The term alipin refers to the lowest social class

Social class

Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...

 among the various cultures of the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. The closest and most common translation of the word is "servant" or "slave", as opposed to the higher classes of the Timawa

Timawa

The term timawa refers to an intermediate social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries....

(Freemen) and the Maginoo

Maginoo

The term maginoo refers to the highest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. Members of this class serve as the leaders of the Barangay, and the Datu and the Babaylan or Katalonan...

(Noblemen). An alipin can also buy his own freedom by marrying a timawa. A timawa is of higher class than the alipin. They can also gain their freedom if their masters set them free. Other alipin are too old and are long in service which gives them retirement freedom. Others stay with their masters until their near death†.

Differences from the western concept of slave

While the alipin does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as "slave" in the western sense of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documented observations from the 17th century indicate that there may be significant differences between the Western

Western world

The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...

 concept of "slave" and the Pre-Hispanic Filipino

Culture of the Philippines

Philippine culture is related to Micronesian, Bornean, Mexican and Spanish cultures. The people today are mostly of Malayo-Polynesian origin, although there are people with Spanish, Mexican, Austro-Melanesian and Chinese blood. Geographically, the Philippines is considered part of Southeast Asia...

concept of "alipin".

Subclasses

As a social class, "alipin" had subclasses as well, documented by numerous Spanish historians, who took note of the local social norms as the Spanish conquest of the Philippines began.

• Aliping Namamahay (translated as "Servant who is housed") refers to an alipin that has his own house, which usually sits on the property of the person whom he serves. He can buy his own freedom and can also marry without the consent of his master.

• Aliping Sagigilid (translated as "Servant in the corners [of the master's house]") refers to an alipin , which is usually a war prisoner, without a house and whose existence is completely dependent on the graces of the person whom he serves. He can be sold to other datu's and can only marry with the consent of his current master.