<Li> The descendants of the Principalía . </Li> <P> The rights of the present day datus are protected by a special law in the country, known as "The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997". </P> <P> In some indigenous Lumad and Muslim societies in Mindanao, titular Datus of ancient royal and noble families still exist . Some of them are active government officials of the Republic of the Philippines, while continuing their cultural and tribal roles as community leaders of their people . Some, although do not have official duties in the Republic, exercise some leadership roles in their tribes . Still others are claimants to these titles . </P> <P> In the Christian parts of the Philippines, descendants of the Principalía are the rightful claimants of the ancient sovereign royal and noble ranks (and their corresponding rights and privileges) of the pre-conquest kingdoms, principalities, and barangays of their ancestors . These descendants of the ancient ruling class are now among the landed aristocracy, intellectual elite, merchants, and politicians in the contemporary Filipino society . These people have had ancestors holding the titles of "Don" or "Doña" (which has also been used by Spanish royalties and nobilities) during the Spanish colonial period, as a compromise by the Spanish Crown to their previous indigenous titles . </P>

Term used for a village chieftain during the pre-spanish in the philippines