
The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern
Sierra Madre and
Caraballo Mountains
The Caraballo Mountains is a mountain range in the central part of Luzon island in the Philippines, situated between the Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The mountains serve as the location of the headwaters of the Cagaya ...
, on the east side of
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, primarily in the provinces of
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya ( ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Vizcaya; gad, Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya''; tl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Vizcaya ), is a landlocked province in the ...
and
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province ...
and along the mountain border between the provinces of
Quirino
Quirino, officially the Province of Quirino ( ilo, Probinsia ti Quirino; tl, Lalawigan ng Quirino), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Cabarroguis. It is named after Elp ...
and
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
. They are also commonly referred to as "Ilongot", especially in older studies, but nowadays, the
endonym
An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, o ...
Bugkalot is preferred in modern ethnic research.
They were formerly headhunters.
Presently, there are about 87,000 Bugkalots.
The Bugkalots tend to inhabit areas close to rivers, as they provide a food source and a means for transportation. Their native language is the
Bugkalot language, currently spoken by about 50,000 people. They also speak the
Ilocano &
Tagalog language
Tagalog (, ; ; ''Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority. It ...
s.
Culture

In Ivan Salva's study in 1980 of the Bugkalots, she described "gender differences related to the positive cultural value placed on adventure, travel, and knowledge of the external world." Bugkalot men, more often than women, visited distant places. They acquired knowledge of the outside world, amassed experiences there, and returned to share their knowledge, adventures, and feelings in a public oratory in order to pass on their knowledge to others. The Bugkalot men received acclaim as a result of their experiences. Because they lacked external experience on which to base knowledge and expression, Bugkalot women had inferior prestige.
Based on Michelle Rosaldo's study and findings of other stateless societies, anthropologists must distinguish between prestige systems and actual power within a society. Just because a male has a high level of prestige, he may not own much economic or political power compared to others that are less prestigious within the society.
Renato Rosaldo went on to study
headhunting
Headhunting is the practice of hunting a human and collecting the severed head after killing the victim, although sometimes more portable body parts (such as ear, nose or scalp) are taken instead as trophies. Headhunting was practiced i ...
among the Bugkalots in his book ''Ilongot Headhunting, 1883-1974: A Study in Society and History''. He notes headhunting raids are often associated with bereavement, a rage, and expiation at the loss of a loved one.
Gallery of Bugkalot art
File:Headdress from Ilongot in northern Luzon, Honolulu Museum of Art 8367.1.JPG, A headdress
Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the element ...
made of horn bill, shell, wire, rattan and hair
File:Bracelet from Ilongot in northern Luzon, Honolulu Museum of Art 8387.1.JPG, A bracelet
A bracelet is an article of jewellery that is worn around the wrist. Bracelets may serve different uses, such as being worn as an ornament. When worn as ornaments, bracelets may have a supportive function to hold other items of decoration, suc ...
made of brass, beads and mother of pearl
File:Necklace from Northern Luzon, Ilongot, brass, mother-of-pearl and beads, Honolulu Academy of Arts.JPG, A necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery that is worn around the neck. Necklaces may have been one of the earliest types of adornment worn by humans. They often serve ceremonial, religious, magical, or funerary purposes and are also used as symb ...
made of brass, mother-of-pearl and beads
File:Men's ear pendants, Ilongot, Honolulu Museum of Art 8368.1.JPG, Men's ear pendants made of hornbill, discs of shell, beads and brass
File:Earring from Ilongot in northern Luzon, Honolulu Museum of Art 8372.1.JPG, Earring
An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a Body piercing, piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings have been worn by people in different c ...
s made of shell, brass and beads
File:Hair ornament from Ilongot in northern Luzon, Honolulu Museum of Art II.JPG, A hair ornament
File:Pendant from Ilongot, the Philippines, Honolulu Museum of Art 8386.1.JPG, A pendant
A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ...
made of Japanese coins, brass, aluminum and glass
File:Men's ear pendants (batling) from Ilongot in northern Luzon, hornbill, brass, shell and cotton, Honolulu.JPG, Men's ear pendants (''batling'') made of hornbill, brass, shell and cotton
References
*
* Rosaldo, Michelle Zimbalist, Lamphere Louise. ''A Mulher. A Cultura e a Sociedade''. ("Woman. The Culture and Society") Brazil: RJ. Paz e Terra, 1979. Coleção O Mundo hoje. ("The world today") 31. p. 58.
*
External links
Bugkalot* NPR Listen to: High Voltage (Emotions Part 2) - Lige
🔊 Listen Now: High Voltage (Emotions Part 2)Invisibilia: A Man Finds An Explosive Emotion Locked In A Word
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Indigenous peoples of the Philippines
Ethnic groups in Luzon