Ifugao, Cordillera Autonomous Region, Philippines
Biographical Information
PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF IFUGAO
FAST FACT
Capital : Lagawe
Area : 2,517.7 sq. km.
Population : 149,161
Cities : none
No. of Towns : 10
LOCATION
Ifugao is in the Cordillera Central Mountains of northern Luzon.
It is bounded
on the north by the Mountain Province, on the east by Isabela, on
the west by
Benguet, and on the south by Nueva Vizcaya.
THE LAND
Ifugao is home of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces. The extensive
mountain
ranges that dominate the landscape have been terraced by hand for
growing
rice because there is hardly any level land. Even the nearby
villages are on the
mountain slopes. The peaks rise as high as 2,500 m, with lush
forests above
the rice terraces. Numerous rivers and waterfalls drain into the
lowland
valleys. The province's location high in the mountains and its
forest cover
account for its temperate climate. A short dry season lasts from
January to
April; it can be very wet during the rainy season.
A BRIEF HISTORY
In 1752, a Spanish base was established in Bagabag (in what is
now Nueva
Vizcaya). The Spanish tried to subdue the Ifugaos who frequently
raided
Cagayan Valley settlements.
In 1767, however, the Ifugaos defeated the Spaniards in a battle
in the town
of Kiangan. Other Spanish military expeditions followed which
made Ifugao
territory part of the Province of Nueva Vizcaya when it was
created in 1839.
The Spaniards set up a politico- military district in Kiangan in
1841, from
where the outlying villages could be controlled and converted to
Christianity.
The fierce resistance of the Ifugaos, however, continued up until
the end of
the Spanish rule.
The Americans used a different approach: they developed friendly
relations
with the Ifugaos and the other tribes of the Cordilleras by
holding canaos
(native feasts) and by unifying groups. This led to the creation
of the old
Mountain Province by the Philippine Commission in 1908. Ifugao
was
separated from Nueva Vizcaya and made into one of its
sub-provinces. Soon
thereafter, roads were built connecting Kiangan to Bontoc and to
Bagabag.
During World War 11, the Japanese established a garrison in
Kiangan. When
the U.S. Liberation Forces landed in Luzon in January 1945, the
Japanese
Imperial Army under General Yamashita retreated to Ifugao. They
established
a stronghold on the slopes of Mt. Napaluan in Hungduan, but the
joint
Filipino- American Forces went after them with continuous bombing
and
artillery fire. On September 3, 1945, Yamashita finally
surrendered in
Kiangan, bringing the war in the Pacific to an end.
On June 18,1966, by virtue of Republic Act No. 4695, the old
Mountain
Province was divided into four regular provinces-Benguet, Ifugao,
Kalinga-Apayao, and the Mountain Province. Ifugao and Kalinga-
Apayao
were made a part of the Cagayan Valley region until 1987, when
they became
part of the newly- created Cordillera Administrative Region.
THE PEOPLE
Some historians believe that the Ifugaos migrated from Indochina
across
southern Japan to Luzon then southward to Java because these are
the only
areas where rice terraces can be found. Others say they migrated
northward
from Indonesia as evidenced by their art forms and rituals which
are similar to
Bomeo's, Sumatra's, and those of other Indonesian tribes.
Wherever they
came from, the relatively short, well-built Ifugao have acquired
a reputation as
fierce resisters to foreign domination, even as headhunters. They
conjure an
image of warriors wearing G-strings with a spear in one hand and
a wooden
shield in the other. Men still wear G-strings and feathered
headgear, especially
when tourists want to take their pictures. The women wear
colorful,
hand-woven dresses.
The Ifugao maintain centuries-old traditions. Sacrificial animals
are butchered
before crop planting but the most colorful rituals are held
during harvest time.
The village chief is the first to harvest. Then for two days, the
community
celebrates by feasting on chickens, pigs, or carabaos amidst
dancing and the
beating of gongs. The inhabitants speak a dialect also called
Ifugao.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
The Ifugaos engage in agriculture, hunting, and forestry. They
raise rice,
rootcrops, vegetables, coffee, and cotton in the rice terraces or
in kaingins.
Wood-carving and the making of traditional handicrafts such as
woven cloth
and baskets are important industries. The province's tourism
potential can still
be developed further to provide employment to residents and boost
the
economy.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised: June 17, 1999
