INDIGENOUS PEOPLE/TRIBES IN LUZON

INDIGENOUS

PEOPLE IN
LUZON

GRBSO-BIUOLPOG4Y 2A Bagtas,Joanna Marie O. Nongui,Julaine P.

Canlas, Fanny Mae S. Supan,Carlo L.

De Guzman, Sthepen Carl F. Talosig Kylene E.

Guiao,Christine G. Verana,Julius D.

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

01 ACTIVITY 4 GE-STS

02

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Know about Indigenous

People in Luzon

03 Ifugao, Ivatan, Ibaloi, Ilongot,
Bontoc, Kalinga,

Northern Luzon .

30 Aeta, Duamagat, Agta

Central Luzon

42 Itawis, Bugkalot, Batak

Southern Luzon

54 Tabangnon

Bicol Regions

03

INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE IN
NORTHERN
LUZON

04

IFUGAO

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: KYLENE TALOSIG

05

FOOD PREPARATION/
PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE

Etag is the general term A slab of a big slice of pork
used in Cordillera about is cured in salt for about a
native’s traditional way of week (or longer) then air-
preserving pork. dried under the sun or
smoked for several weeks
(even months) or both.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Rice Culture is the principal agricultural work of the Ifugao, besides
camote culture, is rice culture. Camotes grow on hillsides so steep
that none but an Ifugao could climb them; the soil need not be even
fertile and the crop is not subject to pests. Rice on the other hand
requires irrigation, fertility, and constant care. lt is subject to many
and various pests. Camotes, requiring little work, are not thought
highly of as food, but around the much-prized rice centers, to a
great extent, the Ifugao religion.

A man's social status is fixed by the amount of rice he
harvests; his wealth is in his nee fields. The rice plants from
the seed bed are transplanted by women. The reason given for
allotting this work to them is that the women's fingers are
nimbler than the men's. The transplanting is done without
the aid of any instrument, such as the sharpened stick used by
the Pangasinan people.

12

METALLURGICAL
WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Pinahig Bulul Brass Bulul Case
Machete Dagger Daggers

A blade which becomes A knife made up of solid An Ifugao daggers
thinner and wider brass and feature the mounted in a carved
towards a relatively bulul, a symbol of wooden holder.
rounded tip obviously fertility, luck and health.
adapted entirely for the
cut.

07

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES

Several other mechanisms are employed by conserve their ecology and, finally, restore

the people to maintain a healthy condition their health condition. Some people are

—defined by a commendable relationship gifted with special powers to communicate

with the supernatural beings. Beliefs and with the supernatural beings to intercede

practices such as pfunih (rituals of on behalf of the requests and desires of

particular illnesses such as ameleng (skin people, especially when illness is

illnesses), pfujuy, apfu-ab (recitals), the experienced by the family and/or by the

concept of paniyaw (taboo) and the use of villagers.

holo’ an meakhah (herbs) are employed by

people to restore the social order and/or

Building Houses

The Ifugao houses were usually similar in
architectural designs but they differ in
decorative details depending on the
tribes. Their houses were harmoniously
located with the contour of the rice
terraces. The ground level the posts have
wooden discs which was called oliang to
prevent rats from entering the house.

08

IVATAN

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: KYLENE TALOSIG

09

FOOD PREPARATION/
PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE


Termed as ‘kulay’ in the Ivatan The isolation of the province from the rest of the
language, the people have been into it country forced the islanders to think of ways and
for as long as they can remember and means to preserve the bounties of their seas and
has been part of the survival process of lands. For the ordinary Ivatan, the harvest from the
all the islanders. Inaccessible most time sea can be best preserved through the application
of the year, the people of the island- of enough salt which can last them until the fair
province of Region 2 were able to weather returns. That is likewise true to their
develop sustainable indigenous famous root crops like sweet potatoes, cassava and
practices which up to this time have the uvi where the benefits of the sun and the air are
been used for their own benefit. maximized to the fullest.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES




THESE ARE THE IVATAN WAYS OF FARMING AND

100% ORGANIC:

Crop rotation


growing different types of produce on the Fallowing
same land during different seasons.
the land is plowed and tilled but left unseeded
Water harvesting (giving it time to rest and restore nutrients), or
for grazing cattle. This system enables the
maintenance of soil health.

Ivatans make the most of the rain by Planting of typhoon-
having rain collectors instead of
constructing expensive irrigation resistant crops
systems. Spring water and deep wells are
their other sources of water. Because typhoons can ruin any good harvest
above ground, the Ivatans focus on planting
Delineation of areas root crops such as sweet potato, garlic,
shallots, and onions.

the stone houses of Ivatans are separated
from farming areas, effectively preventing
unintended contamination of crops from
household chemicals.

10

METALLURGICAL
WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Ivatans have various ornaments that help them
to look more attractive. A Kamnan in Mahatao,
Batanes is seen wearing the ‘de perlas’, ‘savung
nu anuyuuy’ or the floral pendant earring,
‘sinabachian’ or the earring type made of gold
and black beads, large ‘bumbolya’ or the tear
drop earring.

An Ivatan child, who is about to perform
during the afternoon fiesta program in
Sabtang, Batanes, is seen wearing a recent
make ‘bumbolya’.

11

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES

Babaylan also performs rituals to heal and
Healing was the most important role for strengthen the soul or dungan of a person.
shamans in their communites. Shamans

distinguished between two kinds of Some of them are batak dungan and tupad.

illnesses, the natural (or non-spiritual) One of the most interesting practices of

illnesses, and the spiritual illnesses. Natural babaylans from Visayas is the use of ginger

illnesses do not require a shaman for in diagnosing illnesses and divination. Aside

healing, while spiritual illnesses do. Natural from diagnosing the source of illness, ginger

illnesses can range from wounds, broken is also use to foretell the individual’s future.

bones, poisoning, and snakebites.

Building Houses

Batanes is surrounded by major bodies of
water including the South China Sea and
the Pacific Ocean, hence it doesn’t have a
very stable climate. The Ivatan houses are
made of metre-thick limestone and coral
walls as well as cogon grass roofs, and
they are sturdy enough to withstand
strong winds.

12

IBALOI

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: FANNY MAE CANLAS

13

FOOD PREPARATION/ PRESERVATION
TECHNIQUE

Kinuday is an Ibaloi word which means smoked meat, though it is called as such it is not necessary for
the meat to be smoked, the meat could be dried under the sun, smoked, or placed under hot charcoals.
There is no standard on how to dry the meat and the technique in cooking this may vary according to
one’s taste. One of the reasons that kinuday is popular among the highlands is that with the abundance
of meat prepared during canao’s it is inevitable that there will be left overs. And in order to make the
meat last in the olden times where refrigerators are non-existent, the people made a preservation
process through drying the meat.

The general process in making this dish is that a piece
of meat is rubbed in salt placed in a container or
wrapped in cloth (in order to protect it from flies)
and is either sun dried or smoked. It is evident that
Ibaloi ancestors preserve excess meat like their share
from the cañao by salting meat and hanging them to
dry over the hearth in the dirty kitchen where they
would get a slice to add to vegetables whenever they
cook.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Traditional Ibalois engage in wet-rice agriculture,
swidden farming, mining, hunting and fishing. The
‘baknang’ (rich) has people working under him such as
the pastol who takes care of domesticated animals and
assists in the preparation of rituals like the cañao; the
silbi who takes care in tilling the land; and the bagaen, a
non-Ibaloi slave who does other tasks as required.

14

METALLURGICAL
WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Traditional weapons of the Ibalois are the spear (kayang), shield (kalasai),
bow and arrow (bekang and pana), and war club (papa), though they are
rarely used in present times. Men wear a g-string (kuval), and the wealthy
include a dark blue blanket (kulabaw or alashang) while the rest use a white
one (kolebao dja oles). Women wear a blouse (kambal) and a skirt (aten or
divet). Gold-plated teeth covers (shikang), copper leglets (batding), copper
bracelets (karing), and ear pendants (tabing) reflect the benefits of mining
for gold and copper. Older Ibaloi people may have tattooed arms as a sign of
prestige.

15

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES



The Ibaloi tribe uses many plants as Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) has been
medicine or as treatment for a particular known traditionally as cure for many
ailment that is also shared with other ailments such as kidney problems, stomach
cultures. To mention some examples; gawed ache, urinary tract infection, diarrhea,
or lawed (Piper betle) is used by almost all hypertension and a decoction can also be a
tribes in the Cordillera as treatment for good wash for wounds.
cough, aside from its use as an ingredient
for betel nut chewing. Among betel nut
chewers,gawed is also claimed to make
teeth stronger.

Building Houses

The Ibaloi build their houses (balai or
baeng) near their farms. These are usually
built on five foot posts (tokod) and
contain only one room with no windows.
Pine trees are usually used to build the
houses, especially for wealthy families,
while bark bamboo for floors and walls,
and cogon grass for roofs (atup), are used
by the poor.

16

ILONGOT

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: FANNY MAE CANLAS

17
FOOD PREPARATION/

PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE
They eat foods that are not
diluted with salt; they shun from

eating preserved chemically-treated ones which can shorten life. As an
alternative for salt, they take in the bituka ng ugsa or alsi (deer’s
innards). The kalot is skinned, boiled, made into cake or simply eaten.
Rice should be pounded rather than milled. The yantok is also an
alternative source of water.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES




The Ilongot are primarily in slash-and-burn agriculturalist, hunters and fishermen. In the early
days, when there was abundance of games and fish, they hunted wild boars in a manner called laob, where
10 to 30 men positioned themselves near a mountain top where game was thought to be plentiful. Then
one or two men with dogs made a racket to drive them towards the gathered men who could easily shoot
the boars with arrows. When there was still plenty of fish like gudong, banak, kanduli), they practiced
gabinet, which involved placing a length of rattan that reached either side of the river.

On this rod, they tied several leaves of anahaw and stones which disturbed the water and drove
out the fish from their hiding places. Ten to 20 men lined up alongside the gabinet as the two men on
either end of the pole walked the length of the river. The men who were lined up were armed with arrows
that had detachable arrowheads that were secured with a twine about a meter long and released from a
rubber band. Fish was selectively targeted. In the absence of mechanized and diesel engine-run rice mills,
they pound their own rice. Except for vehicles that emit carbon dioxide and poisonous gas into the air, no
other elements pose a threat to their physical environment.

18

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Bladed weapons of the Ilongot were made from
traditional agricultural and hunting tools. Those used
for warfare or headhunting were usually made for the
purpose. Iteng, a short blade resembling a scythe was
used for kaingin and cutting grass. For head hunting,
warriors used the tagyaden, badass looking curved
bolo. It used with a precise backhand swing to chop
the head of the enemy. Blade handle and sheath are
decorated with beadworks, tassels, and metallic
embellishments.

This earring, called kalēpān by the Ilongot, is
roughly circular with a diameter of about 3.5 cm
and made of shell. Kalēpān were worn by both men
and women by passing a string or brass-wire loop
through the hole at the center and hanging the
other from the ear. The card goes on to say that
men hung these loops from piercings in their
earlobes while women hung them from the upper
rims, or helixes of their ears.

Panglao refer to the kind of necklace that was
mostly worn by women, as indicated by their small
size. It measures roughly 38 cm in circumference
when worn, which requires a relatively small neck.
It is made of red glass seed beads, shell
ornamentations, brass findings, black thread,
cordage, and red cotton.

19

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

The red hornbill headhunters’ headdress, panglao or
toc-bed, was among the most famous of Ilongot
personal adornment objects. Its frame was constructed
of three pieces of narrow wood, two forming the sides
and one forming the top, which was secured by woven
cordage passed through the wood. Wearing headdresses
like this dramatically displayed a hunter’s skill to
onlookers. Hornbill headdresses were specifically
associated with Ilongot warriors, as their neighboring
ethnic groups did not make such ornaments.

These red hornbill earrings, or batling, were made of L-shaped slices of red hornbill beak, angled at about
130 degrees. Earrings like these are among the most important ornaments that Ilongot people wore.
Supreme markers of skill and maturity, as well as liget and bēya, the acquisition of red hornbill earrings
represented the pinnacle of pride and accomplishment in an Ilongot boy’s life. Like the red hornbill
headdress, the earrings are primarily symbolically connected to headhunting and to the Ilongot identity,
as well as to their notoriety as feared warriors throughout Luzon.

20

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES

The Ilongot also have a number of indigenous Moreover, a domesticated plant known as

medicinal plants. Kulat is a large hard white adimi is being used to treat scabies (gaddil)

fungi growing on dead tree trunks, such as and skin itch. The sap from the bark is

tanguile used to treat Malaria. It is scraped and rubbed on scabies or itchy skin (the fiber

cooked with water in buho as concoction underneath the bark is also used as a

which is drunk. Snake bite (kagat ng ulupong) bowstring).

is being treated by using abiang/anahaw; the

bark is scraped and burned; the ash is applied

on bite.

Building Houses

A house (kamari) has a square floor plan, raised 2 m to 5 m (6–15 ft) off the ground, and
has walls of woven grass or bamboo and a pyramidal or single-ridged roof. An
unpartitioned central space is edged by a slightly raised wooden platform where the
hearths are located (up to three hearths, one for each resident nuclear family). They also
build smaller, temporary field houses ('abun).

21

BONTOC

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: JULAINE NONGUI

22

FOOD PREPARATION/ PRESERVATION
TECHNIQUE

Bá-si

Igorot name of the fermented beverage prepared from sugar cane. The Bontoc
man makes his bá-si in December. He boils the expressed juice of the sugar
cane about six hours, at which time he puts into it a handful of vegetable
ferment obtained from a tree called “tub-fĭg

Ta-pú-i

a fermented drink made from rice, the cha-yĕt′-ĭt variety, they say,
grown in Bontoc pueblo. It is very sweet and sticky rice when cooked.
Ta-pú-i is much preferred to bá-si.

′A-su-fal -i-wis

A fermented drink made from rice, the cha-yĕt′-ĭt variety, they say, grown in
Bontoc pueblo. It is very sweet and sticky rice when cooked. Ta-pú-i is much
preferred to bá-si.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

In agriculture the Bontoc Igorot has reached his highest development. On agriculture
hangs his claim to the rank of barbarian—without it he would be a savage.

The BontocIgorot employ three methods of irrigation:

One, the simplest and most natural, is to build Irrigating ditch which feeds the troughs secured to the
sementeras along a small stream which is turned mountain side shown at the left
into the upper sementera and passes from one to
another, falling from terrace to terrace until all
water is absorbed, evaporated, or all available or

desired land is irrigated
The second method is to divert a
part of a river by means of a stone

dam.
The third method is still more artificial
than the preceding—the water is lifted by
direct human power from below the
sementera and poured to run over the

surface.

23

TWO VARIETIES OF SEMENTERAS

Sementeras—garden patches, called “pay-yo′”—in the Bontoc area, the irrigated and the
unirrigated. of sementeras

The irrigated sementeras grow two The unirrigated sementera is of two kinds.
crops annually, one of rice by

irrigation during the dry season
and the other of camotes, “sweet One is the mountain or side-hill plat of earth, in which
potatoes,” grown in the rainy camotes, millet, beans, maize, etc., are planted, and the
season without irrigation. other is the horizontal plat (probably once an irrigated

sementera), usually built with low terraces, sometimes

lying in the pueblo among the houses, from which
shoots are taken for transplanting in the distant
sementeras and where camotes are grown for the pigs.



The unirrigated mountain-side sementera, called “fo-ag′,”

is built by simply clearing the trees and brush from a
mountain plat. No effort is made to level it and no dike
walls are built. Now and then one is hemmed in by a

low boundary wall.



METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

The Bontoc Igorots, a tribe in the mountainous part of northern Philippines,
have their own way of forging spear blades as well as beliefs and tradition
associated with the weapon. Before they were Christianized, the Igorots were a
warlike tribe feared for their headhunting expeditions.

TYPE OF SPEARS

fal-feg

It is a simple, single-barbed blade,
and ranges from 2 inches to 6 inches
in length. This style of blade is the
most used in warfare, and the
smaller, lighter blades are
considered better for this purpose
than the heavier ones.”

23

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

TYPE OF SPEARS

’fang -kao

Characterized by the absence of
barbs. fang’-kao is not a war
weapon and is used exclusively for
killing hogs and carabaos.

’kay-yan

A gracefully formed blade not used
in hunting and warfare, Jenks
postulated that that the Igorots
created it almost exclusively for
aesthetic reasons.

Si-na-la-wi-tan

This spear is not considered at all
serviceable as a hunting spear, and is
not used in war as much as is the fal-
feg’ It is prized highly as an anito
[deity] scarer. When a man passes
alone in the mountains, anito are very
prone to walk with him; however, if the
traveller carries a si-na-la-wi’-tan,
anito will not molest him, since theyare
afraid when they see the formidable
array of barbs.”

24

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES


All disease, sickness, or ailment, however serious or slight, among the Bontoc Igorot is caused by

an a-ni′-to. The Igorot bears pain well, but his various fatalistic superstitions make him often an
easy victim to a malady that would yield readily to the science of modern medicine and from
which, in the majority of cases, he would probably recover if his mind could only assist his body in
withstanding the disease.

THERAPEUTIC REMEDIES

“ ′na-fa -kag ′ma-la-fûb-chong Kay-yub

For a cut,” the fruit of a For burns, are covered a vegetable root, is
grass-like herb named la- over with a piece of bark rubbed over the forehead
lay′-ya is pounded to a from a tree called ta- in cases of headache.
paste, and then bound on kum′-fao.
the wound.

fu-yu-i ′a-kûm ′ ĕot-o -t k

For treating boils, and An herb that is pounded For toothache salt is
swellings, nay-am-an′ or and used as a poultice mixed with a pounded
kĭn-may-yon′, are treated on ulcers and sores. herb and the mass put in
with a poultice of a or around the aching
pounded herb called ok- tooth.
ok-ong′-an

Millet burned to a ′kay -yam

charcoal Leaves of the tree are
steeped, and the
these are pulverized, and decoction employed as a
mixed with pig fat is used bath for persons with
as a salve for the itch. smallpox.

25

Building Houses

ATO Olag

Large compact settlements built among
rice terraces and divided into wards
Each ato has 15 to 50 houses which are:

Communal center
Chap-ay (circular open space paved
with flat stone)
Fawi (house where old man gather)
Pabafunan (dormitory for young
men and boys in their adolescence)
Olag (dormitory foe girls)
Fayu -Bontoc houses, the basic form
is like that of Ifugao house except
that the house cage serves as a
granary. Parts of fayu; Falig
(granary)Cha-la-nan (through the
doorwayone enters the ground
floor, includes the spaceunder the
granary; and Ang-an ( sleeping
compartment)

Fayu Fawi

26

KALINGA

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: CHRISTINE GUIAO

27
FOOD PREPARATION/

PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE
Salt in their food was sparingly used in
the ancient times because they’re

landlocked. Instead, they smoked their meats like the “kini-ing” to
preserve it.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES


Traditionally, they were hunters and gatherers This is called manosok. Generally, planting

but through time, they have developed rich starts with the prayer of an old women. There

knowledge in the farming system, among the are two approaches in planting rice; the first

common and important crops are rice, coffee, method involves the men, where they dig holes

kaldis or garden peas, baguio beans, sweet with a stick and the women drop rice into the

potato, chayote, pine trees, and pomelo. The holes. The second involves, both men and

people of northern Kalinga grow rice in women digging holes and plant. Irrigated rice

swiddens locally known as oma (also uma). farming is a more recent development in

They select a plot according to ideal conditions Kalinga agriculture since there are less ritual

of the soil, observe good or bad omens, and associated with irrigated rice compared to

then clear the swidden before planting. swidden-grown rice.

28

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Kalinga peoples are curators of beads. This means that the beads are passed down as whole
assembled multi-strand necklaces. They do not dissemble necklaces and split the beads. Mothers pass
down their beads to the first daughter. Because of this practice, the bead collections found in Kalinga
are not open to the addition of “unknown” beads. And in this sense, we can say that Kalingas maintain a
closed collection of beads. The necklaces can be short necklaces like the ‘dalisdis’ – a multistrand
necklace approximately 16-18 inches in length where beads as small as 5mm is used. The ‘winayway’ is a
bead arrangement where large beads as long as 3 inches are displayed in a long strand that can be worn
across the body from shoulder to hip.

The process of tattooing is known amongst the
Kalinga people as batok, and the resulting designs are
symbolic of strength and power – to the extent that
dinuras (women who do not have tattoos) were
typically viewed as imperfect, and shamed. For the
men of the tribe, tattoos represent courage and the
stages of being a Kalinga warrior, while for women
they symbolise maturity, fertility and beauty.

They use the uniquely shaped Kalinga head ax
(sinawit), bolo (gaman/badang), spears
(balbog/tubay/say-ang), and shields (kalasag). They
also carry a rattan backpack (pasiking) and betel
nut bag (buyo).

29

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES

The migrant settlers of Kalinga have upheld They also make use of oregano (cough),

the healing ritual for barkes (a skin disease). It luyang dilaw (cough), lagundi (cough /

is a simple ritual performed by the mangngagas flu), bayabas (diarrhea / UTI / fever /

(folk healer) who uses only pan-aw (cogon) leaf skin disease), kalamansi, poke (burns),

and dalikan (clay stove) as instruments of kulig (stomach pain), lappaka (stomach

healing. The procedure basically starts from pain), chimpeleg (wound), bebetak

the diagnosis of the affected body area (iodine supplement), guyabano (UTI),

followed by the preparation of the materials, and avocado (cough) in treating other

measuring the barkes, prayer and sharing of diseases.

post-ritual advice.

Building Houses

A house (kamari) has a square floor plan,
raised 2 m to 5 m (6–15 ft) off the ground,
and has walls of woven grass or bamboo
and a pyramidal or single-ridged roof.
An unpartitioned central space is edged
by a slightly raised wooden platform
where the hearths are located (up to
three hearths, one for each resident
nuclear family). They also build smaller,
temporary field houses ('abun).

30

INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE IN
CENTRAL
LUZON

31

ATREITBEA

PREPARED BY: CHRISTINE GUIAO

32

FOODPREPARATION/ PRESERVATION
TECHNIQUE

Forest food, whether roasted, boiled or eaten raw is key to their diet. These
foods include leaf and root vegetables including ferns and wild tubers, various
fruits and flowers, palm heart, and wild mushrooms.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

The Aetas have practiced slash and burn agriculture (kaingin or
gasak) for many generations. Produce is mainly roots crops
mostly sweet potatoes or kamote, bananas, and a variety of
vegetables. Rice is not planted extensively and is usually bought
to supplement their insufficient stores.

33

METALLURGICAL
WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

A traditional form of visual art is body scarification.
The Aetas intentionally wound the skin on their
back, arms, breast, legs, hands, calves and abdomen,
and then they irritate the wounds with fire, lime and
other means to form scars. Other "decorative
disfigurements" include the chipping of the teeth.
With the use of a file, they modify their teeth during
late puberty. Flowers and leaves are used as earplugs
for certain occasions. Girdles, necklaces, and
neckbands of braided rattan incorporated with wild
pig bristles are frequently worn. Their weapon is
known as sibat.

34

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES


Among the Aeta community in Ilagan, Isabela The drinking of sahagubit herbal tea is likewise
for example, banana leaves are used to cure recommended to deworm Aeta children, or
toothache. They also bathe themselves with generally to alleviate stomachache. For birth
cooled-down water boiled with camphor leaves control purposes, Aeta women drink wine
(subusob) to help alleviate fever, or they make made out of lukban (pomelo) root. They are,
herbal teas out of the camphor leaves that they however, not advised to drink herbal tea from
then drink thrice a day if the fever and cold still makahiya extract even if it's also used to elevate
persist. For muscle pains, they drink herbal teas stomachache problems due to the belief that it
extracted from kalulong leaves and have the will cause abortion. The idea behind this is that
patient take it thrice a day. In order to prevent like the closing of makahiya leaves once
relapse after giving birth, women also bathe touched, the womb may also close once the
themselves in cooled-down water boiled with makahiya touches it.
sahagubit roots.

Building Houses

Aeta are nomadic and build only
temporary shelters made of sticks driven
to the ground and covered with the palm
of banana leaves. They live in houses made
of bamboo and cogon grass.

35

DUAMAGAT

TRIBE

PREPARED BY: STHEPEN CARL DE GUZMAN

36 FOOD PREPARATION/

PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE


Cooking in a bamboo is a traditional
way of cooking food that is practiced
by the Dumagats, remembering the old
days where their ancestors had to cook
food using what could be found in the
forest. Sinigang and rice are the most
common food they cook using
bamboo. They have also a unique way
of cooking chicken by burying it on the
ground.

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES




The Dumagats depend on farming, kaingin (slash and burn farming), selling
logs and other forest commodities. They also rely on fishing, hunting animals,

harvesting crops and other natural bounties for survival.

37

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Since the Dumagats rely on hunting
animals, hence they make bow and
arrow and use it as their weapon. In
addition, Dumagats are not used in
making metal crafts because they
have no access in producing metals.

HERBAL
MEDICINE/MEDICAL

PRACTICES
The Dumagats
have very wide variety of herbal medicine. They gather

materials like plants in the forest since it is the only place wherein, they can get the
materials they needed. Examples of their traditional medicine are butag that is used to
treat wound and helps alleviate fever; putat that is used to relapse after giving birth;
bantigi that is used to strengthen the bones of newborn and also to disinfect the navel;
carabao grass that is taken orally and used to treat diabetes and miscarriage.

Building Houses

Bahay-Kubo is the most common
type of house of Dumagats. These
houses are built in cluster and made
from indigenous materials such as
bamboo, wood, talahib (cogon),
coconut leaves, and abaca bark

39

AGTATRIBE

PREPARED BY: STHEPEN CARL DE GUZMAN

40

AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Agtas spend most of their days either fishing, hunting, or tending to agricultural
crops. They grow crops like ube, bariban, camote, cassava, and taro. They also rely
on slash-and-burn farming, and logging. Those living near the rivers or shorelines
engage in fishing for sustenance, as they can easily gather fish even with their bare
hands.

METALLURGICAL WORKS

(WEAPONRY/ORNAMENTS)

Since they are called hunter-gatherers
and are among the most skilled in
jungle survival, their main source of
living is hunting animals. They are
using bow and arrow in hunting, and
spear in fishing. They use pointed
sticks called galud to kill birds, wild
deer, monkeys, and wild pigs. These
objects are also used as self-defense.

41

HERBAL MEDICINE/MEDICAL
PRACTICES



Herbal medicine is common among Agta
people. They used different kinds of plants in
treating illnesses. Examples of these are the
camphor leaves or sabusob that is used to
alleviate fever; herbal tea called sahagubit that is
used in deworming; they also made wine like
lukban or pomelo root that is drank by women
for birth control; for muscle pain they drink
herbal teas extracted from kakulong leaves, etc.
They are also practicing hilot to alleviate the
pain in muscles, and to treat fever.

Building Houses

Agta may live in simple lean-tos, sleeping
directly on the ground, or in small huts on
stilts with a bamboo or palm wood floor
about one meter above the ground, and
with a thatch roof. Usually there are no
side walls. Houses are very small, with an
average floor size of only 3.9 square meters
and a per capita floor space of only 1.2
square meters.