FILAMER CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Perspectives of the Spanish religious (e.g., Plasencia & Chirino)

and layman (Morga) on the early Filipino religious or spiritual
traditions.

Vince Laurence A. Blancaflor

BSTM 1A 1ST Semester SY 2020-201
Readings in Philippine History
Topic 2 GE 2
 Page l
1

Introduction

Philippines had been a colony of Spain for 317 years and were
16 years away from switching from a Spanish colony into an
American one. Much of the Spanish influence in the Philippines
was limited to the Spanish settlements on the coast. Indigenous
inland communities felt less pressure from the Spanish than
communities that stayed near Spanish settlements and thus were
less inclined to convert to Catholicism although some beliefs
were incorporated

The indigenous Filipinos had religions of their own long

before the arrival of the Spanish. After nearly four-hundred
years of Spanish contact in the Philippines, the Filipinos
appeared to have adopted Catholicism from the Spanish. It would
be expected that a change in religious beliefs would be reflected
in a change in practices that may be seen in the archaeological
record, particularly in changes to burial practices. The location
of burials, position of both the body and burial goods, and
decoration of burial goods may indicate ritual. Despite claims
made by the Spanish about the overwhelming acceptance of
Catholicism in the Philippines, the influence of Spanish
colonialism was not as widespread as was advertised. The
indigenous Filipinos continued their own burial practices, and
thus continued to follow their own religions, beyond the
influence of Spanish colonialism which was centred in and
immediately surrounding large trade cities.

Spain considered its colonization of the Philippines as a

success; it was to be seen as an example of Catholicism in Asia.
Many indigenous Filipinos did eventually adopt Catholicism as a
result of Spanish colonialism, at least on the surface.
 Page 2
1

Fray Juan de Plasencia of the Franciscan Order.

Fray de Plasencia was sent to Luzon where he lived with the

communities of ancient Tagalogs. He introduced Christian faith to
the natives with utmost dedication. It contains numerous
information that historian could use in reconstructing the
political and socio-cultural history of the Tagalog region. His
work is a primary source because he personally witnessed the
events and his accounts contained his observations.

Fr. Juan de Plasencia takes into account that the pre-Spanish

Filipinos had a rudimentary knowledge of astronomy and were
staunch believers in omens: Some of them also adored the stars,
although they did not know them by their names, as the Spaniards
and other nations know the planets–with one exception of the
morning star, which they called Tala. They knew too, the “seven
little goats” (the Pleiades)–as we call them–and, consequently,
the change of seasons, which they call Mapolom and Balatic, which
is our Greater Bear.

They were, moreover, very liable to find auguries in things they

witnessed. For example, if they left their house and met on the way a
serpent or rat, or a bird called Tigmamanuguin which was singing in
the tree, or if they chanced upon anyone who sneezed, they returned at
once to their house, considering the incident as an augury that some
evil might befall them if they should continue their journey–
especially when the above-mentioned bird sang. This song had two
different forms: in one case it was considered as an evil omen; in the
other, as a good omen, and then they, continue their journey. They
also practised divination, to see whether weapons, such as a dagger or
knife, were to be useful and lucky for their possessor whenever
occasion should offer.
 Page 3

The Spanish missionary Juan de Plasencia carefully noted the

worship of anitos by the primitive Filipinos. It is true that
they have the name simbahan, which means a temple or place of
adoration; but this ds because formerly when they wished to
celebrate a festival, which they called pandot, or 'worship,'
they celebrated it in the large house of a chief. There they
constructed for the purpose of sheltering the assembled people, a
temporary shed on each side of the house, with a roof, called
sibi, to protect the people from the wet when it rained ...
During this time the whole barangay, or family, united and joined
in the worship which they call nag-aanitos.

Juan de Plasencia has summarized Filipino primitive religion by

saying it consisted of: four basic elements: animism, worship of
spirits of ancestors, almost no temples, and human sacrifice. In
view of the fact that there is -such a scanty record of human
sacrifices in the Philippines, it may be conducted that it was
not a typical practice of the primitive Filipinos. Instead, the
existence of a well-defined priesthood may be substituted, this
priesthood consisting of mediums (katalonan) between man and the
anitos.

Antonio de Morga

Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (29 November 1559 – 21 July 1636)

was a Spanish soldier, lawyer and a high-ranking colonial
official for 43 years, in the Philippines (1594 to 1604), New
Spain and Peru, where he was president of the Real Audiencia for
20 years.

Morga suffered important failures in both his military and

political capacities. The same cannot be said for his work as
historian. In 1609, he published the work for which he is now
remembered – Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events in the
 Page 4

Philippine Isles). This work, perhaps the best account of Spanish

colonialism in the Philippines written during that period, is
based partly on documentary research, partly on keen observation,
and partly on Morga's personal involvement and knowledge.

The history was published in two volumes, both in 1609 by Casa

de Geronymo Balli, in Mexico City. (The work had circulated for
years before this in manuscript form.) New Spain Viceroy Luis de
Velasco (hijo) authorized the publication and granted Morga the
sole right to publish it for ten years, on 7 April 1609. On the
same date, Fray García Guerra, archbishop of Mexico, approved the
publication of the work. The history covers the years from 1493
to 1603. Political, social, and economic phases of life, both
among the natives and their conquerors, are treated. Morga's
official position allowed him access to many government
documents. The work greatly impressed Philippine independence
hero José Rizal (1861–96), himself a man of letters and of
action. He decided to annotate it and publish a new edition. He
began work on this in London, completing it in Paris in 1890.

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas was published in 1609; this

book took interest on the political, economic and cultural lives
of the Filipinos and Spaniards during the period of 1400s and
early 1600s. However, the document available for us is simply an
extract from the said book, and it is devoted to the religious
beliefs and practices of the early Filipinos who lived in Luzon.
Based on the observation of the author, de Morga, the ancient
tagalogs called their gods and deities as anitos. Based on the
observation of the author, de Morga, the ancient tagalogs called
their gods and deities as anitos. De Morga also confirmed Fr.
Plasencia's observation that the community had their own
religious leader whose tasks was to preside rituals, rites and
healing the sick.

Morga's purpose for Writing Sucesos Morga wrote that the purpose
for writing Sucesos was so he could chronicle "the deeds achieved
by our Spaniards I the discovery, conquest, and conversion of the
Page 5
Filipinas Islands - as well as various fortunes that they have32331
from time to time in the great kingdoms and among the pagan.

Fr. PEDRO Chirino

 He was first assigned to Balayan before he was appointed to be
the parish priest of the town of Taytay in 1591. During his
tenure as parish priest, he transferred the location of Taytay
parish from its original site near Laguna de Bay to a hilltop
area where it has remained to this day. He also began to immerse
himself in the study of the Tagalog language and was able to
preach his homily in Tagalog for the first time on August 15,
1591 on the occasion of the establishment of a Jesuit mission in
Antipolo.[5]

Chirino also went to missions in Tigbauan from February 1593

to April 1595 and Leyte in June 1595. It was in Tigbauan where
Father Chirino established in 1593 what would become the first
Jesuit boarding-school in the Philippines.

In the course of his missionary work, Father Chirino also

recorded the transition of Filipino writing from the Baybayin
script to the Latin alphabet.[6][7] In addition, he began writing
down his knowledge of Philippine history as well as his
observations on the way of life of Filipinos in that period. Upon
his return to Europe in 1602, he worked on the publication of
these writings into a book entitled Relación de las Islas
Filipinas. The book was eventually published in Rome in 1604.

Fr. Chirino observed that ancient Tagalogs including the

Bisayans preserved their stories and beliefs in songs and poems.
Based on these songs, ancient Tagalogs worshiped a supreme god
called "Bathala Mei Kapal" which means God the Creator. The
Bisayans, on the other hand, called their supreme god as Laon.
LAON means antiquity. They also used images to worship and
venerate their gods or idols. Our ancestors in Luzon described
these idols or sacred images as larawan or larauan.

The Relacion de las Islas Filipinas was mainly intended as a

history of the missions in the islands conducted by the Jesuits,
which begun in 1581. Chirino gave a full and detailed account of
the missions from that time until his departure in 1602. He
narrates many things of interest and importance regarding the
people, their customs and character, their language and state of
civilization, their religious beliefs and worship, and the
results of missionary labors and influence upon them.
 Page 6
32331

Much of this information is of special value as one of the

earliest records regarding the Filipino peoples in their
primitive condition, before they had had much contact with the
white men; for the Jesuits went even beyond the outposts of
Spanish civilization, among tribes who sometimes had never seen
white men before. Chirino also recorded the transition of
Filipino writing from the Baybayin script to the Latin alphabet.

Besides these, they had a thousand other superstitions. If they

beheld a serpent or lizard, or heard anyone sneeze, they should
always retrace their steps, and or no account go further at that
time, for such an occurrence would be an evil omen. They had no
places set aside for worship, or public days for general
festivities. Not until we went to Taitai did I learn that in many
of the houses there was another one, but smaller, made of cane,
as it were a little tower, fashioned somewhat curiously, to which
they passed from the main house by a short bridge, also made of
cane in these were kept their needlework and other sorts of
handicraft, by means of which they concealed the msytery of the
little house. From information that I received from some of the
faithful, it was in reality dedicated to the anito, although they
offered no sacrifice in it, nor did it serve for other use than
as it was dedicated him – perhaps that he might rest there when
when on a journey, as Elias said to the other priests. I had all
these houses demolished, so that not one remained. I also found
in some little hamlets of the Pintados a small house at the
entrance of the village with only the roof and ground floor,
which served as a place where sacrifices are performed. But after
all, it was not the general practice to have any common place of
worship, as did the ancient pagans, or to come together to any
one place for solemn rites, or to have public and general
sacrifices offered in the name of the community.
 Page 7
32331

Individuals, however, made offerings, each one for his own

intention or need, and in his own house or other private place;
but they chose jointly their own priest, male or female (of whom
there were many), according to their own devotion and taste.

SIMILAR PERSPECTIVES

The supernatural beliefs of ancient Filipinos can be gleaned

from the writings of Spanish conquistadores, historians, and
missionaries. At the time of colonization, the population of the
Philippines was estimated to be 700,000–based on the census of
tributes implemented by Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas whose
term of office only lasted three years from 1590-1593.

According to Fr. Pedro Chirino, Antonio de Morga and other

Spanish writers, the ancient Filipino believed in a supreme being
called Bathala, the creator of heaven and earth, and all living
things. Under this all-powerful god was a pantheon of lesser gods
like the Visayan goddess of harvest and fire Lalahort; the Bagobo
god of war Darago, and Apolaki, the Pangasinan god of war.

Pre-Spanish Filipinos also worshipped the spirits of their

ancestors called anitos. They carved wooden or stone idols to
represent their gods and anitos, which they kept in their homes
and propitiated with food, animals and other sacrifices to bring
about success in war, a bountifuI harvest, or a happy marriage.
However, not all anitos were benevolent. Bad anitos existed Page
in 5
the shapes of the spirits of dead tribal enemies.

Over three centuries of Spanish colonization and Christianization

wrought their impact in reshaping the supernatural beliefs of
Filipinos. From the ancient worship of Bathala, most Filipinos
have shifted their faith to Jesus Christ. From
venerating diwatas or mountain goddesses, many Filipinos have
become devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. And from wearing
charms, local believers have switched to scapulars and religious
medals.

Yet somehow the supernatural beliefs and practices of their

ancestors still exert a major influence in the daily lives of
modern Filipinos. This is evident in the many rituals of folk
Catholicism that bear a strong resemblance to their pagan
counterparts. This is apparent in many Filipinos of today who
still wear charms and amulets, and regularly consult mediums,
faith healers and even witches. Most of all, this conclusion is
reinforced by the groundswell of local cults that espouse a happy
blend of Christian and pagan beliefs, if not a complete return to
the supernatural tradition of their ancestors.