Who is lubluban?

What is ancient in Philippine society?

COMMUNITY STRUCTUREThe early Filipinos established their communities along the bays, coasts and on the mouths of big rivers. Some communities were small with 50 people living together while others were big with a population of more than 2000.Areas for settlement were chosen on the basis of economic opportunities, use and strategic locations. Areas where sources of food was plentiful was one important factor considered by early Filipinos. Places along the bays, seacoasts and rivers were popular sites for residence because these places also provided a convenient means of transportation.Land use was another factor which affected the site of communities. Cultural beliefs also affected the building of one's house. When the occupants of the house sensed that they had offended the spirits, they quickly moved out of the house for fear of reprisal.The early Filipinos also took certain precautions to protect their homes and community from their enemies. They built wooden fences around their houses and fortified their communities with walls made of palm trees or with arigues, wooden posts filled with earth.DWELLINGSThe word balay is a Visayan word for house. There were three types of houses during the early period. Houses built of permanent wooden materials were called town houses. They were occupied by the datu. This was the largest house in the community. It was 30m long. This was not only the datu's abode, but also his workplace, storehouse and community center for civic and religious affairs. This center had a public lounging platform below or in the front. There were sepearate chambers for the datu, his wife, family, daughters, concubines and house slaves. Wooden partition carved with foliage in high relief separated these chambers.The second type of houses was called cottages. These cottages were occupied by ordinary people (non datus) in the community. They were made of light materials. This enabled the cottage dwellers to be always ready to move every few years to be near shifting swiddens. These cottages were built near the fields.The third type was called the tree houses. These houses were used only in times of war. There were also a variety of huts called balay-balay. They were used by hunters, farmers and travelers.The houses were elevated off the ground on posts and had steep roofs. This type was appropriate for a tropical environment characterized by heavy rainfall.Temporary shelters were also built near the fields where the people raised their crops. These were made of light materials and were often abandoned after harvest time.ECONOMIC ACTIVITIESEarly Filipinos primarily engaged in the following economic activities: farming, fishing, poultry and swine raising, gold mining and trade.Agricultural activities among early Filipinos had an early beginning. The people first used the slash-and-burn method of planting rice. Later, the adopted wet agriculture. The slash-and-burn method was common in the interior and high coastal areas while wet agriculture was practiced in the lowlands. During the planting season, the early Filipinos performed certain rituals to ensure a bountiful harvest. Work in the fields also followed the changes in season. The methods used in wet agriculture are similar to what is being done in the rural areas today.Other crops being raised aside from rice were millet, bananas, sweet potato or camote, areca nuts, oil, cotton, wine and vinegar and coconuts. Abaca was raised and its fibers were gathered and made into ropes or fabrics.SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONThe family was, as it still is today, the smallest but the most significant unit of ancient society. The father and mother were accorded complete obedience and respect by the children. The father was the head of the family while the mother managed household affairs. The early Filipinos had close family ties.There were four social classes in ancient Filipino society: the chiefs, nobles, freemen and the slaves. The datu or the chief headed a barangay or community. His family, relatives and elders belonged to the maginoo class group of nobles. The freemen or middle class belong to the timawa or maharlika group. Men who were born free or were freed from slavery composed the lowest social class because they had no property and were under control of their master.A Filipino could become a slave through birth, inability to pay debts, purchase, punishment for crimes or by being held captive in war. Slaves were of two kinds: aliping namamahay and aliping saguiguilid. The aliping namamahay enjoyed certain privileges such as the right to own property, and the right to work for any master. the aliping saguiguilid did not enjoy any right and freedom at all.Women occupied a high position in early society. They were regarded as equals of men and were given the same respect conffered upon the men. The mother of the family had the honor of naming the children.POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONThe unit of government was the barangay. the barangay varied in population from 30-100 families. The early barangays were independent of each other. The head was called datu and was the chief executive, legislator, judge and military commander. He made laws, enforced them and judged all cases and trials brought by the villagers. However, he had a council of elders who assisted him in his administration. A person could become a datu through inheritance, wealth, wisdom and bravery.The Philippines was divided into hundreds of independent barrangays. For mutual protection and cooperation, several barangays formed a confederation. The confederation of Madya-as under Datu Sumakwel was formed in Panay during the 13th centure.The barangay had both oral and written laws. Oral laws were the customs and traditions which were handed down through generations. The early Filipino named Lubluban, the great granddaughter of the first Filipino man and woman, was the legendary law-giver.The written laws were promulgated by the datu and council of elders. A town crier called umalohokan announced the laws to the people. The contents of ancient laws involved family relations, property rights, domestic affairs, inheritance, marriage conflicts, murder and business problems. Punishment for serious crimes was death, slavery or heavy fines. Minor crimes were punished through with exposure to ants, long hours of swimming, whipping or fines.JUDICIAL SYSTEMThe datu acted as the judge in the barangay. He conducted the trial in full view of his constituents. He conferred judgment on crimes conducted within his barangay.In a civil case, the chief tried to have the case settled amicably. When no amicable settlement was reached by parties concerned, the parties involved were sworn to obey the judgment of the chief.The parties concerned presented as many witnesses as they could in order to bolster their defense. When a witness was called to the witness stand, he took an oath that he would tell the truth by repeating the following words:"May lightning strike me if I am telling a lie. May the heavens or the sun fall upon me if I will tell a lie."The early Filipinos considered swearing as a sacred act. If an accused person refused to accept the verdict of guilt uppon him, the chief could use force to make him obey the law. If one was accused of committing a serious crime, the accused was subjected to trial by ordeal. It was assumed that if a person was guilty, he would not be able to pass the ordeal that would have be given to him. If some persons were suspected of stealing, they were brought to the deepest part of the river and required to jump. Whoever came out first was considered the guilty one.The elders believed that the gods punished those who were guilty and absolved the innocent ones.RELIGIONReligion played an important part in the daily life of early Filipinos. They believed in a Supreme Being which was called Bathala by the Tagalogs; Abba by the Cebuanos; Kabunyian by the Ifugaos; and Laon by the Visayans. The tagalogs believed Bathala was the creater of heaven, Earth and man. They also worshipped lesser gods such as Idianale, goddess of agriculture; Sidapa, Visayan god of death; Apolaki, war god to the Pangasinense; Dallang, Ilocano goddess of beauty; Malyari, Zambal god of strength; Sisiburannen, god of evil among the Visayans; Hayo, god of the sea; and Dian Masalanta, god of love of the Tagalogs.The early Filipinos were believers of spirits called anitos by the Tagalogs and diwatas by the Visayans. They worshiped objects of nature such as rivers, mountains, the sun, moon and animals because they believed that the spirits of their dead ancestors might be in them.Part of the elderly Filipinos' religious life was the mag-anito. This was a ceremony or act of sacrifice which they held in honor of their gods. This ritual was led by priests and priestesses called katalonan among the Tagalogs and babaylan among Visayans. They did not have a definite place of worship. Ceremonies were usually done inside the house and activities involved dancing and singing. Fattened pigs were usually the main animals being offered.BURIAL AND MOURNING CUSTOMSThe early Filipinos observed certain customs connected with burial and mourning. The dead man's body was first cleaned thoroughly, sprayed with perfume and dressed properly. The dead body was preserved inside the house, in a cave or in a place facing the sea. Among the Visayans, they used hardwood in making coffins for their dead. They called these caskets "longon". William Henry Scott, in his book Barangay described these longon as "...hewn from a single tree trunk with a lid cute from the same piece, fitted, pegged and caulked airtight with resins." The longon of a datu or a prominent person usually bore intricate decorations which were done by the future occupant himself. Jars were also used as the resting place of early Filipinos.During the burial, clothes, food, jewelry, household articles, weapons and even slaves were buried with the dead man to accompany him on his journey to the other world. Among the Visayans, this was very important in order to gain acceptance by the relatives who had already preceded them in the land of the dead. The Visayans believed that these relatives await the kalag (soul) on the other side of the land of the dead, which they call Sulad or Saad. During the mourning period, relatives of the dead wore white clothing.The datu was accorded special mourning rites. It was called larao. The barangays went into a period of mourning upon the death of a datu. All wars and activities stopped temporarily. Singing was prohibited especially on boats returning from the sea. All spears were carried with their heads pointed downward.MODE OF DRESSINGFilipinos, even in ancient times were very particular about their manner of dressing. Their clothes were made of cotton, silk and plant fibers. The men's clothing consisted of a collarless, short-sleeved jacket called cangan and a strip of cloth wrapped around the waist and between the legs called bahag. Women's clothing consisted of a blouse with big sleeves called baro and a loost skirt called saya or patadyong. A tapis or a piece of colored cloth was wrapped around the waist.The men also wore a headdress called putong or turban while the women knottedtheir hair at the back of their heads. They usually wore a salakot or a wide-brimmed hat when walking under the sun or rain.To further enhance their personal appearance, women adorned themselves with various types of jewelry such as rings, earrings, bracelets, armlets and necklaces made of gold, silver, agates, pearls, beads and other precious stones.Tattooing the body was popular among the Filipino men. To them, it was a symbol of beauty and bravery. A tattoo is a painting on the human body. A man who killed an enemy tattooed his body to show his bravery. The more men he killed in battle, the more tattoos he had on his body. the tattoos were different shapes and colors. They could be geometric or circular or be of various objects such as birds, flowers, trees, animals or fruits.FOODThe early Filipinos had simple taste in food. Their staple food was rice cooked in clay pots, bamboo tubes or banana leaves. Rice was eaten with fish, shrimp, vegetables, fruits, meat of poultry, hogs, cows, ducks, goats, birds, turtles and carabaos; clams, mussels, seaweeds, sugar, root crops and spices. Food was placed on clean banana leaves. Filipinos ate their hands or with wooden spoons and forks. Cleaned coconut shells served as drinking glasses of water and wine.Drinking wine was a favorite past time of the Filipinos. Tuba, a coconut palm extract was a popular drink. Basi, an Ilocano wine was distilled form sugarcane; pangasi, a Visayang wine extracted from rice; lambanog, a tagalog wine, came from the sap of a young coconut flower while tapuy, an Igorot wine was made from rice.ARTSThe early Filipinos were artistic people. Nipa hut is an example of Filipino architecture. Filipinos also showed artistry in the building of various types of boats. Tattooing was a form of painting.Sculpture was a favorite art form. Clay, wood and gold statues have been unearthed by archaeologists. Handles of weapons and tools showed beautiful carvings.MUSICThe early Filipinos were music lovers. They had their own musical instruments. These were the kudyapi or Tagalog guitar, the kalaleng or Tingguan nose flute, the gangsa or Igorot gong, the silbay or Ilocano reed flute, the tultogan or Visayan bamboo drum and the kulintang or Muslim xylophone.The Visayans of Panay had a pasiyak which looked like a pipe and sounds were produced when air was blown inside the pipe.The tambuli was another popular instrument in ancient Philippines. It was made out of carabao horns. A hole was made on the smaller end of the horn. Sounds were heard when air was blown into the small hole.The early Filipinos had songs for various occassions. Theey had lvoe songs, songs for planting, sailing and lullabies. An example of a love song is the kundiman among the Tagalogs. Folk songs were also popular among the early Filipinos.The sentiments of the early Filipinos were expressed in their dances. Dances like tinikling, maglalatik, iitik-itik, singkil or sagayan, kumintang, dandansoy or binalyan depicted various household and occupational activities.

Why the early filipino revolts fail?

FILIPINO HISTORY, CULTURE AND HERITAGEEMERGENCE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE:Philippine history has often been described as an amalgam of regional developments and outside influences. Excavations in archeological sites have proven that during prehistoric times, the native Negritos came in contact with Malays and Indonesians who left their ancestral home in Southeast Asia by crossing the seas in their sailboats (balangay), and settled the Philippine archipelago. Inter-racial marriages took place among them and out of these racial mixtures emerged the Filipino people.The early Filipino Malay ancestors brought with them their culture--food and drinks, community life, government and laws, language and literature, religion, customs and traditions and arts and sciences. They left their cultures to their descendants, as the Filipino Malayan inheritance.In the course of the centuries, long before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines in the 16th century; the native Filipinos came in contact (by commerce) with Hindus from India, the Chinese and the Arabs whose civilizations were much older and more advanced than those of Spain and other Western countries. As a result of these early contacts with these great Asian people, the Filipino native culture and way of life (Malayan Heritage) were enriched.The cultural influences of both India and Arabia came indirectly to Philippine shores through Malaysia, while the Chinese cultural influence came direct from China.In subsequent years, the Filipinos intermarried, not only with the Indians, Chinese and Arabians, but also with the Spaniards, the Americans, the Japanese, the British, the French, the Germans, and other peoples of the world. Today, it may be said that the bloods of the East and the West meet and blend in Filipino veins.It must be noted that during the first two and a half centuries (1565-1828) Spain ruled the country through Mexico. The viceroy of Mexico governed the country in the name of the Spanish king. During this period the famous Manila-Acapulco trade existed. And many Mexicans--colonial officials, missionaries, soldiers, and traders--came to the Philippines. They introduced plants and animals, industries, songs and dances, customs and traditions into the country. Moreover, many of them married Filipino women. So it came to pass that Filipino acquired a Mexican heritage.After 333 years of Spanish rule, the Americans conquered the country and like Spain, America imposed her culture upon the people. During four decades of U.S. rule (1898-1935), the people acquired the American heritage which included democracy, popular education, the English language and Protestant Christianity.Beneath the veneer of Hispanic, Mexican and American heritage, the people, in heart and in spirit, are Asians. they are Asian in race and in geography with an indestructible Asian heritage.The warmth and natural hospitality of the nation's 66,000,000 Filipinos today, is known throughout the world. The 11 cultural, linguistic and racial groups endow the Filipino people with varying customs and traditions. In spite of their diversity, Filipinos have basically two dominant traits: a love of family and a strong religious faith.SUMMARY OF FILIPINO RACIAL ANCESTRY:Filipinos came from a mixture of Asian, European, and American peoples--the Negritos, Indonesians, Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and other Asians; The Spaniards, British and other Europeans; the Mexicans and Americans of South and North America.According to Dr. H. Otley Beyer, noted American anthropologist, the racial ancestry of Filipinos is as follows: Malay - 40%; Indonesian - 30%; Chinese - 10%, Indian (Hindu) - 5%, European & American - 3%, and Arab - 2%.HISTORY AND GOVERNMENTCenturies before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the early Filipinos lived in separate and independent village-states called barangays. Each barangay had its own government headed by a ruler called datu or raha. The early Filipinos were already civilized. They had government and laws, education, writing and literature, religion, customs and traditions, commerce and industries and arts and sciences.Each barangay consisted of about 100 families. Some barangays were big, such as Sugbo (Cebu), Maktan (Mactan), Bigan (Vigan), and Maynila (Manila). Each of these big barangays had a population of more than 2,000.The datu, hari or raha was, in time of peace, the chief executive, legislator, and judge. In time of war, he was the commander of the barangay warriors.The datu usually obtained his title by inheritance. When the datu died, his son inherited the datuship. If a datu died childless, the barangay chose a man to be datu on the basis of his wisdom, physical strength, or wealth.There was no national government in ancient Philippines. There were many independent barangays and many datus. But there was no datu strong enough to unite the archipelago into one nation. Some barangays, however, united to form a confederation. A good example was the "Confederation of Madya-as" in ancient Panay.The existence of many islands affects the life and history of the Filipino people. First of all, these islands and seas serve as geographical barriers which prevent close contact and communication among the inhabitants. Thus the ancient Filipino who migrated in ancient times from the mainland of Malaysia and from Java, Sumatra, Borneo and other southeast Asian islands were not able to unite into a solid nation. They divided into tribes which developed different dialects and different customs.Aside from fostering ethnic and cultural disunity, the archipelagic topography prevented the early Filipinos from developing a national government and a national language. As history shows, the Spanish conquered the country, which was then divided into many independent barangays ruled by datus.LAWS:The early Filipinos had both oral and written laws. The oral laws were the customs (ugali) of the racel, which were handed down orally from generation to generation. The legendary lawgiver was a woman named Lubluban, the great granddaughter of the first man and the first woman in the world.The written laws were promulgated by the datus with the help of the elders and were put into writing. These written laws were announced to the people by a barangay crier known as umalahokan.An example of these ancient written laws was the famous Code of Ralantiaw, (1433), which was written by Kalantiaw, third chief of Panay.The ancient laws covered many subjects such as property rights, inheritance, adoption, divorce, loans, partnerships and contracts and crimes. In the Kalantiwa Code, insult, murder, arson, sacrilege and sorcery were punishable by death, slavery, or heavy fines. Singing at night when people were sleeping, cheating in business transactions, and other minor crimes were punished with exposure to ants, swimming continuously for hours, flogging or fines.EMERGENCE OF THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC:In March 16, 1521, the Spaniards conquered and colonized the Philippines, except Mindanao and Sulu inhabited by Filipino Muslims (Moros) and the interior regions occupied by Pagan tribes (now called cultural minorities).For 333 years (1565-1898) the country was ruled by Spain, who imposed her rule and the Hispanic culture over the people. During this long period of Spanish rule the oppressed people rose in more than 100 revolts and rebellions to regain their lost freedom. These armed uprisings failed for lack of unity and national leaders. For a brief interlude (1896-1901) the people under General Emilio Aguinaldo's leadership succeeded in gaining their independence and establishing the First Philippine Republic, (June 12, 1896).The Philippine Revolution of 1896 where heroes and martyrs shed their blood rallying the people against the Spaniards was short-lived. Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War led to the American colonization of the islands. By force of superior arms, the Americans destroyed the First Republic, established by General Aguinaldo, in 1901 and imposed their rule and culture on the people for 4 years. After training the people in the art of democratic government, the U.S. Congress enacted the Tydings-MacDuffie Law of 1934 which provided for the granting of Philippine independence on .July 4, 1946, after a ten-year of preparation for it. Accordingly, the Philippine Constitution was drafted in 1935 and the commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated on November 15, 1935.Before 1946, the raging World War II in Europe unfortunately spread to Asia. On December 8, 1941; Japan invaded the country and occupied it. Much against the people's will she established the puppet Second Republic on October 14, 1943. The .Japanese Occupation took place from 1942 to 1945. Fortunately, the Allied troops under General Douglas MacArthur returned to the country in October, 1944, liberated the country and restored the Philippine Commonwealth.Finally, on July 4, 1946, the Republic (Third Philippine Republic) was inaugurated. America kept her promise to recognize Philippine Independence. A traumatic interlude in history was the martial law imposed by President Marcos on the country on September 21, 1972. He lifted it on January 17, 1981, shortly after which the 1973 Constitution was radically amended creating the New Republic (Fourth Philippine Republic), with Ferdinand E. Marcos as President.Then President Marcos' political opponent, former Senator Benigno Aquino was killed, as he stepped from the plane at the Manila International Airport, the people grew restive. On February 7, 1986, President Marcos called for an election in which he was declared winner, but his opponent Corazon Aquino, the widow of Benigno Aquino, called the election fraudulent and with the backing of the Catholic Church and "People Power" was sworn into office as President of the Philippines on February 25, 1986. The unprecedented presidential inauguration was the culmination of the historic People Power Revolution which deposed incumbent President Marcos and sent him into exile in Hawaii. President Aquino restored a constitutional democracy in the Philippines.President Fidel v. Ramos, successor of President Aquino, was inaugurated into office in June 1992. Today, President Ramos is faced with the challenge of setting up the conditions for achieving sustainable growth for the Philippine economy.THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, CULTURE AND HERITAGETHE FILIPINO CHARACTERIt may be said that the Filipinos are intelligent, with retentive memory, quick perception, and talents for art and science. They also are gentle, friend]y, and cheerful people, noted for their courtesy and hospitality.Filipinos are famous not only for their warm hospitality, but also for their close family ties. The parents work hard and sacrifice much for their children; in return, the children love and respect them and take good care of them in their old age.Filipinos owing to their beautiful country, are passionately romantic. They are ardent in love as they are fierce in battle. They are born poets, musicians and artists.Filipinos are a liberty-loving and brave people. They valiantly resisted the Spanish, American and Japanese invaders of their native land. They rank among the bravest people of the world. Filipino courage has been proven in the Battle of Mactan (1521), in the Battle of Tirad Pass (1899), in the battle of Bataan, Corregidor, Bessang Pass during World War II, and in many other battlefields.Gratitude is another sterling trait of the Filipinos. They are grateful to those who have granted them favors or who are good to them. Their high sense of gratitude is expressed in the phrase Utang na loob (debt of honor).Filipinos are cooperative. They value the virtue of helping each other and other people. They cherish the ancestral trait of bayanihan, which means cooperation. In rural areas, when a man is building, repairing or transferring a house to another place, the neighbors come to help him.Foreign writers assert that the Filipinos are indolent. In reality they work hard in the face of very adverse conditions. They work on the farms from sunrise to sunset, though not from noon to 3 p.m. due to the scorching heat. They work hard in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations in Hawaii, the fruit orchards of California, the fish canneries of Alaska, and in the oil wells of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Arab countries of the Middle East.Finally, the Filipinos are noted for their durability and resiliency. Through the ages they have met all kinds of calamities--revolts, revolutions, wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and epidemics. Unlike the Polynesians of Oceania and the Indians of North Central and South Americas, they did not vanish by contact with the white race. They can assimilate any civilization and thrive in any climate. Against the adversities of life or nature, they merely bend, but never break. They possess the formidable durability of the narra tree and the resiliency of the bamboo.POPULATION:As of 1994 the Philippine population is 68 million people. Government has a family planning and control program but because the Filipinos love children and large families, there is a problem of convincing the people to limit the size of their families.Other important and urgent problems today are 1) developing and conserving the natural resources; 2) the number of young people; and 3) migration. Most of the population is young. Young people depend on those who are older to care for them (food, clothing, education, etc.). After the young finish their education, they need good jobs and when they marry and have children of their own, the cycle continues.Another important feature of the population is migration. Previously, the country was an immigrant destination of people from Asia, Europe and the New World. Recently, however, the trend had been reversed, and many Filipinos have migrated to other countries to seek better opportunities there. The Middle East has attracted Filipinos as temporary workers; the U.S., Canada and Australia have large expatriate Filipino communities. The country is losing many of its professionals, skilled and semi-skilled workers, hence the term "Brain Drain".SOCIAL CLASSES:There are three social classes in the country based on income of the national wealth. They are: 1) the rich-members of the rich class, representing 10% of the population. They own or earn about 90% of the wealth of the country. They are the wealthy industrialists, with big corporations, the owners of large haciendas or plantations, and the "new rich" who are honest, enterprising and hard-working people who invested their money wisely. The latter, however, include also the dishonest politicians and businessmen and others who acquire their fabulous fortune in government contracting, smuggling and other fraudulent means. 2)the middle class about 20% of the population, who are the professionals (doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc.) skilled or semi-skilled workers in offices, factories or farms. They are the backbone of the nation. 3) the lower or poor class - who comprise about 70% of the population, but who earn only enough income to provide for their basic needs (food, rented homes, simple clothing). Often they cannot earn enough to provide for emergencies of future needs. The problem of every Philippine administration is to narrow the gap between the very rich and the very poor and to broaden the middle class.EDUCATIONPhilippine education is patterned after the American system, with English as the medium of instruction. Schools are classified into public (government) or private (non-government).The general pattern of formal education follows four stages: 1) Pre-Primary Level (Nursery and kindergarten) offered in most private schools; 2) Six years of Primary education followed by 3) Four years of Secondary education; and 4) College education which usually takes four years, sometimes, five and in some cases as in medical and law schools, as long as eight years. Graduate schooling is an additional two or more years.Classes in Philippine schools start in June and end in March. Colleges and Universities follow the semester calendar from June-October and November-March.There are over 200 private and public colleges and universities, such as the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Silliman University and University of San Carlos. The Asian Institute of Management, a graduate school of business, offers high quality management education specifically designed to meet Asian needs.The oldest university in the Philippines is the University of San Carlos in Cebu City founded in 1559. It is forty-one years older than Harvard University, the oldest university in the U.S. The second oldest university is the Dominican owned University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611 by Fray Miguel de Benavides.Due to these educational institutions and the people's love for education, the literacy rate in the Philippines is now 89.9%, the highest among Southeast Asian countries. Metro Manila has an even higher literacy rate of 96% with a student population of 2.5 million.LANGUAGEThe Philippines is a nation of many languages and dialects. A survey by Richard Pitman, an American linguist, showed that there are 55 native languages and 142 dialects in the country, apart from English and Spanish. All the native languages and dialects belong to the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages.Of the eight principal native languages, Cebuano ranks first. It is spoken by nearly first (24.39%) of the people. Tagalog which used to be first, now ranks a close second (23.82%); followed by Ilocano (11.14%); Hiligaynon or Ilongo (9.99%); Bicolano (6.96%); Waray-waray (4.62%); Kapampangan (3.43%) and Pangasinan (2.26%).English is the language of instruction in schools, but Filipino is the national language. Much of Filipino is derived from the language (Tagalog) spoken in Manila and nearby provinces. These major languages are spoken is different areas in the country: Ilocano and Pangasinan - Northern Luzon; Waray in Samar and Leyte; Cebuano - in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and of Christian Mindanao; Hiligaynon - in Panay and Negros Occidental; and the Muslim languages, Maranao- in the Lanao area, Maguindallao in Cotabato, and Tausug- in the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi group.English is the most widely used language in the country, especially for education, commerce and the professions. In fact, the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world. Spanish has declined in use and popularly, and is spoken by a very small minority. Fukien and Cantonese Chinese are spoken and used by the large Chinese communities in urban areas. Significantly, the country has three official languages - Filipino, English and Spanish.FlLIPINO WOMENWomen in the Philippines occupy a high place in society, politics, and the professions. They enjoy equal social and political rights with men. They can vote and be voted to any public office. They can study in universities and engage in any profession. They can compete in sports, art and literary contests and inherit or own property. They have been successful not only as wives of distinguished men and as mothers of children but also as career women.

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