The Negritos As A Minority Group in The Philippines

Philippine Sociological Society
THE NEGRITOS AS A MINORITY GROUP IN THE PHILIPPINES

Author(s): LILIA R. ARBUES
Source: Philippine Sociological Review, Vol. 8, No. 1/2 (January-April, 1960), pp. 39-46
Published by: Philippine Sociological Society
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JANUARY - APRIL, 1960 39
THE NEGRITOS AS A MINORITY GROUP

IN THE PHILIPPINES
By LILIA R. ARBUES
The People and Their Culture

In the Philippines the Negritos can be found in Guimaras, in Palawan
where they are locally known and called Batak , small settlements called
Laksun near the village of Bintuan, 30 miles up the coast of Puerto
Princessa; in the Surigao Peninsula, in Mindanao those who are called
the Manawa; in Lake Marinai; the Subanon group in the Zamboanga
Peninsula, Northern Luzon, Visayas and Bikol, Samar, Panay, Bohol,
Camarines Norte, Northern coast of Polillo Islands, Baler and Casiguran
in Quezon Province, Mountain Province, Mindoro, and Palawan.
The Negrito is called by different names such as Ayta, Aeta, Ita,
Agta, Ati, Ateng and Mamanwa. They hardly form 1% of the total
population. The name Negrito was given by the Spaniards meaning -
"little black people." However, contrary to popular belief, the Negritos
are not really black. Instead, their skin color is dark brown, with a
yellowish or saffron "undertone" on the less exposed parts of the body.
Their average height is about 4 feet, 3 inches. When the Spaniards
came they were found inhabiting the coastal and river areas of the
archipelago.
The Negritos live in small bands, the average size being about 10
families, or a total of 50 individuals who are related to a common
ancestor. One band never contains more than 2 unrelated family groups.
Though members of another band are in the same ethnic grouping as
themselves, they do not like to live close to any other band, even though
they may actually have relatives belonging there. Each band respects
the other's territory. Nor do these bands like to live with Christians
or even near them. There is voluntary segregation, even among the
bands and much more in regard to the Christians.
Sometimes a crisis, such as the scarcity of food makes a band break
up for a time. Thus some become easy prey for headhunters. At times
one can see groups of Negritos coming to town selling medicinal herbs,
amulets, oils, roots, etc., to the townspeople. However, despite their
rather hand-to-mouth existence, one will never see them begging. In
fact they even trade such things for cloth and claim that they are
the elders of the townspeople.
In general the Aetas are not inclined to headhunting and have no
particular weapons for killing human beings. To protect themselves
from enemies they have the sicumeta and bagsek small arrows made of
bamboo and bows taken from the body of a palm tree. This is one form
of protection from headhunters. Another danger that the Negritos for-
merly faced was kidnappers. They found it necessary to protect their
children from Filipino kidnappers who formerly sold them for slaves.
40 PHILIPPINE SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW
However, in spite of this, friendly feel

of the Aeta toward the other Filipinos d
haps the presence of a common foe drew
cases the Negritos became the protectors
it meant severe punishment.
Among the Aetas there is a strong s
elders who regulate the activities of t
The elders have priority in making decisio
or to open, clean, and plant their fields.
mined by the age of each person. The ba
group and help one another. There is m
share work and goods in the band witho
If someone is sick, any other member o
amulet or medicinal herb for the person
the field of his band member. If one de
other person, he just has to ask for it and
Children are sometimes adopted with gr
they can spare them.
The primitive Aetas have no permanen
no desire to live in one. They believe tha
instructions and orders of their ancesto
before the great flood, the creator Go
with people. But now his representativ
has left instructions for the people is ca
these teachings, human beings should not
tures are worthless in the sight of God a
The Negritos therefore imitate the lives
in a crude lean-to or hut. Likewise they
forest which they consider to be the cr
utensils are made of coconut shells and b
For their garden, they clean the secon
dense forest where they could sow uplan
a sharpened stick. Their planting field
ing twice, once in the dry and once in t
the clearing and find another place. In
on a river flat, they do not remain at th
shelters of light materials on the leech-
oma only occasionally, in order to pick t
The general occupational emphasis seem
and gathering sikay (a root) or almost
than cultivation. They can easily main
so it has become customary to exchange
tools and clothing with their friends am
groups.
The culture of the Negritos seems to lack many things that are
common elsewhere. They seem to possess no tool or custom which is
not also known to the other Filipinos - their neighbors; and which they
could not have derived from then. This seems to indicate that a process
of assimilation has occurred between the two groups. The Negritos live
an unsettled existence, supporting themselves almost wholly by hunting
and gathering wild foods, espec

their way of life is thus quite
but actually many details are shared in common. In addition, the
Negrito with all his shyness, is wont to trade with his neighbors, ex-
changing forest products such as rattan and bees' wax for cloth, knives,
iron and ornaments. The most important of his possessions are there-
fore not even of his own manufacture.
Occasionally, Negritos might accept the invitation of other Filipino
groups to work for them and cultivate their farms. However the Aetas
are not accustomed to such work in the sun. One can see a group of
Negritos coming to town on certain seasons of the year, especially during
the time after planting and before harvesting - the starvation period in
the barrios. They bring forest products with them to be exchanged for
clothes and ornaments. The townspeople regard the Aetas as queer peo-
ple who are rather dirty. The Negritos' hair is uncombed and very thick,
and their bodies are half clothcd. The women carry their babies on a
piece of cloth tied as a sort of a sling across one shoulder. The towns-
people are often amazed to note that the Negrito babies are usually
naked but seem to be healthy, for most people in the Philippines believe
that an unclothed child will surely fall ill. The coming of the Negritos
to town is taken as a sign that some kind of famine is taking place
in the remote areas and so drives them to town. The Negritos usually
take their station at the market place. However, at times one can see
a group of children following Negritos as they go from house to house
trying to trade their wares. The children find fun in this motley proces-
sion aside from the fact that the dialect of this minority group fascinates
them.
The Aetas are not persistent workers so that when the rainy season
comes, the men dislike to move from their shelters. Many of them then
lie down the whole day near the flaming fire. Such a pattern is of course
consistent with a hunting and gathering economy in which emphasis is
placed upon skill in discovering wild food sources rather than prudent
care and labor on a piece of farm land. The Negrito way of life is based
on little equipment except the few implements needed in their daily hunt-
ing such as bolos, (knives), bows and arrows, and fire-sticks. A man
must take good care of firesticks, especially during the rainy season. At
such a time he will keep the sticks dry by wrapping them in palm leaves,
even though the man himself may be very wet.
The Negritos believe in the great creator who rules the earth through
the following: Tigbalog - who gives life and directs activity; Lueve - who
directs production and growth; Amas - who moves to pity, love, unity, and
peace of heart; Binangewan - the spirits who bring change, sickness and
death as punishment. These spirits live in the balete tree. He who
wishes to prav to a god for help, takes a bath and then, in the late
afternoon, picks up his farming or hunting implements and carrying a
fire-brand, goes out alone. Then he starts up a fire, places on it some
Masigan grass and, kneeling in the fragrant smoke, makes his petition,
at the same time holding up his implements to be blessed.
If someone dies, the body is soon bathed, dressed, put on a mat,
and with much wailing is buried in the garden. An offering of food
is put on the grave and, after 9 days, the whole group moves off.
The Negritos have, to a large extent

of the Christian Filipinos. This is alrea
which they have likewise adopted fr
such as "portador" - or the "go-between." This is an index of the
assimilation and borrowing of cultural elements which has been going on
between the Negritos and other Filipinos. But, in spite of this marked
borrowing, some elements of their former marriage customs are still present.
When the head of the family observes that his son desires a certain girl
as wife, he plants plenty of sugar cane in a kaingin - (partly cleared land)
from which he will make a big supply of basi (wine) and kilang (a
sweet preserve drink) for use during the negotiations and the forthcoming
marriage. The go-between is present in all these ceremonies. The boy
brings gifts to the girl's house and serves for a year in her home as though
he were a real son to the father of the girl. Then a conference between
the 2 families is held in preparation for the feast. All the members of
the band are there except for the babies and old people. The old men
and women who take care of the babies go to the place of the girl to work.
The couple is made to eat in the same bowl of rice and after this the
"flight and pursuit" ceremony takes place. The groom and the bride
strip off their clothes and the girl runs into the forest while the boy
has to pursue his wife-to-be. If he catches her, they are considered hus-
band and wife. Then a fire is built. The couple clasp their hands over
it and a dance soon follows. The bride wears a belt of rattan. Then
she runs around a hill or mound or into a cleared field. The bridegro
runs after her. As soon as he got hold of her belt or touched it, they
are declared husband and wife. The newly-weds stay with the groom
parents for 9 days and then they go to the wife's group and serve he
mother until she has been repaid for raising the bride or until the dea
of the parents.
Perhaps because of their economic situation the Negritos adhere t
the monogamous form of marriage. Sometimes, a husband might hav
a concubine. In such cases he may build another house for the concu-
bine. However, the wife can not do the same because if she does, she h
to refund the expenses which the husband incurred when they got married
even if they have children. In general, however, the Negritos have a h
level of sexual ideals. The young girls are taught to be shy and timid
modest and coy.
If the wife has illicit relations with the husband of another, the hu
band determines her fate. Divorce is sanctioned if one of the two has been
unfaithful. This is arranged through mutual consent and both may mar-
ry again, but such cases are very rare. The husband is the head of the
home, but the basic family structure is bilateral. In this respect, the
Negrito pattern again shows similarity to that of the other Filipino groups.
Childbirth is accomplished with the aid of a midwife, whose skill is
believed to be inherited. So, there is the probability that there are long
chains of families with a midwife tradition. The payment is around
P2.00 for the service. Three days after the delivery the mother takes a
bath in the river. The children are named after the places where they
were born, names of trees, etc. Among those influenced by outside groups,
Christian names are later given to the children. These names are formally
assigned during a special ceremony. It is believed that at the age of 7
years the child should undergo

sure that they have found a ho
large balete tree that has a big h
living is a house of the gods. T
They are sure the gods are in re
roots of the tree is clean. The in
celebration, which party is led b
go to the located house of the g
bais and the boys laay - the chi
children will not go to the celeb
the direction of the oldest man
portunity to select the name th
Assimilation
Language is one index of assimilation between the Negritos and

their neighbors. Some authors maintain that no true Negrito languages
have ever been discovered nor even any elements that might perhaps be
isolated survivals of a former tongue. It is felt that the Negritos have
been so thoroughly acculturated in the general Philippine pattern that the
"original" Aeta speech has completely disappeared. Field reports have
pointed out that the Negritos usually speak a mixture of the dialects
found among their neighbors.
Amalgation is another factor which is contributing to the general pro-
cess of assimilation. In one case, a Negrito woman was the 4th wife of
a Christian. She had a child with this man and was considered as part
of the household. Basically the family of the woman was pure Negrito,
but culturally she was no longer a genuine representative of the group,
although she knows some of the old customs and beliefs. However quot-
ing Barrows in his book entitled The Negrito and Allied Types , as regards
to the question whether the Negritos have completely lost their own basic
culture as the result of a continued borrowing from their neighbors, the
following is found:
"While the natural culture of the Negrito has been for the
most part borrowed from the surrounding Malayans, his psycho-
logical, social and magico-religious culture is not borrowed but
is his own, sharply contrasting in its main pattern with that of
the neighboring Malayans and but slightly and superficially modi-
fied."
This was also observed by the author among the Negritos of Northern
Luzon.
Minority - Majority Interaction

In general, the neighboring Christians have a very low opinion of the
Aetas. There is a mixed feeling of sympathy, pity, and distaste toward
this minority group. They are regarded as very primitive and even
looked upon as objects of wonder, amusement, and curiosity. The Aetas
speak a dialect which is a mixture of many others due to the fact that they
are nomadic. This language pattern is especially regarded as queer. How-
ever, as previously mentioned the Ne

thereby following a pattern of volun
There are songs of the townspeopl
against this minority group. In the
are people of the mountains who eat
a very low regard, for such food is
can not see a Negrito eating in a hig
eat in markets, displaying their ware
to fear their visits to our town wh
told us that the Negritos might use
Some townspeople use unfair pract
group. They often fool the illiterate
contracts. Under custom law, the Ne
the necessary and traditional bridep
in Capiz came to Mount Sija in 195
riage custom and so used a bundle of
money to secure a Negrito wife. Tw
ing a pregnant wife. This philanderin
Buri just below M t. Sija. He succeed
1958. He paid the girl's parents, not
with bubble gum wrappers printed as
folded into several bundles. Other lo
The injustice of such dealings has
the Digest Report of the Supreme Co
3230, Section 6 it is stated:
. . . "those who obtain from a membe
property or things of value witho
by preying upon his ignorance or sup
a certain piece of paper, which he
price of a carabao, after the lapse o
each of said Fridays he would offe
success of the enterprise, would m
any other consideration than said
This was shown in the case of the
The reasoning behind this ruling is

were so contrary to reason, judgmen
person could not claim that he was de
may be victimized. The ignorance of su
exercising the prudence that might pro
tions of such urbanized and worldly-w
Christians.
Many attempts have been made to protect and aid the Negritos as
well as other minorities. Dating as far back as during the Spanish time,
"reducciones" were established by the Decree of the Governor General in
the Philippines on January 14, 1881. In 1957 the Commission on National
Integration was created with the aim of effectuating in a more rapid and
complete manner the economic, social, material, moral and political ad-
vancement of the non-Christian tribes or national cultural minorities,
and render real, complete and permanent integration of all said National
cultural minorities into the

Act No. 1888.
Some idea of how much the Negritos are participating in the programs
of the Commission may be gained from their representation in the scholar-
ship program. The following list is a tabulation of the number of socio-
cultural group members who were awarded scholarships for the year 1959
by the Commission of National Integration.
Aeta
Bontoc
Benguet
Ifugao
Igorot
Magindanao
Maranao
Samal
Taurog
It can be
represente
Perhaps t
their relu
above tabl
Although
flows fro
some skil
weakness
minorities
made on t
tion of th
ple's way
ipate in th
system and
Change ca
existing p
principle
ways beca
integration
old patter
The Negr
of certain
tity and s
and their
Negritos.
which wil
pick their
most of al
assigns th
aversion.
much wit
Aetas. The
this integration process. Are the Negrit

pine society, and, is Philippine socie
seem that only a general acceptance o
on both sides can lead to an effectiv
modern patterns of living.
SOURCES
1. Some Customs of the Aetas of Baler Area , Ph

by the Catholic Anthropological Conference
Damian.
2. The Negrito and Allied Types in the Philippines , by Barrows, David Pres-
cott, 1873; Lancaster, Pa.; the New Era Print. Co., 1910.
3. The Dialect of the Sierra de Mariveles Negritos , Berkeley University of
California Press, 1951, by Chretien Douglas, 1904.
4. Pygmy Personality, Garvan John M.; 1875-1941; Fribourgh, Switzerland;
Printed in St. Paul, 1955; pp. 769-796.
5. Notes on the Negritos of Northern Negros , Rahman, Rudolph and Mar-
celino N. Maceda; Fribough, Switzerland, Impr. St., Paul, 1955; pp.
810-836.
6. Pygmies and Dream Giants - by Steart, Kilton, 1902; (1st ed.) New York,
W.W. Northern, 1954; p. 295. . .
7. Digest Report of the Supreme Court of the Philippines , Vol. 4; p-3230 on
the Nominal Damages sections. 1900.
8. Philippine Progress Report - 1957.

The Negritos As A Minority Group in The Philippines

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Philippine Sociological Society

THE NEGRITOS AS A MINORITY GROUP IN THE PHILIPPINES

THE NEGRITOS AS A MINORITY GROUP

The People and Their Culture

However, in spite of this, friendly feel

and gathering wild foods, espec

The Negritos have, to a large extent

years the child should undergo

Language is one index of assimilation between the Negritos and

Minority - Majority Interaction

ever, as previously mentioned the Ne

The reasoning behind this ruling is

cultural minorities into the

this integration process. Are the Negrit

1. Some Customs of the Aetas of Baler Area , Ph

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