Chapter 2: Origin of the Filipinos The Philippines is one of the richest countries in the world and the

first Republic in Asian nation to achieve independence. The history of the Philippines was not interested to all Filipinos but in reality, there is so much to be proud of about our ancestors and it reflects something about us.

The Philippines is also one of the world’s richest storehouses of antiquity, with treasures from four cultural heritages namely the following:

1. Indigenous Asian 2. European3. Latin 4. American

Example:

Archeological artifacts found in the city of Butuan, Agusan Del Sur

The discovery of at least nine (9) ancient Balanghai(seagoing)boats in 1976 in that city has no parallel in world history, since they represent the oldest fleet boats excavated in one place. Balanhai-I is now displayed at the local Butuan Museum beside the excavations site near Masao,

The beauty, numbers and age ancient Chinese porcelain (Chinaware) uncovered in the Philippines surpass any found elsewhere in the world, except of course in China.

Example is in the sung dynasty, the porcelains in the Sta. Ana Cemetery in the 1960’s.

Porcelain- a ceramic materials used for making plates,cups and other items.

 

 Tribal minorities have also preserved many of their ancestral

customs and oral traditions, thus constituting relics of past eras. 

In 1970’s , prehistoric sites found in the Cagayan Valley , thus increasing the many source of relics about our past. These archeological sites literally dot our archipelago.

 

The antiquity galleons of Philippines coast, which await the enterprising driver or marine archeologist who will brave the deep to retrieve treasurer of the past.

 

Example:San Diego Ship

POOR KNOWLEDGE TO THE PAST  Listed below is the reason why there is such poor

knowledge about Philippines Antiquity.  1. The Iconoclastic policy of the Spanish colonizers who

destroyed many of the relics of ancient Philippine society. The Spanish has destroyed many artifacts belongs to our prehistoric culture.

2. Ancient Filipinos preferred oral or verbal communications

to written records in more permanent form. Some ancient inscription found in clay jars in Calatagan,Batangas or Butuan have not yet been deciphered.

Decipher-to study of something that is written in code or unknown form of writing, until it can be understood and read normally

  3. Poverty and lack of Cultural enlightenment

reduced to a sorry condition many of our social scientist, museum, libraries, and collections.

  4. Wars, fires and other calamities have taken their toll of

Filipiniana treasures in our local museums and private collections. During World War II in 1941 many ancient materials knell of almost all the rich depositories for example in manila is the National Library and Museum, the religious archieves in Intramuros and the University of the Philippines Library as well as the famous Tabacalera Collection were woefully destroyed. (Badly).

 

THE DAWN OF THE PHILIPPINE CIVILIZATION Little is known of the early human settlement of the

Philippines. Scientific evidence remains inconclusive. It is generally accepted that the first significant human settlement occurred sometime during the most recent ice age, the Pleistocene Epoch. At that time sea levels were lower, creating land bridges that connected the Southeast Asian mainland to some of the present-day islands of the Malay Archipelago, south of the Philippine Islands. Historians theorize that Paleolithic hunters from the mainland may have followed herds of wild animals across these land bridges, later finding their way to the Philippine Islands.

Creation vs. Evolution-  ► Christian believes in the biblical story of

creation that can be seen at Genesis 1 and 2 , according to the bible man was made in God’s image to have a close, personal relationship to him.

 ------WHILE--------► Western Scientist believe in the evolution of the

world and man from simple to complex forms over many eons of time. According to the theory of evolution man evolved from apelike creatures into cultured homo sapiens. ( missing link).

Origin of the Philippines-  The origin of the Philippines has been explained in several ways,

as follows;  

1. The idea of theologians during the Spanish era 2. Legends and myths 3. Scientific theories.  ►The idea of theological during Spanish Era Fr. Colin, Fr. Santa Ines and Fr. Delgado – said that the

Philippines was part of God’s creation.  ►Legends and myths The Filipinos preserved certain myths of their ancestors,

which recount their idea of the Origin of the Philippines.  

►Scientific Theories- 1. Part of a lost continent 2.Volcanic Origin 3.The land bridge Theory *** Lemurai or Mu- lost pacific continent like

Borne,Celebes,Java , Sumatra and other island in the pacific.*** Dr. Bailley Willis- volcanic origin **** Popular Theory is that the Philippines were once part of

the Asian Mainland. ►Reasons to support the land bridge theory1. similarity of fauna and flora in Asia and the Philippines

.2. similarity of rock structures

3.existence of the shallow China Sea between the Asian main-land and the Philippines

4. The Presence of foredeep at the eastern margin of the Philippines.

  ORIGIN OF THE FILIPINOS  ►four schools of thought about how the Filipino originated   1. The Religious Theory- 2. The Legends 3.The Migration Theory 4. The Core Population Theory Radical departure from the usual chapters on Philippine

Prehistory 1. Dawn Man 2. The Negritos 3. Indonesians 4. Malays 5.setting of island Panay 6. Ten Bornean datu

►the Friar-Historian Ideas- Spanish Colonization, wrote the histories of our people and they conceived of several ideas regarding the origin of the Filipinos.

1. The ancestors of the Filipinos sprang out of the soil

like wild plants.2. They were created by the sun3. They were produced from base metals by the magic

act of ancient alchemist(herbalist)4. They descended from Adam of Jews and the

Spaniards came from.5. They were the descendants of Tarshish( Noah’s

great grandson).  Only the last has its biblical basis while the others are

fantasies of the friar-chroniclers of long ago .

Thank you…….Question;1. What is the meaning of Balanghai?2. As an individual how important to you the

study of our History.