PRE-SPANISH

ERA
900 – 1560’S (BEFORE 900 AD)
• Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Filipinos were living in
scattered barangays ruled by different chieftains.
• They lived separately but they were similar in many ways,
religion, mode of dressing, houses, systems of government,
marriage activities and economic .
• They were refined and civilized
• They possessed a distinct culture that distinguished them
from other race.
DANCES
• Taraketek – two tareketek (woodpeckers) fight for the
attention of 3 females
• Binaylan Banog – mother hen protecting her chicks from a
hungry hawk
• Kadal Taho – story of a flock of sister birds that wandered
too far in search of food
• Salip – a courtship dance
• Singkil – about the legend of “Darangan”
• Banga Dance – shows the Kalinga women as they go about
their daily task of fetching water from the river.
• Kapa Malong Malong – shows many ways of using the
malong
• Manerwap – rain dance to the god “Kabunian”
• Idaw – dance performed by warriors before going to war
• Dugso – dance of thanksgiving
• Lepanto Dance – performed to thank god “Kabunian”
MUSIC
• Natives were music lovers
• Each community had their own sets of musical instrument
• During the official historian of Magellan Expedition, women
from Cebu were harmoniously playing:
CYMBALS
NOSE FLUTES
BRASS GONG
FLUTE
LONG DRUM
BAMBOO HARP
WATER WHISTLE
GUITAR
DRUM
XYLOPHONE
BAMBOO ZITHER/TANGKOL
GADDANG
DABAKAN
ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURE
• Ancient Filipinos
first dwelt in caves
and learned the art
of architecture as
they move and hunt
for their food.
HOUSES
• Made of light materials like wood, bamboo and nipa palm.
• Ladder was placed to prevent strangers from intruding
when the owner was not around.
• Strong posts at the lower part of the house was enclosed
• Some built tree houses to protect themselves against
enemies or from being attacked by wild animals.
LEAN-TO
IFUGAO HOUSE “BALE”
TOROGAN
TAUSOG HOUSE
BAHAY NA BATO
LITERATURE
 WRITTEN ORAL
- Biag Ni Lam-ang (Ilocano - Maxims (Sabi)
Epic) - Bugtong (Riddles)
- Boat Song (Palindaw)
- Indarapatra at Sulayman - Victory Syongs
and Bidasari (Muslim (Tagumpay)
Epics) - Lullaby (Uyayi)
- Wedding Songs (Ihiman)
- Handiong (Bicolanos) - War Song (Kumintang)
ALPHABET
RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS
• Before Roman Catholicism and Islam, natives worshipped
many Gods and Goddesses.
- Bathala (supreme being)
- Idiyanale (God of Agriculture)
- Sidata (God of Death)
- Agni (God of Fire)
- Balangaw (God of Rainbow)
- Mandarangan (God of War)
- Lalahon (God of Harvest)
- Siginarugan (God of Hell)
• They believed in the immortality of souls and life after
death.
• There were sacred animals which they venerate (e.g. white
monkeys and crocodiles)
• There were also sacred place and sacred trees, which
nobody was allowed to cut down.
• They also worshipped the sun and the moon.
• Regular sacrifices and prayers were offered to placate
deities and spirits. Reward and punishment after death was
dependent upon behaviour in this life.
SUPERSTITIOUS
BELIEFS
ASWANG
DWENDE
KAPRE
MANGKUKULAM
TIKBALANG
TIYANAK
ANTING-ANTING
KULAM
GAYUMA
ARTS
TATTOOS
PINTADOS
SILUP
PETROGLYPHS
• The Angono
Petroglyphs is the
oldest known work
of art in the
Philippines.
• There are 127 human
and animal figures
engraved on the rock
wall.
SCULPTURE
POTTERY
JEWELLERY
WOOD CARVING
BUL-UL
• Caved anito figures of
the Ifugaos.
• Represents ancestral
spirit and granary
Gods.
• Bul-uls are places in
rice granaries as
“Guardians of the
harvest”.
HAGABI