Cultural

 

Philippine culture was very simple and sometimes barbaric before the Spanish came. Yet even though the culture back then was not as organized or advanced compared to the Spanish, the culture that they established even before they came was a fully functional society. Because the Philippines is an archipelago, the tribes and settlers of the Philippines were unable to unite as a single nation, but rather formed many small communities known as “barangays”. Each barangay had its own leader and its own set of laws, and nearby tribes often warred and fought with one another. The leader of the barangay was called datu.

 

Before the Spanish came, most of the tribes lived as nomads. Whenever they ran out of resources they would move to a different area. Eventually, as communities grew larger, they began to settle down in more permanent areas. These larger communities were often found near the ocean and river mouths, and were called bayans. The rulers of this larger type of community was referred to as Rajah.

 

The difference in clothing of the Filipinos before the Spanish came was also very large. Before the Philippines became a colony of Spain, the Filipinos would often wear bahag or gee-strings. The clothes of the male were made from a fabric known as cangan. They did not have collars and their sleeves were very short. The rajahs would often wear red cloths known as chininans. The men would also often tattoo themselves, and they began doing so even as little children. They were also very fond of wearing gold as it was a very common resource at the time.