The Iraya of Mindoro (NCIP's IP Profile)

The Iraya

The term iraya is said mean "man" or "human being". The Irayas are the Mangyans of Mindoro who occupy the northwestern part of Mindoro Island. The estimated population of the Iraya-Mangyan is 10,689 distributed in around 141 settlements in the municipalities of Abra de Hog, Mamburao, and Paluan (OSCC, IV, 1993).

Accordins to the Iraya customs and traditions, the family is considered as the basic unit of production and consumption. Their kindred system is traced to both the father and mothers links which their system refers to as guraan. The nuclear family is referred to as talnakan wherein there already exists a social order. The eldest takes the place of the parents during their absence and is considered the second parent. He/She is likewise considered as the intermediary between the parents and the younger siblings.

Among the Iraya, leadership is provided by the puon-balayan, in the local group referred to as sanguraan composed of closely related families. Moral and legal problems are referred to the puon-balayan for decision. Any criminal act or offense done is corrected with the use of either the pangaw or tige. Pangaw is the Irayas version of a detention cell. Tige on the other hand is a punishment wherein the suspects of a particular offense are called and are ordered to immerse their right hand in a pot of boiling water to pick the white stone at the bottom of the pot. Any one of the suspects whose right hand gets burned is considered to be the guilty party. It is believed that the innocent parties will not get burned in this particular test because Apo Iraya will protect them from harm.

http://www.ncip.gov.ph/resources/ethno_detail.php?ethnoid=73

For related blog, visit:

Anthropologist's learning journey, 

Iraya Journal, 

Culinary Anthropology, 

Charter for Human Responsibilities, 

Solidarity Economy, and 

Western Visayas Magazine (WVMags).

Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines (NCIP Webpage)

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The indigenous peoples constitute a significant segment of Philippine society. Having successfully resisted western colonial influence, they now live in the dignity of their indigenous culture which is the hallmark of their identity.

These communities are composed of 110 ethnolinguistic groups found in the various parts of the archipelago. On account of centuries-long isolation, they have generally fallen behind the mainstream population in terms of socio-economic development. Defined as a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community or communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories sharing common bond of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures became historically differentiated from the majority Filipinos. They are likewise peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the population which inhabited the country, at the same time of conquest, of the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may resettled outside their ancestral domains.

See the profiles of the different Ethnolinguistic Groups of the Philippines:

http://www.ncip.gov.ph/resources/ethno_alphabet.php

For related blog, visit:

Anthropologist's learning journey, 

Iraya Journal, 

Culinary Anthropology, 

Charter for Human Responsibilities, 

Solidarity Economy, and 

Western Visayas Magazine (WVMags).