Bontoc (Igorots) Dumagat: GEE 006 Philippine Indigenous Communities Week 4 Mrs. Gina S. Gili

GEE 006 male and female, is seen in the buayat, but this is not shown to

PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES the Christians.

WEEK 4
MRS. GINA S. GILI DUMAGAT – The term Dumagat may have been derived from
the word gubat (forest) and hubad. The origin of its name is
BONTOC (IGOROTS) – are found in the Mountain Province of taga-dagat which referred to “sea gypsies”.
the Cordillera ranges. Their life, cultures, and personalities are
profoundly motivated by the religious practices and rituals They typify the outstanding negrito physical traits of dark
which have a historical depth of religious legends and brown to black color and curly hair. The few cases of straight
supernatural traditions. Kinship among them serves both as a hair and light complexion may be chiefly the result of mixture
unifying and satisfying factor as illustrated in the performance with lowland Christians. They have beautifully proportioned
of rituals. bodies, arms, legs, and breasts especially among women.
Their stature compares to an average Filipino. The women
The costume of the people is simple. The men wear a long stand at 4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 4 inches and the men tower
strips of handwoven loin cloth called wanes. The women wear from 5 feet to 5 feet 9 inches.
a kind of wrap-around skirt called lufid.
The Dumagats are found in the provinces of Nueva Ecija,
Men have more authority in matters of the beliefs and practices Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte,
of the community than women. Rizal and Bulacan. They live in single-pole make-shift nipa
huts along river banks during summertime and move to
For the Bontoc family, children are the important link. Barren sturdier dwellings on higher grounds during the monsoon rains.
marriages are generally dissolved. A marriage is considered
barren if no child results from the union after five years of They live the life of hunters and rattan traders. Hunting is their
marriage. basic occupation. Their weapons consist of bow and arrow.
Hunting with dogs is a favorite technique. A scraped and are
Among the Bontocs, the cycle of their existence revolves ready to split into smaller pieces rattan are delivered to their
around the Ato. It is the place where the Council of Elders hold tabong (market) in the lowlands and exchange them for rice,
various ceremonies, meeting and events. The Ato is also a sugar, salt, and other commodities. They also use the kaingin
public structure used as dormitory by the bachelors, young system of farming. They also live by fishing with hooks, traps
boys, widowers, and the visitors to the village. It serves as a and spears.
gathering place where all the men of the village spend the rest For the Dumagat, there is no wedding ceremony but a simple
day call Tengao. It is here where their unwritten code of ethics celebration to which the couple’s relatives and guests are
was formulated. The code urges Bontoc: invited and at which the union is announced. As simply as the
union is made, so too is its dissolution. A Dumagat separates
 To respect the properties of others for people must simply by mutual consent.
lead good honest lives.
 To be brothers to all men. The Dumagats have no structured religion of their own
although they claim to believe in nameless, faceless gods
In the past generations, the Bontocs were known as fierce whom they invoke to protect them from danger. They are
head-hunters. This common practice was both duty and honor. peace-loving people. When they die, usually of sickness or old
Although they no longer practice head-hunting, they still do age, their remains are placed in simple coffins of buho or
today to avenge the death of a fellow tribesmen. bamboo and buried in silence. No prayers are offered over the
graves, no sad songs chanted. Relatives and friends of the
BUGKALOT/ILONGOT – The Bugkalots are found in the dead put aromatic herbs around their arms to serve as their
provinces of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Aurora. perfume.
The Bugkalots subsist on the kaingin system of agriculture with GADDANG – The Term Gaddang means carabao hide or pelt.
root crops as their main product. The main occupation is It is said that the Gaddangs have already been using carabao
hunting wild game in the forest and Conwap rivers. hide for making rope long before abaca was discovered for this
purpose. The term Gaddang has been used in referring to this
The Bugkalots are known for their colorful attire, musical indigenous group located in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Quirino, and
instruments, and artifacts which are shown in their blow-up Cagayan.
pictures in museums patronized by foreign tourists in eastern
and western Europe. Their popular festive dances is called The Gaddangs have long been acculturated unlike their other
baleleng. Their more hideous ritual which rallies all Bugkalots, brother who still practice some of their traditional ways. Most of
them sport body tattoos.
The traditional pattern of economic activity s swidden
agriculture in well-forested areas, supplemented by the raising
of crash crops such as maize and tobacco.

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GEE 006 male and female, is seen in the buayat, but this is not shown to

PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES the Christians.

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