This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2019) |
Total population | |
---|---|
50,101 [1] (2020 census) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Philippines (Cordillera Administrative Region) | |
Languages | |
Isnag, Ilocano, Tagalog | |
Religion | |
Christianity, indigenous folk religion | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Igorot peoples |
The Isnag people (also referred to as Isneg and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region. [2] Their native language is Isneg (also called Isnag), although most Isnag also speak Ilocano.
Three major sub-groups among the ISNAG are known: the YMANDAYA mostly concentrated in the municipality of Calanasan in the Province of Apayao and the municipality of Carasi in the Province of Ilocos Norte; the IMALLOD, with populations distributed among the other towns of the province of Apayao and the IAPAYAO/EAPAYAO, with populations distributed among the towns of Adams , Dumalneg in the province of Ilocos Norte and Sta. Praxedez in the Province of Cagayan.
Various names have been used to differentiate the Isnag. The Spaniards referred to them as los Apayaos (referring to the river along which they live) and los Mandayas (taken from the Isnag term meaning “upstream”). In 1923, they were the last ethnic group to be conquered by the American colonialists. Before, they had no collective name. Instead, they referred to themselves based on their residence or whether they lived: upstream (Imandaya) or downstream (Imallod). At present, they are commonly known as Isnegs, which came from an Ilocano word itneg that means Inhabitants of the Tineg River. Some of them, however, still call themselves as Apayaos. [3]
The Isnegs are native in Apayao province, which was formerly a sub-province of Mountain Province, but are also found in portions of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. Apayao has an area of 397,720 hectares and is typographically divided into two parts: the Upper Apayao that is mountainous, and the Lower Apayao that is generally flat with rolling mountains and plateaus. [3] Today, there are about 40,000 Isnegs living in Apayao. [4] Isnag populations can also be found in the Eastern part of the Province of Ilocos Norte, specifically the municipalities of Adams, Carasi, Dumalneg and Solsona; and in the Northwestern part of the Province of Cagayan, specifically the municipalities of Sta. Praxedes, Claveria and Sanchez Mira. The majority of them live along the Apayao River-Abulog River, Matalag River, and the small rivers on the hillsides of Ilocos Norte and Abra. [3]
Because there was no political or ward system, the kinship groups and family clans became the central social organizations and were usually led by the husbands. Polygamy is allowed, but depends on the capacity of the husband to support the family. Like other ethnic groups, they also follow a lot of taboos. These taboos vary from place to place. A pregnant woman, for example, is discouraged to eat some kinds of sugarcane, banana, and the soft meat of sprouting coconut to have a normal conception. In the past, twins were also believed to be unlucky, so whenever twins were born, they would let the weaker twin die. Also, if the mother dies upon giving birth, the child is also left to die and is usually buried with the mother. The Isnegs don’t follow rituals on the adolescence of the child. They, however, have rituals on marriage, like the amoman (or the present-day pamamanhikan), and death, like the mamanwa which is done by the widowers. [3]
Isneg houses (balay) are two-story, one-room structures built on 4 corner posts with an entrance reached by a ladder. The open space below (linong or sidong) includes a small shed (abulor) for jars of basi. The bamboo pigpen(dohom) is nearby. Rice granaries (alang) are also made on four posts that include a circular and flat rat shield. Temporary buildings associated with upland and swidden farming are called sixay. Their bolo (badang) and axe (aliwa) are important tools. They are also expert fishermen. [3]
Isneg, or Isnag, kinship is bilateral, meaning children are equally related to both the mother and the father. Households consist of interrelated families living close to each other, and extended families of three generations living together in their balay. The family is the key element in society, the larger the better, headed by the husband. No other society structure exists, though brave men, mengals, lead in hunting and fishing. The bravest, Kamenglan, is the overall leader. A young man entered their ranks after the first headhunting expedition. A mengal carries a red kerchief on the head and has tattoos on his arms and shoulders. They are animistic and practice polygamy. [3]
Isneg language is spoken by around 30,000 people mostly by the Isnag people, who are also bilingual in Ilokano.[ citation needed ]
Approximately 9% of the population are Christians. In 2006, the entire New Testament, along with the books of Genesis and Exodus, had been translated into Isnag by SIL. The complete Bible was completed in 2023. [5] Rest of the Isnags are mainly animists.
The Isnegs are aesthetically-inclined. In ceremonies, women wear a lot of colourful ornaments and clothing, and men wear G-strings (usually of blue color), abag, and bado (upper garment). Men don’t wear pendants but they wear an ornament called sipattal, made of shells and beads, used only on special occasions. They also practice tattooing which is done by rubbing soot on the wounds caused by the needles. [3]
The isnegs traditionally only consume two meals a day; one in the mid-morning and one in the late afternoon, or one at noon and the other in the evening. Though most of their meals include rice, rice is always scarce because of the limited womanpower. Hence, they resort to trade to satisfy demands. Meals also include vegetables and root crops such as camote and occasionally, fish and wild pig or wild deer. Dogs, pigs and chickens are only eaten during feasts and chicken eggs are seldom eaten because they are generally allowed to hatch. Sometimes, before or after meals, the typical isneg families enjoy home-grown coffee while gathering around the hearth while rice wine is only consumed during festive occasions. [3]
They were proud of using bamboo as cooking utensils. They have sinursur, a dish made of catfish or eel on bamboo with chili, abraw, freshwater crabs with coconut and chili, sinapan, which looks like smoked meat. They used anything they can find in nature as food, from brooks, rivers, lakes and streams, they catch fish and other creatures in it. In forests, they use any edible leaves in there. They douse the harvest in cooking it with chili.
The Isnag wrap the deceased person in a mat (ikamen), and is then carried on the shoulders of the immediate male family members. [6] Items are placed inside the coffin in order to help the deceased person throughout his/her journey. For example, a jar (basi) is placed in the coffin to quench the deceased one's thirst. Another example is a spear and shield also being put inside in order to help him/her protect himself/herself from enemies during the journey. The coffin is then lowered into either the kitchen area of their families home or in a burial site owned by his/her family. [7]
Ilocos Norte, officially the Province of Ilocos Norte, is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital is Laoag City, located in the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra to the southeast, and Ilocos Sur to the southwest. Ilocos Norte faces the West Philippine Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan. Ilocos Sur is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Abra to the north, Mountain Province to the east, La Union and Benguet to the south and the South China Sea to the west.
Cagayan, officially the Province of Cagayan, is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering the northeastern tip of Luzon. Its capital is the city of Tuguegarao. It is about 431 kilometres (268 mi) northwest of Manila, and includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao to the west, and Kalinga and Isabela to the south.
Apayao, officially the Province of Apayao, is a landlocked province in the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Kabugao serves as its capital. The provincial capitol and its associated offices are located at the New Government Center in Luna.
Kalinga, officially the Province of Kalinga, is a landlocked province in the Philippines situated within the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north. Kalinga and Apayao are the result of the 1995 partitioning of the former province of Kalinga-Apayao which was seen to better service the respective needs of the various indigenous peoples in the area.
Kalinga-Apayao was a province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. It was formed, along with Benguet, Ifugao, and the new Mountain Province, from the earlier Mountain Province, with the passage of Republic Act No. 4695 in 1966. The said law was amended by RA No. 7878 in 1995, which divided the province into two new ones, Kalinga and Apayao.
The Cordillera Administrative Region, also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera, is an administrative region in the Philippines, situated within the island of Luzon. It is the only landlocked region in the insular country, bordered by the Ilocos Region to the west and southwest, and by the Cagayan Valley Region to the north, east, and southeast. It is the least populous region in the Philippines, with a population less than that of the city of Manila.
The Ilocos Region, designated as Region I, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Located in the northwestern section of Luzon, it is bordered by the Cordillera Administrative Region to the east, the Cagayan Valley to the northeast and southeast, Central Luzon to the south, and the South China Sea to the west.
The indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in northern Luzon, Philippines, often referred to by the exonym Igorot people, or more recently, as the Cordilleran peoples, are an ethnic group composed of nine main ethnolinguistic groups whose domains are in the Cordillera Mountain Range, altogether numbering about 1.8 million people in the early 21st century.
Claveria, officially the Municipality of Claveria, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,900 people.
Adams, officially the Municipality of Adams, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,189 people.
Carasi, officially the Municipality of Carasi, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,607 people.
Dumalneg, officially the Municipality of Dumalneg, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 3,087 people.
Vintar, officially the Municipality of Vintar, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,339 people.
Abulug, officially the Municipality of Abulug, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,579 people.
Santa Praxedes, officially the Municipality of Santa Praxedes, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 4,434 people.
Calanasan, officially the Municipality of Calanasan,, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,550 people.
Abra, officially the Province of Abra, is a province in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the Philippines. Its capital is the municipality of Bangued. It is bordered by Ilocos Norte on the northwest, Apayao on the northeast, Kalinga on the mid-east, Mountain Province on the southeast, and Ilocos Sur on the southwest.
The Ilocanos, Ilokanos, or Iloko people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. They mostly reside within the Ilocos Region, in the northwestern seaboard of Luzon, Philippines. The native language of the Ilocano people is the Ilocano language.
Isnag is a language spoken by around 40,000 Isnag people of Apayao Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the northern Philippines. Around 85% of Isnag are capable of reading the Isnag language. Many Isnag speakers also speak Ilocano.