Topic 8

Indigenous People
of Luzon
Members
Acop, Florence Jay G.
Alambatin, Reigns M.
Albon, Hana H.
Bagaipo, Swirt Ann M.
Batucan, Angelou R.
Bautista, Aljhon G.
Cagatin, Jumel A.
 IFUGAO
The Ifugao Tribe is an indigenous
ethnic group in the Philippines
known for their ancient and
intricate rice terraces, often
referred to as the "Eighth Wonder
of the World." As of 2021, the
Ifugao population is estimated to be
around 200,000 maintaining a
distinct cultural identity despite
modern influences.
IFUGAO
Location
The ifugao tribe are the ethnic group inhabiting
Ifugao Province. They reside in the municipalities
of Lagawe (capital of Ifugao), Aguinaldo,
Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon,
Hungduan, Kiangan, Lamut, Mayoyao, and Tinoc.
The province is one of the smallest provinces in
the Philippines with an area of only 251,778
hectares, or about 0.8% of the total Philippine land
area.

Occupation
Their traditional occupation revolves
around agriculture, with a strong focus on
rice cultivation. The breathtaking Ifugao
Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, exemplify their advanced knowledge
of terrace farming.
IFUGAO
Attire
Men wear a loincloth (wanoh) while women wear a
wraparound skirt (ampuyo, also known as tapis). On
special occasions, men wear a betel bag (pinuhha) and
their bolo (gimbattan).

Beliefs and Practices

The Ifugao have a rich cultural heritage deeply
rooted in animistic beliefs. They believe in an array
of spirits inhabiting nature, and rituals are performed
to appease these spirits for a bountiful harvest and
protection from malevolent forces. The "Hudhud," a
UNESCO-recognized epic chant, plays a crucial role
in preserving their myths, legends, and cultural
history.
 Dialects and Phrases:
Sample phrases in Ifugao
There are four main dialects of
Ifugao: Batad Ifugao, Amganad
Ifugao, Mayoyao Ifugao and
Tuwali Ifugao, which are
considered as separate languages
by some.
• Hipay ngadan nu? (What is your name ?)
• Piga? (How much?)
• Hipay oras mu? (What time is it?)
• n-English? (Can you speak English?)
• Mabalin tulungan mirak? (Can you help me?)
• Mayat ni aghapa (Good morning)
• Mayat ni magiwid (Good afternoon)
• Mayat ni malabi (Good night)
IFUGAO
Current Issues
As of 2023, one of the significant challenges facing the
Ifugao Tribe is the impact of climate change on their
traditional farming practices. Changes in weather
patterns, increased temperatures, and unpredictable
rainfall affect the delicate balance required for the rice
terraces to thrive. The Ifugao people are grappling with
finding sustainable solutions to preserve their
agricultural heritage while adapting to the changing
environmental conditions. NGOs and local authorities
are working together to implement conservation and
climate-resilient farming practices to mitigate these
challenges and ensure the continued existence of the
Ifugao Rice Terraces.

IFUGAO
 IVATAN
The Ivatan people are an ethnic group
residing in the northernmost part of the
Philippines, particularly in the Batanes
Islands. As of 2021, their population
remains relatively small, with around
20,000 individuals. The Ivatans are
known for their unique cultural
heritage, distinct customs, and
resilience in the face of the challenges
posed by their remote island location.
IVATAN
Location
The Ivatans primarily inhabit the Batanes
group of islands, which is situated in the
Luzon Strait, between the Philippines and
Taiwan.

Occupation
Their main occupations revolve around
agriculture, fishing, and craftsmanship. Due
to the limited arable land and challenging
maritime conditions, the Ivatans have
developed specific farming techniques and
fishing practices suited to their
environment.
IVATAN
Attire
Vakul is the attire for women while Kanayi is the
vest for men, combined with salakot

Beliefs and Practices

The Ivatan people have a rich cultural tapestry
deeply rooted in their seafaring history. They
practice a blend of indigenous animism and
Christianity, with a strong connection to nature.
Traditional Ivatan houses, known as "stone houses,"
are built to withstand typhoons and earthquakes,
showcasing their practical wisdom and architectural
skills. They also have unique rituals and celebrations
related to their agricultural cycles and fishing
seasons.
 Dialects and Phrases:

Sample phrases in Ivatan

Hello - Kapian capa nu dios

The Ivatans speak Ivatan, dialect How are you? - Ara ca mangu?
with variations across the Batanes
Islands. Here are five phrases in I am fine - Taytu aco a mapia
Ivatan: I am not fine - Ara coava mapia

Thank you - Dios mamajes

IVATAN
Current Issues
As of the latest information in 2023, the Ivatan people
are facing a significant challenge related to climate
change. The rising sea levels and increased frequency of
typhoons in the region have led to concerns about the
vulnerability of their low-lying islands. The erosion of
coastlines and the potential impact on agriculture and
fishing threaten the traditional way of life for the Ivatan
people. Efforts are being made to implement sustainable
practices and infrastructure improvements to mitigate
these challenges and ensure the long-term resilience of
the community.

IVATAN
GADDANG
he Gaddang people are actually
calmer compared to their
neighboring tribes. Typically
categorized between highlanders and
lowlanders, Gaddangs occupy parts
of the Cagayan Valley region, mostly
in Central Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya,
Quirino, and Cagayan.
GADDANG
Location
The Gaddang people traditionally inhabit the
provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela in
the northern part of Luzon, Philippines.

Occupation
They are primarily an agrarian community,
engaging in farming activities such as rice
cultivation and livestock raising. The
Gaddang are known for their resilience and
adaptability to the challenging terrain of
their homeland.
GADDANG
Attire
The traditional costume for the Gaddang male is the G-
string. The G-string is held by a girdle, whose flap is
weighted on the hem by beaded tassles. An upper
collarless, short garment may also be worn, together
with headkerchiefs.

Beliefs and Practices

The Gaddang people hold a blend of animistic and
Christian beliefs. They believe in spirits residing in
natural elements like rivers, mountains, and trees.
Rituals and ceremonies often accompany important
life events, such as births, marriages, and harvests.
Christianity, introduced during the Spanish colonial
period, has also left a significant imprint on their
religious practices.
 Dialects and Phrases:

Sample phrases in Gaddang:

Gaddangs speak the language of the
same name, Gaddang, while also
communicating through the lingua
franca of Northern Luzon, Ilocano.
Their primary language is closely
related to the Agta, Atta, Ibanag, Isneg,
Itawis, Malaweg, and Yogad languages,
with approximately 30,000 speakers.
• Good morning. – Makasta a daddaramat/nalawad
agigibbat.
• Good afternoon. – Makasta a fuwab/nalawad a fuwab.
• Good evening/night. – Makasta a gaffi/nalawad a gafi.
• How are you? – Manantaw ka?
• I'm good and you? – Mappia ak pay, ikka ay?

GADDANG
Current Issues
As of 2023, one of the pressing issues facing the
Gaddang community is the impact of environmental
changes on their agricultural practices. Climate change
has led to unpredictable weather patterns, affecting crop
yields and the overall stability of their livelihoods.
Increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as
typhoons and droughts, poses a significant threat to their
agricultural sustainability. Community leaders and
environmental advocates are working together to
implement adaptive strategies and seek support for
sustainable development initiatives.

GADDANG
KALINGA
The Kalinga are an indigenous
people whose ancestral territories lie
in the Cordillera Mountains of the
northern Philippines. They are
mainly found in Kalinga province
with an area of ​3 ,282.58 square
kilometers. However, some of them
have already migrated to the
mountain states of Apayao, Cagayan
and Abra. The Kalinga population
numbered 163,167 in 2010.
KALINGA
Location
The Kalinga people (IPA: [kaliŋɡa]) are an
indigenous ethnic group whose ancestral
domain is in the Cordillera Mountain Range
of the northern Philippines. They are mainly
found in Kalinga province which has an area
of 3,282.58 sq. km.

Occupation
hey are known for their agricultural
practices, cultivating rice terraces, and
engaging in traditional weaving.
Additionally, some Kalinga communities
have embraced tourism as a means of
sharing their rich culture with the world.
KALINGA
Attire
The traditional clothing of Kalinga men includes a bahag,
a loincloth made from woven fabric or animal hide, and a
turban or headscarf.The traditional clothing of Kalinga
women is characterized by its bright colors and intricate
designs. Women wear a long-sleeved blouse called a
bado, which is often embroidered with intricate designs
and patterns.

Beliefs and Practices

The Kalinga people have a strong connection to nature and
maintain animistic beliefs, venerating ancestral spirits and
natural elements. Rituals and ceremonies often accompany
important life events, such as birth, marriage, and death. The
community is also known for its distinctive body art, where
both men and women display intricate tattoos that signify
various achievements and life stages.
 Dialects and Phrases:

Sample phrases in Kalinga:

What is your name ? - Ngi ngadan nu?

How much? - Piga?
Can i ask a question? - Makua animusak?
The Kalinga people speak Kalinga Where is this? - Ngi anna?
What time is it? - Ngi oras sinsana? / Ngi orason?

KALINGA
Current Issues

The Kalinga peoples' valleys were also threatened by

infrastructure projects proposed by the Philippines
government which endangered their communities, sacred
places, rice terraces, livelihoods, and natural heritage.

KALINGA
TINGUIAN
The Kalinga are an indigenous
people whose ancestral territories lie
in the Cordillera Mountains of the
northern Philippines. They are
mainly found in Kalinga province
with an area of ​3 ,282.58 square
kilometers. However, some of them
have already migrated to the
mountain states of Apayao, Cagayan
and Abra. The Kalinga population
numbered 163,167 in 2010.
KALINGA
Location
The Kalinga people (IPA: [kaliŋɡa]) are an
indigenous ethnic group whose ancestral
domain is in the Cordillera Mountain Range
of the northern Philippines. They are mainly
found in Kalinga province which has an area
of 3,282.58 sq. km.

Occupation
hey are known for their agricultural
practices, cultivating rice terraces, and
engaging in traditional weaving.
Additionally, some Kalinga communities
have embraced tourism as a means of
sharing their rich culture with the world.
KALINGA
Attire
The traditional clothing of Kalinga men includes a bahag,
a loincloth made from woven fabric or animal hide, and a
turban or headscarf.The traditional clothing of Kalinga
women is characterized by its bright colors and intricate
designs. Women wear a long-sleeved blouse called a
bado, which is often embroidered with intricate designs
and patterns.

Beliefs and Practices

The Kalinga people have a strong connection to nature and
maintain animistic beliefs, venerating ancestral spirits and
natural elements. Rituals and ceremonies often accompany
important life events, such as birth, marriage, and death. The
community is also known for its distinctive body art, where
both men and women display intricate tattoos that signify
various achievements and life stages.
 Dialects and Phrases:

Sample phrases in Kalinga:

What is your name ? - Ngi ngadan nu?

How much? - Piga?
Can i ask a question? - Makua animusak?
The Kalinga people speak Kalinga Where is this? - Ngi anna?
What time is it? - Ngi oras sinsana? / Ngi orason?

KALINGA
Current Issues

The Kalinga peoples' valleys were also threatened by

infrastructure projects proposed by the Philippines
government which endangered their communities, sacred
places, rice terraces, livelihoods, and natural heritage.

KALINGA
 Tinggian/Itneg
• The Itneg (exonym "Tinguian" or "Tingguian") are an Austronesian ethnic group from the

upland province of Abra in northwestern Luzon, Philippines.

• the group has been classified into several subgroupings: Adassen, Binongan, Inlaod,

Masadiit, Aplai, Banao, Gubang, Maeng, Luba, and Balatok, although the latter might be a

Kalinga group. The population range is 51,422 with concentrations in the towns of Tubo

(4,535), Manabo (3,250), Sallapadan (3,525), San Quintin (3,370), Luba (4,746), and

Boliney (3,694) in the province of Abra (NSO 1990). Outside Abra, they number most in

Ilocos Sur (4,920) and Iloilo (1,113).

 Tinggian/Itneg
• The women dress in a wrap-around skirt (tapis) that reaches to the knees

and fastened by an elaborately decorated belt. They also wear short sleeved

jacket on special occasions.

• The men, on the other hand, wear a G-string (ba-al) made of woven cloth

(balibas). On special occasions, the men also wear a long-sleeved jacket

(bado). They also wear a belt where they fasten their knife and a bamboo
hat with a low, dome-shaped top. Beads are the primary adornment of the

Tingguians and a sign of wealth

 Tinggian/Itneg
• The Itnegs believe in the existence of numerous supernatural powerful beings.

They believe in spirits and deities, the greatest of which they believe to be

Kadaklan who lives up in the sky and who created the earth, the moon, the

stars, and the sun. The Itnegs believe in life after death, which is in a place they

call maglawa. They take special care to clean and adorn their dead to prepare

them for the journey to maglawa. The corpse is placed in a death chair

(sangadel) during the wake

 • Marriage
Tinggian/Itneg
- the Itnegs’ marriage are arranged by the parents and are usually between
distant relatives in order to keep the family close-knit and the family wealth
within the kinship group. The parents select a bride for their son when he is six to
eight years old, and the proposal is done to the parents of the girl. If accepted, the
engagement is sealed by tying beads around the girl's waist as a sign of
engagement. A bride price (pakalon) is also paid to the bride's family, with an
initial payment and the rest during the actual wedding. No celebration
accompanies the Itneg wedding and the guests leave right after the ceremony.
 Tinggian/Itneg
• Tattoos

- Among the Itneg people, tattoos are known as

burik. Tattooing is commonly practiced by both men
and women, who were among the most profusely
tattooed ethnic groups of the Philippines. Burik
traditions are extinct today.
 Tinggian/Itneg
• Cuisine

- Rice is extensively grown by the Itneg. There are two types of practices for rice

cultivation namely wet-rice cultivation and swidden/kaingin. Corn is also planted as

a major subsistence and as a replacement for rice. Other products consumed are

camote, yams, coconut, mango, banana and vegetables. Sugarcane is planted to

make wine usually consumed during traditional rituals and ceremonies. Pigs and

chickens are consumed for food or for religious rituals while carabaos are killed

during large celebrations. Hunting wild animals and fishing is also prevalent. Eel

and other freshwater fish such as paleleng and ladgo (lobster) are caught to make

viands for most families.

Dialect
Tinggian/Itneg
- The native Itneg language is a South-Central Cordilleran dialect continuum. Which consists

of:
• Liquan-Baai, Abra Province. 7,500 speakers

• Inlaod Itoneg: some villages in the municipalities of Penyalbia, Lagangiran, Dunglas and

Rangiden in Abra province. 9,000 speakers

• Itoneg Men: Luba, Tubo, Villaviciosa Municipalities, Abra. 18,000 speakers.

• Masadit Itoneg: Municipalities of Sarapadan, Bukurok, Bolini and Abra. It is also located in

the western border area of ​Kalinga province. 7,500 speakers. The dialects are Bolini and

Sarapadan.
• Moyadan Itonegu: Abra. However, Ronald Himes (1997) recognizes two dialects of Itoneg:

Binongan (eastern) and Inlaod (western).

-
 Tagbanwa
• The Tagbanwa people are (Tagbanuwa, Apurahuano,

Tagbanua, Kalamian, Calamiano, Kalamianon,

Kalamianen, Tangdula’nen, Silanga’nen, Tagbanoua)
dominant and one of the oldest ethnic groups in the
Philippines, and can be mainly found in the central and
northern Palawan.
 Tagbanwa
The traditional costumes of the Tagbanwa were fashioned from the bark of
trees, particularly the salugin. In the past, menfolk wore simple loincloths,
supported by a woven rattan waistband called ambalad, while women wore only
brief wraparound skirts made from bark. The Tagbanua later adopt some articles
of Muslim clothing. At present, while many Tagbanwa still wear their
traditional apparel, western-type clothing has found its way among the people.
 Tagbanwa
Research has shown that the Tagbanwa are possible descendants of the Tabon Man, thus making
them one of the original inhabitants of the Philippines. They are a brown-skinned, slim, and straight-
haired ethnic group.
There are two major classifications based on the geographical location where they can be found.
Central Tagbanwas are found in the western and eastern coastal areas of central Palawan. They are
concentrated in the municipalities of Aborlan, Quezon, and Puerto Princesa. Calamian Tagbanwa, on
the other hand, are found in Baras coast, Busuanga Island, Coron Island and in some parts of El Nido
. These two Tagbanwa sub-groups speak the same languages but different tone and pronunciation and
do not exactly have the same customs.
 Tagbanwa
The indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagbanwa people include the religious beliefs, mythology, and
superstitions that have shaped the Tagbanwa way of life. It shares certain similarities with that of other
ethnic groups in the Philippines, such as in the belief in heaven, hell, and the human soul.

The Tagabanwa tribe has four major deities:

• Magindusa or Nagabacaban - the lord of the heavens who sits up in the sky and lets his feet dangle
below, above the earth
• Polo - benevolent god of the sea; whose help is invoked during the time of illness
• Sedumunadoc - god of the earth, whose favor is sought in order to have a good harvest
• Tabiacoud - god of the underworld in the deep bowels of the earth
 Tagbanwa
The formal history of the Tagbanwa tribe began in 1521 when Magellan's ships docked in Palawan for
provisions. Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler, recorded that the Tagbanwa practiced the ritual of
blood compact, cultivated their fields, hunted with blowpipes and thick wooden arrows, valued brass rings and
chains, bells, knives, and copper wire for binding fish hooks, raised large and very tame cocks for fighting, and
distilled rice wine.
Until the latter part of the 17th century, southern Palawan was under the jurisdiction of the Sultan of Brunei
, leading to friction between Spaniards and the Sultan. During this time, and for almost three hundred years, the
Spaniards and the Muslims of Sulu, Mindanao, Palawan, and north Borneo were at war.
In the 19th century, the Tagbanwa continued to believe in their native gods. Each year, a big feast is
celebrated after each harvest to honor their deities.
 Tagbanwa
Other spirits inhabit the forests and environment, and belief in their existence necessitates rituals to placate
them or gain their favor. The babaylan performs rituals of life, from birth to death. It is believed that there is a
deity who accompanies the soul of the dead to its final destination. Hunters invoke the assistance of the spirits
of the dead relatives in asking the owners of the wild pigs to allow their hunting dogs to locate the prey. A mutya
(charm) is commonly used to help its possessor succeed in the hunt.

The group is known for their highly involved ritual, the pagdiwata, which is held in celebration of different
occasions: a bountiful harvest, weddings, and others. The ritual includes the drinking of rice wine using bamboo
straws from stoneware jars traded in from China. The group, too, is one of the few remaining ethnic groups that
still utilize their own syllabic writing. Slash-and-burn cultivation is the primary subsistence source.
 Tagbanwa
The Tagbanwa people have their own native languages (Aborlan Tagbanwa, Calamian Tagbanwa, and
Central Tagbanwa) and writing system, however, they are also proficient in speaking the
Palawano language and several other dialects like Tandulanon, Silanganon, and Baras in each locality,
while a significant number of them can comprehend Tagalog, Batak, Cuyonon, and Calawian languages.
 Tagbanwa
The main crop in swiddens is rice, although cassava is a preferred staple. Rice is a ritual food and
considered a divine gift from which ritual wine is fermented. Corn is intercropped with rice and others like
taro, cassava, and sweet potato. Fishing is an important subsistence source, together with hunting. Income
is also partially obtained from forest resources like copal, rattan, and wax. Metal craft is done with the
double-bellows forge. The Tagbanwa are one of the few peoples who still use the blowgun.
While kinship is reckoned bilaterally, there is a bias towards the matrilineal side in terms of residence
after marriage. Relationships with affines are tenuous such that “in-law avoidance” is practiced.