GE 15 LECTURE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN LUZON

IGOROT
Igorot is the mainstream, collective name of several of the tribes in the Cordilleras. The
provinces that make up Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga,
Ifugao, and Mountain Province.
The Igorots are Austronesians. They were known in earlier days because of their wars and practice
of headhunting. The Spaniards forcibly partially subdued them during the colonial occupation of
the Philippines.
Customs/Traditions
Cultural elements common to the Igorot people as a whole include metalworking in iron and brass,
weaving and animal sacrifice. They believe in spirits including those ancestors and have complex
rituals to propitiate them.
Arts and Crafts
Igorots are known for various forms of artworks. Cultural elements common to the Igorot people
as a whole include metalworking in iron and brass, weaving.
TINGUIAN
They reside in the provinces of Abra, Ilocos Sur, and Iloilo, with concentrations in the
municipalities of Tubo, Manabo, Sal-lapadan, San Quintin, Luba, and Boliney.
Tinguian is an Austronesian ethnic group from the upland province of Abra in northwestern
Luzon, in the Philippines. “Tinguian” is used synonymously with the word “Itneg,” derived from iti
uneg, which literally means “the interior.”
One theory about it is that Tinguian originally inhabited the coastal areas and are the
predecessors of the precolonial Ilocano. These people would later move into what is now the
province of Abra, where they intermarried with the older population.
Customs/Traditions
Tinguian life, as projected in the cycle of life after death, is characterized by the spirit of
community, linkageand connectedness. They shared a comon life and guided by a common
percepts.
Arts and Crafts
Tinguians are engaged in bamboo crafts production. Abra is positioning itself as the Bamboo
Capital of the Philippines.
ISNEG
The term “Isneg” derives from a combination of “is” meaning “recede” and “uneg” meaning
“interior.” Thus, it means “people who have gone into the interior.”
The Isneg’s ancestors are believed to have been the proto-Austronesians who came from South
China thousands of years ago. Later, they came in contact with groups practicing jar burial, from
whom they adopted the custom.
Customs/Traditions
Throughout the year, rituals play a central role in the social life of the Isneg. Their rituals are
often very festive occasions. Everyone in the Isneg community prepares and looks forward to the
feasts observed during the year, which are related to the most important events in the Isneg’s life:
marriage, illness, death, harvest, farewells, political negotiations, or honoring family members for
achievements.
Arts and Crafts
Unlike other groups, the Isneg have no traditional or indigenous knowledge of cloth weaving or
pottery making. The only decorative art that the Isneg have developed from earliest times is
tattooing. There are names for the various types of tattoos.
There are also sipattals which are tribal ornaments, worn only by the Isneg tribe in North Luzon
in the Phillippines.
KALINGA
The Kalinga people are an indigenous ethnic group whose ancestral domain is in the Cordillera
Mountain Range of the northern Philippines.
The name "Kalinga" is derived from the term kalinga, which in Ibanag and Gaddang means
"enemy," "warrior," or "headhunter." The Kalinga and other Cordillera peoples are believed to have
arrived in separate migrations from southeastern or eastern Asia.
Some of them, however, already migrated to Mountain Province, Apayao, Cagayan, and Abra.
Customs/Traditions
The Kalinga have a rich cultural heritage that is expressed through dance, song, and artisanal
work. To settle tribal disputes, they still uphold the "bodong," or peace pacts, among the sub-tribes.
Nowadays, visitors from all over the world come to the province to study the traditional "batok" or
hand-tapped tattooing technique.
Arts and Crafts
The Kalinga people cultivate a variety of trees as well as use pottery, metal works, fabric and
basket weaving, and other crafts to maintain their economic activity. They are well known for their
exquisite beaded jewelry and hand-woven fabrics.
Kalinga body art and tattoos have a long, rich history, that inextricably ties it to the life and
culture of the indigenous community.
BONTOC
They are found in the Mountain Province of the Cordillera mountain ranges in the upper Chico
river region.
Living in and around the town of Bontoc in the Cordillera of Luzon, the Bontoks speak a
number of closely related languages. They historically resided in large cities or villages (commonly
referred to as "pueblos") and farmed rice using an advanced system of terraces.
They are believed to have first entered Luzon following the Cagayan River, then Chico River into
the Cordillera mountain, and finally settled along the river where they are located today.
Customs/Traditions
Bontoc is home to the Bontoc tribe, a feared war-like group of indigenous people who actively
indulged in tribal wars with its neighbors until the 1930s. Every Bontoc male had to undergo a rite
of passage into manhood, which may include headhunting, where the male has to journey and hunt
for a human head.
Arts and Crafts
The Bontoc work metal and make spear blades with double-piston bellows. Each villages has
traditionally specialized in a single craft: baskets, pottery, beeswax, fermented sugar cane juice,
spear blades and breech clothes.
IBALOI
The Ibaloi are an indigenous ethnic group found in Benguet Province of the northern Philippines.
The Ibaloi are distributed in the mountain valleys and settlements. Their ancestors are likely to
have originated from the Lingayen and Ilocos coasts, who then migrated into the Southern
Cordillera range before settling. Ancestral land claims by Ibaloi communities include parts of
Baguio.
Customs/Traditions
Ibaloi society is composed of the rich and three poor classes, the cowhands (pastol), farmhands
(silbi), and non-Ibaloi slaves (bagaen). The Ibaloi have a rich material culture, most notably their
mummification process, which makes use of saltwater to prevent organ decomposition.
Arts and Crafts
In old times, both men and women used bark cloth to cover their private parts and, until the
Spanish colonial period, wore batek (tattoos). The ink used is made of pig’s bile and biyog or soot.
The favorite design was the lizard figure, the Ibaloy symbol for the anito. Originally meant to identify
one’s tribal origins, tattoos now have a purely ornamental purpose. They are also engaged in basket
weaving and woodcarving.
KANKANA-EY
The group of Kankana-ey lives in western Mountain Province, nothern Benguet, northeastern La
Union and southeatern Ilocos Sur.
Kankanaey, also Kankanay, Kankanai, and Kankana-i, refers to the culture and the people who
primarily reside in Benguet and Mountain Province of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
There are two Kankanaey groups: the northern Kankanaey, also called Lepanto Igorot, and
the southern Kankanaey. Both northern and southern Kankanaey have always been rice terrace
agriculturists.
Customs/Traditions
They practice bilateral kinship. The Northern Kankana-eys believe in supernatural beliefs and
omens, in gods, spirits like anito and nature spirits.
Arts and Crafts
Kanykanaeys are engaged in blacksmithing, basketry and weaving.
IFUGAO
The Ifugaos are among the ethnic groups living in northern Luzon, particularly in the Cordillera
region.
A tribe of wet-rice farmers known as the Ifugao live in the Philippines' hilly northern Luzon
region. They share the same Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language as their neighbors and are
of Malay ancestry, but they have also developed a variety of distinctive cultural traits.
Customs/Traditions
The core element of Ifugao customs and traditions is rice, which is a high-value crop. An
elaborate and detailed variety of rice culture feasts, from rice planting to rice consumption, are
closely interwoven with taboos and complex agricultural ceremonies.
Arts and Crafts
Woodcarving, textile weaving, basketry, carpentry and blacksmithing are the most widely-practiced
of the arts.

ITAWES
The Itawes is one of the indigenous groups of Isabela, Philippines. In Cagayan Valley, two groups
of Itawes are found: one from the Province of Cagayan and the other, from Echague, Isabela.
Some resides in southern Cagayan province in watershed of Chico and Matalag rivers.
The Itawes are among the earliest inhabitants of the Cagayan Valley in northern Luzon. Their
name is derived from the Itawes prefix i- meaning "people of" and tawid or "across the river".
Other than their mother tongue, they speak ibanag and Ilocano. They are not very different from
other lowland Christianized Filipino ethnic groups in terms of livelihood, housing and traditions.
Customs/Traditions
Itawes have a similar culture to the Ibanag, although they choose to live in remote little towns
instead of cities. During the colonial era, they are known to have migrated into the regions to the
east and southwest of Cagayan.
Arts and Crafts
Pottery skills has been the major capital in making clay-products as a source of livelihood
among the Itawes tribe in our town.
MALAWEG
This group is concentrated in the municipality of Rizal, the general area formerly known as
Malaueg before the twentieth century in the province of Cagayan, and west about Conner in
Kalinga-Apayao.
“Malaueg“ is a dialect used in Rizal. It is somehow familiar to Itawes and Ybanag dialects. The
town was called Malaueg when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines.
Customs/Traditions
Like other indigenous groups, agriculture and fishing serves their main economic activities. One
of the many practices of Malaweg people is the “atang“.Atang is preparing something like foods or
anything for the soul of our love ones or other spirits whom they wanted to offer.
Arts and Crafts
One major highlight of the arts of Malaueg people is weaving.
YOGAD
Yogad is an Austronesian language spoken primarily in Echague, Isabela and other nearby
towns in the province in northern Philippines.
Yogad is a Philippine Indigenous language spoken by the Yogad Tribe of Echague and a few
neighboring towns in the province of Isabela. Named after Governor General Rafael de Echague, the
town was established during the period of Spanish colonization. Like the rest of the region, it thrives
mainly on agriculture, and is considered a first class municipality in terms of income.
Customs/Traditions
Concentrated in the town of Echague in Isabela, the Yogad speak one of the five recognized
dialects of Ga’dang (Gaddang proper, Yogad, Maddukayang, Katalangan, and Iraya). The people
practice intensive rice cultivation supplemented by corn and tobacco as cash crop.
They have various of rituals such as in wedding, churches, harvests, healing, etc.
Arts and Crafts
Yogads have a collection of folk songs which are stories about life and love. They are fond of
singing and dancing.
GADDANG
Many Gaddang live in the highlands of southeastern Kalinga-Apayao and eastern Bontok and
Isabela provinces. Other groups have abide in the middle Cagayan Valley on the eastern side of the
Cordillera, where tributaries of the river merge.
Gaddang comes from the word ga meaning "heat" and dang meaning "burned"; this likely
alludes to the fact that the Gaddang are generally darker of skin than other Cordillera peoples.
Customs/Traditions
Christianized Gaddang basically adhere to Christian norms of worship and ritual and no longer
practise the rites of anitu. Pre-Christian undercurrents, however, continue to run in Christian
devotions. The belief in God, for example, closely parallels the concept of Nanolay as the all-
benevolent creator.
Arts and Crafts
Covering major parts of the clothing with ornamentations such as beads, buttons, coins, and
shells is the Gaddang's way of beautifying their clothes, a contrast to their everyday attire which is
simple.
ISINAI
The Isinay are a small group found principally in the municipality of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya,
and Dupax Sur in Quirino province.
In 1572, one year after the capture of Manila, the Spaniards entered Cagayan Valley on the
north coast and made contact with the natives of the region.
“Isinay” is derived from the prefix i, meaning “native, resident, people of,” and sinai, a place
believed to have been inhabited by the early people of northern Luzon.
Customs/Traditions
Customs of the early Isinay concerning marriage reflect their high regard for elders. Parents were
responsible for choosing spouses for their children. his practice was called the purung.
The indigenous belief system of the Isinay consisted of spirits that inhabited their material and
spiritual worlds, some of which were visible to them.
Arts and Crafts
Historians’ regards the Isinai as the best weavers. The blankets, she says, are made from the
finest fabric and feature intricate designs. These are made for the exclusive use of the rich members
of the tribe.
BUGKALOT
Traditionally located at the junction of the Sierra Madre and the Caraballo mountains in the
headwaters of the Cagayan, Tabayon, and Conwap rivers in Luzon.
The tribe and language “Bugkalot” came from the root word “Ka-lot” meaning “interweave” or
“interwoven”. The term bugkalot was formerly "Ilongot" roughly translated as, “animists and head
hunters”, which was an appropriate description of their forefathers’ practices.
Their original and true tribal name “BUGKALOT” was declared as official name, when the over-all
organization of the Bugkalot clans, ‘Bugkalot Confederation’ was organized in 1967.
Customs/Traditions
 The “Bugkalot” like any other people have an innate pride in their unique culture. Their
lifestyle is generally interwoven as can be seen in the way they build their houses which must be
interwoven with rattan. Costumes and native attire must also be interwoven with many colorful
decorations. Evenn their artifacts are traditionally interwoven with rattan or bamboo and other
endemic natural materials like feathers, animal fur, etc.
Arts and Crafts
They have various of arts and best example is their rituals and feasts, marked by song and
dance, These are performed to solicit the blessings and protection of the gods. Moreover, daily
livelihood tasks as well as the life cycle—consisting of courtship, marriage, parenthood, and death—
present other venues for the Bugkalot performing arts.
AGTA
The Agta groups are located all along the eastern side of Luzon Island and in the provinces of
Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quirino, Quezon, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur. Some are also
found in Rizal, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Nueva Vizcaya.
The Agta people are hunter gather semi-nomads in the East Quezon province in Luzon.
The Agta came from the Negrito population that arrived sometime between 35,000 and 60,000
years ago. In precolonial times, they were hunters and gatherers who lived in harmony with nature.
For centuries, the Agta foraged every day for food, yet they left no negative impact on the
environment. Though they were also swiddenists or kaingineros, their activities were ecologically
sustainable.
Customs/Traditions
Most Aetas practice monotheism and are animists. They worship a Supreme Being and at the
same time, also believe in environmental spirits. They believe that various places in our
environment are being governed by both good and evil spirits.
As for their clothing, they wear plain and simple attire. Traditional Aetas, who are skilled in
weaving and plating, wear wrap around skirts or bark cloth (for women) and loin cloths for men.
Arts and Crafts
Agta women weave baskets and sleeping mats, and men make many types of fine arrow.
Permanent body decorations consist of designed scarring on the back (and sometimes the chest)
and teeth filing.
They are also into music and the arts – making use of ornaments as accessories and have
ensembles of instruments to create melodious rhythms.
DUMAGAT
They are found in the hillsides and mountains of Quezon, Bulacan, Rizal and Laguna provinces.
Dumagat people, a subgroup of Aeta people in Luzon, Philippines. A slang word used to
distinguish coastal Visayans from Lumads in Mindanao. Their ancestral origin is traced from
Negrito's which is one of the earliest inhabitants in the Philippines.
The term "Dumagat" is thought to be derived from the word "rumakat", "lumakat" or "lumakad"
which signifies the migration of early Negritos in Philippines by walking in land and not by the sea.
The Dumagat and Alta have a close relationship with their surroundings. All of their customary
means of life, including traditional farming, fishing, and hunting, are passed down to them from
their ancestors as part of the "Subkal'n- Is'suwi" culture.
Arts and Crafts
 The Dumagats delight in listening to music. They sing at celebrations, meetings, and
ceremonies. While traveling, working, or unwinding after the harvest, they sing the lovely rhymed
sections of their ilda while sipping lambanog, a wine that can be found nearby. Songs are sung to
commemorate the baptism of their children or to pay final respects to the deceased. Every feast
must have a fandango.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN VISAYAS

NORTHERN MANGYAN
TADYAWAN
The Tadyawan live on the eastern and northeastern edges of Mindoro, and are part of the island's
more general Mangyan culture. They live in settlements of five to twelve single-family houses, which
are situated on slopes near mountain streams and named after the oldest resident. They do not use
the island's Indic .Next is 4150 speak their language of the same name Tadyawan. The Tadyawan
language, also called Tadianan.
Lifestyle and Tradition
Tadyawan lifestyle is to go hunting and planting. Mangyan are mainly subsistence agriculturalists,
planting a variety of sweet potato, upland (dry cultivation) rice, and taro. They also trap small
animals and wild pig. Their households now have access to electricity, and while most members still
live in nipa huts, cement houses.
The Tadyawan Manygan tradition is to spread their stories through oral tradition. A select group of
stories were preserved in poems and written in syllabic Indic writing. These poems were carved into
materials like bamboo with a sharp object. Practicing oral tradition came with its own set of rules
for the Mangyans.
ALANGAN
The Alangan is one of the eight tribal groups under the umbrella term Mangyan is the tribe of
Alangan who are known for their unity, which is especially displayed by their balaylakoy or a house
they share with up to 20 families. They can be found mostly in Mount Halcon in northern Mindoro
Island, while some Alangans reside in the Lantuyan and Paitan.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Alangan Mangyans live in the municipalities of Naujan, Baco, San Teodoro, and Victoria in
Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro. The Mangyans spread
their stories through oral tradition. A select group of stories were preserved in poems and written in
syllabic Indic writing. These poems were carved into materials like bamboo with a sharp object.
Practicing oral tradition came with its own set of rules for the Mangyans.
IRAYA
The Iraya Mangyans are the indigenous peoples in the uplands of Northern Mindoro, Philippines.
They have a culture distinct from the lowland majority culture. Over the years, some communities
have embraced almost all of what the lowland culture provides and have turned their backs on the
traditional culture.
Lifestyle and Tradition
They thrive in swidden farming and nito-weaving. Existing peacefully in the shadows. But their
nomadic lifestyle is both by choice and by force. As an indigenous cultural community, the Irayas
can freely practice their tribal culture. They make it a habit to come down from the mountains and
join the lowlanders’ Christmas season festivities, as a good number of Irayas have converted to
Christianity. Aside from the modern employments of their educated members, the Iraya traditionally
sell handicrafts, as well as trade food and goods with locals.
Northern Mangyan Arts and Crafts
Northern Mangyans offers a rich artistic heritage to the history of pre-colonial Philippines. One of
their art is pakudos.Their art is an expression of social relations in their community hence the
adage, “Art for art’s sake” does not apply to them.
Another arts is the Ambahan, a rhythmic poetic expression with a meter of seven syllables
presented through recitation and chanting. A variation of this is the Urukay, wherein it uses eight
syllables instead. In their crafts they have iraya, bracelet and hunting bag.

SOUTHERN MANGYAN
BUHID
The Buhid, one of Mindoro's Mangyan civilizations, use two distinct dialects of the Mangyan Hindic
script and reside between the Batangans in the north and the Hanunoo in the south. This script is
used to record songs as well as ambalan or urukay, a sort of poetry, on bamboo slivers using stylii
or knives. With the help of guitars, fiddles, flutes, and/or jew's harps, these are performed. The
Buhid live in communities of five to twelve single-family homes, which are positioned on slopes
close to mountain streams and given the name of the eldest resident, like other Mangyan clans.
Lifestyle and Tradition
In contrast to the headhunting tribes of North Luzon and the valiant, defiant warrior tribes of the
South, Buhid's had peaceful communities. According to social scientists, some communities achieve
peace because their norms and values encourage peaceful behavior while decrying violent and
impulsive behavior.
TAOBUID
The Tau-buids are known as pipe smokers and even children begin smoking at a young age. The
Taubuid Mangyans are found within the municipalities of Socorro, Pinamalayan and Gloria, but
mostly they live in Occidental Mindoro.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Taubuid Mangyan, a conservative ethnic group living in the upper areas of Calintaan,
Occidental Mindoro lived mostly in isolation until roughly five years ago. Then, they decided to move
to the lowlands after hearing the words of a native clergyman. Aside from the missionary's
preaching, what moved them greatly was the Bible. Leaving their mountain fastness was a brave
decision for the tribe.
BANGON
The Bangon Mangyans are found along the Bongabong river called Binagaw and the surrounding
mountains located within the municipalities of Bongabong, Bansud, and Gloria in Oriental
Mindoro. The Bangon Mangyans have their own culture and language different from the other 6
major Mangyan tribes in Oriental Mindoro and also their writing system.The Bangons have asserted
that they be considered as the 7th major Mangyan tribe not as a sub-tribe of the Tau-buid
Mangyans. On March 28, 1996 in a meeting in Ogom Liguma together with Buhid Mangyans, they
decided to accept the word Bangon for their tribe.
Lifestyle and Tradition
Life in the Bangon villages are not much different from the Hanunoo villages we went to. Much of
the day is spent around planting and harvesting crops from the kaingin fields. This area had a lot of
bananas, however, so a good majority of the Bangon diet consisted of cooked bananas together with
their root crops. Some families would produce charcoal along side the river edge which they would
sell to lowlanders. Life is very simple from our point of view.
In the Bangon culture if a married man wants to leave his wife for another woman he simply has
pay his current wife a set amount of money. The man and woman will agree on a price, which isn’t
generally too much, and then the man can leave. It seemed like a fairly common thing to do and I
would say that most men in the community have had two or three wives in the past. There were a
lot of step brothers and sisters in the village.
HANUNUO
The Hanunoo Mangyans live in the towns of Bulalacao, Mansalay and some parts of Bongabong in
Oriental Mindoro, and in the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro. They, like the Buhids and
Hanunoo-Mangyans possess a pre-Spanish writing system, considered to be of Indic origin, with
characters, expressing the open syllables of the language. This syllabic writing system, called Surat
Mangyan, is still being taught in several Mangyan schools in Mansalay and Bulalacao.
Lifestyle and Tradition
Unlike other Mangyans, the Hanunuo aren't nomadic. Family are tightly knit and they value the
sense of togetherness in their community. They have no written laws but are guided by counsel and
advice passed down by their elders verbally. Dispute settlements between Mangyans are usually
done in the presence of their elders. The elders also serves as the judge who give appropriate
punishment for the offender.
Hanunuo means "genuine" or "true". When asking a Hanunuo what differentiates them from the
rest of the Mangyans, they claim to be the true Mangyan as they have remained faithful to their old
traditions. This includes the use of Hanunuo script which is a descendent of an ancient Sanskrit
alphabet. The Hanunuo Mangyans may also be distinguished by their rutay (clothing). Men usually
wear a ba-ag (a loin cloth) and balukas (shirt) while the women wear a ramit (indigo-dyed short
skirt) and lambung (blouse).
Southern Mangyans Arts and Crafts
The people living in Southern Mindoro during the pre-Hispanic era are exceptional in their weaving,
pottery, and system of writing.’’
Their clothing differs between genders. The male generally wears loincloths as covering for the lower
body whereas the female would wear a skirt and a shirt for the top.
PALAWAN
AGUTAYNEN
Agutaynens, originally came from the municipality of Agutaya. These groups of people are believed
to belong to the family of Austronesians and Malayo-Polynesians whose have a long inhabited the
province of Palawan.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Agutaynen tribe live in the northern part of the province of Palawan in the Agutaya Island.
Majority of them speak the Agutaynen dialect and lived by way of fishing, swidden farming, and
carpentry.
TAGNAWA
The tagnawa system was practiced among the Ilocanoes’ of yesteryears: a) on various farming
activities, b) on special events like weddings or burials, and c) for house construction, renovation
and repair.
Lifestyle and Tradition
This practice is the coming together of men and women around the neighborhood to help one
another during times requiring voluminous work, without thinking monetary remuneration in
return.

PALAW’AN
The Palaw’ans were originally nomadic, however, agrarian settlers began coming and occupying
their vast domain. The tribe used to exploit the most fertile piece of land and move on to the next
one; their family units were very small which was probably caused by high mortality rates.
Lifestyle and Tradition
They hunt wild animals using spears with lethal poison at the tip of it and catch fish by using a
special root sap that is diluted in a shallow river or stream. The Palaw’ans hardly domesticate
chickens nor hogs, they preferred dogs which comes very helpful during hunting.
The Palaw’ans have an animistic belief system, believing that all living things have a soul and that
humans should do our best to live in harmony with animals, plants, and nature. A central concern
for the Palaw’ans is how they can fulfill their own needs while remaining respectful of the spirits
that surround them.
MOLBOG
The Molbog is one of the Muslim Cultural minorities, a people group believed to have been migrants
from North Borneo. This group is also known as Malebugan or Molebuganon.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The livelihood includes subsistence farming, fishing and occasional barter trading with the Sulu
and nearby Sabah market centers. In the past, the Molbog were ruled by Sulu datus under the Sulu
Sultanate. Within the Molbog villages, they are led by religious leaders.
The Molbog were ruled by Sulu datus under the Sulu Sultanate. Within the Molbog villages, they
are led by religious leaders.The Molbog are Islamic in religion. The agricultural base of the people is
rather poor and the population density is very low. Cropping is combined with fishing for
subsistence. Coconut is the only commercial crop.
BATAK
The Batak, scattered in the central/northern portion of the island, are believed to be descended
from the first wave of Australoid populations which crossed the land bridges connecting the
Philippine Archipelago with the mainland of Asia around 45,000 – 50,000 years ago.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Batak were once a nomadic people, but have since, at the behest of the government, settled in
small villages. Still, they often go on gathering trips into the forest for a few days at a time, an
activity which has both economic and spiritual value for them.
TAU’T BATU
During the dry season each family has its own land and house within the valley. The name Tau’t
Bato was given to these people by President Marcos back in the 70’s because of their cave existence.
It was during this time that President Marcos made multiple visits to Singnapan valley to explore
the area.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Tau’t Bato live in caves or in open field dwellings. The Basic structure of architecture is a
sleeping platform called “da’tag” which is usually associated with a fireplace. A catch – all platform
(paga) is added to the basic structure depending on the size of the household.
Traditionally, the Tau’t Bato has no courtship. Pairing of children by their parents is the common
practice. They marry at a young age of nine and above for the girls and 15 and above for the boys.
The girl is already taken care of by the boy or by the man even before adolescence.

Palawan Arts and Crafts

They are also into arts and crafts. Transparent glass or plastic; colored, transparent cellophane that
is used in projects or crafts, like in making Christmas lanterns one of their made product.’’
Painting, weaving, and exhibitions were the major activities during the recently concluded event
that promotes the culture and arts of indigenous people in the island province of Palawan.

ASSIMILATED
CUYONIN
The Cuyonins you can encounter in the northern and central parts of the island of Palawan. It is
thought that the ancestors of this tribe in Malaysia and India came after they have settled in and
around the Cuyo archipelago. The Cuyo archipelago lies in the Sulu Sea and belongs to the province
of Palawan. From this island they have spread across the various islands nearby. A large number of
Cuyonons live in and around the capital, Puerto Princesa.
Lifestyle and Tradition
Cuyonins live on the basics and hardly complain. They are very resourceful and have found ways to
make the best of what they have like making tuba from coconut and cashew brittle their specialties.
Life is slow, timeless, and the epitome of “rural living” in its simplicity, the kind that grows on
people who visit the island. There is nothing to be lost in Cuyo except perhaps one’s heart.
Feasts are important in the culture of the Cuyunins. They revel many things, but the main
celebrations are weddings, birthdays and baptisms. They celebrate them using musical instruments
like the batungtung, palakupakan, lantoy, and subbing. Along with the music, they like to dance a
lot.
TAGBANWA
The Tagbanwa people (Tagbanwa) are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Philippines, and can be
mainly found in the central and northern Palawan. Research has shown that the Tagbanwa are
possible descendants of the Tabon Man, thus making them one of the original inhabitants of the
Philippines.
Lifestyle and Tradition
The Tagbanua practice slash-and-burn agriculture, growing dry maize, rice, millet, taro, sweet
potato and cassava. Fishing is the second main economic activity. They usually practice wild boar
hunting armed with spears and accompanied by dogs.
The Tagbanwa are noted for the complicated Pagdiwata ritual, held to celebrate various occasions
including bountiful harvests and weddings. The ritual involves the drinking of rice wine from
Chinese stoneware jars through bamboo straws.
KAGAYANEN
The Kagayanen or Kagay-anen inhabit Palawan Province, particularly in Cagayan Island between
Negros and Palawan, and Busuanga and Coron in the northern part of the province. Pockets of
Kagayanen also live in Iloilo Province, Silay in Negros Occidental, Danao in Antique and Barangay
Dagat-dagatan of Caloocan City in Metro Manila.

Lifestyle and Tradition

They are still primitive in their lifestyle,even in the way of dressing. The men still wear(Bahag) and
women wear cloth made into skirts to cover their body.They cropping cassava, sweetpotato,
sugarcane, malungay, garlic, pepper, squash, pineapple etc.
The primary religion practiced by the Kagayanen is Roman Catholicism, the largest branch of the
Christian church and one of the oldest religious institutions in the world. Roman Catholicism
teaches that it is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ and that its bishops are the
successors of Christ.
Assimilated Arts and Crafts
They excel in the number of designs they apply to their tingkop (harvest basket). These baskets are
made of blackened and natural bamboo, which makes the designs stand out.
Baskets and woodcarvings are the more notable products of artistic crafts today

TINGGUIAN BILATUK YOGAD ISNEG

BULUL BUGKALOT SWORD CASE URAYA AETA

MANGYAN SYSTEM PAKUDOS SIPATTAL KALINGA
OF WRITING