THEORY ABOUT THE EARLIEST SETTLERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Ice Age theory holds that in earlier ages, the waters surrounding the Philippines were below their present level. Many islands now under the sea were then above water. These exposed bodies of land, serving as land bridges, once connected the Philippines with mainland Asia. Over these land bridges, ancient men and some migratory plants and animals reached the Philippines. These primitive people lived in caves, were naked or scantily clothed, and subsisted on wild plants and animals and raw food. They were heavily muscled and thick-haired. They used crude tools and weapons of unpolished stones similar to those found in Asia, in Europe, and in Africa during the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic). As time went on, these early people, with the large mammals which came with them, apparently disappeared. Their fossil remains and crude stone implements have been found in certain archaeological sites throughout the Philippines, notably in the Cagayan Valley, in Pangasinan, in Novaliches just north of Manila, in Calatagan in Batangas, on Panay Island, and Davao. Skeletal remains of humans were found in Tabon Cave in Southern Palawan in 1962; from these it is evident that ancient men live in the Philippines as early as 50,000 years ago.

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETAL STRATIFICATION

PRE-COLONIAL GOVERNMENT
IN THE

PHILIPPINES

Parallelism between Luzon and Visayan Social Stratification

Problems encountered in studying pre-colonial Philippines Accounts were not written by social scientist that led to disorderly, imprecise, and even contradictory. Difficult to distinguish legislative, judicial and executive functions in native government. Example, datu as social class or political office.

Translation of terminologies from 16th century Spanish to have no equivalent to

modern English, example pechero becomes a commoner.

Seven basic documents were used in the study:

Miguel de Loarcas Relacion delas Islas Filipinas (1582). He was an ecomendero in Panay. More on the economic details.

Father Juan de Placensias Relacion de las costumbres de los indios se han tener en
estas Islas (1589). Franciscan missionary wrote indicating personal experience, careful observation, and thoughtful reflections.

 Antonio de Morgas Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas is the most comprehensive

description of the archipelago and its people of his generation.

Padre Chirinos Relacion delas Islas Filipinas (1604) hes work is scholarly, organized
that contains social structures.

Francisco Alcinas Historia delas Islas e Indios de las Bisayas (1668) spent 30 years
studying the people and language of Samar and Leyte.

Boxer manuscript. LUZON

Father Plasencia describes Filipinos as being divided into social conditions or estates: principales, hidalgos, pecheros and esclavos. In other treatise on custom law, he distinguishes three estates: rule, ruled and slave. Similar with Antonio de Morga. The first two estates distinguished from one another for purpose of administering justice, fixing fines and inheritance.

1st estates enjoy trial by peers, 2nd trial by the first and the 3rd estate have no right to
trial at all. The 1st Estate A datu must be a member of the maginoo class. He is the ruler of the barangay barrio of people subject to one. Role of a datu arose from the captain of the boat migrating to the Philippines with his family, relatives and servants. They (Plasencia and others) believe that they arrived in the archipelago a short time before. Datu governs like that of a captain of the ship Perhaps a barangay was a social unit necessary to build, launch, supply and fight a man-of-war and support its captains argosies. Barangay Varied in size from 30 to a hundred household, part of a settlement which included other barangay, either continuous or at some distance. The land they occupay is called a bayan and the settlement is called pueblo as appeared in the dictionary. (Kaninung pabuwisan ang bayang ito?) Taytay Rizal had 4 barangays 4 datus with hundred families according to Father Chirino in 1591. Boxer manuscript thinks 3 or 4 datus are normal for such a settlement. Loarca says if there are ten or more datus live in the same pueblo, they obey the wealthiest Morga says only the best warrior are obeyed

 Plasencia holds that datus were not subjejct to one another. Sources of Datus authority Boxer manuscript calls datus seores de titulo. Maginoo lineage, exercised by men line from father to son or brother.

His power depends on the fealty of men in the 2nd estate and the support of the 3rd
estate. Usually the chioce is the best warior. Duties: govern the people and lead them to war. Render judgement to any lawsuit filed by his followers. Initiates and enforce trial by oath, divination and ordeal. Control over disposition of barangay real property is vested in the datu. Right to retain land and use for his priviledge. Example, restriction of fisheries, collection of fees for a market open or strategic passage of waterways. A datu may alienate territory. Converts his rights to regular payments. Services rendered A datu receives services, agricultural produce and respect from his people Services are of two kinds: seasonal field labor which nobody is exempted, maritime and military expeditions and unscheduled occasions like building houses or opening a road, etc. Plasencia equates datu to a knight, maharlika with hidalgo, timawa with pechero and alipin with esclavo. The 2nd estate

Philippine custom law calls the 2nd estate timawa. Common people for Placencia and
plebians for Morga. Both terms suggest ineligibility to marry a royal blood.

They enjoy agricultural rights to the land of the barangay. To harvest without paying
any tribute. Their patrons are lords and landlords. Neither rich nor poor.

Maharlika Aristocracy

 Birthright aristocracy who render military service Accompanies his captains where ever he goes, row his boat

It does not explain the origin of their ascribed status. Maybe a diluted maginoo blood.
Descendants of fixed marriages between a ruling dynasty and one out of power Subject to same requirements of seasonal and community labor. Less free than he timawa. The 3rd estate An alipin is a man in debt to another man. His subordination is obligatory and not contractual. The other man is his creditor rather than lord. May be born as such called gintubo. He inherits his parents debt, indenture or sentence. His debt can be transfers from one creditor to another, to his detriment. Alipin with landrights are called namamahay and the one that lost that right is called alipin sa gigilid. Or those who never had such right. Boxer manuscript has a remark that there is a kind of slave both mananahay and gigilid called tagalos.

VISAYAS Loarca and the boxer manuscript divide mankind into 5 types of species: datus,
timawas, oripun, Negroes, and the overseas aliens.

Later the 16th century Visayans divided them into three divinely sanctioned orders:
datu, timawa oripun. Datu is used both social class and political title: the class is a birthright aristocracy. Timawas are datus comrades-at-arms, personal bodyguards, tasting his wine for poison, everybody else is oripun. 1st order Members of the datu class enjoys ascribed right to respect, obidience and support from the oripun.

They can dispose of their followers person, houses property. No document tells of
land use.

 Sons of datu have equal rights, competition is keen among them, datu wives practice abortion. They marry among their kind

They recognize another lineage called tumao to be a man.

Datus duties and functions The estate of the datu is called ginoapan. There is a cluster of house called gamoro. Boxer manuscript states that the people obey their datu because most of them are their slaves and are not the relatives of the datu. In the event that the datu is captured in war, they contribute for the ransom. Ruling datu has the duty to execute judicial decisions handed down by experts in custom law. Datus main function is to lead the war All crimes are punishable by fines.

2nd order Timawa are personal vassals of a datu. They pay no tribute, no render of agricultural services and have a portion of a datu blood in their veins. Knights and hidalgos. (Boxer) Freemen, neither chiefs nor slave. (Loarca)

The 3rd rank of nobility. (Alcina)

3rd order

Commoners in technical terms. They cannot marry people of royal blood and are
under obligation to serve and support the aristocracy of the 1st order. Common to all Visayan account (Oripun)

THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT

IN THE

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is a constitutional republic with a presidential system of government. It is governed as a unitary state with the exception of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which is largely free from the national government. The President functions as both head of state and head of government and is the commander-in-chief of the armed

forces. The president is elected by popular vote for a single six-year term, during which he or she appoints and presides over the cabinet. The bicameral Congress is composed of the Senate, serving as the upper house, with members elected to a six-year term, and the House of Representatives, serving as the lower house, with members elected to a three-year term. The senators are elected at large while the representatives are elected from both legislative districts and through sectoral representation. The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed of a Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen associate justices, all of whom are appointed by the President from nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council. There have been attempts to change the government to a federal, unicameral, or parliamentary government since the Ramos administration.

THE SOCIETAL STRATIFICATION

IN THE

PHILIPPINES TODAY

Filipinos believe in the need for social acceptance and feel that education can provide upward mobility. Color of skin, beauty, and money are the criteria that determine a person's social position. Light coloring is correlated with intelligence and a light-skinned attractive person will receive advancement before his or her colleagues. Family position and patronclient associations are useful in achieving success. Government officials, wealthy friends, and community leaders are sponsors at hundreds of weddings and baptisms each year. Those connections are of great importance. There is a gap between the 2 percent of the population that is wealthy and the masses that live in poverty. The middle class feels too obligated to those in power to attempt to make societal changes. The people of the Philippines enjoy watching professional basketball played by American professional teams and teams in Filipino professional leagues. Basketball courts are the only sport-site found in every barangay and school. Cockfights are a popular sport among men. Cocks have metal spurs attached to the leg just above the foot. The contest continues until one of the cocks is unable to continue fighting or runs away. Cuneta Astrodome in metropolitan Manila is used for both professional basketball and cockfights. Mah-jongg, a Chinese game played with tiles, is very popular, especially with women. Money to buy consumer goods is an indicator of power. Wealthy people lead western lifestyles. They travel abroad frequently and pride themselves on the number of Westerners they have as friends. Since few people outside Manila have a family car, owning a vehicle is

a clear statement of a high social level. Houses and furnishings show a person's social position. Upholstered furniture instead of the traditional wooden couches and beds, rows of electrical appliances that are never used and area rugs are all important. Women above the poverty level have extensive wardrobes. Sending one's children to the best schools is the most important indicator of social position. The best schools often are private schools and are quite expensive.

ECONOMICS
The national economy of the Philippines is the 46th largest in the world, with an estimated 2010 gross domestic product (nominal) of $189 billion. Primary exports include semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, and fruits.[4] Major trading partners include the United States, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, the Netherlands, Hong, Germany, Taiwan, and Thailand.[4] Its unit of currency is the Philippine peso ( or PHP).

A newly industrialized country, the Philippine economy has been transitioning from one based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing. Of the country's total labor force of around 38.1 million,[4] the agricultural sector employs close to 32% but contributes to only about 13.8% of GDP. The industrial sector employs around 13.7% of the workforce and accounts for 30% of GDP. Meanwhile the 46.5% of workers involved in the services sector are responsible for 56.2% of GDP. The unemployment rate as of July 2009 stands at around 7.6% and due to the global economic slowdown inflation as of September 2009 reads 0.70%. Gross international reserves as of February 2010 are $45.713 billion. In 2004, public debt as a percentage of GDP was estimated to be 74.2%; in 2008, 56.9%. Gross external debt has risen to $66.27 billion. The country is a net importer. After World War II, the country was for a time regarded as the second wealthiest in East Asia, next only to Japan. However, by the 1960s its economic performance started being overtaken. The economy stagnated under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos as the regime spawned economic mismanagement and political volatility. The country suffered from slow economic growth and bouts of economic recession. Only in the 1990s with a program of economic liberalization did the economy begin to recover.

The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis affected the economy, resulting in a lingering decline of the value of the peso and falls in the stock market. But the extent it was affected initially was not as severe as that of some of its Asian neighbors. This was largely due to the fiscal conservatism of the government, partly as a result of decades of monitoring and fiscal supervision from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in comparison to the massive spending of its neighbors on the rapid acceleration of economic growth. There have been signs of progress since. In 2004, the economy experienced 6.4% GDP growth and 7.1% in 2007, its fastest pace of growth in three decades. Yet average annual GDP growth per capita for the period 19662007 still stands at 1.45% in comparison to an average of 5.96% for the East Asia and the Pacific region as a whole and the daily income for 45% of the population of the Philippines remains less than $2. Despite enjoying sustained economic growth during the first decade of the 21st century, as of 2010, the country's economy remains smaller than those of its Southeast Asian neighbors Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore in terms of GDP and GDP per capita (nominal). Other incongruities and challenges exist. The economy is heavily reliant

on remittances which surpass foreign direct investment as a source of foreign currency. Regional development is uneven with LuzonMetro Manila in particulargaining most of the new economic growth at the expense of the other regions, although the government has taken steps to distribute economic growth by promoting investment in other areas of the country. Despite constraints, service industries such as tourism and business process outsourcing have been identified as areas with some of the best opportunities for growth for the country. Goldman Sachs includes the country in its list of the "Next Eleven" economies.
[

But China and India have emerged as major economic competitors. The Philippines is a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund,

the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asian Development Bank which is headquartered in Mandaluyong City, the Colombo Plan, and the G-77 among other groups and institutions.

HISTORY
Since the end of World War II, the Philippine economy has had significant ups and downs. Initially a fast growing economy, the Philippines was at one time one of the richest countries in South-east Asia before slowing into a period of chronic underperformance. The factors behind the slow growth are complex but it is thought that contributing to it were the adoption of import substitution policies over export-oriented ones, slow implementation of agrarian reform, and the lack of investment in infrastructure. In recent years, however,

attempts to reach the 7% growth threshold, a point at which it is thought the public will be able to more noticeably feel economic gains, have started becoming more successful. During the regime of Ferdinand Marcos, the economy initially grew close to the earlier trend but eventually slowed considerably and even turned negative destabilized by allegations of corruption and political uncertainty and unrest. By the time of the People Power revolution, the economy had declined, falling severely below the growth of other nations in Southeast Asia. A severe recession in 1984-85 saw the economy shrink by more than 10%. Despite initial optimism, continued perceptions of political instability dogged the succeeding incompetent Corazon Aquino administration and daily blackouts in its later years further damped economic activity. Fidel V. Ramos restored electricity and managed to briefly uplift the economy during his term as president, posting modest but positive GDP growth rates. In 1998, the Philippine economy deteriorated again as a result of spill over from the Asian financial crisis, although not as much as other Asian nations, and a wave of natural disasters also dragged the economy down. Growth fell to about -0.6% in 1998 from 5.2% in 1997, but recovered to 3.4% by 1999. President Joseph Estrada attempted to resist protectionist measures, and efforts to continue the reforms begun by the Ramos administration made significant progress. A major bank failure in April 2000 and the political disturbances following the impeachment and subsequent departure of President Estrada in the beginning of 2001 led to lower growth. The administration under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pushed toward faster economic growth. Arroyo's stance towards economic improvement since 2004 has seen the Philippines re-emerge as one of the growing economies in Southeast Asia. In 2004, the Philippine economy grew by 6.1%, beating most analysts and even the government's estimates. In 2005, the Philippine peso posted an appreciation rate of 6%the fastest in the Asian region for that year. However, higher oil prices led to growth amounting to 5.1%. The Philippines is still faced with the challenge of generating income internally. In comparison to other countries, it relies disproportionately on remittances from overseas which are equivalent to around 11.17% of GDP. During 2006, the economy posted a 5.4% growth, dampened by two typhoons which wreaked havoc on the agricultural sector. The local stock market hit a record high on June 1, 2007 while the peso was trading at around PHP 41.31 to a US dollar, making it then Asia's best performing currency by sharply appreciating nearly 19%.

GDP in 2007 grew 7.3%, the fastest in 31 years: its economy grew a seasonally adjusted 1.8%, faster than expected in the 4th quarter while inflation was tamed at 2.8% amidst sharp increases in oil prices. Growth slowed in 2008 and 2009 as the spillover effects of global economic weakness from the Late-2000s recession affected the country. In 2009, the nominal GNP per capita was US$1,746 and the PPP GNP per capita was $3,521. The total nominal GNP was $167 billion and the total PPP GNP was $320 billion. In 2010, the PSEI has surpassed pre-Asian Financial Crisis levels and growth of 7% is being seen. For the 1st Quarter of 2010, the Philippines have experienced growth of 7.6%. As of 13 April 2011, the Peso-Dollar Exchange Rate is at $ 1 = PHP 43.237. In December 2010, AOL's finance site, Daily Finance, proclaimed the Philippine Stock Exchange as the year's best performing stock market in the world. As of January 2011, the Philippines' gross international reserves stand at $63.6 billion. GDP growth in first quarter of 2011 slowed to 4.9%.

RELIGION
More than 90% of the population are Christians: about 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% belong to other Christian denominations, such as the Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Seventh-day Adventist Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Orthodox Church. The Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor. Between five and ten percent of the population are Muslim, most of whom live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelagoan area known as Bangsamoro or the Moro region. Some have migrated into urban and rural areas in different parts of the country. Most Muslim Filipinos practice Shafi'i, a form of Sunni Islam. Philippine traditional religions are still practiced by many aboriginal and tribal groups, often syncretized with Christianity and Islam. Animism,folk religion, and shamanism remain present as undercurrents of mainstream religion, through the albularyo, the babaylan, and the manghihilot. Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religion, are dominant in Chinese communities. There are also followers of Baha'i. Religions in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos,

including Hindus, Buddhists, animists, Muslims, Protestants, and Catholic. It is central not as an abstract belief system, but rather as a host are experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations that provide continuity in life, cohesion in the community and moral purpose for existence. Religious associations are part of the system of kinship ties, patron-client bonds and other linkages outside the nuclear family. Christianity and Islam have been superimposed on ancient traditions and acculturated. The unique religious blends that have resulted, when combined with the strong personal faith of Filipinos, have given rise to numerous and diverse revivalist movements. Generally characterized by antimodern bias, supernaturalism, and authoritarianism in the person of a charismatic messiah figure, these movements have attracted thousands of Filipinos, especially in areas like Mindanao, which have been subjected to extreme pressure of change over a short period of time. Many have been swept up in these movements, out of a renewed sense of fraternity and community. Like the highly visible examples of flagellation and reenacted crucifixion in the Philippines, these movements may seem to have little in common with organized Christianity or Islam. But in the intensely personalistic Philippine religious context, they have not been aberrations so much as extreme examples of how religion retains its central role in society.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Animism, is the term used to describe the indigenous spiritual traditions practiced in the Philippines during pre-colonial times. Today, a handful of the indigenous tribes continue to practice it. The traditions are 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 be accorded to them through nature worship. These spirits all around nature are known as "diwatas", showing cultural relationship with Hinduism (Devatas). Some worship specific deities, such as the Tagalog supreme deity, Bathala, and his children Adlaw, Mayari, and Tala, or the Visayan deity Kan-Laon; while others practice Ancestor worship (anitos). Variations of animistic practices occur in different ethnic groups. Magic, chants and prayers are often key features. Its practitioners were highly respected (and some feared) in the community, as they were healers, midwives (hilot), shamans, witches and warlocks(mangkukulam), priests/priestesses (babaylan/katalonan), tribal historians and wizened elders that provided the spiritual and traditional life of the community. In the Visayanregions, there is a belief in the existence of

witchcraft or barang and mythical creatures such as the "aswang", "balay sa dwendi" and "Bakonawa", despite the existence of the Christian and Islamic faiths.

In general, the spiritual and economic leadership in many pre-colonial Filipino ethnic groups was provided by women, as opposed to the political and military leadership according to men. Spanish occupiers during the 16th century arrived in the Philippines noting about warrior priestesses leading tribal spiritual affairs. Many were condemned as pagan heretics. Although suppressed, these matriarchal tendencies run deep in Filipino society and can still be seen in the strong leadership roles modern Filipino women are assuming in business, politics, academia, the arts and in religious institutions.

Folk religion remains a deep source of comfort, belief and cultural pride among many Filipinos.Nominally animists constitute about one percent of the population. But animism's influence pervades daily life and practice of the colonial religions that took root in the Philippines. Elements of folk belief melded with Christian and Islamic practices to give a unique perspective on these religions.

CLOTHING APPAREL AND HOUSE DESIGN

IVATAN

NEGRITO

BADJAO

TAUSUG

TBOLI

IFUGAO

BONTOC

Mangyan

MANGYAN

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL WEAR

NATURAL RESOURCES
Bodies of Water The Philippines boast of many different kinds of natural water forms, such as bays, rivers, lakes falls, gulfs, straits, and swamps. Because it is made up of islands, the country's coastline, if laid end-to-end, would measure around 17.5 thousand kilometers. The Philippines is blessed with excellent natural harbors for ports like Manila. Other excellent harbors with port potentials are found in Ilocos, Pangasinan, Visayas, and Mindanao. The three largest rivers in the country are theCagayan River in Northern Luzon, the Rio Grande de Mindanao, and the Agusan River, also in Mindanao. Also noteworthy in terms of size are the Agno, Pasig, Angat Pampanga, and Bicol rivers in Luzon. Most popular among tourist is the famous underground river in Palawan. Aside from rivers, the country also abounds with lakes. Easily the most famous is the heart-shaped Laguna de Bay. Other famous lakes are Taal in Batangas, Sampaloc in Laguna, Buhi and Bulusan in Bicol, Naujan in Mindoro oriental,

and Lanao and Mainit in Mindanao. Generating power for the Nations growth are the magnificent waterfalls that serve as tourist attractions, as well. The biggest is waterfalls is the Maria Cristina falls, it can be found in the North Western part of Lanao province in Mindanao, while the most popular is Pagsanjan falls in Laguna, where tourist came in droves. Natural Resources The Philippines is rich in natural resources. It has fertile, arable lands, diverse flora and fauna, extensive coastlines, and rich mineral deposits. Our Land The Philippines primary source of livelihood is its fertile land. Rich, wide plains suitable for farming are found in the Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, South western Bicol, Panay, Negros, Davao, Cotabato, Agusan and Bukidnon. The countrys six major crops are rice,corn, sugarcane, coconut, abaca and tobacco. Except for rice and corn, all these products are exported, along with bananas and pineapples. Our Forests The Philippines also boasts of wide tracts of lush, green forests. In fact, almost half of the countrys total land area is forested. Sixty percent of these forests are found in Mindanao. Mineral resources Except for petroleum and a number of metals, mineral resources abound in Philippine soil. The countrys mineral deposits can be classified into metals and non-metals. Our metal deposits are estimated at 21.5 billion metric tons, while non-metal deposits are projected at 19.3 billion metric tons. Nickel ranks first in terms of deposits and size; it is found in Surigao del Norte, Davao, Palawan, Romblon and Samar. Iron is found in Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Norte and Cotabato. While copper in Zambales, Batangas, Mindoro, Panay and Negros. Among non-metal deposits, the most abundant are cement, lime, and marble. Other non-metals include asbestos, clay, guano, asphalt, feldspar, sulfur, talc, silicon, phosphate, and marble. Fishery Resources With its territorial waters measuring as much as 1.67 million square kilometers and located in the worlds fishing center, the Philippines is definitely rich in marine resources. Of the 2,400 fish species found in the country. 65 have good commercial value. Other marine products include corals, pearls, crabs and seaweeds. Some of the countries best salt water fishing areas are found in Sintangki Island in Sulu Estancia in Bohol, Malampaya in Palawan,

Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan, San Miguel lake in Camarines Norte, Bantayan Channel in Cebu, and the seas of Quezon and Sorsogon. With respect to renewability, natural resources can be categorized as follows: Renewable resources are ones that can be replenished or reproduced easily. Some of

them, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not affected by human consumption. Many renewable resources can be depleted by human use, but may also be replenished, thus maintaining a flow. Some of these, like agricultural crops, take a short time for renewal; others, like water, take a comparatively longer time, while still others, like forests, take even longer. Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods. Minerals and

fossil fuels are included in this category. Since their rate of formation is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they get depleted. Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them. But coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.

LEGENDS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO

---There was a myth that the Philippine archipelago was once a big land interconnected to each other..There were no small islands but just one big wide land. it was told that the ruler of this place had dozens of sons as in those times, the kings/rulers have a number of concubines that do nothing but produced babies. In due time, the ruler got old and sickly and the question of who's going to take over the kingdom came into being. The king had difficulty deciding which among his sons would be ruler, so by his great wisdom, the king decided to chop chop the land into islands to distribute among his sons. those who got the bigger piece were the sons of his favorite concubines. The small islands went to his sons by the least favorite concubines. The king's original wife was frigid. ---Origins of the Philippine archipelago date back to the Angono petroglyphs of Rizal about 40,000 years ago. Archipelagos are formed tectonically and the name is derived from the Greek word for Aegean, as in Aegean Sea. These archipelagos were formed over time by the forces and movements of the earth and gravity. The name Philippines came from King Philip II of Spain, after the land claim by the Spanish in 1521. The three main Philippine island groups are comprised of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

VARIOUS HOUSE LOCATIONS AND DESIGN

The architecture of the Philippines is a reflection of the history and heritage of the country. The most prominent historic constructions in the archipelago are from the Spanish, Japanese, Malay, Hindu, Chinese, and American cultures. The pre-colonial architecture of the Philippines consisted of the Nipa hut made from natural materials but there are some traces of large-scale construction before the Spanish colonizers came but not well documented. An example of this is the pre-colonial walled city of Maynilad although later after the Spanish colonization, dismantled by the Spaniards and rebuilt as Intramuros. There are also other minor pre-colonial walled cities like Betis and Macabebe. During three hundred years of Spanish colonialization the philippine architecture was dominated by the Spanish culture. During this period Intramuros, the walled city, of Manila, was built with its walls, houses, churches and fortresses. The Augustinian friars built a large number of grand churches all over the Philippine Islands. During this period the traditional Filipino "Bahay na Bato" style for the large mansion emerged. These were large houses built of stone and wood combining Filipino, Spanish and Chinese style elements. The best preserved examples of these houses can be found in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Taal, Batangas. After the Spanish American war the architecture of the Philippines was dominated by the American style. In this period the plan for the modern city of Manila was designed, with a large number of art deco buildings, by famous American and Filipino architects. During the liberation of Manila by the Americans in 1945 large portions of Intramuros and Manila were destroyed. In the period after the second world war many of the destroyed buildings were rebuilt. At the end of the 20th century modern architecture with straight lines and functional aspects was introduced. During this period many of the older structures fell into decay. Early in the 21st Century a revival of the respect for the traditional Filipino elements in the architecture returned.

Pre- colonial Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the main form of dwelling for a family in the Philippines was the nipa hut, a single room house composed of wood, bamboo or other native materials. Though the styles of the nipa hut varied throughout the country, most all of them shared similar characteristics including having it raised slightly above ground on stilts

and a steep roof. Aside from nipa huts, other small houses were built on top of trees to prevent animal as well as enemy attacks.

Colonial Spanish Spanish colonization introduced European architecture into the country. The

influence of European architecture and its style actually came via the Antillesthrough the Manila Galleon. The most lasting legacy of Spain in terms of architecture was its colonial churches which were designed by anonymous friar. In this era, the nipa hut or Bahay Kubo gave way to the Bahay na Bato (stone house) and became the typical house of noble Filipinos. The Bahay na Bato followed the nipa hut's arrangements such as open ventilation and elevated apartments. The most obvious difference between the two houses would be the material that was used to build them. The Bahay na Bato was constructed out of brick and stone rather than the traditional bamboo materials.

Bahay na Bato The Bahay Na Bato, the Colonian Filipino House, is a mixture of native Filipino, Spanish and Chinese influences. In Vigan, Ilocos Sur, excellently preserved examples of the houses of the noble Filipinos can be admired. In Taal, Batangas, the main street is still ligned with examples of the traditional Filipino homes.

Fort Santiago Fort Santiago (Fuerza de Santiago) is a defense fortress built for

Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lpez de Legazpi. The fort is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros, in Manila, Philippines. The location of Fort Santiago was also once the site of

the palace and kingdom of Rajah Suliman, chieftain of Manila of pre-Spanish era. It was destroyed by the conquistadors upon arriving in 1570, encountering several bloody battles with the Muslims and native Tagalogs. The Spaniards destroyed the native settlements and erected Fuerza de Santiago in 1571.

Intramuros Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila. Its name, taken from the Latin, intra muros, literally "Within the walls", meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself.

Paco Park Paco Park was planned as a municipal cemetery for the well-off and established aristocratic Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, or the city within the walls of Intramuros during the Spanishcolonial era. Most of the wealthy families interred the remains of their loved ones inside the municipal cemetery in what was once the district of Dilao (former name for Paco). The cemetery was built in the late 18th century but was completed several decades later and in 1822, the cemetery was used to inter victims of a cholera epidemic that swept across the city. The cemetery is circular in shape, with an inner circular fort that was the original cemetery and with the niches that were placed or located within the hollow walls. As the population continued to grow, a second outer wall was built with the thick adobe walls were hollowed as niches and the top of the walls were made into pathways for promenades. A Roman Catholic chapel was built inside the walls of the Paco Park and it was dedicated to St. Pancratius.

LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES LAGUNA

College of Arts and Sciences

SURIO, Arvie G. AB in Multimedia Arts 1-1 Philippine History