Before the Spanish Period

In 1521, the year according to our history the earliest record of the Philippines Archipelago when Ferdinand Magellan and his group discovered the island. But in 1989 a discovery was made in Lumbang River in Barangay Wawa, Lumbang, Laguna.

Each Barangay is headed by a leader called Datu, who is answerable to Rajah, head of a broader area like city state. A Barangay before is composed of 40-100 families, but there were barangay which is big and composed of population of almost 2,000. During those years some barangays were big, such as Zubu (Cebu), Butuan, Maktan (Mactan), Irong-Irong (Iloilo), Bigan (Vigan) and Selurong (Manila).

In matters of succession, the first Son of the Datu or Rajah succeeded his father, if the first died without leaving a heir, the second son succeeded the throne. In the absence of any male heir, the eldest daughter became the ruler. (T. Agoncillo)

The Barangay was the leading organizational example among indigenous people in the Philippines archipelago. The name barangay originated from balangay, a Malay word meaning “sailboat”.

The first “barangays” were settled along water or coastal areas, it’s the migration of these Malayo-Polynesian people (who came to the archipelago) from other places in Asia. The majority of the earliest barangays were coastal water in nature. This is because most of the people were depending on fishing as their source of living. Mostly they travelled by water up and down rivers, and along the coasts. Trail always followed the river systems, which were also main sources of water for bathing, washing and drinking.

Barangay chieftains rules by laws made by him or with his council of elders through their customs and traditions which were transmitted to them from generations orally but some of them were written but because of Spanish Colonization, according to some Philippines historian’s ancient written laws were destroyed due to tremendous ravages of the colonizer, They also said that the only written laws that have survived were the Kalantiaw Code and Maragtas Code which made in Panay Island were the ten datus of Borneo settled.

Even before arrange marriage for their prince (Lakan) and the princess of other barangay (Lakambini) was already a practiced to merge two barangays to become bigger and stronger

The laws of the chieftain were announced to the whole Barangay called town crier and known to be as “Umalohokan”.

Implementations of early laws were connected to nature, especially in imposing penalty like violators will be exposed to Ants or Bee colony. Trials of dispute held in public and witnesses will rendered their oath like “May the crocodile eat me if I do not tell a lie”, or May I die now if will not tell the truth.

Manila: The Center of Spanish Government in the Philippines

During the start of the Spanish government in the Philippines, Manila was the center of their operations for administration. The Governor General whom was directly appointed by the King of Spain, he also served as the King Representative in the Philippines and possessed a very broad power and authority over the colony. The Three Branches of the Government like the Executive, Legislative and the Judiciary were vested under the control of the Governor General.

On the time of the Spanish colonial government, one among the features of their laws was the union of the Church and State. The Pope was one of the direct adviser of the King, because of this, with the King directives the government give salaries and financial support to the church and to their own officials and missionaries. In relation as a sign of gratitude for the King of Spain, the Pope gave an authority to the King of Spain to administer the Catholic churches and its members in all of its colonies and it include the Philippines. The authority was to appoint/terminate church officials and to abolish churches.