Cordilleran Natives in 1582-1810: their struggles towards the development of their agricultural conditions and external factors which

affected their primary livelihood Objectives: The objectives of this research involve the intention to interpret the history of the natives agricultural conditions and other external factors at the time of the discovery of Spanish conquistadores, and to understand the transformations of their communal lives through changing times brought about by Spaniards administration towards the natives especially the highlandlowland dichotomy. Research Question/s: What were the existing external factors that have altered their agricultural condition? What were the changes brought about by these transformations? Time Frame: The pre-conquest system of rice culture continued side by side with the new land preparation technology based on carabao and plow. Before the advent of the formulated laws, the conditions of the natives were not oppressed, thus, enjoyed their stable but repetitive way of life in the farm and in the households. Their basic activities involved mainly in selecting potential lands, planting crops, and harvesting. The agriculture in the Philippines was of prosperous condition and simultaneously using simple farm implements for the cultivation of their rice. The natives of Luzon were not all entirely savage during the 15th century. Some inhabited mountainous lands but those who dwelt on the plains were divided into clans. The king realized the value of the natives in the production of agricultural products in the potential contexts for growing rice, which became the main crop. Let such allotments be made without prejudice to the natives, retaining for them their arable lands, gardens and pastures, so that all shall be cared for. You shall grant lands and homesteads, cattle and horses the natives should be aided for breeding and farming, both to the natives, and to the settlers and farmers 1. The significance of the year 1582 and 1583 marked the beginning of formulation of laws that are needed to govern the natives welfare by virtue of the kings command and urging the king to shield those unfortunate victims of Spanish greed; hence the establishment of Royal
1

Blair, E. and Robertson, J., The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803. Felipe Aranjuez II May 5, 1583 Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company. 1903-1909, p. 292.

in Vol. V.

Audiencia, which is the high court in the society at that time. The promulgation of laws were driven by the Spaniards mission to promote the welfare of the society with the guidance of the king of Spain and to secure the loyalty of his subordinates in the country. The tasks of the Audiencia shall dispatch to the home government information regarding the resources of the islands, the condition of the people, their attitude towards idolatry, the instruction bestowed upon Indian slaves, etc. Its members must especially watch over the welfare of the conquered Indians- punishing those who oppress them, and seeing that the natives receive religious instruction in which the Audiencia and the bishop shall cooperate and various specific directions are given to the protection of Indians and their interests2.

Characterizing the natives of Cordillera: The natives were free men that they could not be sold by an encomendero, was recognized in many laws (Recopilacion, vol. 2, I & II). Some of the natives were the immediate subjects of the king, and the rest dependents attached to the encomiendas 3. The natives of the Cordilleras were not all entirely savage. Some inhabited mountainous and inaccessible places, but those who dwelt on the plains were divided into clans, having their own chiefs and laws as well as some rude notions of arts and agriculture. What they then possessed was guaranteed to them, and the surplus lands, distributed among the conquerors4. The first Spanish description of the Ifugao rice terraces comes from the beginning of the 19th century. They are people of good spirit, because they bear themselves so well. They are much given to labor as can be seen from the huge payaos (irrigated fields) they have for there is no doubt that tremendous sweat went into their construction both in channeling the water and in transporting the stones with which they enclose their villages5. According to Scott (1974), the Igorots in general are a very agile people, bold, well-built and feared by other tribes around. They are people wanting in all discourse, nor do they know how to read or what day, month, or year, or the waxing and waning of the moon, signify. They

3
4 5

Comyn, Tomas de. State of the Philippines in 1810. Trans William Walton. Manila Filipino Book Guild, Ibid., p. 205. W. Walton in Comyn, Tomas de. State of the Philippines in 1810. Manila Filipino Book Guild, p.xix. Scott, William Henry. (1974). The Discovery of the Igorots. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, p.1999.

are also widely scattered, moving from one place to another6. They were politically divided into kinship settlements of few houses and paid respect to the aged and those who gave their bravest warrior into battle and took slave and heads into war7. Spanish conquistadores objectives in pacifying Cordillera vis--vis the external factors which affected their agricultural life: One of the objectives of the Spaniards in the land of Cordillera is to improve the agriculture, industry, and commerce. The Spanish conquistadores perceived and agreed that the Igorots would be better off both materially and spiritually in a great and progressive community than wandering naked through the mountains. Their uncontrollable independence with no

central authority to look after their common welfare. The spatial context wherein the Cordillera is situated gives primary livelihood to the natives which involved the tilling of the land, harvesting and planting crops, and trading it to the neighboring areas like in the Agno, La Union and Pangasinan thru the rugged mountain terrains. According to the records, the land has potentials to grow crops like taro, rice, and camotes that would suffice the basic and economic needs of its people. There are also large areas, particularly in the Benguet, that were uncultivated which can accommodate plants like cacao, coffee, and oranges that were introduced by the Spaniards which can be added to the amount of harvest the natives can reap and sow. This is primarily because of the increased in demand to the natives labor, which the Spaniards believed that they can endure the arduous tasks in the farms. The weather was also suitable for those kind of harvest produce and this interest the pacifiers. The mission to develop was not that easy. At the onset, the Spaniards have struggled to pacify the land by virtue of the His majestys command and fulfill their duties as missionaries and military personnel. Search of Gold: One external factor identified that altered their agricultural life was there search of gold, for they discovered that the quality of Igorot gold were incomparable and its abundance can hardly be ignored. However, there have been a diversion from the original plans in pacifying due to their pursuit of church power measured through the possession of gold, not by the amount of crops or tribute that the missionaries may have acquired and collected to the natives. These would become compensation and necessary support for a church and state that would provide better government for the natives. What attracted also the Spanish conquistadores to the
6 7

Ibid., p.45. Ibid. 48.

Cordillera was Igorot gold, but after 50 years of costly and unsuccessful attempts to occupy mines, they gave up the project8. It was only to show that the methods and processes executed by the pacifiers were ineffective and almost a failure. They havent maintained the structures that they have established particularly in the Benguet lands since there were lack in coordination and firsthand experiences. And so after they have extracted the resources, they left the remaining for the natives to maintain through mining. Mining: As such, their usual livelihood which is farming, was altered through the introduction of mining practices and the benefits it bring to the members of the community. The simple implements for farming evolved into a more sophisticated materials, all for the use of mining. The household tasks were divided leaving the women and the children learning their values from songs, religious ceremonies, and war dances. Some members of the family still continue to carve out whole mountainsides and then defended them against enemies in the next valley, and some were off to the mining areas. Then, the objects of their trade were various kinds of crops, but it was then changed to carats of gold, since they found that gold has greater value than those of crops. Since these Igorot gold are regularly referred to in the 16th century accounts as the wealthiest in the archipelago, they must have suffered the general post-Conquest decline in gold production which reached its nadir in 1600. Moreover, the Filipino mining technology were simple, slow, and laborious, innocent of any chemical knowledge, and only slightly productive9. Paganism in the natives lives: Scott (1974) stated in his book that their sages are the old men or women whom they respect and obey in a great way and more so when they are engaged in the said fiestas. They sacrificed animals to spirits called anitos. They venerated their ancestors with bones and kept deceased relatives in the house for days on end during funeral wakes. There strong beliefs in their religious gods has in turn, affect the agricultural lives of the natives. They have been offering animals to their anitos especially during harvest in the mountains and uttering strange languages. They needed to please their gods, otherwise it might ruin their harvests produce. However, there are some communities in the Cordilleras whose pleasures are possessions and
8 9

Scott, William Henry. (1974). The Discovery of the Igorots. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, p.4. Ibid., p. 13.

cock-fighting that characterized them as the lazy ones. According to Dr. Drasche (1875), these Igorots threw their anito-idols out of their house if they didnt answer their prayers, sold brides priced according to their work habits, and cut the legs off corpses if they didnt fit in the coffin 10. The values of the Igorots are drastic. They can be really harsh sometimes due to the influences of their neighbors and their ancestors. They are resilient when it comes to their religion, as they also equate it to their communal lives especially on the agricultural aspect. System of Agriculture: Borrowing. If they lent a rice to anyone, one year was allowed for repaying it, since there is something that is planted. If the loan were not repaid after the 1st harvest, double the amount was to be paid at the 2nd, the 3rd harvest, four fold was due on an unpaid loan, and so on, regularly increasing. This was the only moneylending among them. Now, some who are lazy and unwilling to exert themselves to pay the tribute, ask a loan for this purpose and repay somewhat larger sum11. Feasts. These natives have no feasts that they observe, throughout the year save that when the married men go to war, during their absence the women do not work12. At the rice harvest. Besides these times, they set apart seven days when they begin to fill their fields, in which time they neither grind any rice, stock heir food, nor do they allow a stranger during all that time, to enter the villages, for they say that it is the time when they pray to their gods to grant them an abundant harvest13. Structure in the Cordilleran landscape: The pueblo-parish structure was the basis of a socio-economic system in which the natives were to produce surpluses, and for exacting the surpluses and native labor for the support of the new regime. In the first place, the old barangay economic system included much gathering and hunting; production technology was rudimentary but met family and festive needs. The

10

Dr. Richard von Drasche was an Austrian baron who fell under the romantic spell of Cordillera as cited in W.H. Scotts The Discovery of the Igorots, p. 243. 11 Blair, E. and Robertson, J., The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803. Vol. V. Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company. 1903-1909, pp. 151-153. 12 Ibid. p. 105. 13 Ibid., p. 105

pueblo system meant full employment in agriculture, accompanied by more intensive land use14. The natives were required to utilize their backyards in the raising of chickens and swine, bananas and other native plants, and the new plant and animal varieties that would be introduced by the Spaniards. In the second place, more intensive land use was attended by the introduction of an improved and preparation technology and some new tools. The carabao was broken in and taught to pull the plow and the harrow. This was done by the friars; they were the only Spaniards allowed to live in the pueblos, they had the most interest in keeping their parishioners sedentary and they sought to make agriculture yield adequate harvests15. The early Filipinos knew how to construct implements for the cultivation of their rice such as hulling and separating the chaff from the grain; and they had wooden mortars and pestles for pounding and whitening rice. Then the women did most of the work, whereas today, the men do it16. Furthermore, in the early days, the system of irrigating the rice fields that is used today was known and practice. Of course the so-called caingin17 method of cultivation prevailed, but the considerable amounts of rice which at various times were contributed by the natives for the support of the Spanish conquerors could not have been produced under such a crude system of cultivation, but only by the more advanced one, which closely resembled to the present time. The various sustainable practices that were passed down from generations among the ethnic groups in Cordilleras have been adopted as time passed by. They give primary significance to their land, not only because this is where they extract their resources necessary for daily survival; but also their spiritual connection with land was very strong. The land and the environment were of deep importance because these are their sources of nourishment. The possible reason why an ethnic group have an established identity and cultural continuity is because of their right management of their ecological unit.

14 15

Corpuz, O.D. An economic history of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, p. 28. Ibid. p. 29. 16 Comyn, Tomas de. State of the Philippines in 1810. William Walton (ed.) Manila: Manila Filipino Book Guild, p. 175. 17 Caingin system described; they reported that the country was so fertile that when the natives descried to plant their rice, they only burn a part of the mountains, and without a y further plowing or digging, they make holes with stick in the soil and drop some grains of rice in them. This was their manner of sowing, and after covering the rice with same earth, they obtained very heavy crops. Diego Aduarte. (1640). In Blair and Robertsons The Philippine Islands Vol .32, p199.

Ordinance that tackle the labor of native workers in the agriculture: Article 71 of the Ordinances of 1768 defined the development of Filipinas in terms of the labor of the native workers:
Article 71. For the development of commerce, and the common prosperity of the Islands, whose wealth lies in the abundance of its produce, the cultivation and raising of the plants of the various provinces is very important. The natives must be made, by all possible means, to raise useful plants suited to the climate the natives must be required to plant wheat, rice, corn, cotton, pepper, vegetables, etc., and is suitable to the different types of land. They must, likewise, raise appropriate livestock. They must have fruit seeds and orchards, as well as animals in their backyards, to the end that each native have at least a dozen hens, a rooster, and a sow ..for the common good of the Islands, and the individual well-being of the natives18.

Dichotomy between the tasks of men and women: There were specializations of labor between men and women. According to Casambre, womens participation is much greater in rice-based cropping mainly because rice was then the major crop being produced. Within rice farming, women contribute most labor in transplanting because it was believe because they exhibit greater dexterity at it. They also do harvesting and weeding. Some women also do the spraying and watering by irrigation hoses. For landless households, women without work exchange their labor for cash or percentages of the crop harvested to those who really owned the land. Women also supervise agricultural labor and make farm decisions in addition to working in their own fields. Typically, men contribute more to the labor intensive processes of land preparation like ground-breaking, plowing, and harrowing. However, there were also interchangeability of roles between men and women way back then. Public meetings, held by irrigators association and the barangay, were attended depending on who is free from work19. They were also using only simple farm implements and tools. Women in the Cordillera participate in almost all aspects of agricultural production and have been very active in meetings being called. Women are indeed active participants in agricultural production as indicated by the number of tasks which they perform throughout the rice planting

18 19

Corpuz, O.D. An economic history of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press., p.113. Casambre, Athena Lydia, et.al. (1992). A preliminary study in womens participation for sustainable development in the Cordillera. Baguio City: Cordillera Studies Center, p.9.

and vegetable cultivation cycle. They were also usually the partner principally responsible for marketing of the farm produce20. There are three variables that will define the gravity of treatment among women way back then. At the outset, it seemed obvious that the participation of any person would vary depending on ones age, and it was assumed that children work less than adults in farming activities. Next variable is their civil status. It appears that it affects participation of women in agriculture when the stage of marriage is reached. Women in their child-bearing years would likely to continue their farming endeavors. Pregnancy does not deter them from working daily. In the struggle for survival, women suffer multiple burdens. An account from women in Mountain Province bring extra clothes in the rice fields in case they will deliver before reaching home. One would hardly imagine the difficulties these women encountered years ago because there are still minimal health facilities that will cater the needs of a mother. Lastly is the occupational status of a family. There is a social hierarchy between those who were born of elite background and those who were landless indigenous people. There have been a slow phase of development among those who belong to the lower stratum and women were burdened because of the various social activities as shown by their spouses during those times21. The magnitude of irresponsibility among their husbands were caused by their fondness of recreation that they tend to neglect, or even abandon their supposedly fatherly tasks. It has been also observed that even the familys expenditures -ranging from households up to agricultural needs was generally a womans task. There is a shift from womens participation in agricultural endeavors as time went on. Subsistence farmers in Benguet shifted to cash vegetable cropping. Those in the vegetable industry became wage-earners but women are paid lower wages than the men most likely because men were perceived to have heavier workload. Before, they were more interested in taking care of their land because it would suffice their needs and doing household chores for the welfare of the family. But due to changes in policies and government, and advancement in technologies, women delved into the labor force of commercial agriculture that would also cause
20

Fiagoy, Geraldine L. (1996). Indigenous womens role in resource utilization and management . Baguio City: Cordillera Studies Center.
21

Ibid. p. 34. 8

health hazards due to their exposure to various chemicals. Women used to gather small fishes and snails in the paddies, but with the proliferation of golden snails, they are forced to use molluscides, further depleting the native aquatic food resources. Not only were they exposing themselves to hazards but also the child a woman bears. External factors, like cash economy, development projects and state laws impinging on indigenous peoples rights have veered away from traditional and colonial resource sharing practices that would possibly lead to marginalization and oppression. Increased in production was due to the improved methods of cultivation, had a great effect on the inhabitants of the islands but not only did it bring about greater welfare because of more adequate satisfaction for other necessities, but also because it developed a demand for another necessities, hence, raising the standard of living22.

Agriculture like no other: O.D. Corpuz said in his book that the rice culture of the Ifugao in the Cordillera was very different and magnificent. Terrace agriculture is practiced in Java and in other parts of Southeast Asia, but nowhere do the terraces there approach the grandeur of those of the Ifugao, the sole example of heavy construction technology in the archipelago before other establishments during the Spanish era. The construction of the Ifugao terraces, winding kilometer after kilometer around the mountains, raised intriguing questions. The fitting together of small stones with big boulders to form the sloping and winding dikes and retaining walls of the terraces had to entail several generations of labor by numbers of people23. The kind of leadership and social authority compelled the tribesmen to do laborious job in order to build the terraces. However, speculation suggests that the Ifugao only build their terraces for the liquor they may acquire to be utilized during feasts and rites. The Igorots or mountain people seem to have been unique. Their settlements were not coastal or lakeshore. They were highland villages with the houses in clusters. It is almost

22 23

Comyn, Tomas de. (1969). State of the Philippines in 1810. Trans. William Walton. Manila Filipino Book Guild. Corpuz, O.D. An economic history of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. p. 16.

certain that, they related their village life to the community which fostered group solidarity and warmed them against the chill of their mountain habitat24. Conclusion: Its procurement began to explore the needs of the natives especially with regards to their attachment to their agricultural way of life. The pre-conquest system gives us the basic idea that the natives uphold their typical practices using only simple implements and tools, taking care of their arable land based on their common knowledge. The natives have their ancestral lands that were meant to produce harvests for the common good and to generate produce to sustain their daily lives. Their outputs were not that much incremental because they were using traditional methods. However, transformations were never been easy to the natives prior that the ordinances were not explained clearly to them. This became the problem whether who owns what- either the king or the native-held lands always belong to the natives. No matter how comprehensive the ordinance may be, the problem still lies on the way it was executed, or if it was executed after all. The negative result of the discovery of the Igorots was long lasting- the creation of a distinction between lowland and highland Filipinos which created disparity in the conversion, and paganism. The Spaniards also taught a few hundred how to read and write, caused thousands to migrate to the lowlands due to the more convenient lifestyle far from the rigors of mountainous terrains. But with the advent of the 20th century, none could have foreseen that their grandchildren would become cultural minorities, setting the notion of lowland-highland dichotomy.

24

Ibid. p.17.

10

List of references:

Blair, E. and Robertson, J., The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803. Vol. V. Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company. 1903-1909: Relation of the Filipinas Islands by Miguel de Loarca. 1582, Vol.V. Casambre, Athena Lydia, et.al. (1992). A preliminary study in womens participation for sustainable development in the cordillera. Baguio City Cordilera Studies Center. Comyn, Tomas de. (1969). State of the Philippines in 1810. Trans William Walton. Manila Filipino Book Guild. A reprint of the original Madrid edition, published 1820. Corpuz, O.D. An economic history of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. Fiagoy, Geraldine L. (1996). Indigenous womens role in resource utilization and management. Baguio City: Cordillera Studies Center. Scottt, Willam Henry. (1974). The Discovery of the Igorots. Quezon City: New Day Publishers.

11