Cebu’s pre-Spanish literacy, commerce and trade

Before the Spaniards arrived, Cebu was already a flourishing city. Its inhabitants were literates and were engaging in commerce and trade. It already has a system of government and laws were enacted and enforced.

In her book “Glimpses in history of early Cebu,” Lina Quimat wrote: “In general, the ancient Bisayans knew how to read and write. The Spanish historian Morga further attested: “Almost all the natives, both men and women write… their ancestors used sharp-pointed pieces of iron or the tip of their dagger as pen, the colored saps of plants for ink and bark of the trees or banana leaves for papers.”

Cebu was in abundance of literary materials which were memorized, among them were: Awit (songs) and Tigmo (riddles). Most of these were destroyed by the Spaniards. However thanks to the many Cebuano writers who ensured that the Cebuano language will not die. Don Vicente Sotto and his compatriots defied the Spaniards through their Cebuano literary works, challenging the perception that it is the Spanish language that is superior.

The Cebuanos were likewise excellent lawmakers, as proven by the Codes of Maragtas and Calanciao. Believed to be inhuman by today’s standards, these codes are a set of rules that provided law and order to the Bisayan community.

Cebu already had a currency, the BIYOGOL, which was equivalent to five centavo. Their 25-centavo was SIKAPAT and 1,000 centavos as USA KAH LIBOH or, if it was an item, USA KA LAKSA. The one centavo was called MIEK.

The early historian CHAU-JUKUA in 1225 mentioned the Canton Trade, describing it as: “When trading ships enter the anchorage, they stop in front of the place of mandarin (official place). After a ship has been boarded the natives mix freely with the ship’s folks. There, ships folk included the natives of “Mai” (referring to Cebu) who were traders at the port where the Arab ships came from. The custom was for the native traders to assemble in crowds and carry the goods away and even if one could not distinguish them one from the other.”

The report mentioned Cebu and the Bisayan Island more frequently in the 10th century, narrating “that merchants from “Ma-I” (Cebu) brought valuable merchandise to Canton for sale in the year 982 A.D. The Captain of the ship was also named Abu Ali.”