By: Paola Mikhaela O. Odono
Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon, also referred to as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines. Nueva Ecija has many main attractions but they have a tribe called Ilongot or Ibilao tribe. This tribe are known as headhunters, presently there are about 87,000 Ilongots. Ilongots tend to inhabit areas close to rivers, as they provide a food source and a means for transportation. Their native language is the Ilongot Language, currently spoken by about 50,000 people. They can also speak the Ilocano Language.
Nueva Ecija is well known for their intense aggressiveness and cultural conservatism. The people tend to live near tributaries and practice slash-and-burn cultivation. The pattern of housing is dispersed and fortified, for the Ilongot are externally aggressive, traditionally and conservative, and resistant to external cultural pressures. Socially, the families in a locality are loosely grouped into bands called alipan. Like all other Philippines groups, kinship is bilateral and there are no descent groups.
The Ilongot’s Society, informal leadership lies with sons and brothers who have oratorical skills and have acquired knowledge of myths, ceremonies and genealogies. The oratorical skills are known as purun, which women reportedly cannot understand. Disputes are sometimes settled by giving offenders ordeals to establish their innocence. More often than not they evolve into feuds settled through head hunting raids. A death in a household requires a young man in that house avenge it. A pig is sacrificed when headhunters return. Some feuds are settled with negotiations and exchanges.
Ilongot’s Life, they traditionally lived a semi-nomadic life in groups wih around 180 or so members. Each groups is made up of several settlement. Ilongot’s wear plain or dark blue or black loincloths with a colored band around the hips. A long red or blackband is tied around the hands and no shoes are worn. Their handmade guitars are made with human hair for strings. Maybe the Ilongot’s don’t hunt heads anymore? Maybe they do itbacause there is no catgut or steel around to make string for their guitars? Don’t you think so?
Tribes in the Philippines 