Who are the Igorots?

The Igorots are a very distinct group of people, a tribe who originate from the
Northern provinces of the Philippine archipelago. The word, Igorot in Tagalog
means mountain people. For a long time now, this term has been tacitly used
in a derogatory sense. It signifies that the Igorots were a backward tribe who
couldn't contribute any technological innovations to society (Fallon).
 So what?
These natives are important because they comprise a part
of the rich Filipino culture. This site aims to preserve the
culture of this tribe through the amalgamation of key
information such as the Igorot culture , cuisine , dance, and
even the latest social and political issues that have wider
implications to the Philippine society. Through this website, I
hope to spread awareness on social, political and economic
issues. One key issue being brought up is the displacement
of these people. As huge Philippine corporations begin to
reclaim lands, the Igorots are left displaced
The Igorots originate from si
x key areas:

Abra
Apayao
Benguet
Kalinga
Ifugao
Baguio
What is the importance of
food in a given culture?
One way to celebrate culture is through cuisine. The role that a specific type of cuisine plays to
the Igorot culture is very significant. The food that a specific culture exhibits the pertinent
geography of the region. For instance, the Igorots like to eat rice as a staple product. One
possibility of the abudant staple food is due to the fact that the Banaue Rice Terraces is located
in Ifugao, Northern Luzon. This pertains to the geographical region where many Igorots reside
in.
Here is an interactive website that gives a good list of recipes and exotic food that the Igorots
like feasting on. It is clearly evident that the Igoros like meat products/ protein
Pinikpikan
A famous dish served in the Cordi
lleras of a live beaten chicken . It
is usually salty in taste and mixed
with other vegetables such as ca
bbage. Usually served with rice a
nd it is eaten on a banana leaf.
Tapey
Rice mixed together with the loca
l wine. It is meant to have a swee
t taste. Here is a link that shows
how Tapey is prepared.
Binaod
Binaod is considered to be a Filipi
no delicacy. The pig intestines are
prepared just after the pig manur
e "have been dried and collecte
d" (Comeau). It is eaten with Say
ote leaves that cover rice.
Etag
Salted pork served on special occ
assions. Just like Pinikpikan, it ca
n be served with mixed greens/v
egetables.Sometimes, it is spiced.
Women's cloth
ing
It is very common for Igorot wome
n to carry around blankets with th
em. If it is too cold, the wear these
blankets. Usually, they are small in
size and are called kud-pas (Jenks,
698). These blankets are created t
hrough a very special process calle
d heirloom weaving . According to
an interesting blog post that incor
porates first hand-experience of h
andmade crochet products, heirlo
om weaving is a significant, "cultur
al and traditional practice" becaus
e "the blankets were used for ritua
ls, specifically for wrapping their d
ead kin and for the bones of their
previously deceased loved ones."
Men's clothin
g
It is customary in the Igorot cultu
re for a man to wear no apparel u
ntil the age of about seven years
(Jenks, 695). However, the men w
ear a headpiece called the suk'la
ng. This is very common in the Bo
ntoc culture areas.
Conical shape
d hat & Headb
ands
The photo above depicts a conica
l shaped hat worn by the Igorots .
It is worn by the those coming fr
om the Bontoc area to protect th
emselves from the heavy rainfall
during the rainy season (Jenks, 6
95). It is made out of beeswax an
d it is waterproof. Igorots
with longer hair wear this headpi
ece. If the male's hair is consider
ed too short, a dark piece of clot
h similar to a headband is worn i
nstead.
Wa'nis
The apron worn in the lower part
of the body is called a wa'nis . It i
s worn by Igorots from the Botoc
and Samoki areas (Jenks, 696). Th
ere are different types of variatio
ns of breech cloths that are worn
in the lower area for males. Most
of these cloths are created in mul
ti-colored patterns of red, white
and chocolate
 Apayao Courtship D
ance
This is a ceremonial dance performed by a couple. The femal
e dancer is wrapped around a multi-colored ceremonial blank
et. The woman is wrapped around a multi-colored ceremonia
l blanket. While the male dancer carries around a large red cl
oth. His movements are bold and big. The man struts in all dir
ections of the stage. He even gets down to the ground. There
is a lot of technical floor work associated with this dance. The
male dancer is supposedly mimicking a fighting rooster
 Idaw
This traditional dance called Idaw is named after a pugnacious
and strong bird. The Igorots from the Bontoc region view the I
daw as an allegory for war. This dance symbolizes the beginni
ng of war. The warriors from varying factions take part in this
dance. If the warriors were successful in their combat, a cere
monial rite begins. This ritual is often violent, with chieftains o
f various tribes beheaded. Movements of this dance are both
undaunted and intrepid.
 Banga
The Banga is a dance that displays the strength of a woman. In this
dance, women usually carry around eight pots around their head.
This dance expalins the role of women in the society, where wome
n fetch water and carry these crimson pots on their heads. More r
ecently, the Banga is performed to entertain guests during marital
cerremonies.
 Uyaoy
The Uyaoy Dance is mostly performed in wedding festivals. This
dance mimics the mighty animals such as the Sakpaya Hawk. Th
e purpose of this dance is to reinforce one's social status in the c
ommunity. For instance, chieftains of villages or Igorots belongin
g to the wealthy class, (also known as the
Kadangyans) stomp their feet, glide in the air and utilize the mos
t majestic movements to reveal their influential social status in t
he community. The Uyaoy is usually accompanied by loud beatin
g gongs in a rhythmic syncopation.