Datus are ancient tribal chieftains in the pre-hispanic Philippines. Together with Sultan and Rajah they are also titles of royalty and currently used in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia and are the equivalent of Dukes, Marquis, etc.. Datu was derived from Malay words dato' or datok, which are the royal titles of the Malays. The arrival of ten Bornean datus is celebrated in the Biniriyan festival in the island of Panay.

List of Datus and other pre-hispanic rulers in the Philippines.

• Lapu-lapu - Defiant chieftain who slew Ferdinand Magelan .

• Datu Dinagandan -First ruler of Aklan, circa 1200
• Kalantiaw - Ruler of Aklan in 1399.
• Kalantiaw III /Rajah Bendahara Kalantiaw- Formulated the Code of Kalantiaw in 1433.
• Datu Paiburong - Pre-hispanic ruler of Ilo-ilo
• Datu Sikatuna - Ruler of Bohol in 1565. Made a pact with Miguel López de Legaspi
• Datu Pax S. Mangudadato - Current (Not prehispanic but a Datu)Governer of Sultan Kudarat(2001-2004)
• Datu Puti- One of the 10 Bornean Datus to arrive in Ilo-ilo before the Spanish colonial period.
• Rajah Calambu, chief in 1521 of Limasawa, brother of Rajah Siagu ofButuan . He met Ferdinand Magellan and guided him to Cebu on April 7, 1521.
• Rajah Siagu was chief of Manobo in 1521.
• Raja Humabon was ruler of Cebu and became an ally of Ferdinand Magellan and an enemy of Lapu-lapu.

See also

• Sultanate of Sulu