GEE 006 – INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES

BSAIS 2C (October 23, 2020 – 4:30-7:30)

BSAIS 2A (October 25, 2020 – 7:00-10:00)

ILIANEN
 Manawen (people from the lake) is the original form of the name Ilianen.
 are very closely related culturally and linguistically to both the
Maguindanaon and the Maranaos.
 Concentrated along Iliana Bay coast, north of the mouth of Pulangi River all
the way to Sibugay Bay in Zamboanga River.
 They are all active traders and historically they were great buccaneers.
 Most of them engaged in fishing while the rest raise food crops.
 Men provide food for their families through subsistence fishing and
farming. Women help in food-gathering to augment their meager harvest.
 A "datu " heads the tribe and together with a council they form the timuay
(governing body" which is the highest class in their society. The other four
are the walian or "shaman" (spiritual leaders), the warrior, and the
commoner. They still practice rituals like the Samaya-an Festival, a
thanksgiving celebration.
 Originally,they were animists but with the advent of Christian missionaries
some of them converted to different Christianity or other religions.

ISINAY
 are located in three (3) towns of Dupax, Bambang, and Aritao in the
province of Nueva Viscaya.
 Isinays are Malay blend but with a high percentage of short people, fair
complexioned, with rounded big eyes, natural hair, high cheek bones, well
-shaped nose and widened lips. Women are physically more buxom than
men.
 They are known as religious people observing the daily oracion and pasyon
during the Holy Week.
 They are markedly conservative and adhere to the old practices. Evidence
is the disapproval of the intermarriages between members of their tribe
and neighboring folk.
 Pansisipe – a meticulous care that is given to the woman during pregnancy
to insure the mother and the child’s welfare.
 Do’s and Don’ts are strictly followed after giving birth. (Example: a woman
is advised not to take a bath for ten days and carefully select the food she
will eat.
 80% of their sustenance is derived from agriculture.
 Tabuu is fishing in the river using net and panipit using bamboo - is
practiced by fishermen which comprised 5% of the population.
 Others are carpenters, laborers, and animal raisers.
 Middle class Isinay manage their own ranches and raises their carabaos for
market.

ISNAG
 Small ethnolinguistic group in the mountains of Apayao.
 Various names have been used to designate Isnay like los Apayaos and
los Mandayas – is an Isnag word meaning “upstream”.
 They live in settlements along the river, but move up to hills to tend
their farms during certain seasons of the year.
 Isnag – also called Isneg is their native language although most Isnag
also speak Ilocano.
 They build their houses rather together, both for protection and
companionship.
 They are known for head-hunting activities because of the following
reasons:
o For religious reasons
o For prestige
o As a qualification for marriage
o For revenge
 Households consist of interrelated families living close to each other,
and extended families of three generations living together in their balay.
 The family is the key element in society, the larger the better, headed by
the husband. 
 The bravest, Kamenglan, is the overall leader.
 They are animistic and practice polygamy if a man happens to own a
large kaingin
 Amazon-like women have a decided edge over the fragile ones in the
contest of the affection of man. Lots of Isnag women work in the kaingin
(swidden fields).
 Marriage between cousins or kin occur at times, but only because of
such factors as scarcity of women, difficulty of travel and enmity with
other tribes.
  Failure to have children is the principal reason for divorce

ITAWES
 Inhabits the territory drained by the Chico and Matalog Rivers.
 They got their name from “tawid”.
 Itawes mode of dressing are colorful with red being the dominant
color. Woman used to wear beads of their heads.
 Farming is the leading source of livelihood which comprises of almost
75% of the population.
 They are educated-conscious as shown by the number of their
children being sent to school.
 They speak Ibanag and Ilocano.
 Their dialect has other peculiar characteristics such as the frequent
use of double consonants like cc, kk, w.
 Itawes are charming, friendly, and sociable group.
 Death among the Itawes galvanizes not only the family but the whole
community into action. Usual church rites for the wakes and burial
are observed.
 Pasingaan which means “to show” or “present” – first stage of the
Itawes marriage wherein the couple goes to the parish church for
confession and present themselves to the parish priest for his advice.
 Annafunan – a reconciliation dance wherein the man tries to win
back the love of his woman.
 Kilingkingan – a dance that derives its name from a small bird that
lives in caves and has a call that resembles the sound of a bamboo
castanets.
 La Jota Cagayana – a dance which bears the energy, gaiety and
liveliness of the community.
 When one of the family members is pregnant, Itawes makes sure
that visitors do not stand in doorways and that no none sits on the
stairway because they believe that it is a bad luck for the pregnant
woman because she might have difficulty in delivering the baby in
her womb.
 During the wake of the deceased family member in the house, the
bereaved family are prohibited to take a bath, to comb hair, and to
sweep the floor because the Itawes believe that it will bring bad luck
to the family.