Handout for Grade V (Lesson 2) – The Filipino
Government Before
The
Barangay
Our
ancestors already had their own system of government long before the Spaniards
came. Their government was community-based.
They called it barangay. The word
barangay came from the word balangay,
a sea vessel by our ancestors.
A
small barangay(as a Community) was
composed of 30 to 100 families. There were leaders or chieftains and followers
in each barangay. It was led by a datu, or lakan. There were many barangays
established in the whole archipelago. Some barangays were big like Cebu and
Manila. Each barangay was free and independent, but had relations with other
barangays. Some formed alliances or associations to gain strength in war.
Leaders of the barangays strengthen their unity through blood compacts.
Confederation
Madya-as –was the first confederation in ancient Panay.
A
barangay (as a government) were a datu
possessed executive, legislative and judicial powers.
The Powers and Responsibilities of a
Datu
A
datu exercised great powers in the barangay under his jurisdiction. He was the
leader, the lawmaker, the judge, and the commander-in-chief of all soldiers in
the barangay. He had the following responsibilities:
1.
maintain peace and order in the community.
2.
take good care of every citizens in the community.
3.
defend his constituents against enemies.
4.
help the sick and the needy.
5.
give sound advice to everyone who asked for it.
6.
lead fairly in accordance with old customs, traditions, and laws.
When
the datu, his eldest son inherits his position. If the datu had no son, his
daughter could take his place. If the datu had neither a son nor a daughter,
the people in the barangay chose their new datu. An ordinary member of the
barangay could be chosen as a datu when he was either the eldest, the most
intelligent, the strongest warrior, the richest, or the leader in the barangay.
Although the position of a datu could be inherited, his influence and power
depended on his intelligence, the numbers of his followers, and properties.
Some
of the followers’ duties to the datu included the following:
1.
respect the datu
2.
serve the datu faithfully
3.
obey the laws and orders of the datu
4.
help the datu in farming, hunting and fishing
5.
defend their barangay in times of war.
6.
pay tributes called buwis in the form of crops
The
following rights of the followers:
1.
choose their own jobs and spouses
2.
own properties like land, house, and animals
3.
defend themselves when charged or accused of a crime
The
Laws of the Barangay
The
laws of the barangay served as guidelines for the people to ensure peace and
order.
These
laws were made by the datu with the help of his advisers. These were then approved
by the elders and the knowledgeable in the barangay. When a law was approved,
it was proclaimed to the whole barangay through the umalahokan or a community crier.
Many
laws were made. Laws were either written
or unwritten. Written laws were
those formulated and approved by the datu and his advisers. Some of them were
written on fragile materials. They were destroyed by the Spaniards
missionaries. Examples of these laws were the Code of Maragtas- was written in 1250, Code of Maguindanao,
and Code of Sulu also known as Luwaran.
The
following are some examples of these written laws:
1.
respect the datu. He should not be abused.
2.
debts should be paid in due time.
3.
be industrious and patient. Those who are lazy will become slaves.
4.
the number of children should be limited only to two so that their needs are
met.
5.
death penalty will be imposed on those who kill other people.
6.
the fingers of those caught stealing will be cut.
Unwritten laws were derived from the
customs and traditions of the people. They could also be the orders of the datu
the implementation of which was only temporary or could be for a long time.
The
Trials
Trials
before were done in public and the decisions were given at once. There were no
court defenders. The datu acted as judge in court trials.
There were also trials by testing. Those who won in
these trials were said to have been blessed by Bathala. This trial was a test on the endurance and bravery
of the person accused. Examples of these trials were the following:
1.
the accused persons were ordered to chew uncooked rice. The person with thick
saliva would be considered the culprit.
2.
the accused person would be given a lighted torch. The one whose light were off
ahead was the culprit.
3.
the suspects were told to dip their hands into boiling water. Each was to get
the store soaked in water. The one who would object to the order of the one
with more burns was adjudged as the sinner.
4.
the persons involved in the case would be asked to jump into the river. The one
who rose from the water ahead of the other would be considered as the crime
doer.
The
Sultanate Government
The
sultanate government prevailed in Sulu and Maguindanao. The first sultanate in
Sulu was established by Sultan Abu
Bakr. In Maguindanao, by Sultan
Kabungsuwan. The sultanate
(as a community consisted of 10 to 12 united barrios with a leader for each
village) and also called as the centralized
form of government.
The
leader of a sultanate was called a sultan.
The appointed sultan was the richest and the most powerful person in the whole
sultanate. He had different powers compared to a datu. Aside from his political
and civic responsibilities, the sultan had to protect the faith and the
holiness of Islam and the Koran. He also had to preserve the Muslim customs and
traditions under his jurisdiction. The constituents of a datu were also under
the jurisdiction of a sultan.
Ruma bichara – assistant of sultan
- served as the adviser and a council of
influential datus in the sultanate. He also decided all matters related to
laws, business, finance, and faith.
Marajah
- head of the district.
Panglima - general management of the sultan.
Lakamana - the personal aide of the panglima.
Bintala -
supervisor of the pandita (a priest in every district).
Nakib - assistant of the panglima who manage
the police forces of the sultanate
Makabil -
a law enforcer in the market.
The
following also helped the sultan: Raja
munda (heir of the sultan), dayang
(wife of the sultan), kali
(judge considered as an expert in the Koran and Shariah or laws of the
Muslims), wazir (prime
minister), Datu Ladja Laut
(minister of the sea), and Datu
Maharaha Layda (minister of customs).
Dear grade V students,
I am
requiring all of you to update with all the important current news of
what is going on around us especially in our WELL-BUILD CITY (ZAMBOANGA CITY) .
I will focus more on the latest issues: social, political, and including
calamities that are happening in Luzon area that keeps on going, Pork Barrel
Scam- Mrs. Janeth Napoles, and the ZAMBOANGA SIEGE.
Social
Studies is a study
of social relationships and the functioning of society and usually made up of
courses in history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and
anthropology.
We
Zamboangenous should increasingly
alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence,
concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and
children, concern over the plight of those displaced, many of whom are
struggling to survive and all humanitarian workers should provide and support
to the victims of violence are protected and respected, and their safety is ensured
by all actors.
Let‘s
work hand in hand in plight of what Zamboanga Siege happened and we should
faced this with dazzling results with God’s help and power.
God
bless us all….
Prepared by: Mrs. Jennifa
Villagracia-Ejedio
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