Ilonggo

The Ilonggos are concentrated in the Western Visayas Region, particularly in Panay
Island (Iloilo, Capiz, etc.) and Negros Occidental. They are also found in some areas of
Mindanao. The word “Ilonggo” normally refers to a person, whose language is
Hiligaynon. The term Hiligaynon originated from Yligueynes, which means “people of
the coast.”
The Ilonggo population is mostly Catholic, but old pagan traditions are nevertheless still
applied, sometimes combined with Christianity. The best example is the practice of
bathing a statue of the Santo Nino (Child Jesus) for good luck or to bring rain.
Ilonggos have a sterling reputation of being affectionate, friendly, and happy.

Subanen

The Central Subanen concentrated in the eastern part of the Zamboanga Peninsula and
in the Sulu archipelago.
Subanen (also, Subanon and Subanun). It is said that when the Muslims arrived in
Zamboanga and other parts of Mindanao, the original Indonesian settlers were pushed
back from the coastal areas to the river. Their name, Subanen, comes from suba (river),
and means “river people.” However, they later moved farther back to the hinterlands
away from the disturbances created by new settlers, such as the Visayans and Spanish
colonizers. Subanen villages are headed by a timuay (chief), who settles the disputes
and misunderstandings among the village members.
All Subanen subgroups have their own dialects, but they remain mutually intelligible with
each other.

Yakan

The Yakans are concentrated in Tipo-tipo , Lamitan, Sumisip, and Tuburan in the
Basilan Island of ARMM. There are also scattered populations on the islands of Sakol,
Malanipa, and Tumalutad east of the Zamboanga Peninsula. The word Yakan means
“Dayak Origin,” as they are believed to be descendants of the Orang Dyaks or
Tagihamas of eastern Indonesia. They speak a dialect of Sama language and are
culturally influenced in some respect by the Tausug.
The Yakans’ chief means of livelihood is farming, and they usually cultivate upland rice.
They do not normally live in compact villages, building their houses just out of sight of
their nearest neighbors, on their plots of farmland. The prominent person in each
community of Yakan is the iman, who combines both religious and sociopolitical
leadership. The Yakans are famous for their beautiful weaving and their colorful
traditional clothes and customs.
Badjao

Widely known as the “Sea Gypsies” of the Sulu and Celebes Seas, the Badjao are
scattered along the coastal areas of Tawi Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, and some coastal
municipalities of Zamboanga del Sur in the ARMM. Amongst themselves, they're known
as Sama Laus (Sea Sama) and are found living on houseboats where they make their
livelihood solely on the sea as expert fishermen, deep sea divers, and navigators. They
come to shore to barter their harvests for farmed produce such as fruits and cassava,
as well as, replenish their supplies and/or make repairs to their houseboats. Unique to
their cultural rituals is the concept of life and their relationship to the sea: For example,
as a childbirth ritual, a newly born infant is thrown into the sea and members of the clan
dive to save the newborn. Other traditions such as marriages are prearranged by the
parents for their sons and daughters; the process similar to other ethnic groups, in that,
a dowry is often presented to the parents of the woman a man wishes to marry. And,
only the Badjao leader can consecrate a marriage. Therefore a leader is chosen based
on individual inherent virtues, wisdom, and “charisma”...an inate ability to attract
followers.
Sadly, due to the ongoing conflict in the region between revolutionary Muslim groups
and the government, many Badjao have migrated to Sabah in Malaysia and Sulawesi
and Kalimantan in Indonesia. As a result, they now comprise the second-largest ethnic
group in Sabah, despite the fact that many of them are illegal immigrants. There, the
Badjao speak nearly (10) languages of the Sama-Bajau subgroup of the Western
Malayo-polynesian language family.

Tausug

The dominant ethnic group in the Sulu archipelago because of their political and
religious institutions, the Tausug occupy Jolo, Indanan, Siasi, and Patikul in Sulu
(ARMM). There are also scattered settlements in Zamboanga del Sur and Cotabato,
and all the way to Malaysia, which has an estimated Tausug population of more than
110,000.
Tausug is a combination of tau (person) and suug (the old name of Jolo Island). The
present generation of Tausugs are believed to be descended from the different ethnic
groups that had migrated to the Sulu archipelago.
The Tausug language is adopted from the vocabulary of Tagimaha, in whose locality
the Sultan of Sulu lived and established Buansa, the capital of the Sultunate. They have
two dialects: parianum and gimbahanun. Parianum is spoken by the people living along
the coasts of Jolo and gimbahanun, by those living in the interior part.
Manobo

Manobo simply means “people” or “person”; alternate names include Manuvu and
Minuvu. The term may have originated from “Mansuba,” a combination of man (people)
and suba (river). Manobos are concentrated in Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao,
Misamis Oriental, and Surigao Del Sur.
The Manobo usually build their villages near small bodies of water or forest clearings,
although they also opt for hillsides, rivers, valleys, and plateaus. The communities are
small, consisting of only 4-12 houses. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
The Agusan Manobo or simply Agusan are scattered all over Agusan del Norte, Agusan
del Sur, and even Surigao del Sur. Agusans call their language Minanubu, and is one of
the Manobo languages that still has a large number of speakers. It has four dialects:
Umayam, Adgawan, Surigao, and Omayamnon.

Mamanwa

The Mamanwa can be found in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur,
Panaoan Island, and in the mountains of Southern Leyte. The Mamanwan dialect is
bordered on the north and east by Suriganon; on the west by a mixed vernacular of
Surigaonon and Cebuano; on the southwest by Butuanon; and on the southeast by
Bislig Kamayo. Mamanwan is typologically an Austronesian language classified as a
member of the Visayan language family tree of the Southern Philippines (by Dyen
1965). According to comparative studies made by Pallesen (1985), the Southern
Visayan language family, historically, has two dominant branches which are Proto-
Surigao and Proto-Mansaka; from Proto-Surigao are ascended the Mamanwa,
Surigaonon, Butuanon, Kamayo, and Tausug.
One of the oldest and still extant tribes in the Philippines is the Mamanwa tribe, who
bear a striking physical resemblance to the Negritos. Their other name is Mamanwa
Negritos and are believed to be descendants of the original settlers of the Philippines.
Leadership is accorded to the eldest and most respected males in their community to
lead the Mamanwas; once chosen, the role as tribal leader(s) cannot be passed down
onto the next of kin. Communes comprise of three to twenty households arranged in a
circle atop a high ridge or deep within a valley. The incursion of heavy industry into their
heritage lands had forced many to settle in the hinterlands, where they continue to
practice their customs and traditions. Hence, some practices have fallen by the
wayside, such as traditional hunting by bow and arrow. The Mamanwas receive some of
their subsistence from other groups with whom they have forged labor agreements.
Maguindanaon

The Maguindanaon, or Maguindanaw for some, inhabit North Cotobato, South

Cotobato, Sultan Kudurat, Zamboanga del Sur, and Maguindanao; the latter having the
largest concentration. Maguindanaon means “people of the flood plain” for they
primarily inhabit the broad Pulangi River valley and delta which occasionally flood. The
Pulangi River had its origins in the mountains from the Liguasan Marsh and Lake
Buluan. Since the authority and influence of Maguindanaon rulers once extended over
a wide territory from Sibugay Bay in the west to the coasts of Davao in the east, the
name 'Mindanao' was applied to the second largest island of the Philippines. They are
found predominantly in four provinces: Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat, thus forming the Cotabato region. As a people, they practice Islam
which significantly influences their way of life and social structure. At one point in
history, the Maguindanao sultanate asserted ritual influence over southwestern
Mindanao. Their socio-political system and hierarchical organization are related to the
Sulu sultanate, with three royal houses: Maguindanaon in Sultan Kudarat, Buayan in
Datu Piang, and Kabuntalan in Tumbao; all of which trace their ancestry to Sharif
Kabunsuan who was one of the first Muslim missionaries and Sultan Kudarat. The
paluwaran code includes provisions on every aspect of life. Celebrated for their
exquisite handwoven fabric Inaul, interlaced with multiple colors, as well as, gold and
silver threads. The colors of the fabric and depicted symbolic-motifs reflected the
splendor of Muslim culture.
The Maguindanaon are divided into two principal groups, each with its own dialect and
traditional location: The Tau-sa Ilud (people of the lower valley) and the Tau-sa Laya
(people of the upper valley). The Tau-sa Ilud are concentrated in the areas around
Cotabato City and extend to South Dinaig. Traditionally, they constituted the Sultanate
of Maguindanao based near present day Cotabato City. Their dialect is characterized
by more rapid, “harder” consonant intonations, with preference for using “d” rather than
“r” and variations on the use of “l” and “r”. They're renowned as sedentary wet-rice
agriculturalists.
The Tau-sa Laya, on the other hand, are concentrated in the areas of Datu Piang and
extend south to areas which include Buluan. As a group, they constituted the Rajahship
of Buayan based near present-day town of Datu Piang. Their dialect is distinguished by
a slower cadence, a drawl, with frequent omission of the consonants between vowels
and a preference for using “l” rather than “r”, periodic variations of “r” for “d” and some
differentiated vocabulary. Their primary means of livelihood is a semi-sedentary
agriculture and grow corn and upland rice.
Maranao

The Maranao inhabit Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao. The name
Maranao translates to mean “People of the Lake”, after their traditional territory in the
area surrounding Lake Lanao in the Bukidnon-Lanao Plateau.
According to the early written genealogical documents salsila, this term generally
referred to the native people living around Lake Lanao. The lake area is the home-range
of the Maranao which is located in North Central Mindanao, approximately 135 sq. miles
in area and is situated 2,300 feet above sea level. They are one of the largest Islamic
groups in the Philippines, with the core areas being Marawi City, Lumba-a-bayabao,
and Bayang. The Maranao are a splinter group of the Maguindanao who took up Islam;
families tracing their religious origins to Sharif Kabunsuan, who introduced the religion
to the region. Communities are clustered around a mosque and a torogan, a royal
house belonging to the preeminent economic household in the area. Aside from exotic
textiles, metalwork, and woodcraft, the torogan structure is the most significant and
spectacular example of Filipino secular architecture. As a people, the Maranao are
widely distributed and contribute significantly to the market and trade industry. For
instance, the awang (dugout boat) used principally in Lake Lanao is both unique and
extremely ornate. Textiles, on the other hand, symbolize the socio-economic rank of the
wearer through the intricacies of the design motifs woven into the fabric, as well as, the
richness of the colors used.
Maranao villages are composed of several families living in homes sans walls for
partition. They are allowed to be members of different villages simultaneously, without
fear of recrimination as outcasts due largely in part to the accepted bilateral
relationships. As transients, they're found in other parts of the Archipelago. Primary
subsistence consists of dry rice cultivation in hilly areas; intensive wet rice in flood
plains; and some corn, sweet potato, coffee, cassava and peanuts. To supplement their
agricultural harvests, they also incorporate fishing.

Illanun

The Illanun, called Iranun and Ilianon as well, are closely related culturally and
linguistically to the Maranao and Maguindanaon. The Illanun language is part of the
Austronesian family that is most closely related to Maranao. When the Spaniards left,
however, contact between the Maranao and Illanun decreased.
The majority of Illanun live along the coastline in the of the towns of Nulingi, Parang,
Matanog, and Barira in Maguindanao Province, Mindanao; along the Iliana Bay coast,
north of the mouth of the Pulangi River; and all the way to Sibugay Bay in Zamboanga
del Sur and even the western coastal plain of Borneo. Illanun, a Malay term meaning
“pirate,” is appropriate for the people of this ethnic group, who were once regarded as
the fiercest pirates in the Malay area.
Zamboangueño

Most of the Zamboangueño Chavacanos are in Zamboanga City, but there are pockets
of them in the middle and southernmost tip of the Zamboanga peninsula; and Basilan,
Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in Western Mindanao.
Chavacano is a Spanish-based creole language and known in linguistics as Philippine
Creole Spanish. Spaniards who settled in the Philippines intermingled with the natives
and even married Filipinas. To be able to communicate, both sides had to learn each
other’s languages. To express themselves, the natives mixed Spanish with their
particular language — Tagalog in Cavite, Ternate, and Manila; and Cebuano,
Hiligaynon, and Moro languages in Cotabato, Davao, and Zamboanga. As such, there
are six varieties of Chavacano: Caviteño, Cotabateño, Davaoeño, Ermiteño, Ternateño,
and Zamboangueño.
In 1635, Zamboanga was better known as San José Fort under Spanish control.
Spanish Friars, hoping to spread Christianity in Islamic Mindanao and defend the fort
from Muslim pirates petitioned for military support. Thus, during this period, laborers
from Luzon and the Visayas; Spanish soldiers; masons from Cavite (the largest group of
newcomers); sacadas from Cebu, Iloilo, and Dapitan; and the Samal and Subanon
tribes came together. The different local languages, the presence of the Spanish
military, and the establishment of religious and educational institutions engendered a
pidgin that eventually developed into Chavacano, a Spanish creole. The language has
survived in the region for over 400 years.