ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippine culture is a vast conglomeration of the beauty and wonders of the Philippines, in terms of language,
norms and social control. But apart from these three essential elements or components, having diverse and numerous
territorial or national treasures can make a certain country even more rich and worth knowing with respect to the
inner persona of that particular nation. Like for instance, the Philippines has been blessed with magnificent ethnic
tribes which are uniquely integral aspects of their cultural heritage, as a democratic nation, that loves to adore and
appreciate these groups without any territorial impediments or conditions involved.

The Philippines is a country and an island which is inhabited by a number of ethnic groups. In addition, these
several ethnolinguistic whose kinds of language are Austronesian since their discovery, have established a different
kind of national and symbolic prominence which are uniquely theirs. However, many of these ethnic groups in the
Philippines were later converted to Christianity, in general.

Most importantly, these people were able to assimilate in their own unique ways of life; the different foreign
components of a countrys given culture. What are these ethnic groups in the Philippines? This article will help
you unravel these universal and interesting groups of people, who might have also contributed a lot to the cultural
development of the Philippines as a whole. To begin with, here are some of the different Philippine ethnic groups of
which many of the countrys finest traditions come from. They are the Cebuanos, Pangasinense, Tagalogs, Warays,
Bicolanos, Ilocanos and last bit not the least, the Kapampangans. On the other hand, in the progressive province of
Mindanao, there are so-called indigenous groups who are sacredly and diligently practice the Islam religion. These
individuals are being referred to by the Spanish people as Moros.

Similarly, those persons who are living in the Mindanao highlands are often called the Lumads. The lumads are
those groups of individuals who reside in the high mountains of Mindanao. As for their unique trait over the other
ethnic groups in the Philippines, the lumads do not practice the religion of Islam. But, they are still attached to their
primitive and religious beliefs like the animistic ones.

The Negritos: The First Settlers of the Philippines

Meanwhile, the Negritos are classified by anthropologists as pre-mongoloid groups. Primarily, these ancient
people of the Philippines have migrated from mainland Asia. In the books of Philippine history, these people were
the first settlers in the island, about 30,000 years ago. Population wise, the approximate total number of Negritos in
this country is approximately more or less 30,000 people. Conversely, their tribal group composition includes the
Ati and the Aeta respectively. Many of the Negrito natives of the Philippines up to this very day had sternly
refused to wholeheartedly adopt the large scale influences of the Islamic and Western countries.

What is Ethnic Identity?

Basically, the universal definition of ethnic identity varies in accordance to the extensive and in-depth scrutiny of its
etymological beginning. First of all, the word ethnic comes from a Greek and Latin word ethnikus and etnikas
which both connote nations. Thus, these words can be employed in a historical perspective to pertain to people as
heathens. As far as the other confabulation is concerned, ethnos can mean as customs, trait or dispositions. Well,
insofar as the term identity is concerned, it is derived from the Latin term identitas. Concisely, identity means the
sameness of a person or a thing in all given circumstances.

Generally, ethnic identity denotes to the identical trait of a band or nation of people, sharing conventional customs,
traditions, historical experiences and a particular geographical residence. Likewise, the encompassing definition of
ethnic identity differs from one another because of the varying underlying theories that were comprehensively
studied by researchers and scholars, in the attempt to resolve the issues behind its conceptual meanings. To some, it
is the construct dealing with affiliation wherein an individual perceives himself as having a sense of belongingness
to a given ethnic group. Hence, that a person can exercise his full freedom to which group he or she wants to belong.
Thus, an affiliation in an ethnic group can be greatly influenced by the following factors: racial, natal, cultural and
symbolic. To describe each of the following instrumentalities, the succeeding paragraphs will briefly do so.

Factors Which Influence Ethnic Affiliations

In order to be connected to a particular ethnic group, you must first try to have a clear picture and deep
understanding of these essential components:

1. Racial-These are the factors in an ethnic group affiliation which involve the employment of physiognomic
and physical characteristics attributions.

2. Natal- This is the ancestral homeland or origin of a specific ethnic group. It is inclusive of their parents and
other relatives

3. Symbolic- This component of affiliation within a given ethnic group is all about the important elements
which strikingly characterizes a certain ethnic group. Classic examples of these are: holidays, clothing, food
and other artifacts

4. Cultural- These elements of ethnic affiliation largely influence the general behavior of an ethnic group in a
holistic perspective

The 5 Most Common Indigenous Ethnic Groups in the Philippines

The Philippines is a nation which has humbly began the dynamic evolution of cultural development and
metamorphosis by the cultural influences of the following ethnic groups; no matter how vast their catalytic impact
was. The bottom line here is how significant are these influences in the sociological viewpoint of Philippine society?
Whatever they are, all that matters is that the Filipino people have learned to unconditionally accept some of these
ethnic groups despite of their stereotyped conventionalities, as regard to their traditions and customs. In a rundown,
here are the five most common indigenous ethnic groups in the Philippines.

Bicolanos- These natives of Region V are classified by anthropologists, as the fifth largest Filipino
ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. Their nearby provinces are Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay,
Catanduanes Sorsogon and Masbate. Ancestrally, they are the descendants of the Austronesian-speaking
migrants who came from Southern China, during the onset of Iron Age. Culturally, they are popular for their
coconut milk and chili pepper dishes. The most prominent regional dish of the Bicolanos is the lada or Bicol
Express.

Ibanags- These ethnic groups are approximately more or less than 500,000, according to their demographic
statistics. Commonly, they can be found in the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Viscaya and Cagayan. Distinctively,
you can recognize an Ibanag by the color of his or her elbow. According to stereotyped classifications, they
have darker elbows; unlike the other breeds of the Malayan Race. Physically, they usually possess taller
physiques with admirable nose bridges

Kapampangans- Approximately, they have a total population of 2,890,000 and still counting. This
particular ethnic group in the Philippines is known for their fluvial festivities, such as the Curaldal or street
dancing. Incidentally, this coincides with the Feast Day of Santa Lucia in Sasmuan. In this festival, men dress
themselves like women, to joyfully welcome the New Year in another Kampangan province, Minalin. As for
their delectable dishes, the Kapampangans can satisfy your palate with their mouthwatering cuisines such
as kare-kare, sisig and tocino. (The local version of another Filipino native dish, the longganisa. Among the
 most prominent sons of the Kapampangans were: Benigno Aquino, father of President Noynoy Aquino of the
Philippines, Lito Lapid, a famed Filipino action star and now a senator of the Philippines

Ivatans- Predominantly, they live in the Batanes Group of Islands. However, there ancestral roots have
constantly remained untraced. According to anthropological scholars most of them are Christians. If you want
to know more about their unique culture, the Ivatans are in one way or the other; has been influenced by the
environmental factors of their main island. Usually, they lived in stone houses rather than in nipa huts. In terms
of their physical characteristics, these ethnic groups of the Philippines are most likely, the close resemblances
of the Malays. Moreover, the Ivatans have hazel eyes, low and short types of nose, pearly white teeth and a hair
that is black and thick

Ilocano- Known to anthropologist as the third largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. In general,
the colloquial term for Ilocanos is Samtoy. This word was creatively taken from an Ilocano phrase, sao mi
ditoy. Simply, it means to say, Our language here. Meanwhile, the neighboring provinces of the Ilocanos are
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Cagayan to name a few. The ethnic group of the Ilocos can never live a day
without their healthy food favorite, Pinakbet. The Pinakbet is a dish of steamed veggies, mixed with
freshwater fish. Also, the Ilocanos are fond of eating the bagoong. Last but not the least, the natives of Ilocos
are famous for their nice and easy to listen to Ilocano folk songs.

Truly, these ethnic groups in the Philippines is a magnificent and crystal clear reflection of how the Philippines
was able to firmly hold these groups into one sovereign nation that is continuously soaring high, to achieve its
wildest dream and ambition to become the Most Progressive Country in Asia.

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FESTIVALS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO THE FILIPINO

Cebu City The start of 2017 is celebrated with festivals left and rightfrom the Feast of the Black Nazarene in
Manila, to the Sinulog Festival in Cebu, and to the Dinagyang in Iloilo, to name a few. Almost every province and
city in the Philippines has all kind of fiestas celebrated all year round that show the rich culture of the country. This
practice has been embedded in the Filipino tradition and believed to have started even before the coming of the
Spaniards.
There are different types of festivals, namely, religious, national, or seasonal. A considerable number of festivals
celebrated in the country are of religious origin, honoring the city or provinces patron saint. A mass, novenas, grand
parade, beauty pageants, processions, and many other activities are prepared for this special day that brings all the
whole community together to express gratitude to God. Often, such occasions draw many balikbayans to return
home and reminisce the olden times.
Before the coming of the Spaniards, Filipinos practiced animism, or the worship of spirits, which involved
performing ceremonies intended to appease malevolent spirits. These spirits are believed to control parts of human
life, such as health, wealth, family, and subsistence. To ward off misfortunes and gratify these spirits, ritual offerings
are regularly made by the locals. Catholic missionaries who arrived along with the Spaniards created fiestas to
gradually persuade the population to convert to the Roman Catholic faith.
Today, the Philippines is the only predominantly Christian country in all of Asia. The practices taught by the Spanish
clergy have merged well with indigenous ritual practices and carried over to this day. Philippine festivals are
celebrations to express gratitude for a good harvest in honor of the towns patron saint. Filipinos, especially those
living in provincial areas, go all out to celebrate this festivities to guarantee comfort in the coming year, believing
that the bigger they spend, the more returns they will obtain.
For many Filipinos, fiestas are important because of the miraculous power of the saints. It is believed that the saints
are responsible for all the good fortune and favor one receives. More than that, it is also during this time that the
locals get to celebrate their culture and traditions that are passed on to the next generation. Fiestas reflect Filipino
religion and faith, which are the most essential part of society. Nowadays, however, a distinguishing cultural aspect
that is unique to the community is preferred as a central subject for many celebrations.
Among the famous festivities in the country are the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, where thousands of
barefoot men join the procession of the Black Nazarene; the Sinulog festival in Cebu, which is celebrated with a
long parade and different dances in honor of the Santo Nio; and the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, which is
characterized by a colorful parade to honor the Holy Child Jesus and commemorate the Christianization of the
natives.
The Filipinos are mostly religious people, no matter what beliefs we hold and religious affiliations we have. The
church and our faith have always been our pillars of strength and highly regarded by the people for support or
guidance. Festivals are reminders of our past; it gives us a glimpse of our rich cultural heritage and at the same time
connects us to our families and loved ones.

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