Ivatan people

The Ivatans are a Filipino ethnolinguistic

group predominant in the islands of
Batanes of the Philippines. Their
ethnogenesis is unclear; their origins
remain untraced among scholars, but they
are believed to be an Austronesian group,
related to neighboring Ilocanos on a purely
linguistic basis.
 Ivatan people
Ibatan

An old Ivatan woman.

Total population

37,657[1]

Regions with significant populations

 Philippines
(Batanes)

Languages
 Ivatan, Ilocano, Tagalog, English

Religion

Christianity (predominantly Roman

Catholicism),
minority also, ancestral worship

Related ethnic groups

Taiwanese aborigines, Ilocanos, other

Austronesian peoples

The culture of the Ivatans is partly

influenced by the environmental condition
of Batanes. Unlike the old-type nipa huts
common in the Philippines, Ivatans have
adopted their now-famous stone houses
made of coral and limestone, designed to
protect against the hostile climate.

Origins …

Documents do not show much about the

history of the Ivatans and at present,
scholars who study their origins are still
unsure as to their exact origin. They
question whether the pre-historic Ivatans
came from the northern part of Luzon or
southern portions of China and Taiwan.
There is evidence that they might be a
surviving Christianized remnant of a
people that once resided on all the islands
between Luzon and Taiwan.[2] However,
the close physical resemblance of the
Ivatans to the Malays and the structure of
their language could mean they came from
other parts of the Philippines. By tracing
their roots through Batanes' folklores,
Omoto, a Japanese anthropologist of the
Yami of Orchid Island (Lanyu), has
demonstrated a closer genetic affinity of
the Yami to the Tagalog and Visayan and a
linguistic connection to the Batanic
(Bashiic) sub-branch of the Malayo-
Polynesian branch.[3]

History …
An Ivatan man fresh from work.

A Sinadumparan Ivatan house, one of the oldest

structures in the Batanes islands. The house is
made of limestone and coral and its roofing of
cogon grass.
Ivatans were living in Batanes before the
Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the
16th century, protected by fortresses
known as idjang, and living autonomously
long thereafter. On June 26, 1783, Batanes
was incorporated into the Spanish East
Indies.[2] In 1686, Ivatans were forced to
resettle in the lowlands of Batanes.[4] The
Ivatans lived under Spanish rule for 115
years and gained their independence on
September 18, 1898. However, June 6 is
celebrated in Batanes as its founding
day.[2]

Physical attributes …
One of the earliest accounts of the Ivatan
is that of the British buccaneer William
Dampier in 1687. Dampier described them
as "short, squat people; hazel eyes, small
yet bigger than Chinese; low foreheads;
thick eyebrows; short low noses; white
teeth; black thick hair; and very dark,
copper-colored skin."[3] They also have a
strong mixture of the short type of the
Mongols, and some individuals seem to
have some physical characteristics
peculiar to the Ainus of Japan.[2]

Demographics …
In 1990, the population of the Ivatans was
15,026, an increase of 24% over the 1980
population of 12,091. These were
distributed to the six municipalities, with
38% residing in Basco, 23% in Itbayat, 12%
in Sabtang, 11% in Mahatao and 8% for
Uyugan, and Ivana.[3] In the 2000 census,
15,834 Ivatans were among the 16,421
population in Batanes.[5]
An Ivatan woman wearing a vakul, a headgear for
sunlight and rain protection made from vuyavuy
palm fiber.[6]

The mother tongue of the Ivatans is the

Chirin nu Ibatan but is commonly known
as Ivatan. A distinct Austronesian
language, the Ivatan has two dialects
including Basco, the Itbayáten,[7] and
possibly Yami.[2] The Ivatans widely speak
and understand the Ilocano, Tagalog, and
English languages.[3]

Today, most Ivatans are Catholics, like the

rest of the country, although some have
not converted and practice ancestral
worship to their anitos.[2] However, there
are growing Protestant denominations
especially in Basco, the capital town of
Batanes.[3]

Culture …

The Ivatan's culture has been largely

influenced by the climate of Batanes. Due
to severe climatic disruptions to their
agriculture, Ivatans have developed
numerous successful strategies to protect
their food supply and way of life.

Traditionally, because of frequent

typhoons and drought, they plant root
crops able to cope with the environment.
These crops include yam, sweet potato,
taro, garlic, ginger, and onion, as they
ensure higher chances of survival during
awry climate conditions.[8] The Ivatan
study the behavior of animals, sky color,
wind, and clouds to predict the weather.
Ivatans usually gather their animals and
stay in their houses when they see that the
cows take shelter from the payaman
(communal pasture) and birds taking
refuge in houses or in the ground. A pink
sky with an orange hue also heralds a
storm.[9]

The sea is vital to the Ivatan's way of life.[4]

They depend on the flying fish (dibang)
and dolphinfish (arayu) present on the
shores of Batanes in the months of March
through May.[3] They have a native delicacy
called uvod (the pith of the banana stalk)
which is served with the wine palek, on
festive occasions such as weddings.[2]

Before Spaniards arrived in the Philippines,

Ivatans built their houses from cogon
grass. These homes were small, well-
situated, and designed to protect against
strong winds.[3][4] The Spaniards
introduced large-scale production of lime
to the Ivatan for the construction of their
now-famous stone houses. Meter-thick
limestone walls,[4] are designed to protect
against the harsh Batanes environment,[10]
which is known as a terminal passage of
typhoons in the Philippines. The basic
cogon grass is still preserved as roofs of
their houses, thickly constructed to
withstand strong winds.[3] These houses
are comparable to the white houses in
New Zealand, Ireland, and the Scottish
Highlands.[11]

One of the endemic clothing of the Ivatans

is the vakul. A vakul is a headgear
designed to protect the wearer from sun
and rain. It is made from vuyavuy palm
fiber.[4][6]
The Ivatans have three folk song styles:
the laji, the kanta, and the kalusan.[3] The
laji are ancient lyrical songs that are
supposed to be sung when they are merry
or just finished work.[12] The kalusan is
sung during work.[3]

The Ivatan have legends that are called

kabbata.[13] They have the rawod, chants
that chronicle the adventures of the
Ivatan's forefathers as they escape a
disaster.[14]

Indigenous Ivatan religion …

Immortals E…
Supreme Being: referred to as Mayo, in
one account;[15] probably regarded as
remote as fear and meticulous ritual
care are often related instead towards
the Añitu[16]
Mayo: a fisherfolk hero who introduced
the yuyus used to catch flying fishes
called dibang, which are in turn used to
catch the summertime fish arayu[15]
The Giver: the entity who provides all
things; the souls of the upper-class
travel to the beings' abode in heaven
and become stars[15]
Añitu: refers to the souls of the dead,
place spirits, and wandering invisibles
not identified nor tied down to any
particular locale or thing[16]
Añitu between Chavidug and Chavayan:
place spirit Añitus who were reported to
create sounds when the gorge between
Chavidug and Chavayan were being
created through dynamite explosions;
believed to have shifted their residences
after the construction of the passage[16]
Rirryaw Añitu: place spirit Añitus who
played music and sang inside a cave in
Sabtang, while lighting up the fire;
believed to have change residences
after they were disturbed by a man[16]
ji Rahet Añitu: a grinning place spirit
Añitu who lived in an old tree; a man
later cut the tree and found an earthen
pot believed to have been owned by the
Añitu[16]
Nuvwan Añitu: good place spirit Añitus
who saved a woman from a falling tree;
they are offered rituals through the
vivyayin[16]
ji P'Supwan Añitu: good place spirit
Añitus who became friends and allies of
a mortal woman named Carmen Acido;
sometimes taking in the form of dogs,
they aided her and guided her in many of
her tasks until her death from old age;
despite their kindness towards Carmen,
most people avoided the farm where
they live[16]
Mayavusay Añitu: place spirit Añitus
living in a parcel of land in Mayavusay;
sometimes take in the form of piglets,
and can return cut vegetation parts into
the mother vegetation[16]
Cairn-dwelling Añitu: place spirit Añitus
who lived in cairns and put a curse
towards a man who destroyed their
home; appearing as humans, the
shaman Balaw conversed with them to
right the wrong made by the man
against their home[16]
Mayuray Añitu: a wandering Añitu who
expanded and was filled with darkness;
encountered by a young boy who the
spirit did not harm; referred to as a kapri,
Añitus who walk around and grow as tall
as the height for their surroundings[16]
Dayanak Añitu: a type of very small
Añitu with red eyes and gold ornaments;
accepting their gold ornaments will
cause misfortune[16]

See also …

Ivatan language
Batanes
Tao peoples
Gaddang people
Ibanag people
Tagalog people
Kapampangan people
Ilocano people
Igorot people
Pangasinan people
Bicolano people
Negrito
Visayan people
Cebuano people
Boholano people
Hiligaynon people
Waray people
Lumad
Moro people

References …
Wikimedia Commons has media
related to Ivatan people.

1. "2010 Census of Population and Housing,

Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing
Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) -
Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics
Authority. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
2. "Ethnic Profile: The Ivatan" . National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Archived from the original on March 11,
2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
3. Datar, Francisco A. "The Batanes Islands" .
National Commission for Culture and the
Arts. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
4. Rowthorn, Chris (2003). Philippines .
Lonely Planet. pp. 203 . ISBN 1-74059-
210-7. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
5. "Population in Batanes Showed an Upward
Swing" . Philippine National Statistics
Office. Archived from the original on
2008-04-03. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
. Madulid, Domingo A.; Agoo, Esperanza
Maribel G. (2009). "Notes on the
economic plants of Batanes: Citrus
species and Phoenix loureiroi var.
loureiroi" . Bulletin of National Museum of
Ethnology. 34 (1): 191–205.
doi:10.15021/00003920 .
7. Galvez Rubino, Carl R. (2000). Ilocano
Dictionary and Grammar . University of
Hawaii. p. 213. ISBN 0-8248-2088-6.
Retrieved 2008-04-06.
. Bankoff, Greg (2002). Cultures of Disaster:
Society and Natural Hazards in the
Philippines . Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 0-
7007-1761-7. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
9. Trinidad-Echavez, Andrea (2008-06-29).
"Ivatan of Batanes share secrets of
survival in typhoon belt" . Philippine Daily
Inquirer. Archived from the original on
2008-06-29. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
10. Brown, Jessica; et al. (2005). The
Protected Landscape Approach: Linking
Nature, Culture and Community . The
World Conservation Union. p. 103. ISBN 2-
8317-0797-8. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
11. Calubiran, Maricar. "Ivatan joins Dinagyang
to promote Batanes tourism" . The News
Today. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
12. Quindoza-Santiago, Lilia (2002). "Early
Philippine Literature" . National
Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Archived from the original on January 21,
2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
13. "Ivatan/Itbayat" . National Commission for
Culture and the Arts. 2002. Archived from
the original on January 21, 2008.
Retrieved 2008-04-07.
 14. Espiritu, EV (2007-09-06). " 'Tatayak'
making keeps Ivatan seafarers alive" .
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the
original on 2008-04-17. Retrieved
2008-04-07.
15. Hornedo, F. H. (1994). Philippine Studies
Vol. 42, No. 4: Death and After Death:
Ivatan Beliefs and Practices. Ateneo de
Manila University.
1 . Hornedo, F. H. (1980). Philippine Studies
Vol. 28, No. 1: The World and The Ways of
the Ivatan Añitu. Ateneo de Manila
University.

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