#Rivera Ancestry Pila Laguna

[pilalaguna]

Datus, Dayangs, Lakans, and The Maginoo: The Ancient Nobility

A depiction of a datu in the 16th century. Image source: Boxer Codex (datu, wikipedia, public domain)

Ancient Filipino Royalty (Dugong Bughaw - “Royal Blood”):

Datu: Ruler, Chief/Leader Principales (Spanish). A datu must be a member of the maginoo class (Scott, Filipino Class Structure, Pgs 4, 5, 6 ).

Dayang: The female equivalent of a datu is a dayang (queen, princess, lady).

Maginoo (pronounced Ma-gi-no-o) - Noble (principal) by lineage or parentage, family and descent (from a datu), birthright aristocracy (Scott, Filipino Class Structure, Pg 5 ). Only those who by lineage, parentage, and family could claim royal descent and be called maginoo.

Lakan: "Paramount datu", "selected by other ruling datus from among themselves to serve as their pangulo (head)".

The datu controls the land and use of the land. For instance, the ruler of Pila, Laguna purchased (territory/irrigated land) in gold from its former chief and charged rentals to his own maharlika for their own use (Maharlika are freemen who were also the warrior class in Laguna who provided military service to the datu). The datu receives services, share of harvests, and respect from his people (the "katunguhan" or "those who go along") who show deferential behavior by covering their mouth with their hand when addressing the datu or the maginoo. (Scott, Filipino Class Structure, Pgs 5, 9 ).

The datu holds political office, and has a "duty to render judgement in any lawsuit filed from his followers, hears sworn testimony and hands down a decision, governs his people, leads them in wars, and "succors his people in their struggles and needs" (provides assistance and support in times of hardship and distress). If 4 or more datus live in the same (barangay or pueblo), they obey the wealthiest of them. The datu position is only passed down through the male line - father, son, brother). (Scott, Filipino Class Structure, Pgs 6, 7, 8, 9)

Datus in Pila, Laguna History:

1. Jayadewa, datu of Pailah

Postma, Antoon. “The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary.” Philippine Studies, vol. 40, no. 2, 1992, pp. 183–203. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/42633308

2. Datu Salian Maguinto, the “Gold-Rich Datu” of Pila. (Santiago, Ancient Pila, pgs 6-7, 8)

Today, the Tagalog equivalent of Lord would be “Gat” and Lady would be “Dayang”.

Source: SCOTT, WILLIAM HENRY. “Filipino Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century.” Philippine Studies, vol. 28, no. 2, 1980, pp. 142–175. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/42632521.

Scott's research also made use of Fray Juan de Plasencia's Relacion de las Costumbres que los indios se han tener en estas islas. Fray Plasencia was one of the first missionaries who arrived in the Philippines on July 2, 1578, and did missionary work in Pila and the province of Laguna. (Scott, Filipino Class Structure, Pg 2).

"La LLave, primer trennio, cap. 4: "a la provincia de la Laguna, al pueblo de Lumbang, fue el padre fray Juan de Plasencia, predicador, y al pueblo de Pila el padre fray Diego de Oropresa, confesor, y desde alli corrian los dos las serran_as hasta Tayabas y toda la 'silangan' de la Laguna." (LIFE AND WORKS OF FRAY JUAN DE PLASENCIA by Fr. Jose "Long" D. Gutay, OFM, OFM ARCHIVES - PHILIPPINES)

The Principalia of Pila, Laguna, are of ancient noble ancestry.

Datu or Lakan refers to the chief ...and the noble class (to which the Datu belonged, or could come from)... the Maginoo Class. One could be born a Maginoo, but could become a 'Datu by personal achievement. - familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Datu

"Proofs of Filipino royalty and nobility (Dugong Bughaw) must be demonstrated only by blood descent, that is, one has to have Filipino blood in his veins, and must be a descendant of ancient Filipino royal or noble families" - familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Datu

From esquiremag.ph: Datus, Rajahs, and Sultans: How Wealthy and Powerful Were the Pre-Colonial Filipino Nobility? Filipinos, commoners and nobility alike, wore gold jewelry as everyday accessories.

Don Felizardo de Rivera, a Maginoo (Maguinoo) and Founder of "Nuevo" Pila, Laguna (the town of Pila where is stands today). Don Felizardo is a direct descendant of Don Juan de Rivera, the original founder of Pila, Laguna in its original location. Don Juan de Rivera is in turn a direct descendant of Datu Maguinto (Maglilo).

[pilalaguna]

Pila's Oldest Books

"The oldest surviving church book of Pila is the The Libro de Bautismos (Baptismal Entries 1729-1788), which include the names of the child's parents and modern Pileños can trace their ancestry to the beginning of the 18th century or twelve generations back, The second oldest book is the Libro de Casamientos (Book of Marriages, 1752-1814), and the third oldest book, the Libro de Entierros (Death Records, 1755-1833) records that the Principalia (nobles) were buried inside the church." (Santiago, Ancient Pila, pg 18).

Image of a page from the death record book from Cora Relova of the Pila Historical Society Foundation.

These ancestral books continue almost uninterrupted to the 20th century.

Archives of the Rivera Family of Pila:

"Manga Huling Habilin at Kalooban" (Last Will and Testament)

D. Jacinto de Rivera, Pila, 13 Mayo 1792

D. Tomas de Rivera, Pila, 28 Enero 1896

Particion Extra-Judicial de los Bienes de D. Luis N. Rivera, Pila, 16 Abril 1917

Da. Francisca Rivera, "Mi Ultimo Testamento", Pila, 26 Mayo 1921.

D. Felizardo de Rivera, Pila, 19 Septiembre 1810

Last Will and Testament of Don Felizardo de Rivera (Images from Cora Relova of the Pila Historical Society Foundation). Translation: "To all who see this Testament, I am Don Felizardo de Rivera, a true Maginoo (noble), here in the town of Pila." He names other Riveras as "True Maginoos (Nobles) also.

Signatures from Last Wills and Testaments. Images from the Pila Family Archives

Don Felizardo Rivera’s last will and testament, signed three weeks before his death, bequeathed to the Pila church, assigning the income of one of his choice rice lands for the construction of the church at the new location at Santa Clara and he built at his own expense a kiln to manufacture bricks and tiles for the church. He ordered his sons to maintain it. Don Felizardo asked that he be robed in the Franciscan habit upon his death and that a funeral mass be celebrated with him facing the altar of the finished church prior to his burial. His will was drawn up by Don Miguel de San Victores, the royal and public notary of Laguna. He signed “his wavering signature” on the last page of his will, notarized by the town mayor. (Santiago, when a town has to move, pg 10-11).

(Luciano P.R. Santiago, Geneology of the Rivera Clan of Pila, Laguna, MS 1989, The National Library "The Town of Pila" Historical Data Paper, Manila, MSS 1953. From footnotes of Santiago, Doña Mercedes Lina Rivera, pg 21).

Santiago, Luciano P.R. “Ancient Pila: From Pailah in Pinagbayanan to Pagalangan.” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, vol. 38, no. 1, 2010, pp. 1–36. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/29792692.

Santiago, Luciano P. R. “DOÑA MERCEDES LINA RIVERA (1879-1932): A FILIPINA MAESTRA IN THE COLONIAL TRANSITION.” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, vol. 20, no. 1, 1992, pp. 14–23. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/29792072.

Santiago, Luciano P.R. “WHEN A TOWN HAS TO MOVE: HOW PILA (LAGUNA) TRANSFERRED TO ITS PRESENT SITE (1794-1811).” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, vol. 11, no. 2/3, 1983, pp. 93–106. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/29791789.