Bicolano people

The Bicolano people or the Bikolanos (Bikol: Mga Bikolnon) are the fourth-largest
Filipino ethnolinguistic group.[2] Males are usually referred to as Bicolano and
Bicolana is used for females. Their native region is commonly referred to as
Bicolandia, which comprises the entirety of the Bicol Peninsula and neighbouring
minor islands, all in the southeast portion of Luzon.
 Bicolano people

Mga Bikolnon

Bicolano men preparing hemp by drawing out its fibers, c. 1900

Total population

6,299,283[1]

(6.84% of the Philippine population)

Regions with significant populations

 Philippines

(Bicol Region, Quezon Province, Northern Samar, Metro Manila)

Worldwide

Languages

Bikol languages

Filipino, English (auxiliary)

Religion

Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholicism, with minority Protestantism)

Islam

Related ethnic groups

Tagalogs, Visayans (Masbateños and Warays), other Filipinos

They are largely an agricultural and rural people, producing rice, coconuts, hemp,
they are rich in spices. That's why Bicolanos are said to be great when it comes to
eating chili food or foods which are high in spice. Nearly all of them are Christians,
predominantly Roman Catholics, but with some Protestant minorities. Proves that
they celebrate Saints, and other patriots. Their languages are divided based from
their cities, which is actually a collection of closely related varieties, is closely
related to other languages of the central Philippines, all of which belong to the
Austronesian
(specifically Malayo-Polynesian) super-family of languages.[3]

History

Bicolano men with their wagons, from Albay, c. 1899.

According to a folk epic entitled Ibalong, the people of the region were formerly
called Ibalong or Ibalnong, a name believed to have been derived from Gat Ibal
who ruled Sawangan (now the city of Legazpi) in ancient times. Ibalong used to
mean the "people of Ibal"; eventually, this was shortened to Ibalon. The word Bikol,
which replaced Ibalon, was originally bikod (meaning "meandering"), a word which
supposedly described the principal river of that area.

Archaeological diggings, dating back to as early as the Neolithic, and accidental

findings resulting from the mining industry, road-building and railway projects in
the region, reveal that the Bicol mainland is a rich storehouse of ceramic artifacts.
Burial cave findings also point to the pre-Hispanic practice of using burial jars.

The Spanish influence in Bicol resulted mainly from the efforts of Augustinian and
Franciscan Spanish missionaries. Through the Franciscans, the annual feast of
the Virgin of Peñafrancia, the Patroness for Bicolandia, was started. Father Miguel
Robles asked a local artist to carve a replica of the statue of the Virgin in
Salamanca; now, the statue is celebrated through an annual fluvial parade in Naga
City.
The flag of the members of Katipunan in Bicol.

Bicolanos actively participated in the national resistance to the Spanish,

American, and Japanese occupations through two well known leaders who rose
up in arms: Simeón Ola and Governor Wenceslao Q. Vinzons.[4] Historically, the
Bicolano people have been among the most rebellious against foreign occupation,
as a result the region was very hard to control until the end of World War II.[4]

Bicolano People also believe that whenever a super natural entity stalks your
house, they will leave centavo coins as compensation. Some people experience
this phenomena up until this day.

Area

Bicolanos live in Bicol Region that occupies the southeastern part of Luzon, now
containing the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes
and Sorsogon, as well as Masbate (although the majority of Masbate's population
are a subgroup of Visayans). Many Bicolanos also live in the southeastern towns
of the Calabarzon province of Quezon.

Demographics

Bicolanos number 6,299,283 in 2010.[5] They are descended from Austronesian

peoples who came from Taiwan during the Iron Age. Many Bicolanos also have
some Han Chinese, Arab, and Spanish admixtures. Most of the townsfolk have
small traces of each heritage while their language is referred to as Bikol. The Bikol
language is very fragmented, and its dialects are almost mutually
incomprehensible to speakers of other Bikol dialects. The majority of the Bicolano
people are Roman Catholics and Catholic Mass is celebrated daily in many of the
Bicol Region's churches. However there are also a sizable number of Muslims in
Bicol. Bicolanos have a high percentage of Spanish introgression with a
government sponsored study showing 2 of 10 Bicolanos or 20 percent of the
population having Hispanic ancestry. Bicolanos are also the ethnic group with the
second largest amount of Spaniards/Hispanics as a percentage of the population,
after Chavacanos.[6]

Culture and traits

Cuisine

Ginataang sigarilyas, a notable Bicolano dish of winged bean (sigarilyas) cooked in coconut milk (gata)
with pork and anchovies.

The Bicolano cuisine is primarily noted for the prominent use of chili peppers and
gata (coconut milk) in its food. A classic example is the gulay na lada, known
outside the region as Bicol Express, a well-loved dish using siling labuyo (native
small chillies) and the aforementioned gata. Meals are generally rich in
carbohydrates and viands of vegetables, fish, and meat are cooked in various
ways. Bicolanos almost always cook their vegetables in coconut milk; for meat
recipes such as pochero, adobo, and tapa. A special meat dish is the dinuguan.
Fishes that serve as common viand are mackerel and anchovy; in Lake Buhi, the
sinarapan or tabyos (known as the smallest fish in the world) is common.
Livelihood

Copra processing and abacá stripping are generally done by hand. Fishing is also
an important industry and fish supply is normally plentiful during the months of
May through September. Organized or big-time fishing makes use of costly nets
and motor-powered and electric-lighted boats or launches called palakaya or
basnigan. Individual fishermen, on the other hand, commonly use two types of
nets – the basnig and the pangki as well as the chinchoro, buliche, and sarap. In
Lake Buhi, the sarap and sumbiling are used; the small fishes caught through the
former is the sinarapan. The bunuan (corral) of the inangcla, sakag, sibid-sibid and
sakag types are common. The banwit, two kinds of which are the og-og and kitang,
are also used. Mining and the manufacture of various items from abaca are
important industries. The former started when the Spaniards discovered the
Paracale mines in Camarines Norte.

Coconut and abacá are two dollar-earning products that are grown in the coastal
valleys, hillsides, or slopes of several fertile volcanoes respectively. The Bicol
River basin or rice granary provide the peasants rice, corn, and root crops for food
and small cash surplus when crops evade the dreaded frequent typhoons. For
land preparation, carabao-drawn plough and harrow are generally used; sickles are
used for cutting rice stalks, threshing is done either by stepping on or beating the
rice straws with basbas and cleaning is done with the use of the nigo (winnowing
basket).

Cultural values

Like their other neighbouring regions, Bicolanas are also expected to lend a hand
in household work. They are even anticipated to offer assistance after being
married. On the other hand, Bicolano men are expected to assume the role of
becoming the primary source of income and financial support of his family. Close
family ties and religiosity are important traits for survival in the typhoon-prone
physical environment. Some persisting traditional practices are the pamalay,
pantomina and tigsikan. Beliefs on god, the soul and life after death are strongly
held by the people. Related to these, there are annual rituals like the pabasa,
tanggal, fiestas and flores de mayo. Side by side with these are held beliefs on
spiritual beings as the tawong lipod, duwende, onglo, tambaluslos, kalag, katambay,
aswang and mangkukulam.
On the whole, the value system of the Bicolanos shows the influence of Spanish
religious doctrines and American materialism merged with traditional animistic
beliefs. Consequently, it is a multi-cultural system that evolved through the years
to accommodate the realities of the erratic regional climatic conditions in a varied
geographical setting. Such traits can be gleaned from numerous folk tales and
folk songs that abound, the most known of which is the Sarung Banggi. The
heroic stories reflect such traits as kindness, a determination to conquer evil
forces, resourcefulness and courage. The folk song come in the form of awit,
sinamlampati, panayokyok, panambitan, hatol, pag-omaw, rawit-dawit and children's
song and chants.

To suit the tropical climate, Bicolanos use light material for their houses; others
now have bungalows to withstand the impact of strong typhoons. Light, western-
styled clothes are predominantly used now. The typical Bicolano wears light,
western-styled clothes similar to the Filipinos in urban centres. Seldom, if ever, are
there Bicolanos weaving sinamay or piña for clothing as in the past; sinamay is
reserved now for pillow cases, mosquito nets, fishing nets, bags and other
decorative items.[4]

Bicolanos celebrating the Magayon Festival. The festival is held in Albay, where the Mayon Volcano is
located, every April.

Bicolanos observe an annual festival in honour of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia

every third Sunday of September. The City of Naga comes alive. During the
celebration, a jostling crowd of all-male devotees carries the image of the Virgin
on their shoulders to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, while shouting Viva La
Virgen! For the next nine days people, mostly Bicolanos, come for an annual visit
light candles and kisses the image of the Virgin. To the Bicolanos, this affair is
religious and cultural, as well. Every night, shows are held at the plaza the year's
biggest cockfights take place, bicycle races are held and the river, a lively boat
race precedes the fluvial procession. At noon of the third Saturday of the month,
the devotees carry the Image on their shoulders preceded to the packed
waterfront. On the ninth day of the festivities, The The Virgin of Peñaffrancia is
brought to her home, to the Minor Basilica of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia via a
grand fluvial procession in the Naga River. This celebration of Bicolanos is
considered one of the largest Marian celebrations in Asia.[7]

Pre-colonial indigenous religion

Immortals
Gugurang: the supreme god; causes the pit of Mayon volcano to rumble when he
is displeased; cut Mt. Malinao in hald with a thunderbolt;[8] the god of good[9]

Asuang: brother of Gugurang; an evil god who wanted Gugurang's fire, and
gathered evil spirits and advisers to cause immortality and crime to reign;
vanquished by Gugurang but his influence still lingers[8]

Assistants of Gugurang
Linti: controls lightning[8]

Dalodog: controls thunder[8]

Unnamed Giant: supports the world; movement from his index finger causes a
small earthquake, while movement from his third finger causes strong ones; if he
moves his whole body, the earth will be destroyed[10]

Languiton: the god of the sky[10]

Tubigan: the god of the water[10]

Dagat: goddess of the sea[10]

Paros: god of the wind; married to Dagat[10]

Daga: son of Dagat and Paros; inherited his father'control of the wind; instigated
an unsuccessfully rebellion against his grandfather, Languit, and died; his body
became the earth[10]
 Adlao: son of Dagat and Paros; joined Daga's rebellion and died; his body became
the sun;[10] in another myth, he was alive and during a battle, he cut one of Bulan's
arm and hit Bulan's eyes, where the arm was flattened and became the earth,
while Bulan's tears became the rivers and seas[11]

Bulan: son of Dagat and Paros; joined Daga's rebellion and died; his body became
the moon;[10] in another myth, he was alive and from his cut arm, the earth was
established, and from his tears, the rivers and seas were established[11]

Bitoon: daughter of Dagat and Paros; accidentally killed by Languit during a rage
against his grandsons' rebellion; her shattered body became the stars[10]

Unnamed God: a sun god who fell in love with the mortal, Rosa; refused to light
the world until his father consented to their marriage; he afterwards visited Rosa,
but forgetting to remove his powers over fire, he accidentally burned Rosa's whole
village until nothing but hot springs remained[12]

Magindang: the god of fishing who leads fishermen in getting a good fish catch
through sounds and signs[13]

Okot: the forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey[13]

Bakunawa: a serpent that seeks to swallow the moon[13]

Haliya: the goddess of the moon[9]

Batala: a good god who battled against Kalaon[13]

Kalaon: an evil god of destruction[13]

Son of Kalaon: son of Kalaon who defied his evil father's wishes[13]

Onos: freed the great flood that changed the land's features[14]

Oryol: a wily serpent who appeared as a beautiful maiden with a seductive voice;
admired the hero Handyong's bravery and gallantry, leading her to aid the hero in
clearing the region of beasts until peace came into the land[14]

Mortals
Baltog: the hero who slew the giant wild boar Tandayag[14]

Handyong: the hero who cleared the land of beasts with the aid of Oryol; crafted
the people's first laws, which created a period for a variety of human inventions[14]

Bantong: the hero who single-handedly slew the half-man half-beast Rabot[14]
Dinahong: the first potter; a pygmy who taught the people how to cook and make
pottery

Ginantong: made the first plow, harrow, and other farming tools[15]

Hablom: the inventor of the first weaving loom and bobbins[16]

Kimantong: the first person to fashion the rudder called timon, the sail called
layag, the plow called arado, the harrow called surod, the ganta and other
measures, the roller, the yoke, the bolo, and the hoe[16]

Sural: the first person to have thought of a syllabry; carved the first writing on a
white rock-slab from Libong[16]

Gapon: polished the rock-slab where the first writing was on[16]

Takay: a lovely maiden who drowned during the great flood; transformed into the
water hyacinth in Lake Bato[16]

Rosa: a sun god's lover, who perished after the sun god accidentally burned her
entire village[12]

See also

Tagalog people

Kapampangan people

Ilocano people

Ivatan people

Igorot people

Pangasinan people

Negrito

Visayan people
Cebuano people
Boholano people

Hiligaynon people

Waray people

Lumad
 Moro people

References

1. "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing
Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) - Philippines" (https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/P
HIILIPPINES_FINAL%20PDF.pdf) (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 19 May
2020.

2. "Philippines - the World Factbook" (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/philip

pines/) . Retrieved January 27, 2014.

3. "Bicol - people" (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bicol-people) . Britannica.com. Retrieved

13 August 2018.

4. "The Bicolanos - National Commission for Culture and the Arts" (http://ncca.gov.ph/subcomm
issions/subcommission-on-cultural-communities-and-traditional-arts-sccta/central-cultural-co
mmunities/the-bicolanos/) . Ncca.gov.ph. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

5. "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing
Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) - Philippines" (https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/P
HIILIPPINES_FINAL%20PDF.pdf) (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 19 May
2020.

6. Maximilian Larena (2021-01-21). "Supplementary Information for Multiple migrations to the

Philippines during the last 50,000 years (Page 35)" (https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/supp
l/2021/03/17/2026132118.DCSupplemental/pnas.2026132118.sapp.pdf) (PDF).
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: 35.
Retrieved 2021-03-23.

7. Herrington, Don. "Bicolanos Culture, Customs And Traditions - Culture And Tradition" (http://w
ww.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/philippine-culture/culture-and-traditions/12
85-bicolanos-customs-and-traditions) . Livinginthephilippines.com. Retrieved 13 August
2018.

8. Vibal, H. (1923). Asuang Steals Fire from Gugurang. Ethnography of The Bikol People, ii.

9. Tiongson, N. G., Barrios, J. (1994). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art: Peoples of the
Philippines. Cultural Center of the Philippines.

10. Beyer, H. O. (1923). Ethnography of the Bikol People. vii.

11. Arcilla, A. M. (1923). The Origin of Earth and of Man. Ethnography of the Bikol People, vii.

12. Buenabora, N. P. (1975). Pag-aaral at Pagsalin sa Pilipino ng mga Kaalamang-Bayan ng Bikol

at ang Kahalagahan ng mga Ito sa Pagtuturo ng Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan. National
Teacher's College.
13. Realubit, M. L. F. (1983). Bikols of the Philippines. A.M.S. Press.

14. Castaño, F. J. (1895). un pequeño fragmento inedito en verso.

15. Lacson, T.; Gamos, A. (1992). Ibalon: Tatlong Bayani ng Epikong Bicol. Philippines: Children's
Communication Center: Aklat Adarna.

16. Aguilar, [edited by] Celedonio G. (1994). Readings in Philippine literature. Manila: Rex Book
Store.

External links

"BICOL STANDARD - Bicol News" (http://www.bicolstandard.com) .

Bicolstandard.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

"Bicolano Social Network - goBicol.com" (http://www.gobicol.com) .

GoBicol.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

"Ang Aming Angkan" (https://web.archive.org/web/20081010051425/http://aming

angkan.com/) . Ang Aming Angkan. Archived from the original (http://amingangk
an.com) on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

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