The Philippine Islands are made up of over 7,000 islands located southeast of China. There are three major parts of these islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzan is the northern part of the Philippines. Visayas consists of about 6,000 islands in the middle, and Mindanao, made up of about 400 islands in the lower region. Before the acquisition of the Philippines by the Spaniards, the Filipinos lived in settlements called barangays. Each barangay was made up of anywhere from 30 to 100 families. Each barangay was headed by a datu.The position of datu was passed along families from the holder of the position to the eldest son, or daughter, if there were no sons. Although each barangay was independent of the others, they were settled near each other in case of an emergency or a war.
There were four basic classes of society. The ruling class was known as the datu, freemen and nobles were called maharlika, commoners were timawa, and the dependents and slaves were called alipin. Most Filipinos claimed Bathala as their supreme god. Bathala was known as the creator of the heavens, earth, and man. They also worshipped lesser gods and goddesses, such as death, agriculture, and harvest. They also believed in immortalty of the soul and life after death. The Filipinos were very dependent on agriculture. They planted and had an abundance of rice, sugarcane, cotton, hemp, coconut, bananas, and many other fruits and vegetables. The men wore short sleeved and collarless jackets with a length ending slightly below the waist. The color of the jacket indicated social class, for example the datu would wear red. For the lower part of their body, they wore bahags, a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and passing between the thighs. Their legs and thighs would remain exposed. A putong was worn around the head. The color and kind was very important among classes. A red putong indicated that the man wearing it had killed another in war. If the putong was embroidered, it indicated that the man had killed over seven men. They also wore necklaces, earrings, rings, and anklets made out of gold and precious stones.
Women wore long sleeved jackets called baros. Over their skirts, which were called patadyongs, they wore a strip of cloth wraped around the waist called tapis. They also wore gem studded bracelets, necklaces, rings, and gold earrings. Both men and women had tattoos. For men, a tattoo was also a sort of war medal. The more tattoos a man had, the more honerable his battles were. The Filipinos hold family in very high regard. They emphasize respect for, loyalty to, and dependence upon the family. Parents are very careful to instill a sense of shame within each child. They encourage their children to avoid unacceptable actions that may make them look bad to other people. They are sure to acknowlege their debts to others who have given unsolicited favors with appropriate gratitude and respect. They hold a debt of gratitude, called utang na loob, to their parents, and it can never be adequately repaid.
Because of the way they view the family, they make important family events and milestones such as Baptisms, graduations, and birthdays reasons for celebration. These celebrations are generally held at home. The food now reflects the blending of the Malay, Islamic, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences. From the Malay come such preparations using coconut and coconut milk and whole pig roasted over charcoal and hot stones. This is the most celebrationary of Filipino dishes. From the Spanish come tomatoes, garlic, and the technique of sauteeing. After the American aquisition of the Philippines, many Filipinos began coming to the U.S. and Hawaii, to earn money, get an education, or for other opportunities. Most of them intended to go back to the Philippines, but chose to stay in America.
Sources:
Posadas, Barbara. The Filipino Americans. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999
Bautista, Veltisezar. The Filipino Americans From 1763 to the Present. Missouri: Bookhaus Publishers 1998
Cordova, Fred. Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1983
by, Jari Lundquist