Lecture 4. Indigenous Knowledge and The Philippine Society

4.
Indigenous Knowledge and the

Philippine Society
This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science Department, MSU-GSC. All

photos and media, unless cited, have Creative Commons License or owned by the
author, himself.
Lecture Outcomes
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Describe indigenous knowledge;
2. Recognize the importance of Indigenous Knowledge to the

advancement of Science and Technology;
3. Propose possible solutions to the problems affecting the

indigenous communities of Sarangani Province.
This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

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Department, MSU-GSC
Lecture Outline
I. The Filipino People
A. Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Philippines
B. Indigenous People’s Groups
II. Indigenous Knowledge (IK)

A. What is Indigenous Knowledge?
B. Nature of Indigenous Knowledge
C. How Indigenous Knowledge Can Contribute to Science and Technology
III. Threats to Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Sarangani Province

A. Biocultural Erosion
B. Causes of Biocultural Erosion in Sarangani Province
C. Impacts of Biocultural Erosion
a. Minsan sa Isang Taon (Kara David Documentary)

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Useful References
1. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Website: https://ncca.gov.ph/#
2. Patricio, S. F. (Producer), & Samson, P., Jr. (Director). (2012). Minsan sa Isang
Taon[Video file]. Philippines: GMA Public Affairs.
3. Peralta, J. T. (2000). Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines. Manila: National

Commission for Culture and the Arts.
4. Zapico, F. L., Aguilar, C. H., Abistano, A., Turner, J. C., & Reyes, L. J. (2015).
Biocultural Diversity of Sarangani Province, Philippines: An Ethno- Ecological
Analysis. Rice Science, 22(3), 138-146. doi:10.1016/j.rsci.2015.05.018

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There are around 77 major
ethnolinguistic groups in the
Philippines and within each group,
there are several subgroups. The
total number of ethnolinguistic
groups, including the subgroups,
in the Philippines is 244 according
to a study in 1988 (Peralta,
2000).
Image Credit: Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap

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Department, MSU-GSC
A. Ethnolinguistic Groups
Each ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines have their language. If Filipinos coming from different
ethnolinguistic backgrounds gather, they will surely use different words to refer to a common thing.
See the table below as an example.
Different Filipino Words for “Fog”

(Translations are based on Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, accessed at: https://abvd.shh.mpg.de/austronesian/)
Dupaninga Buhid
Language English Ivatan Ilokano Pangasinan Tagalog
n Agta (Mangyan)
Word Fog Kahephep Angep Kelpa Alsap Hamog Linyabu

Batak,
Language Waray Hiligaynon Cebuano Tboli Maranao Tiruray
Palawan
Word Yamog Gamhon Tugpu Gabon Lobun Lekep Banasbanas

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Department, MSU-GSC
This map shows the geographical distribution of

different ethnolinguistic groups in the
Philippines. For a better view, copy the link
below and paste it to your browser.
Image Credit: Robert Fox, Elizabeth Flory and Jesus Peralta (2007). Link:
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AO6%2DZqFezWFgZsE&cid=53F9
2505F3BC9C7F&id=53F92505F3BC9C7F%21441&parId=root&o=OneUp

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Along with a common language,
customs, traditions, and beliefs are
among the major factors that unite
every ethnolinguistic group in the
Philippines. Due to long years of
colonization, however, most
ethnolinguistic groups in the
archipelago have abandoned some of
their cultural identities, including the
rich knowledge possessed by
their ancestors.
This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science 9

Department, MSU-GSC
B. Indigenous Peoples/ Indigenous Cultural Communities
A few ethnolinguistic groups resisted Western

influence, and these groups have preserved their
cultural heritage. In the Philippines, these groups are
granted a special law, the IPRA Law (RA 8371), that
was aimed to protect and promote the rights of
indigenous cultural communities (ICC), also known as
indigenous people (IP).
Indigenous Peoples from Mindanao are often regarded

as Lumad, the Cebuano word for “Native/Indigenous”.

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B. Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities
According to the IPRA Law, Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples* are:
1. A group of people identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have

continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory;
2. They share common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural
traits;
3.They are historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos through resistance to political, social and
cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures;
4. Regarded as indigenous on account of their descent but could have been displaced from
their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domains.
* For full definition of ICC/IP, please see section 3.h of RA 8371)

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B. Indigenous Peoples/ Indigenous Cultural Communities
After decades of experience, combined with that of

their ancestors, indigenous peoples harbor vast
knowledge about their environment, including the
ecological relationships that exist within their
surroundings. These knowledge are untapped
resources that, when utilized, can advance modern
science and technology.
Image Credit: Florence Zapico

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Department, MSU-GSC
Activity 6. Lexicon of Filipino Languages (10 Points)
1. Trace your ethnolinguistic ancestry.

2. Add 5 words in the activity posted in Moodle entitled “Lexicon of Filipino Languages”
using the language/s of your ethnolinguistic group. These words should be nouns that
are used to refer to parts of the body, names of plants or animals, or other living things,
ornaments, tools, food, natural phenomena, events, etc.
3. Obscene nouns are prohibited.
4. Post your entries following this format: Language—Word. (E.g. Tagakaolo-Kura)
5. Provide the English translation of the word you posted, or if there is no English
translation, provide a definition/description using the English language. (E.g. Horse)
6. Moodle will not allow you to enter words in the same language that have been uploaded
by your classmates.

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Department, MSU-GSC
Activity 6. Lexicon of Filipino Languages (10 Points)
Let’s take Juan Dalomo as an example. He is a GEC 108 student and is also
required to provide 5 nouns. His mother is full-blooded B’laan, while his father is
Manobo-Tagakaolo. Juan can choose to use words from B’laan or Manobo or
Tagakaolo, or combined. Once he decided what language/s and word/s to use,
he can now proceed to enter those words in Moodle. See the demonstration in
the next pages.

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Step 1. Click “Add a New Entry”

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Step 2. Type Your Entries According to the Format

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Step 3. Provide the English Translation or the Description/Definition

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Step 4. Click Save Changes

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You will know if you entered a previously-uploaded word if, after you clicked
“Save Changes”, the system won’t accept your entry.

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You have until October 30, 2020, 11:59
p.m. to post your entries.

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II. Indigenous Knowledge

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Indigenous knowledge refers to

the understandings, skills,
and philosophies developed
by societies with long
histories of interaction with
their natural
surroundings.*
Image Credits: Business Mirror

*UNESCO

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Department, MSU-GSC
Indigenous Knowledge (a.k.a. local/folk

knowledge) guides the day-to-day affairs of
indigenous peoples, especially those who are
living in rural areas. It is their basis for making
decisions on how to manage their day-to-day
lives, their communities, and the natural
resources found within their territories.
Image Credit; Florence Zapico

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Department, MSU-GSC
Medicinal, Agricultural Music & Dance,

& Ecological Knowledge Stories & Poetry
Artisanat Spiritual Expression
Examples of indigenous knowledge are shown in the photo above.

Figure Borrowed from: Florence Zapico
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Department, MSU-GSC
Figure Borrowed from: Florence Zapico

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Department, MSU-GSC
B. Characteristics of Indigenous Knowledge
1. Unique
The word Lumad, which is used to refer to IP groups in
Mindanao, is borrowed from the Cebuano language. This
was adopted by IPs themselves because there is no word
for “native” from any indigenous language in Mindanao that
is common to all indigenous peoples group*. This simple
fact alone clearly shows how unique every IK system is.
This uniqueness is not only limited to language but also to
other aspects of their culture, from their traditional
medicine, agriculture, politics, and even religion.
*Further reading: https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-
3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-heritagesch/historical-
research/lumad-in-mindanao/

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Department, MSU-GSC
2. Dynamic Though IK is based on previous experiences, it is not rooted
to a particular point in history. It is constantly developing,
adapting, and growing over time—it is dynamic. Before, IP
groups can be identified by their clothing. Today, that is no longer
the case. For example, these children belong to the T’boli tribe
of Maasim, Sarangani Province. Unlike their ancestors, they are
not wearing garments made from T’nalak cloth. Unless they
speak, you will not know that they are T’boli. IPs have also
adopted other modern cultures, such as following Abrahamic
religions, speaking non-native languages, engaging in
intermarriage, to name a few. These practices, however, do not
mean that they no longer belong to their tribe. These simply
show that their IK system, which includes their culture, evolve,
adapt, and change over time. IK is dynamic.

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3. Cumulative IK is a body of knowledge and skills developed from
centuries of living close to nature. These knowledge
and skills are passed on to the next generation. The
younger generation may learn something new from
their own experiences and incorporate it into the
existing knowledge of the community. The child in the
photo was harvesting upland rice. Her skills, tools,
and the technical know-how in identifying which
plants are ready to harvest based on appearance
come from centuries-long knowledge practiced and
improved by her parents and other members of their
tribes.

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4. Orally-transmitted
IK is transmitted orally because most of the IP groups in
the Philippines do not have a writing system. Baybayin is
considered to be the old writing system in the Philippines but
not all IP groups in the country practice it. In the Philippine
context, having a writing system is the exemption, rather than
the rule. The old generation of the tribes with no writing system
transfers their knowledge to the young generation orally in the
form of folk stories, songs, poems, and in their daily living. This
is the reason why indigenous language must be preserved
because it is the only bridge between indigenous knowledge
and the next generation.

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Department, MSU-GSC
5. Holistic
IK incorporates all aspects of life—
spirituality, history, cultural practices,
social interactions, politics, language,
natural resource management, etc.
In indigenous cultural communities,
decisions are made based on their
indigenous knowledge.

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IK is an untapped resource. The

centuries-old knowledge owned by
indigenous communities remains
unknown to the scientific world. Only a
few scientists integrate IK into their
studies. Most of the time, integrating IK
to mainstream science yields surprising
results.
Image Credit: Mike Raia

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Department, MSU-GSC
Tu Youyou, along with 2 other scientists, won the 2015 Nobel

Prize for Medicine after she discovered artemisinin and
dihydroartemisinin, compounds derived from the herb Artemisia
annua. This herb is used in traditional Chinese medicine. This
pharmaceutical chemist from China used the information from
ancient Chinese medicine texts to extract the active compounds
of the plant.* This is an example of the endless possibilities
indigenous knowledge can do if it is utilized by scientists.
Further Reading:
http://www.laskerfoundation.org/media/filer_public/93/c2/93c20cb8-8451-
4bb6-a46d-e6969c54f19a/2011_c_youyou.pdf

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Department, MSU-GSC
Ascof Lagundi is the most commercialized cough remedy medicine in

the Philippines and the embodiment of what IK can become if utilized. Before
Lagundi (Vitex negundo) became syrup or capsule, Filipino herbolaryo
(albularyo) have been using it to treat a wide array of diseases. These healers
use their knowledge to prepare and administer herbal medicine. The first
detailed account of traditional medicine in the Philippines using Lagundi was
written by a Jesuit Priest in 1900. In the 1970s- 1980s, extensive research
was conducted by scientists from UP Manila to gather data from 1000
herbolaryo. Using the information they had, they were able to isolate the active
compound of Lagundi. After long years of testing, research and development,
Lagundi was finally commercialized by Pascual
Laboratories as Ascof Lagundi.
Further Reading: https://www.wipo.int/ipadvantage/en/details.jsp?id=3661

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Department, MSU-GSC
Nobody knows what indigenous knowledge still has to offer to modern

science or the impacts if IK is integrated into research and
development. In the Philippines, however, there is a paucity of
information regarding the indigenous knowledge system. Thus, the
things that IK has to offer remain an endless possibility.

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III. Threats to Indigenous Knowledge

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III. Threats to Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)

of different IP groups in the Philippines
face different degrees of threats.
Without intervention, IKS and their
potential could be lost forever.

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Department, MSU-GSC
Threats to indigenous knowledge system

are part of a bigger problem affecting
indigenous people called the biocultural
erosion. It is the loss of biocultural diversity,
which includes the loss of biodiversity,
culture, and language.

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Department, MSU-GSC
To understand biocultural erosion further, take

a look at the photo of rice on the left. T’bolis
have a name for this variety and it is used for
special occasions. The local extinction, i.e.
permanent loss, of this variety could indicate
biocultural erosion, i.e. loss of culture may
also be going on.

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Department, MSU-GSC
One of the occasions where this variety is

used is during a tribal wedding. There is a part of
the marriage rites where this variety is eaten by the
couple, along with other food.
For them, eating this variety could strengthen

their marriage. If this variety is lost, then that part
of the marriage rites will no longer be observed or
will be changed.

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Department, MSU-GSC
In general, each IK System in the

Philippines is under threat due to a variety of
reasons. From this point on, however, the
discussion will be focused on the biocultural
erosion in Sarangani Province, where 3
recognized indigenous cultural communities
viz. Tagakaolo, B’laan, and T’boli, are thriving.

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Department, MSU-GSC
Sarangani Province is the southernmost
province in the Philippines and is made up of 7
municipalities. The western municipalities of the
Province (Maasim, Kiamba, Maitum) are occupied by
T’boli tribes, while the B’laan tribes are concentrated
in the eastern municipalities (Malungon, Alabel,
Malapatan, Glan). Finally, Tagakaolos exclusively
reside in Datal Anggas in Alabel and the municipality
of Malungon.
Sarangani is one of the leading provinces in the

*Further Reading:
http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/1_I Philippines in terms of poverty, undernutrition,
PC_Philippines_Mindanao_ChronicFI_2015Jan20182020.pdf and food insecurity.*

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Department, MSU-GSC
1. Lack of Respect to Indigenous Knowledge
Modern society, even scientists, often regard IK as

baseless, pragmatic, and less progressive. This social
pressure caused tribal youths to devalue their native culture,
migrate to lowland areas, and adopt new value systems.
Without this young generation, who will inherit the vast wealth
of knowledge of their tribe?
This problem is not only affecting youths. Most upland

farmers intentionally refrain from their traditional farming rituals
to avoid being labeled as “backward”, “old- fashioned”, or
“antiquated”.

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Department, MSU-GSC
2. Modern Agriculture
Modern agriculture is currently facing

several problems whose combined impacts could
pose challenges to global food security in the next
decades. In the upland communities, these
impacts are not only affecting food security but
also the tribe’s biocultural diversity.

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Department, MSU-GSC
Swidden farming is inherent in the traditional agricultural
practices of upland people. It was not destructive before because its
impacts are distributed. Before, an upland farmer only has one swidden
farm that produces enough harvest for the needs of his family. This farm is
rain-fed and depends on the natural fertility of the soil. When soil fertility is
low, let’s say after 10 years of use, the same farmer will abandon the farm
and open another swidden farm by burning a portion of the forest. He will
use this newly- burnt forest until its natural fertility is depleted. When that
happens, because his lands are vast, he will burn another portion of the
forest to become his new farm. This process repeats until the farmer utilized
all of his lands.

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Department, MSU-GSC
The figure above shows the natural succession of swidden farms in the upland areas assuming that traditional agriculture is followed.
Let’s say the farmer has 4 tracks of land and the natural fertility of the soil becomes depleted after 10 years of farming. Thus, each field
he opens is used for a maximum of 10 years. By the time the fourth field’s (F4) fertility is depleted, F1, F2, and F3 have been recovering
for 30, 20, and 10 years, respectively. This duration is enough for natural succession to occur—in F1, there may be trees; in F2 there
could be shrubs, and in F3, there could be bushes. This scheme allows the impacts of swidden farming to be distributed over time and
space, thus it is not that destructive to the environment.
This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science Department, MSU-

GSC 45
Due to shrinking land sizes, upland farmers are adopting
modernized agriculture, which is characterized by sedentary
farming, the use of modern varieties, and agrochemical inputs. None
of these are part of the traditional agriculture in the upland areas.
Unfortunately, the introduction of modern, high yielding varieties to
the upland farms displaced the traditional rice landraces. Upland
areas are usually poverty- stricken communities. Thus, adopting the
input-extensive modern agriculture forced farmers to borrow money
to purchase agricultural inputs. When drought spell strikes, since
their farms are rain-fed, farmers would suffer huge losses. In the
end, their losses are not only money but also their traditional
varieties, which are more adapted to the upland’s environmental
conditions. This ultimately poses a challenge to the upland food
This upland farmer is spraying insecticide to his rice security.
farm—a practice that is not part of traditional upland
agriculture.

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Department, MSU-GSC
3. Severe Environmental Degradation
Shrinking land sizes has forced indigenous

farmers to extend their swidden farms to remote
hinterlands. Due to the need of having an
additional income, some farmers practice
charcoal making and logging, which
compounded the deforestation caused by
swidden farming. In Sarangani uplands, burnt
hills and cogon fields are common sights (see
photo), which indicated severe environmental
degradation.

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To learn more about the biocultural diversity in Sarangani Province, along with
its threats, please read the article below. Find the Biocultural Diversity of
Sarangani Forum in Moodle and post a brief response on this question: How
lowland-associated influences affect the upland communities of Sarangani?
Zapico, F. L., Aguilar, C. H., Abistano, A., Turner, J. C., & Reyes, L. J. (2015).
Biocultural Diversity of Sarangani Province, Philippines: An Ethno-Ecological Analysis.
Rice Science, 22(3), 138-146. doi:10.1016/j.rsci.2015.05.018

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Department, MSU-GSC
C. Impacts of Biocultural Erosion
One of the most direct impacts of biocultural erosion in Sarangani

Province is food insecurity. To give you a brief account of this
problem, please watch the documentary Minsan sa Isang Taon on
Youtube. Use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW9tT0XafhY&t=5s

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Department, MSU-GSC
Activity 7: What Can You Do? 30 Points
1. Work with your group in Activity 4 (Design Thinking).

2. After watching the documentary Minsan sa Isang Taon, choose a very specific problem you
observed in Sitio Banli or in the nearby places featured in that documentary. Your problem-of-
choice must be decided as a group.
3. Then, shortly discuss the dynamics of the problem you chose. Make sure to understand the
different facets of the issue, including but not limited to socioeconomic, cultural, political, and
environmental aspects. You can refer to the article on page 45.
4. As a group, propose any possible solution you can do to solve the problem you
chose and discussed.
5. Consider the dynamics of the problem, your present resources, network, and capacities in
formulating your interventions.
6. Finally, write a 300-500 word-essay on the interventions you formulated as a group.

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Department, MSU-GSC
Activity 7 Grading Criteria
Criterion Points Basis of Rating
Originality 10 Report of Online Plagiarism Checker
(Check Access at: https://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/)
Form 10 Report of Grammarly

(Grammar and Organization) (Check Access at: https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check)
Content 10 Good (8-10 points): Has a defined problem, relevant solutions, and word
count is between 300-500 words
Satisfactory (5-7 points): Doesn’t have a defined problem, or doesn’t

have
relevant solutions, or word count is not within the recommended range
Needs Improvement (1-4 points): Doesn’t have a defined problem and

doesn’t have relevant solutions, or doesn’t have a defined problem and
word count is not within the recommended range, or doesn’t have relevant
solutions and word count is not within the recommended range

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Department, MSU-GSC
You have until November 6, 2020, 11:59 pm
to submit your essays.

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Department, MSU-GSC

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4.

Indigenous Knowledge and the

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science Department, MSU-GSC. All

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. Describe indigenous knowledge;

2. Recognize the importance of Indigenous Knowledge to the

3. Propose possible solutions to the problems affecting the

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

II. Indigenous Knowledge (IK)

III. Threats to Indigenous Knowledge: The Case of Sarangani Province

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

1. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Website: https://ncca.gov.ph/#

3. Peralta, J. T. (2000). Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines. Manila: National

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Different Filipino Words for “Fog”

Word Fog Kahephep Angep Kelpa Alsap Hamog Linyabu

Word Yamog Gamhon Tugpu Gabon Lobun Lekep Banasbanas

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This map shows the geographical distribution of

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science 9

A few ethnolinguistic groups resisted Western

Indigenous Peoples from Mindanao are often regarded

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

1. A group of people identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

After decades of experience, combined with that of

Image Credit: Florence Zapico

1. Trace your ethnolinguistic ancestry.

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Indigenous knowledge refers to

Image Credits: Business Mirror

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Indigenous Knowledge (a.k.a. local/folk

Image Credit; Florence Zapico

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Medicinal, Agricultural Music & Dance,

Artisanat Spiritual Expression

Examples of indigenous knowledge are shown in the photo above.

Figure Borrowed from: Florence Zapico

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Image Credit: Florence Zapico

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

IK is an untapped resource. The

Image Credit: Mike Raia

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science

Tu Youyou, along with 2 other scientists, won the 2015 Nobel

This module is developed by Aldrin P. Cosme, Science