Figure 1.--Here we see young Bontoc girls caring for babies. The Bontoc/Bontok group lived in the central and eastern portions of Mountain Province, in central Luzon. There were various subgroups like Natonin and Paracelis who identify as Balangaos, Gaddangs or Kalingas. Linguists and anthropologists use the Bontoc language toin identifgyb the group. They were known for head-hunting and distinctive body tattooing. The AZO stamp box dates this coomrcialmpodstcard tob the inter-War era (1920s-30s).

The Philippines population includes a large number of consist of indigenous tribal peoples. There are 150 indigenous ethnic groups. More than half are unique linguistic groups. The higland tribal groups tended to avoid contact with the lowlanders and Spanish colonizers, but this varies from tribe to tribe. Today the the destincttribal cultures and lngiafes are declinging. Intermarriage and incrasing cultural contact has meant that they are being increasingly assimilated. While the are a sunstantial number of tribes, the acoount for only about 3 percent of the population. The tribal peoples are not a destinct ethnic group, but shares origins with the same people who inhabited the Philippines wjen the soanisg arrived (16th century). They are cultural/linguistic group as they resisted Spanish cultural assimilation. They becane known as highlbd/mountain people as they retreated into the rugged interior of the islands that were of little interest to the Spanish. Even befire the Sonish invasion, cultural differences began to develop between the highlnd and lowland people. During the centuries of Spanish occupation, the tribal people fought to resist Spanish culture, including the Spanish language and Chrustianity and have retained their customs and traditions. The rugged teraine they ingabited made their comminities inaccessibe without aajor effort which siscouraged the Spanish. Thus there was limited contact, althiugh this varied from tribe to tribe. The major tribes include the Negrito (Luzon and Leyte), Igorot (Luzon), Mangyan (Mindoro), Palawan tribes, Panay (Ati and other Panay tribes), Negros (Ati and Panay tribes), and Mindanao (Lumad and Bajau). Many of these major tribes are collectives of small tribes which until the arrival of the Spanish did not consider themselves to be relted peoples. Relations with the Spanish were often hostile. The situation changed with arrival of the Americans who pursued an often enlightened policy with the tribal people. As aesult many such as the Igorot resisted the Japanese whn they invaded (1942). They supported guerilla groups as supported the American forces liberating the Philippines (1944-45). The Japanese withdrew into Luzon's northern and central mountain territory which was the homeland of the Igorot and resisted the Americans there until the end of the war.

Created: 3:36 AM 5/18/2022
Last updated: 3:37 AM 5/18/2022