Philippine Ethnic Groups
The majority of the population is composed of ethnolinguistic(
groups whose languages are Austronesian also known as
Malayo-Polynesian in origin. Many of these groups converted to
Christianity, particularly the lowland-coastal groups, and adopted
many foreign elements of culture. Ethnic groups include the
Cebuano, Ilocano, Pangasinense, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano,
Waray, Surigaonon, Zamboangueo and Hiligaynon who are also called
Ilonggo.In western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, there are
indigenous groups who practice Islam. The Spanish called them Moros
after the Moors (despite no resemblance or cultural ties to them
apart from their religion). In the Agusan Marsh and the highlands
of Mindanao, there are native ethnic groups collectively known as
the Lumad. Unlike the Moros, these people do not practice Islam,
and maintain their animistic beliefs and traditions though some of
them have converted to Christianity as well.The Negrito are a
pre-Austronesian people who migrated from mainland Asia and were
one of the earliest human beings to settle the Philippines, around
90,000 years ago. The first known were the people of the Callao Man
remains. The Negrito population was estimated in 2004 at around
31,000. Their tribal groups include the Ati, and the Aeta. Their
ways of life remain mostly free from Western and Islamic
influences. Scholars study them to try to understand pre-Hispanic
culture.Most Filipinos are Malayo-Polynesian, a major group within
the Austronesian language family. Other ethnic groups form a
minority in the Philippine population. These include those of
Japanese, Han Chinese, Indians, Americans, Spanish, Europeans, and
other ethnic groups from other countries. Mixed-race individuals
are known as Filipino mestizo.Ethnic Identity, Language and Genetic
Studies
The color of the province denotes the largest ethnic group
within that province, according to the 2000 census.A 2008 genetic
study showed no evidence of a large-scale Taiwanese migration into
the Philippines. The Leeds University study, published in Molecular
Biology and Evolution, showed that mitochondrial DNA lineages have
been evolving within Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) since modern
humans arrived approximately 50,000 years ago. There is no genetic
evidence for large-scale population replacement, displacement, or
absorption to suggest replacement of preexisting hunting and
gathering populations by farming-voyaging immigrants from Taiwan.
Population dispersals occurred at the same time as sea levels rose,
which resulted in migrations from the Philippines to as far north
as Taiwan within the last 10,000 years. Examination of
mitochondrial DNA lineages showed that the neolithic culture
(Austronesian) had been evolving within Island Southeast Asia
(ISEA) for a longer period than previously believed. Population
dispersals occurred at the same time as sea levels rose, which may
have resulted in migrations from the Philippines to as far north as
Taiwan within the last 10,000 years. Per co-author Dr Oppenheimer,
from the Oxford University School of Anthropology, population
migrations were most likely to have been driven by climate change
the effects of the drowning of a huge ancient peninsula called
Sundaland (that extended the Asian landmass as far as Borneo and
Java). This happened during the period 15,000 to 7,000 years ago
following the last Ice Age. Rising sea levels in three massive
pulses caused flooding and the submergence of the Sunda Peninsula,
creating the Java and South China Seas and the thousands of islands
that make up Indonesia and the Philippines today. According to a
recent study by Mark Donohue of the Australian National University
and Tim Denham of Monash University, there is no linguistic
evidence for an orderly north-to-south dispersal of the
Austronesian languages from Taiwan through the Philippines and into
Island Southeast Asia (ISEA). The Philippine Statistics Department
does not account for the racial background or ancestry of an
individual. The official population of all types of mestizos
(Asian, American, Hispanic, etc.) that reside inside and outside of
the Philippines remains unknown. Although a study provided by
Stanford University found that 3.6% European introgression into the
Philippines was evident due to the period of colonization, it only
genotyped 28 individuals from the Philippines. Results from such a
small sample cannot be used with high confidence to characterize a
population of 92 million persons. Population historyPrehistoric
Tabon Man, found in Palawan in 1962 was, until 2007, the oldest
human remains discovered by anthropologists in the Philippines.
Archaeological evidence indicates similarities with two early human
fossils found in Indonesia and China, called the Java Man and
Peking Man. In 2007, a single metatarsal from an earlier fossil was
discovered in Callao Cave, Peablanca, Cagayan. That earlier fossil
was named as Callao Man.The Negritos, several ethnic groups of the
Australoid race, arrived about 30,000 years ago and occupied
several scattered areas throughout the islands. Recent
archaeological evidence described by Peter Bellwood claimed that
the ancestors of Filipinos, Malaysians, and Indonesians first
crossed the Taiwan Strait during the Prehistoric period. These
early mariners are thought to be the Austronesian people
(Malayo-Polynesian). They used boats to cross the oceans, and
settled into many regions of Southeast Asia, the Polynesian
Islands, and Madagascar.By the 14th century, the Malayo-Polynesian
ethnic group had dominated and displaced the Negrito population in
most areas. Traders from southern China, Japan, India, Malaysia,
and Indonesia, also contributed to the ethnic, and cultural
development of the islands. By the 16th century, Spanish
colonization brought new groups of people to the Philippines. Many
settled in the Philippines, and some intermarried with the
indigenous population, although intermarriage was slight. This gave
rise to the Filipino mestizo or individuals of mixed Austronesian
and Spanish descent.Far more numerous were Chinese immigrant
workers, known as sangley, as many Chinese historically had been
traders. They intermarried with Filipinos, and their children and
descendants were called mestizo de sangley. The mestizo de sangleys
were far more numerous than mestizos of Spanish descent. By the
19th century, the more successful among them had risen to become
wealthy major landowners. They could afford to have their children
educated in elite institutions in the Philippines and Europe.By the
opening of the Suez Canal in the 1800s, the Spanish opened the
Philippines for foreign trade. Europeans such as the British,
Germans, and French settled in the islands to do business. By the
end of the Spanish colonial period, the native ethnic groups of the
Philippines began calling themselves Filipinos, a term that had
begun as self-identification for persons of Spanish descent born in
the Philippines.Following its victory in the Spanish-American War,
the United States created a colonial authority in the Philippines
in 1898. Military troops and businessmen made their way to the
country, bringing in new ethnic groups, culture and language. In
the late 19th century, some Americans proposed resettling African
Americans in the Philippines, because of discrimination against
them in the South, particularly. Post-American Civil War violence
against the freedmen had gone on as southern whites struggled for
political and economic dominance. The resettlement idea did not get
implemented. The Philippines has over 180 indigenous ethnic groups,
over half of which represent unique linguistic groups.Indigenous
and ethnic groupsSortable table
Ethnic group(s)ImageDescription(s)Notes
BicolanoThe Bicolanos originated in Bicol, Luzon. There are
several Bicolano languages, of which there is a total of about 3.5
million speakers.[10] Their languages are Central Bikol with Naga,
Legazpi, Daet, Partido (Virac is sometimes considered as a separate
language), Masbatenyo, Rinconada Bikol, Pandan Bikol, Sorsogon
Masbatenyo, Sorsogon Waray,Southern Sorsogon (Gubat language), West
Albay Bikol, Miraya Bikol, Libon Bikol and Tagalog.
GaddangThe Gaddang number about 25,000. They are known to have
inhabited the upper Cagayan Valley, particularly Isabela and Nueva
Vizcaya since before the Spanish arrived. Their distinct language
is distantly related to that of the Ibanag and Yogad; it is also
spoken by ethnically-related Ga'dang in Ifugao and Mountain
Provinces, as well as some neighboring Aeta.
IbanagIbanags are an ethnic group numbering around half a
million people, who inhabit the provinces of Cagayan, and
Isabela.
IlokanoThe Ibanag, Ivatan, the Ilocano people are the
inhabitants of the lowlands, and coastal areas of northern Luzon.
Ilocano are also found in central Luzon, Metro Manila, and some
towns in the Visayas, and Mindanao. There are about 8 million
speakers of Ilocano, and most of these individuals are
Christians.
IvatanThe Ivatan are predominant in the Batanes Islands of the
Philippines. They have close cultural links with Taiwanese
aborigines.
KapampanganThe Ka'Pampangan or Capampagan (English: Pampangan;
Spanish: Pampangueo or Pampango) people originate from the central
plains of Luzon, starting from Bataan up to Nueva Ecija. The
Kapampangan language is spoken by more than two million people. In
the Spanish colonial era, Pampanga was known to be a source of
valiant soldiers. There was a Kapampangan contingent in the
colonial army who helped defend Manila against the Chinese Pirate
Limahon. They also helped in battles against the Dutch, the English
and Muslim raiders. Kapampangans, along with the Tagalogs, played a
major role in the Philippine Revolution.
MoroThe Moros are of various ethnolinguistic groups in southern,
and western Mindanao who are the same as other Filipinos, but whose
religion is Islam. The largest of these are the Tausug, the
Maguindanao, the Maranao, the Sama, the Yakan, and the Banguingui.
These ethnolinguistic groups are different in terms of culture,
religion, and have been politically independent. Muslim Filipinos
have an independent justice, and education system based in Cotabato
City. They form about 5-10% of the Philippine population, making
them the sixth largest ethnic group in the country.
PangasinenseThe Pangasinan people or the Pangasinense are the
ninth largest Filipino ethnic group. They originated from the
northwestern seaboard of Luzon and predominantly reside in the
Pangasinan province.
SambalThe Sambal are the inhabitants of the province of
Zambales, and the city of Olongapo in the Philippines. Sambals
currently make up a large proportion of the population in the
municipalities of Zambales province north of Iba.
SubanonThe Subanon or "Subanu" (also called Subanen or Subanun)
means "river people", which is derived from the word "soba", "suba"
a word common in Sulu, Visayas, and Mindanao, which means "river"
and the suffix -nun or -non which indicates a locality or place of
origin. Subanon are also known in the Anglicized form as "Subanen".
Subanon are the biggest group of lumad or non-Muslim indigenous
cultural community on the island of Mindanao. This ethnic group
were the aborigines of western Mindanao particularly in Zamboanga
Peninsula areas which are divided into different provinces such as
Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan,
Misamis Occidental and extended to the province of Misamis
Oriental. The Subanon people speak the Subanon language.
TagalogThe Tagalogs, the settlers of Manila and its surrounding
areas, are one of the most widespread groups of people in the
Philippines. The Tagalog language was chosen as an official
language of the Philippines in the 1930s. Today, Filipino, a de
facto version of Tagalog, is taught throughout the islands. As of
the 2000 census, there were about 21.5 million speakers of Tagalog
in the Philippines, 23.8 million worldwide.
VisayanThe term Visayan refers to a cluster of lowland
ethnolinguistic groups who refer to themselves as Bisaya and mainly
reside in the Visayas region. Some of these individuals are also
found in some parts of Mindanao. These particular groups share
nearly the same history, maritime civilization mostly around the
Visayan Sea, culture and traditions. As such, their languages
mostly within the Visayan island group were said to be actually one
dialect continuum of Visayan due to their great lexical and
grammatical semblance to each other. It was also hypothesized that
scattered present-day Visayans originated from a proto-ethnic group
that fled Sri Vijaya, a major thalassocratic empire in Southeast
Asia during 13th century. Based on estimates from the 2010 census,
there are currently around 33 million ethnic Visayans. There are
various Visayan languages spoken in the Central Philippine region.
They mostly include Cebuano, Ilonggo, and Waray-Waray. Smaller
language groups are Romblomanon, Kinaray-a Aklanon and Masbatenyo.
Although having their indigenous language classified as Visayan by
linguists, some ethnic groups do not identify themselves as part of
the Visayan ethnic group. One example is the Tausug who speak a
Visayan language yet are predominantly Muslim. Some of these only
use the Visayan identity to refer to those who are Christian.
Another language taxonomically considered as Visayan is the Cuyonon
of Palawan.
ZamboangueoThe Chavacanos are an ethnic group numbering around a
million people, who inhabit the provinces and cities of Cavite(the
Caviteo Chabacano), Zamboanga City(Zamboangueo or Chavacano),
Zamboanga provinces (Zamboangueo), Basilan (Zamboangueo), Sulu
(Zamboangueo), Tawi-Tawi (Zamboangueo) Ternate(Ternateo Chabacano),
Ermita(Ermiteo Chabacano), Cotabato(Cotabate Chavacano),
Davao(Castellano Abakay) and Malaysia(Zamboangueo).
Tribal groupsThere are more than 100 highland, lowland, and
coastland tribal groups in the Philippines. These include:Sortable
table
Name(s)imageDescriptionNotes
BatakThe Batak is a group of indigenous Filipino people that
resides in the northeast portion of Palawan.
BugkalotAlso called Ilongot, this 2,500-person tribe lives in
the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side
of Luzon Island in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of
Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija.
IgorotThe Igorot (Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga,
Kankana-ey, Kalanguya), live in the highlands of Luzon. They are
primarily located in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
IlongotsThe Ilongot are a headhunting ethnic group found in the
Caraballo Mountains.
KagayanenThe Kagayanen are from the municipality of
Cagayancillo, Palawan province. There are about 36,000 Kagayanen in
the Philippines.
LumadThe Lumad of Mindanao includes several tribes such as the
Manobo, the Tasaday, the Mamanwa, the Mandaya, the Bilaan and the
Kalagan. They primarily inhabit the eastern parts of Mindanao such
as the Caraga, and Davao Regions.
MangyanThe Mangyan communities are found in Mindoro.They are 13%
in the population.
MolbogThe Molbog (referred to in the literature as Molebugan or
Molebuganon) are concentrated in Balabak island and are also found
in other islands of the coast of Palawan as far north as Panakan.
The word Malubog means "murky or turbid water". The Molbog are
probably a migrant people from nearby North Borneo. Judging from
their dialect and some socio-cultural practices, they seem to be
related to the Orang Tidung or Tirum (Camucone in Spanish), an
Islamized indigenous group native to the lower east coast of Sabah
and upper East Kalimantan.However, some Sama words (of the Jama
Mapun variant) and Tausug words are found in the Molbog dialect
after a long period of exposure with those ethnics. This plus a few
characteristics of their socio-cultural life style distinguish them
from the Orang Tidung. Molbog livelihood includes subsistence
farming, fishing and occasional barter trading with the Sulu Bangsa
Moro and nearby Sabah market centers. In the past, both the Molbog
and the Palawanon Muslims were ruled by Sulu datus, thus forming
the outer political periphery of the Sulu Sultanate. Intermarriage
between Tausug and the Molbog hastened the Islamization of the
Molbog. The offsprings of these intermarriages are known as
kolibugan or "half-breed".
Negrito groupsThe Negrito are several ethnic groups of the
Australoid race who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia. Their
current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman
Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and
the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines.
Genetically, Negritos are the most distant human population from
Africans at most loci studied thus far (except for MC1R, which
codes for dark skin).The Negrito, Aeta, Batak, and Mamanwa live in
remote areas throughout the islands.
Palawan TribesThe tribes of Palawan are a diverse group of
tribes primarily located in the island of Palawan and its outlying
islands. These tribal groups are widely distributed to the long
strip of mainland island literally traversing Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. Palawan is home to many indigenous peoples whose origins
date back thousands of centuries. Pre-historic discoveries reveal
how abundant cultural life in Palawan survived before foreign
occupiers and colonizers reached the Philippine archipelago. Today,
Palawan is making its best to preserve and conserve the richness of
its cultural groups. The provincial government strives to support
the groups of indigenous peoples of Palawan.
Pala'wanThe Pala'wan are a tribal people found in Southern
Palawan particularly Quezon, Palawan.
Tagbanwa peopleThe Tagbanwas are found in the western and
eastern coastal areas of central Palawan. Their name means "people
of the world". They are concentrated in the municipalities of
Aborlan, Quezon and the city of Puerto Princesa. Two other ethnic
groups called "Tagbanwa" (i.e. the Central Tagbanwa and the
Calamian Tagbanwa) are from a different family of languages and
should not be confused the Tagnbanwas discussed here. These are
found Coron Island, Northern Palawan, Busuanga Island and the Baras
coast. The Central Tagbanwa language is dying out as the younger
generations are learning Cuyonon and Tagalog.The Tagbanwas speak
the Tagbanwa language and has several sub-dialects. They are able
to comprehend Tagalog, and, depending on their proximity to
neighboring groups, Batak, Cuyonen and Calamian languages. They
usually dress like the non-tribal lowlanders. However, elder men
prefer to wear G-string while tilling or fishing. Houses are built
from available forest materials. Bamboo and wood are used for the
house's frame anahaw leaves are used to create walls and the roof
and bamboo slats are used as flooring. Their basic social unit is
the nuclear family which is composed of a married couple and their
children usually one girl and one boy.
Tau't BatoThe Taaw't Batos' name means "people of the rock".
They are not actually a separate language or ethnic group, but
rather a small community of traditional S.W. Palawanos who happen
to reside in the crater of an extinct volcano during certain
seasons of the year, in houses built on raised floors inside caves
though others have set their homes on the open slopes. They are
found in the Singnapan Basin, a valley bounded by Mount
Mantalingajan on the east and the coast on the west. North of them
is the municipality of Quezon, Palawan and to the South are the
still unexplored regions of Palawan.As of 1987, their population
was about 198. Note that the common-seen spelling "Tau't Bato" or
"Tau't Batu" is a misspelling based on the Tagalog word for "human"
(tao). The Palawano word is "taaw." The men of the tribe wear
G-strings while the women cover their lower bodies with bark or
cloth that is made into a skirt. The upper half is left exposed
although some now wear blouses that are bought from the market.The
people practice agriculture with cassava as the major source of
carbohydrates. They also plant sweet potatoes, sugarcane, malunggay
(Moringa oleifera), garlic, pepper, string beans, squash, tomatoes
and pineapples. Others practice fishing, hunting and industrial
arts. Their social organizations are based on family (kin ties),
band (type of substinence activity) and settlement (geographic
location).
SuludonThe Tumandok people are an indigenous group who live in
central Panay island. They are the largest indigenous peoples group
in Panay, with a population As of 2011 of some 94,000. They are
mostly slash-and-burn farmers with bisaya rice as the main crop,
the Tumandok also engage in hunting, fishing, and foraging for
fruits and root crops.
Non-indigenous ethnic groups The Philippine Statistics
Department does not account for the racial background or ancestry
of an individual. The official number of all types of Filipino
mestizos who reside inside and outside of the Philippines remains
unknown.Sortable table
nameDescriptions
ChineseFilipinos of Chinese ancestry form a minority in the
Philippine population. Most migrations of Chinese to the
Philippines started even before the Spanish colonial period, when
foreign trade with other countries were opened to the Philippines.
The ethnically Chinese Filipinos comprise 1.3% (1.1 million) of the
population.
AmericanFilipinos of American ancestry form a minority in the
Philippine population. Some of these multiracial individuals are
descended from Americans who settled in the Philippines during the
United States colonial period, and others from tourists who have
settled in the Philippines in the contemporary period. As of 2011,
the U.S, State Department estimated that there are an estimated
four million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the United States,
and more than 300,000 American citizens in the Philippines.
Arabsthe Arabs form a minority in the Philippine population.
Their official population is unknown.
IndianIndians form a minority in the Philippine population and
have been in the Philippines since pre-colonial times. They have
contributed to the unique cultural blend in the Philippines. One
source estimated the size of the Indian community in the
Philippines in 2008 at 150,000 persons. Most Indians in the
Philippines belong to either Sindhi people or Punjabi people ethnic
groups, and are largely businessmen and traders. A smaller
population of Indians belonging to the Marathi ethnic group form
part of the clergy of Roman Catholic dioceses in the country.
JapanesePeople of Japanese descent form a minority in the
Philippine population. However, some estimates put the number of
Japanese residing in the Philippines at around 120,000 when
including Filipinos of Japanese descent. Japanese people have been
settling in the Philippines for centuries, therefore there has been
much cultural and genetic blending. The Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa,
etc...) also had heavy trade and mixing in the Philippines,
particularly in Northern Luzon.
HispanicFilipinos of Hispanic ancestry form a minority in the
Philippine population. Their official population is unknown. Most
of these are descendants of the Spanish settlers who settled in the
islands during the Spanish colonial period. Most were of either
pure Spanish ancestry or Amerindian-Spanish ancestry (The term
'Mestizo' originated in Latin America). The first groups of
Hispanics sailed in 1565 with Miguel Lpez de Legazpi from New
Spain, in what is now Jalisco state, Mexico to conquer the
Philippines.
JewishJews form a minority in the Philippine population. Their
official population is unknown.
KoreansAs of 2007, approximately 72,000 Koreans are living in
the Philippines. Most of them are transient students and
expatriates. Most are tourists or students studying in the
Philippines.
OtherOther ethnic groups and/or nationalities include various
European ethnicities, Brazilian, Canadian, Australian, New
Zealander, Pacific Islander, Eastern European, Indonesian,
Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, and other ethnic groups from other
countries.