FOREWORD
The Tinguians inhabit the mountainous areas of the province of Abra in north-
ern Philippines.
For several centuries, this ethnic group has lived in relative isolation from other
cultural groups. Their lifeways have not varied much from its indigenous beginnings.
Rituals, social functions and celebrations have retained their distinct Tinguian stamp.
Harsh env1r'onmental conditions highlight the precarious situation of the
Tinguian. How they survive in the face of such conditions is a tribute to their ingenuity.
This ingenuity is evidence by their creative adaptation to the ecological environment.
Largely farmers, the Tinguian were never fully Christianized. Their social
and political organization have not developed beyond the village level. Belief in
supernatural beings, a recurrent feature of Tinguian society, has largely influenced
their perception of their surrounding world. It underlies much of the way the
Tinguian behave and think.
Over the years, however, contacts with other cultural groups have somehow
enabled the Tinguian to assimilate some external cultural influences. Thelr' accul-
turative tendency is indicative of the capacity of the Tinguian to accept innovations
in terms of their own social and cultural life.
Granted with proper direction and assistance, the Tinguian could be an import-
ant partner in the .nobler task of achieving national unity. Willingness on their' part
to cooperate in the various facets of social life warrants a conscious effort on the
part of other sectors to aid in the betterment of Tinguian life.
In this Field Report, as m' others 1n' this series, a brief overview of Tinguian
lifeways is presented. The PCAS Museum staffers who revisited the Tm'guian
country in' 1976 present here their observations. The main purpose of this initial
report is to acquaint students, colleagues and laymen about the current conditions
and life among the Tinguian before a detailed monograph is written. In this way,
we may be able to stimulate discussions, disseminate information and foster deeper
understanding among ourselves as a people.
F. Landa Jocano
Curator
INTRODUCTION
Much of the materials used m' this Field Report comes from direct contact m"
1976 with hundreds of Tm'guian who continue to inhabit the hinterlands of Abra.
The authors feel that the best way to learn about the Tinguian is to conduct first hand
research among them. Thus, they spent some time among these people. Interviews
were conducted at almost every m'stance to shed fight on the significant aspects of
Tinguian culture.
Furthermore, d1r'ect observation of rituals and ceremonies proved to be an
important method in documenting and analyzing such practices. These encounters
and many more were of prm'cipal import to the general objectives of this Report.
Throughout the length of the field research, the authors were able to travel
through the vast expanse of Tinguian land without benefit of modern transportation.
In the process, they were able to experience the travails of Tinguian life just as then’
interaction with the people provided valuable lessons in cultural understanding.
The authors feel that a certain degree of library research is indispensable m'
writing this Report. Thus, Faye Cooper Cole’s The Tinguian was examined for older
data against which new observations can be compared. This provided the researchers
with points of reference in understanding the process of change.
Necessarily therefore, this Field Report must either revise, supplement or
accept existing data on the Tinguian. Furthermore, it must also bear witness to the
blending or rejection of so many influences which may have intruded into the body
of the people’s indigenous lifeways. Thus, there is the fond hope that it fulfils such a
distm'ctive role, one that is both self-imposed and demanded by the discipline.
Despite the arduous nature of the fieldwork, the experience was nevertheless
rewarding. It may be said with enough reason that this Field Report embodies the
collective effort of the authors and their' Tinguian informants.
Joseph R. Fortm'
Leon S. Rico, Jr.
