THE ETHNOLINGUISTIC GROUP OF THE PHILIPPINES

Filipinos are pacific islanders so it’s not surprising to know that there
are many ethnic groups in the Philippines that shape the culture and
traditions of the country. From the largest group Tagalog to the minority
groups, there’s a lot to learn and be amazed about the different indigenous
peoples of the Philippines. In the video that I watched, Indigenous peoples in
the Philippines belong to different ethnic groups and reside in different parts
of the country. There are more than one hundred indigenous communities
about 61% of whom are in Mindanao, 33% in Luzon, and 6% in the Visayas.
The indigenous peoples in the Cordilleras in Northern Luzon are called
Igorot. They belong to different ethnic groups, such as Bontoc, Ibaloi,
Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanaey, and Tingguian. The Gadang, Ilongot, and
Ivatan are found in the Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and
Quirino. The Negrito groups are found in North, Central, and Southern
Luzon.They include the Aeta and Dumagat. The Mindoro island has seven
distinct Mangyan groups. Palawan islands have the Batak, Palawana, and
Tagbanwa. The indigenous peoples in Mindanao, collectively called Lumad,
do not consider the Bangsa Moro and the Christianized Filipinos as
indigenous peoples in view of their adoption of non- indigenous religions.
The major Lumad groups are (1) the Monobo, (2) the Bagobo, B’laan, T’boli,
and Teduray groups, (3) the Mandaya and Mansaka groups, (4) the
Subanen, and (5) the Mamanwa. Each indigenous community is different.
But all indigenous communities struggle for the right to self-determination
and to their ancestral domain. Pursuant to the stipulations of the 1987
Constitution, IPRA undertakes to improve the situation of indigenous
peoples. But laws, such as IPRA, have to be effectively implemented in light
of the existence of other laws that violate the rights of indigenous peoples.
Finally, the resolution of the problems of the indigenous peoples relates to
the elimination of the deep- seated discrimination against them, a task that
remains difficult to achieve.