Lesson Notes in His 21

College of Arts and Sciences

Foundation University
Instructor: Micah Stefan Dagaerag
Main Reference: Philippine History by Maria Christine Halili
3.1 Pre-Colonial Philippines
Theories on Philippine Origins
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Mainland Origin Hypothesis

o The early inhabitants originated from South China and Taiwan, reaching the
Philippines by about 5,000 B.C. to 4,000 B.C.
o Proposed by:

Peter Bellwood of Australian National University

K. C. Chang of Harvard University

Island Origin Hypothesis

o The prehistoric people originated and dispersed from an island in Southeast Asia.
o Proposed by:

Wilhelm Solheim II of the University of Hawaii

Barangay
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A unit of 30 to 100 families in a society

Mainly agricultural and fishing people

Periods of Development
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Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Period

o 50,000-10,000 B.C.
o Era of crude stone tools and weapons
o Believed to have started in Cagayan Valley

Core Tools the remaining core itself was used as a tool

Pebble Tools rounded stones like those found in riverbeds

Cobble Tools larger rounded stones

Flake Tools skillfully edged and shaped

o Hunting was mans principal way of adaptation to the environment in the

beginning.
o Kinilaw was the earliest method of preparing fish for consumption.
-

New Stone Age or Neolithic Period

o 10,000-500 B.C.
o Agriculture began to be practiced; root crops like taro (gabi) and yam (ubi) were
among important crops.
o Upland rice farming began to be developed.
o Fire was more readily produced; manufacture of pottery through fire (called
kilning) became possible.
o Jars as burial coffins for secondary burial were also made.

Accompanied by pabaon (funerary offerings like clothes, food and

weapons)

An example is the Manunggul Jar at the National Museum (dated 890710B.C.), which is now considered a National Cultural Treasure of the
Philippines.

Early Metal Age

o 500 B.C.
o This is the time in the development of human culture where tools and weapons
were made of metal, which gradually replaced stone tools.
o The first metal to be widely used was copper.

Metal Age
o 200 B.C.
o This is the period marked by a preference of early inhabitants to iron ore in tool
making.
o Jewelry in this phase consisted mainly of beads, beginning as amulets and charms
to ward off bad spirits or to give supernatural powers to the wearer.

Developed Iron Age

o The use of iron became widespread, and community specialization emerged as
shown by advances in tin-smithing, jewelry making, and in the utilization of
resources.

o Other important industries also came about like metalworking, pottery making,
glassmaking, and tie-and-dye weaving.
-

Age of Contact
o 500-1400 A.D.
o Filipino contacts with other countries became intensified, marked by trading
relations with neighboring islands.
o Useful for trade was the balangay, which was basically a plank boat driven either
by sail or by paddling.
o Malay was the principal language of Southeast Asian commerce.
o Baybayin was the early Filipinos system of syllabic writing, with each symbol
representing a syllable.
o According to Sulu tradition, between 900 and 1200 A.D., immigrants from
Champa, an Indianized kingdom in Indochina, established a trading colony with
the Buranuns of Sulu. The men of Champa were called Orang Dampuans, who
were then vassals of the Sri Vijaya Empire. The Orang Dampuans settled in
Taguima (now Basilan). They became the ancestors of the Yakans.
o Many aspects of Filipino culture bear Indian influence, such as:

The placing of a fresh flower garland around the neck of a visitor;

The giving of bigaykaya (dowry);

The throwing of rice grains to the newlyweds after the matrimonial

ceremony by the guests;

The putong (turban) of early Filipino men and the sarong (lower garment)
of the early Filipino women;

The planting of some species of flowers like sampaguita and champaka;

fruits including mango and nangka; and vegetables such as ampalaya,
patola, and malunggay came from Indianized sojourners;

Words like ama, nanay, asawa, halaga, kalapati, saksi, tala, raha, sandata,
and maharlike come from Sanskrit.

o Sino-Philippine relations began in the 10th century A.D.

o The Philippine islands were referred to by the Chinese as Ma-yi, and the Visayas
was called Pi-she-ya. Chinas greatest maritime explorer, Admiral Zheng He,
reached the Philippines in December 1405.
o Many aspects of Filipino culture bear Chinese influence as well, such as:

The manufacture of gunpowder, the art of metallurgy, the use of porcelain

and occupations like blacksmithing and goldsmithing;

Kite-flying and other games including jueteng, kuwaho and pangginggi;

Culinary styles like roasting pigs, brewing tea for drinking and cooking
dishes like pancit, lumpia, chopsuey, and okoy;

Use of seasonings like toyo and tahuri and vegetables like bataw, petsay
and upo;

Use of slippers, wooden shoes (bakya) and umbrellas;

Words such as ate, kuya, suki, gunting, hiya, pakyaw, and susi.

o Japan traded with the Philippines by the 13th century, through their wakos
(Japanese pirate-traders).
o In the middle of the 14th century, Muslim traders from Malaysia brought Islam to
the Philippines. This was called the makhdumin, the era of receptivity to Islam.

Tuan Mashaika brought the Islamic faith in Sulu.

Sharif ul-Hashim, popularly known as Sayid Abu Bakr, founded the Sulu
Sultanate in about 1450 A.D.

Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuwan founded the sultanate of Maguindanao

sometime in 1515.