Zamboangueño people

The Zamboangueño people (Chavacano: Pueblo Zamboangueño),

sometimes known in English as Zamboangans, are
a creole ethnolinguistic nation of the Philippines originating
in Zamboanga City. Spanish censuses record that as much as one-third
of the inhabitants of the city of Zamboanga possess varying degrees
of Iberian and Hispanic-American admixture. In addition to this, select
cities such as Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Cebu, and Cavite, which were
home to military fortifications and/or commercial ports during
the Spanish era also hold sizable mestizo communities.
The Zamboangan nation constitute an authentic and distinct
ethnolinguistic identity because of their coherent cultural and historical
heritage, most notably Chavacano, that distinguishes them from
neighboring ethnolinguistic nations. As a result of Spanish colonization,
according to a genetic study written by Maxmilian Larena, published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States, the Philippine ethnic groups with the highest amount of
Spanish/European descent are the Chavacanos, with 4 out of 10
Chavacanos being of Spanish descent (40% of the population), this is
followed by Bicolanos, with 2 out of 10 Bicolanos being of Spanish
descent (20% of the population). Meanwhile, there are "some" Spanish
descended people among the other lowland Christianized Filipino
ethnic groups.
Ethnogenesis
People from other ethnolinguistic nations came to Zamboanga when the
construction of the present-day Fort Pilar began. The colonial Spanish
government ordered the construction of a military fort to guard off the
city from Moro pirates and slave raiders of Sulu. Labourers
from Panay, Cavite, Cebu, Bohol, Negros and other islands were
brought to the city to help build the fort.
Eventually, these people settled in the city to live alongside and
intermarried with other ethnolinguistic nations, primarily among the
Subanon ethnic group, whose entire ethnicity descended from one clan is
a grand claim. (from the Royal ethnic lineage of Macombong and
Tongab whose father is Shariff Bungsu of Bruneian royalty and mother
is Princess Nayac, the daughter of the late King of Kingdom of
Jambangan, Datu Timuay of the Subanon people who are the ancestors
together with other ethnolinguistic nation - the Lutao,). Together, they
would form the nucleus of the present-day Zamboangueño people. To
this nucleus were added the descendants of laborers from Iloilo
City in Panay and of soldiers from New Spain and Peru.
Through intermarriage, Visayans, Hispano-Americans and with the
Spanish, they created a new culture which gradually developed a distinct
identity—the Zamboangueños (Zamboangueño: magá/maná
Zamboangueños; Spanish: Zamboangueños). Furthermore, because these
people come from different islands and even nations and spoke different
languages, they together developed a new pidgin language called
Chavacano. Chavacano then evolved into a full-fledged Spanish-
based creole to become the lingua franca of Zamboanga City and then
the official language of the Republic of Zamboanga.

Religion
predominantly Christianity (Roman Catholic majority and Protestant
minority), Islam, Paganism, others

Culture
The character of the Zamboangueño people are unique as we can say for
their kinship family system, love for one's cultural heritage, propensity
for extravagance, fiestas and siestas, as well as aristocratic behaviour.
While their social lives usually revolve around religious practices, the
tradition of the bantayanon and fondas, includes their bailes
the vals, regodon and paso doble. They are mostly devout Roman
Catholics.
The Zamboangueños of Basilan have, of late, also acquired
more globalized tastes in cuisine, fashion, and customs.

Language

The extent of Chavacano speakers in Mindanao.

Chavacano is the native language of the Zamboangueño people. A
conglomeration of 90% traditional Spanish and 10% influences from
other Romance languages such as French, Portuguese, Italian and Native
American such as Nahuatl, Taíno, Quechua et al. and Austronesian
languages such
as Binisaya (mainly Cebuano and Ilonggo), Subanon, Tausūg, Yakan, Sa
ma and Malay.
Courtship etiquette
Zamboangueño courtship traditions are elaborate and regulated by a long
list of required social graces. For example, a perfectly respectable
Zamboangueño gentleman (caballero) would not sit unless permitted to
do so by the woman's parents, he then had to endure questions pertaining
to his lineage, credentials and occupation. Finally, the courtship curfew
and the need to cultivate the goodwill of all the members of the woman's
family were paramount considerations before any headway could be
made in pursuing a Zamboangueño señorita’s hand in marriage.
Dance

A Zamboangueño woman performing the jota zamboangueña dance.

Zamboangueño songs and dances are derived primarily from Iberian
performances. Specifically, the jota zamboangueña, a Zamboangueño
version of the quick-stepping flamenco with bamboo clappers in lieu of
Spanish castanets, are regularly presented during fiestas and
formal tertulias or other Zamboangueño festivities.
Clothing
Likewise, Zamboangueño traditional costumes are closely associated
with Spanish formal dress. Men wear close-necked jackets as they
called camiseta Zamboangueña, de bastón pants, and European style
shoes, complete with the de-rigueur bigotillos (mustache).
Zamboangueño women claim ownership of the mascota, a formal gown
with a fitting bodice, her shoulders draped demurely by a luxuriously
embroidered, though stiff, pañuelo and fastened at the breast by a brooch
or a medal. The skirt tapers down from the waist but continues on to an
extended trail called the cola. The cola may be held on one hand as the
lady walks around, or it may likewise by pinned on the waist or slipped
up a cord (belt) that holds the dainty abanico or purse. The traditional
Zamboangueño dress has been limited to formal functions, replaced by
the more common shirt, denim jeans, and sneakers for men, and shirts,
blouses, skirts or pants, and heeled shoes for women.
Festivals
There are several important events of the festival that can be witnessed
during Holy Week (Chavacano/Spanish: Semana Santa). These include
watching films (magá película) about Jesus and his
teachings, visitaiglesias, processions, novenas and the climbing and
praying of the Stations of the Cross (Estaciones de la Cruz) in Mt.
Pulong Bato, Fiesta de Pilar (Spanish: Fiesta del Pilar), a festivity in
honour of Our Lady of the Pillar (Zamboangueño: Nuestro Señora de
Pilar; Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Pilar) and Zamboanga Day (Día de
Zamboanga) and Day of the Zamboangueños (Día del magá
Zamboangueño) which is celebrated every 15 August every year for the
foundation of Zamboanga and ethnogenesis of the Zamboangueño
people on 15 of August 1635.
Zamboangueño celebrate Christmas in so many unique ways such as
the villancicos/aguinaldos o pastores this also includes the Día de
Navideña and Nochebuena, fiestas, vísperas, Diana, Misa, magá juego,
processions and feasting.
Cuisine
Zamboangueño cuisine includes in its
repertoire curacha, calamares, tamales, locón, cangrejos, paella, estofad
o, arroz a la valenciana, caldo de vaca/cerdo/pollo, puchero, caldo de
arroz, lechón, jamonadas, endulzados, embutido, adobo, afritadas, menu
do, caldereta, jumbá, flan de leche and many more.
“PORTFOLIO IN UCSP”

ETHNICITY