Before the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the Philippines in the 16th century, the Barangay-a well-organized independent village which functioned much like a city-state-was the dominant organizational pattern among indigenous communities in the Philippine archipelago.
The Barangay-a well-organized independent village-was the dominant organizational pattern among indigenous communities in the Philippine archipelago. This was before the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the Philippines in the 16th century. This organized independent village functioned much like a city-state.