BANTOANON TRIBE

HISTORY:

The name Bantoanon

comes from the island of
Banton, in Romblon
province where they live,
but some Batoanons came
from the island of Simara
and Sibale.
LOCATION:

The Bantoan or “people

from Banton (island)”
actually reside mostly in
Odiongan, Corcuera,
Calatrava, and Concepcion
in Romblon, an archipelagic
province in the MIMAROPA
region.
POPULATION:

The Bantoan occupy the Banton island

group which is part of the Romblon group of
islands south of Marinduque. The areas of
the greatest concentration are in Odiongan
(24,870), Corcuera (8,470), Banton (6,850),
and Conception (4,455). The national
population is placed at 52,745 (NSO 1980).
Religion:

The primary religion practiced by the

Bantoanon is Roman Catholisism.

Language:

Their primary language is Bantoanon. The

Bantoanons speak a local dialect called Asi.
CULTURE AND TRADITION

Burial Practice:

Bantoanon ancestors
practiced secondary burial
and established burial
caves mostly in Guyangan.
They also used burial cloth
to wrap the dead.
 PAILIG

Pailig means patiently getting the container filled with

water from a not-so-abundant source. Pailig then has
taught townsfolk with the value of patience.
 FLORES

The daily flower

offering during May is
probably the most
colorful in the country,
if not in the whole
world. Time, effort, and
heart are embedded.
 SANROKAN

Sanrokan is probably the best

known tradition. This is the
simple act of sharing a bowl of
“SUYA” or “INASLOM” to
neighbor and is still practiced
today even outside of the
island.
 BIRAY

This is fluvial parade in honor of the town’s patron saint.

It is a religious tradition introduced by the Spanish
Friars to areas near the sea or body of water.
 FESTIVAL OF BONTOANON

SAN JUAN FESTIVAL

The feast day of St. John

the Baptist is usually
characterized by high tide,
perfect time for swimming
for the folks in the island
town.
ESKAYA
TRIBE
 Eskaya Tribe is one of the less visited
places in Bohol. They are an indigenous
group found in the towns of Duero,
Guindulman, Sierra Bullones, and Pilar.
The tribe has its own distinct culture,
literature, and language. The settlement
of this tribe is at Biabas, Guindulman,
established in the early 20th century by
one Mariano Datahan.
 A second settlement was established at
Taytay, under the municipality of Duero
in the year 1951; founded by Fabian Baja
under Datahan’s instructions. Eventually,
the group spread to nearby Canta-ub,
Lundag, Tambongan, Cadapdapan and
Fatimah.
The Eskaya Tribe is located on Bohol, an island
in the Southern Philippines. According to the
last census in 200 it had a population of
around 3000. They live in a few villages in the
mountains and along the coasts.
 Eskaya literature was first dictated for transcription by
Mariano Datahan whose words were recorded by personal
scribes. These texts - which comprise local oral history and
regional folklore - have sometimes been referred to by
journalists as the “Karaang mga libro” or “old books”.
 The Eskaya have a
unique language and
writing system that
scholars have not been
able to link to any other
known language.
LANGUAGE OF ESKAYA

Eskayan is an artificial auxiliary

language of the Eskaya people of
Bohol. It is grammatically Boholano,
the native langauge of Bohol, with a
substituted lexicon. While Eskayan
has no mother-tongue speakers, it is
taught by volunteers in atleast
three cultural schools in the
southeast interior of the province.
 LANGUAGE OF ESKAYA

Eskayan riddle

“Ang Sagbut ni Marilen, Kinadak-an sa

kalibutan, Kinagamyan sa yuta”

“Grass of Marilen, the biggest in the world, the

smallest in the land”
 They also have a unique oral
history (or mythology
depending on who you ask)
dating back to biblical times.
They believe that people
originated from a butterfly
called Pinya Paypay Pling.

In some way (that is not clear to me) the butterfly interacted

with a lion and lioness who gave birth to a monkey. That monkey
mated with another and gave birth to the first humans. This is
depicted in this educational chart from their school.
 CLOTHING OF ESKAYA

Formerly, Eskaya men would wear shirts made of

piña raffia with a Chinese-style collar, black
breeches, and cotton berets. Women wore piña
dresses with bulging sleeves similar to the
Spanish-influenced Boholano style (mostly in
Biabas) and covered their hair with cotton
habits (mostly in Taytay).
 TRADITION AND BELIEF

Traditionally, women were not permitted to

cut their hair short nor wear trousers, and
drinking and dancing were universally
prohibited. For the most part these customs
have been discontinued, however traditional
dress is sometimes worn on Sundays and
special occasions.
At weddings the parents of the bride offer the couple a
glass of water and a comb. The comb is dipped in the
water and run through the hair of both bride and groom.
Rice is then showered on the couple, connoting plenty.

Until recently, the Eskaya practised a form of communal

farming in which a portion of land was tilled for the
benefit of the whole community.

In later years though, this has not been observed. An

Eskaya can now own land, till it, and enjoy its fruits.
 RELIGION

The Eskaya tribe all converted to the Philippine

Independent Church under the direction of Datahan
in 1902. They revered a supreme being which they
called “Suno” and attended weekly church services.
The religious community was headed by a bishop
whom they call “beriki”. These spiritual leaders also
performed rituals for good harvests, house blessings,
weddings and the like aside from the weekly services.
 An Eskaya cannot construct a home without
going thru a distinct process. Thru a ritual, the
beriki has to ask the permission of the spirits if
the site is ok. If not, one has to select another
site and undergo another ritual until
permission is granted.
 At weddings, the parents of the bride offer the
couple a glass of water and a comb. The comb is
dipped in the water and run through the hair of
both bride and groom, believing that in doing so,
both will remain calm and cool throughout their
marriage. Afterwards, rice is showered on the
couple assuring them of material wealth.
This practice is still being observed, not only by
the Eskaya, but also by some Boholanos.
 Theories And Controversies

The Eskaya community is the object of an

ongoing controversy with regards to its status
as an indigenous group and the classification
of their language.
Historians say that the group is a remnant of
the original indigenous settlers of Bohol who
hailed from Sumatra in the 7th century A.D.
Others say that they are the descendants of
the resistance groups that fought under
Francisco Dagohoy; or that they are
members of a secret society or a cult; that
they are a conscious reconstruction of an
imagined pre-colonial society.
 Still other historians say that the Eskaya
are a Semitic proto-Christian tribe; that
they possess the lost book of Enoch; that
they are descendants of the builders of
King Solomon’s temple; and that their
existence proves the imminence of a
second Messiah in Bohol; or that they
guard esoteric secrets.
 With regards to their language and script, the
Eskayan speech has been associated with
either of the Hebrew, Greek, and Etruscan
languages.
Recent studies reveal though that the syntax of
their language is identical to that of Cebuano,
leading the researchers to believe that their
language is actually an elaborate form of
Cebuano coding.
 The Eskaya tribe is deemed related to
the descendants of the Rajah of
Butuan. It is believed that a princess of
the Eskaya tribe married the Rajah and
a good trading relationship was
established between the two tribes.
 The Eskaya tribe is deemed related to
the descendants of the Rajah of
Butuan. It is believed that a princess of
the Eskaya tribe married the Rajah and
a good trading relationship was
established between the two tribes.
THANK YOU
for listening.
LEVIE MARIE BUENAFE
BSSW 3