Notes on Indigenous Beliefs of the Tagalog

The indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people (sometimes referred to as Anitism, or, less accurately, using the general term "animism") were well documented by Spanish missionaries, mostly in the form of epistolary accounts (relaciones) and as entries in dictionaries put together by missionary friars.
Archeological and linguistic evidence indicates that these beliefs date back to the arrival of Austronesian peoples, although elements were later syncretistically adapted from Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Islam. Many of these indigenous beliefs persist to this day, in syncretistic forms discussed by scholars as Philippine variations of Folk Islam and Folk Catholicism.

Because of language limitations and personal religious biases, Spanish chroniclers often recorded differing interpretations of Tagalog words relating to worship.
The word "anito" was interpreted by some missionaries as meaning "all idols," including Middle Eastern gods mentioned in the Bible, when included in homilies.
As a result, in modern times, the word "anito" has come to mean the various figurines or "idols" which represent Filipino deities.
However, the Tagalog words for such representations were "larauan".

Tagalogs who had spiritual prowess to contact the deities and anitos were known as Katalonan.
The Katalonan, as spiritual leaders and contactors with deities, could assume the role of the datu during times when the datu was away or in transition.
The Katalonan could be male or female.
A Katalonan may choose to have a wife or husband as a partner with their spiritual activities, regardless of gender.
The Katalonan usually has a female gender expression, according to Spanish accounts, because a female expression is viewed as the embodiment of natural spiritual balance and is pleasing to the Tagalog deities.
When barangays formed unification pacts with other barangays, the datus within the pact voted among themselves who would be the lakan (also known as punong datu), i.e., the head of all datus within the pact.
The Katalonan of the datu who became lakan is uplifted into the title of punong katolanan (head katolonan).
The term apparently springs from the Tagalog word "katalo," which means "in good terms with," such that the Catalonan are those "in good terms with the Anito spirits".
Historian and Spanish Missionary Pedro Chirino, SJ noted that the long hair of Catalonan was a symbol of their commitment to their religion.

Tagalog folk medicine, some practices of which persist today and are studied under Filipino psychology, is strongly influenced by the religious cosmology of the Tagalog people.
In addition to indigenous herblore common to many folk-medicine traditions, Tagalog folk medicine encompasses concepts such as Usog and Init at Lamig ("Hot and Cold"), which lead to Pasma."

Datu is a title denoting rulers (described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous indigenous peoples across the Philippine archipelago.
The title is still used today, especially in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan, but it was used much more extensively in early Philippine history, particularly in Central and Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
In more affluent and powerful Visayan principalities (e.g., Panay, Cebu, Leyte) which were never conquered by Spain but maintained vassal status through pacts, peace treaties, and reciprocal alliances, the Datu class sat at the top of a divinely sanctioned and stable social order, often referred to as Sakop or Kinadatuan (Kadatuan in ancient Malay; Kedaton in Javanese; and Kedatuan in many parts of modern Southeast Asia), also commonly called barangay.
The Datu class enjoyed an ascribed right to respect, obedience, and support from their followers belonging to the third order, the Oripun (Commoners).

The Timawa (Spanish spelling: Timagua) were the feudal warrior class of ancient Visayan societies.
They were regarded as higher than the uripon (commoners, serfs, slaves) but below the Tumao (royal nobility) in the Visayan social hierarchy.
Alipin Timawa refers to alipin who had their own houses, typically built on the master's property.
Aliping namamahay refers to alipin with their own houses (living on the master's property).
Aliping sagigilid refers to a servant who lived around the master’s house.

Anthropologist Laura Lee Junker’s comparative analysis shows Datus functioning as: primary political authorities, war leaders, legal adjudicators, de facto owners of agricultural products and sea resources within a district, primary supporters of attached craft specialists, overseers of intra-district and external trade, and pivotal centers of regional resource mobilization systems.

The term Paramount Datu or Paramount ruler is a label used by historians for the highest ranking political authorities in the largest lowland polities (or inter-polity alliance groups) in early Philippine history.
Notable examples include Maynila, Tondo, Confederation of Madja-as in Panay, Pangasinan, Cebu, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, and Sulu.

Almocera, Ruel A. (2005). Popular Filipino Spiritual Beliefs with a proposed Theological Response. in Doing Theology in the Philippines. Suk, John., Ed. Mandaluyong: OMF Literature Inc. Pp 78-98
Junker, Laura Lee (1998). "Integrating History and Archaeology in the Study of Contact Period Philippine Chiefdoms". International Journal of Historical Archaeology. 2 (4): 291–320. doi:10.1023/A:1022611908759.