IBALOI TRIBE

- The Ibaloi are an indigenous ethnic group found in

Benguet province of the northern Philippines.
- Ibaloi is derived from i-, a prefix signifying
"pertaining to" and badoy or house, together then
meaning "people who live in houses".
- The IBALOI inhabit Central and Southern Benguet
Province and Western Nueva Vizcaya Province
particularly the municipalities of:
-Kabayan -Itogon
-Bokod -Sablan
-Tublay -La Trinidad
-Tuba -Kapangan

POPULATION:
116,434,200 (2023 est.)

LANGUAGE :
Ibaloi, also known as Inibaloi or Nabaloi.

DIALECTS:
Bokod, Daklan and Kabayan

IBALOI MYTHOLOGY
In Ibaloi mythology, this group’s origin is traced
back to a couple in Mt. Pulag who survived the great
flood that Kabunian sent to punish the wicked people.
This couple bore many children who intermarried,
multiplied, and descended to the fertile valleys of
Benguet, to become the ancestors of the present-day
Ibalois.

Mt. Pulag - It has been used as a burial place for

thousands of years by the Ibaloi people of Benguet. For
them, it is the place where spirits join their ancestors.

Social Stratification:
Baknang (rich) - Exercise authority in almost all aspect
of the social, political, and economic Life; Host to Cañao
Feast; Sit in the village council to decide on important
matters affecting the village.

Abitug (poor)
Pastol - cowhand and assistant during Cañao preparation
Silbi - farmhand and messenger
Bagaen - non-Ibaloi slave

CLOTHINGS:
Ibaloi women wear kambal or blouse, and divet or skirt.
Male wear white and black G-string or kuval.

Basket weaving - is done by the men.

Kayabang - women’s favorite basket.

Kinuday - is a native delicacy of the Ibaloi tribe. The

term “Kinuday” is a way of meat preservation among the
Ibalois. Meat is hung on the ceiling of the dirty kitchen
or just above where they cook food and it is preserved
by the smoke produced from firewood.
Cañao/Kanyaw - a thanksgiving ritual that refers to
several native feast of the Ibaloi There are different kinds
of rituals of Cañao. Such rituals are: for illness, good
harvest and for progress. also, in marriages, healing,
birth, burial and voyage wherein a prayer is offered.
Tapuy (rice wine) is served during the feast aside from
the meal.

Mummification - For the Ibaloi community, the body's

physical preservation is necessary so that dead members
of the tribe remain in the group while their spirits join
with the gods. They use saltwater to prevent organ
decomposition. Pounded guava and patani leaves are
applied to the corpse to prevent maggot or worm
infestation while the body dries, the process taking
anywhere from two months to even a year until the body
is hardened.

Nature spirits:
Amdag - spirits that travel with the wind.
Ampasit - spirits that dwell in caves.
Tinmongao - spirit that lives in caves, stones, and trees.
Pinad-eng - spirits that lives in the forest.
Butat-tew - spirits that misguides people.

Courtship & Marriage:

There are three ways that Ibaloi culture do;
Kaising - an arranged marriage
Kalun - is the pamamanhikan
Ngilin or Arol - the wedding ceremony that lasts for
eight days at least.