ABSTRACT
When the United States took over the Philippines from Spain in 1898, there was very little information about the new acquisition available to Americans. Before leaving, the Spanish authorities deliberately destroyed most of the archives. Below is an account by Miguel de Loarca, an early Spanish settler, who wrote it for the King of Spain and the Royal Council for the Indies. Great mistakes have been made regarding the marriages formed among the natives of this country since they have become Christians, because the marriage customs once observed among the natives have not been clearly understood. The timaguas marriage is accomplished when the pair unite in drinking pitarrilla from the same cup. The poor slaves, who serve in the houses, marry each other without drinking and without any go-between. According to the religion formerly observed by these Moros, they worshiped a deity called among them Batala, which properly means "God.".
