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By PIO VERZOLA JR.

Note: This is Part 2 of an abridged version of the final report for the Cordillera-North Luzon IP Mapping Project. Part 1, entitled “Mapping North Luzon’s indigenous peoples,” was published in the Oct. 14, 2007 issue.

The Cordillera region, as currently defined by the national government’s administrative system, is composed of six provinces, namely, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Benguet. Baguio City is a chartered, highly-urbanized city geographically located within Benguet but historically a separate administrative entity created early during the US colonial period. If we exclude the densely populated areas of multi-ethnic southern Benguet and mostly-Ilocano lowland Abra, the region’s composition would be predominantly IP.

Abra

Among Abra’s 27 municipalities, 10 municipalities are solidly or predominantly composed of IP communities, with a total population of 39,336. These are the municipalities of Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong, Daguioman, Licuan-Baay, Sallapadan, Bucloc, Boliney, Tubo, and Luba.

In addition, at least eight municipalities have some barangays or villages that are predominantly IP, or have an extensive admixture of IP and non-IP households, with IP cultural influences and traditions still considerable. These include Manabo, Bucay, Danglas, Lagangilang, San Juan, La Paz, Tayum, and Penarrubia. More research is required to establish the extent of IP presence in other towns of Abra, which historically have been populated by what are now covered by the generic term “Tinguian” or Itneg.

The following are the major IP groups, with the municipalities where they are mostly found:

Adasen – Tineg, Lacub, Licuan-Baay, Danglas, Lagangilang, San Juan

Binongan – Lacub, Licuan-Baay, Lagangilang

Mabaka – Malibcong, Lacub

Bangilo-Gubang –Malibcong

Banao – Malibcong, Daguioman

Masadiit – Sallapadan, Bucloc, Bucay

Masadiit-Dao-angan – Boliney

Balatoc – Boliney

Maeng – Tubo, Luba

Baclingayan-Belwang – Tubo. Often considered part of the wider Maeng group, but politically part of the binodngan Belwang tribe (see Mt. Province).

Muyadan – Manabo. Considered a sub-tribe of the larger Maeng tribe.

Of the various Abra IP groups, eight are confirmed to be bodong-practicing tribes. These are: Mabaka, Bangilo-Gubang, Banao, Sallapadan, Bucloc, Dao-angan, Balatoc, and Maeng. (For a description of bodong-practicing tribes, read further below under Kalinga.)

Apayao

Isnag (aka Isneg or Apayao) peoples were formerly the majority IP group in what is now Apayao province. But because of the massive in-migration of Ilocano settlers during the American period and especially after World War II, the Isnag are now in the minority. Estimated population: 30,000. A minimum of 26,791 is based on the mostly Isnag municipalities of Calanasan and Kabugao, although the actual figure is certainly higher.

The Isnag may be divided into three branches based on speech dialect and preferred environment: the Imandaya, the Imallod, and the Iyapayao. The Imandaya prefer the mountainous and forested interior (“Imandaya” means “people upstream”), while the Imallod prefer living along the big rivers or on the narrow coastal plains. The Iyapayao are those who, because of historical circumstances, are now found on the Ilocos side of the Cordillera divide. They are found as solid communities in the towns of Dumalneg and Adams in Ilocos Norte.

In Flora, Pudtol, Luna and Sta. Marcela are found s ome Isnag communities (Imallod) and Agta groups mixed among the Ilocano majority. In Conner are found some Isnag communities; mixed IP settlers from Kalinga, Mt. Province, and Benguet, although Ilocano now comprises the majority.

Kalinga

Kalinga province is populated by an assemblage of closely-related indigenous peoples, now conveniently grouped into a single large ethno-linguistic group called “Kalinga,” with a population (NSO 2000) of 174,023.

However, it is more accurate to group communities into tribe-like formations that have retained distinct indigenous socio-political institutions covering a well-defined (although sometimes disputed) tribal territory. Since such institutions commonly revolve around the institution of inter-tribal peacepacts called bodong, such groups are commonly referred to as binodngan or bodong-practicing tribes. A big tribal group such as Banao may cover several barangays and straddle several municipalities in two provinces, while a small tribal group may encompass only one compact village, such as Dananao and Mabongtot. Most of the IP groups listed below, grouped by municipality, may be categorized as binodngan tribes.

Balbalan – Banao, Salegseg, Mabaka, Buaya, Poswoy, Dao-angan, Balbalan-Gubang, Maling

Lubuagan – Lubuagan, Uma, Tanglag, Mabongtot

Pasil – Ableg, Balatoc, Balenciagao, Cagaluan, Colayo, Dangtalan, Guinaang, Magsilay

Pinukpuk – Limos, Matucad, Ballayangon, Apatan

Rizal (Liwan) – mixed IP settlers from mostly from Kalinga and Mt. Province, with an Ilocano majority

Tabuk – Biga, Dallac, Colminga, Gaddang, Guilayon, Malbong, Naneng, Tobog, Laya, Suyang, Calaccad; mixed IP settlers from mostly from Kalinga and Mt. Province; with an Ilocano majority

Tanudan – Dacalan, Lubo, Mangali, Pangol, Seet-Mabaka, Taloctoc

Tinglayan – Bangad, Basao, Butbut, Dananao, Mallango, Tinglayan, Tulgao, Sumadel

(Note: Detailed listings at the municipal level are available as tables.)

Mountain Province

Nine out of the 10 municipalities of Mountain Province are almost solidly IP. The people belong to the Kankanay-Bontoc and related ethnolinguistic groups, although there are pockets of Ga’dang (more related to Ibanag) at the eastern side. The lone exception, Paracelis at the eastern end adjacent to lowland Isabela, has a significant mixture of IP and non-IP (mostly Ilokano) communities.

Like in the case of Kalinga, the large ethno-linguistic groups in Mountain Province can be further disaggregated into an intricate patchwork of smaller village-based IP communities that have retained indigenous socio-political institutions covering definite home territories. Many such home territories are no longer as well-defined as in the case of Kalinga, and there is a high and accelerating rate of inter-marriage among and outside the tribe, which further blur the formerly sharp tribal distinctions. Despite this trend, many tribal communities (mostly in Sadanga, Bontoc, Sagada and Barlig) are still known to be bodong-practicing or engage in bodong-like practices.

The dominant IP groups in the province are listed below, grouped by municipality:

Barlig – Kadaklan, Lias; loosely-defined local village groups although part of Fiallig ethnolinguistic group

Bauko – Loosely-defined local village groups although part of Kankanay ethnolinguistic group

Besao – Agawa, Kinali, Ballas-iyan, Payew, Besao, Padangan

Bontoc – All villages are covered by the generic name i-Fontok, although there are traditional local village-level tribal such as Tocucan, Mainit, Guinaang, Dallic, Maligcong, Bontoc ili, Alab-Balili, Gonogon, Samoki, Can-eo, Talubin, and Bayyo.

Natonin – Balangao, Maducayan, Sakki; there are loosely-defined local village groups although they may be part of wider Balangao ethnolinguistic group, such as in Alunogan, Banawal, Poblacion, Saliok, Santa Isabel, and Pudo

Paracelis – Bacarri; the municipal population is a mix of various Cordillera IP groups, Ga’dang, and Ilokano

Sabangan – loosely-defined local village groups, part of wider Kankanay ethnolinguistic group, such as Bao-angan, Bun-ayan, Busa, Camatagan, Capinitan, Data, Gayang, Lagan, Losad, Namatec, Napua, Pingad, Poblacion, Supang, Tambingan

Sadanga – Sadanga, Betwagan, Belwang, Bikigan, Saklit

Sagada – Pidlisan, Tetep-an, Sagada proper, Bogang, Angkileng, Sakkong

Tadian – Demang; there are other loosely-defined local village groups, part of wider Kankanay ethnolinguistic group, such as Bantey, Batayan, Bunga, Cagubatan, Kayan, Mabalite, Masla-Lubon, Poblacion, Sumadel, Tui

Ifugao

Ten out of the 11 municipalities of Ifugao are predominantly IP. The Ifugao peoples belong to a continuum of closely-related ethno-linguistic historical communities, which are commonly grouped into three: the Tuwali, the Ayangan, and the Kalanguya or Kallahan.

The Tuwali are concentrated in the towns of Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Lagawe and Kiangan. The Ayangan are concentrated in Mayaoyao, Kiangan and Lista (Potia). The Kalanguya are traditionally centered in Tinoc and a small part of Kiangan, although they now tend to disperse towards the other areas. A distinct mix of Tuwali-Ayangan-Kalanguya in Asipulo is sometimes separately called Hanglulo, Keley-i, or Iyatuka.

Today there are no known bodong-practicing tribes in Ifugao, although remnants of indigenous socio-political institutions continue to offer some tribal identity to local communities.

Benguet, Baguio City

Cordillera IP groups, principally the Kankanaey and Ibaloy but also migrant IP’s from other provinces like Kalinga and Ifugao, are either the majority or a significant minority in all 13 municipalities of Benguet as well as in Baguio City.

The Ibaloy’s traditional areas include the towns of Kabayan, Bokod, Atok, Tublay, Sablan, Tuba, Itogon, La Trinidad, and Baguio City. At present, they remain the clear majority in Kabayan, Bokod, Atok, and Tublay, and retain a significant presence in the other towns.

The Kankanaey’s traditional areas include the towns of Mankayan, Buguias, Bakun, and Kibungan. Kapangan remains about 2/3 Kankanaey and 1/3 Ibaloy. At present, they remain the majority in all said towns, except in certain areas like around the Lepanto Mines, where a melting-pot situation has developed communities of mixed IP and non-IP status.

As in Ifugao, there are no known bodong-practicing tribes in Benguet, although remnants of indigenous socio-political institutions continue to offer some tribal identity to local Kankanaey communities. One recent development, for example, is the extension of bodong-related practices to Kalinga, Sadanga (Mt. Province) and other IP migrant communities in and around Baguio City.#