SSP 101

• Identify the various ethnic groups in the

Philippines; and

• Describe the key cultural characteristics of

these ethnic groups.
a social group or category of the population that, in
a larger society, is set apart and bound together by
common ties of race, language, nationality, or
culture.
• At least 106 ethnic groups (Fox and Troy, in
Jocano 1998)

• The National Commission on Indigenous

Peoples (NCIP) identifies 110 indigenous
groups in the Philippines.
Bases for ethnic
identity in the
Philippines
• Language
• Domicile
• Phenotypic
characteristics
• Religion
• Culture traits
• Ancestry or
migration history
• 172 languages (including 3 foreign languages: English, Minnan
Chinese, Castilian Spanish)

• 169 indigenous languages (168 spoken languages, 1 visual

language: FSL)

• 168 Austronesian languages - 1 creole langauge (Chavacano)

• Several dialects for each language

• Tagalog (people of the river);
• Kapampangan (people of the coast);
• Tausug (people of the current);
• Iraya Mangyan (people of the
upstream)
• Meranao (people of the lake)
• Sama Dilaut (people of the sea)
• Bukidnon (people of the mountain);
• Igorot (people of the ridge)
• Remontado (people who have retreated to
the mountains)
• Tinguian (people of the highlands)
• Bontok (mountain)
• Tao't Bato (people of the stone cave)
• Ikalahan (people of the forest);
• Gubatnon (people of the forest).
• Negrito (little
black people)
• Exonym: kulot
(kinky-haired) vs.
unat (straight
haired)
 2010 Census of Population and Housing

• 81% Roman Catholic

• 6% Muslim
• 3% Evangelicals
• 2% Iglesia ni Cristo
• 8% others
• Traditional costumes
• Body decoration
• Musical instruments
• Weapons
• Ritual practices
• The Negritos were the first
inhabitants of the
Philippines (ca. 30,000
years BP)
• Austronesian-speaking
peoples came later (ca.
2500 BC)
 2000 Census of Population and Housing

• Tagalog (28.16%) • Bikol (6.01%)

• Cebuano (23.12%) • Waray (3.36%)
• Ilocano (9.07%) • Kapampangan (3.03%)
• Hiligaynon (7.57%) • Pangasinan (1.78%)
• Dominantly found in lowland agricultural
communities.
• Predominantly Christian.
• Relatively high degree of acculturation to
Hispanic and American cultures.
• Have strong political influence in the national
scene.
• National dress • National house
• Negrito
• Cordillera peoples
• Cagayan Valley groups
• Mangyan
• Palawan groups
• Visayan groups
• Lumadnon
• Chavacano
• Bangsamoro
•
• The name Negrito
means "little black
people" in Spanish.
• The Negrito are the
aboriginal peoples of
the Philippines. They
are believed to have
come to the Philippines
from mainland Asia
approximately 30,000
years ago.
• Traditionally engaged in hunting-gathering.
• The Agta of northern Sierra Madre are still nomadic while
the rest are semi-nomadic or semi-sedentary.
• Have lost their original languages and now speak languages
borrowed from neighbouring populations.
Agta lean-to Ayta bow
and arrow
•
• Indigenous peoples of
the Cordillera
Administrative Region
(CAR) in Northern
Luzon.
•
• They inhabit the Gran
Cordillera Central- the
biggest mountain
range in the country.
• Bontok
• Ibaloy
• Ifugao
• Isnag
• Itneg (Tinguian)
• I'wak
• Kalanguya
• Kalinga
• Kankanaey
• Consists of autonomous villages called ili.
• Elders sitting as a Council act as leaders of these villages.
• Traditionally, endemic warfare in the area because of the
practice of head-taking.
• Peace is maintained through bilateral peace pacts between
villages.
• Ifugao rice granary God
• Kalinga skirt (kain)
 •
• Bugkalot (Ilongot)
• Gaddang
• Ibanag
• Ibatan • Itawes

• Isinay • Itbayaten
• Ivatan
• Kalinga
• Malaweg
• Yogad
• Speak Ibanagic languages.

• Dominantly Christian.

• Relatively high degree

of acculturation.
 •
• The Mangyan are the
indigenous people of Mindoro
Island.
• The word "mangyan" means
human being.
• They are composed of various
ethnic groups with their own
languages.
• Alangan
• Bangon
• Buhid
• Gubatnon
• Hanunoo Mangyan
• Iraya
• Ratagnon
• Tadyawan
• Taubuid
• Primarily swidden agriculturalists (a.k.a shifting
agriculturalists, slash-and-burn agriculturists)
• supplemented by hunting and gathering.
• Semi-nomadic.
• Strong attachment to the physical environment.
•
• Agutaynen
• Cuyonon
• Kagayanen
• Ke-ney
• Pala'wan
• Tagbanwa
• Tao't Bato
• Primarily swidden agriculturalists (a.k.a shifting
agriculturalists, slash-and-burn agriculturists)
• supplemented by hunting and gathering.
• Semi-nomadic.
• Strong attachment to the physical environment.
• Generally have sustainable subsistence practices (e.g. long
fallow period, propagation of biodiversity, etc.)
• Aklanon
• Boholano
• Bukidnon/Sulodnon
• Eskaya
• Magahat
• Traditionally live in
interior upland areas of
the Visayas.
• Farming communities.

Eskaya script
• "Lumad" = "native"
• Traditionally, they are the non-
Christian and non-Muslim groups
of Mindanao.
• Traditionally, their villages were
led by headmen or chieftains
(datu).
• Bagobo • Matigsalug
• B'laan • Subanen
• Bukidnon • Tagakaolo
• Higaonon • T'boli
• Mandaya • Teduray
• Manobo • Ubo
• Mansaka
 T'boli brassware

T'nalak weave
• Creole-speaking
populations in Luzon and
Mindanao.
• They inhabit port areas
during the Spanish colonial
period.
• Dialects: Zamboangueño,
Caviteño, Ternateño,
Ermitaño (now extinct)
• Islamized groups of
Mindanao, Sulu, and
southern Palawan.
• Established sultanates
prior to the coming of the
Spaniards in the
Philippines (ca. 1450 in
Sulu, 1511 in
Maguindanao).
• Badjao
• Iranun
• Jama Mapun
• Maguindanaon
• Meranao
• Molbog
• Sama
• Tausug
• Yakan
Tausug kris

Meranao torogan