A Guide to the Indigenous Tribes of
hunter-gatherers, nomads, peasants, hill
the Philippines
General Profile of IPs (Phil.)
-only country in Asia that use the term “ Indigenous
Peoples”
 ancestral lands
 Can be found in the interiors of Luzon
Mindanao and some islands of Visayas
 Presence of migrants
 Climate change
 Environment
“indigenous”
• not been adopted by any UN-system body.
modern understanding of this term based
on:
a. Historical continuity with pre-colonial
and/or pre-settler societies
b. Strong link to territories and
surrounding natural resources
c. Distinct social, economic or political
systems
d. Distinct language, culture and beliefs
e. Form non-dominant groups of society
f. Resolve to maintain and reproduce their
ancestral environments and systems as
distinctive peoples and communities.
g. Self- identification as indigenous
peoples at the individual level and
accepted by the community as their
member.
Identity
• UN: identify, rather than define IPs. This is
based on the fundamental criterion of self-
identification as underlined in a number of
human rights documents.
• Preference of indigenous for other terms:
tribes, first peoples/nations, aboriginals,
ethnic groups, adivasi, janajati.
Occupational and geographical terms:
people, etc.
* notion of “indigenous” term: negative
connotations; some people- choose not to reveal
or define their origin.
Culture and Knowledge
• Traditional/ancestral land- has
fundamental importance for collective
physical and cultural survival as peoples.
Development- based on traditional
values, visions, needs and priorities.
Political participation
• Problems:
- lack of political representation and
participation
- economic marginalization and poverty
- lack of access to social services
- discrimination
- protection of rights (ex: right to traditional
lands, territories and nat. resources)
- recognition of identity
Major Groups of Indigenous Peoples
• According to TABAK – Tunay na Alyansa ng
Bayan Alay sa Katutubo
>More than 40 ethnic groups
> Including the 6 Islamic groups
• NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (Philippines)– 95
• KAMP
Kalipunan Ng Mga Katutubong Mamamayan
Ng Pilipinas (Filipino; Federation of Indigen
ous People of thePhilippines)– 7 groups
1. Mindanao Lumad
 Lumad – Visayan Term which means
“Born and grown in the place
Composed of 18 ethnic groups
(largest)
 Davao, Bukidnon, Agusan. Surigao,
Zamboanga, Misamis and Cotabato
 Subanen, Manobo, B’laan, T’boli,
Mandaya, Mansaka, Tiruray,
Higaonan, Bagobo, Bukidnon,
Tagkaolo, Banwaon, Dibabawon,
Talaandig, Mamanua and Manguanan
 2.1 million
2. Cordillerans
 Covers the 6 provinces (Northern
Luzon) = Abra , Apayao, Benguet,
Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain
Province
 Igorots = mountain people / people
from the mountains
 8 ethno-linguistic groups = Bontoc,
Ibaloi, Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga,
Kankana-ey, Tinggian and Yapayao
 988,000
 160,000
5. Mangyan of Mindoro
 An island of southwest of Luzon
=Batangan, Iraya, Hanunoo, Alangan,
Ratagnon, Buhid and Tadyawan
 First inhabitants of the island
 Practice a pre-Spanish form of writing
 150,000
6. Palawan Hill Tribes
 Non-Muslim tribal people of Palawan
island
 Tagbanua, Batak, Kalamianes,
Cuyonin and Ken-uy
 120,000
7. Muslim Groups
 Muslims in Mindanao
 Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug,
Samal, Yakan, Sangil, Palawani,
Badjao, Kalibugan, Jama-Mapun,
Ipanun, Kalagan, Molbog

3. Caraballo Tribes
 5 ethnic groups = Ibanag, Ilongot,
Gaddang, Ikalahan and Isinai
 Eastern Central Luzon
 500,000

4. Agta and Aeta/Negrito

 Short, dark-skinned, kinky-haired
people
 Earliest inhabitants of the Philippines
 Central Luzon = Zambales, Bataan
and Pampanga
 Usually experience racial
discrimination
 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT IPS Simplified

Indigenous people  IPs- ethnic groups of the 1st people to

 international or national legislation: having
a set of specific rights based on historical
ties to a particular territory, and cultural or
historical distinctiveness from other
populations that are often politically
 All indigenous people will be of some
dominant.
 particularly vulnerable to exploitation,
marginalization and oppression by nation
states formed from the colonising
populations, or by politically dominant
ethnic groups.
 International organizations- has set of
political rights accdg. to international law
like United Nations.
Ethnicity
 Ethnic group
inhabit a land and develop identity in
relation to the land they initially inhabited.
Ethnicities- people related and sharing a
common culture, language, history and
often religion.
ethnicity, but not all ethnicities are
indigenous.
Example: Cherokee- ethnicity and an
indigenous people to the US; whilst Arabs
are an ethnicity throughout the Middle
East, they are indigenous to the Arabian
peninsula.
All ethnicities would have been an
indigenous group of people in one
particular place and time at some point.

- population group whose members identify

with each other;
basis- common nationality or shared
cultural traditions.

- share linguistic or religious traits,

others: share a common group history but
not a common language or religion.

- define themselves but also are defined by

the stereotypes of dominant groups. “

 Ethnicity

- connotes shared cultural traits and a

shared group history.

- shared genealogy (actual or presumed)

- descendants who want to be associated

with that group could be members
1. WHEREVER WE LIVE, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES ARE OUR NEIGHBOURS
World: 370-500 million IPs across 90 countries.
represent 5,000 different cultures.
2. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CREATED AND SPEAK
AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE
WORLD'S 7,000 LANGUAGES
Indigenous languages
- extensive, complex systems of knowledge
- central to the identity of IPs, preservation
of their cultures, worldviews and visions, as
well as expressions of self-determination
- 1 dies every 2 weeks.
UNESCO- declared 2019 > International Year of
Indigenous Languages to preserve these critical
markers of cultural health.
3. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO
BE POOR AND VULNERABLE
IPs- Make up <5% of the world's population,
indigenous people account for 15% of the
poorest.
Reasons:
- suffer from malnutrition
- lack adequate social protection and
economic resources.
*International community- recognizes
special measures required to protect rights
and maintain their distinct cultures.
4. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE LIVE SHORTER LIVES
Life expectancy- 20 years lower than that of
their non-indigenous counterparts.
Causes: lacking adequate healthcare and
information;
Diseases- malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and
AIDS.
5. INDIGENOUS WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY
TO SUFFER DISCRIMINATION AND
VIOLENCE
1/3 women- sexually assaulted, higher
rates of maternal mortality, teen
pregnancy, and STDs.
Declaration on the Rights of IPs:
attends to needs and rights of indigenous
women and calls for action to protect them
from violence.
6. THE WORLD INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’
GAMES BRING TOGETHER ATHLETES TO
CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS
1st World Games of Indigenous Peoples:
- Brazil (2015)
- Athletes from 566 IP comms. - world
- Aim: not just to compete, but also to
share knowledge and cultures.
7. INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES LEAD ON
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
70 million IPs: depend on forests for their
livelihoods, and many more are farmers,
hunter gatherers or pastoralists.
*living in harmony with their surroundings.
*control of the land, forests and
biodiversity flourishes.
8. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE FIGHTING
CLIMATE CHANGE EVERY DAY
Forestlands: store at least 1/4 of all above-
ground tropical forest carbon – about 55
trillion metric tonnes = 4x total global
carbon emissions in 2014.
9. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE KEY TO THE
2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable Development Goals:
protecting the environment, tacking
inequality, ensuring peace and security
The United Nations General Assembly:
asked countries to emphasize their rights
when implementing the 2030 Agenda.
10. THE UN DECLARATION WON’T SUCCEED
WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF PEOPLE
EVERYWHERE.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of IPs:
milestone in solidarity with IPs and global
community.
Since its adoption in 2007, several
countries-Latin America, have taken steps
to recognize the identity and rights of
indigenous peoples, but there is much more
to do.
 DAYAW
- Philippine Indigenous People’s Festival
- Ilocano (North): honor/pride 30 ethno-linguistic Groups
Bisaya (Central): appreciation/recognition
Tigwahanon (South): to show off/parade NORTHERN
- connotation: celebratory
1. Ifugao (Kiangan, Ifugao)
- 4th in NCCA’s revitalized editions of the
2. Gaddang (Mt. Province)
Phil.’s IP fests
3. Kalinga (Kalinga)
- ex. of a cultural thread
4. Ibaloi (Benguet)
(links and binds diversity together)
5. Ayta (Bataan)
- National Museum of Filipino:
6. Malaueg (Cagayan Valley)
cerebral and contemplative
7. Bugkalot (Nueva Vizcaya)
- encompasses Filipino multikultura
8. Dumagat (Quezon)
- chosen to embody IPs gathering;
biggest and most daring
CENTRAL
- highlights biggest issues confronting IP
communities’ major issues which push their 1. Mangyan (Mindoro)
ways of living and beliefs to 2. Jama Mapun (Palawan)
commodification/extinction 3. Palaw’an (Palawan)
- Theme: Kalikhasan 4. Panay Bukidnon (Capiz)
[fusion of likha (create) and kalikasan 5. Bukidnon (Negros)
(natural environment)] 6. Ati (Aklan, Negros, Iloilo, Guimaras,
Capiz)
National Commission for Culture &the Arts
SOUTHERN
- unifying is not singularifying - mix of secular lumads & Islamic people
- Filipinos: can be united;
nation: far from being single 1. Bagobo (Davao City)
2. Manobo (Bukidnon)
3. Tausug (Jolo, Sulu)
Roaming Festivals 4. Teduray (Maguindanao)
- other IP convergences organized by NCCA 5. Kamayo (Agusan del Sur)
6. Mamanwa (Surigao del Norte)
Examples:
7. Subanen (Zamboanga del Sur)
1. Kalimudan or ”gathering”
8. Manguangan (Davao del Norte)
(Mindanao- Davao City, 2007) 9. Kaagan (Davao Oriental)
2. Timpuyog or “unity” 10. Sangir (Balut Island, Sarangani,
(Northern Phil.- Santiago City, 2008) Davao del Sur)
3. Dungog or “dignity” 11. B’laan (Balut Island, Sarangani,
(Central Phil.- Capiz, 2009) Davao del Sur)
12.T’boli (Lake Sebu, South Cotabato)
Ethno-linguistic groups (Visayas lowlands) PROBLEMS
- joined; Filipino- native brethren
1. Separated by territorial inaccessibility
IP delegations and groups
2. No mass media- thrived in relative
- participated and brought along younger
seclusion and never heard of others
kindred
who lived like them.
- shy and hesitant but emboldened by
fellows who saw the positive impact of
3. Mining companies penetrate the
festival on the cultural education of
lands of the IPs; stakeholders (IPs)
metropolitan Filipinos
receive only 1% of it.

EVENTS 4. Effects of climate change- threat to

their continuous abilities to create
Suri: Kalikhasan ni Flux
art, produce crops/live life
(dir. By Eufracio Abaya)
- multi-day conference of anthropologists,
sociologists, cultural workers and guests
around the world)

Sulyap sa Tinubuang Kalikhasan in Flux

(dir. By Egai Talusan Fernandez)
- exhibitions around Metro displaying
creative craft and industry w/ photos
- demo or local masters in art:
basketry, pottery, weaving

Palabas: Indayog sa Kalikasan

(dir. By Shirley Halili-Cruz)
- where IPs engaged in Manila in highly
energized alternative education w/
montages of dances, songs, and skits
illustrating rituals and life

Locations: Rizal Park (main venue)

schools, gov’t offices,
shopping malls

PEOPLE INVOLVED
Danilo Kasaw (1)
- T’boli Indigenous artist
- “I never knew about Luzon or Manila….
I came from the skies”
Eufracio Abaya (6)
- anthropologist
- coined Kalikhasan: term that might
capture issue of climate change and relation
to idea of IPs’ cultural creativity
- rituals- associated with activities
Person 2
- enjoyed participation set by government
who valueed culture by encouraging them
to make them show and value their culture
in the world; dignity and rights
Person 3
- given the chance to meet other IP groups;
festival- they’re not alone
Person 4
- they’re multitude! (adu da)
- meeting them- feel at home
- everything’s parallel!
> they share instruments,
rituals (planting, wedding, thanksgiving)
Person 5
- only heard of Ifugao and Igorot, then knew
that there are also others
General Conclusion
- convergence festivals made them realize
that they’re not alone
*Question: Why is there a need for an IPs
convergence?
Answer: Education
Person 7
- skirt- until ankles; thighs exposed are for
slaves who avoid getting wet while running
errands across the fields or streams
Person 8 (fr. Samar)
- showed how they embroider mats using
needle and buri (leaf strip) to render design
Person 9
- 3 colors: white (peace)
red (bravery)
black (death)
*Pride: sharing culture and tradition
*School of Living Traditions (SLT)
- means of sharing culture and tradition
Person 10
- it’s important to learn culture thru SLT,
since they forget their ancestors’ ways
Person 11
- people are influenced by modernization
- SLT: B’laan Traditional Dances and
Musical Instrument Playing
**Dayaw- best word to symbolize country’s
emerging cultural trajectory, spirited
journey back to the manifold Filipino
identity and back to the genius of all things
indigenous.
 MINDANAO LUMADS MANSAKA

LUMADS - Man (“first”) and saka (“to ascend”)

- Davao del Norte and
- Lumad (Visayan Term) Compostela Valley
“Born And Grown In The Place” - Manuvu linguistic
- Economic activities
SUBANEN
- Unwritten Laws
- Subanun "people of the river” - Matikadong
- arranged marriage - Mangkatadong
- Benayan - Matadong
- No religion - Bagani
- Buklog - Maniklad
- Patriarchal Family
MANOBO • Arranged marriages
• Balian (Shaman)
- Consists of eight groups: •Magbabaya/Yumanun
- Cotabato Manobo, Agusan Manobo, • Manaog
Dibabawon Manobo, Matig Salug Manobo, • Christianity
Sarangani Manobo, Manobo of Western
Bukidnon, Obo Manobo, and Tagabawa TIRURAY
Manobo. - Tiru (place of origin) Ray (from daya)
- Patriarchy and Monogamy - Tiruray Clans
- Great Spirit - Source of income: Agriculture
- Pang-o-tub tattoo - Myth: The Creation of The Earth

B’LAAN HIGAONAN

- Polytheisistic - "People by the living mountain"

- Mabal Tabih
- Nomadic
- Annalie Edday and Monique Kawari
T’BOLI
- Dream Weavers
- Neighbors of B’laan
- Polytheism
MANDAYA
- Name denotes the “first people upstream” and
derived from man “first” and daya “upstream
or upper portion of a river”
- Found throughout Davao Oriental and Davao
del Norte, Mindanao.
- Non-Christian and Non- Islamic
- Polygamy and divorce is accepted
- Music is important; swidden farming
- Aesthetics and arts: Metal smiths
- Paternalistic family
- Jewelry = Socio-economic status
- Name:
Higa (to live)
goan (Mountain)
onon ( people)
- Culture of Peace
- Tampudas Hu Balagun
(treaty of the green vine branch)
- Bunkatol Habulawan Daw Nang Ka Tasa Ha
Lana
(Treasured Unity of Love and Peace)
BAGOBO (continued by 2nd group)
• BAGO (new), OBO (growth)
• found in Davao del Sur, in some parts of Davao
del Norte, and along the Sarangani Strait
• TAGBANWA – dialect
• APO SANDAWA – supreme being who inhabits
the sky
• EUGPAMOLAK MANOBO or MANAMA – the
great creator
• MABALIAN – old tribal women, ritual
practitioners, skilled weavers
 • TUWAANG – a brave and strong warrior with
different powers
• KOSTYOM (costume) or OMPAK (garment or
clothing) – distinct ceremonial attire made of
ikat textiles
• RICE CYCLE DANCE – shows how Bagobos plant
and process rice and cycle of it
- also called “Sugud Uno” or “Miyamas neng Ommoy”
• believe that there exists a great company of
powerful spirits who make their homes in the
sky above, in the space beneath the world, or in
the sea, in steams, cliffs
• They believe in the hierarchy of gods because
they are polytheistic.
✓ Mamal-e - creator of the earth
✓ Mocoreret - creator of air
✓ Domacolen - creator of the mountains
✓ Macaponguis - creator of water
BUKIDNON
• they inhabited the lowlands of Bukidnon
• “people of the mountains”
• BINUKID – dialect
• MAGBABAYA – the only god who rules mankind
• IBABASOK – god of agriculture
• DAGING – deity who gifted singing prowess
• PANUBOK – traditional embroidery
• KAAMULAN FESTIVAL – celebrates the culture
and tradition of the 7 ethnic tribal groups of
Bukidnon; held annually in Malaybalay City,
Bukidnon
• BUBUDSIL – ethnic dance whereby a wooden
pole is used to simulate the pounding of
harvested rice
• MAGBABAYA- "the most powerful of all".
• Traditional Bukidnon believe that there are six
categories of spirits.
✓ Spirits of the sky
✓ Spirits of the earth
✓ Magbabaya
✓ Guardian spirit
✓ Nature spirits
✓ Gimokod or the multiple spirits
TAGAKAOLO
• “those who dwell at the head of the river”
• inhabit Mindanao, Sarangani, Davao del Sur,
and Mt. Apo
• original territories – between MALALAG and
LAIS (DDS)
• KALAGAN – traditional suits
BANWAON
• banwa means “home”
• located at Agusan del Sur
• Adgawanon or Banwanon
• they are the largest tribe in ADS with their
population of 12,000
• AGRICULTURE is their top source of livelihood
• TUD-OM – sacred ceremony
• HIGAONON-BANWAON TRIBE – the 2nd largest
cultural community in ADS
DIBABAWON
• means “person”
• under the Manobo tribes, because Manobo
tribes cluster 8 groups: Cotabato Manobo,
Agusan Manobo, Dibabawon Manobo, Matig
Salug Manobo, Sarangani Manobo, Manobo of
Western Bukidnon, Obo Manobo and Tagabawa
Manobo
(groups are often connected by name with
either political divisions or landforms)
• their farming system is called “kaingin”
• Patriarchal – male-dominated
• Polygyny – having more than one wife at a time
• Unseen spirits can intrude to human activities
to accomplish their desires
• Dibabawon and other groups under Manobo
believes in one “great spirit” (creator figure)
TALAANDIG
• Past: wild people, savage, uncivilized.
• members of the group: found in barangays and
municipalities surrounding the mountain of
KITANGLAD, the historic domain of the
Talaandig people
MAMANWA
• one of the oldest and still extant tribes in
the PH, who bear a striking physical
resemblance to the Negritos
• LEADERSHIP is accorded to the eldest and
most respected males in the community to
lead the Mamanwas
• They have a ritual for the full moon
• Mamanwas are PHYTON meat-eaters
MANGUAGAN
• The Manguangan are found in the Cordillera
Sugut mountains in Mindanao
• their primary language is Dibabawon Manobo
• their primary religion practiced by the
Manguangan is ethnic religion
 CORDILLERA (1ST GROUP)
Apayao
natural boundary between the Ilocos Region in
the west and the Cagayan Valley in the east.
• Isneg/Isnag Tribe
• 1608: the Spanish friars attempted to
establish a mission in Pudtol and
maintained a loose control over the
territory; lower part- Spaniards established
commandancia politico-militar. (political
military)
• Lapat (prohibited or off-limits)
practice to honor and give respect to a
departed family member of the Isnag
key role to preserve the local environment and
natural resources, making this little known
province in the Cordillera the newest home of
the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi).
a specific area- sacred; off limits to the
public, including immediate family
members.
‘awat’- punishing trespassers by inviting
them to a dialogue with elders and making
them pay for damages by butchering any
four-legged animal or give an amount
• Alawagan (God)
- and other spirits all around, are factors in
their abundant environmental resources.
 Rituals
- performed w/ symbolic materials for their
healing effect - be it physical, spiritual, or
psychological.
- Spirits are acknowledged
- series related to their strong belief in the
existence of spirits in the envi.
Agriculture/Environment rituals:
performed correctly with sincerity and
solemnity- prosperity will arrive in your
farm/land.
Say-am:
- Ceremony performed as a cleansing ritual,
if hosted by those who went for a period of
mourning.
- plants: taboo for the mourners- during the
mourning period could now be harvested
and eaten.
Pildap:
- community affair too and referred as say-
am among the poor.
- not as grand as the say-am: smaller
animals (dog/chicken) are butchered
- give significance to an event or for its
healing effect
- performed by a family to request prayers
for good health, abundance and prosperity
as they live in a new abode or house that a
family is to occupy
- significance to the first haircut of a man as
an adult.
Kalinga
- name: “enemy” (Ibanag)
- cultural diversity: division into small
endogamous territories(boboloy) and
perhaps also to their disparate origins as
relatively recent refugees from the lower
Abra valley to the west and the Cagayan
valley to the east.
- the southerners grow wet-rice on terraces
and share many cultural elements with the
Bontok and Ifugao, who depend on the
same type of agriculture.
• Tattoos
identity: distinctive body art.
Before: men would bring heads of enemies
on sticks and place it in the middle of the village
before rituals to wish the spirits a happy afterlife
and to stop them from coming back to the
village/causing harm.
Men: rewarded with tattoos, special
privileges and lifelong respect when he killed an
enemy in battle and defending the village
 Kalinga girls: like Lasoy who were expected
to have tattoos as a symbol of their strength,
coming of age and beauty
• Religion
Anito: supernatural beings
Kaboniyan- creator god; they invoke him
only in moments of extreme and sudden
crisis like accidental death/destruction of
the rice crop by a storm.
• Mandodwa (benevolent spirits)- people
take their good will for granted and focus
their prayers, chants, and sacrifices on
appeasing malevolent spirits- if neglected,
bring illness and misfortune on humans by
capturing their souls.
Sangasang (guardian spirit)- who resides in
a podayan shelter housing sacred bayog
stones.
• Southerners: make offerings to deceased
ancestors at funeral ceremonies, follow the
Ifugao and Bontok in emphasizing the
ancestral cult. Poisoning- widespread; work
of old childless women
Children
• Children are close to grandparents
(babysitters) than their parents (workers)
• Grandfather will carry his grandchild in a
sling to roam about watching the activities
in village and field, while grandchildren also
learn ritual procedures from grandparents
and take care of them as well as their own
parents in old age and, via offerings, in the
afterlife.
• Parents’ main duties:
safeguarding inheritance and making a
good match for them.
• Adults rarely resort to whipping and prefer
to scare children into behaving with stories
about "strangers" (indeed, inflicting
corporal punishment on another's child
would incur fines from the incensed
relatives).
Abra:
landlocked province on the Western side of the
massive Cordillera in Northern Luzon.
• politico-militar province (1846) prior to which it
comprised part of the old Ilocos Province and
later to Ilocos Sur when Ilocos was divided into
to provinces in 1818.
• engaged in agriculture, production, and trade.
The Abra river was the primary means of
transportation in and out of Abra.
• The cultural heritage: manifested by the
customs of the people, especially those from
the mountain areas. The presence of antique
porcelain jars and gongs indicate that the
people of Abra were once engaged in trade
either directly/indirectly with the other oriental
countries; most probably China.
Some Notable Practices:
• Tani(mode of marriage),
Danon, Sab-ang(discussed when marriage was
set), the dead were not embalmed,
Tadek(danced during marriage as well as
burials)
Tingguian (Malay word; Tinggi: high,
mountains, elevated)
• - however, the people refer to themselves as
Itneg, Gimpong/Idaya-as
12 ethno-linguistic groups:
• -Inlaud, Binongan, Masadiit, Banao, Gubang,
Mabaka, Adasen, Balatok, Belwang, Mayudan,
Maengs, and the Agta/Negrito.
Sub-tribes (with specializations):
• -Banaos(agriculture), Masadi-its(nomadic),
Maengs(ranchers), Mabacas(game hunters and
fishermen), Balatocs(skilled craftsmen),
Binongans(carefree romantics), Adasen,
Gubangs, and Danak.
 Basic Beliefs:
• -Kabunian, Apadel/Kalagang, Pudayen,
Alpogan/Mandadawak, to name a few.
Rituals:
• -Gipas, Pinakiyulog, Apo, Longbos, Sangasang,
Ibal, Oloy, Dawak, to name a few.
 DILUS
Appeasement ritual offered to the spirits that are easily
hurt and cruel. These spirits are known as Makedse, of
which the most notable ones are Tomongaw, Pinten,
Amlag and Pinad-ing
LAWIT

Courtship/Marriage: Calling the spirit of the living not to wander and also the
• -Kalon, Singlip, Pakalon, Tugtugaw, to name a spirits of the dead to partake with the living, to take and
few. receive what was being offered

SEDEY - Solemn ritual for healing where only the Family

Death/Burial Rites: gathers
• -Pagpagada, Kelyas, Pabalon
LUBON - Cooking of the food inside the house

KOSDEY - ceremony for the fertility of the earth

TCHUGAS – purification rite; intends to avenge the

CORDILLERA (2ND GROUP) ghost of the enemies
Benguet NATIVE PRIESTS

CANAO (pronounced as kanyaw) • MANSIP-OK = determines and sets the

necessary ritual and tells the celebrant what to
• Celebration of life do
• Spiritual activity • MAMBUNONG = administer what the Mansip-
ok prescribes
• Political gathering
• MANKOTOM = unravels the omens and signs
• Done during marriages, healing, birth, burial
and voyage
IFUGAO
IYA-EY
a mountainous region of north-central Luzon around
animals are offered in thanksgiving
the town Banaue. Also known as the Ifugaw, Ipugao,
WATWAT Yfugao.
Way of partying and sharing of food
The term “Ifugao” is derived from “ipugo” which
TAPUY means “earth people”, “mortals” or “humans”; also
Rice wine, Traditional drink of the feast means “from the hill”, as pugo means hill.

SADONG and TAYAW Ifugao name means "inhabitant of the known world."
Cultural dance, Two-person dance of a man and a
woman RELIGION

BINDIYAN 1,500 important spirits.

Another traditional dance The Ifugao called their highest ranking deity, Kabunian.
Group dance
RITUALS
UB-UBBO / INNUBBO
“Bayanihan” Mumbaki: supreme person who has the right to
perform rituals.
CLASSIFS. OF SPIRITS
Rice ceremonies were performed throughout the cycle
of the “tinawon”
The rituals are done to honor the covenant between MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
the “I-Pugaw” (people of the earth) and the givers of
the tinawon, the “I-Kabunyan” (deities of the Northern Kankanaey (Sagada Igorots or Applai) reside in
Skyworld). Western Mountain Province

Bulul- rice God Some of the best vegetable growers in the Philippines

Some of the best weavers in the province

Society INDIGENOUS RITUALS
The rituals are done to honor the covenant between the Cleansing
“I-Pugaw” (people of the earth) and the givers of the
tinawon, the “I-Kabunyan” (deities of the Skyworld).  Daw-es

3 Classes  Legleg

Kandangayan  Legleg di Daw-es

Natumuk  Sapon di Legleg di Danum

Nawatwar

FUNERAL  Id-idew= Deducing what the future will be

-orifices of the body are plugged and the corpse is  Waswasit= Getting Rid Off
placed in a death chair.
 Sapon di Tudag ya Demeg = Building a house
Observe a practice called “Second burial" and after finishing the house roof

HUDHUD CHANTS  Sapon di Abiik= The Coming Back of Spirit

Inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO on the Representative List

of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally
performed by the Ifugao community
RICE
Traditionally grown tinawon rice
Bulo is the Ifugao rice god and a symbol of wealth
Sumang di Kimat= Thwarting Lightning Kusib di Kimat =
Appeasing Lightning
Sapon di Dalikan = The Newly Made Cooking Area
Sapon di Abat = People Met by Spirits
Sapon di Sedey wenno Abat di Natey = Bringing in the
community dead persons

BANAUE RICE TERRACES Sapon di Kalkaldiyaw = Blindness

- eighth wonder of the world Sapon Di Poo = For Houses Burned

Originally constructed by the Ifugao people

TRADITIONAL CLOTHING INDIGENOUS PRACTICES

Me: g-strings (“wanno”); women: skirts (“tapis”) Healing Practices

FESTIVAL Entering a Newly Built House (Segep di Baey)

Imbayah is a cultural Festival which celebrates the age Festival (Begnas And Pacde)
old traditions of the Ifugao Indigenous tribes of Banaue,
Philippines. *wrestling holding g-string*
The Agricultural Cycle Practices in Tadian
Ybanag English
Festival (Obaya)
Mapia nga um-ma Good morning to
Wedding Celebration (Dawak)
nikaw you
Festival (Sida)

Child Birth in Tadian Mapia nga fugac Good afternoon

THE HANGING COFFINS OF Echo Valley, SAGADA

Mapia nga gabi Good evening
Lumiang Burial Cave houses 200 coffins
Madulo kamu Welcome
Coffins suspended on side of cliff

Significance of position Mab-balo Thank you

CARABALLO TRIBES
Description:
5 ethnolinguistic groups who together with the Agta
people inhabit the Caraballo mountain range in Eastern
Central Luzon.
● Ibanag tribe
prefix “I” - “people of” and “bannag” - “river”
It can be found in the provinces of Cagayan,
Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya.
Things you need to know about the Ibanag:
1. Language
- ‘ybanag’.
Their language was adopted in some
Spanish words like: “puerta” which
means door and “silya” which means
“chair.”
Ibanag is one of the sweetest and soft
spoken tribes in the Philippines. They
are also characterized to be the group
that is full of grace and gentleness. The
following are some of their dialects.
2. Deaths or Burials
‘Mawwagga’:
ritual; accepting the truth for the
bereaved family; practice of washing
clothes in the river after the burial to
wash away bad luck.
3. “Dios Apu!” (Mano po!):
used to greet before entering a house
or passing by. It is a sign of respect and
acknowledgement to a person
especially to the older people.”
4. “Ikattag”:
hitting a tree that bears sour fruit using
a bolo when a person has experienced a
bad dream. They believe that by
practicing this, the bad dreams won’t
happen to them.
5. ‘Mangayaya’ :
the beginning of the realization of an
Ibanag major aspiration in having a
family of their own.
Maskota dance depicts the courtship
strategies of the Ibanags.
6. ‘Mamalagun’:
changing the child's name or nickname
when the illness simultaneously
occurred to the child. It gives healing to
a sick child and will confuse the evil
spirit causing harm.
7. ‘Binalay’: rice flour delicacy wrapped in
fresh banana leaves drizzled with
coconut syrup called “laro and issi”
 (made up of coconut milk, sugar or
“panotcha”)
Oil- blood of Christ
Rice cake or “deco”- symbolizes the
body of Christ.
8. ‘Manngagagacao‘ : ritual to bring back
the spirit or mind of a person who got
scared or shocked out of his wits.
● Ilongot tribe (Bugkalots)
southern part of the Sierra Madre and Caraballo
mountain ranges. They are known for:
1. External Aggression
2. Cultural Conservatism
3. Reputation as Headhunters
separated into two: the Highlanders and the
Lowlanders. They have their own language, but
can understand and use Ilocano. Other distinct
features and beliefs of the Ilongots are the
following:
● Rice is a staple diet for the
Ilongots.
● Lowlanders-wet cultivation in
growing rice;
Highlanders- swidden farming;
rain- water source for their
vegetation.
● Gender inequality is minimal,
but men are more prestigious
because they mainly hunt for
food or do rituals such as
headhunting, but both men and
women can speak up their
thoughts. Monogamy is widely
practiced.
● Women: upper garments and
sarong and with earrings and
necklaces.
Men: loincloth wrapped
between their legs that is
secured with rattan or brass
wire.
• Ornaments- symbols of their achievements.
Ilongots have numerous beliefs:
As headhunters: if they kill someone, their soul/Amet:
stay with them and will help them in future hunting
when they are summoned by the amet holder.
Batling (ornamental earrings)- worn by amet holders;
plaything for their amets; sign of being a headhunter.
Agimeng/Gemang- "guardian of the forest" and they
will always ask for safety and permission before doing
rituals such as headhunting or when they simply hunt
animals for food, since it sometimes take the form of a
wild beast and will curse whoever attacks Agimeng
together with the whole tribe.
They have some similarities with the Christian's Genesis
regarding their ancestors.
*Story of Cain (swidden farmer-highlanders) and Abel
(cultivates animals-lowlanders)
Cain- always furious with Abel's skill in raising animals
for food; developed this killing instinct with Abel (basis
for their headhunting rituals).
Rituals:mainly around courtship and marriage.
Ilongot man: publicly announces it by courting the
woman. When woman accepts the man's attraction-
not to be courted by other men
Impressing father of woman:
Man: showing off his accuracy with the bow, a
traditional hunter weapon approximately 50 meters
away from the woman
Woman: will have a bamboo pressed between her
armpit, which will then be shot by the hunter.
They are surrounded by the woman's relatives. This
usually impresses the father of the woman, but if the
woman was injured, the woman's relatives will attack
the man, which usually results in extreme injuries and
even the death of the courting man.
 Satisfaction: the man will be allowed to marry
the woman after paying dowry to the family of
the woman and her relatives. Usually, the
parents of the man does this part. The man will
then be allowed to live in the woman's house.
The man will impress the woman's father by
helping them with the manly chores.
Before marriage, the man must headhunt first, while
the woman gets impregnated by man
Targets: between the opposite sides of
highlanders and lowlanders.
Successful:
Lowlanders- would run into a high place
regardless of them being lowlanders and
Highlanders- celebrate by feasts and dancing
until nighttime.
Child (boy)- the mother of the man must
prepare beads and other hard-to-make
ornaments for the family of the woman.
Before the day of the marriage, the family and
relatives of the man and woman will hunt for plenty of
food.
*ask Agimeng for safety and assurance and
traditionally carry their dogs with them to hunt,
In the marriage, they dance all night, sing and tell
stories, and feast with hunted animals.
Liget: state of extreme rage when a man loses a loved
one; when possessed by spirit, he will headhunt
● Gaddang tribe
Name: ga “heat” and dang “burned”
- once comprised a large group in the Cagayan Valley
region and are mostly found in Central Isabela, Nueva
Vizcaya, Quirino, and Cagayan
- Have a darker complexion compared to other people
of the Cordilleras.
Cultures and Beliefs:
‘Nanolay’- For non-Christian upland Gaddang, is both
the creator of all things and a culture hero.
‘Dasal’ - where epic warriors, Biwag and Malana,
prayed for strength and courage before going off to
their final battle
Burang (god of the Earth) and Limat (god of the Sea) --
- believed to be the father of both heroes
Religion
- based on a dichotomy between earth world and
afterworld,
Status
- bravery, knowledge of customary laws, ability to speak
at public occasions and sometimes wealth
Family
- most important institution.
Nuclear Family- the father always had the final say
(the mother can always voice her opinion and still be
respected.
- respect is the most important.
Children: learn ancestry up until 5th degree of both sides
Sons- trained by fathers to hunt, use weapons, work
in the fields, recite myths and learn the family
genealogy.
Daughthers- take care of the home, work in the
fields, and recite numerous ballads.
Attire: men- G-strings either in the homes or fields.
Some events- costumes: with beads and precious stones
(ex: ceremonial dress designed with ornaments-
elaborate and decorative)
Marriage
-way of extending kinship ties, and marriage to a second
cousin was acceptable.
*Marriage arrangements - third party for the payment.
Large feast would signify the marriage itself and then
the couple will be given inheritance from each set of
parents. Afterwards, they would live with the wife’s
family.
 ● Ikalahan or Kalanguya tribe AETA
Name: The prefix "I" means 'people' or 'living'
in, while "Kalahan" means "forest"
ETYMOLOGY
The Ikalahan, or more commonly known as the  "it" - "black“ from itim and itom
Kalungaya tribe, are a subgroup of the Ifugao
tribe and live in the mountains of the Caraballo.  “negrito" or "little black one" from "negro"

- proudly stand as a model of indigenous people's self- HISTORY

determination. They exemplify the utmost yearning of  Earliest Inhabitants
an indigenous community - to freely pursue their
dreams and aspirations while wisely managing their  Hunter-Gatherers
forest resources for the benefit of current and future PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
generations
Short
- have first hand experience of climate change with Dark skinned
their forest reserve; fighting for the rights and Kinky hair
protection of their forest, which they consider as their Snub nosed
home. Small frame

LANGUAGE
The culture of the Ikalahan also shares similarities with
the Cordillerans like the I'wak- meat is shared and • Ambala
consumed during rituals.
• Mag-indi
● Isinai or Isinay tribe • Mag-antsi
small ethnic group living in the municipalities of
Bambang and Nueva Vizcaya, as well as in • Abellen
Dupax Sur, Quirino province. Their ethnic • Mariveleño
communities show a decline in population, with
only around 12,600 members on record. • Displacement

• Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Angeles,

Features, Cultures, and Beliefs:
Olongapo, Panay, Bataan and Nueva Ecija
language- vanishing
• Village vs. Traditional Aetas
Courtship
• ‘bakbak’- the man gives his marriage proposal CULTURE, BELIEFS AND OTHER FEATURES
to the girl’s parents by sending them ‘patayav’
,or a letter of intent, that is wrapped in a  AGTA- mostly live in the mountains or forest
folded white handkerchief (embroided) w/  DUMAGA- live close to the shore although
cigarettes, betel nut, tobacco and wine, and migrate to either location
these gifts are sent through a messenger
(someone respected).  BOTH: SEMI-NOMADIC
• "kinuttiyan."- weaving
• ‘Uwes pinutuan’- is a traditional funeral RELIGION
blanket in the pre-Spanish times that is used
 :Monotheism - "Apo Na" or “Apo Diyos”
to wrap the dead.
• Isinai love songs: -
“War Sipam Uwar,” or their favorite Mamanua – “Magbabaya”
dance, “Imbestida,”- during special
occasions -
Pinatubo – “Apo Namalyari”
  :Animism - kamana and anito (Pinatubo); × brownish skin, a slim build and straight dark
hair.
- taglular or tagapuyo (Ati)
× 1987: 129,691 members;
 :Prayer – Occasion Nowadays: about ten thousand left.
1/5- lives in Calamian archipelago.
 :Colonial Resistance

 Christianity
CULTURE AND RITUALS

ART × The Tagbanuas made various ornaments from

wood such as ear plugs, combs and bracelets.
 Decorative Disfigurements Women: made necklaces of beads and wore
anklets of brass and copper.
 Scarification
× Traditional costume: made from the bark of a
 Chipping of the teeth tree.
 Ornaments × Tradition: proficient manufacture of baskets
that are used for harvesting, decorated with
 Winnows, mats, armlets different designs; beautiful animal sculptures
Other practices, superstitions from wood

 Gasak or Kaingin MUSIC

 No farting in front of the in-laws × Aruding - mouth harp.

× Babarak- nose flute.
 Praying to Apo Bukot × Tipanu- mouth flute.
× Tibuldu- citer made of bamboo (just like the
 Spirits of the dead can whisper Pagang).
× Kudlung- boat flute.
 Kagon
Gimbal- drum made of the skin of a lizard.
OTHER MODERN INFLUENCE Tiring- bamboo stick with different holes in it where
a stick will hit it.
 Inter-marriage Babandil- sort of gong.

 Sports DANCE
 Language diffusion
 Aballado- traditional dance, performed by men.
NORMAN KING
 Andardi- festival dance that is danced during
-First Aeta to Graduate from UP
the Pagdiwata.

 Bugas-Bugasan- danced by everyone attending

the Pagdiwata ritual.
PALAWAN TRIBES
FESTIVAL
1. TAGBANUA
× AKA Tagbanwa, belong to the oldest In the south of Palawan, in the municipality of
inhabitants of the island of Palawan and the Aborlan, the festival of Pagdiwata is held every
surrounding islands. year.

× Descendants of the Tabon people, who lived in LANGUAGE

the Tabon cave thousands of years ago.
The Tagbanua people have their own language.
× northern areas and the central part of Palawan. Within the language there are three dialects:
 • Aborian Tagbanua  They: recognize their state, maintain their
• Calamian Tagbanua happiness, hospitability, and their culture
• Central Tagbanua

RELIGION 3. CUYONON
× Taga-Cuyo, the Cuyonon, the Cuyuno and
- follow an animistic religion with a complex Cuyunin
mythology related to gods and other divine beings.
× Name: Cuyo (about 50 sq km and is located
4 most important gods: northeast of Palawan)
1. Mangindusa × See themselves as “elite”
2. Polo
3. Sedumunadoc × Ancestors: inhabitants around Indochina,
4. Tablacoud southern China, Thailand and Malaysia

× formerly associated with Borneo

× Language: Cuyonon (words- 1 syllable)

2. BATAK × intercultural marriages
× “Mountain People” “People of the Mountain”
× 50,000 years × Population: 240,000 people

× Northern parts of Palawan SUB-GROUPS:

× Batak/Binatak & Tagbanuan × Paraguanen- mainly on the island of

Palawan (Paragua)
CULTURE AND RITUALS × Poroanen- live on the different islands
× They love Nature around the island of Palawan
× Mestiso- half Chinese and half Spanish
× Monogamy × Lakto- still believe in animism.

× Believe in Nature Spirits: MAIN CELEBRATIONS: weddings, birthdays

and celebrating the baptism
-Paneyon : Guardian of the Forest

-Diwata : Spirits of the Forest × Komedy- annual festival

- usually held in private homes for the
× Babaylan (Medium/Shaman) elite class and on the square in front of
the audience. The entrance is enough
PRACTICES to earn profits to buy drinks.
Cockfighting completes the
× minimal shifting cultivation celebrations, while the meals are often
× alternating rice with cassava simple.
× harvest vegetables

PROBLEM
× Art- musical instruments are used including the
× Endangered- smallest and most endangered batungtung, palakupakan, lantoy and subing.
groups in Palawan Also drums and stringed instruments are used
× Ravaged by Malnutrition as background music. A lot of the music has a
× Suffer from poverty religious meaning and will have influences from
Christianity and Islam.
× Dance- mix of Spanish and indigenous
DESPITE EVERYTHING… influences.
× Datu- several Datus selected on the basis of
their problem-solving skills.
- consulted when there are disputes
between people and possessions, for example.
Currently there are ten Datus who jointly
control the Cuyunon tribe. You are often a Datu
for life but this title cannot be carried over to
your children.
× Religion- Roman Catholic or Protestant;
animistic
4. KEN-UY
× Ta’ut-bato/Konoy
× south-western towns of Quezon and Rizal
× Vanishing tribe of Palawan
× Primitive lifestyle
Men: still wearing G-strings made of bark and
cloth
Women: wearing a skirt made of a piece of
cloth to cover their lower body
× Cave dwellings
- construct a house framework made of light
and sturdy materials such as saplings.
- Floors/beds: sleeping platforms and multi-
purpose platforms
× Marriage groups or "ka-asawahan“
- basic social unit
- a couple, man and his wife, to several
numbers of couples
× "Bulun-bulun"
- arrangement of several couples co-
habitating in a single cave for residence
- system of sharing different kinds of social
and material exchanges such as food and
other equipment
× Music Lovers: "Kubing" and "Kudlong" (two-
stringed lute mahogany)
× Cultivators who practice multiple cropping
 Cassava- major product
× Hunting and Foraging
 Wild Pig- most hunted
× Trade: "Sambi" (barter) or "Dagang" (monetary
exchange)
MAGUINDANAO
- “People of the Flood Plain”, because
they occupy marshy terrain which is
always prone to flooding.
This is a province in the Philippines located
in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao; predominantly in
Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North
Cotabato, and South Cotabato.
- POPULATION: 1,286,000
- DIVISON: Tau-Sa Ilud (concentrated in
Cotabato City to South Dinaig) and Tau-Sa
Laya (concentrated in Datu Piang to South
Buluan)
- LANGUAGE: Maguindanaon and Cebuano
- LOCATION: along the Pulangi River in
BARMM
Cultures/Beliefs/Tradition
comprised of: Islams (99.90%) and
Christians (0.10%)
- Animistic Belief System:
belief in a variety of environmental spirits,
tales of magic, sorcery, and supernatural
beings; and these are applied to ceremonies
such as birth, marriage, and death
- Example:
Apo na Palay- grandfather of the rice;
chanting incantations and rituals around
harvest will generate good crops
- Imam and Pandita: religious leaders and
teachers who impose the Quran to people
at a young age
- The Ramadan Fasting: 11-18 hours of
fasting during the Ramadan month.
- Inaul- hand-woven fabric created in
primitive bamboo loom.
 Marriages (3 common forms):
monogamous (husband/wife),
polygyny (man has many wives),
endogamy (weddings between
familial connections)
Families (2 common forms):
nuclear (parents/children)
extended
(parents/childrens/grandparents/relativ
es, etc.)
*Blood feud- lengthy conflict between families
involving killings; stopped by legal action of the people
of higher power
- 3 festivals:
Sagayan (war dances)
Shariff Kabunsuan (commemoration of the
arrival of Sharif Kabungsuwan, who spread the Islam
religion to their province)
Inaul Festival (display of hand-woven fabrics)
Maranao
Name: “People of the Lake”
Ranao- body of water and the word
Maranao- lake dwellers
Land- owned by the clan and controlled by local leaders
known as datus
Religion- Islamic; one God.
- Believe in the hidden powers of the ANTING-ANTING
amulets (necks, arms or legs believed to bring them
good luck)
Livelihood
Tugaya (lake Lanao)- town producing brassware
products since 15th century
Cauldrons, betel containers, vases, kris handle,
kulintang, gong, mortar and saddle
Okir design: a significant cultural symbok, painting or
carving of plant forms in weaving or their metal works;
found on the baseboards, windowsills and doorjambs
Language
Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people
in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.
Batang Arab (Arabic letters)- script.
Kirim- Written Maranao literary texts
Malong
Gold and purple- Uses depend on the need of the
wearer: as a cape, coat, blanket or umbrella.
Maranao or Maguindanao women wear the malong
over a blouse called arbita.
Women wear it as skirt, a dress, a blouse or a gown.
The rest of the family use it either as hammock, a
fruit basket, a sleeping bag, a bathrobe, a baby
carriage or a simple market bag. if you will notice,
the colors green, yellow, red, violet and blue
dominated the Maranao arts
Traditions
Kasayaw sa singkil
- ritual performed by the princess show here agility
as she becomes a woman confirming her aptness.
- hopping and stepping pattern with graceful hand
and body movement, all to tell a story with bamboo
poles (represents the vines and trees) clicking and
beatin
- recounts the fateful story of Princess Gandingan
who was caught in the forest during an earthquake
caused by the Diwatas. The crisscrossed clicking
bamboo poles
Kapmalo-malong
- illustrates different ways of wearing malong, a
functional tubular skirt intricately weaved worn to
special occasions.
- highlights Malong’s colorful designs as it is
elegantly worn by both men and women.
Kambayok- poetic verses and chants; highlights
contribution of remarkable people and the
significance of historical events/origin and
genealogy that has craft the Maranao culture
Beliefs
Tonongs
- supernatural spirits in lakes and other places.
- Legend tells of a tonong (Mipato) who is said to
have been seen around Lake Dapao who looks like a
big carabao (water buffalo) with golden horns.
If you’ll catch him – you’ll drown in the lake.
According to one story, he appeared and blocked.
*Spanish soldiers drowned
- Custom: drop coins or other metallic objects, like
nails, into any lake or big river whenever they cross
it, to avoid drowning
Nonok:
-a tree inhabited by spirits who prey on people.
Easy victims- who wander nearby without a
companion; victim: deceived by a palatial house.
The victim enters the house and, once he eats
anything there, he can no longer go back home.
However, if he asks for salt he would find himself
sleeping under the tree.
-Eating outside the house or in the open air would
invite evil spirits to share the food, and, therefore,
no matter how much one ate, he would never be
satisfied
Tapping one's stomach at night
- attract ghosts to come and suck out one's internal
organs.
One would become crazy if he sees a cat on a tree
while looking at the moon (full moon).
Crown of light around the moon
- beautiful and famous woman in the clan would
soon die
Tausug
"People of the current"—tau, "people"; sug- "sea
current"
- On Jolo Island, coastal-dwelling Tausug refer to
themselves as "Tau Higad" (higad, "seacoast") and
to inland dwellers as "Tau Gimnba" (gimba,
"hinterland"), whereas both groups refer to Tausug
living on islands other than Jolo as "Tau Pu" (pu,
"island").
- In Sabah: "Suluk."
- Dominant group in the Sulu Archipelago of the
southern Philippines
- Major concentrations of Tausug are also present
on Pata, Tapul, Lugus, and Siasi islands, on the north
and eastern coasts of Basilan, and in the Mindanao
provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Cotabato
- good farmers; cultivate corn, sweet potatoes, and
vegetables for their daily subsistence. Coconuts,
cassava and abaca are grown for commercial
purposes; import rice.
- Those who live by the lakeshore, rivers and
seacoasts are good fishermen. They catch many
varieties of fish, sharks, sea cucumbers and pearls.
Okil design
- artistic and colorful combination of shapes, is seen
in almost anything of value to the Tausug's
- fishing boats, weapons, household articles,
utensils and musical instruments can be easily
identified through this design.
Religion
- Islamic, one God.
Religion/Beliefs/Practices
- Spirits inhabit nature, especially rocks and trees,
and who are believed to be the cause of human
suffering.
- Saytan (evil spirits) and Jinn (unseen creatures).
Some saytan have names, like the balbalan
(manananggal), a flying creature which enjoys the
liver of corpses.
- The Christian devil finds its counterpart in iblis,
who tempts people into evil.
Indigenous healing practices
Mangugubat (curer)- has direct access to the spirit
world. They are not considered religious officials, as
in the case of the
Agama (religious) priests, although their services
are utilized when certain spirits need to be
appeased
Native medicine
- raw squash mixed with coconut milk for
meningitis, egg white applied topically on and for
burns, lagundi leaves for malaria, and others.
Dances
Pangalay is a traditional “fingernail dance”; during
weddings, social gatherings and other festive
events. Characterized by intricate hand and arm
movement along with shimmering costumes and
beat of the kulintang and gabbang
Culture/Traditions
Marriage: age-old marriage customs; arranged by
the parents so that the young couple would be
married even if they did not have much opportunity
to get acquainted.
Dowry- to the bride's family by the groom's family;
form of crops, work animals, land, money or pieces
of jewelry
A. Pagpasihil (Courting)
- The parents of man will ask to the parents of
woman if she is single or can be married.
B. Pagpangasawa (Proposing of man to woman)
- The parents of man will go to the house of woman
to ask the hand of woman for married the dowry is
also being agreed by the parents.
C. Pagturul tayma (Engagement)
- amount of the money or dowry is announce to the
public and the date of the wedding is set.
D. Pagtyaun (Wedding)
- complemented by the joyuos faces, colorful attire,
and glittering pieces of jewelry worn by both the
host and the guest
SAMAL
Culture
Music- means to express their emotions toward
other people or to their gods.
Estiharo- song of thanksgiving, when honoring a
person.
- Individuals used to be named after the living
things around them, and each name was
complemented with the term Samal, which served
as their family name.
- Although the Sama originally practiced animism,
their belief system was altered in the 18th century
— the onset of Christianization in the area.
Beliefs
Anito/spirits
Magbabaya (Supreme Being)
- all things are owned
Panawag-tawag- performed to ask the spirits to
spare their territory. If a calamity hit a neighboring
area
- It is bad luck to leave a house immediately after
somebody sneezes
Rituals
Panawag-tawag or prayers asking for the anito’s
intervention are performed only by balyan, usually
through dancing.
- Instrument used: Gimbal’l (drum) made out of
deer skin
Sayawan
- ritual performed by the balyan for good harvest
and good health for 9 consecutive nights.
Guwang
- A ritual performed by the balyan during burial to
avoid another death in the family.