(robles)

BONTOC

(Mountain Province)

ORIGIN

Bontoc comes from the word "buntuk", which means mountains and refers to the people of Mountain
Province.

(empleo)

LOCATION and Population

Bontoc is a charming little town which is considered the capital town of Mountain Province and is
located at the heart of Cordillera range. It has a total land area of about 39,610 hectares.

According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 24,643 people.

Language/Dialects spoken

Most inhabitants speak the Bontoc language, with other languages such as:

Kankana-ey, Ilocano, Tagalog, Pangasinan, Cuyonon and Butuanon.

(dollison)

CULTURE

Lang-ay Festival

Chants, the rhythm of the gongs, and music echo throughout the Bontoc valley as old, young, locals, and
tourists gather to celebrate culture, partake food, and share experiences in the annual Lang-ay Festival
of Bontoc in Mountain Province.

This festival has not only highlighted the rich culture but has also showcased the value of sharing, a
value that has been passed on through generations of mountain people.
Alab petroglyphs are ancient figures carved on mountain walls by the prehistoric people of Bontoc. The
petroglyphs are the most important ancient rock art carvings in the Cordilleras and the second most
oldest in the entire country.

Both men and women traditionally covered their bodies with tattoos, although the men were only
allowed to after having killed enemies in inter-tribal conflicts. Women wear bright red hand-woven
skirts, and used distinctive pieces of snake skeleton as hairpieces. 

(dineros & dipad)

TRADITION

They also believe in a unique pantheon of gods, of which the supreme god is the cultural hero, Lumawig,
son of Kabunian. Oral tradition tells that Lumawig instilled five great lessons to the Bontoc people,
namely:

a man must not steal;

one should not gossip;

men and women must not commit adultery;

one must be temperate in eating and in drinking alcoholic drinks;

all people must live simple and industrious lives

The Bontoc people believe in the “anito”—spirits of the dead who must be consulted before anything
important is done.

Before climbing on the mountain starts, elders pray over a pot of rice in their local language. They and
the visitors drink rice wine as a tribute to the spirits so that the climb will be safe.

There are few forms of animal life about the Bontoc that he will not and does not eat, such as larger
animals as the mythology of the Bontoc says were once men—as the monkey, serpent-eagle, crow,
snake, etc.

(ducay)
Values

Lang-ay is one of their festival, it is also the way to showcase the values that they have such as:

Sharing happiness, wisdom, family solidarity, hospitality, peace and nurture friendship with partaking of
the native rice wine.

(ebrada)

WAYS OF LIVING

Bontok people have traditionally lived by hunting, fishing and farming.

Bontoc man spends most of his time with his traps in the river, and sells his fish to the residents of the
pueblo.

They planted crops in irrigated areas such as rice, camote, gabi and vegetables planted alternately with
rice. The unirrigated areas are planted with fruit trees, root crops like camote and cassava, legumes,
corn, millet and other grains. It serves as their main source of food.

(encela & encinares)

Delicacies

Pinikpikan dish – a Bontoc delicacy which is the meat of chicken is lightly beaten with a stick before it to
cook.

Mountain Tea – it is literally fresh and not preserved tea, it is their mountain tea leaves that you can boil
for 30 minutes and put honey or sugar to achieve a sweet taste.

Etag – the salted pork in Bontoc, Mountain Province, is a usual ingredient in many indigenous delicacies
in the province. Etag is actually a product of preserving the meat hence, it's really flavorful! 

Biko – it is made using the heirloon Mountain Violet sticky rice (locally known as Ominio) that are
harvested directly from their terraces.

https://www.dilgcar.com/index.php/2015-07-10-09-39-31/municipality-of-bontoc-capital
https://www-gmanetwork-
com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/travel/687464/searching-for-
hidden-treasure-in-the-magical-place-of-bontoc/story

http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia7/Philippines/sub5_6d/entry-3879.html

http://www.mpspc.edu.ph/index.php/15-abstracts/172-documentation-of-the-salted-meat,-
%E2%80%9Cinnasin%E2%80%9D,-of-bontoc,-mountain-province

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3308/3308-h/3308-h.htm