History of the

Philippine
Island
(Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas)
 Antonio de
Morga
 Author of Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

events in the Philippine Islands

which was published in1609 in Mexico.

primary source (personal experience

and documentations from eye-witness

Dr. Jose Rizal secondary source of the

book due to his annotations
 His writing is a good example of how colonial
history has presented the pre-hispanic time
as period of darkness or backwardness to
justify Spanish conquest and Filipino’s
conversion to Christianity
Pre-colonial Filipinos
 Black in color (natives from Luzon Island)
 Wooly hair (men and women)
 Small (height)
 Strong
 Robust
 Barbarians and have but little capacity
 NOMADS
 They support themselves in certain clearings, and by planting rice
Clothing
Cangan
Chinanas
Bahaque
Potong
Calombigas
Government
Natives’ Laws
Social Classes
Chief
Timaguas
Slave
Classes of Slaves
Saguiguilires
Namamahays
1. If either the father and mother was free, and they d=had an
only child, he was half free and half slave.
2. If they had more than one child, they were divided as follows:
the first follows the condition of the father, free or slaves; the
second that of mother. If there were an odd number of
children, the last was half free of half slave.
3. If children of a free mother or father, were one fourth slaves,
because of being children of a free father or mother and of half
slave. These half slaves or one-fourth slaves, whether
saguiguilires or namamahays, served their masters during
every other moon; and in this respect so is such condition
slavery.
 While they practice slavery the natives never
sacrificed human beings as is done in other
kingdoms. They believed in a future life where
those who had been braved and performed
valiant feats would be rewarded; while those
who had done evil would be punished. But they
did not know how or where this would be.
Marriage
 Chiefs with women chiefs
 Timaguas with those of that rank
 Slave with their own class
 BAGANTAOS
 DALAGAS
 Morga described the bagantaos and dalagas as “people
of little restraint, and from early childhood they have
communication with one another, and mingle with
facility and little secrecy”. Neither do the parents,
brothers, or relatives, show any anger, especially if
there is any material interest in it, and but little is
sufficient with each an all.
Customary Method of
Trading
 Bartering was the pre-colonial’s customary
method of trading in which they exchange one
thing for another, such as food, cloth cattle,
fowls, lands, houses, fields, slaves, fishing-
grounds, and palm-trees. Sometimes a price
intervened which was paid in gold, as agreed
upon, or in metal bells brought from china
 Crimes were punished by request of the aggrieved
parties. Thefts were punished with greater severity, the
robbers being enslaved or sometimes put to death. The
same was true of insulting words, especially when
spoken to chiefs. The native have many expressions
and words which they regarded as the highest insult,
when said to men and women. These were pardoned
less willingly and with greater difficulty than personal
violence such as wounding and assaulting.
Accroding to Morga, “The contracts
and negotiations of the natives
were generally illegal, each one
paying attention to how he might
better his own business and
interest.”
The Natives of Island
Pintados
The women is very vicious, sensual and
pervert.
Men use sagras, penis ring or adornment.
With device, they have communication
with their wives, and are unable to
withdraw until a long time after
copulation.
Herbalists and withches