Philippine Indigenous Communities: Ethnicity, Culture, and Diversity

Ethnicity

Came from the Greek word 'Ethnos' which means 'People or Nation'. Shared characteristics such as culture, language, religion, and traditions, which contribute to a person or group's identity. State of belonging to a social group that has common tradition.

Ethnic Group

Group of people with same ethnicity. The group of people occupying a common territory that has same cultural heritage, language of their own, and common ancestry. A social group or category of the population that, in a larger society, is set apart and bound together by common ties of race, language, nationality, or culture.

Race

Specific groups formed based on inherited physical and behavioral differences.

Language

A system of communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols.

Philippine Linguistic Diversity

172 languages (including 3 foreign languages: English, Chinese, Spanish).

Religion

Something one believes in and follows devotedly.

Philippine Religious Diversity

81% Roman Catholic, 6% Muslim, 3% Evangelicals, 2% Iglesia ni Cristo, 8% others.

Domicile

The environmental setting or place of residence.

Bodies of Water

Tagalog (people of the river); Kapampangan (people of the coast); Tausug (people of the current); Iraya Mangyan (people of the upstream); Meranao (people of the lake); Sama Dilaut / Badjao (people of the sea).

Mountains

Bukidnon (people of the mountain); Igorot (people of the ridge); Remontado (people who have retreated to the mountains); Tinguian (people of the highlands); Bontok (mountain); Tao't Bato (people of the stone cave).

Cultural Traits

Traditional costumes, body decoration, musical instruments, weapons, ritual practices.

Phenotypic Characteristics

Refers to an individual's observable traits, such as height, eye color and blood type. A person's phenotype is determined by both their genomic makeup (genotype) and phenotypic environmental factors.

Ancestry or Place of Origin

History of ancestors, a trail of where your family started and all the descendants that followed.

Filipino's ancestors

Belong to the 'Malay Race'.

Philippines

A southeast Asian country with a population of 114.6 million. As an archipelago consisting of many islands, the peoples of the Philippines have many cultural and linguistic variations.

Cultural Groups

Culture is the basis of grouping and categorization of Filipinos as majority cultural groups and minority cultural group.

Minority Group

The one who retained indigenous cultures and orientation of the past.

Majority Group

The ones who have blended cultural orientation (Spanish, American, Native culture).