Maginoo

A pre-colonial couple belonging to the Datu or nobility caste as depicted in the Boxer Codex of the 16th Century.

The term maginoo refers to the highest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. Members of this class serve as the leaders of the Barangay, and the Datu (chief) and the Babaylan or Katalonan (spiritual leaders). ^[1]

The other two social classes almost universally observed among Filipino cultures before the arrival of Spain were: Timawa (Freeman) and Alipin (Servant). Some of the sources from the early Spanish colonial ere who observed local customs also noted the existence of another social class among the Tagalog, the Maharlika, but there is some confusion about the precise nature of the overlap between the Maginoo, Maharlika, and Timawa classes.^[1]

During the regime of the former dictator of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, the term Maharlika was mistakenly attributed to mean 'Royalty'. As part of his drive at promoting Bagong Lipunan (New Society) Marcos sponsored the research into prehispanic culture of the Philippines. Apart from recommending changing the name of the Philippines into Maharlika, Marcos was influential in making maharlika a trendy name for streets, edifices, banquet halls, villages and cultural organizations. Marcos himself utilized the word to christen a highway, a broadcasting corporation, and the reception area of the Malacañang Palace. Marcos's propagandistic utilization of the word started during the Second World War. Before being proven false in 1985, Marcos claimed that he had commanded a group of guerrillas known as the Maharlika Unit.^[2] Marcos also used maharlika as his personal nom de guerre, depicting himself as the most bemedalled anti-Japanese Filipino guerrilla soldier during World War II. During the Martial Law Period in the Philippines, Marcos attempted to produce a film entitled Maharlika to present his “war exploits”.^[3]

One of the results of this trend was, unfortunately, the distortion of the original meaning of 'Maharlika'. Maharlika does not actually refer to the 'Royalty' class as is claimed, but refers to the warrior class. They can sometimes be confused with the actual Royal class, the Maginoo, because like the vassal lords of the European medieval societies, they can also be granted land and alipin/timawa subjects in exchange for service in battle. It is also more or less unique to the Tagalog caste system and that of its neighboring tribes.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. pp. 219–229. ISBN 9715501354. http://books.google.com/?id=15KZU-yMuisC. 
2. ^ Maharlika and the ancient class system (PDF), pilipino-express.com
3. ^ Quimpo, Nathan Gilbert. Filipino nationalism is a contradiction in terms, Colonial Name, Colonial Mentality and Ethnocentrism, Part One of Four, "Kasama" Vol. 17 No. 3 / July–August-September 2003 / Solidarity Philippines Australia Network, cpcabrisbance.org

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