigantic sea serpent).
Similarly to Naga, may exist in some indigenous peoples
alongside more mainstream Christian and Islamic faiths. The
Visayans also have a nuclear family, which influences them
to become more involved in religion. Unlike our culture, in
the Visayan culture, the Roman Catholic faith plays a
central role. In the United States, religion does not play
such a central role in culture. Their religion influences
their rituals, festivals, and celebrations.

The Visayan people have many different rituals that their

culture practices. These rituals are what make the Visayans
culture unique from others. Without rituals, human
development would suffer in this culture. The structure of
the Visayans culture is partly made up of their rituals.
Their ritual life is the central focus of their culture.