 arly
Spanish ethnographic notes written into official reports
and missionary and administrative historiography provide
us with a close-up of Filipino society during the
"contact period," which covers much of the 16th
century and give us a perspective of pre-Spanish
Philippines.
The
outstanding works include Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas
(Relations of the Philippine Islands) by Miguel de
Loarca, 1582; "Customs of the Tagalogs" and
"The Worship of the Tagalogs, Their Gods, and Their
Burials and Supersititions" by Fr. Juan de Plasencia,
a.p.M., 1589 (in Blair and Robertson); Relacion de las
Islas Filipinas, by Fr. Pedro Chirino, S.J. 1604 (also
in Blair and Robertson); Labor Evangelica by Fr.
Francisco Colin, S.J., 1663; Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas by Dr. Antonio de Morga, 1609 (annotated by
RizaI1889), The Boxer Codex (The Manners, Customs
and Beliefs of the Philippine Inhabitants of Long Ago: Being
Chapters of "A Late 16th century Manila
Manuscript") transcribed and annotated by Carlos
Quirino and Mauro Garcia.
Captain
Miguel de Loarca was made encomendero or colonial
overseer of a land grant (encomienda) for his
services to the crown; so were others who had fought with
Legazpi rewarded with fiefs. Loarca was given the encomienda
of Oton (Arevalo) in Panay in 1571. His accounts deal
with the Pintados Islands and the mode of life of the people.
The early Spaniards referred to the Bisayans of the central
Philippines as Pintados or painted, meaning,
tattooed.
Of
the Pintados, Loarca observed that they bore their ears in
two places and wear beautiful ornaments, not only in their
ears but also around their necks and arms. Gold, jewels and
slaves were the main items of the dowry given by the husband
to his wife. He also mentions the baylanes (shamans
or mediums) as priestesses who performed rites to cure the
sick and while engaged in session was gaily dressed with
garlands on their heads and "resplendent in gold."
Mourning relatives of the dead wore rattan bands covering
their entire arms and necks and putting back their golden
adornments after the mourning period.
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