FROM THE PROLOGUE "Historians have not successfully explained our pre-Spanish periods. What was the Philippines like before Ferdinand Magellan's arrival? What kind of culture did the Filipinos have before Hispanization? What pre-disposed them to easily assimilate western civilization in their ethnic fabric? This book provides clues to these fascinating questions." "Few nations have a history so confused like the pre-Spanish civilization of the Philippines," said Isabel de los Reyes. This is due to the scarcity of available materials and records. Chronicles of the Spanish and others were hardly considered a history in its technical terms. In a land where earthquakes and storms of apocalyptic proportions continuously transformed the landscape, hardly any record was preserved. During the more than 300 years of colonial rule records were vandalized and destroyed." It is a fact that civilization does not occur in a day, a month, a year or from a sudden event, but rather through gradual providential developments over a period of time. Almost two thousand years have passed and yet our ancient civilization remains a paradox. "