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While we used the same amount of months, we named the months according to different seasons of harvest, climate, and phases of the moon. I. e. October being Bagyobagyo.

The names of the week days were straightforward, i. e. Saturday being Ligid, since it was rest day.

This is different from our universal calendar which is based off of significant individuals in our history, as back then they were more concerned with bettering their own livelihoods outside of that.

Nikki Fuentes

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In my opinion, the most interesting breakthrough they have achieved in the pre-colonial period is the development of the calendar system. The rice fields are also a staple bit of the economy in the period and as we all know, rice is indeed life. The craftsman ship of pre colonial filipinos is not to be undermined just because we are living in modernity, because for their period, the rice terraces and calendar system using astronomy is a extreme revolutionary breakthrough

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Especially the rice terraces. I just think the innovations in regards tom farming during the early days alew pretty neat.

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I found it fascinating that they maintain their fields/farms and agriculture for generations with minimal changes(?)

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I find this ancient item the most interesting in terms of scientific advancement because it shows proof of the filipinos using the moon phases or the movement of the moon to be able to tell the time. Unlike other civilizations that used the shadow casted by the sun, the filipinos were able to utilize their knowledge in astronomy to be able to tell the different months and days based from the moon alone. I find this fascinating because they were able to use the moon alone to make business deals, know when the best time for harvest was, and even mark important dates(like parties and etc.)

The utilization of the moon feels unique and new compared to other civilizations.

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I find it fascinating that there are actually other writing systems or scripts other than the baybayin.

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due to their terrain unlike other rice fields which is flat terrain while rice terraces can be attracted to some foreigners who are having vacations in ph. Even avengers:end game or infinity war they have a shot or a scene from there.

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Rice Fields. I consider them fascinating because of how vital it is for the survival of people(and with how many of us right now are very much rice eaters) and how it is constructed. The landscape looks very pretty from afar too.

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A textile harvested from trees by beating a soft layer under the bark. This cloth was used by ancient Philippine natives and predates traditional woven fabric.

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In pre-colonial Philippines, everyone enjoyed the same privileges. Like how women and men, can ascend as a head of the family or how children and elders were given the same level of respect. Additionally unwed mothers or fathers were not shamed, as their gods/goddesses were the same.

I found this fascinating as our societal norms today is different from then, and we can definitely learn a thing or two from back then

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I dont remember where i saw it, but I heard na pre-colonial filipinos were at least advanced enough to learn how to weave fine gold as clothes. not into clothes, as clothes. they use it mostly on belts, sashes, and but mostly popularized though through jewelries such as bracelets, anklets, and rings because back then, they believed that the holes and distals of our bodies are the entryway to the soul or something and that gold was something like an element that is believed to protect them frm bad energies. i do believe the chinese has some influence with this though because they have that in their culture too.

-brit atillo

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It's still fascinating how pre-colonial filipinos were able to come up with their own unique way of expressing something through writing. As well, as how they associated the months with what's happening in their environment at the time. I think it really shows how present they were in their surroundings and how involved they were with the world around them.

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Why because how they make it and designed it, the various institutions have launched programs that seek to encourage younger generations to pick up the age-old tradition and learn how the unique patterns and raw materials represent our country's rich and diverse culture.

traditions are rooted in beliefs that were passed on by our ancestors. Handloom weaving is no different, it is believed that this cultural practice is associated with the indigenous peoples' bridge to spirits who will help them attract good health and protection in the Earthly realm.

-Frances Pelayo

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I find it interesting because long before the spanish arrived we already had the concept of business transactions, trading and debt which shows that Filipinos have long had a proper system of civilization way before the spanish arrived. It goes to show too that we have history beyond the spanish and that we were not discovered.

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It fascinates me to know about the baybayin Letters it is because it is the one of the precolonial writing that is used by the early Filipinos.And it really fascinates me a lot.

-Kayce Peia Blase :3

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Back in the early days of Filipinos, literature was a big deal in our civilization back in the pre colonial era, where Philippine literature was derived from spanish. It was born from a combination of the country's history, mythology, culture, and foreign influences, evolving throughout different periods while also adopting common writing philosophies and movements of the time.

There had been a rich literary tradition in the islands before the Spaniards arrived but it was the Spanish who started to publish those tales and stories. The works of Rizal, the best known Filipino writer and national hero, are a result of this inter-cultural process.

Our Philippine literature is known for their works of epics, legends, folklore, salawikain, bugtong, sawikain, songs such as the Oyayi or Hele are passed on from generations to generations.

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one of the reasons latin or roman letters are blocky and square-ish is due to the medium in which they wrote their script, it was usually on hard surfaces like stone which they had to chip or chisel to form the letters/words. In contrast, Malayalam is a very cursive script bc they wrote on long leaves which favored rounder letters, since straight lines would just cut through the leaf. The Laguna copper plate is fascinating due to the cursive, rounded letters engraved in. What did they use to write that? cool stuff.

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Carving documents into metal is an interesting way to preserve them and signify their importance. It's also a fascinating look into the country's linguistics at the time as well as the ancient beliefs that are used to structure the calendar.

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Different Filipino languages, dialects and writing systems

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Different Filipino languages, dialects and writing systems

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It's fascinating to know that the Philippines has a lot of languages in every island, the diversity of Filipino languages and dialects is fascinating because it reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the Philippines, shaped by centuries of history and migration carries distinct traditions, expressions, and worldviews unique to its region.

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I think its interesting because of how its used in many different ways in the life of Early Filipinos. They wove baskets, clothing, tools, furniture, decorations, and all while incorporating diverse and unique designs into them. Even today people can go out and buy well made furniture woven out of bamboo and wood and it would last them for generations.

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Those two have placed me in a respectful chokehold; I didn’t even know that Bisaya has a version of the calendar (gatekeeping “bagyobagyo” is a CRIME now.)

Each writing system shows the difference and similarities between the regions and gives us a little insight on their upbringing as individual communities. It’s also pretty to write and look at.

The calendar needs to be known more to anyone; Half-Jokingly for the sole reason because it still fits the context of modern Philippines (or VISAYAS specifically), it’s because of “Bagyobagyo” for October and “Ligid” for Saturday.

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The only one I was ever taught was Baybayin, so I find it interesting that there are so many others - never even heard of them til now. I'm kind of curious about the differences between each alphabet system or if there's any similarities, considering the many different regions in the Philippines having different dialects and languages (over a hundred, if i recall correctly)

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The most interesting things they ever done is making crafts like accessories and ornaments. Though they aren’t really needed or it doesn’t have any purpose in there agricultural or warfare. They were able to do it just to express themselves and their culture back then

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The use of baybayin in scriptures, how each region have their own. Visayas using badlit, Luzon using baybayin and somewhere at Mindanao is kirim. Which were referenced/used the similarities od Arabic scriptures.

-Audrey Lim

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By: Matthew De Villa

To me this is the most fascinating thing because it does two things for solidifying Early Philippines.

1. Acknowledged by Other States

When we trade with other states (e.g. Song Dynasty or Bruneian Empire) we inevitably become recorded in their history as a trade partner, proving we were a civilization prior to Spanish conquest.

2. Evidences of Trade

When trade occurs, our goods and their goods are interchanged through a barter system. This causes our goods to be found in the territories of our trade partners and vice versa. This can be seen in the various silks, porcelain, and even some armor designs from Chinese, Indian or Southeast Asian origin found in the Philippines.

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Invented in 1971 by Daisuke Inoue, he began renting the machines to bars in Kobe. Which made them an immediate hit.

Although Inoue did not patent his invention. A Filipino, Roberto del Rosario filed a patent for a karaoke machine system, the Sing Along System, which del Rosario developed in 1975.

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The presence of multiple alphabet and writing system such as Baybayin is what I find most fascinating. I like how the writing systems are distinct yet similar at the same time, and how some of them are evidently influenced by other languages, suggesting that they may have interacted with other countries in the past.

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Rice Terraces of the Cordillera mountains 

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Rice Terraces of the Cordillera mountains 

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I found it fascinating on how many generations have tended the fields.

It was very fascinating on how it was built on steeper slopes and a development of an irrigation system, which harvests water from the forests on the top of the mountain creating an interesting farming system.

Which also makes it one of the 8th wonders of the Philippines.

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I've always thought about the language and writings from the early Philippine times. I find it fascinating how we had our own unique way of writing with our own alphabet and number system. It's even more interesting to know that there were more languages other than Baybayin, depending on the region or part of the Philippines

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I find it particularly interesting how they'd notice a pattern within each month that they'd name that month based off what they see is happening around them. It's one thing to count each full moon but it is interesting to me how they manage to keep track what happens in which month.

-Annalysa M. Singh (Ani-12)

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One of the achievements that our ancestors made that I am always facinated about is their skills in mining, especially in goldworking. The details of the surviving artifacts are breathtaking and were made with such delicate skill that up to this day are are still not able to be duplicated. It is a fact that few places in Southeast Asia can match the goldwork of early Filipinos. Java of Indonesia is one of those fewplaces.

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In general im fascinated with precolonial philippines as a whole, but one topic that i partocularly enjoy looking abd reading about the most is the relationship between gold and precolonial Philippines. Filipinos back in the day were covered in gold, from jewelry to the clothes they wear and its one of the things i wish continued to this day because they were so beautiful.

-Arieza Aro, ANI-12

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Most buildings were made out of wood so there wasn't much buildings that were preserved from that time but they were advanced in other ways in which examples are the "lantakas" which were canons that seemed advanced for their time and showed that they were pretty knowledgeable in gunpowder. As well as the "kamagi" or gear links which showed their expertise in goldsmithing

Dani Catane

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The most fascinating achievement to me of the early Filipinos is the development of the martial arts "Arnis" (Kali or Eskrima) which is a weapon based fighting commonly using but not limited to sticks but also knives, and other bladed weapons and various improvised weapons (Open hand techniques were also used for this martial arts). This is commonly dual-weilded and it is still practiced by some schools until this day.

Tracing the origin of is as of now still in the process of research. As arnis was an art usually practiced by the poor or commoner class (as opposed to nobility or warrior classes), most practitioners lacked the scholarly education to create any kind of written record. While the same can be said of many martial arts, this is especially true for arnis because almost all of its history is anecdotal, oral or promotional. The origin of arnis can be traced back to native "Pintados" or then "Tintadus" fighting techniques during conflicts among the various Prehispanic Filipino settlements, though the current form has Spanish influence from old fencing which originated in Spain in the 15th century. It has other influences as well, as settlers and traders travelling through the Malay Archipelago brought the influence of silat as well as Chinese and Indian martial arts. Some of the population still practise localized Chinese fighting methods known as kuntaw.

Panimdim, Ricardo Andrew B. ANI 12

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Although it is obvious that the early pre-colonial Filipinos were dependent on nature, such as the moon and sun, climate, and weather, for determining the time of year, it still fascinated me that they knew when to keep track of the passage of time and even documented it with the use of cut or knots on bamboo. It still keeps me wondering on how they ended up choosing 12 as the amount of months in a year like we do in modern times, they weren't colonized yet so it keeps me curious about this invention.

Not to mention the method of cutting or knotting the bamboo stick whenever there's a full moon to indicate that a month has passed. That part is my favorite.

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it is nice they make necklace, bags and baskets are made up of bamboo or some type of plant would like make it strong to carry around with you in the early times

-Athena Angela A. Veloso

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The balaraw, a dagger used by pre-colonial Filipinos, had a double-edged, leaf-shaped blade with a cross-shaped hilt. It was primarily 20-25 centimeters long but smaller versions were given to young boys, as it was common for even children to carry one. The balaraw was used not only for combat but also for defense, particularly to guard against wrist cuts.

Early Filipinos had impressive achievements in weaponry. They used various weapons, including the kris and kampilan, known for their craftsmanship and effectiveness in battle. These weapons reflected their advanced metalworking skills and played a key role in their defense against enemies, showcasing their ingenuity and warrior culture

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I actually didn’t know until today that there were other Filipino writing systems other than Baybayin so it confuses me how we all focus on Baybayin only. I think it’s really cool though, how we actually have such a cool looking writing system. I’m probably dumb though because I think they’re all Baybayin, just different variations of it.

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The most fascinating early Filipino achievement to me

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The most fascinating early Filipino achievement to me

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To me the early Filipinos most fascinating achievement is their way of time keeping. I find it fascinating cause early Filipinos managed to create a similar time keeping system to Mesopotamian civilization despite being on the other side of the planet. The thing I'm most interested in is how and why is it twelve when it comes to time? Twelve hours for the night and day and twelve months in a year. Comment down below what the answer could possibly be?

Raymund Lorenzo Cervantes

AB ANI 12

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Surprised how Filipino's before have used the seasons to determine each month and using the full moon as well for it to signal that a month has already passed by, I am astounded of how observant we were before. I must say, this is truly one of the amazing advancements our ancestor's made. From the very confusing old names to the present which are now January - December.

Calendar's now are even a very important way for us to know deadlines 😨 , schedules🤯 , Holidays🎄 and special occasions🎂 easily thanks to the people making it easier for our own generation to understand and adapt to it.

It's a very Practical and Useful information that have stayed for years.

Armian, Leianne Ruzzle. Ani-12

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The most fascinating thing I find about the early Filipinos was how even before Spain's influence on the country, we've already developed advanced techniques in terms of craftsmanship, especially jewelry. I'm most impressed by filigree, gold turned into thin threads that are then formed into intricate jewelry, or even woven to become cloth.

-Ryala Flores (ANI 12)

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Luna, Eunice (ANI 12)

Artifacts were found in the Philippines that are now displayed in museums showcasing how mortals and deities were an importance among the indeginous people. Moreover, early Filipinos correlates these artifacts for divine purposes and according from the Ayala Museum’s description;

“In many cultures around the world, gold is conceptually linked to spirituality, prized for its purity, and coveted for its scarcity. Deities were described as golden, radiating, or emitting light.

Personal wealth was stored in the form of gold barter rings or jewels. Endowed with rich deposits of gold, pre-colonial Philippine cultures used the precious metal for secular and divine purposes.

Personal adornments used by mortals offered protection, power, and prestige. To adorn one's person with gold was to invoke supernatural protection, command respect and obedience, affirm power and prosperity. The use of jewelry as sacred adornments eloquently expressed the close relationship between mortals adorned and the deities they adored.”

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Because there are lots of ores or ingots in the Philippines; Golden, Iron, and Copper.

Somebody who created the jewels made the materials golden, it is an accessory fashion.

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Ive always found the different writing systems intriguing knowing theyre unique in each region as it is their own system of expressing their thoughts and how they always communicated with each other.

-Wilmalyn E. Tubo

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The Banaue Rice Terraces from the mountains of north-central Luzon has been protected and preserved by the Ifugao people who has pass down from generation-to-generation.

It's rich history comes down from the mountains where the Ifugao carve the fields around 2,000 years ago. It is said that they were built by hand and were used to plant rice.

(Rice is love, Rice is life)

-Sophia Anna Encio, ANI-12

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Knowing the history of early history of my home country philippines intrigued me, particularly the scripts had piqued my interest knowing we have different languages in the philippines, although the pronounciation of some languages might be hard to pronounce the words of the language but it takes time to practice them properly if you try.

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I find it fascinating as I thought the ancient writing in the Philippines is only Baybayin. It has also other terms in different dialects from other regions. I also find it interesting of how it was structured and it's very demure. I want to learn this calligraphy and I'm curious of how it was made.

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Its still fascinating how they were able to know how to read and write using their writing system.

They can also write top to bottom and read it from left to right.

Baybayin was used for various purporses including personal names and legal documents.It holds significant cultural value
representing filipino heritage.

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as Philippines did not have rice as a primary food we had earlier, some Filipinos were only eating root crops back then. Rice is extremely important for our cuisine and for feeding the majority of the Filipinos in our country 🇵🇭 🇵🇭

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In the advancement of the pre-colonial Philippines the thing I find most fascinating is the ability of our ancestors to adapt and develop these advances to their benefit. The fact that they are able to track time and meetings according to the phases of the moon, the wide range of languages developed even before being discovered by the Spaniards and the various inventions that they were able to come up with on their own all for their survival is simply amazing.

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The most creative invention was calendars that relate to their farming, which helps them when to farm and such and how they used nature to tell the time, it shows how creative filipinos are, and how capable we are far before we got colonized

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Timekeeping 🕙 🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔 - Alden Jon Yap Celis (EMC-GD 11)

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Timekeeping 🕙 🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔 - Alden Jon Yap Celis (EMC-GD 11)

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One of the many things I find interesting about early Filipino culture is how we kept time. Many devices that we rely on today did not exist back then such as clocks or watches. As such we relied on heavenly bodies and ingenuity to keep track of days, months, and years. Nowadays we look down on our phones to check the time, our ancestors instead looked up. 👁️

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the rice terraces are literally awesomepossum like if it wasnt a historical place or something id totally want to live there. no because its so pretty like imagine watchinf the sunset while sitting off the edge of one of the huge grass steps with a nice breeze surrounded by nature,, but then i guess thered be too many tourists and like,,,, actual rice farmers so maybe not I STILL LOVE IT THOUGH

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The fact that we had mines is not that shocking during this time but the fact that we had alot of gold that we made jewelry out of it and was our form of currency for other countries during this time, and it also made sense since mostly from what i heard is we usually just trade with other countries.

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Personally, the most fascinating development of the Philippines was its time keeping system because it did not rely on mechanical contraptions in order to keep track of time instead, it used nature and celestial objects. In order to know when it was the most bountiful time to harvest, fish, court, and sacrifice they used the faces of the moon and as well as animals such as the bird that makes the "kiling" noise to indicate the typhoon is over; This really exclusively gives identity to the Filipinos as the civilization that was spiritualistic in nature.

-Raygabriel D. Valdehueza

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Balangay Boats (Sean Josef Riconalla - REM 11)

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Balangay Boats (Sean Josef Riconalla - REM 11)

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One of the most fascinating achievements of pre-colonial Filipinos is the construction of the balangay boats. These boats, made from wood and assembled without nails, were highly advanced and allowed early Filipinos to travel and trade across Southeast Asia.

Their mastery of maritime technology and navigation, even without modern tools, shows just how innovative they were. The ability to build seaworthy vessels that could cover long distances is a testament to their skill and knowledge of the sea.

What I find remarkable is that these achievements were made long before the influence of Western technology, proving that Filipinos had a rich and advanced culture of their own.

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I find it interesting because the common ore is gold and gold means money and I love money. They used the gold to make artifacts and decorations which means even more money. It was also used for their currency which means money

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I find the different writing systems and dialects for each region (e.g. Badlit in the Visayas, Baybayin in Luzon) very fascinating. The formulation, structure, and cohesiveness of writing and language to be able to document and communicate with fellow countrymen even during precolonial times shows that societal developments and connections have been made and practiced ever since before.

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I find the ancient writings the most fascinating for me. I didn't even know there were many others than just Baybayin. Now that I am aware and have know about it, Nice to learn something new :)

-Mary Angel A. Macasero (BSEMC-GD 11)

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Instruments 🥁🥁 Zachary Jordan G. Seguerra BSEMC-11

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Instruments 🥁🥁 Zachary Jordan G. Seguerra BSEMC-11

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The most fascinating in the pre colonials instrument was the kulintang well known as the golden sound instrument. I found this in youtube at some point where the Maranao people were playing this instrument during ceremonies or any social gatherings and it was very relaxing and it keeps me calm and collected.

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its cool that like they based it on things they noticed would happen as the months go by cause it makes the most sense to do it that way like ion even know what januarary means or how to spell ferbwraray. and rice because rice is essential to life and its yummy and i love rice. and i love that they kept their culture no matter what like yass stand strong besties -Mika Sakata EMC11

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It was surprising that we have our own calendar system. Although it has changed through out the years, it has helped us learn on how fast time has flowed. It showed how observant our ancestors are. Although the names were confusing, it showed the history of our time.

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One of the most prominent and promising crop harvests techniques as it has been dated back long ago, and still being used today because of it being the reason that made rice our staple food on or culture

-Christian Brian Yap

Emc11

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weaving yessss textiles yessss, weacving stuff and stuff (I HATE FREDDY)

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weaving yessss textiles yessss, weacving stuff and stuff (I HATE FREDDY)

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Weaving and making clothes out of literal plants always fascinates me. Sheer hard work and innovation seeps out of my clothes and the clothes of the early Filipinos. It is a reflection of a rich tapestry of culture, history and artistry. From ancient techniques to modern ones. Through these textiles and techniques, they tell a story that connects past generations and the modern society.

Lester Angay, EMC-11 (the one and only paparts)

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Textile Manufacturing and the Weaving Arts

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Textile Manufacturing and the Weaving Arts

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I love how traditional filipinos came up with the concept of weaving,  sure many other countries and their traditonal people have done it; and it’s nothing quite new to brag about. Still; while most countries used wool and cotton, Filipinos used pineapple and abaca fibres and piña along using natural dyes and weaving using a pedal loom sometimes locally called a “pangablan.”

A really nice thing to further add regarding each textile design is that sometimes if not most of the time; different tribes have their own specific style of traditonal weaving patterns, a local type of fashion style if you will. Styles like that of the Yakan, T’Boli, Meranao, Blaan and more have their own individual tastes and appeals in terms of artistic design that also corelate to their environment and shared ideologies among people.

Overall I love the diversity of textiles among the many various traditional Filipino tribal communities. They may look the same and or seem the same at first glance; but take time to analyze each and every woven fabric that make up the grander and more bigger picture, and it will show you the community that made it, their shared beliefs, their interests and their beauties, their own unique stories.

Lukas Enrique S. Magallano