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.
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. A huge majority of them are Christians, predominantly Roman Catholics
as evidenced by cities and towns celebrating fiestas and festivals in honor of patron saints.
However there is also a non-negligible number of Protestant minorities. Their languages are
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.
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.

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
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.

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).
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 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