
Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds are places regarded as holy within the
indigenous Philippine folk religions
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with animism. These Indigenous folk religionsAlmocera, Ruel A., (2005) Popular Filipi ...
. These places usually serve as grounds for communication with the spirit world, especially to the deities and ancestral spirits. In some cases, they also function as safeguards for the caskets of ancestors, as well as statues or other objects depicting divine entities.
Overview
Ancient Filipinos and Filipinos who continue to adhere to the
indigenous Philippine folk religions
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with animism. These Indigenous folk religionsAlmocera, Ruel A., (2005) Popular Filipi ...
generally do not have so-called "temples" of worship under the context known to foreign cultures.
However, they do have sacred
shrines
A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daemon, or similar figure of respect, wh ...
, which are also called as
spirit house
A spirit house is a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. They are normally in the form of small roofed ...
s.
They can range in size from small roofed platforms, to structures similar to a small house (but with no walls), to shrines that look similar to pagodas, especially in the south where early mosques were also modeled in the same way. These shrines were known in various indigenous terms, which depend on the ethnic group association.
[Known as ''magdantang'' in Visayan and ''ulango'' or ''simbahan'' in Tagalog. Among the Itneg, shrines are known ''tangpap'', ''pangkew'', or ''alalot'' (for various small roofed altars); and ''balaua'' or ''kalangan'' (for larger structures). In ]Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
, shrines are known among the Subanen as ''maligai'' ; among the Teduray as ''tenin'' (only entered by shamans); and among the Bagobo as ''buis'' (for those built near roads and villages) and ''parabunnian'' (for those built near rice fields).(Kroeber, 1918) They can also be used as places to store ''taotao'' and caskets of ancestors. Among Bicolanos, ''taotao'' were also kept inside sacred caves called ''moog''.
During certain ceremonies, ''anito'' are venerated through temporary altars near sacred places. These were called ''latangan'' or ''lantayan'' in Visayan and ''
dambana
Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds are places regarded as holy within the indigenous Philippine folk religions. These places usually serve as grounds for communication with the spirit world, especially to the deities and ancestr ...
'' or ''lambana'' in Tagalog.
[Also ''saloko'' or ''palaan'' ( Itneg); ''sakolong'' (]Bontoc
Bontoc may refer to:
* Bontoc, Mountain Province, Philippines
* Bontoc, Southern Leyte, Philippines
* Bontoc people, an ethnic group from Central Luzon, Philippines
* Bontoc language, spoken by the Bontoc people
{{disambig, geo
Language and ...
); ''salagnat'' (Bicolano); ''sirayangsang'' ( Tagbanwa); ''ranga'' (Teduray); and ''tambara'', ''tigyama'', or ''balekat'' ( Bagobo) The term ''lambana'' was later syncretized with fairies
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
, commonly depicted as tiny winged beings in many illustrations a homonym for the alternate term ''dambana
Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds are places regarded as holy within the indigenous Philippine folk religions. These places usually serve as grounds for communication with the spirit world, especially to the deities and ancestr ...
'' has come to mean "shrine" or "chapel" in modern Tagalog These bamboo or
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
altars are identical in basic construction throughout most of the Philippines. They were either small roof-less platforms or standing poles split at the tip (similar to a
tiki torch). They held halved coconut shells, metal plates, or
''martaban'' jars as receptacles for offerings. ''Taotao'' may sometimes also be placed on these platforms.
Other types of sacred places or objects of worship of ''diwata'' include the material manifestation of their realms. The most widely venerated were
''balete'' trees (also called ''nonok'', ''nunuk'', ''nonoc'', etc.) and
anthill
An ant colony is a population of ants, typically from a single species, capable of maintaining their complete lifecycle. Ant colonies are eusocial, communal, and efficiently organized and are very much like those found in other social Hymenop ...
s or
termite mound
Mound-building termites are a group of termite species that live in mounds which are made of a combination of soil, termite saliva and dung. These termites live in Africa, Australia and South America. The mounds sometimes have a diameter of ...
s (''punso''). Other examples include mountains, waterfalls, tree groves, reefs, and caves.
Terminology
Each ethnic group in the Philippines has their own terms concerning their shrines and sacred grounds, which are diverse in number.
*
Itneg: ''tangpap'', ''pangkew'', ''alalot'', ''balaua'', ''kalangan'',
''saloko'', ''palaan''
*
Bontok: ''sakolong''
*
Tagalog: ''
dambana
Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds are places regarded as holy within the indigenous Philippine folk religions. These places usually serve as grounds for communication with the spirit world, especially to the deities and ancestr ...
'', ''lambana'',
''simbahan'', ''ulango''
*
Bicolano: ''moog'',
''salagnat''
*
Tagbanwa: ''sirayangsang''
*
Bisaya: ''magdantang''
*
Visayan (general): ''latangan'', ''lantayan''
*
Subanen ''maligai''
*
Teduray: ''tenin'',
''ranga''
*
Bagobo: ''buis'', ''parabunnian'',
''tambara'', ''tigyama'', ''balekat''
*
Tausūg: ''langgal''
Man-made sacred grounds
The shrine can be a sacred structure built with different materials, depending on the locality, but the usual shrine structure is made from indigenous
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
with
nipa roofs. No metal nails are used in its construction. The wood pieces are shaped in a way that each block would stick tightly to each other. At the same time, the wood bonds are strengthened by
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...
strips. Majority of these man-made shrine structures (along with the materials assigned to shrine traditions such as statues home to anitos, statues reserved for burial practices in the future, and documents with indigenous writings and calligraphy) were unfortunately destroyed by the Spanish in the 16th century, while transforming the land where the shrine structures were built upon into Catholic cemeteries or locations for Roman Catholic churches. The ''Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas'' of 1582 recorded the existence of ancient sacred structures that contained "''one hundred or two hundred''
dol statues, which the Spanish all burned down and destroyed. These idols were the statues of departed loved ones, which the natives used to contact the spirits of their deceased ancestor or friend and the deities.
Additionally, Amoroso and Abinales (2005) wrote that the Spaniards also ordered native children by force to 'defecate' on the native people's idol statues, in a bid to further mock the natives and their
indigenous religions
Indigenous religion or native religion is a category used in the Religious studies, study of religion to demarcate the religion, religious belief systems of communities described as being "indigenous people, indigenous". This category is often j ...
. The purge against shrine structures and all things related to the
indigenous Philippine folk religions
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with animism. These Indigenous folk religionsAlmocera, Ruel A., (2005) Popular Filipi ...
were continued by the Spanish until the 19th century, leaving no shrine structures left throughout areas subjugated by the Spanish Crown.
Natural sacred grounds
In addition, not all shrines are house structures. Some shrines may be traditional non-Western cemeteries (''libingan''), ancient ruins or old places (''sinaunang pook''), rivers (''ilog''),
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s (''bundok''), mounds (''burol''), seas (''karagatan''),
cave
Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...
s (''yungib''), lakes (''lawa''), forests (''gubat'') giant trees (''malalaking puno'') such as ''balete'' (one of the three most sacred trees for the Tagalogs, the other two being ''kawayan'' or bamboo and ''buko'' or coconut tree), and other places known to the natural and spiritual world, except for swamps, which are called ''buhay na tubig'' (living waters) and are considered as sacred but dangerous to the Tagalog people in pre-colonial times due to the presence of life-threatening supernatural beings. The presence of these natural shrines is one of the primary reasons why indigenous belief systems continued to exist despite the Spanish-imposed all-out destruction of shrine structures. Due to colonization, majority of the indigenous shrine practices have been lost, fragmented severely, or absorbed into Christian practices, such as the case in pilgrim devotion practices in
Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling (also spelled Maquiling) is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of above mean sea level and is the highest feat ...
, which has Catholic and indigenous practices involved. The unaltered shrine practices of the Filipino ethnic groups are similar to
shrine
A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...
practices in Asia, such as the shrine practices in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
, and
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
.
Notable sacred places

Most of the remaining sacred places are natural, and not man-made, as majority of the man-made shrines were completely destroyed by the Spanish during a 300-year Catholic-colonial period from the 16th century to the 19th century. However, remnants of man-made shrines have been rediscovered since the middle of the 20th century, such as the
Angono Petroglyphs
The Angono - Binangonan Petroglyphs are petroglyphs carved into a rock wall between the boundaries of Angono and Binangonan, Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. It consists of 127 human and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably carve ...
in
Rizal which was rediscovered in 1965 and the
Limestone tombs of Kamhantik in
Quezon province which was rediscovered in 2011. Prominent natural shrines or sacred grounds vary, but the most notable are the mountains and volcanoes. Additionally, mythological shrines and sacred places also abound within the diverse concepts known in the
indigenous Philippine folk religions
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with animism. These Indigenous folk religionsAlmocera, Ruel A., (2005) Popular Filipi ...
.
Some examples of the many traditional sacred places today are as follow:
*
Mount Canatuan – a sacred mountain in
Siocon,
Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Norte (Cebuano language, Cebuano: ''Amihanang Zamboanga''; Subanon language, Subanon: ''Utara Sembwangan''; ), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines situated w ...
for the
Subanen people, who believe that the mountain is the home of a variety of well-respected nature spirits; the divine mountain was destroyed by a mining company, and a huge mass of it has been transformed into the
Canatuan mine, despite indigenous protests
*
Pulangi River – a sacred river in central Mindanao since ancient times; various myths are associated with the river such as the appearance of the Patakoda, and the routes taken by the Maguindanaon epic heroes Indarapatra and Sulayman
*
Mayon Volcano – home of the supreme deity of the
Bicolano people
The Bicolano people (Bikol languages, Bikol: ''Mga Bikolnon'') are the fourth-largest Ethnic groups in the Philippines, Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Their native region is commonly referred to as Bicol Region, Bicol, which comprises the entir ...
, Gugurang; repository of the sacred fire of Ibalon; it is said to erupt, rumble, or spout lava or ash whenever the people committed heinous crimes, signaling the people to repent and undo evil things
*
Angono Petroglyphs
The Angono - Binangonan Petroglyphs are petroglyphs carved into a rock wall between the boundaries of Angono and Binangonan, Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. It consists of 127 human and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably carve ...
– limestone wall traditionally used for healing purposes by the
Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an Austronesian Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the p ...
, who drew infant figures on the wall to "pass-on" a child's sickness onto it
*
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
– home of the powerful
Kapampangan
Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to:
*Kapampangan people, of the Philippines
*Kapampangan language
Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
moon god, Apûng Malyari, who also rules over the eight sacred rivers; in contrast, the neighboring
Mount Arayat
Mount Arayat is an isolated, potentially active stratovolcano in the Central Luzon plains. Located within the vast agricultural lands of Pampanga, it rises to a height of above sea level. Its southern half lies within the municipality of A ...
is the home of the powerful sun god of war and death,
Aring Sinukûan, who taught the early Kapampangans the industry of metallurgy, woodcutting, rice culture and waging wars.
*
Mount Pulag
Mount Pulag (; ) is Luzon's highest peak at above sea level, List of mountains in the Philippines, third-highest mountain in the Philippines, and the List of islands by highest point, 26th-highest peak of an island on Earth.
It is List of Ul ...
– the tallest mountain in Luzon island and is home to the ''tinmongao'' spirits; believed to be the sacred resting ground of the souls of the
Ibaloi people and other ethnic peoples
*
Bud Bongao – a sacred mountain for the
Sama-Bajau
The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A'a Sama, "Sama people"); or are known by the exonym ...
and
Tausug peoples; guarded by spirits and monkeys in
Tawi-tawi
Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''; ), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capit ...
*
Mount Apo
Mount Apo is the highest mountain peak in the Philippines, with an elevation of above sea level. A large solfataric, dormant stratovolcano, it is part of the Apo-Talomo Mountain Range of Mindanao island. Apo is situated on the tripartite b ...
– the tallest and largest mountain in the Philippines and an expansive sacred mountain for the Manobos, Bagobo, Ubos, Atas, Kalagan and Tagacaolo peoples; the mountain is often referred as "grandfather" or "elder"; some ethnic peoples there offer sacrifices to the deity, Mandarangan, for good health and victories in war;
in Bagobo beliefs, it is said that two gigantic eels used to live in the mountain's rivers, one went east, lived, and became the ancestor of eels in the sea, while the other one went west inland, eventually dying and becoming the western foot ridges of Mount Apo; the Bagabo also believe that Apo Sandawa, god of blacksmiths, lives in Mount Apo with the deity of the forge, Tolus Ka Gomanan, who is venerated in a ritual called ''Gomek-gomanan''
*
Mount Madia-as – home to the Hiligaynon and Karay-a death god, Sidapa, who measures mortal lives through an ancient tree;
later stories say that the comely moon god, Bulan, eventually lived with the robust and handsome Sidapa in his mountain home after a complex courtship and rescue story, which led to their divine marriage
*
Hinatuan Enchanted River – a sacred river believed to be protected by supernatural beings; the
Surigaonon people believe that certain fishes in the river cannot be caught due to enchanted protection
*
Kanlaon
Kanlaon, also known as Mount Kanlaon and Kanlaon Volcano (; ; ), is an active andesitic stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island of Negros in the Philippines, as well as the highest peak in the Visayas, with an elevation of above ...
– a sacred volcano in
Negros Island
Negros (, , ) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral T ...
surrounded by a variety of myths; a story states that its vicinity was home to a nation ruled by Laon; it was also formerly home to a dragon-like monster which was slayed by the lovers, Kan, a youthful hero, and Laon, a king or datu in Negros; later stories say that the supreme goddess of the
Hiligaynon people
The Hiligaynon people (), often referred to as Ilonggo people () or Panayan people (), are the second largest subgroup of the larger Bisaya people, Visayan Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic group, whose primary language is Hiligaynon lan ...
, Kanlaon, now lives in the volcano
*
Agusan Marsh – an expansive sacred marsh believed to be the home of numerous celestial spirits;
Lumad
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous peoples in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially ado ...
s perform the ''panagtawag'' rituals so that a visitor would not be harmed in the marsh
*
Biri – a sacred island with striking rock formations; the
Waray people
The Waray people (or the Waray-Waray people) are a subgroup of the larger ethnolinguistic group Bisaya people, who constitute the 4th largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. Their primary language is the Waray language (als ...
believe that Biri is the home of the goddess, Berbinota, who was initially a beautiful mortal woman who ruled the area's vicinity; stories say that enchanted beings kidnapped the mortal Berbinota in an attempt to make her their ruler, which eventually led to her enthronement as a goddess
*
Mount Caimana – a sacred mountain for the
Cuyunon people and is said to be the home of their supreme deity, Diwata ng Kagubatan; the Cuyunon used to perform a complex ritual for the deity on top of the mountain during her feast day prior to Spanish colonization
*
Mount Iraya – a sacred mountain for the
Ivatan people
The Ivatan people are an Austronesian ethnolinguistic group native to the Batanes and Babuyan Islands of the northernmost Philippines. They are genetically closely related to other ethnic groups in Northern Luzon, but also share close linguis ...
; there are two contrasting tales regarding the mountain, the first tale states that the mountain is a mother goddess (although Iraya was initially depicted as an androgynous deity prior to colonization) overlooking her children (the Ivatans) for their protection, while the second tale states that if a ring of clouds appear on top of the mountain, Iraya is notifying the people for preparation due to an inevitable death of an elder, usually due to natural causes
*
Kalipung-awan – a sacred fishing ground for the people of
Catanduanes
Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes (), is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across the M ...
and northeast
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
since ancient times; the indigenous name means "loneliness from an isolated place", referring to the feeling of fishermen who catch marine life in the area for days without their families; national culture refers to the place as
Benham or Philippine Rise
*
Langun-Gobingob Caves – a sacred cave system in
Samar
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
believed to be the home of ancient spirits and the resting ground of
Waray people
The Waray people (or the Waray-Waray people) are a subgroup of the larger ethnolinguistic group Bisaya people, who constitute the 4th largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. Their primary language is the Waray language (als ...
's souls; it is the second largest cave system in Asia
*
Siquijor
Siquijor ( , ), officially the Province of Siquijor (; ), is a Philippines, Philippine Provinces of the Philippines, island province (List of islands of the Philippines, the third smallest in the country, in terms of population and land area) ...
– the entire island province of Siquijor has been a sacred ground since ancient times due to its associated mystic traditions and sites; legend tells that the island rose from the sea after a strong earthquake
*
Mount Kechangon – a sacred mountain in
Lubuagan, Kalinga, which is the abode of the tinakchi, a race of mysterious and highly respected mountain-dwelling nature beings known as the "people who can't be seen"; some accounts tell that the tinakchi can use teleportation and invisibility, usually to safeguard nature and its wildlife
*
Mount Pandadagsaan – a sacred mountain for many ethnic groups such as the Mandaya people in
New Bataan, Compostela Valley; protected by a variety of nature deities; people who disturb the area or go there without divine permission are said to lose their way and succumb to the mountains.
*
Romblon
Romblon (, , ), officially the Province of Romblon, is an archipelagic province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. Its main components include Romblon, an archipelagic municipality of the same name that also serves as the provi ...
– the islands of Romblon is home to multiple sacred caves used by the ancestors of the ethnic
Asi,
Onhan, and
Romblomanon peoples; the most notable of which is Ipot Cave on the island of Banton, where the oldest warp ''ikat'' textile in Southeast Asia was found
*
Kamhantik – a sacred site in
Quezon province filled with unique limestone coffins made between 890–1030 AD; locals believe that the limestone tombs and associated objects were made by forest deities; the site was looted by the Americans before proper archaeological research was conducted
*
Sabuluag – islands east of Iloilo that are known for its sacred caves, remains of ancient ancestors, and enchanted and unseen beings lurking throughout the islands; created by the primordial giants Ilohaylo and Necrosamo in Hiligaynon mythology;
during Spanish colonization, huge human bones were found on Bakwitan cave, which led to the island groups' name change into "Islas de Gigantes"
*
Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling (also spelled Maquiling) is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of above mean sea level and is the highest feat ...
– a sacred mountain in southern Luzon, believed to be the abode of
Makiling, a goddess sent by Tagalog supreme deity
Bathala
In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathalà/Maykapál was the transcendent Supreme God, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathalà, a term or title which, in ...
to aid mankind in the area; the mountain is highly associated with the gifts of nature; due to its importance, various religious sects have made the mountain an annual pilgrimage site
*
Mount Mantalingajan
Mount Mantalingajan (or Mantalingahan or Mantaling) is the highest mountain in the island province of Palawan in the Philippines, with an elevation of above sea level, its ranked List of islands by highest point, 68th-highest peak of an island ...
– a sacred mountain revered by the local ethnic groups as the "mountain of the gods" in southern
Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
; an ancient race known as Tau't Daram (People of the Night) is believed to have lived in the mountain's forest canopies, told by the people's chants which refer to the race as "the shadows"
*
Mount Lantoy – a sacred mountain in southern
Cebu
Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
, believed to be the abode of the goddess
Cacao, who lives in a cave and maintains a plantation-of-sort within the mountain; the goddess is said to sell her produce by sailing her golden ship from a nearby river onto the sea
*
Ticao – an island in east
Masbate
Masbate, officially the Province of Masbate (Masbateño language, Masbateño: ''Probinsya san Masbate''; ), is an island Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located near the midsection of the nation's archipelago. Its provi ...
, which is home to thousands of artifacts, including ancient human teeth, burial jars, ceramics, accessories, ancient stone inscriptions, cave petrographs, and cave petrogylphs; the island's cultural landscapes, notably its caves, are believed to be the home of a variety of nature spirits of the land, while its waters are filled with manta rays and sea spirits
*
Punta Flechas – a sacred landmass at the end of
Zamboanga del Sur
Zamboanga del Sur ( Cebuano: ''Habagatang Zamboanga;'' Subanen: ''S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan''; , Jawi: سلاتن سامبواڠن; ), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located i ...
; the
Iranun people
The Iranun are an Austronesian ethnic group native to southwestern Mindanao, Philippines. They are ethnically and culturally closely related to the Maranao, and Maguindanaon, all three groups being denoted as speaking Danao languages and giv ...
believed that the site is the home of spirits who beat the waves, making it harder to sail; arrows are shot onto the rocks of the area as offerings to the spirits; during the colonization era, the Spanish plucked roughly 4,000 arrows at the site and renamed the area as San Agustin's cape, fueling outrage from the Iranun
Desecration of sacred sites
Majority of the sacred shrines and grounds under the
indigenous Philippine folk religions
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the distinct native religions of various ethnic groups in the Philippines, where most follow belief systems in line with animism. These Indigenous folk religionsAlmocera, Ruel A., (2005) Popular Filipi ...
have historically been desecrated by those belonging to Abrahamic faiths, namely,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
and
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, and by the efforts of
colonization
475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence.
Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...
and religious missionaries, as well as their followers.
Various indigenous sacred sites, including shrines and mountain sites, were desecrated by early Muslim missionaries and converts in the Sulu archipelago and western Mindanao. When the Spanish colonized the archipelago, majority of the indigenous sacred sites from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were either desecrated or destroyed. Crosses were disrespectfully put up in sacred areas while sacred objects were removed and destroyed, while the colonizers burned down the sacred sites of the locals. Many sacred mountains, lakes, and islands were renamed by the colonizers, and some, such as the case of
Mount San Cristobal, was demonized heavily, despite these areas having sacred origins.
In the modern age, desecrating of sacred sites in the indigenous Philippine folk religions continue to occur. Some include the setting up of Christian crosses on sacred mountains, such as in Mount Kabunian in Bakun, the illegal logging such as in the case of Mount Data in Benguet, destructive mining of sacred mountains such as the current activities conducted by mining firms, and the renaming of indigenous sites from their original local names into an English or Spanish name, some have been renamed to falsely refer to them as demonic.
Restoration of indigenous shrines and sacred grounds
Today's practices are notably influenced by modernity, due to an array of inevitable religious dynamisms.
Although no expansive shrine structures have yet to be built, natural shrines such as Mount Makiling, Mayon Volcano, Pinatubo Volcano, Mount Pulag, Kanlaon Volcano, Mount Madja-as, Mount Apo, and many others are thoroughly used to preserve the ancient religions.
Home altars continue to be one of the abodes of specific sacred objects depicting or attributed to the deities and ancestral spirits.
See also
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Diwata
''Anito'', also spelled ''anitu'', refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associ ...
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Animism
Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...
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Bathala
In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathalà/Maykapál was the transcendent Supreme God, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathalà, a term or title which, in ...
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Indigenous religious beliefs of the Philippines
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Indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people
Tagalog religion mainly consists of Tagalog Austronesian religious elements, supplemented with other elements later obtained from Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Islam. It was contemporaneously referred to by Spanish priests as ''tagalismo'' (i ...
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Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology is rooted in the many indigenous Philippine folk religions. Philippine mythology exhibits influence from Hinduism, Hindu, Islam, Muslim, Buddhism, Buddhist, and Christianity, Christian traditions.
Philippine mythology ...
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Philippine Registry of Cultural Property
The Philippine Registry of Cultural Property, abbreviated as PRECUP (), is a national registry of the Philippine Government used to consolidate in one record all cultural property that are deemed important to the cultural heritage, tangible and ...
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Religion in pre-colonial Philippines
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Sacred groves
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Sacred trees
A sacred tree or holy tree is a tree which is considered to be sacred, or worthy of spiritual respect or reverence. Such trees appear throughout world history in various cultures including the ancient Hindu mythology, Greek mythology, Greek, Celti ...
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Dap-ay
Notes
References
{{Reflist
Religious places
Austronesian spirituality
Indigenous Philippine folk religions