About Maranaos

The Maranaos, which means the "people of the lake", lived in isolation far from the sophisticated life of the cities. They settled around the edge of Lake Lanao, located at the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines. The lake is surrounded with myths and legends. A particularly interesting version says that before the Spanish regime, St. Francis Xavier came to Marawi to preach and convert the Muslims. He was said to have failed. Renowned Maranao Poet Datu Tingcap G. Pandi said that the word MERANAO is a compound word composed of MERA which means peacock and NAO which means awake. In other words, meranao means an awake peacock. Peacock was declared Indias National Bird in 1963. It is also considered the most beautiful bird in the world. The Maranaos are the largest Moro and cultural minority in the Philippines, numbering more than 840,000 in the late 20th century. They are known for their brasswork, fine mosques, rish raiment, exotic dances, and love for music. Usually artistic, the Maranao lavish elegant pageantry and celebration. Their festivals are rich in vivid hues of red and purple seen on bright banners and intricate silk malongs on both men and women. The most popular of the Maranao dances is the Royal Maranao Fan Dance called Kasingkil. It is named after the singuel or singkil, which are the ankle bells used by the Muslim princess and dancers. Singkil is performed by a girl of royal blood. It recounts the epic legend of the "Darangan" which is the fateful tale of diwatas (nymphs or fairies) that play a joke on Princess Gandigan. As the princess was taking a walk with her faithful slave (umbrella girl), the diwatas cause an earthquake that makes the trees tremble and the rocks roll. The bamboo symbolize the fallen trees, and create criscross pattern, tapping together to give the illusion of a violent natural catastrophe. Undaunted, the Princess nimbly skips from place to place avoiding this ordeal until she is finally rescued by the prince. The dancers use fans (or apir) and scarves to symbolize the winds that prove to be beneficial for the princess to successfully escape the trees and rocks from hitting her tiny feet. The spread of Islamic religion in Marawi, the capital of the province of Lanao del Sur, and the only chartered city in the country with predominantly Muslim population, followed the pattern in Indonesia and other Malay areas. It started with the coming of Arab traders, intermingling with the Maranaos and consequently establishing communities locally. The first contacts were primarily economic but the Muslim teachers and Islamic missionaries pursued the native traders with intensity, indoctrinating them with Islamic religion to strengthen their hold on the natives. Finally, the Maranao chieftains embraced Islamic religion and the people followed. Shortly thereafter Islam spread throughout the south. By the time the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, Islam had taken deep root throughout the south. The Maranao families are traditionally large. They are closeknit people that in a family with 10 members is considered small. Even in a wealthy family, married members of the same family tend to live in the same house. In some great Maranao merchant houses, the central room is shared by as many as six married families. The Maranaos are also known for their business acumen and commercial prowess. Among the Maranao, feudal standings once strictly defined and inclusive are still visible. The leading class is composed of sultans, datus and their closest kin, sometimes referred to as "of royal" in reference to their ancestors who were once the ruling sultans of Lanao. Many of them maintain their high positions because of wealth, land ownership and generally, political positions to which they are now elected or appointed

About Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte

The term Lanao is derived from a Maranao word "Ranao" meaning a body of water. Maranaos means "lake dweller". They are the natives of the place occupying the land around Lake Lanao which is situated at the Central part of Lanao del Sur. Lanao applies to the entire areas before its division. When it was divided into two provinces, the southern portion became Lanao del Sur and the northern part became Lanao del Norte known as "the land of sigayan". The Maranaos are the tribe of Malay-Arabic descent. They settled the area long before the advent of the Spaniards in the Philippines. They posses their own culture and civilization which makes them a different kind of Filipino. Their language, customs, traditions, religion, social system, music and other features are factors that make Lanao peculiar and distinct from other Philippine Provinces. Dansalan, Marawi's old name, was explored by the Spaniards as early as 1639. It is said that at the time, Marawi was already the citadel of Malayan-Arabic Culture in Mindanao. Feeling the pulse of strong refusal among its inhabitants to adopt Christianity, the Spaniards abandoned the project of colonizing the area. Dansalan, physically speaking, would have satisfactory qualifies to become a town or a municipality during the time of said exploration based on the Spanish Policy of "Ecclesiastical Administration" except for one factor - religion. Attempts were made later by foreigners to capture Lanao but fierce and fanatical resistance of the Maranaos to colonial rule had made the planting of Christianity in Dansalan unfulfilled desire. A strong Spanish expedition to conquer the Maranaos was fielded in 1891 during the time of Governor General Valeriano Wayler, but this force was driven back to Iligan to capture Dansalan. In 1895, Governor General Blanco sent a stronger force to take Marawi. Superior fire power forced the Dansalan defenders to leave the place. Here the conquerors established the garrison that remained until the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898. Spain claimed this event as its victory but the verdict of history revealed that while the Spaniards were able to erect a garrison in Dansalan, they failed to conquer its people who stubbornly refused to adhere to the colonial yoke of Spain. Muslim Religion and Maranao Culture remained intact and untarnished up to these days. On May 24, 1904, Dansalan was proclaimed a regular municipality by the American Colonial Government. The Philippines was still under the Commonwealth Regime of the Americans when Dansalan was chartered into a city in 1904, but World War II delayed its inauguration to September 30, 1950 and remained as Marawi City. Historically, immigrants who came from the Christian provinces of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon tended to settle in the Northern part of Lanao, while the Maranaos concentrated in the south. The latest survey shows that the Christian-Muslim ratio in the north is 60:40 in favor of the Christians, in the south 95:5 in favor of the Maranaos. Republic Act No. 2228 divided Lanao into two provinces giving birth to Lanao del Norte which was inaugurated on July 04, 1959 making Iligan City as the Capital. The late Honorable Salvador T. Lluch was the first governor. The second was Honorable Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, from January 1960 to September 1965, when he ran and won the congressional seat of the province. By operation of the law of succession, the Honorable Vice Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza became the third Provincial Executive. By mandate of his people, Governor Quibranza was elected governor in 1967 and almost unanimously re-elected in 1971, and again in 1980. Resolution No. 805 series of 1977 of our Sangguniang Panlalawigan, was transformed into Parliamentary Bill No. 586 sponsored by then, Assemblyman Abdulllah D. Dimaporo (the present governor), which was finally realized when his Excellency, President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed PB 568 into Batas Pambansa 181, officializing transfer of the seat of the Provincial Goverment from Iligan City to the Municipality of Tubod, the capital town of the province.

LANAO DEL SUR Capital: Marawi Area: 3,850 sq.km. Cities: Marawi City No. of Municipalities: 37 Municipality Bacolod Grande Balabagan Balindong (Watu) Bayang Binidayan BuadiposoBuntong Bubong Bumbaran Butig Calanogas Ganassi Kapai Kapatagan (not well defined) Lumba-ABayabao Lumbatan Lumbayanague Madalum Madamba Maguing Malabang Marantao Marawi City Marogong Masin Molundo Pagawayan Piagapo PoonA-Bayabao Pualas Ramain Saguiaran Sultan Gumander Tagoloan Tamparan Taraka Tubaran Land Area 15.6 129.8 32.5 36.2 49.8 12.9 59.2 171.5 272.1 68.3 48.7 398.5 815.5 34.3 78.7 15.6 10.4 312.3 65.1 68.9 22.6 165.9 20.0 16.1 33.3 20.0 31.7 17.6 10.5 33.2 104.0 144.0 21.8 29.1 212.3 40.2 254.7 No. of Barangays

26 27 38 49 26 33 37 17 19 17 29 20 11 39 30 41 24 37 37 34 96 24 36 26 18 37 25 23 33 29 20 19 44 43 20 23 26

Tugaya Wao OVERVIEW OF THE PROVINCE Located in the southern portion of the former province of Lanao, Lanao del Sur centers at the basin of Lake Lanao. The province is bounded by Lanao del Norte on the north, Llana Bay on the east, Cotabato on the south and Bukidnon on the west. In 1914, the province of Lanao was constituted to include the present provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The socio-political structure was made up of Muslims who composed the majority of the population. However, Christian settlements increased in the northern Lanao region with the coming of the Visayan migrants. This was an important consideration that led to the division of Lanao into two provinces in 1959. But after the division of Lanao province, there was a considerable out-migration of Christian population from the Muslim settled areas. Considered as a fourth class province, Lanao del Sur is made up of one city and 36 municipalities broken down into 1,245 barangays as of 1990. Lumba-a-bayabao is the largest municipality in terms of land area, while Marawi City, its capital, has the most number of barangays totalling 96. Marawi City, the only chartered city in the country with a predominantly Muslim population, once served as the capital of Lanao province. Today, as the capital of Lanao del Sur, the city is also the cultural center of the Maranaos as well as transportation center within Lake Lanao. THE PEOPLE Most of the settlers used Maranao as their local dialect. Arabic is also widely taught in schools in Marawi. Muslims have known for their artistics carvings, boats and malongs. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Topographical and hydrological features Found in the south and serving as natural boundaries separating Lanao del Sur from Maguindanao and North Cotabato are volcanic mountain ranges. A large lowland area called Maridogao Valley can be found towards the east near the Bukidnon boundary. Located at the heart of the province is Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao and second largest in the Philippines. Draining the lake is Agus River which bisects the province as it flows northward emptying its water into Iligan Bay. Plateaus are located on the north, northeast and northwest of the lake. Deep canyons cut near the edges of these plateaus where waterfalls provide drainage to these highlands. Land Classification In 1986, 133.1 thousand hectares or 34.4 percent of the total land area of 387.3 thousand hectares were certified alienable and disposable land, while 65.6 percent were forest lands. Of the total forest land, 242.3 thousand hectares or 95.3 percent were established timberland and 11.8 thousand hectares or 4.7 percent were established forest reserve.

Soil Type The province has many types of soil varying from loam (land suitable for cultivation) to rubble land (land limited to wildlife). EDUCATION

Number of Schools Enrolment in all levels (except tertiary public schools) increased from 48.1 thousand in SY 197778 to 85.9 thousand in SY 1988-89, or an increase of 78.7 percent in eleven years. Enrolees in public schools accounted for 88.2 percent of the thousand; secondary level, 5.3 thousand; tertiary, 5.5 thousand; and pre-school, 285. Number of Teachers Total number of teachers (except in tertiary government schools) reached 2,231, an increase of 28.5 percent from SY 1977-78. Of the total, 90 percent taught in public schools while 10 percent taught in private schools. Elementary school teachers totalled 2,002, or a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:37. Secondary level teachers, on the other hand, totalled 122, while private college teachers numbered 99. Teachers in pre-schools totalled only 8.

TRADE AND TOURISM Coastwise trade Total coastwise domestic trade of Lanao del Sur in 1988 was P32.4 million. Coastwise imports decreased both in terms of quantity and value, by 77.0 percent and 81.6 percent, respectively from 1987 to 1988. Most of the commodities transported to Lanao del Sur were mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials. The bulk of imports in 1988 worth P24.3 million came from Batangas. No coastwise domestic export for the province was registered for both years. Tourism The pomp and pageantry of Muslim festivals are among the exciting events in the province. One of these festivals is the Kalilang. The more passage of royalty with sequinned and bejeweled parasols held over their heads by parasol bearers, is a ritual of sort. Kini-kini is a Muslim term referring to a special artistic way f walking of Maranao women, as dramatized in their dances. There is also the world famous Singkil, a dance which has for its basic accompaniment the clapping of two bamboo poles (an interesting footnote to Maranao dances: women are not allowed to dance with men). Among the places within Lanao del Sur, the City of Marawi draws the most number of visitors.

Located here is the Mindanao State University (MSU) which was founded in 1962. MSU serves as an educational institute and a center of social and cultural integration. Also found in Marawi are the King Faisal Center of Arabic Studies, the Mahaad of Arabi, the Jainiatul Philippine al Islamic and Dansalan College. Also found in the province is the Aga Khan Museum which is a repository for Maranao and other Moro artifacts. HISTORICAL: A. Aga Khan Museum Location : It is located inside the Mindanao State University, Marawi City, 350 meters from the entrance of MSU. Description : The Museum is named in honor of King Aga Khan who contributed to the realization of the museum. Historical devel opment of the country is bank on the large space upon the conservation of cultural materials. It has huge, collection of indigenous art, displayed ethnic music tape recorded, the native folk dances from different region of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan, the native tools and weapon used by the Muslims and different artistic designs of houses are the main attractions of the museum. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle B. Moncado Colony Location : It is located at Moncado, Cadingilan, Marawi City. Description : It is named in honor of Hilario Camino Moncado, a native Filipino, a leader, an organizer, author of books and lecturer of Humanities. He Graduated with honor at the age of nine at India College of Mystery and Physics. The main attractions are the Moncado Monuments and wild animals monuments. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle MAN-MADE/CULTURAL: A. Torogan Location : It is located at Amilo and Dayawan, Marawi City. Description : The feeling of the unique setting of the Maranao in Marawi City is manifested by the presence of many large torogan, an antique royal high rooted with curving designed to Maranao. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle B. Ancestral Homes at Bacolod Chico Location : Bacolod Chico Description : It is a century old homes inspired by Arabic Architecture and Maranao woodcarvings (okir). The place is famous of its mats, malong and other woven Maranao textiles.

Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle NATURAL: A. Beautiful rolling Hills and Mountains Location : Angolo Hill - Sagod, Marawi City Signal Hill - Matampay, Marawi City Arumpac Hill - Saduc, Marawi City Mt. Mupo - Guimba, Marawi City Description : The city is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and mountain. Signal Hill, Arumpac Hill, and Mt. Mupo are considered beautiful and mysterious. Angolo Hill served as a natural watch over tower to the water of Lake Lanao. Mt. Mupo is known for its untouched trees, beautiful and perfectly cone. Means of Transportation : Jeepney and hiking B. Lake Lanao Location : Beside the city lies in the rolling terrain commanding majestic view of the fascinating lake. Description : It is the 2nd largest and deepest lake in the Philippines. The lake is ideal for boating, skiing and immological studies. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle and small boat if you want to have a lake tour. C. Sacred Mountain Location : It is within the city proper. Description : The site is ideal for biological studies, mountain trekking and bird watching. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle and trekking D. Signal Hill Location : It is within the city. Description : Aging Maranaos encourage treasure hunting at the foot of the hill. You can see the panoramic view of the entire city and Lake Lanao. Means of Transportation : All types of vehicle E. Bagang Beach Location : Caloocan Gulf, Marawi City

Description : It is located 2 meters away from the commercial site of the city It is ideal for picnics, nice place for boating and swimming because of the clear water. F. Agus River Location : In between Saduc and Lilod, Marawi City Description : It is the swiftest river in the country, its famous cataract is the Ma. Cristina Falls, outlet of Lake Lanao to Illana Bay.

Maranao people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Maranao

Sarimanokis a legendary bird of the Maranao that has become a ubiquitous

symbol of their art

Total population 1,142,000

1.25% of total population

Regions with significant populations Bukidnon, Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawitawi, Manila, Cebu in the Philippines

Maranaos in USA Maranao in Saudi Arabia[1]

Middle East

Languages Maranao, Chabacano, Cebuano, Tagalog, English Religion Predominantly Islam Christian minority exists Related ethnic groups Illanun, Maguindanao, Tiruray Lumad, Visayan, other Moros, other Filipino peoples, other Austronesian peoples

Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippines island of Mindanao. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature. The word Maranao, also spelled Maranaw, means "People of the Lake,"[2] referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao whose principal town is Marawi City. The Maranaos are part of the wider Moro ethnic group, who constitute the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group. The life of the Maranaos is centered on Lake Lanao, the largest in Mindanao, and the second largest and deepest lake in the Philippines. This breathtakingly beautiful lake is surrounded with myths and legends, it is the main source of fisheries, and the main source of a hydroelectric plant installed on it; and the Agus River system that generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao. A commanding view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital.

Contents

1 Etymology 2 Culture and Customs o 2.1 Language o 2.2 Art o 2.3 Musical Heritage o 2.4 Cuisine 2.4.1 The Legend of Maranao Food 3 Demographics

4 History 5 Notes and References 6 External links

Etymology
The ancient people in Mainland Mindanao were called Iranun, also spelled Iranon,[3] of the coastal area of Illana Bay (Ilian in Maranao) and Iranaon of the people in Bembaran or Bukidnon and Kiaranda Area, a ragat or ranao, a lake, in local language. The Iranon is the people of the constant flow of rivers and creeks from the mountains to the coastal areas. A volcanic eruption developed a flat land surface little-by-little. In modern science describes and illustrates this process as results of sedimentary formation and residual remains that forms the low and flat land surface in the coastal areas. The Maranao vernacular called it ira which means remains. Thus, the name of the people in the coastal area of Illana Bay was derived from the root word ira plus ranao forms the word Iranaon which means people living the residual remains in the coastal areas. In present days, the Maranao refers the word Iranaon tao sa ragat or the people of Lanao who migrated to sea area, while the Maranaos are people who dwelled around the lake of Lanao. These peoples belong to same genealogy, lineages, culture and history. They are called Maranao in general term.

Culture and Customs

Language
Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao people in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.[4]

Art
Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the Maranao that has become a ubiquitous symbol of their art. It is depicted as a fowl with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head is profusely decorated with scroll, leaf, and spiral motifs. It is said to be a symbol of good fortune.[5][6]

Musical Heritage
Main articles: Music of the Philippines and Kulintang

The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. Biyula is another Instrument for the Maranao people to use, Biyula is a string instrument. In 2005, the Darangen Epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao was selected by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Cuisine
Exquisite Maranao cuisine and hospitality are palpable.[7] They are known of having a spicy taste in their foods. A condiment made of traditionally cultivated spices, locally known as Palapa is one of their distinguished cuisine symbol. It is made of stewed scallion bulbs or sakurab in Maranao. The thinly sliced scallion bulbs and ginger are caramelized by slow cooking and mixed with chillies and little coconut oil.[8] Maranao recipes are so rich that it talks about life itself! Suffice it to say that the recipes are intertwined with the life cycle rites and rituals of all aspects of Maranao society and culture: from birth to death. In other words, food cannot be separated with daily life activities because food is life itself![9] The Legend of Maranao Food According to a scholar, food is one of the panabi-nabian, prophet, a mercy and a gift from Allah. "When the world was created, mankind had no food to eat. The soil was asked to feed mankind but it refused because it does not have enough to feed mankind. And so one of the sons of Fatima, Asa, was buried so that Nabi Adam will also be fed and be able to move. For seven days Nabi Saopak was buried. After seven days, it grew. On the head part grew a coconut, on the heart grew the palay, on the pelvis grew cotton, and on the lower art grew a white chicken. The palay was harvested and fed to mankind."[9]

Demographics
Maranaos number about 1,142,000. Along with the Illanun and Maguindanao, the Maranao are one of three related indigenous Muslim groups native to the island of Mindanao. In turn, these groups also share genes, linguistic and cultural ties to non-Muslim Lumad groups such as the Tiruray or Subanon. Maranao royals have varied infusions of Arab, Indian, Malay, Javanese, as well as Chinese ancestry. The language of the Maranao people is also called Maranao. It is a language spoken by approximately 1,142,000 people living in areas near Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.[4] The language can be traced from the Southern Philippine sub-branch of the Western Austronesian language family, and is closely related to the Illanun language spoken in Sabah and Malaysia. It is also close to Maguindanaon, the language spoken in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. They speak Cebuano, Tagalog, and Arabic language, and English as second languages. Practically, all Maranaos are Muslims. A few, especially those living in the hills around Lake Lanao practice a version of Islam mixed with traces of pre-Islamic traditions.

History
Previous to the occupation of the Philippines by Spanish, and later American and Japanese, the Maranaos had their own kingdom with a Sultan ruler due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.

Ilongot people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The Ilongots are a tribe who inhabit the southern Sierra Madre (Philippines) and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon Island in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the mountain border between the provinces of Quirino and Aurora. An alternative name of this tribe and its language is "Bugkalot". Presently, there are about 2,500 Ilongots. The Ilongots tend to inhabit areas close to rivers, as they provide a foodsource and a means for transportation. Their language is the Ilongot language, currently spoken by about 50,000 people. In Michelle Rosaldos study in 1980 of the Ilongots , she described gender differences related to the positive cultural value placed on adventure, travel, and knowledge of the external world. Ilongot men, more often than women, visited distant places. They acquired knowledge of the outside world, amassed experiences there, and returned in order to share their knowledge, adventures, and feelings in a public oratory in order to pass on their knowledge to others. The Ilongot men received acclaim as a result of their experiences. Because they lacked external experience on which to base knowledge and expression, Ilongot women had inferior prestige. On the basis of Michelle Rosaldos study and findings of other stateless societies, anthropologists must distinguish between prestige systems and actual power within a society. Just because a male has a high level of prestige, he may not own much economic or political power compared to others that are less prestigious within the society. Renato Rosaldo went on to study headhunting among the Ilongots in his book Ilongot Headhunting, 1883-1974: A Study in Society and History. Because of the early experiences of boys living in a close relationship with both parents, who each participate in "motherly" roles, they are relatively unconcerned about the need for achievement or even defaming women. Men involved in household chores do not claim submission to their wives. In social life, the Ilongots show little stratification and sexual inequality but it is certainly present. It is minimized by the fact that women have the right, as well as feel confident enough, to speak their minds. Finally, we find the home gender relations based on equality, focusing on cooperation instead of competition and there is a real intimacy between husband and wife. Rosaldo's conclusion is that perhaps the most egalitarian societies are those where no sex order authority exists, and where the focus of social life itself is the home.

[edit] References
Phillip, Conrad. (2005). Window on Humanity. New York: McGraw-Hill Rosaldo, Michelle Zimbalist, Lamphere Louise. A Mulher. A Cultura e a Sociedade.Brazil: RJ. Paz e Terra, 1979. Coleo O Mundo,hoje. [ENGLISH] Rosaldo, Michelle Zimbalist. Lamphere Louise. Woman. The Culture and Society. RJ. Paz e Terra, 1979. Collection The World today, 31. p58.

ilonggot
by: Christina Sianghio
The Ilongots are Indonesians who inhabit the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the easterly central part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. At the present time, there are about 2500 of them. The type measurements of the Ilongots are: stature, 156; forehead, 82; and shape of nose, 89. These people tend to live near the streams which furnish them much of their livelihood and transportation. On account of long isolation and varied associations with the Ainu, Negritos, and other peoples, many different dialects and customs have developed, which divide the Ilongots into three distinct groups. Along the upper waters of the Cagayan River is the Italon group which exhibits some short Mongol mixture, especially to be seen among the women. The men wear long hair with a characteristic hair net over the forehead. The Egogut group lives on the Tabayon River; while the primitive Abaka group inhabits the Conwap River. In each of these main groups are localities each having its varied dialect and customs. However, the salient composite features of the ancient Ilongot culture can be described. Although there is a larhe concentration of villages at the source of the Cagayan River, Illongot communities are generally scattered in the Southern Sierra Madre and Carballo mountains. Numerous rivers and dense tropical rain forests define Ilongot territory, covering Nueva Viscaya, and parts of Nueva Ecija and Quirino.

The figure above shows the geographical location of the Ilongot Province.

For mutual protection, aid and association, the people in each locality are banded into a group. The chief or head of a group is called a beganganat. There are usually about eleven or more houses in the

group which is called an alipian. The chief has an assistant called a macatoy. They are chosen for their leadership, ability, and age. The chiefs word is absolute and he rules for life. After his death, the assistant takes his place and a new assistant is elected. The common law enjoins that one must not: (1) Kill his companions: for the murderer must support the family of the victim; (2) Commit adultery: for the culprits are severely beaten; (3) Lie: for the liar pays a fine to the chief; (4) Work on each fifth day: for one who works pay a fine; (5) Disobey her husband: for the disobedient wife is first scolded and may be punished more severely; (6) Neglect to pay his debts; or (7) Steal: for whatever one steals will turn to hurt. In the more advanced settlements of Ilongots, the usual three social classes evolve: the wealthy, the middle class and the economic slaves. Each man endeavors to maintain the rank by his forefathers and also maternal ancestors, relationship and descent being reckoned on both the mothers and fathers side. Blood ties are strong and the families of an offender are held responsible for his crime. Thus, criminal and civil cases are usually to be settled by the families concerned. There are boundaries between each alipian beyond which the members of that alipian do not usually go except in foray after heads in order to: revenge a death, have a wedding, or upon the sickness or death of a man in the alipian. Peace-pacts at times are arranged between alipians. A prominent man is made holder of the peace-pact and is responsible for the safety of visiting members of the alipian. Peacepacts have been ratified by human sacrifice and the ceremony of blood-brothership practiced. The end of the peace-pact is signified by placing arrows in the trail and sprinkling blood upon them. Warfare has started. The principal occupation is hunting and fishing. The men run after wild pigs and deer with dogs. The kill is made with spears, or bows and arrows. They are also very clever in making various traps to catch the game. The warm streams are full of fish. These are caught in trap as well as nets. The forest, where roots, seeds and fruits can be obtained, is another source of their food. In the areas where the tropical forests are dense, the men are skilled travelers in the trees. They carry forty foot lengths of rattan which have a loop on one end a hook on the other. The Ilongots can thus travel through the woods at a surprisingly rapid rate. The principal use now of this method is in passing from tree to tree in cutting off the branches while making a kaingin. The main trunks of the trees are left standing. The kaingin system of farming is used. A clearing is made in the forest. The brush is burnt, and seeds planted in the ashes. A sharp stick is used to make a hole for the seeds. They raise camotes, camote-cahoy, camote-glano, gabi, squash, ubi, upland rice, corn, bananas, coconuts and sugarcane. The Ilongots are noted for making a very good quality of basi (wine) from sugarcane in only one day, by using a native yeast. The soil in the kaingin becomes hard and unfruitful in a couple of years; so a new one is started in the vicinity and a new house built near by. return to top Religious Beliefs and Practices The gods of the Ilongots are Cain and Abal, two brothers who are the creators and guardian lords of all things. They are benevolent and their particular care is that of the people who live on earth. They are invincible and live in the sky, Taon, sometimes on the sun, Elag, or the moon, Dalan, or perchance some star, Pandac. Their messengers are called Binangunan or Cabuligian. Cain and Abal travel from place to place. Their road is called Keat (lightning). Kidu (thunder) follows the road.

In the beginning, Cain and Abal lived together in the sky; but they had a quarrel and separated, as Abal wanted to live on earth where he could herd his animals. He was the one who created the lowlanders, who have the use of his carabaos and other animals. Abal is stronger and more powerful than Cain and so there are more lowlanders than mountain people. Cain created all the mountain people, including the Ilongots. He gave them their customs, which they have followed throughout the centuries. He was a killer and a head-hunter; so they are also. The Ilongots pray to Cain and Abal and the Binangunan, asking them for help and inviting them to their feasts. At the beginning of each feast, a small table with four bamboo legs is erected near the house. A red cloth covers the table and on it are placed choice persons of the meats together with rice and basi. Then the priests stands and shouts to the gods saying: You have helped us: so please come to our feast and be happy. Please help us with good health and abundant crops. Some of the Ilongots also worship the sun, moon and stars because they give life and growth; also the rain, Oden, for its life-giving water. This cult hold that these dieties all live in the sky. Elag (the sun) has a great, magnificent house in Gacay. When he gets tired giving light and goes into his house, it is night. Usually Elag and Delan (the moon) are congenial and take turns giving light; but sometimes they quarrel and Elag covers Delan more or less with a great, huge winnowing basket, biga-o. Thus we have the different phases of the moon. The ancestors are also worshipped and their ways and wishes respected, for they can give help. They are called betang and sometimes come to a house. If you hear certain sounds like murmuring, you know that they are talking nearby. Fire too, is revered for the heat and comfort which it gives and is used in some ceremonies. When a party of men is starting on a hunt, they build a fire, take hold of the dogs and the weapons and pass them one by one through the smoke. The last dog to be passed through the smoke is the leader of the pack. After taking it out of the smoke, the owner spits on its face, and rubs the saliva down its back and sides. Meanwhile, he has been talking and shouting to Gemang, the guardian of wild beasts, saying: Do not let our dogs get sick. You must give us one of your animals. Do not take the form of a wild beast so that the dogs chase you by mistake. If you will let the dogs catch one beast, then we will give you to eat and drink and likewise your wife. Following this ceremony, the part starts out in a successful hunt. The Renewal of Fire Rite is also observed. The Ilongots thus believe in lesser deities called anitos. Some anitos are good and some are evil spirited. There are also two classes of anitos. The Ayeg deal with the larger and more general affairs of men and are usually superior to the Palasekans (dwarfs), who guide one in his daily life and usually credited with all his successes and failures. The Ayeg are kindly and wish the Palasekans and the people to do right. They bring wealth when one is honest, kind, and industrious; and give sickness and death as punishment for sins. They order the Palasekans to give success in hunting, fishing, farming, and other industries. But the Palasekans do not always follow directions. The Palasekans are especially near in the early morning and evening. If you should happen to step on or spit on one, he will get angry and punish you; you may thus catch cold or get an infected foot. Sometimes one slaps you so that you have a swollen cheek. If you should hurt one in the evening, you may get a headache and a fever. You should always carry a light. However, on the whole, the Palasekans are a kindly little people. They are invincible and when they talk, instead of pronouncing the words, they whistle the sound of them so that one can understand what they are saying. Sometimes they come foretelling some event or bringing a message from an absent relative. They may give warning of danger or indicate the best route to take on a journey. Sometimes a Palasekan likes a certain fortunate person and becomes attached to him. Then that lucky person has a good life, even to being helped physically. One man told me of how he visited a woman who had a Palasekan. There were quite a number of visitors; but the woman only cooked a small quantity of rice for them. However, they marveled to see that, as she ladled out the rice to them, the pot always remained full until they were all satisfied. It was good rice, too. Each priest has a Palasekan who advises him as to the diagnosis and treatments of his patients.

The Palasekans enjoy the same things that people do. Sometimes they come and ask for food or drink. One man told me that once a party of men were drinking basi in the house when they heard a whistling in the roof, which they understood to say that the Palasekans wished to have a drink. So one man poured a basi into a coconut shell cup and placed it outside. When he went for it a little later, it was empty. The Palasekans know everything and cannot be fooled. One Iloacona school teacher told me of a modern instance illustrating this. He said that it happened during an evening study period. They heard the sound of whistling and the pupils reported that the Palasekans would like to have the phonograph played. The teacher did not want the phonograph to be played and so he told the pupils to tell the Palasekans that his wife had the key. The Palasekans know everything and cannot be fooled. When the pupils replied that the teachers wife had put the key in her suit-case under the bed, the Palasekans said that they would play it themselves. The teacher said: All right, go ahead. He was am azed to see the phonograph playing by itself soon after: and so he was shamed into going and winding it up and playing it for them. Another anito is Lampong, the dwarf shepherd of the wild animals. One hunter related to me how he was out one night hunting with a bright light. Two brilliant eyes showed up and he shot between them. He heard a kind of groaning and knew that he had hit a deer; but when he went to the spot, the deer was not there. Soon agintwo brilliant eyes shone in his light and he fired again. He heard the deer thrashing around; but could not find it. This thing happened again and again. On the sixth time he glimpsed the light fur of a white deer. Then immediately it was changed and the hunter saw standing there, a little dwarf about two feet high. It had on only a tall two-peaked black cup and a long white beard reaching to the knees. Its eyes were very brilliant. It stood there beckoning to the hunter; but just then the rest of the hunting party came up and spied the dwarf. Much frightened they cried out: It is Lampong, and ran away. The first hunter of course ran with them. It was said that, if he had stayed, Lampong would have shown him where he was pasturing a large herd of deer. The anitos are worshipped at the balete trees where they live. These trees are sacred. Children are not allowed to play round them and they are not cut down. Caves are also sacred as being where the agimg and also the spirits of the dead live. No one dares to enter a cave. The crocodile, boaya, the siren, pungitand, and the python, bigkat, are given some worship to prevent them from doing inquiry. A small portion of the chicken in a coconut shell may be placed near the river. Then one calls: Crocodile, come and eat: and goes awa y. Amulets, charms, and a special little bag (containing an assortment of magical articles) are also worn to please the anitos. Auguries are by means of the actions of birds and animals. If a man starts out to go to some place and a certain small bird, veche-veche, flies across in front of him, it is a bad omen and the man must return home. Omens and divination play an important part in the daily lives of the Ilongots. Omens are sought for every important enterprise. The religious teaching and observances are led by a priest, magnigput, who communicates with the gods and anitos, and knows all their characteristics. There is one in each community. His is an honored position which, upon his death, is passed on by inheritance to his eldest son or nearest male kin. The priest prays at the beginning and end of each feast, including weddings and funerals, counsels the people, and officiates at such rites as consecrations. All the feasts are purportedly religious in their character in order to give happiness to some spirit that it may be influenced either to give help or to cease from doing harm. These feasts are of various kinds. The buni is a days feast given at the time of birth, in case of sickness, upon building a ho use, or some such occasion. Chickens, pigs, deer, or wild pigs may be killed and eaten together: and there may be dancing. The damiti is a weeks thanksgiving feast after harvest; while the baleleong is a great feast given once in a life-time by well-to-do families in order to establish their social standing. The family spends months preparing great quantities of rice, meat, and basi. All the people attend and the primary

feast lasts for about a week, then intermittently for maybe a year- whenever a group of people take a notion to go there and have a good time. It is very expensive; but a happy way to worship the gods. It is at the baleleong that the babies and small children are anointed and consecrated following an ancient ritual. Wreaths formed of leaves, are hung in the rafters- one for each child. With the wreath is a dish which the child will use in the meal following the ceremony. The priest holds in his arms the little male child with the wreath on his head. Then he raises his face to the sky and prays to Abel. After praying he takes some of the blood of a pig and makes a cross on the forehead. A hole is also made in the lobe of each ear. The rites are secret. If the priest makes a mistake in the ritual, the child will have a short life. The males are anointed separately and no females are allowed to be present. Likewise no male is present when a female is anointed. So an old woman officiates; boiled spring water being used in the place of blood. Only fish and rice are given to the female child in the subsequent meal. return to top Visual Arts and Crafts Ilongot men wear a loincloth held around the waist by a cagit of either brass wire or rattan. Gabed, a piece of bark cloth, is wrapped around the legs and tied at the front and back with a string belt. Metal bands clasp the left arm, and several rings adorn the fingers. A handy bag containing arrowheads, flint, crocodile teeth, betel nut, and other articles usually complete the male apparel. The boys are set apart from the men by a boiset band around one of their leg calves. Ilongot women use bark cloth fro their agde, which are drawn about their bodies like above-the-knee length skirts. These are matched with blouses which expose the midriffs. Although the Ilongot do not weave cloth, the women embroider skillfully and make cotton tassles which they tie on their horsehair ornaments. They also wear panglao (beaded necklaces), kalipan (earrings), brass arm bands, and small bell accessories. The women do not weave cloth; but the inner bark of certain trees provides soft material having much the feel of chamois skin. Men wear a string cagit, women of either rattan or brass wire, wrapped five or more times around the waist. A piece of bark cloth, gabed, is passed between the legs to cover the privates, and is secured in front and back to the string belt. A neat bag contains the betel nut, lime, flint, tinder, and other small articles. Youths wear a band, bosiet, around the calf of the leg. The women wear a bark tapis or sarong, agde, covering their bodies from the waist to the knees. The costume is completed with a string of beads, panglao, around the neck together with the earrings, calipan, and spirals of brass wire on the arms. Before the age of puberty, the children go around without clothing. Filed and blackened teeth are considered aesthetically pleasing, and long hair preferred by both sexes. Prepubescent children are often unclothed. Fancy headgear identifies a successful headhunter. A rattan frame is decorated with brass wire, and red yarn and shells. On the projected front part of this frame is placed the large red bill of a kalaw bird. An era pendant represents a mans first kill. Notches are added either on the bill or the earlobes to indicate subsequent successes.

status and maturity for the male Ilngot. The successful headhunter wore a headdress incorporating the beak of a hornbill. (Philippine Journal of Science 1912, National Libarary Collection).

A Hombill Headdress

Until very recently, the people built their houses in the trees, where they slept at night in order to obtain security from their enemies. Most of the roofs of the present house are reminiscently pyramid in shape. The framework is bamboo tied with rattan and covered with about four layers of anahao leaves. The floor is of split bamboo. The low walls are sided with runo stalks placed close to each other. For cooking, an iron pot is suspended by a rattan line over the fire-box in one corner. If there is more than one family in the house, each has its own fire-place. Cups and plates are made of anahao leaves. Fingers are used as forks. Skulls of animals are the main decoration of the houses. Sleeping mats are used without a pillow. The bark tapis of a woman is used at night to partially cover the man and wife. The Ilongots use kaingin system of farming. The general utility tool is a long knife with a curved cutting edge. It is called an ilayao. The weapons are: barbed spear, gayang, bow and arrow, and a large, blunt, wide bladed ilayao which is called a sinamongan. They never go unarmed. The warrior carries a wooden, rectangular shield with its long edges scalloped and a round boss. Mats and baskets are woven from tubeng. Both the checker and twilled processes are used. Water-proof packed bags are formed from the whole skin of fawns, merely sun-cured. The men procure rattan, honey, basewax, gums and other forest products, which they trade to lowlanders for salt, cloth, brasswire, shells, pots, steel, and other necessities. return to top Literary Arts Folk stories, dimolat, are interesting and valuable not only for the pleasure received from the hearing of a tale; but also as a portrayal of the customs and ideals of the people. Thus, a study of a complete collection arranged chronologically, of the folk stories of a certain people would likely give their cultural history as well as throw side lights on their political history. For instance, some Ilongot stories unfold bits of ancient Hindu epics or are patterned on Hindu examples-thus indicating some contact with India. The Ilongots tell their stories in two ways. The short way is used at such times as when they happen together, or are resting for a while. It is a simple narration of events. The long way is used when time hangs rather heavily during the confinement of the torrential tropical rains, or in the long evenings. These story hours are much enjoyed and are the principal amusement of the people. An old woman or man, steeped in the lore of the past, makes the best story teller. He draws a slight line between anitos, people and animal characters. He spins out his tale in a

certain pleasing tune which at times is rather monotonous and other times becomes excitingly thrilling according to the drift of the story. In order to follow the tune, he often draws out the end of some words or adds meaningless syllables. There are many repetitions of action and thought as well as inconsequential happenings. Incongruities of action and sudden transitions of scene often occur. Once in a while the narrative is broken by some ludicrous incident as clowning in a drama. The pleasure is not so much in following the development of the plot of the story as it is in the delightful manner of telling. Yet the plot is interesting, being based on one of the practical jokes, of which the people are especially fond. Listening to such a story is really a very happy way to spend an otherwise dull time. But, if one wrote down every word or sound which the story teller uttered, he would have a book very few people would care to read. Therefore, the folktales in this little collection is narrated in the short way. Here are some examples of Ilongot folktales. How We Became Ilongots (Ma Nanggapuan Min Ilongot, Bua River Dialect) A long time ago god (Cain) created two persons. One was a man and the other was a woman. These two persons were in the mountains. As they were thriving in the mountains, they were considering what they should do. The following morning the couple agreed to marry. After their marriage, they erected their hut. After five months of living together, the woman became pregnant. While the woman was in her family way, the man felt very happy. The husband thanked god because he had given him his wife as his companion. The time cam when the woman delivered. They were very happy. They hoped to have another child. Their wish was granted. Their next child was a girl, while the first one had been a boy. When their children were woman and man, the parents urged them to marry. They therefore agreed to marry. They built their own huts also. This process was repeated right along. Year after as they increased in number, each family becoming nomadic. In the completion of this story, we Ilongots have followed the same way as our forefathers did. Rock - A Boy (Yapugo-Sita Ulissi, Bua River Dialect) Yapugo was the name of a baby boy Ilongot. He was called Cacad Yapugo for he belonged to that place. He lived in Pugo in the center of the big forest at the source of the river. From birth until boyhood, he had never seen a lowlander. He always stayed in the forest day and night with his ilayao, bow and arrow. Everything which he saw, he shot at with his bow and arrow and always hit it. Yapugo became a big man, strong and alert and quick of movement. Some peaceful Ilongots called, Benabe, feared Yapugo because he was a good shot. Yapugo belonged to the Ilongot Cacaddengan. The Benabe and Cacad were often at war. This is the reason that the Benabe were afraid of Yapugo for being a good shot. For many days, none of the Benabe made war with the Cacaddengan. The Origin of the Monkey (Sayma Nag-gapuan Ma Bulangan, Bua River Dialect) Long time ago there lived a rich man who had many properties. He had a large farm. He had many helpers on his farm to do the work. This man was so selfish that he fed his laborers only once a day. There were so many workers so he had some make a kaingin. After cutting the small trees under the big ones, they went to the forest to get rattan which could be made into tagiboc. When they returned

from the forest, it was already mid-day. After their return, they were very hungry. Being so hungry, they began to climb the big trees to cut the branches and even the twigs. As they were so hungry and there were no means of obtaining food, they became faint. They took the rattan and placed it between their legs. Finally, it was connected to their anus, and thus became their tails. Not long after, the rich man went to the farm to see the workers. Upon his arrival, he was surprised because his laborers were not around. Instead, he found monkeys jumping and running among the trees. He called to them: but not one listened to him. They ran away. The rich man went home and was wondering where his laborers had gone. He didnt know at first that his laborers has turned into monkeys; but on the following night he dreamed that his workers were the monkeys which he had found in the farm. That is the origin of the monkey. The Dog and the Rooster (Ma Ato ay Den Ma Panggase, Cagayan River Dialect) Once upon a time, there was a dog and a rooster. They went to the forest. By the time they reached where they were going, it was growing dark. Then the rooster said: Let us stay here the whole night. I will sleep on this tree top, said the rooster, while you may friend can sleep in the hollow tree. So they went to sleep were each liked to sleep. And in the morning the rooster begabe to crow. The dog heard him crowing and he said: That is the rooster crowing. And so he said to himself, He must be lost in the forest. I will eat him for breakfast . Then he looked up and soon he spied the rooster on top of the tree. Then the dog thought: What fine food I will have this morning? I must make him come down from the tree. So the dog said to the rooster: What a fine rooster you are. Will you come home and eat your breakfast. Then the rooster said: I will come, if my friend will come with me. Yes, said the dog. So they went home together. When they reached home, the dog fed the rooster. So the rooster ate his breakfast. While the rooster was eating, the dog sprang on top of him, and he ate the rooster there. return to top Performing Arts Ilongot rituals and feasts, marked by song and dance, are performed to solicit the blessings and protection of the gods. Moreover, daily livelihood tasks as well as the life cycle- courtship, marriage, parenthood, and death- present other venues for the Ilongot performing arts. Ilongot musical instruments produce strange and unusual sounds. Such instrumnets can be classified into two: those played only to provide rhythm for dances, and those for other purposes. The only recorded example of the first type is the ganza or brass gong ensemble, which is probably not native to the group. Examples of the second type include the bamboo or brass jews harp, the kuliteng or bamboo guitar, the bamboo zither (which can be either plucked or tapped), the bamboo or bark-and-skin violin, and the nose flute. Ilongot vocal music is often shouted or sung during ritual dances. Other types are performed on their own, like the baliwayway (lullabies), cradle songs and love songs. When a child has grown bigger, he/she may be put to sleep with a cradle song, such as this one (Wilson 1967:107-108):

A Small Boy (Otoyo, Cagayan River Dialect, an example of a cradle song ) Otoyo nappalindo walaan canman Tay asimpogong noy kinnolayab noy lambong. Imepat a nakigeb. Noy saguet. Ipipian nong o Mambintan ka gomka manibil no umuwit inam Gimat amam nanganBekeg ma talabacon inam Ta kagamakan de no unka muka sumikan Tano we kadedege ma Apo sin Diot, Ta iyadan na ka no madukem biaymo Ta bukod no sumikan ka Sika po, manalima mad bugangat ta. A small boy who plays with flowersWith his small cloth he climbs the yellow bell-flower. It bends over and breaks. He falls. So you had better sleep soundly; Then cry when mother comes. Father went out to hunt deer for you, In addition to mothers work; With the purpose of making you grow. And if our sire grants his help to you, And permits you to have a long life, When you grow old, Its then your duty to support your parents.

songs, which are replaced with other lullabies as the child grows bigger. Note the child's handkerchief, knife and kneelets. (National Geographic Magazine 1912, GCF Books Collection).

Love songs are sung among the youth who have reached adolescence. Following is the love song of a girl to her suitor (Wilson 1967:110-111): Love Song of a Girl (Cagayan River Dialect) Talumpacdet, talumpacdet, Papan ginsolaney. Tumacla ginlamonyao, Kadiapot otog bilao, Bilao dipo alandeden. Gapuca go upad longot, Aduan toy sulimpat; Admo deken weningweng. Wait for me, wait for me, There were you cut trees. And lets go and gather oranges. We will eat them on the grass, The grass where our houses are. You have been in the forest, And you didnt get any bean-shooter; You didnt bring anything for me. Ilongot dances are relatively free from foreign influences. Their headhunting dances, for instance are emotionally powerful in a way that is typically Ilongot. The movements are strenous and betray internal stress. The tagem or postheading dance is still executed according to custom. While the women play the kolesing, or bamboo zithers counterpointed by the sticks and the litlit or guitar with the human hair strings, the men dance with their weapons, moving in vigorous and trancelike manner. The women later join the men and dance with equal intensity.

DANCES. Ilongot dances typify strength and agility. A pair of warriors dance to a crowd to the rhythm of bamboo string instruments. (National Geographic Magazine 1912, Lopez Museum Collection). return to top References Alarcon, Norma I. Philippine Architecture During the Pre-Spanish and Spanish Periods. Manila: University of Santo Tomas, 1991. Cuasay, Pablo M. Kalinangan ng Ating Mga Katutubo. Quezon City: Man lapaz Publishing Company, 1975. Henry, Robert S. Map. Manila: Philippine-Asean Publishers Inc., 1959. National Geographic Magazine. (Sept 1912).

Notices of the Pagan Igorots in the Interior of the Island Manila. Corporation de PP. Dominicos de Filipinas Inc., 1988. Originally published in Spanish, 1/89. William H. Scott (trans). Orosa-Goquingco, Leonor. The Dances of the Emerald Isles. Quezon City:Ben-lor, 1980. Philippine Journal of Science. Plate XIX, (Apr 1913). Regional Map of the Philippines _ II, III, & IVA. Manila: Edmundo R. Abigan Jr., 1988. Rosalso, Renato. Ilongot Headhunting 1883-1974. A Study in Society and History. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1980. Wilson, Laurence L. Ilongot Life and Legends. Manila: Bookman Inc., 1967. "Social changes in Modern Philippines: Perspectives, Problems and Prospects," Part I. Journal of Northern Luzon. Mario Zamora, Donald J. Boxter, and Robert Lawless (eds.). Vol. IX, Nos. 1-9, (Jul 1978Jan 1979). Nueva Vizcaya: St. Mary's College of Bayombong.

Negrito
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the shrub, see Citharexylum berlandieri. Negrito

Regions with significant populations Philippines

(Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, and Mindanao)

India
(Andaman and Nicobar Islands)

Malaysia
(Peninsular Malaysia)

Thailand
(Southern Thailand)

Burma
(Southern Burma)

Religion Animism Related ethnic groups Australoid race, including Melanesians

Negrito group photo (Malaysia, 1905).

Negritos in a fishing boat (Philippines, 1899).

The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.[1] Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines. Reports from British traders also speak of negrito people on Borneo (Sarawak). (Journal of the Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XXIX, part 1, 1956) Negritos are the most genetically distant human population from Africans at most loci studied thus far (except for MC1R, which codes for dark skin). They have also been shown to have separated early from Asians, suggesting that they are either surviving descendants of settlers from an early migration out of Africa, commonly referred to as the Proto-Australoids, or that they are descendants of one of the founder populations of modern humans.[2]

Contents

1 Etymology 2 Origins 3 Historical distribution 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Further reading 7 External links

Etymology
The term "Negrito" is the Spanish diminutive of negro, i.e. "little black person", referring to their small stature, and was coined by early European explorers.[3] Occasionally, some Negritos are referred to as pygmies, bundling them with peoples of similar physical stature in Central Africa, and likewise, the term Negrito was previously occasionally used to refer to African Pygmies.[4]

Origins
Being among the least-known (by outsiders) of all living human groups, the origins of the Negrito people is a much debated topic. The Malay term for them is orang asli, or original people. They are likely descendants of the indigenous Australoid populations of the Sunda landmass and New Guinea, predating the Austronesian peoples who later entered Southeast Asia.[5]

Alternatively, some scientists[who?] claim they are merely a group of Australo-Melanesians who have undergone island dwarfing over thousands of years, reducing their food intake in order to cope with limited resources and adapt to a tropical rainforest environment. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2012) Anthropologist Jared Diamond in his book, Guns, Germs, and Steel suggests that the Negritos are possible ancestors of the Aboriginal Australians and Papuans of New Guinea, groups regarded as Australoid. A number of features would seem to suggest a common origin for the Negritos and African pygmies, especially in the Andamanese Islanders who have been isolated from incoming waves of Asiatic and Indo-Aryan peoples. No other living human population has experienced such long-lasting isolation from contact with other groups.[6] These features include short stature, very dark skin, woolly hair, scant body hair and occasional steatopygia. The claim that Andamanese pygmoids more closely resemble Africans than Asians in their cranial morphology in a 1973 study added some weight to this theory before genetic studies pointed to a closer relationship with Asians.[6] Other more recent studies have shown closer craniometric affinities to Egyptians and Europeans than to Sub Saharan populations such as that of African Pygmies. Walter Neves' study of the Lagoa Santa people had the incidental correlation of showing Andamanese as classifying closer to Egyptians and Europeans than any Sub Saharan population.[7][8] Multiple studies also show that Negritos from Southeast Asia to New Guinea share a closer cranial affinity with Australo-Melanesians.[5][9] Further evidence for Asian ancestry is in craniometric markers such as sundadonty, shared by Asian and Negrito populations. It has been suggested that the craniometric similarities to Asians could merely indicate a level of interbreeding between Negritos and later waves of people arriving from the Asian mainland. This hypothesis is not supported by genetic evidence that has shown the level of isolation populations such as the Andamanese have had. However, some studies have suggested that each group should be considered separately, as the genetic evidence refutes the notion of a specific shared ancestry between the "Negrito" groups of the Andaman Islands, Malay Peninsula, and Philippines.[10] A study on blood groups and proteins in the 1950s suggested that the Andamanese were more closely related to Oceanic peoples than Africans. Genetic studies on Philippine Negritos, based on polymorphic blood enzymes and antigens, showed they were similar to surrounding Asian populations.[6] Genetic testing places all the Onge and all but two of the Great Andamanese in the mtDNA Haplogroup M, found in East Africa, East Asia, and South Asia, suggesting that the Negritos are at least partly descended from a migration originating in eastern Africa as much as

60,000 years ago. This migration is hypothesized to have followed a coastal route through India and into Southeast Asia, which is sometimes referred to as the Great Coastal Migration. Analysis of mtDNA coding sites indicated that these Andamanese fall into a subgroup of M not previously identified in human populations in Africa and Asia. These findings suggest an early split from the population of migrants from Africa; the descendants of these migrants would eventually populate the entire habitable world.[6] Haplogroup C and haplogroup D is believed to represent Y-DNA in the migration.[11] A recent genetic study has found that unlike other early groups in Malesia the Andamanese Negritos lack the Denisovan hominin admixture in their DNA while other Negrito groups may show some varying degree of Denisovan ancestry in their DNA. Denisovan ancestry is found among indigenous Melanesian and Australian populations between 4-6% [12]

Historical distribution
Negritos may have also lived in Taiwan, where they were called the "Little Black People". Apart from being short-statured, they were also said to be broad-nosed and dark-skinned with curly hair.[13] The little black population shrank to the point up to 100 years ago only one small group lived near the Saisiyat tribe.[13] A festival celebrated by the Saisiyat gives evidence to their former habitation of Taiwan. The Saisiyat tribe celebrate the black people in a festival called Ritual of the Little Black People ().[13] According to James J.Y. Liu, a professor of comparative literature, the Chinese term Kun-lun () means Negrito.[14]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Negrito Peoples

Aeta peoples Al-Akhdam Ati people Australoid race Black people Dravidian peoples Indigenous Australians Koro-pok-guru Kunlun Nu Mamanwa Mani people Negroid race

Orang Asli Peopling of India Proto-Australoid Pygmy peoples Saisiyat people Semang Shanyue

Topics

History of Taiwan List of topics related to the African diaspora Primitive culture

Notes
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopdia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 1. ^ Snow, Philip. The Star Raft: China's Encounter With Africa. Cornell Univ. Press, 1989 (ISBN 0801495830) 2. ^ Kashyap VK, Sitalaximi T, Sarkar BN, Trivedi R (2003), "Molecular relatedness of the aboriginal groups of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with similar ethnic populations" (PDF), The International Journals of Human Genetics 3: 511. 3. ^ William Marsden (1834). "On the Polynesian, or East-Insular Languages". Miscellaneous works of William Marsden. Pub. for the Author by Parbury, Allen. p. 4. 4. ^ Encyclopdia Britannica Eleventh Edition, 19101911: "Second are the large Negrito family, represented in Africa by the dwarf-races of the equatorial forests, the Akkas, Batwas, Wochuas and others..." (pg. 851) 5. ^ a b Getting Here: The Story of Human Evolution, William Howells, Compass Press, 1993 6. ^ a b c d Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; et al. (21 January 2003), "Genetic Affinities of the Andaman Islanders, a Vanishing Human Population", Current Biology 13, Number 2: 8693(8), doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(02)01336-2, PMID 12546781 7. ^ 2 Fig. 2 Morphological Affinities, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences[dead link] 8. ^ Morphological Afinities, averaging graphs A through D, onedroprule.org 9. ^ David Bulbeck; Pathmanathan Raghavan and Daniel Rayner (2006), "Races of Homo sapiens: if not in the southwest Pacific, then nowhere", World Archaeology (Taylor & Francis) 38 (1): 109132, doi:10.1080/00438240600564987, ISSN 0043-8243, JSTOR 40023598 10. ^ Catherine Hill1; Pedro Soares, Maru Mormina1, Vincent Macaulay, William Meehan, James Blackburn, Douglas Clarke, Joseph Maripa Raja, Patimah Ismail, David Bulbeck, Stephen Oppenheimer, Martin Richards (2006), "Phylogeography and Ethnogenesis of Aboriginal Southeast Asians", Molecular Biology and Evolution (Oxford University Press)

11. ^ 12. ^ ^ Reich et al., Denisova Admixture and the First Modern Human Dispersals into Southeast Asia and Oceania, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2011), , DOI:10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.09.005, PMC 3188841, PMID 21944045, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002929711003958 13. ^ a b c Jules Quartly (Sat, 27 Nov 2004). "In honor of the Little Black People". Taipei Times: p. 16. Retrieved 22 May 2011. 14. ^ Liu, James J.Y. The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967 (ISBN 0-2264-8688-5)

Further reading

Evans, Ivor Hugh Norman. The Negritos of Malaya. Cambridge [Eng.]: University Press, 1937. Garvan, John M., and Hermann Hochegger. The Negritos of the Philippines. Wiener Beitrage zur Kulturgeschichte und Linguistik, Bd. 14. Horn: F. Berger, 1964. Hurst Gallery. Art of the Negritos. Cambridge, Mass: Hurst Gallery, 1987. Khadizan bin Abdullah, and Abdul Razak Yaacob. Pasir Lenggi, a Bateq Negrito Resettlement Area in Ulu Kelantan. Pulau Pinang: Social Anthropology Section, School of Comparative Social Sciences, Universit Sains Malaysia, 1974. Schebesta, P., & Schtze, F. (1970). The Negritos of Asia. Human relations area files, 12. New Haven, Conn: Human Relations Area Files. Zell, Reg. About the Negritos - A Bibliography. edition blurb, 2011. Zell, Reg. Negritos of the Philippines -The People of the Bamboo - Age - A SocioEcological Model. edition blurb, 2011. Zell, Reg. John M. Garvan - An Investigation - On the Negritos of Tayabas. edition blurb, 2011.

External links

Mga Negrito
Mula sa Tagalog na Wikipedia, ang malayang ensiklopedya Tumalon sa: nabigasyon, hanapin

Isang makabagong larawan ng isang batang babaeng Ita, isang Negrito.

Isang lumang larawan ng isang batang babaeng Negrito. Kuha noong 1901. Ang mga Negrito sa Pilipinas, ayon kay H. Otley Beyer, ang sinasabing unang pangkat na dumating sa kapuluan ng Pilipinas noong mga may 20,000 na taon na ang nakararaan. Diumano, pinaniniwalaang ring nanggaling sila sa Borneo at naglakad at tumawid sa pamamagitan ng mga tulay na lupa para marating ang Palawan, Mindoro at ilang bahagi ng Mindanao. Bagaman isa ito sa mga pinaniniwalaan, may mga pag-aaral na nagsasabing maaaring may iba pang nauna kesa mga Negrito. Kabilang sa mga pinakamatandang katibayan ang tao sa Tabon, kung kaya't may mga naniniwalang hindi mga Negrito ang naunang taong namuhay sa Pilipinas. Ngunit hindi pa rin natitiyak kung kailan talaga dumating ang mga Negrito sa kapuluan. Isa sa mga dating sapantaha ang naglalahad na nakarating sa Pilipinas ang Negrito noong huling panahon ng tagginaw (mga 30,000 taon hanggang 18,000 taon sa nakaraan), kung kailan bumabaw ang mga karagatan kaya't nakalakad ang mga tao sa lupang lumitaw mula Biyetnam, Indonesya at Malaysia. Ito ang sinapantaha sapagkat pinaniniwalaang hindi marunong ang mga Negrito sa larangan ng pamamangka at paglalakbay sa mga katubigan, partikular na sa mga karagatan, bagaman may mga ginawang paghahambing sa pagitan ng mga Negrito at ng mga aboriheno ng Bagong Gineya at Melanesya.[1] Sapagkat marunong gumamit ng palakol at askarol (batong

pinatulis) ang mga tinutukoy na aboriheno, at may kaalaman din sa pamamangka, nagkaroon ng mga katanungan kung naging marunong din sa ganitong mga gawain ang mga Negrito. Subalit nagkaroon ng mga suliranin sa paghanap ng mga sinauna nilang kagamitang yari sa mgabato o mga katulad mula sa mga kasukalan ng mga kagubatan. Nalalaman lamang na may gawi silang nomadiko o palabuy-laboy, pagala-gala, at palipat-lipat ng mga pook, wala silang permanenteng tirahan, kahit man mga libingan ng mga namatay na kauri.[1]

Mga nilalaman

1 Pinagmulan ng salita 2 Paglalarawan 3 Kayariang henetika 4 Mga sanggunian

Pinagmulan ng salita
Hinango ang salitang Negrito mula sa Kastilang negro, at nangangahulugang "maliit na taong maitim", na tumutukoy sa kanilang maliit na pangangatawan. Ginamit ito ng unang mga eksplorador na Europeano na sinapantahang nanggagaling ang mga Negrito mula sa Aprika. Kung minsan, tinataguriang mga pigmi (mula sa salitang pygmy ng Ingles, na nagkukumpolsa kanila sa mga mamamayang may katulad na kayariang pangkatawan sa Gitnang Aprika. Gayon din, minsan ding ginagamit ang salitang Negrito sa mga pigming Aprikano.[2] Kung minsan pa rin, ginagamit din ang salitang Negroid para tukuyin ang mga pangkat na ito, partikular na sa kanilang panlabas na kaanyuhang pisikal, katulad ng buhok at kulay ng balat. Ayon kay James J.Y. Liu, isang propesor na panitikang hambingan (literaturang komparatibo), tumutukoy ang terminong Intsik na Kun-lun (Tsinong tradisyunal: ) sa mga Negrito.[3] Tumutukoy din ang katawagang Negrito sa ilang mga pangkat etnikong nasa mga hiwa-hiwalay na mga bahagi ng Timog-Silangang Asya.[4] Kabilang sa kanilang pangkasalukuyang populasyon ang mga Aeta, Agta, Ayta, Ati, Dumagat at mga may 25 iba pang mga tribo sa Pilipinas; maging sa mga Semang tangway ng Malay, sa mamamayang Mani ng Taylandiya at 12 mga tribong Andamanes ng Kapuluang Andaman ng Indiya.

Paglalarawan

Bagaman may duda kung marunong mamangka ang mga sinaunang Negrito, narito ang isang larawang nagpapakita ng mga Negritong nasakay sa isang bangka. Lumabas ang larawang ito sa aklat ni Alden March noong 1899.[5]

Isa pang larawan ng pangkat ng mga Negrito mula sa aklat ni Alden March. Maliliit lamang ang mga Negrito sa Pilipinas. May mga Negritong umaabot lamang ang taas sa apat na talampakan. Maitim ang kanilang balat, pango ang mga ilong, makakapal ang mga labi at kulot na kulot ang maiitim na mga buhok. Bagaman walang katibayan kung ano ang mga pinakasinaunang kagamitan at kasangkapan ng mga sinaunang mga Negrito sa Pilipinas, kabilang sa mga kamakailang gamit ng mga pangkasulukuyang Negrito ang mga sumpit, busog, pana, at mga kagamitang gawa sa bato.[1] Sa Pilipinas, iilan na lamang ang natitirang kapangkatan ng mga Negrito. Nilalarawang wala silang tunay na tribo, kundi mayroon silang mga pagsasama-samang kaangkanan lamang. Kabilang sa mga ito ang mga Aeta ng Sambales, Kagayan at Isabela, ang mga Agta, Arya, Ata at Ati ng Panay at Negros, ang mga Baluga, ang mga Batak ng Palawan at ang Mamanuwa ng Mindanaw. Tinawag na Negros ang pook na Negros sapagkat napakarami ng bilang ng mga Negrito doon noong kapanahunan ng pagsapit ng mga Kastila sa Pilipinas. Tinawag namang Panay ang pook na Panay dahil sa katawagan ng mga Negrito sa isang halaman, ang aninipay.[1] Bagaman pagalagala ang karamihan sa mga Negrito, mayroon ding tumigil sa mga yungib at sa gilid ng mga bundok, ang dahilan kung bakit tinawag din silang mga taong-bundok. Mayroon namang mga gumamit ng mga pansamantalang tahanang yari sa mga sanga at dahon ng mga punongkahoy. Palipat-lipat sila ng tirahan upang humanap ng mga makakain. Nangangalap sila ng mga prutas, halamang-ugat, at anumang halamang maaaring kainin. Umasa rin sila sa kanilang kapaligiran kung kaya't nangisda at nangaso sila.[1] Sa sari-saring mga pook sa Pilipinas, iba't iba ang naging mga katawagan para sa mg Negrito. Kabilang na nga rito ang mga katagurian sa Luzon na Aeta, Ita, Dumagat, Agta, Abian, Baluga, Remontado, at Pugot sa Luzon. Partikular sa Gitnang Luzon, ang pagtawag sa kanila bilang mga Aeta, Ita, at Baluga. Sa Siyera Madre kilala sila bilang Dumagat, Agta, Remontado, at Pugot. Sa pulo ng Panay, mas kilala sila bilang mga Ati, ang pinagmulan ng pagdiriwang na Ati-Atihan. Sa Gitnang Kabisayaan, kilala sila sa katawagang Ata, samantalang Mamanwa naman sa Samar at Leyte. Mayroon ding mga Negrito sa Mindanaw, partikular na sa mga lalawigan ng Surigaw at Hilagang Dabaw. Sa Surigao, kilala sila bilang ang mga Mamanwa, at Ata naman sa Hilagang Dabaw. Magkakaiba ang mga gawi ng bawat pangkatin ng mga Negrito: nilalarawang

mapupusok ang mga Aeta ng Kagayan at Isabela; "kimi, maraming mga bulaklak sa katawan, at patagu-tago" ang mga Batak sa Palawan. Tinatayang maaaring magkakahiwalay at magkakaiba ang panahon ng pagdating nila sa Pilipias, at "daan-daan o libu-libong taon ang pagitan" ang pagitan ng mga kapanahunang ito.[1]

Kayariang henetika
May pinasasuhang pangkaraniwang katangiang pangkatawan ang mga Negrito at ang mga populasyon ng pigming Aprikano, kasama ang pagkakaroon ng mababang taas at maitim na balat, subalit hindi pa rin natitiyak ang pinagmulan at ruta ng kanilang migrasyon patungong Asya. Malayo ang kanilang mga katangiang panghenetika mula sa mga Aprikano at nagpapakitang nagsangan ng maaga mula sa mga Asyano, isang pagpapahiwatig na maaaring mga kamag-anak sila ng mga mamamayang naglakbay palabas ng Aprika, o kaya sila ang mga supling na inapo o hinlog ng isa sa mga populasyong tagapagtatag ng mga makabagong tao.[6] Bagaman, noong 1899, nilarawan sila ni Alden March na "walang dudang nagmula sila sa mga liping Aprikano" at bilang mga aborihen ng Pilipinas na may higit sa 600,000 ang bilang noong mga panahong iyon.[7] Bagaman pagalagala ang karamihan sa mga Negrito, mayroon ding tumigil sa mga yungib at sa gilid ng mga bundok, ang dahilan kung bakit tinawag din silang mga taong-bundok. Mayroon namang mga gumamit ng mga pansamantalang tahanang yari sa mga sanga at dahon ng mga punongkahoy. Palipat-lipat sila ng tirahan upang humanap ng mga makakain. Nangangalap sila ng mga prutas, halamang-ugat, at anumang halamang maaaring kainin. Umasa rin sila sa kanilang kapaligiran kung kaya't nangisda at nangaso sila.

Mga sanggunian
1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Negrito", Hindi ba Negrito ang unang tao sa Pilipinas?, Ang Unang Tao, Elaput.org 2. Encyclopdia Britannica, ika-11 edisyon, 19101911: "Second are the large Negrito family, represented in Africa by the dwarf-races of the equatorial forests, the Akkas, Batwa, Wochua and others..." (p. 851) 3. Liu, James J.Y. The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge at Kegan Paul, 1967 (ISBN 0-226-48688-5) 4. Snow, Philip. The Star Raft: China's Encounter With Africa. Palimbagan ng Pamantasang Cornell, 1989 (ISBN 0-8014-9583-0) 5. March, Alden. The history and conquest of the Philippines and our other island possessions; embracing our war with the Filipinos in 1899], nilimbag noong 1899. 6. Kashyap VK, Sitalaximi T, Sarkar BN, Trivedi R 2003. Molecular relatedness of the aboriginal groups of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with similar ethnic populations. The International Journal of Human Genetics, 3: 5-11. 7. March, Alden. The history and conquest of the Philippines and our other island possessions; embracing our war with the Filipinos in 1899, nilimbag noong 1899, (...) Throughout the Philippine Islands are found mountain tribes known as Negritos. They are the aborigines, and are doubtless of African descent. They are black with kinky hair. About forty or fifty families of them usually live together. Their weapons are of bamboo,

and they poison their arrows and spears. There are over 600,000 of them in the islands. (...), sa pahina 29. Kategorya:

Mga pangkat etniko ng Pilipinas

NEGRITO
AETA The Aetas were the earliest inhabitants in the Philippines. They are nomadic and build only temporary lean-to-shelters made of two forked sticks driven to the ground and covered with the palm of the banana leaves. The more prosperous and modernized Aetas have learned to live in the villages on tablelands and mountain clearings. They live in houses made of bamboo and cogon grass. The Aetas are located in Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan and Nueva Ecija. Due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo they were resettled in various resettlement areas in Region 3 like Porac Pampanga and in Dueg, San Clemente, Tarlac. The Aeta is distinguished by his small structure, kinky hair, flat nose, thick lips, and black skin distinguish the Aeta. His arms are abnormally long and his feet are too large in proportion to his body. Aetas have peculiar characteristic, which is his large toe that extended inward, a feature that might have evolved as consequence of his constant grasping of a tree branch between the large toe and the other toes. The Aetas senses are highly developed. Their senses of direction and senses of smell is extraordinary. They can track down a snake by its smell and can identify more than five hundred plants and its flowering patterns. The entertainment fare of the Aetas consists of songs and dances. Their musical instruments are highly developed. ABIAN Abians are the Philippine aborigines often called Negritoes. They live in Barrio Igang of Batobalani. Camarines Norte and in Camarines Sur. In 1987 they numbered 12, 407. They are short and dark with kinky hair. When their homes were bulldozed for forest concessions, they again experienced being driven away from the place by lowlanders. As a result, they have become nomadic and do not possess any material property for fear of losing it whenever they suffer further confiscation. The Abian house is a semi-permanent lean to called butukan. They get their food by means of the kaingin system, clearing portions of the forest and planting root crops and rice on the cleared area. They also work for landlords by the weeding the fields or helping during harvest time. Many old customs have been retained by the Abians. The old women of village still assisst mothers in giving birth. They have no marriage rites, or formal religion. They practice polygamy and do not believe in the Christian God but they believe that there is a life after death. Some are known to put scars on their arms to take away the bad blood. When an Abian dies, neighbors across the hills are called by shouts to announce patapusan, the death rites that take place three months afterward. At patapusan there is dancing, chanting of the lidong', and weeping and wailing over the passing of a love one. AGTA The Agtas are found in the Bicol Peninsula and on the slopes of Mt. Asog, Iriga City. The group population was 11, 078 in 1987. Like any other Aeta group, they call themselves and their language Agta. They are darkskinned, kinky-haired, pug nosed and think lipped people with a height less than five feet tall.

They generally go bear footed. Men wore G-strings without shorts, but now wear shorts, the women wear clothes similar to lowlanders. They can speak varied languages such as Bicolano, Tagalog, and Agta language. Indigenous materials such as wood, bamboo, cogon or talahib, abaca barks and coconut leaves are used in the house. Houses are built in clusters ranging from two to five families for economic and security purposes. They get their food by means of the kaingin system. They also work for landlords but receive a very minimal daily wage, not even enough for subsistence. They marry at an early age of fourteen to their chosen partner but since they have no marriage rites, the couples simply live together as husband and wife. They practiced polygamy and at the present, the Agtas do not subscribe to family planning, believing that marriage is to produce offspring and that only God determines the number of children a couple will have. The Agta believes in the Anitos and the Spirits of the ancestors to whom they offer dances during rituals. Some dances depict the movements of animals, insects, and hunting movements. There is no organized political leadership. However the older and more experienced males in the community are consulted for arbitration purposes. ATI The dark-skinned Ati group of Panay Island are probably the best known of the Filipino Negritos (Spanish Term of Ati) being the indigenous tribe credited with welcoming history's first Malay datus from Borneo in the fourteenth century. The Ati have retained their dialect with traces of ancient times of "Kiniraya" and dialects of the present time "Iligaynon". Ati is the local term for their "dark brown" to "scooty black" skin color. They have wavy to kinky hair, pug nose, and thick lips. They are short in stature and generally below five feet tall. Their physical appearance is genetically carried up to the third or fourth generation even with mixed marriages. When the Spanish colonizers came they called the indigenous people of the island Negritoes because of their skin color and also named the Island Negros. The Atis are scattered in the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The biggest population is settled in Negpana, barangay Lipata, Darotac Viejo (Iloilo). Other bigger groups are found in Hanti (Antique), Malay (Aklan) and Lambunao (Iloilo). The total popultion is 63, 654 (OSCC, 1987) For economic survival, they are adept at hunting, fishing, and food gathering. Nowadays, they have become less sedentary and constantly move in panung (band). They become the "mountain people" in escaping the civilizing process of the colonists. They are perennially dependent on the yields of the forest, since they practice no permanent agriculture. Until the modern times, the Atis have used the forest for indigenous medicines as it yields medicinal roots, woodchips, shavings, gums, wines, leaves, seeds, barks and herbs for curing kinds of sickness. They apply such herbs with the corresponding rituals. Because they are nomadic, the Ati put up their dwellings in the form of a lean-to or shack. During the olden times, most of the Atis went about naked. The Menfolk were ubad to cover their private part, while the women wrapped their lower torso with the sahat leaving their breasts exposed. In recent times, their few clothing are frequently laundered in the stream without use of soap. The Atis have an animistic religion. They believe in the existence of Kalosonin (spirit of the forest) and the aswang (witch). They will possess a unique wedding rite held on top of a hill. The bride was made to run fast one hundred meters away from the groom. Drums were sounded when the groom started to pursue the woman

NEGRITO
CIMMARON Cimmarons are found in Buhi, Isarog, Iriga and Caranwan, all of Camarines Sur, Bicol

Region numbering to 9,187 (OSCC, 1987). They are dark brown in skin color being the offspring of intermarriages between Aeta and the Malays (Bikolanos), but only a few of them have curly hairs (Jagor, Reisin, p. 106) They are multi-lingual, being able to speak their Cimaaaron language, Bicol and Tagalog. Their houses are provided with items such as coconut shells, bamboo implements, clay pots, and weapons. Their houses are protected from enemies by means of mantraps or sharpened stakes, which are carefully camouflaged, and hidden in the parts leading to their homes. They cultivate potatoes, gabi, corn, sugarcane, tobacco, etc. The men's attire is limited to the G-string while the women wear a type of skirt which covers the hips up to a portion just above the knees. Their weapons are bows and arrows, spears, round wooden shields and a broad sword. They have friendly relations with the Bicolanos with whom they trade agricultural product. Polygamy is an accepted practice. The woman is sold or purchased with an average price of ten bushknives to ten dollars in cash. (Jagor, Reisin, p. 171) During the marriage, the father of the bride gives a banquet during which much coconut palm wine is drunk. They believe in the existence of the spirits, which they keep from doing harm by giving offering them food and betel chew. Sometimes a ritual practitioner goes into a trance to communicate with the spirits. ISAROG Isarog is the type of Bicol Agta found in the vicinity of the Isarog volcano located in the Iriga around Buhi, near Mazaraga in the Cordillera of the Caramuan, Camarines Sur and in the neighborhood of Libon and Tobaco, Albay. There are 7, 711 (OSCC, 1987) of them scattered in those areas. Many do not have settlements but they wander around like the Aetas of Negros. Others have houses that are scattered in the jungles. (Cavada, I. p. 213, 221) Those who live in the vicinity of Mazaraga volcano are very friendly and live in peace with Christians, allowing them to have some of their children baptized. Their physical appearance is like the other Agta groups due to intermarriage of Agta and lowlanders. They have deep-seated eyes, brown skin color, curly hair and a height of a barely five feet tall. They have an ancient practice like that of the Dayaks of Borneo, which is killing the first stranger that one meets upon the death of one of their relatives. (Jagor, Reisin, p. 164) They can speak other language like Bikolano and Tagalog aside from their Isarog language. TABANGNON The Tabangnons are group of wild mountain people living in the mountain fastness of Guinayongan in the province of Tayabas down to Paracale, Camarines Norte. (Cavad, I, p. 230) Their population is numbering to 10, 463 (OSCC, 1987) They are described in such a manner that one sees no difference in their way of life with that of the Agtas. They can speak their Tabangnon language, Bikol and Tagalog, being a multi-lingual speaker. They are reported to raid the Christian Filipino settlements in order to obtain cattle and food. They are believed to be the offsprings of the Remontado and Agta marriages. Like other Agta tribes, they genetically inherited the curly hair and dark skin of their ancestors, although they are taller compared to other Agtas, since height is attributed to the Remontado physical build. They are nomadic by nature and because of this they come to know the ways of life of the lowlanders, thus they bacome acculturated and adopted some practices of the Christians without totally losing their own identity by retaining some of their traditional practices. TABOY Another dub-tribe of the Agta in Bicol is the so-called Taboy. They inhabit the

island of Rapurapu, Albay, both the coastal sea and the inland. Their population is estimated to be 1, 500 (OSCC, 1987) Their physical structure is somewhat similar to that of Cimarron and Tabangnons of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte who have dark brown skin, trimmed nose, yellowish brown hair lean mascular ody and average height often less than five feet tall. The Taboys freely choose their life-partners without the intervention of the parents. Since marriage rites are not practiced, they just live as common husband and wife. They also practice polygamy but for those who converted Catholic, they instituted marriage and monogamy. Taboys living along the coastal area go fishing for food and sell some for purchase of rice and other household needs. They gather nipa (palm) leaves and make it into Nipa shingles for additional income. They also gather mangroove trees for firewood and charcoal for sale. Others go to mainland Albay and work as laborers. They respect their elders whom they consultfor whatever problems they have. Recently when OSCC came in to organize they started calling their elected leader a chieftain.