Does this mean we were not salvages before the Spanish came? Funny. My Swiss husband said that in school they learned that Magellan was killed by salvages. Correction then. Make that salvages who can read and write! The Spanish even noted when they “discovered” the Philippines that “there is scarcely anybody who cannot read or write in letters proper to the island Manila.” (Pedro Chirino in 1602; source: A page for Philippine Prehistory). This script is called baybayin. Unfortunately, no baybayin documents have survived from before the spanish era (Paul Morrow). Through the years, a lot of fakes have surfaced and have been proven as hoaxes. Hopefully, a few artifacts are standing scrutiny and are now starting to give us a glimpse of the thoughts of prehispanic Filipinos. I have compiled web articles about these artifacts. Read more…