THE GOLDEN VALLEY

Golden Valley is one of the sitios located at San Mariano Lal-lo, Cagayan, to reach the
place it takes 10-20 minutes by any vehicles.
Entering the Golden Valley
Golden Valley is a plain, broad and gently rolling area that generally lower the land
around it, where many Agta tribes, scattered over the place. The tribes belong to the
Negrito ethnolinguistic group.
They are characteristically short, dark-skinned, kinky-haired, thick-lipped, and smallnosed. Before, their traditional clothing is tapis (skirt) for women and bahag
(breechcloth) for men.
Today, most Agtas have abandoned their tribal attire for civilized clothes.
Agta houses are built in clusters and made from galva sheet and mostly
indigenous materials such as bamboo, wood, talahib (cogon), coconut
leaves, and bark of trees.
Agtas as young as 14 marry the partner chosen by their parents.
Before, hunting is their main means of subsistence. They use pointed sticks called galud
to caught frogs, fishes, birds, wild pigs and others.
Agtas exchange part of the meat and some forest products for starchy food and other
goods with nearby farmers or in the market.
Their other traditional means of livelihood are farming, raising domestic animals, and
fishing.
Today, however, many Agtas take on seasonal jobs, such as charcoal making, selling
firewood, harvesting of agricultural crops and even become a labourer.
The Agtas worship the spirits of their ancestors or Anitos; their rituals include dances and
a depiction of hunting movements.
They have no formal leaders. The old males in their community only serve as consultants
for arbitration purposes.