INTRODUCTION

KNOWING THE IGOROT TRIBE

I. What are Igorots

Igorots are ethnolinguistic tribes that originated from Cordillera Region (CAR) located in
the northern part of Luzon in the Philippines.The word Igorot is derived from the word “Igolot”
which has prefix “i” denoting people of, with the term “golot”, indicating mountain or pland,
which stands for mountain people. They are known to be the tribe that resides along the
mountainous areas of Abra ,Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao and some
parts of Central Luzon.Most of them live on the mountain’s rugged grasslands and pine forest
zones while other members are on tropical forests of the foothills and dispersed on the
lowlands. As of the present, the population of the Igorots in the Philippines are approximately
1,500,000.

Due to the regions that Igorot lives in,their culture and life revolves around rice.Rice is the
Igorot’s staple crop.Each period from planting to harvest reflects a time of honor and
sacredness in its manner.Throughout growing, there aren’t too many individuals planting or
harvesting rice.There is always some activity going as wedding, keeping away birds, drying
harvested rice and other duties.Besides farming, Igorots are also known for their talentry in
weaving and metal works.

II. Origins/Creation of the Igorot Tribe

 Mythical legend

It has been mentioned above that among their tales and stories they preserve a tradition
relating to their origin and beginning, after a great and dreadful flood which, a very long time
ago, as their old people relate, covered the earth.
All the inhabitants except a brother and sister were drowned. The brother and sister, though
separated from each other, were saved, the woman on the summit of the highest mountain in
the District of Lepanto, called Kalauítan, and the man in a cave of the same mountain.

After the water had subsided, the man of the cave came out from his hiding place one clear
and calm moonlight night, and as he glanced around that immense solitude, his eyes were
struck by the brightness of a big bonfire burning there on the summit of the mountain.

Surprised and terrified, he did not venture to go up on the summit where the fire was, but
returned to his cave. At the dawn of day he quickly climbed toward the place where he had
seen the brightness the preceding night, and there he found huddled up on the highest peak
his sister, who received him with open arms.

They say that from this brother and sister so providentially saved, all the Igorots that are
scattered through the mountains originated. They are absolutely ignorant of the names of
those privileged beings, but the memory of them lives freshly among the Igorots, and in their
feasts, or whenever they celebrate their marriages, the aged people repeat to the younger
ones this wonderful history, so that they can tell it to their sons, and in that way pass from
generation to generation the memory of their first progenitors.

 Being a minority

The creation of the Igorots as a minority has its historical roots which dates back to the direct
colonial. rule of the Spanish empire. These Filipinos called ethnic minorities retained more of
the culture and customs of their ethos, or "tribe" than their colonized brothers who outnumber
them. They scarcely appear in Philippine history books simply because they lived outside of
Spanish control and only show. up in the Spanish records as outcasts, brigands, and savages.
Because the Igorots, making good use of the . rugged. mountainous terrain, defended their
freedom, from the Spanish aggression at all costs they were referred to as the feroces. Thus,
the Igorots,except for some areas in Benguet and Abra, generally did not experience Spanish
colonial rule. As a consequence, they were able to retain much of their indigenous ethnicity
apart from the colonized sectors who lost much of their distinct traditional lifestyles and
became more like their masters.

In the lowland barangays, however, under the onslaught of the sword and the cross,
centralized colonial order was slowly accepted. The Igorots then became the minority
vis-a-vis.the colonized majority.

The majority-minority distinction therefore emerged only because of the differential colonial
experience. In the process of colonialism, the Spaniards to rule effectively, steadily divided the
Filipino people. The lowlanders were conscripted as soldiers in the punitive expeditions
waged by the colonizers against the Igorots. The divide-and-rule tactics institutionalized by the
Spanish conquistadores thus laid the foundation for the wedge between the Filipino majority
and the indigenous national minorities.

As the colonized people modified their native customs under foreign domination, i.e. attending
mass, paying taxes, obeying Spanish laws, going to war when the government said so, the
Igorots of northern Luzon continued to resist Spanish assimilation and refused to submit to
foreign domination. The existence of two types of Filipinos led the Spaniards to categorize our
people into two - the submissive and the unsubmissive, the faithful and the faithless, the good
and the bad.6 The Igorots belonged to the latter group, while the former were called the
indios.Towards the end of the Spanish colonial rule and even towards the direct rule of
succeeding colonial masters in the country..the indios adapted more of their conqueror's
culture .and ways of life. In the process, they -became more and more like each other and less
and less like their ancestors. / Conversely, the Igorots, together with the other freedom-loving
Filipinos, . preserved more of the culture of their ancestors and came to look less and less like
their acculturating neighbors. In this way a cultural minority was created who retained their
traditional lifestyles .

III. History of the Igorots

The Igorots are historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos because of their
strong and successful resistance to colonization. Their isolation and autonomy from centuries
of colonial rule was a catalyst to sustain their indigenous customs, livelihoods, and access to
communal lands throughout time. Thus, they become deeply rooted to their culture and they
have extensively continued their practices regardless of the new influences of modern
societies.

 The Spanish Period

It was the search for gold and other precious metal reserves which brought the Spanish
conquerors in the archipelago. It was also this same purpose that drove out both the Spanish
colonialists and their Filipino co-conspirators to fight the Igorots gain control of the Cordillera.
Some of these military expeditions were able to encroach into the Igorots' defenses, suchas
those of Quirante and Monteforte which occupier the mountains for a year. In the main,
however, the Igorots were able to repulse these incursions on their .land. Unrelenting'
harassments on the Spanish encampments by the Igorots became very costly for the
conquerors.: · Spanish supply lines had to be constantly guarded while lowland conscripts
who deserted en masse due to Igorots' attacks had to be replaced by paid recruits from the
lowlands.

The people of the Cordillera persistently fought the Spaniards to a stalemate up to the last
years of armed attempts to subjugate them. So rare and exemplary was their courage that the
lowland conscript was shocked at , the stoicism of Igorots before Spanish muskets and
artillery fire. It was a war . where arms never played a decisiverole, It was the tenacity that
spelled the victory for the Igorots.

Together with' military campaigns, Christianization efforts were also used to penetrate the
Cordillera region. In 1584, an attempt to proselytize Igorots coming down to Tagudin was
made by a certain F'. Esteban Marin. ·In 1588, another proselytizing attempt was made by Fr.
Jeronimo Martinez. However, these efforts produced few lasting converts due to the tenacious
resistance of -the Igorots against Spanish troops and explorers. In 1571, resistance by the
Igorots to proselytization culminatedwith the oeheading ·of Fr. Agustin Nino, the friar of
Baratao. (Bauang).

 The American Period

The reasons which attracted the Spaniards' into the Cordillera were virtually the same
reasons which brought the Americans to it, namely, mineral wealth. As early as the 1880s,
American mining prospectors and surveyors were able to see and confirm the existence of
gold, silver, and copper deposits in the land.

Although both colonialists had the same economic interests in the Cordillera, the
Americans applied the sugar-coated approach to subjugate the people of the Cordillera. They
chose the softer methods' of persuasion and worked within the minds of the Igorots to' gain
control over their resources. They tried to pacify the Igorots and make the hitter submit
themselves to colonial rule through education.
 The American-educational system proved very effective not only in debilitating the capacity
of the people to resist colonialism but in strengthening the economic foothold of the Americans
in the Cordillera. The. Igorots . then slowly adopted the American culture, learned to patronize
American products, accept the establishment of American corporations, and identify American
interests as theirs. This resulted then in the gradual loss of the people's cultural identity and
instilled confusion between the new orientation and traditional cultural values.

Anticipating a prolonged stay in the Cordillera, the Americans constructed roads and
bridges which led to mine sites. This facilitated not only the flow of American goods but also of
military forces which were used to subdue lgorots' recalcitrance. A system of government, law
and ordinances was a 'likewise institutionalized to govern the "non-Christian tribes. " The
Americans wittingly laid the legal foundations to dispossess the Igorots of their lands. By the
end of American period, capitalist enterprise in the Cordillera was firmly established. The
mining industry which the Spaniards failed to secure during, their time was successfully
placed in the control of the Americans.

The Americans were relatively effective in reducing the resistance of the Igorots to a
manageable level. However, harassments and sporadic attacks against American
corporations, camp sites, and government installations continued to be staged by the
mountain people.

 The Japanese Occupation

In 1941 the Second World War broke out ending direct American rule. The Igorots found
themselves fighting the Japanese aggressors but this time with their brothers in the lowland. It
was at this time in the history of Cordillera when the Igorots fought, for the survival not of their
race but of the Filipino nation. As the War ended in 1945, the Igorots continued to fight for
self-determination and absolute democracy, but this.time it was directed against internal
colonialism waged by the Christian nation.

IV. Igorot’s Identity on Society

 The Headhunters of the North

Igorots are known to be one fiercest warriors on the North part of Luzon . One of their culture
on their religion is head hunting. Head hunting in the Cordillera was not done at random by our
Igorot ancestors, there were various reasons, a broken peace pact, a serious personal slight,
a dispute involving rape, murder or theft caused by a visitor or a rival from another tribe. A
vendetta is declared and revenge becomes a matter of tribal and individual honor.

Other reason include the desire for abundant harvests of cultivated products, the desire for
exaltation in the minds of descendants, to increase wealth, to secure abundance of wild game
and fish, to secure general health and favor at the hands of the women, and to promote fertility
in women.Usually, the practice was rather like a ritual or test of manliness. For instance, in an
ethnoliguistic group, men could only marry after they were able to cut off one's head. But they
didn't cut any random person's head, rather they did it on a one on one duel. Being able to cut
a head meant they've "graduated" from boyhood and they were strong enough to protect a
wife and family.In the Igorot head hunting practice, most heads of their enemies were cut off
with a battle-axe even before the wounded man was dead. If one warrior at the scene had
never taken a head, he would be allowed to cut this one from the body and thus be entitled to
the head taker's distinct tattoo (Chaklag).However, the individual possession of a freshly
severed head had to be "activated" through proper ceremony and ritual before it would
"release" it's spiritual and magical powers.

 The Creators of Banaue Rice Terraces

 LIFE STYLE OF IGOROTS

I. Social Groupings

Igorot as a whole was made up of two broader groupings: first which is the larger is made up
of Nabaloi or Ibaloi,Kankanay (Kankanai), Lepanto or northern Kankanay, Bontoc (Bontok),
southern Kalinga, and Tinggian nearly all live in populous villages, but one ethnic unit, the
Ifugao, has small farmsteads of kinsmen dotted throughout the rice terraces while the second
group is made up of Gaddang, northern Kalinga, and Isneg or Apayao. The first group
comprises the people of the higher country which is known for their cultivation of wet rice,
mostly in the terraces on the mountainsides; others which comprises people of the lower
rainforest areas which is known for their cultivation of dry rice which grows in seasonally
shifting gardens. The second group sparsely settled in hamlets or farmsteads around which
new gardens are cleared as the soil is worked out; some Gaddang lives in tree houses.

Futhermore, Igorots are also divided into six ethno-linguistic groups.These are the:

1. Bontoc

Bontoc/Bontok tribe resides on the Central Mountain Province of the Cordillera

region.They live in the banks of the Chico River. It used to be a group that was
known because of its head-hunting practices. Nowadays, Bontocs are a peaceful
agricultural people who have, by choice, retained most of their
traditional culture despite frequent contacts with other groups.

2. Kankana-ey

The Kankana-ey /Sagada/Besao Igorot/ Applai built sloping terraces to

maximize farm space in the rugged terrain of the Cordilleras.They stay on Western
Mountain Province, Southeastern Ilocos Sur Province and Northern Benguet. Like
most Igorot ethnic groups, the Kankana-ey built sloping terraces to maximize farm
space in the rugged terrain of the Cordilleras. Two famous institutions of the
Kankana-ey of Mountain Province are the dap-ay, the men’s dormitory and civic
center, and the ebgan, the girl’s dormitory where courtship between young men
and women took place.

3. Kalinga

Along the drainage areas of the middle Chico River, the Kalingas are noted for
their strong sense of tribal awareness and the peace pacts they have made among
themselves. They practice both wet and dry rice farming and they have developed
an institution of peace pacts which has minimized traditional warfare and head
hunting and serves as a mechanism for the initiation, maintenance, renewal
and re-enforcement of kinship and social ties. The Kalinga are divided into
Southern and Northern groups; the latter is considered the most heavily
4. Ibaloi

The Ibaloi (also Ibaloy and Nabaloi) and Kalanguya (also Kallahan and
Ikalahan) are one of the Philippine indigenous peoples who reside mostly in the
southern portion of Benguet, in the northern Luzon Cordillera, and Nueva Vizcaya
in the Cagayan Valley. There are approximately 93,000 of them. Traditionally, they
were an agrarian society. Many of the individuals of Ibaloi and Kalanguya continue
their cultivation of agriculture and rice. Their native language belongs to the
Austronesian language family's Malayo-Polynesian branch and is closely linked to
the Pangasinan language.

5. Isneg

The Isnag, also Isneg or Apayao, reside in the upper half of Apayao's Cordillera
province at the northwestern end of northern Luzon. The word "Isneg" comes from
itneg, which means Tineg River residents. Apayao originates from the
Ma-ap-ay-ao battle cry as their hand is quickly tapping on their lips. If they live
upstream, they may also refer to themselves as Imandaya, or Imallod if they live
downstream. Pudtol, Kabugao, Calanasan, Flora, Conner, Sta are the
municipalities in the Isneg domain. Marcela, as well as Luna. Two significant river
systems run through Isnag nation, the Abulog River and the Apayao River.

6. Ifugao

The individuals living in the Ifugao Province are the Ifugao (also known as
Amganad, Ayangan, Kiangan, Gilipanes, Quiangan, Tuwali Ifugao, Mayoyao,
Mayaoyaw). The word "Ifugao" derives from "ipugo," which implies "individuals of
the earth," "mortals" or "individuals," as distinct from gods and deities. It also
II. Cuisines Of Igorots

Igorot foods are one of the methodologies that Igorot celebrate their culture.Cuisine plays a
crucial role because a specific type of food portrays Igorot culture. It also depicts the
relevance geography of the CAR region.For example, Igorots like to eat rice as a staple
product.One of the possible reason that rice is an abundant staple food is due to the fact that
Igorots build various rice terraces especially Banaue in the mountainous areas of CAR.Except
for rice, Igorots have also a taste for meat products.

Here are the examples of their Dish:

 Pinikpikan

Pinikpikan is a famous dish that was served in the Cordilleras of a live beaten chicken.
Commonly it has a salty taste that was mixed with other leafy vegetables. It is eaten on a
banana leaf that was usually served with rice.

 Tapey

Tapey is one of their delicacies that was meant to have a sweet taste. It is a combination
of rice mixed with their local wine.

 Binaod
 Binaod is also considered as the Filipino delicacy. The cooking process collects the pig
intestines. It is prepared just after a pig have been dried and collected. It is eaten together
with sayote leaves that cover the rice.

 Etag

Etag is similar to pinikpikan. It is the same with the salted pork that was served on special
occasions. It can be served with mixed green and leafy vegetables but sometimes, it is spiced.

 Tengba

Tengba is a combination of fermented rice paste and freshwater crabs. Tengba is

common food prepared in municipalities within Mountain Province.It is usually used as an
additive for vegetable or meat soups.Tengba preparation and service is usually associated
with life events such as nilayaan.Tradition dictates that it be served for the guest

 Safeng / sabeng

Safeng is a non-alcholic fermented drink coming from the leftover water from boiling
sweet potatoes.After that, the remaining water is put on an earthen jar and constantly added
with corn, cooked rice, and herbs.It is used to recover deteriorating cells inside our body and
increase our immune system.

 Duom

Duom is a snack coming from the young heads of rice that isn’t ready for harvesting.It’s
added by sugar for sweetener.

 Wildlife delicacies
 Igorot’s hunting skills helps them to catch wild life animals such as monitor lizards, wild
cats, and civets.After they hunt,they will either roast them or boil them into a stew.In some
point, they also used dog meat for consumption with the aid of bottles of gin.

 Binungor

Binungor is a Kalinga dish that is served as an appetizer.It is made of different vegetables

found around a Kalinga community along with ears of rat,wild mushrooms and ot-an, a spiral
shaped shell fish.It provides a combination of sweetness and spiceness on the mouth.

 Kiniwar

Kiniwar is a sticky-rice side dish called Kiniwar that is similar to Biko.It is topped with
coconut with gata and caramelized coconut.

III. Economic Activities

 Agriculture

The Benguet Igorot is regarded as having a deep and intricate knowledge in agriculture that is
fine-tuned with the seasons that annually beset his or her community.

Physical structures like irrigation canals and ditches, rice terraces and swiddens, woodlots
and orchards, residential houses and granaries are evidences of a well-established society
that possess a well rooted past of its varied methods of managing life-supporting resources at
levels of sustainability.

Agriculture also requires optimum use of available resources that contribute to maximum crop
yield. This include soil fertility enhancing material that is mostly found various organic waste
that is found in farms – livestock manure, rice hay and other mineral enriching compounds.
This practice of utilizing organic inputs for soil conditioning are inherent traits in the igorot
agricultural system.

The constituents of agricultural community still practice resource management systems that
were imbibed from their forebears. The wisdom of such practice of conservation may be
surmised by a local belief that if one partakes of the yield from the first crop, you can never
feel hungry, no matter how little the harvest maybe.

Crops

In the whole cropping cycle, (as for instance, the method of rice faming) requires the
knowledge of preemptive control to ensure security of crops from potentially destructive
agents.In the whole rice cropping season, farmers also take good notice of the various onsets
of avian migration and climatic events that make up the annual seasons.

The arrival of the killing brings the rainy season to its near end but nevertheless signal strong
and heavy rains that usually grace the end of the tropical monsoon and the arrival of the
northeastern cold front.

The arrival of the beshing necessitates installation of scarecrows and traps in the fields that
already nearing harvest as the leaves yield into a robust golden display.
In the midseason, rice field dikes are well inspected and cleaned, (gaik) rows are weeded out
(kamas) so that rats would not burrow along its dikes and weeds would not compete with the
rice for the needed nutrition from the soil. The water level is controlled to keep the paddies
from drying. These tedious task of tending falls onto the responsibilities of the rice farmer that
sees his individual participation in his community as a duty more than a task. Community
involvement in almost all the affairs of the individual member is a common occurrence.
Communal participation in harvest through the kamal ensures that harvests are on time and
cost -efficient as the farmer is required to only to feed the assisting party.

Kamal

Kamal is instituted cooperative work that the community is obliged to fulfill inorder to avail of
cheap cooperative assistance in most of the heavy tasks of production. Cooperative work is
also an important aspect in local governance as most tasks in maintaining common communal
structures and administrative territories as like forest areas, pastures and watersheds fall onto
the individual duties of the constituents.

Physical structures like irrigation canals and ditches, rice terraces and swiddens, woodlots
and orchards, residential houses and granaries are evidences of a well-established society
that possess a well rooted past of its varied methods of managing life-supporting resources.

Cultural practices like the peshit, correlate periods of communal feasts and thanksgiving
festivities with fortunate harvests or a generous surplus of livestock that can be butchered as
sacrificial offering along with ceremonial wine for libation for the spirits of ancestors, the
guardians of the forests, water and the animals; to Kabunian the creator…

Agriculture also requires optimum use of available resources that contribute to maximum crop
yield. This include soil fertility enhancing material that is mostly found various organic waste
that is found in farms – livestock manure, rice hay and other mineral enriching compounds.
This practice of utilizing organic inputs for soil conditioning are inherent traits which is also
present in the agricultural system of Itogon.

 Weaving

Oral accounts of garment weaving dates back before the 1900s with the use of dried grasses,
rattan or bamboo strips made into baskets, rice/grain dispensers (camowan), kitchen serving
trays (bitoto), winnowers (bilao), and load carriers (labba, gimata).With the people’s innate
indigenous knowledge of weaving and designing that reflects their lifestyle, they made use of
dried grasses, banana stalks, and other fibrous plants that they could get within their
environment and weave them into fishnets.As the weaving developed, people started to learn
how to de-fiber wild fibrous plants by soaking them in rice fields for a number of days. The
fibers were then twined into ropes, braided or woven into coarse garments for hats, belts or
other containers that they can fold and unfold, roll or unroll.One of these fibrous plants is the
kapok tree which produces soft fiber inside the seeds, and eventually twined into thread.

In the early 1920s when there was scarce food, barter trade was popular where the Igorots of
the old Mountain Province bartered any product like their woodcraft (mortar and pestle,
feeding troughs), and bamboo craft products in exchange for food.As in the case of the Besao,
Tadian, and Bauko people, they bartered their honing stone (palidan) for salt in Candon,
Ilocos Sur passing through Cervantes. The Bauko people specifically Bila, bartered their clay
pots for dried animal skin. It was in this bartering that the Igorots saw the kapok trees made
into pillows among the Ilocanos.

These Igorots got some dried kapok seeds, popped out the soft kapok fibers inside the seed
and made them into pillows, then later they twined them into thread. The twined thread was
later starched with rice starch to avoid thread adhesion during weaving.
Igorots also developed different weaving techniques. They are backstrapping,warping,
heddling and threadling.

 Backstrapping

Backstrap weaving is an indigenous technology where the weaver with a back

support made of bark of trees or animal skin is strapped to the weaver’s back
while seated with her stretched feet supported by a logIt is put in place when
warping takes place. The warper ties the end of first thread to the warping rod and
brings it to the weaver who puts overor under the roller in front of her. The roller
(leletan) is anchored to the back support.

The heddles (tubongan) and threadles (goonan) are now placed during the
warping to create the designs. As the weaver does the weaving, she strides
forward and backward fully supported front and back. It is the warped thread and
the seated weaver that connects all weaving gadgets together.

Backstrapping involves thread twining, dyeing and winding. After the raw kapok
fiber is twined (linas), it is winded in a bamboo winder (ollawan), then dyed and
starched to make it stiff enough for warping and to avoid thread to thread adhesion
during weaving. After starching, the thread is winded into balls.

Backstrap weaving is a living tradition in promoting Igorot values of cooperation,

solidarity, teamwork, cohesiveness and creativity.

 Warping, heddling and threadling.

With the use of bamboo as rod (sah-udan), it is securely tied in an elevated place
one to two meters high. The weaver is also seated securely with her back and
front support gadgets 3 to 5 meters facing the warping rod. The back support is
anchored to the roller (leletan) pressed in front of the seated weaver.The warping
starts with the end of the thread tied to the warping rod then the warper unwinds
the thread to the weaver who anchors it to the roller (leletan). Warping (sah-ud) is
manually done as the warper repeatedly walks to unwind the balls of thread from
the warping rod to the weaver and back. The weaver threadles (isikwit or igol-on)
and heddles (ipili) the thread alternately depending on the design she likes to
create. The process is done for about 2 to 3 hours until the desired width is
attained.
Other multi-colored designs today are products of the Ilocano loom weaving adopted by the
Igorots. The Igorots see the use of loom weaving in commercial production of rolls of cloth
sewed into other products like bags, jackets, shoes, purse, table or seat covers, curtains. In
loom weaving the width could be very wide or just strips which could not be done in backstrap
weaving which is limited to what the hand of a single weaver can reach. As to the length, in
loom weaving, one set of warping can produce 10 to 30 meters or a little more. In backstrap
weaving, the maximum would be 10 meters long.

The weaving industry in Cordillera was popularized by the Lepanto Crafts in Benguet, Narda’s
Enterprises, Easter Weaving, Sagada Weaving, Sabangan Weaving, and the Tam-aw
weaving in Ifugao.

The cottage industries existing today maintain the backstrap weaving only for its culturally
specified purpose on the use of the woven material and the loom weaving for its mass
production for commercial purposes.In the process of commercialization, other color
combinations to include all primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, were used which we now
see in most Igorot-woven products worth noting that Abra and Apayao maintained their
originality in terms of colors and designs on their traditional costumes.

The garments woven in backstrap weaving include the attire for the dead. The plain topper of
white with black stripe is for the dead identified with poor descendants even if he/she is
considered rich at present. Likewise, the ikat design or the headband with jackard designs of
icons, circles, stars, etc., is worn by the dead identified with rich descendants (baknang) even
if he died a rich man today.

Among the Igorots in Mountain Province, the common designs of their woven garments
whether woven by backstrap or loom are: pinagpagan, kuabaw, kulibangbang, pinnagi,
binuldaan, innigidan, and lamma.

Symbolism of weaving in their society

In the process of winding, warping, weavers discuss issues, joke with one another, eat
together and become spiritually beautiful as they learn to appreciate or recognize one another.
Weaving in the early times was not considered work but a form of recreation. It is done when
the rice planting or harvesting was just over and to take a break from the fieldwork, backstrap
weaving takes its time.

In western Mountain Province, the fineness or smoothness of the weaving gadgets reflects the
concern and how responsible the husband is. The finer and smoother the gadgets, the more
concerned and responsible the husband is. Hence, husbands during the earlier period of
backstrap weaving compete in providing their wife-weavers the best kind of weaving gadget.
Likewise, the finer and creatively-designed the husband’s G-string is, the more concerned the
wife is.

It was also revealed that a conscientious mother should always keep any woven garment with
beads to be given as inheritance to her child who gets married. This inheritance is handed
during the traditional wedding ceremony.

To the children, having inherited any woven garment from parents is a pride and honor and
gives the feeling of being blessed. So, no matter how old the woven garment is, it is very much
treasured.

More so, backstrap weaving does not need a wide area and because of the parts that are only
assembled upon actual weaving, it can be carried anywhere as the weaver goes to any place.
Since it is handy, two weavers can decide to do the weaving under a tree where others can
just come and socialize with them. Any passerby who likes to stop would help in entangling
any entangled thread or would do any errand for the tied weaver.

Hunting

Fishing
IV. Igorot’s Clothing

In the current time period, other than just a fashion statements clothes are used in different
aspect.They are used in inferring historical influences the date back to the colonial era and
delving into the unique apparel of a given tribe. But the traditional clothing of the igorots are
said to be clearly distinct and bears influenced from the Spanish who tried to colonized them.

The tribes in Mountain Province of the Cordillera ranges who are called the Igorots
possesses their own unique native costume that makes them distinctive from other tribes in
the Philippines.

Males

For the male native costume the “bag” or bahag is what they wear. With a 10-15 inches long
and 3-5 feet long woven material which covers the private parts safely and properly, it is
securely place in their waist to prevent it from falling off. In the olden times the men don’t wear
any upper clothes hence tattoos are common in them.The number of tattoos that they have
and the number of the enemies that they have slain with their spear and bolo indicates the
authority in the village.

Some of the Igororts wear headpieces which are composed of feathers, some arm bands and
often bring ornate pieces of wooden weaponry.

Females

For female native costumes consist of a 3-5 feet wide and 3-4 feet long woven clothing that is
worn like a skirt and just like the male it is secured in the waist. And in the olden times just like
the male too the female Igorots didn’t wore any upper clothing and treated being nude as
being pure and innocent and not indecency.Men weren't clouded with impure thoughts but
due to the influenced of the new era they are now wearing earth colored blouses.Although still
there are some villages where women from the older generation and who are married
doesn't wear any upper clothing.

In the upper body of the women the native beads or “bongol are worn. The weight of it
indicates the status of the woman, the heavier and multi-layered the richer and nobler the
women is.
 SOCIETY AND CULTURE OF IGOROTS

Society of Igorot
Dance

Ethnic dances in the different municipalities of Mountain Province have differences and
commonalities in terms of steps, attire or costumes, purposes. These dances are part of the
people’s customs and traditions that have become part of the Igorots’s identity.
In any festive gathering among Igorots, be it a ritual, barrio or town fiesta, wedding
celebrations, people’s assembly, the gongs are played according to its rhythm appropriate to
the specific purpose of the occasion. Such purpose could be for entertainment, socialization,
or in more serious cases, as part of an Igorot ritual.

Ethnic dances as part of most Igorot rituals or ceremonies include begnas, manerwap, chono,
tebyag. For one, dances are done as supplication to Kabunyan to divert existing
environmental phenomenon such as control of plant pests, fields/farms not to be eroded,
increased food production, control of diseases during epidemics. Ethnic dances are also done
in thanksgiving, after rice planting, after harvest, or for spiritual healing.Specifically, in Sagada
and Besao, the playing of gongs in wedding celebrations commence with the tebyag, a
specific beating of gongs with the woman dancer sprinkling little rice grains at a time in all
directions with the strong belief that Kabunyan would grant prosperity and abundance.

As to the appropriateness of each dance, the original purpose of the specific dance is traced.
The handkerchief or courtship dance (pinanyowan) for one, depicts the undying love of a man
to a woman so it is appropriate during wedding celebrations.The gentle clicking of bamboos to
produce music in the pakawkaw dance or the tebyag is appropriate in times of opening a ritual
because of its solemnity.

Pattong is done to drive evil spirits so it could be played during wakes as practiced in some
tribes in the eastern municipalities. The pattong or tallibeng could also be played during a
ritual called sagawsaw for it has psychological healing effects to someone who is mentally
disturbed.

Igorot ethnic dances are performed with either gongs, bamboo musical instruments, or without
any instrument. Similar to any other musical arrangement, the bass sound, tenor and soprano
also is noted in the playing of gongs.Most dances for entertainment is done in semi-circle
where dancers move in a circular direction following the concept of “follow the leader” while
synchronizing with the steps of the lead player or dancer. The lead musical player is then
crucial to lead in the rhythm and tempo of the gongs and the dance.In the different ethnic
dances, the steps, body movements, hand or arm position are done in accordance with the
rhythm of the music and in coordination with the other players or dancers. There are no
definite number of steps or definite prescribed movement but are performed to the tune of the
beating of the gongs with individual styles to accommodate one’s grace.

The steps vary from the combinations of any of the following steps: walking step, slide step,
slight jumping step, hop step, creeping toe step, ball bouncing step, jumping step, fast-walking
step, and running step. These steps go with, body movements such as a combination of the
bending of knees, body bending forward and backward, body bending sideward left and right
and body tilting.

The arms and hand movements are done with arms stretched sideward, closed fist and
thumbs up, arms stretched sideward on shoulder level, palms facing down flipping from wrist,
both arms obliquely upward, or arms downward behind buttocks, arms in front of the chest,
thumbs pointing towards self, hands on waist, and arms in reverse T-position.

 Ballangbang or Tallibeng

The most common of all the dances, ballangbang requires the participation of many to beat
the gongs and many women dancers. This originated from the western municipalities of
Mountain Province (Besao, Sagada, Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan) but performed anywhere. Its
version in eastern Mountain Province is the pattong.

The male gong players could be five or more and the female dancers could range from a
single dancer to more than 10. It is a dance appropriate for mass participation. The male gong
players move in a circular direction as they synchronize their artistic graceful steps and body
swaying. The women dancers follow as they dance with the appropriate step, body swaying
and arm position depending on the art and style of the music players.

 Bontoc War Dance or Pattong

Among the Bontocs, playing the gongs is termed pattong. Steps in the Bontoc war dance is
similar to the tallibeng but a little faster. What makes the war dance peculiar is the presence of
two warrior dancers depicting a headhunter fighting his enemy.

The intended winner warrior dancer is armed with a spear and shield and the intended loser
warrior dancer is armed with a head axe and shield too. Without the warrior dancers, it is
called pattong. Other variations of the pattong are the tachek, mamakar or parpag.

 Takik

Takik is a wedding dance identified with the Aplais of western Mountain Province. There are
six players to complete the set, each producing a certain beating to produce harmony. The
striking of the solibao (ethnic drum) is the guide of the players. The drummer squats and
strikes the solibao alternately with his left and right hand.

A male dancer starts and one or more ladies dance to pair the male dancer moving in a
circular motion. Next to the dancer is the sunub. The sound of the sunub is so distinct that it
responds to the solibao, the first gong (pingsan), then the iron clasping to produce the
harmonized music. The complete set for a good takik music is composed of at least five or
seven instruments: solibao, sunub, pingsan, pindua, and the takik.
 Palakis

Palakis is a variation of the takik. However, the beating of the gongs in palakis is faster and
louder so the dancers dance with faster steps and body movements.

 Eagle Dance

Most common and popular dance among the Balangaos and Baliwons of Barlig, Natonin and
Paracelis is the eagle dance. Three gong players can complete the set in an eagle dance. The
male and female dancers dance eagle-like with their arms swaying in a circular direction.
Peculiar in this dance is fast entry of the dancer, the bending of the body and knees and
movements of buttocks as well.

 Bontoc Boogie

A variation of the western boogie dance, the Bontoc boogie dance is performed with the fast
beating of the gongs. A pair of male and female dancers moves with the fast pacing and
raising of feet in opposite directions. At some time, the dancing pair meets with hands holding
each other and perform other steps either going forward or sideward. The music players are in
kneeling positions.

 Tupayya
This dance is similar to the boogie dance among the Bontocs. Its movement is faster than the
pinanyowan. The male dancer stands and performs with at least three steps before the female
dancer goes to pair him. It can be with a rolled scarf held by two hands or without scarf. The
male and female dancers meet each other then separate with fast steps. This dance is
another courtship dance common among the Kinali people in western Besao near Anggaki,
Ilocos Sur.

 Pinanyowan

A courtship dance with the use of a handkerchief or scarf, both male and female dancers do
fast mincing steps as the men beat the gongs in stationary kneeling positions.

 Inan-aninnit

This is a dance that reflects the search of a lost soul. Performed during rituals, it is done with
slow and jerking body movement along with the slow peculiar striking of the gongs. However,
today, it is performed by young men also for entertainment without the preliminary prayers for
the specific ritual.

 Tebyag

Tebyag is symbolically done once only during the start of the playing of gongs in a wedding
ceremony. This dance is part of a ritual where gongs are slowly struck interspersed by
prayers.

The prayer is for Kabunyan to grant peace during the celebration, for the new couple to have
many children, and for the couple to prosper. Peculiar to this dance is the sprinkling of grains
of rice by a woman dancer in all direction as a symbol of showers of blessings from God who
brought grains of rice for any wedding celebration.

 Sakuting

A dance with music produced by the rhythmic licking of the sticks, sakuting is similar to
calisthenics. Dancers have to be in pairs and participate in clicking the sticks. It needs practice
and mastery to avoid any mis-coordination that light result in injury.

 Pakawkaw

The pakawkaw dance makes use of bamboo tubes and bamboo flips to produce music. It was
first danced in the olden days when people journeyed in search for wild animals in the woods.
The dancers follow one another to form a single line. Later, the pakawkaw is performed to
start a ritual to call for good spirits and then performed after a ritual to rive bad spirits.

It is played by striking the pakawkaw in one’s hand to produce music. In some municipalities
like Paracelis, the pakawkaw is now made by sets to complete tenor, bass and soprano. In
Paracelis, it is referred as papiw, abiw or balimbing. In other places is termed liplipak.

 Sadngi Kawayan

This could be a dance with any combination of varied ethnic steps with bamboo musical
instruments such as gabil (labil, labin), abistong (aberraw), paiw, kolisteng, tabbatab,
dongadong, diw-as, ilaleng, or tongali.
 Da-ing

Men and women debate on an issue while doing grapevine steps and chanting. It could also
be an alternate expression of their feelings of love to entertain others and at the same time
enjoy dancing. Here, males knit their hands together on their shoulders to form a semi-circle.
Another semi-circle behind the males is formed by the female dancers but their hands knit
together at their backs.

A lead man starts the chant then chorused by the rest as they move in grapevine steps and
bodies bending in a circular direction. The lead woman responds through a chant and
chorused by the others as they also do the grapevine steps, moving in a circular direction.

 Dallok

Dallok is also another way of debating while dancing. The female dancers hold hands to form
a line facing the male dancers. Males chant together led by one. While chanting, they all meet
at the middle executing the hop-bend-raise steps. Chanting all together, they walk backward
uniformly to their former positions. Mastery of the chanting is important to have uniformity in
executing the steps.

 Digdigwi

This is similar to the dallok as to position and purpose. It only varies a little in the steps as it all
depends upon the chanted phrases. The chanting always start with the words, “Digdigwi,
digdigwi ...”
 Donglalaan

This is a dance common among the tribes in the western parts of Besao (Kinali) who claim the
dance originated from the ethnic tribes of Abra. The male dancers with their hands knit
together at their backs face the women dancers with their hands knit together at their backs,
too. As they all chant, they grapevine to the right then to the left to their original position. As
the chorus is chanted, the two groups meet forward to meet at center then back with the
chorus. “Hey, donglas di donglalaan dayta, ehem.”

 Balassibasem

The dancers follow the same position with that of the digdigwi with similar steps. In this dance,
the uniformity of the steps is dependent on the mastery and force in chanting the lines for the
debate and the chorus which goes. “Innas balalaginnas, o innas, o innas; Balasibasem, o
innas, o innas”. Originally, this dance puts ladies and gentlemen together to make wise pairing
among them while chanting.

Music

Music is crucial part of Igorot’s life and living.It has rich variety of songs and music performed
on instruments.Most of their music performance are performed in groups sung in unison of
pentatonic melodies.Their traditional music are transferred from generation to generation
through oral tradition.

1.Vocal Music
 Hudhud

Hudhud is consists of narrative chants practiced during rice sowing seasons, at harvest time
and at funeral wakes and rituals.It comprises more than 200 chants, each divided into 40
episodes.A complete recitation may last several days.

The chants tells about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and traditional
practices, and the reflects the importance of rice cultivation.The eldery women , which serves
as the narrators, hold a key position in the community, both as historians and preachers.The
hudhud epic is chanted alternately by the first narrator and a choir, employing a single melody
for all the verses.

2.Folk Songs

 Ay Ay Salidummay

An entertainment song presented during social gatherings as a chorus in triplet parts and as a
round s ong.It expresses a positive attitude of the Kalingas toward adversities in life.

 Dakami

Dakami may be presented either as a solo or a group performance, which reflects the
Tingguian’s pride in and contentment with their cultural practices.This song shows:industry,
social cooperation, peace and contentment and pride of one’s cultural heritage.
 Sowi

It is rice pounding festival song meant to honor someone.It is popularly known as Chua-ay.

Festivals

 Ullalim

This literally means a tale, saga, or story notably chanted in any occasion. It is the poetic
expression of the way of Kalingas’ life from birth to death. This is a festival for tourism and
industry promotional event that showcase the rich cultural heritage of the people and their
natural resources bounties.

 Imbayah

This word comes from the Ifugao word “bayah” or rice wine in which it signifies nobility and
high stature in the community. This festival is celebrated as a way of thanksgiving and is a
season of fun after a bountiful harvest.

 Lang-ay

In Igorot dialect, “Lang-ay” means a fellowship where local folks gather to celebrate and to
perform “canao” that involves the offering of locally brewed rice wine (tapey), and butchering
picgs, chicken, harvest and prayers to their pegan gods.. This also signifies the traditional
practice of generosity, sharing, and respect. This festival also become a tool to teach and
inculcate to younger generations the value of culture and tradition of the community.

 Matagoan

“Matagoan” means Life Giving/Zone of Life. This festival features the indigenous practices,
expressions, and moves of the diverse sub-clans.

 Panagbenga

This means the “season of blooming”. This is the festival celebrated as a tribute to the city’s
flowers and as a way to rise up for the devastation from the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

Rituals

 Daw-es

This is an ancient ritual passed on from generation to generation and is performed as a ritual
to cleanse the mind of the survivors, and the rescuers in case of massive deaths. It is not only
practiced during the season of all hallows ans]d souls, but also when someone unexpectedly
die (murdered, by accident, or by landslides).

 Boni

This is a traditional healing ritual performed by a village elder or “mambunong”. It is performed

for the treatment of a wide range of illness.
 Buton

This is the ritual performed before building a house, cultivating the land, or doing any
improvement in an area because the Igorots, particularly Ibalois and Kankanaes believed that
the land they will occupy or develop may be occupied by spirits. This can be accomplished by
killing a chicken and auguring its liver and gall bladder to find out whether or not the
suggested activity is favored by the spirit, one can just recite a madmad (prayer) requesting
approval to do the activity, and others use the pig sacrifice offering, esapuan das busaang, to
obtain the gods ' favor.