Bridging the Gap
Panayanon material wealth in early times
The members of the Legaspi expedition in the 1560s and the 1570s, like Martin de Goiti, Luis de La Haya and Juan Maldonado, provide valuable information on the state of Panayanon life during that period. They reported that the inhabitants of Panay, particularly in Iloilo, led a better life compared to the inhabitants of the other parts of the archipelago (Rodriguez, 1965).
Among the things that the early Spaniards observed was that the Panayanons had many sources of income. Thus, they had plenty of gold and jewels so that the principal inhabitants wore in their persons in jewel alone about ten to twelve thousand ducats of gold. The individual Panayanons carried on their persons bracelets of gold and other jewelry, so much so that even slaves wore jewels. These gold jewelry or bodily ornaments were in addition to their landholdings, slaves and mines.
Some early Spanish writers pointed out that the Bisayans were poor because they ate certain roots and grass (Blair & Robertson, 1903-09). But the truth is that it was their custom on certain days or certain months to eat camote, balinghoy and sago, and that it was not because they lacked the means. After all, it was observed, as it is still today, that the Panayanons were fond of eating many kinds of root crops, fruits, seeds, and leaves. Besides, it was also confirmed by the Spaniards that Panay provided Manila and other places in the islands with a large quantity of rice and meat.
It must further be pointed out that sometimes the natives, as a sign of mourning, abstained from eating rice so they ate other grains, fish, pork and chicken. Also interesting was that they drank many kinds of liquors. These were observed by the Spaniards to be true to practically all parts of the Visayan islands.
The Spaniards in the 1960s and the 1970s moreover, noted that the Panayanons were wealthier than the natives of Mexico for they had silk and cotton clothing, fine porcelain, iron spears, pottery, daggers and bolos, bells, earthen wares and boats. They also had plenty of food, particularly rice, that came from irrigated lands, as well as wines that they manufactured from nipa and coconuts. Furthermore, they had gold, wax and other forest products, and cotton from which they made clothing materials and blankets. Also, the Chinese brought them silk, porcelain, perfumes and iron.
It was precisely because of the wealthy status of the people of Panay that when the Spaniards arrived in the island, they immediately embarked on their pacification and readily imposed a heavy tribute on them.