Maharlika

The maharlika (Baybayin pre-virama: ᜋᜑᜎᜒᜃ meaning freeman or freedman) were the feudal warrior class in ancient Tagalog society in Luzon, the Philippines.

[4] While the maharlika could change allegiances by marriage or by emigration like the timawa, they were required to host a feast in honor of their current datu and paid a sum ranging from six to eighteen pieces of gold before they could be freed from their obligations.

In contrast, the timawa were free to change allegiances at any time,[2] as exemplified by the action of Rajah Humabon upon the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan.

Similar high-status warriors in other Philippine societies like that of the Bagobo, Higaonon Sugbohanon and the Bukidnon did not inherit their positions, but were acquired through martial prowess.

[9] The name of the Mardijker people of Batavia also comes from the same etymon, and referred to freed slaves and servants under Dutch rule who were composed largely of Portuguese-speaking Catholic Goans, Moluccan Merdicas, and Filipinos (the Papangers) captured by Moro raiders.

[10][11] During the "New Society Movement" (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) era in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos used the word maharlika to promote an authoritarian view of Filipino nationalism under martial law, claiming that it referred to the ancient Filipino nobility and included the kings and princes of ancient Philippine society.

Marcos also used Maharlika as his personal nom de guerre, depicting himself as the most bemedalled anti-Japanese Filipino guerrilla soldier during World War II.

In the years before the martial law period in the Philippines, Marcos commissioned a film entitled Maharlika to be based on his "war exploits".