Captain Loarca's Account of the Filipinos and Their Pre-Spanish Civilization (1582)

Miguel de Loarca was one of the Spanish officials to arrive in the Philippines. He was
a member of a Spanish expedition to China. Loarca's contribution to Philippine
historiography was his two works.
Miguel de Loarca was one of the first Spanish conquistadores to arrive in the
Philippines. The author of Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas and Verdadera relacion de la
grandeça del Reyno de China. Loarca's work on the Philippines was published in 1582. The
original manuscript of the Relacion is preserved at the Archivo General de las Indias and
handwritten copies were made by Juan Bautista de Muñoz one of which is in the Lenox
Collection of the New York Public Library and the other is in the Academia Real de la
Historia in Madrid, Spain. Loarca's Relacion was one of the early writings about the
inhabitants of the Philippines aside from those written by members of the Magellan and
Legazpi expeditions.
RELACION DE LAS YSLAS FILIPINAS*
By Miguel de Loarca
A treatise on the Philippine Islands, in which, an account is given of all the islands
and peoples reduced to the obedience of his royal Majesty, King Don Phelippe, our
sovereign, and of the settlements that the Spaniards had made there; together with an
account of the form of government among both the Spaniards and the natives, and of some
customs of the Indians and Moros of these islands.
Although the chief settlement of the Spaniards in these islands is the city of Manila,
and the island of Luzon, wherein it is situated, it is the finest and richest of all the islands
discovered (on which account we should discuss and begin to write about it first), yet, since
the island of Cubu [sic Cebu) was the first to be settled, and served as the starting point for
the conquest of all the others; and, too, because your Lordship has allowed me too short a
time in which to write this relation; and because I know them better, I shall commence with
the island of Cubu and those adjacent to it, the Pintados. [the Visayan islands) Thus I may
afterward speak more at length on matters pertaining to this island of Luzon and its
neighboring islands - where, because the natives are Moros, they differ somewhat from the
former in customs, mode of life, and language.
It cannot be denied that the men who have come to this country have lacked the
desire for investigation, since neither ecclesiastics nor laymen have undertaken to relate
what occurred in this land at the time of the conquest, and, although it is said that Fray
Alonso de Buyza has written a large volume in Mexico on this subject, I doubt the
assertion, because I have seen his letters asking for exact information about events in this
region of sixteen years ago, because he mistrusted the accounts which have been sent to
him from here; he also requested anyone of the settlers of this land, who could write, to give
a faithful account of all things for times to come. At present, it will be difficult to arrange
such information, and much time will be needed therefor. In view of this and the short time
before me, I shall not treat of that particular subject; but I shall fulfill what his Majesty has
ordered from your Lordship by his royal decree; and I shall also add a description of some
customs of the natives, in order that, since they are his Majesty's vassals, he may know of
the barbarous life, and of the civilized manner in which they know life under his gracious
sway.

On the Practices of Natives

 There are two kinds of people in this land, who, although of the same race, differ
somewhat in their customs and are almost always on mutual unfriendly terms. One class
includes those who live along the coast, the other class those who live in the mountains;
and if peace seems to reign among them, it is because they depend upon each other for the
necessities of life. The inhabitants of the mountains cannot live without the fish, salt, and
other articles of food, and the jars and dishes of other districts; nor, on the other hand, can
those of the coast live without the rice and cotton of the mountaineers. In like manner they
have two different beliefs concerning the beginning of the world; and since these natives are
not acquainted with the art of writing, they preserve their ancient lore through songs,
which they sing in a yery pleasing manner - commonly while plying their oars, as they are
island dwellers. [white robes, and strip the bejuco bands from their arms and necks; the
mourning ends, and they begin to eat rice again, and to adorn themselves with gold.]

Larao of the dead – that is mourning. One of the observances which is carried out
with most rigor is that called larao. This rule requires that when a chief dies all must
mourn him, and must observe the following restrictions: No one shall quarrel with any
other during the time of mourning, and especially at the time of the burial. Spears must be
carried point downward, and daggers be carried in the belt with hilt reversed. No gala or
colored dress shall be worn during that time. There must be no singing on board a
barangay when returning to the village, but strict silence maintained. They make an
enclosure around the house of the dead man; and if anyone great or small, passes by and
transgresses this bound, he shall be punished. In order that all men may know of a chiefs
death and no one feigns ignorance, one of the timaguas who is held in honor goes through
the village and makes announcement of the mourning. He who transgresses the law must
pay the penalty, without fail. If he who does this wrong be a slave – one of those who serve
without the dwelling - and has not the means to pay, his owner pays for him; but the latter
takes the slave to his own house, that he may serve him, and makes him ayuey. They say
that these rules were left to them by Lubluban and Panas. To some, especially to the
religious, it has seemed as if they were too rigorous for these people; but they were general
among the chiefs, timaguas, and slaves.

Wars. The first man who waged war, according to their story, was Panas, the son of
that Anoranor, who was grandson of the first human (parents: crossed out in MS.) beings.
He declared war against Mangaran, on account of an inheritance; and from that time date
the first wars, because the people were divided into two factions, and hostility has handed
down from father to son. They say that Panas was the first man to use weapons in fighting.

Just wars. There are three cases in which these natives regard war as just. The first
is when an Indian goes to another village and is there put to death without cause; the
second, when their wives are stolen from them; and the third is when they go in friendly
manner to trade at any village, and there, under the appearance of friendship, are wronged
or maltreated.

Laws. They say that the laws by which they have thus far been governed were left to
them by Lubluban, the woman whom we have already mentioned. Of these laws only the
chiefs are defenders and executors. There are no judges, although there are mediators who
go from one party to another to bring about a reconciliation.
 Laws of slavery. No Indian in this country is made a slave or is put to death for any
crime which he commits, even if it be theft, adultery, or murder — except that for each
crime there is an established fine, which they have to pay in jewels or gold, and if the
culprit is unable to pay the fine he will borrow the money, and pledge himself to the man
from whom he borrows. As a result he becomes a slave, until he shall repay what was lent
to him; after that, he is free again. Therefore, according to the crime committed, they are
slaves; and there are three classes of slaves in these islands. The first, and the most
thoroughly enslaved, is the bondman of him who is served in his own dwelling; such as a
slave they call ayuey. These slaves work three days for the master, and one for themselves.
Another class of slaves are those called tumaranpoc (tumaranpuk - Z.]. They live in
their own houses, and are obliged to go to work for their master one day out of four, having
three days for themselves. If they fail to work for their master, in order to cultivate their
own fields they give the master each year ten chicubites of rice, each chicubite being equal
to one fanega. There are other slaves, whom these people hold in most respect, who are
called tomatabans [tumatabang -Z.]; these work in the house of the master only when there
is some banquet or revel. On such occassions they bring small gifts, and share in the
drinking. But when one of these slaves dies, the property left by the slave is shared with his
children by the master. During their lifetime, these slaves are bound to work for their
master five days in a month; or if they do not work, they annually give the master five
chicubites of rice.

Value of the slaves. The ayueys are worth among these people two gold taels of
Labin sian, the equivalent of twelve pesos. The tumaranpoques are worth the same sum.
The tomatabans are worth one tael, or six pesos. The avuey women. like their husbands,
work in the houses of chiefs. The tumaranpoque women, if they have children, serve half of
the month in spinning and weaving cotton, which their masters supply; and during the
other half of the month they work for themselves. The torriataban women spin only one
hank of cotton each month for their masters, who furnish them the cotton in the ball. Only
the ayueys receive food and clothing from their masters; to the others the masters give
nothing. When these slaves die the masters take away all their property, except from the
tomatabans, as we have said above. Those whom these natives have sold, as slaves to the
Spaniards are mostly the ayueys.
The rules which they observe for punishing anyone so severely as to enslave him are
as follows: for murder, adultery, and theft; and for insulting any woman of rank, or taking
away her robe in public and leaving her naked, or causing her to flee or defend herself so
that it falls off; which is considered a great offense.
Thieves. If a thief commits a great robbery, he and all his relatives (or at least his nearest
kin) are fined. If they are unable to pay the fine, they are made slaves. This law applies to
all classes, and even to the chiefs themselves; accordingly, if a chief commits any crime,
even against one of his own slaves or timaguas, he is fined in the same manner. But they
are not reduced to slavery for lack of means to pay the fine; as, if they were not chiefs, they
would be slaves. In case of a small theft, the punishment falls upon the thief alone, and not
on his relatives.
In time of famine. When there is famine the poor, who have not the means of
sustenance, in order not to perish, go to the rich — and almost always they seek their
relatives and surrender themselves to them as slaves — in order to be fed.
 Another kind of slavery. There is another kind of lordship [slavery: crossed out in
MS.]. which was first introduced by a man whom they call Sidumaguer which, they say,
occurred more than two thousand years ago. Because, some men broke a barangay
belonging to him - in Lariguiguey, his native village, situated in the island of Bantayan - he
compelled the descendants of those who had broken his barangay to bequeath to him at
their deaths two slaves out of every ten, and the same portion of all their property. This
kind of slavery gradually made its way among all the Indians living on the coast, but not
among the Tinguianes.
Real Timaguas. The freemen of these islands, who are called timaguas, are neither
chiefs nor slaves. This is their mode of life. If a timagua desires to live in a certain village,
he joins himself to one of the chiefs - for each village usually has many chiefs, each of
whom has his own district, with slaves and timaguas, well known to him – to whom he
offers himself as his timagua, binding himself to observe the following laws.. When feasts
are given to other chiefs he must attend; for it is the custom that the timagua drinks first
from the pitarrilla, before any chief does so. He must, with his weapons, accompany the
chief when he goes on a journey.. When the latter enters a boat the timagua must go to ply
the oar, and to carry his weapons for the defense of the vessel; but if the vessel sustains
any damages he receives no punishment for this, but is only reprimanded. For this service
the chief is under obligation to defend the timagua, in his own person and those of his
relatives, against anyone who seeks to injure him without cause; and this it happens that,
to defend the timaguas, fathers fight against their sons, and brothers against one another.
If the timagua goes to any other village and there is wronged, the chief will endeavor with
all his forces, to avenge him to the same extent. Thus the timaguas live in security, and are
free to pass from the service of one chief to that of another, whenever they so desire, and
without any obstacle being placed in their way.
Of the manner in which they set out on raids. These natives have a method of casting
lots with the teeth of a crocodile or of a wild boar. During the ceremony they invoke their
gods and their ancestors, and inquire of them as to the result of their wars and their
journeys. By knots or loops which they make with cords, they foretell what will happen to
them; and they resort to these practices for everything which they hate to undertake. The
Indians along the coast are accustomed to set out is generally the sum of one hundred
taels, in gold, slaves, and jewels, and is equivalent to one hundred pesos) – they go to bring
the bride from the house of her parents. One of the Indians takes her on his shoulders; and
on arriving at the foot of the stairway to the bridegroom's house, she affects coyness, and
says that she will not enter. When many entreaties have proved useless, the father-in-law
comes out and promises to give her a slave if she will go up. She mounts the staircase, for
the slave; but when she reaches the top of the stairway and looks into her father-in-law's
house and sees the people assembled within, she again pretends to be bashful, and the
father-in-law must give her another slave.
After she has entered, the same thing takes place; and he must give her a jewel to
make her sit down, another to make her begin to eat, and another before she will drink.
While the bethrothed pair are drinking together an old man rises, and in a loud voice calls
all to silence, as he wishes to speak. He says "So-and- so marries so-and-so, but on the
condition that if the man should through dissolute conduct fail to support his wife, she will
leave him, and shall not be obliged to return anything of the dowry that he has given her;
and she shall have freedom and permission to marry another man. And therefore, should
the woman betray her husband, he can take away the dowry that he gave her, leave her,
and marry another woman. Be all of you witnesses for me to this compact.” When the old
man has ended his speech, they take a dish filled with clean, uncooked rice, and an old
woman comes and joins the hands of the pair, and lays them upon the rice. Then, holding
their hands thus joined, she throws the rice over all those who are present at the banquet.
Then the old woman gives a load shout, and all answer her with a similar shout; and the
marriage contract or ceremony is completed. Up to this time, her parents do not allow the
young couple to eat or sleep together, but by performing this ceremony they deliver her up
as his wife. But if, after the marriage contract has been negotiated by a third party, the
man who seeks marriage should repent of the bargain and seek to marry another woman,
he loses the earnest-money that he has given, even if he has no intercourse with the
former; because when they commence negotiations for the marriage they begin to give the
dowry. If a man says in a conversation, or at a drunken feast, “I wish to marry so--and-so,
daughter of so-and-so, and afterward breaks his promise and refuses to marry her, he is
fined for it; and they take away a great part of his property.
In regard to the dowry, neither the husband nor the wife can enjoy it until they have
children; for until then it belongs to the father-in-law If the bridegroom is not of age to
marry, or the bride is too young, both still work in the house of the father-in-law until they
are of age to live together.

Marriage among the timaguas. The timaguas do not follow these usages, because
they have no property of their own. They do not observe the ceremony of joining hands over
the dish of rice, through respect for the chiefs; for that ceremony is for chiefs only. Their
marriage is accomplished when the pair unite in drinking pitarrilla from the same cup.
Then they give a shout, and all the guests depart; and they are considered as married, for
they are not allowed to drink together.until late at night. The same ceremony is observed by
rich and respectable slaves.

Marriage among the slaves. But the poor slaves, who serve in the houses, marry
each other without drinking and without any go-between. They observe no ceremony, but
simply say to each other, “Let us marry." If a chief has a slave, one of his ayoiys [ayueys Z.]
who serves in the house, and wishes to marry him to a female slave of the same class
belonging to another chief, he sends an Indian woman as agent to the master of the female
slave, saying that her master wishes to marry one of his male slaves to the other's female
slave. After the marriage has been arranged, he gives his slave an earthen jar, or three or
four dishes, and there is no other ceremony. Half of the children born to this couple will
belong to the master of the female slave, and the other half will belong to the master of the
male slave. When the time comes when their children are able to work for their masters,
the parents are made tumaranpoques, as we have said; because when a male slave of one
chief marries the female slave of another chief, they immediately receive a house for their
own use, and go out to work for their masters. If a freeman marries a female slave, or vice
versa, half of the children are slaves. Thus, if there are two children, one is free and the
other a slave, as the parents may choose.