Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
GE 11: SSP PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
First Semester S.Y. 2021-2022
LEARNING MATERIALS
LESSON 7 & 8:
ETHNOLINGUISTIC GROUPS OF REGION 1 (CORDILLERA) AND REGION 2 (CARABALLO
MOUNTAIN)
LESSON DISCUSSION:
The IPRA identifies 8 ethnographic regions in the country, namely: the Cordillera
Administrative Region (CAR), Region I, Region II, Region III and Rest of Luzon, Island Group,
Southern and Eastern Mindanao, Central Mindanao, and Northern and Western Mindanao.
However, these ethnographic regions were designated by the Government 4 primarily for
administrative purposes and for representation in its National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP), rather than based on actual ethno-linguistic groupings. The Philippine
indigenous peoples are made up of widely diverse cultures. The estimated total number of
distinct indigenous ethnic groups ranges from 70 to 140. The NCIP website presents a list of 90
entries, while a compilation from various sources shows 109 indigenous ethno-linguistic groups
and subgroups. Each indigenous group has its own distinct identity, language and indigenous
socio-political and cultural systems and practices, with some similarities between and among
others.1 Particular generic terms are used to refer to indigenous peoples in different regions of
the country, although the indigenous peoples usually identify themselves as belonging to a
particular ethno-linguistic group or subgroup. Among the major groupings of indigenous
peoples in the Philippines are the following:
Igorot is the generic and collective term for the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera
mountain range in northern Luzon. Igorot is derived from the prefix i- (people from) and golot
(mountain) to literally mean “people from the mountains.” This term was for a long time
considered derogatory, but it has increasingly been accepted and appropriated by indigenous
activists as a term of pride in their identity as indigenous peoples.
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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
The Igorot make up 99 per cent of the population in the Cordillera region and live in the
highlands, foothills, plateaus and river valleys of the Cordillera mountain range. They currently
total about 1.5 million in population and are composed of various ethnic groups and subgroups
or tribes. The major ethno-linguistic groups in the Cordillera are the Kankanaey, Bontoc, Ifugao,
Kalinga, Ibaloy, Isneg and Tingguian. However, the people prefer to identify themselves as
belonging to their own “ili”, which is an indigenous community having its own defined territory
or ancestral land and its own indigenous socio-cultural systems.
The Igorots, which comprises numerous tribes in the northern part of the country, are
mostly residing in the mountain ranges of the Cordillera Region. They are popularly known for
being rice cultivators. An assortment of the group called the Ifugaos built the Banaue Rice
Terraces – frequently called the ‘eighth wonder of the world’. The ancestors of this indigenous
tribe carved a system of irrigated rice terraces in the mountains of Ifugao more than 2,000 years
ago.
The Banaue village cluster-part of the Rice Terraces
of the Philippine Cordilleras | © rweisswald /
Shutterstock
The Igorot tribe also includes the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanaey and Tinguian
groups. Other tribes living in the north are Isnag from Apayao, Gaddang (found between Kalinga
and Isabela provinces), and the Ilongots living within the east mountains of Luzon called the
Sierra Madre and the Caraballo Mountains. The Ilongots are known for their intense
aggressiveness and cultural conservatism.
The Caraballo Tribes: These are the five ethnolinguistic groups—Ibanag, Ilongot,
Gaddang, Ikalahan and Isinai, who together with the the Agta peoples inhabit the Caraballo
mountain range in Eastern Central Luzon. This range connects the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya,
Quirino and Nueva Ecija.
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LIST OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN REGION 1 & 2
ETHNO-LINGUISTIC GROUP LOCATION OF DOMAINS
CORDILLERA AND REGION 1
Eastern Bontok (Balangao, Tonglayan, Sakki, Mt. Province
Madukayan, Barlig)
Central Bontok (Bontok, Sadanga, Alab Mt. Province
Isneg Apayao, Ilocos Norte
Tinggian (Adasen, Binongan, Ilaud or Itneg, Abra
Masadiit, Banao, Gubang, Mabaka, Maeng,
Mayudan, Danak)
Northern Kankanaey (Kankanaey Iyaplay) Mountain Province
Kankanaey Ibenguet Benguet
Kalanguya Benguet, Ifugao
Karao Benguet
Mandek-ey Benguet
Ibaloy Benguet, Baguio City, Pangasinan
Ayangan Ifugao
Ifugao Ifugao
Tuwali Ifugao
Kalinga (Banao, Mabaka, Salegseg, Guilayon, Kalinga, Apayao
Cagaluan, Guinaang, Balatoc, Lubuagan,
Malbong, Naneng, Taloctok, Mangali, Lubo,
Tinglayan, Tulgao, Butbut, Basao, Dacalan,
Sumadel, Dananao)
Apayao Kalinga, Apayao
Bago La Union, Ilocos Sur
REGION 2 AND CARABALLO MOUNTAINS
Agta Cagayan, Quirino, Isabela
Kalanguya Nueva Vizcaya
Bugkalot Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino
Isinai Nueva Vizcaya
Gaddang Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela
Aggay Cagayan
Dumagat Isabela, Cagayan
Ibanag Cagayan
Itawis Cagayan
Ivatan Batanes
THE IGOROTS OF CORDILLERA MOUNTAINS
Origin: the Igorot are group of related village-based societies in the mountainous
country of central and northern Luzon, the largest island in the Philippine archipelago. While
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most of the peoples of the Philippines are either Christian or Muslim, the Igorot practice native
religion often called “animism,” an anthropological term referring to the belief that spirits
permeate the material world. Although Spain began colonizing the Philippines in the 16 th
century, the Igorot’s isolation in their mountainous homeland enabled them to maintain their
cultural autonomy.
Location: Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera
Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262, 820 hectares, the province of
Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, reiver valleys, and
massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and broders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the
north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south. It is named after the term “i-pugo”
which means “i” (from/people) and “pugo” (hill), thus people of the hill.
Houses: Igorots build their houses on piles. The pyramid-shaped roof is used as a
bedroom, kitchen, ans storeroom. All in one place. There are no windows. To please the gods,
the skull of a sacrificed pig is fixed on the outside of the house. The residents still live in the
same type of houses as their ancestors.
Attires: Generally, the term used to refer to Igorot Costume for Males is Bahag or G-
String. It is a long woven fabric that can be 10 to 15 inches in width and with a length of 3 to 5
feet. The size of the bahag depends on the person using it. The Igorot Costume for females
features a large rectangular woven clothing that measures 3-4 feet long and 3-5 feet wide.
Generally, it is called “tapis.” It is simply wrapped around the waist. Often, a threat is used to
secure it from falling off. In the past, Igorot women wear no upper garments .
Skills: The Igorot still practices the same skills as in the past: Woodcarving, weaving
clothes, hunting and farming. They discovered the tourists as a welcome client for their
products in a time that the most young igorot prefer Western clothes.
Traditions: The Ifugaos practice a number of rituals. Some of these rituals are:
Hingot – the betrothal ritual which announces the union of two families (generally
marriages among the Ifugaos are pre-arranged)
Among – a sacrificial ritual wherein the gods and the family’s ancestors are asked to
make the body healthy, the mother well and strong, and the family wealthy.
Uya-uy – a ritual of feasting. Hagabi; a ritual of those aspiring to attain the rank of the
real “kadangayan”.
Ketema – a ritual intended to identify the spirit who caused a certain sickness.
Ayag – a ritual performed to identify the evil spirits who caused an illness.
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Kolot – a ritual for the first cutting of child’s hair.
One of the main contributions of the Igorots is the Banaue Rice Terraces.
ILONGOT OF CARABALLO MOUNTAINS
Caraballo Mountains, mountains in central Luzon, Philippines. The range reaches an
elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,680 metres). It joins the Cordillera Central to the north and
the Sierra Madre to the east. Drained by the headwaters of the northward-flowing Cagayan
River, the mountains are heavily forested.
Location: The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern Sierra
Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon 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.
Traditions: Ilongot recognize a range of supernatural beings including a creator-
overseer deity associated with the sun, as well as ancestral spirits. They are most concerned,
however, with nature spirits and illness-giving spirits. Traditional Ilongot religion
revolves around helpful and dangerous supernatural beings. Illnesses are believed to be caused
by supernatural beings who lick or urinate on their victims. Shaman preside over curing
ceremonies, and spirits are kept away by bathing, smoking and sweeping.
Way of Living: The Ilongot are primarily in slash-and-burn agriculturalist, hunters and
fishermen. They grow maize, manioc, rice, tobacco, sugar and vegetables and moves their fields
once a year. The Ilongot also collect forest products such as rattan for their own use and to
trade, forge their own knives, picks and hoes.
Attires: The Ilongots wear plain or dark blue or black loincloths with a colored band
around the hips. A long red or black band is tied around the hands and no shoes are worn. Their
handmade guitars often use human hair for strings. Traditional Ilongot clothing consists
of lengths of bark pounded to the consistency of soft leather. Men wear a length of cloth passed
between the legs and secured with a belt of rattan or brass wire. Women wear a short sarong
(waist to knees) along with earrings, bead necklaces, and brass wire spiraling over the arms.
EVALUATION: (See the separate file for Learning Activity)
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Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
REFERENCE:
Country Technical Notes on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues by Jacqueline K. Cariñ o, 2012
Prepared by:
JOHN REY R. BUAN
Instructor
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