ILOCANO

PRONUNCIATION:ee-lo-KAHN-ohs
LOCATION:Philippines (northern Luzon)
POPULATION:1.8 million
LANGUAGE:Ilocano
RELIGION:Roman Catholicism; Philippine Independent Church; Iglesia ni Kristo
(Church of Christ); Protestantism; Islam; animism

 INTRODUCTION
When the Spanish first encountered them in 1572, the inhabitants of Ilocos (then called
"Samtoy") were living in large villages at sheltered coves or rivermouths and were
trading with the Chinese and Japanese. Although massive churches in a distinctive style
give evidence of Spanish-Ilocano collaboration, the colonial period was marked by
frequent revolts; the most famous of these was that led by Diego and Gabriela Silang
during the British occupation of Manila in 1762–63.
Ilocanos were prominent in the nationalist movement, and many rose to high office in
the central government. The greatest of these Ilocano "success stories" (as far as it
went) was President Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled from 1965 to 1986.

 LOCATION
The four provinces of the Ilocano homeland (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and
landlocked Abra) stretch from Cape Bojeador at the northwestern tip of Luzon down to
the Gulf of Lingayen. Most of the population is concentrated along a narrow coastal
plain that has only a few good harbors. This environment is harsh, forcing Ilocanos to be
hard-working and thrifty. Many Ilocanos have left their homeland to seek employment
elsewhere.
The population of the four provinces is about 1.8 million. Ilocano speakers, however,
numbered 11 percent of the national population of 66 million, or 7.26 million people.
Among all Filipino groups, the Ilocanos are the most famed as migrants, settling since
the nineteenth century in sparsely populated expanses of the northern Central Plain of
Luzon (provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija) and of the Cagayan Valley in
the northeast. In addition, many Ilocanos have established themselves in Manila and
other major cities of the country, as well as in frontier lands on Mindanao. Ilocano men
left to find work as migrant laborers on sugar plantations in Hawaii and on farms in
California in the first decades of the twentieth century. They were the first Filipinos to
immigrate to the United States. In the Philippines, every Ilocano town has a number of
men known as "Hawaiianos," returned migrants from the United States. These migrants
courted their future wives in their home country by letter.
  LANGUAGE
The Ilocanos speak a Western Austronesian language of the Northern Philippine group,
whose closest relatives are the languages of neighboring mountain peoples. Ilocano
has become the lingua franca of northern Luzon, as Ilocano traders provide highland
peoples with their primary link to the commerce of the outside world.

 FOLKLORE
According to one Ilocano origin myth, a giant named Aran built the sky and hung the
sun, moon, and stars in it. Under their light, Aran's companion, the giant Angalo, could
see the land, which he then molded into mountains and valleys. The giants found the
world they had created windswept and desolate. Angalo spat on the earth, and from his
spit emerged the first man and woman. He placed them in a bamboo tube that he
tossed into the sea. The bamboo washed up on the shore of the Ilocos region, and from
this couple came the Ilocano people.
Like other Filipinos, Ilocanos recognize an array of supernatural beings, such as
thekatawtaw-an(the spirits of infants, who died unbaptized who in turn victimize
newborns). Thekarkarma,the souls of living persons, leave the body at death but linger
in the house until after the post-funerary offerings of food are made to the deceased; in
the form of the scent of perfume, the odor of a burning candle, or a strange draft of
wind, they are believed to visit relatives who have failed to come to the sickbed of the
deceased. Theal-alia,the spirit doubles of humans, appear at their human doubles'
death as the groaning of the dying, the cracking of glass, the rattling of beds, and the
banging of doors, or in the form (at night) of a grunting pig, howling dog, or a crowing
chicken. These signs remind the living to pray to God for the forgiveness of the
deceased's sins (otherwise, the al-alia may visit misfortunes upon them).

 RELIGION
Filipinos were converted to Roman Catholicism by Spanish colonial settlers. Catholicism
in the Philippines combines belief in patron saints with belief in supernatural forces.
Many people consult faith healers for herbal treatments of physical ailments.

 MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Ilocanos celebrate national and religious holidays.
  RITES OF PASSAGE
Although free to choose their own marriage partners, young people seek the approval of
both sets of parents. When a couple decides they'd like to marry, the first step is for the
young man to ask for the consent of his own parents. His parents will pay the dowry and
finance the wedding. Next, the future groom makes a formal
announcement(panagpudno)to the young woman's parents of his intention to marry
their daughter. The groom's parents then visit the future bride's parents, to set the date
for the wedding. For this, the parents consult aplanetario,an almanac identifying
auspicious (good-luck) days. At a further meeting(palalianorringpas),the young man and
his relatives come to the young woman's house to finalize the wedding arrangements;
each party employs a spokesperson who negotiates for his or her side in formal
language. The families set the choice of wedding sponsors (an equal number, ranging
from ten to fifty people for each side), the dowry (land for the couple, or the money to
buy such land), thesagut(the wedding dress, jewelry, and accessories that the groom is
to provide for the bride), and theparawad(cash that the groom gives the bride's mother
as a reward for raising his bride).
The wedding feast follows the church ceremony. At the feast, the bride and groom go
through an entertaining ritual. First, the groom offers the bride a plate of mung beans
(symbolizing fertility). The bride refuses the dish several times before finally accepting it.
Then the bride offers the beans to the groom who in turn refuses the dish until an old
man calls an end to the ritual. (The pleadings and feigned refusals greatly amuse the
onlookers.) Another highlight is thebitor:guests contribute cash to the newlyweds either
by dropping money onto plates held by two men seated on a mat (representing the
bride and groom, respectively) or by pinning bills to the couple's clothing while the two
dance. After the wedding, offerings of rice cakes are made to the spirits of departed
family members.
To announce a death formally, a piece of wood(atong)is lit in front of the deceased's
house and is kept burning until after burial, at which time it is extinguished with rice
wine. The corpse is kept in the house. It is dressed in its best clothes and a kerchief is
tied around the jaw; a basin of water mixed with vinegar is placed under the bed to
remove the odor of death. Money is placed in the coffin to pay the "ferry man" who
takes the soul to the other world. In the days before burial, relatives keep vigil over the
body, wailing and recounting the deceased's good deeds (sometimes, professional
mourners perform the lamentation(dung-aw).
Before the funeral itself, each of the relatives pays their last respects by kissing the
deceased's hand or raising it to his or her forehead. Extreme care is taken in
transporting the body from the house to the church; any mishap could cause premature
death for the attendants. After the church ceremony, the relatives pose as a group for
souvenir photos with the coffin. Everyone in the procession to the cemetery must return
to the deceased's home by a different route from the one taken there. Upon arrival, they
must wash their faces and hands in order to remove the power of death.
  RELATIONSHIPS
Ilocanos share the same basic values as other Filipinos, such asbain,which
corresponds tohiyaoramor propio("face" or sense of shame). The fear of gossip and the
desire to avoid the envy of others serve as strong pressures for conformity. Before
pushing through with his or her own plans, a person feelsalumiim,the need to figure out
how others will react first in order to avoid embarrassment. It is essential to
showpanagdayaw,proper respect for the sensitivities of others. This requires that
individuals speak about themselves only in the humblest of terms. Although Ilocanos
are group-oriented, they also value a certainindividualism(agwayas): one should not
reveal his or her inner intentions to others, since it is unwise to be too trusting.
A person is expected to overcome life's challenges through his or her own hard work,
limiting his or her dependence on others to obtaining aid from close kin. However,
Ilocanos do form savings associations(including as many as fifty women in a
neighborhood), mutual-aid associations (financing members' major celebrations), and
labor-exchange arrangements.
Life-passage parties and fiestas provide teenagers their main opportunity to chat and
joke. For a young man to initiate a courtship is a serious matter, since the only proper
end is marriage. On his first visit to the house of a young woman, the young man takes
one or two companions with him so that he can get their opinion. During the second
visit, the companions excuse themselves to allow the young man to confess his feelings
to the young woman. Love notes are an important means of courtship.

 LIVING CONDITIONS
Raised two to three feet (0.6 meters to 1 meter) off the ground, houses have beams of
wood, walls of bamboo, and roofs of rice straw orcogongrass. Sometimes, newly
married children may live in roofed extensions. On thebangsal,a landing on the
staircase, guests wait before being admitted, and wash or wipe their feet before
entering the receiving room. Curtains or bamboo partitions separate the living room
from the bedroom areas (most have beds but prefer sleeping mats). A separate storage
room also serves for a place to change clothes. Outhouses provide toilet facilities.

 FAMILY LIFE
The structure of the Ilocano family (average size, six to seven persons) conforms to the
general Filipino pattern. The father is the formal head of family, backing up the mother
who disciplines the children and manages the house finances. The eldest child divides
the chores equally among siblings. Grandparents tend to be more indulgentof
grandchildren than the parents themselves.

 CLOTHING
Dress inappropriate for one's age or perceived wealth or status attracts gossip such
asmabiag ti ruar ngem matay ti uneg(outwardly alive, but inwardly dying);uray napintas
no inutang(even if it is nice, it is acquired through credit). Still one should dress well for
special celebrations. Everyday wear, especially at home, consists of short pants for
boys, and dusters, loose skirts, shirts, and short pants for girls. Those working in the
fields wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats as protection
against the sun and mud.
During the rainy season, people wear a headress oflabigleaves extending well down the
back. Older women wear their hair long and knotted in a bun, while men keep it short
and apply pomade on special occasions.

 FOOD
Ilocano food essentially resembles that elsewhere in the country, but Ilocanos are
especially fond ofbagoong(a salty shrimp or fish paste). One regional specialty that has
entered national cuisine ispinakbet—eggplant, bitter melon, okra, and green beans
cooked with bagoong, tomatoes, and a little water (dried or broiled fish, meat, or
shrimps can be added to improve the taste).
Other favorites aredinardaraan—cooked pig's blood (dinuguanin Tagalog-Pilipino);
andkilawen—the lean meat and intestines of water buffalo, cow, sheep, or goat, eaten
raw or partially cooked with a sauce of vinegar, salt, hot pepper, and pig's bile.
Eating with their hands, family members squat around the food laid out on the floor or
take food and eat in different parts of the main room. As food is regarded as a symbol of
God's grace, there should be no noise, laughing, singing, or harsh words (including
parents scolding children) while eating is going on. One should not drop food on the
table or floor, or the food "will be angered and leave the household." Similarly, no one
should leave the house while someone is still eating, for God's grace will go with him or
her, out of the home.

 EDUCATION
Iloconas are almost all literate (can read or write).

 CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Ilocanos have an epic, theBiag ni Lamang(Life of Lam-ang), which, however, exists
only in the form of a highly Hispanicized metrical romancecomposed in the nineteenth
century. Ilocos is also the only place in the country where the Spanishzarzuela(operetta)
is still performed

.
  EMPLOYMENT
Almost all farmers (the major occupation) own the land they till, except for those who
are tenants of farms owned by urban professionals. The staple crop is rice, though
poorer people must mix cheaper maize (corn) with their rice. Root crops are also grown
both as a supplement to the diet and for sale. Watered by wet-season rains or irrigation,
wet-rice fields range from small plots that can only be worked with a hoe or dibble stick
to those large enough for a water-buffalo–drawn plow. Dry-rice agriculture is also
practiced in the hilly areas between the flatlands. Crops grown for market include
tobacco and garlic (both Ilocos specialties), as well as onions, and vegetables. Petty
traders may travel as far as Manila to sell such products.
Farmers fish during the lull between planting and harvesting, usually in nearby offshore
waters, rivers, or fish ponds. An important part of the catch areipon,small fish
forbagoong(fish paste).
Cottage industries include salt-making;basiwine-making(from molasses); pottery-making
(twenty different types are produced in San Nicolas); weaving (at one time using locally
grown cotton; a goddess is said to have bequeathed the art to the people of Paoay
town); basket-and mat-weaving; woodworking; and silversmithing (recycling old Spanish
or Mexican coins).

 SPORTS
One uniquely Ilocano game iskukudisi. A stick (thean-anak) is placed on a baseline
scratched into the ground. One player makes the stick jump in the air; the other player
tries to catch it before it hits the ground. If the latter cannot do so, a second, longer stick
(thein-ina) is laid across the baseline; the player then tries to hit it with the an-anak. The
next two phases of the game involve competing to see who can hit the an-anak (which
has been tossed in the air and stuck into the baseline, respectively) with the in-ina the
farthest.

 RECREATION
Children enjoy such games asbalay-balay(playing house), hide-and-seek, team-tag,
jumping "hurdles" (sticks or outstretched arms or legs), jacks, and chess.

 CRAFTS AND HOBBIES

Ilocanos engage in the same hobbies as all Filipinos. These include weaving, wood-
carving, and playing chess.