In ancient Visayas,
being beautiful could be
as simple as having a flat
forehead and nose. But
since humans are not
usually born with these
features, the Visayans
used a device
called tangad to achieve
them.The tangad was a
comb-like set of thin
rods that was put above the baby’s forehead, surrounded by bandages, and
fastened at some point behind. Remember, babies’ skulls are the most pliable, so
this continuous pressure often resulted in elongated heads.
There was plenty of gold in the islands
during the pre-colonial times that it used to
be part of our ancestors’ everyday attire.
In the book by historian William Henry
Scott, it is said that a “Samar datu by the
name of Iberein was rowed out to a
Spanish vessel anchored in his harbor in
1543 by oarsmen collared in gold; while
wearing on his own person earrings and chains.”
You could judge how brave a man
was by the color of his clothes.
Clothing in pre-colonial Philippines
reflected one’s social standing and, in
the case of men, how many enemies
they had killed.
In the Visayas region, for example,
basic clothing included bahag (Gstring) for men and malong (tube
skirt) for women. The material used to
make these clothes could indicate the wearer’s social status, with the abaca being
the most valued textile and reserved for the elites.
Homosexuals had an important role
in pre-colonial society.
Back then, there were no doctors or
priests whom our ancestors could
turn to when things went awry. The
only hope they had was a spirit
medium or shaman who could
directly communicate with the spirits
or gods. They were known in the
Visayas as babaylan, while the
Tagalogs called them catalonan
(katulunan). More often than not,
these babaylans or catalonans were women who came from prominent families.
However, early Spanish missionaries reported of the existence of men who
assumed the roles of a babaylan
It was considered a disgrace for a woman to have many children.
There’s no such thing as family planning in pre-colonial Philippines. Everything
they did was based on existing customs and beliefs, one of which was that having
many children was not desirable and even a disgrace.