Ethnic groups in the Philippines: Encyclopedia II - Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Filipino Ethnic Groups

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Filipino Ethnic Groups

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Aeta Negrito

Aeta (Negritos), (in Filipino, Ayta, Aeta, Ita, Ata, Agta, Remontado, Baluga, or Remontado): the Aetas are descended from the Negritos and Australoid-Sakais who first settled the archipelago during the Ice Age. They are the poorest and most disadvantaged class of the Filipino population. Their numbers have been decreasing rapidly and are estimated to number between 20,000 and 30,000, or 0.03% of the population. Most speak their tribal languages and have little or no understanding of Filipino. The government has sponsored educational programmes as well as encouraging school attendance, though many of them still enounter difficulties. They are also known by their other names, such as Aeta, in Zambales, Ita in Pampanga, Ati in Panay, Baluga in Abra and Pampanga, Dumagat in Aurora, and Remontados in Rizal and Quezon.

• Region: Scattered throughout the Philippine archipelago: most commonly found in Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Quezon, Abra, Rizal, Isabela, Antique, and Negros Occidental provinces.
• Language: Katabaga (an unclassified, extinct language presumed to be that of the Negritos. Presently, they speak Kapampangan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Kiniray-a, and other dialects.)

Ethnic groups in the Philippines - Austronesian-Southern Chinese

Invading Austronesian-speaking migrants arrived in successive waves over a thousand years ago and settled throughout the entire archipelago, largely displacing the aboriginal Aeta inhabitants. Many of these Austronesian-speaking migrants have intermarried with the Southern Chinese, who also populated the archipelago, which gave rise to the present Filipinos. They account for the majority of the populationMany live in the cities, although a great number still live traditional lifestyles in the mountains and rural areas. Many Filipinos are trilingual, and are able to speak one of over a hundred regional languages, the national language Filipino (based on Tagalog), and English.

Tagalogs are the largest Filipino ethnic group. They live in the rolling plains stretching from Bulacan to Bicol, which incidentally, includes present-day Manila, making them the dominant ethnic group politically, educationally, and economically. Most Tagalogs are either professionals, employees, or agriculturalists. The term Tagalog came from the Tagalog words "taga" and "ilog", which means 'from the river'. In Quezon province, the Tagalogs have intermarried with the Bicolano ethnic group. Almost all Tagalogs are Christians.

• Region: National Capital Region, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Marinduque, and Oriental Mindoro provinces.
• Language: Tagalog, Filipino, English

The term Visayan has been used since the Spanish era to refer to the scaterred groupings of tribes found from Cuyo Islands in the west to Samar in the east. The term was proposed to be originally coming from the word 'Vijaya', to refer to the extent of Sri-Vijayan influence to the Philippines, but this has not been proven.

Central Visayans, or Sugboanons are the second largest FIlipino ethnic group. They are one of the most regionalistic and staunch of all Filipino ethnic groups. They live in the eastern half of Negros island, as well as in Cebu and Siquijor islands. Migrations further enlarged the domains of the Central Visayans. Intermarriages between other ethnic groups in the places they migrate gave rise to the various Central Visayan dialects, such as Surigaonon dialect, Davaoeňo dialect, Boholano dialect, Butuanon dialect, and others.

In Cebu province, they sing the national anthem in Cebuano, and many official documents are printed bilingually with English and Cebuano. Filipino is barely spoken, as a form of resistance against the legislation that made Tagalog the sole basis of Filipino (which is to be made the official language) since the 1920s. Being islandic in nature, common means of livelihood include fishing. Once the largest ethnic group, the Central Visayans were outnumbered by the Tagalogs in the 1980s. The Cebuanos are predominantly Christians.

• Region: the Visayan islands all the way from the eastern coast of Negros to Leyte; eastern, northern, and southern coasts of Mindanao.
• Language: Cebuano, English, Filipino (Cebuanos in Leyte speak Waraynon)

Western Visayans, or Hiligaynon peoples are the fourth largest Filipino ethnic group. As with the rest of the Visayans, Spanish cultural influence was very strong here and many Hiligaynons, or Ilonggos as they call themselves, have strong Hispanic cultural characteristic; the Catholic Church, especially, remains a vital part of life here.

• Region: Coastal plains of Iloilo and Negros Occidental.
• Language: Hiligaynon (Ilonggo or Ilongo), Cebuano, Filipino, and English

Eastern Visayans, or Warays are the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group. The Waray people's lands are one of the less developed parts of the country. Due to widespread poverty, many Warays work as servants in Manila for the upper class families.

• Region: Samar and eastern coast of Leyte, also in the southern tip of Luzon island.
• Language: Waraynon, Cebuano, Filipino, English

Southwestern Visayans, or Karay-as are the seventeenth largest Filipino ethnic group. The name of their tribe was derived from the word "iraya", which means "upstream". Karay-as live mainly in the western half of the island of Panay, where mountain ranges predominate. They are also called Hantik, hence the name of their province, Antique. Many of them have intermingled with the lowland Hiligaynons. They engage primarily in farming, fishing, and basketry. About half of the Karay-as are Catholics and the other half are Protestants.

• Region: Antique province
• Language: Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, Filipino, English

Northwestern Visayans, or Aklanons are the sixteenth largest Filipino ethnic group. They live in the northern shores of the Panay island. Their language, Aklanon, is mutually comprehensible with Ilonggo, albeit with minor difficulties. Like the Western Visayans, they are Roman Catholics.

• Region: Aklan province
• Language: Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Filipino, English

Other minor groupings considered as Visayan are Masbatenyo, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, and Marinduquenon.

Ilocanos form the third largest Filipino ethnic group. The Ilocanos came to the Philippines through bilogs or virays, meaning boat. Aside from being referred to as Ilocanos, from "i"-from, and "looc"-bay, they also refer to themselves as Samtoy, from the Ilocano phrase "sao mi ditoy", meaning 'from our language'. Ilocanos are a migratory people. They have been the conquerors of the Cagayan Valley and the Pangasinan Valley during the 18th and the 19th centuries, and Southern Mindanao, during the 20th century. They are characterized as being hardworking and frugal, and they engage primarily in farming and fishing. In 1572, when the Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo conquered the Ilocos, he described the Ilocanos as being more barbarous than the Tagalogs. The Ilocanos have had commerce with the Chinese for a long time, being near to the Chinese mainland and to Taiwan. Many of them have Chinese blood, and to a lesser extent, Tingguian blood. Virtually all Ilocanos are Christians.

• Region: Ilocos Provinces, Abra, La Union, Cordillera Autonomous Region, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Zambales, Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, and Sultan Kudarat provinces
• Language: Ilocano, English and Filipino

Bicolanos are the fifth largest Filipino ethnic group. They live in the southwest corner of Luzon. Bicolanos are famous in the archipelago for having a cuisine distinct from that of the other Filipino ethnic groups-siling labuyo, or red chillies often spice up the cuisine. In Camarines Norte, the Bicolanos have intermarried with the Tagalogs, and in Sorsogon, the Bicolanos have intermarried with the Eastern Visayans. They engage primarily in farming. Bicolanos profess the Christian faith.

• Region: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes provinces.
• Language: Bicolano dialects (i.e., Albay Bicolano, Central Bicolano. Pandan Bicolano, etc.), Filipino, English (some also speak Waraynon)

Kapampangans are the seventh largest Filipino ethnic group. They live near and around the plains of Central Luzon. There are many people of mixed Kapampangan and American descent in Pampanga due to the presence of the Clark Air Base. Kapampangans are Christians. The current president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is of Kapampangan descent.

• Region: Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija provinces
• Language: Kapampangan, Filipino, English

Pangasinenses are the eighth largest Filipino ethnic group. Anthropologically speaking, the Pangasinenses are mountain dwellers of the Cordilleras and are closely akin to the Igorots. Their language is a subdivision of the Benguet languages. The main difference is that Pangasinenses have had long commerce enough with the Sambals, another close tribe, and with the Igorot. Pangasinenses are Christians.

• Region: Western Pangasinan
• Language: Pangasinense, Ilocano, Filipino, English

Maguindanaos are the ninth largest Filipino ethnic group and the largest Filipino Muslim ethnic group. Their culture very much centered in the establishments of housing near waterways, and their primary mode of transportation is the banca. Although Islamic in culture and form, the Maguindanaos still retain many aspects of the traditional culture. Most Maguindanaos have mixed Indonesian blood due to close contacts with Sulawesi and Sabah during the 14th century.

• Region: Maguindanao, Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat provinces.
• Language: Magindanao, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Arabic, Filipino

Maranaos are the tenth largest Filipino ethnic group and the second largest Filipino Muslim ethnic group. Many Maranaos are characterized as having fair complexions, which can be explained by heavy admixtures of Arab blood. They are famous for their artworks, sophisticated weaving patterns, and various wooden and metal craft. The Maranao are not as fierce in their temperament as the other Filipino Muslim ethnic groups, but they also implement the use of Arabic in their educational system and call for the establishment of an independent Islamic state in Mindanao, called Bangsamoro. They are very rich in culture, and royalty is held in high regard among themselves. The Maranaos were never subdued until the 1900s.

• Region: Lanao del Sur
• Language: Maranao, Cebuano, Arabic, Filipino

Tausugs, or Suluks, as they are called in Malaysia, are the eleventh largest Filipino ethnic group and the largest Filipino Muslim ethnic group. The name "tausug" comes from the word "sulu", which means 'people of the current'. Linguistically affiliated with the Visayans, their culture indicates otherwise. During the 14th century, their ancestors, who were in fact, Visayans by race, came from Northeastern Mindanao to their present locations, due to the proliferation of the Chinese trade in the area. The Chinese trade was so successful, that up to the present age, many Tausugs still have Chinese blood, and their royalty are also part-Chinese.

• Region: Sulu archipelago.
• Language: Tausug, Cebuano, Arabic, Bahasa Malaysian, Filipino

Formosan, (in Filipino, Pormoso): the ancestors of today's Ivatans, the Taiwanese aboriginal seafarers, came to the Philippines much later than those of the mainstream Filipinos. They speak a language unrelated to Philippine linguistic groups and are slightly different in physiognomy. Their homeland, the Batanes archipelago, has a temperate climate, which explains their difference in stature, physiognomy, and culture. They are closer to the Formosans, or Taiwanese Aborigines, rather than to the mainstream Filipinos. The Y'Ami, inhabitants of Orchid Island of Taiwan, is their closest relative.

• Region: Batanes and Babuyan Archipelago
• Language: Ivatan (or Ibatan/Itbayaten), Ilocano, English, Filipino

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Filipino Ethnic Groups", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki