UNIT 1.

HISTORICAL/ SOCIO-
CULTURAL FEATURES
 ABRA
HERITAGE

By Claudia Alves
 oVERVIEW
Abra's indigenous inhabitants, originally called 'Itneg', are
related to the word 'tingguian', which means major river system.
The term 'itneg' may be derived from Ilocano words meaning 'from
inside'. During the Spanish regime, the Tingguians were divided
into lowland and mountain groups, with hamlet-sized settlements.
The term 'tingguian' may have been derived from the Malay root
word 'Tinggi or Tingue'.
 Lesson 1:
Settlements and Territories
Introduction
Abra province, located in the Cordillera Administrative
region, is a landlocked region containing a mix of
Spanish-speaking lowland people and the Tingguian tribe,
with some claiming descent from Chinese, Japanese, or
Arabs or typically the Malayan. The province's natural
beauty, surrounded by the mountainous Gazebo, offers a
unique lifestyle..
 The word, Tingguian means mountain dweller. It also refers
to the people who retreated to the Abra valley and its highlands.

The Tingguians are also called Itneg. Itneg comes from the
word “iti uneg” meaning inside. There is a tendency though to
refer to the Itnegs as those who live in the Abra’s far-flung areas
and the Tingguians as the people who have been assimilated into
the populace, which are the Ilocanos.
 Presently, there are two Tingguian groups: valley Tingguian
and mountain Tingguian, who live in the highlands of northern
and eastern Abra.

Abra was first inhabited by the ancestors of the Bontoks, Ifugaos

and the Tingguians or Itnegs.
 SETTLEMENTS
The Tingguians have settled since time immemorial in the
province of Abra.
1) The Gubang tribe settled primarily in Malibcong;

2) The Mabaka tribe occupied some part of Malibcong and Lacub;

3) The Banao tribe settled some part of Malibcong and Daguioman.

4) The Binongan tribe settled in Lacub and Licuan-Baay;

5) The Adasen tribe settled in Lagayan, some barangays of

Lagangilang, some barangays of San Juan, and Tineg;

6) The Agta settled in Barangay Marugnoy of Villaviciosa;

7) The Ammutan/Muyadan tribe settled in Barangays Catacdegan

and Nuevo of Manabo;
8) The Balatok tribe occupied barangays Amti, Kilong-olaw and
Danak of Boliney;

9) The Belwang tribe settled in Barangay Dao-angan of Boliney and

Baklingayan of Tubo;

10)The Inlaud tribe settled in some barangays of: Lagangilang,

Peñarrubia, Bucay, Langiden, San Isidro, San Quintin and Danglas,
and barangay Lumaba, Villaviciosa;
11)The Maeng tribe settled in Luba, Tubo, some barangays of
Villaviciosa, and barangays San Ramon and Ayyeng Manabo;

12)The Masadiit tribe settled in Sallapadan, Bucloc and Barangays

of Bawiyan, and Dumagas of Boliney.
According to the 2015 Census of Population of the Philippine Statistic
Authority, Abra has a population of 241,000. Its population growth rate
from 2010-2015 is 0.52. Abra has the 10 least populous city/municipality
namely: Daguioman, Bucloc, Langidan, Lacub, Malibcong, Boliney,
Danglas, Lagayan, San Isidro and Licuan-Baay (Licuan).

Abra’s inhabitants are mostly descendants of Ilocano settlers and members

of the Tingguian tribe. Based on the 2000 census survey, Ilocanos
comprised 71.94% (150,457) of the total provincial population of 209,146.
Tingguians came in second at 18.7% (39,115), while other ethnic groups in
the province were the Ibanag at 4.46% (9,334), Itneg at 3.17% (6,624), and
Tagalog at 0.42% (869). The predominant languages are Ilocano and Itneg.
 Lesson 2:
Peopling and Ethnolinguistic
Groups
Introduction
Tingguians have twelve ethnolinguistic groups, each
with their own dialects and cultural practices,
reflecting their origin, including Adasen, Agta,
Ammutan, Balatok, Banao, Binungan, Belwang,
Gubang, Inlaud, Mabaka, Maeng, and Masadiit.
As pointed out from the overview, the words 'Itneg' and 'Tingguians' are identical
terms which are used to describe the indigenous people in the province of Abra
owing to their topographical inhabited areas that are mostly from the outskirt
mountainous expanses. They are often coined as people from the highlands.
Reflecting upon this scenario, these two identical words, ‘Itneg or Tingguians’, are
often connoted as foreign nomenclatures because these terms were not emanated
from indigenous people of Abra. Fr. Cirillo Ortega, SVD, through an informal
interview assumed that the terms, ‘Itneg or Tingguians’, are essentially outsiders'
depictions of the indigenous inhabitants of Abra, and it is clear that the
descriptions did not come from them. Fr. Ortega stated that the original inhabitants
of Abra must have been known as 'Gimpong,' which is derived from the words
'gepeng or gopong,' that literally characterizes their typical uniformed haircuts in
which their hairs were cut on the front through around the back of their heads.
 Ethnolinguistic groups
1) The ethnolinguistic groups have traced their ancestors from
different groups and places. The Gubang of Malibcong hailed from
Balbalan, Kalinga;

2) the Mabaka of Malibcong and some barangays of Lacub tracked

their ancestry from Mabaka, Kalinga;

3) the Banao of Malibcong and Daguioman traced their origin from

Pantikian, Kalinga.
4) The Binongan Tribes of Lacub and Licuan-Baay claimed that they
came from Lubuagan, Balatok and Guinaang of upper Kalinga.

5) The Belwang of Dao-angan Boliney claimed that their ancestors

came from Belwang and Sadangga, Mt. Province; while the

6) Maeng of Tubo, Luba and Villaviciosa share commonality in their

physical characteristics and dialect with the Kankana-ey of Mt.
Province.

7) The Agta of Marugnoy Villaviciosa hailed from Apayao.

8) The Masadiit believed that their ancestors came from Kalinga and Mt.
Province.

9) The Adasen of Tineg, Lagayan and Pabaca of northern Lagangilang believed

to have come down from Conner Apayao due to the similarity of their dialect
with the Isneg.

10) The Balatok of barangays Amti, Kilong-olaw and Danak of Boliney came
from Balatok, Kalinga.

11) The Inlaud with the biggest population are believed to have come from
Tamag, Vigan and the interior towns of Ilocos Sur and who followed upstream
the Abra River and have settled in the new area.
One can therefore conclude that the ancestors of the Tingguians
moved to Abra, passing through the boundaries in search of a
peaceful place, fertile lands and hunting grounds.
Lesson 3: Education and Social
Institutions
 Abra, a politico-military province, was established in 1846 and later re-
annexed to Ilocos Sur in 1905. Its civil government was established in 1901 but
remained a sub-province for 12 years. The people of Abra are called Tingguian,
meaning mountain dwellers, and Itneg, meaning inside. The Itnegs live in
Abra's far-flung areas, while the Tingguians are assimilated into the llocanos
population.
Schools were established to justify colonial rule and to develop educated
colonial subjects to speed up the process of integration. Since the village
council of elders' system has been integrated into the national political system,
the village council has little influence unlike before. However, the people still
stick to their customs and traditions and this is where the village council comes
in.
The Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology (ASIST) was established
in 1908 as an industrial school by American educator Mr. Amos Allen. It was
later renamed Lagangilang Farm School in 1911 and financed by the National
Government under the Philippine Commission. The Divine Word College of
Bangued, founded in 1920 by Catholic priest Theodore Buttenbruch, was a
coeducational school in Bangued, initially named Colegio del Sagrado Corazon
but later renamed Divine Word College of Bangued.

By the year 1948, another college school was established which is the Abra
Valley Junior College. The school was later renamed to Abra Valley College. In
1994, its name was again changed to Abra Valley Colleges. It is an academic
institution located in Bangued, Abra, Philippines, which offers courses in
nursing, criminology, hospitality and restaurant management, and law.
 Lesson 4:
The Tingguians’ Music and
Dances
Introduction
The terms 'Itneg' and 'Tingguians' are often used to describe the
indigenous people in Abra province, primarily from mountainous
areas. These terms are often considered foreign, as they were not
originating from the indigenous people. Tingguians' ritualistic
practices include time-honored songs, music, and dances,
expressing their attachment to their culture and traditions.
 The Tingguian’s Music and
Dances
The uggayam, adding, and dangu are traditional Filipino songs sung during special
occasions like pangili, marriage, Bodong, and waksi celebrations. They are performed
by elders with good philosophies and charismatic voices, and are a privilege. The tadok
or tadek is a religious dance performed by a pair of men and women, followed by a
handshake. The tadok symbolizes friendship, love, respect, and acceptance. The pallo-
ok or pattong is a dance composed of twelve men percussing gongs, and the women
either place both hands on their waists or stretch their hands higher on their shoulders.
The alaba-ab, dallong, and inam-maga are sung during burial rituals and periods,
expressing agonizing and lamenting sentiments on the passing of the person. These
songs cannot be chanted during festive celebrations.
 The Forgotten Da-eng Dance of
the Tingguians
Fay-Cooper Cole's study on the Tinguian Tribe's social, religious, and
economic life described the Daeng Dance as sacred. The ceremonial
dance, performed at night with a song, involves equal numbers of men
and women. The women form a line, swing their bodies backwards
and forwards, and break into song while moving forward. The men
follow the same pattern, advancing and withdrawing multiple times
before creating a circle.
Thank
you!
By Claudia Alves