Denmark M.

Santos Soc Sci

BSED 3-2 Research


Indigenous peoples of the Philippines
The Philippines consist of a large number of indigenous ethnic groups living in the
country. They are the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Philippines. They were not
absorbed by centuries of Spanish and United States colonization of the Philippines archipelago,
and in the process have retained their customs and traditions.


A map of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines by province.


The Culture and Art of the Mangyan
Mangyan refers to the Philippine ethnic group living in Mindoro Island but some can be
found in the island of Tablas and Sibuyan in the province of Romblon as well as in Albay,
Negros and Palawan. The word Mangyan generally means man, woman or person without any
reference to any nationality. Social scientists have documented Mangyan tribes into several
major tribes. One of the ways to categorize them is through their geographical location. The
Northern tribes include the Iraya, Alangan and Tadyawan tribes while the Buhid, Bangon
Batangon and Hanunuo Mangyan comprise the tribes in the South.


The Culture
Despite being grouped as one tribe, Mangyans differ in many ways. In comparison to the
technological advance between the two geographical divisions, the Southern tribes are more
advanced as seen in their use of weaving, pottery and system of writing. The Northern tribes, on
the other hand, are simpler in their way of living. Their language just like the whole Philippines
came from the Austronesian language family. However, even if they are defined as one ethnic
group the tribes used different languages. On the average, they only share 40% of their
vocabulary words on their mutual languages. The tribes have also varied physical and
ethnogenetic appearances: Iraya has Veddoid features; Tadyawan are mainly Mongoloid; and the
Hanunuo looks like a Proto-Malayan.




A Mangyan bracelet
Another difference between tribes is the date of
their arrival in the Philippines. Theory suggests that the
Southern tribes are already present by 900 AD while the
Northern tribes are believed to have arrived hundreds of
years ahead of their Southern peers. The Spanish
authorities have documented their existence since their
arrival in the 16th century. However, historians suggest
that the Mangyans may have been the first Filipinos to
trade with the Chinese. Examples of these are seen in the
burial caves as porcelains and other potteries abound.
However, not much ethnographic research has been made
except for the tribal and linguistic differences that may
lead to the indication that the tribes can be treated
separately.





Some Mangyan crafts
Mangyans lived in peaceful
societies as compared to the head hunting
tribes of North Luzon and the brave defiant
warrior tribes of the South. Social scientists
theorized that some societies become
peaceful because their system of norms and
values reward peaceful behavior but
disapprove aggressive and impulsive
behaviors. Peaceful societies are
characterized by egalitarian social
organization without status competition
between men and without asymmetric
relationship between men and women.
Another theory posited that populations
adapt, therefore, offering a more logical
explanation why Mangyans preferred to
retreat in the hinterlands. They accept
peaceful submissiveness when they
encounter lowland settlers, missionaries,
traders and government officials.



The Arts
Mangyans offers a rich artistic heritage to the history of pre-colonial Philippines. Like
any other indigenous tribes in the country their art is an expression of social relations in their
community hence the adage, Art for arts sake does not apply to them. One of their arts is the
Ambahan, a rhythmic poetic expression with a meter of seven syllables presented through
recitation and chanting. A variation of this is the Urukay, wherein it uses eight syllables instead.
There are no authors of the poetry and if one will ask a Mangyan where he learned the lines of
the poem, hed say it came from his parents or read and copied it from the bamboo shoots where
they originally write their scripts. The following are sample of the poems:


Ara kaw bala kasapo Didnt you notice before
Ga buyong-buyong ang barko That a boat turns left and right
Nagapangita rikudo Looking for a landing-place
Yadtong punduhon maayo Where it can anchor safely?
(Finding the right and well thought decision)

Nos anod di anod wan Its a fact that we all know
Nos anod ti tuo wan A truth wherever we go
Kayaw toy was lanbungan The sun is in the afternoon
Kayaw ambaba yi man will be setting very soon.
(Accepting the ageing and dying is something we all share)

Pakudos meanwhile is a Mangyan design that is characterized by simple symmetrical
organization with equal stress on vertical and horizontal composition and an orderly use of lines
and spaces that are pleasing to the eyes.


The simplest form and sample pattern design of pakudos
Finally, the Mangyan script. When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, the more
famous Filipino system of writing, the Baybayin was discarded. However, in Mindoro, the Buhid
and Hanunoo Mangyans continued to practice their writing system. The Mangyan script like the
Baybayin is based on the syllables of the Philippine phonetics. The National Museum declared
this surviving system as National Cultural Treasures on December 9, 1997. The UNESCO on
October 6, 1999, meanwhile, inscribed the scripts in the Memory of the World registry.


Mangyan script
Like most indigenous people around the
globe, the tribesmen are usually treated as second
class people in their own country and are commonly
subjected to abuse. Therefore, protection of their
way of living and preservation of their heritage is
essential in providing them a life with the same equal
rights and addressing their problems and needs in
this fast-changing global environment that they
currently live in.












REFERENCES

Howell, S./R. Willis (eds.). Societies at Peace. London: Routledge. 1989

Postma, Antoon. Mangyan History. November 1999

Postma, Antoon. The Ambahan: Mangyan Verbal Art. Manyan Mission

Reyes, Lynda Angelica. The Pakudos as Motif of Mangyan Art. Pandiwa Journal, 1992.

Service, E. Primitive Social Organization. New York: Random House. 1971

*Images from the Mangyan Heritage Center were used to accompany this article.





The Aeta People

Ethnonyms: Ayta, Agta, Atta, Ata, Ati, Ita
Countries inhabited: The Philippines
Language family: Austronesian
Language branch: Malayo-Polynesian
The Aeta are featured in our documentary, Peoples of the World: Southeast Asia.

The Aeta live in the northern part of the Philippines on the island of Luzon. Historians
and anthropologists debate precisely when and how they migrated here, the consensus being that
they crossed from the island of Borneo between 20 and 30 thousand years ago, using a land
bridge that was partially covered by water around 5,000 years ago the remaining part of
which is now the island of Palawan. Whatever the migration path was, they are without doubt
among the first if not the first inhabitants of the Philippines. One area of that country
where the Aetas had lived for thousands of years was Mount Pinatubo. An active volcano, it
erupted in June of 1991. The eruption was one of the worst in history and was devastating to the
nearby Aeta population. Around a quarter million people lost their home many of them Aetas.
Although the Filipinos are still cleaning up the ash to this day, the Aetas have long since re-
settled in urban areas of Luzon. It is doubtful they will ever return to their former homeland.

Traditionally a hunting/ gathering people, the Aetas are still among the most skilled
anywhere on earth in jungle survival. This skill was not overlooked by the US military. During
the American war in Vietnam, the US naval base at Subic Bay was conveniently located close to
the Aeta village of Pastolan. Many Vietnam veterans were trained in jungle survival here before
they ever went to Vietnam.




One man in particular, Manifacio De La Junta Florentino, photographed above, played
such a large part in that training that the walls of his humble house are covered with accolades
and letters of appreciation from high-ranking military personnel. Mr. Florentino was my host
during my stay in his village.
It shouldn't have been so surprising, though. These days the Aetas have many outside
influences on their traditional culture and lifestyle. One example is religion. Although the
Spanish brought Catholicism to the Philippines, that conversion was largely restricted to the
Malay population that had become the majority inhabitants. The Spanish had little contact with
the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. Still Catholicism has reached many Aetas, including
those I saw in Pastolan village.









Other "modern" influences on the Aetas include inter-marriage with Filipinos and the
games of pool and basketball. That last one is a surprise when you realize that many Aetas are
less that 5 feet tall!
Although the Aetas were among the first inhabitants of the Philippines, natural disasters
and exploitation of their land for natural resources have acted over the years to displace many of
them. However, the government has recently paid more attention and respect to their heritage
and way of life through organizations such as The Indigenous People Development Plan. As
recently as February 2nd, 2001 the Aetas in these pictures were granted Ancestral Domain Title
to their land. The official certificate reads that this title was granted in virtue of their "having
continuously occupied, possessed and utilized [the land] since time immimorial."

Interestingly, it is written neither in Aeta Ambala, their tribal language (for which a
writing system was developed only in the second half of the 20th Century, and which few Aetas
speak any more), nor in Tagalog, the most widely spoken language in the Philippines, rather it is
written in English.
Aeta children go to school these days. Here the curriculum is no different from that
followed by their Filipino peers. The subjects taught include English, culture and good manners.
The school in the village is desperately short of materials though. The children were very
interested in my visit to their school. The photograph above shows them singing a "welcome"
song for me which they sang in both English and Tagalog.
They were just as welcoming after school when they saw me in their village. When the karaoke
machine was turned on for the evening's entertainment, they insisted I sing them a song! After
straining to complete My Way and handing back the microphone I grabbed my camera. The
children then immediately grouped themselves for an impromptu shot.
Books
Eder, J. F., (1988) On the Road to Tribal Extinction: Depopulation, Deculturation, and
Maladaptation Among the Batak of the Philippines. Berkeley, CA: University of California
Press.
Brosius, J. P., (1990) After Duwagan: Deforestation, Succession, and Adaptation in Upland
Luzon, Philippines. Michigan Studies of South and Southeast Asia Number 2. Center for South
and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan Press.
Early, J. D. & Headland, T. N. (1998) Population Dynamics of a Philippine Rain Forest People:
The San Ildefonso Agta. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.
P. B. Griffin & A. Estioko-Griffin, eds. (1985) The Agta of Northeastern Luzon: Recent Studies.
Cebu City, the Philippines: San Carlos Publications.
Photography copyright 1999 - 2014, Ray Waddington. All rights reserved.
Text copyright 1999 - 2014, The Peoples of the World Foundation. All rights reserved.
To cite this article using the American Psychological Association citation style, copy and paste
the following:

Waddington, R. (2002), The Aeta People. The Peoples of the World Foundation. Retrieved
September 22, 2014, from The Peoples of the World Foundation.
<http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Aeta>
Culture
Language
All Aeta communities have adopted the language of their Austronesian Filipino neighbors, which
have sometimes diverged over time to become different languages.
[8]
These include, in order of
number of speakers, Mag-indi, Mag-antsi, Abellen, Ambala, and Mariveleo.
Religion
There are different views on the dominant character of the Aeta religion. Those who believe they
are monotheistic argue that various Aeta tribes believe in a supreme being who rules over lesser
spirits or deities, with the Aeta of Mt. Pinatubo worshipping "Apo Na". The Aetas are also
animists. For example, the Pinatubo Aeta believe in environmental spirits such as anito and
kamana. They believe that good and evil spirits inhabit the environment, such as the spirits of the
river, sea, sky, mountain, hill, valley and other places.
No special occasion is needed for the Aeta to pray, although there is a clear link between prayer
and economic activities. The Aeta dance before and after a pig hunt. The night before Aeta
women gather shellfish, they perform a dance which is partly an apology to the fish and partly a
charm to ensure the catch. Similarly, the men hold a bee dance before and after the expeditions
for honey.
In the mid-60s missionaries of the American-based Evangelical Protestant mission group New
Tribes Mission, in their effort to reach every Philippine tribal group with the Christian Gospel
reached out to the Agtas/Aetas. The mission agency provided education including pastoral
training for natives to reach members of their own tribe. Today, a large percentage of
Agtas/Aetas of Zambales and Pampanga are Evangelicals.
[9]
Jehovah's Witnesses also have
members of the Aeta people. (See 1993 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses)
Clothing
Their traditional clothing is very plain. The young women wear wrap around skirts. Elder women
wear bark cloth, while elder men wear loin cloths. The old women of the Agta wear a bark cloth
strip which passes between the legs, and is attached to a string around the waist. Today most
Aeta who have been in contact with lowlanders have adopted the T-shirts, pants and rubber
sandals commonly used by the latter.
Practices

Varanus bitatawa stew being prepared by Aeta tribesmen
The Aetas are skillful in weaving and plaiting.
Women exclusively weave winnows and mats. Only men make armlets. They also produce
raincoats made of palm leaves whose bases surround the neck of the wearer, and whose topmost
part spreads like a fan all around the body.
Medicine
Aeta women are known around the country as experts of the herbal medicines.
Art
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, the
Dumagat modify their teeth during late puberty. The teeth are dyed black a few years afterwards.
The Aetas generally use ornaments typical of people living in subsistence economies. 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.
Music
The Aeta have a musical heritage consisting of various types of agung ensembles ensembles
composed of large hanging, suspended or held, bossed/knobbed gongs which act as drone
without any accompanying melodic instrument.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeta_people

The indigenous people of Mindanao
There are more than 40 different ethnic groups in the Philippines.
Each group has a distinct culture and language. Several of these ethnic groups can be
distinguished as "tribal groups". They are 'indigenous groups' who still live in a
rather traditional way. Each group lives in a specific region on one of the islands.
You can meat them in parts of Luzon, on some of the Visayas islands and on
Mindanao.




The T'boli and B'laan, two indigenous groups
On Mindanao live 18 tribal Filipino groups. The most
well known are the T'boli and the B'laan (or "Bla-an").
The other groups are the Ata, Bagobo, Banwaon,
Bukidnon, Dibabawon, Higaunon, Kalagan, Mamanwa,
Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, Mansaka, Subanen,
Tagakaolo, Teduray and the Ubo.
Most characteristic of these 'indigenous groups' is that
they live in a traditional way, comparable with how the
ancestors lived centuries ago.

Lumad, the collective name
On Mindanao there are in total 18
indigenous groups. The collective
name for the 18 indigenous groups
on Mindanao is "Lumad". It is just
another word for 'indigenous' .These
ethnic groups distinguish themselves
by their language and culture.
Old and new elements in their life
The cultural heritage is visible in their clothes and
ornaments they wear. Housing, economic
activities, cultural habits and often religion are all
very traditional. Some groups learned to know
tourism as a good alternative to earn extra money.
In general however, the indigenous groups still
live like in the past

The T'boli and their subsistence activities

The T'boli (pronounce "Tiboli") people live in
the southern part of the province Cotabata, in the
environment around lake Sebu, west of the city
General Santos. It is estimated that are between
100000 and 150000 T'boli. In the past the T'boli
practiced the primitive way of agriculture "slash
and burn". "Slash and burn" means that the
people will clear a part of the forest by cutting
the big trees and burning the lower and smaller
trees and bushes, after which they use the cleared
plots as arable land for some years without any
fertilization. Rice, cassava and yams were the
most important agricultural products. Next to
that, the people went hunting or fishing for
additional food.
For years slash and burn is no longer possible.
The forests are gone by intensive economic
activities as foresting. At present The T'boli live
in the mountains. Agriculture is the only source
of income. Some foreigners, in cooperation with
the aid organization Cord Aid, succeeded in
developing some hectares of arable land in the
last few years. Nevertheless, the T'boli live in
poor circumstances; a struggle for live.

Image Claus Qvist Jessen



Image Jens Peters

The T'boli distinguish their selves, like all other
"tribal Filipinos", by their colorful clothes and
specific ornaments like rings, bracelets and
earrings.
Religion and culture

Only a few T'boli are Christian or
Islamite. More than 95 percent of
The T'boli people still has their
animistic religion. They were
hardly influenced by the spread of
the Islam on the island. The
Spaniards too, didn't succeed to
Christianize the T'boli during the
Spanish colonial period. Main
reason was that the T'boli withdrew
to the hinterlands in the uplands.
The T'boli and members of other
indigenous tribes like the
Higaunon, still believe in spirits
who live on several places in the
natural environment.
Indigenous tribes and Animism
There is a strong belief in the power of the spirits of ancestors and in the influence of
more than one god. More information.........


way of life ornaments

Threats to their way of living

Last decades there are threats of land problems. The steady population growth of their
own people and especially the pressure on the lands by lowland farmers and foreign and
local companies. The lowland farmers (often landless) are seeking for arable land. The
companies are most of the time interested in the natural resources in these areas. Mining,
new plantations and logging, are the threats to the T'boli and their homelands.


Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, Ilonggo and Aklanon Speaking People

The Western part of Central Visayas, Philippines comprises the provinces of Antique, Iloilo,
Capiz and Aklan, all located within the roughly triangular shaped island of Panay.
Antique, on the western side of Panay, is an elongated stretch of land that occupies the entire
west coast fronting the China and Sulu Seas (MDPP, Antique, 1986-1992).
Iloilo is located on the southern and eastern portion of the island facing Guimaras Island and
Negros Occidental. It is bordered by the provinces of Capiz on the north, Antique on the west,
Panay Gulf and Iloilo Strait on the south and southeast, and the Visayan Sea and Guimaras
Island on the east (MDPP, Iloilo, 1986-1992).
AkIan is shaped like the half body of a duck with its base sitting on the northwestern portion
of Antique. Its head points to the Tablas Strait with its nape and back angled to the Sibuyan Sea
(MD PP, AkIan, 1988-1992). It occupies the northwestern portion of Panay Island and the whole
of nearby Boracay Island. To its north is the Tablas Strait and the Sibuyan Sea (MDPP, AkIan,
1988-1992).
Capiz, shaped like an open palm, is bound by the Sibuyan Sea on the northeast, the province
of AkIan on the West and the province of Iloilo on the south. It is located at the heart of the
Philippine archipelago at N12 O9' to 12 141' latitude and 122 to 123 00' latitude (MDPP,
Capiz, 1986-1992).
The island of Guimaras, formerly a sub-province of Iloilo, is situated southeast of Panay
Island and northwest of the island of Negros. The Iloilo Strait separates Guimaras and Panay
Islands (MDPP, Guimaras, 1986-1992).
To the east of Guimaras Island is the Province of Negros Occidental occupying the western
part of Negros island. Between the islands of Guimaras and Negros is Guimaras Strait. Negros
Occidental is bound on the north by the Visayan Sea, on the south by Sulu Sea and on the east by
the Tanon Strait and Negros Oriental, its sister province.
Demography
Western Visayas has a total population of 5,511,232 (NCSO, 1990) distributed as follows:
Antique, 406,361; Iloilo, 1,765,478; AkIan, 380,497; Capiz, 584,000; Guimaras, 117,990; and
Negros Occidental, 2,256,908.
Iloilo City is the center of educational, commercial, and governmental activities in Region
VI. The cities and capital towns within the region have denser populations. They are also the
center of commercial, political and educational activities within their respective provinces.
History
After the Negritoes, the first settlers of Panay were believed to be migrants who came from
the island of Borneo. A semi-legendary or folk historical piece of oral literature narrates that
during the 13th century, a group of ten brave Bornean datus headed by Datu Puti, came to Panay
Island with their families and slaves to escape the oppressive rule of Sultan Makatunaw. They
landed at the mouth of the Siwaragan River in San Joaquin, Iloilo. Finding the place peopled by
dark-skinned Negritoes, they negotiated for the purchase of the island from chieftain Marikudo
and his wife Maniwantiwan for one gold saduk (wide-brimmed hat), salakot and a manangyad (a
long gold necklace). The Negritoes agreed to settle in the interior mountains while the new
settlers ocupied the coastal part. The story further says that the group of ten datus continued to
sail and landed in Malandog, Hamtic, Antique where their first settlement was made.
Of the ten datus, three remained in Panay but the rest of the datus sailed northward and
settled in the northern parts of the archipelago. Their leader, Datu Puti, sailed back to Borneo.
For administrative purposes, datus Sumakwel, Bangkaya and Paiburong divided the island into
three sakups (districts): Hamtik, where the province of Antique derived its name, was under
Sumakwel; Aklan, which then included the province of Capiz was under Bangkaya; and Irong-
irong, where the province of Iloilo got its name was under Datu Paiburong.
The veracity of the written story cannot be ascertained. But the story, passed from one
generation to another, seemed only to indicate that there were indeed migration of people from
other parts of South East Asia to the already populated Philippine Islands even before the
Spanish colonizers came.
However, it is certain that when the Spaniards, headed by Legazpi, came to Panay from
Cebu Island in the 1560s, they already found Panay with thriving communities.
People
The Filipinos in central Philippines are generally and collectively called Visayans or
Bisayans. Hence, the people in Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental are referred to as
"Visayans
"
or "Bisayans". The tradition that they follow can be referred to as "Kinabisaya"
(literally, "of the Bisaya"). When one wants to be specific, however, in giving a designation, the
prefix "Taga" (literally "from"), should be added, hence Taga-Panay for "from Panay or Taga-
Iloilo for "from Iloilo." Or one can also add the suffix "non, "on," or "o" to the name of the island
or province Hence, "Panaynon" collectively refers to the people of the four provinces in Panay,
while Aklanon, Capiznon, Negrosanon or Antiqueo refer to the people in the respective
provinces. For people from Iloilo, however, the name "llonggo" has been the traditional label --
probably, a derivation from the old name "Irong-irong" (Ilong-ilong).
Aside from the general names given to the people of the Visayan region, there are mountain
people who live in the interior mountains of Panay and Negros. In Panay, they are generally
referred to as Bukidnon (literally, "from the mountains") or Sulod (literally, "inside" or
"interior"). Although listed as an indigenous people by the Office of the Southem Cultural
Communities, Region VI (now - National Commission for Indigenous Peoples), their forebears
were referred to as Mundos, a derogatory term given by the Spanish and the American colonial
governments. Today, however, many of the younger Bukidnons have become acculturated to the
lowland ways. But they have still retained some aspects of their culture like their oral literature
(.e.g sugidanon or epic, talda, dilot, ulawhay), and their mountain language, Ligbok. The latter
has now become archaic but many of the words could still be found in the epics which show the
richness of the language.
Language
It is important to note that language distribution among the six provinces in Western Visayas
overrides political division.
Antique on the western coast of Panay is monolingual and speaks Kinaray-a. The adjacent
towns of Aklan, near the border of Antique towards the north are Buruanga, Malay, Nabas and
lbajay which share a language almost similar to Kinarav-a. On the southeastern part of the island
of Panay, in the province of Iloilo, about 2/3 of Iloilo's 46 towns speak Kinaray-a. But on the
northeastern coastal towns, after Iloilo City, with the exception of Leganes where pockets of
households speak either Kinaray-a or Hiligaynon, the latter is spoken. These coastal towns are
Zarraga, Dumangas, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Estancia,
Balasan and Carles. A few Kinaray-a words, however, found their way in the Ilonggo-speaking
Dumangasanon and Anilaonon. Capiz on the eastern part of Panay also speaks Hiligaynon except
for some slight difference in inflection compared to Ilonggo speakers in Iloilo. The towns of
Ivisan and Sapian of Capiz which are already near Aklan speak Ilonggo with some mixed
Aklananon words. But the people of the interiormost town of Tapaz, Capiz, home of the
mountain people, (Bukidnon) speak Kinaray-a with the few older folks retaining some Ligbok
words.
Guimarasnons speak Kinaray-a and Ilonggo. Even migrant folk from southern Iloilo like
Guimbal and Tigbauan speak Kinaray-a. But those coming from Barangay Navalas, Buenavista
speak Ilonggo since the migrants come from Dumengas, Iloilo. A part of Dumangas near the
mouth of the Iloilo port juts out towards Navalas making travel to Guimaras easy (10-15 minutes
boat ride).
Material, Non-Material Culture and Livelihood
The traditional Visayan house is made of bamboo and cogon if not of nipa palms or pawod
(coconut palms). These types of houses are elevated and are found mostly in the rural areas.
Today, most rural folk whose children have found overseas employment prefer to build houses
out of wood, galvanized iron and cement for their durability.
Farming and fishing are the main sources of livelihood in the region until the 1960s.
Farmers within the interior mountains of Central Panay employ the kaingin system (slash-and-
burn). A bolo and a wooden dibble are all they use for cutting trees and for boring holes to drop
rice or corn seeds and legumes into. Most houses have bangkaw (spear) as hunting tool. Hunting
greatly decreased in the 1970s with the gradual disappearance of forests, but kaingin still remains
to be the primary form of farming since the interior mountain are rugged and they have not found
the appropriate technology to harness water. But fishing, with the use of traditional nets and traps
and poisonous leaves and barks of trees, is also known to be practiced by these mountain folk.
Weaving hats and mats along with bamboo furniture making are also known to be good
sources of livelihood in barangays in Antique together with patadyong weaving which is still
being done in some towns like Bugasong and Sibalom. Bamboo furnitures are made in Leganes,
Maasin and Sara in Iloilo. Bolo centers are found in Cabanatuan and Leon while pottery centers
are found in Jibao-an in Mandurriao, Zarraga and Pani-an in Balasan, Iloilo. Rattan crafts are
found in Miag-ao, Leganes, and Villa.
Significant Events
Western Visayas is known for its yearly grand festivals. Foremost is the Ati-atihan in
Kalibo, Aklan, an indigenous festival believed to have originated when the Negritoes and the
Bornean Malays celebrated a joint festival after a peaceful talk over the barter of Panay. It later
turned into a folk Christian practice honoring the Santo Nio and continues to attract foreign
visitors because of its spontaneous audience participation which evokes merriment. It is
celebrated in January every year. From the ati-atihan festival, guests proceed to the province of
Iloilo which is about three to four hours' land ride from Aklan. There, the guests await the
celebration of the Dinagyang which is also a two-day revelry alongside a street dancing on the
third day to honor the Sto. Nio.
The province of Antique also has its Binirayan festival celebrating the landing of the
Bornean settlers in Malandog, Hamtic, Antique. The Capizeos have their Halaran, a
thanksgiving which commemorates the one offered by the Borneans to their god Bululakaw.
This, after a peace pact with the Negritos from whom they purchased some lands. There is also
the present-day celebration called Masskara of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental to popularize
Bacolod as a "City of Smile," hence, the smiling masks used by the participants.
Other important festivals in Western Visayas worth mentioning are: the Pasungay (carabao
fight) of San Joaquin, Iloilo; the Carabao-Carroza Race in Pavia, Iloilo which is a contest of
carabaos harnessed to a sled; the sailboat race in Iloilo Paraw Regatta; the fiesta of Jaro in Iloilo
City in honor of Nuestra Seora de la Candelaria; the Patalta,, a Lenten season practiced in
Guimaras to commemorate the taking down of Christ's body from the cross; the singing of the
Pasyon in Cabanatuan, Iloilo during Lent; the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) identified with
the Santacruzan featuring a grand procession of young ladies to commemorate the finding of
Christ's cross by St. Helena; and the Biray (boat), a thanksgiving celebration in many coastal
towns all over Western Visayas. Biray is observed as early as May or June in the coastal towns
of Patnongon, Belison, San Pedro and San Jose in Antique. It was originally a thanksgiving to
the Virgin Mary but for the younger people, Biray has become an occasion for a merrymaking
on the beach and aboard the boats.

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