Session 2.1: Visayan Culture and Practices

Written by: Joyce Ng
Photographs by: Jonathan Lim, Orthofill.com, 123rf.com

Speech given by Professor Melanie 

(Picture taken by Jonathan) 

  

     On the third day of our study trip, Professor Melanie Padilla, a lecturer in history and culture from the University of Philippines Visayas spoke about the nation’s history and culture to the travelers. Professor Padilla broke her session into two parts, one focusing mainly on the history of Iloilo, and the other focusing on the culture of Iloilo. This article will feature Iloilo’s culture.

Picture of a man blackening his teeth 

( Taken from www.orthofill.com )

Appearances 

     Professor Padilla explained that people used to blacken their teeth using a plant called tapul because they regarded it as a way to mark themselves as different from common animals. The people who were considered the higher class of the social status at the time would go as far as inserting gold peggings into their teeth to show their superiority not only over animals, but also amongst the people. In addition, she also mentioned that they would file their teeth to resemble the sharp teeth of a shark to show power and authority.

     The Visayan people were referred to by the Spaniards as Pintados which  loosely translated means “the painted ones” because of their tattooed bodies. Visayan men would also insert pins known as tugbuk into their penis as they were believed to increase the stimulation of their sex partner during intercourse and also portray them as being brave men. A tugbuk is made out of metals such as brass, ivory, gold or lead that served to anchor a kind of ring or cogwheel.

     During the pre-colonial period, both men and women covered their loins using a bahag which is a piece of cloth that served to cover the genitals.Sometime later before the Spanish came, they started producing clothing using animal skin. During the 15^th century, animal skin was replaced by silk material that was brought into the Visayas by Chinese merchants as a tool for trade. The fashion also changed and progressed when the Spanish occupied the Visayas and introduced new (and at the time) modern styles of dressing. 

     Piercing and jewelry were also a part of the Visayan culture. Men were allowed only one piercing while women had three or four. Jewelry was used as a status symbol, as the more jewelry one wore, the more wealthy one was perceived to be. Leaders of the Visayas were also elected based on their wealth which was symbolized by their jewelry. Jewelry in that era included nose plugs, necklaces, and earrings.

Trading system 

     The Filipinos practiced a type of trade known as the “barter system”. The intra-island trade involved trading within the same country among different classes of people, while inter-island trade was where different countries came from different parts of the world to trade their goods with other countries. Traders from countries such as China, India, and Spain would stop at the Philippines to trade goods. For example, China would bring porcelain and silk clothes to trade with the Filipinos for pearls and gold.

Weaving machine in the olden days 

(Taken from www.123rf.com )

     During the 18^th century, Iloilo city was known as one of the most famous textile production centers, not in the least because it was believed that women should stay at home to cook, wash and take care of their loved ones. This resulted in boredom, and so they started to find ways to keep themselves busy. Thus, housewives turned to weaving to fill their spare hours productively. This way, they could keep themselves busy, generate income for the family, and pass on their skills. The main materials used in thread-making were apaka plants. 

Beliefs and legends 

     Professor Padilla also shared with us the beliefs of the Visayan people. She talked about the existence of the unseen world which contained diwata, also known as the guardians of the environment and deities, which are known as the keptan. It was known as the unseen world because the angels, fairies, and goddesses would not let anyone except the worthy see them.

     In addition, Professor Padilla spoke about a legend believed by many Filipinos. They believe that the world began with the sky and the sea. One day, there was a dove tired after flying, so it talked to the sky and sea, which caused them to fight with each other. After the fight ended, a beautiful island (the Philippines), which contained many plants, was created. When the bird saw a big bamboo tree it started to peck at it for water, but the bamboo trunk cracked open, and out came the first existing male and female, known as malakas and magenda.

    Before the pre-colonial period, nearly the entire Visayan community practiced animism. However, when the Spanish came, they introduced Catholicism to the entire population, and when they finally accepted Christ, everyone in the village was baptised. 

     Sometimes when a member of a wealthy family died, they would bury the body, wait for it to decay, and then dig it up again, wash the bones and put the clean bones into a jar. A dead infant would be placed in a jar because of their small size. But when a poor man died, he would only be buried in banana leaves because his family would not be able to afford the cost of the ceremonial burial. 

   In conclusion, the city of Iloilo has a historically rich culture that is fascinating to study. It demonstrates the social changes and advancements of Visayan society dating back to the pre-colonial days and indigenous practices of Iloilo.

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Joyce is going to start her 2nd year in a double degree of business and communication. She loves meeting new people and experiencing different lifestyles. She hopes to travel around the world :)