Mythologies of the Bugkalot Tribe

The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are a tribe inhabiting the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along the mountain border between the provinces of Quirino and Aurora. They are also commonly referred to as "Ilongot", especially in older studies, but nowadays, the endonym Bugkalot is preferred in modern ethnic research. They were formerly headhunters. Presently, there are about 18,000 Bugkalots according to the 2020 census. 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, spoken by about 6,000 people. They also speak the Ilocano and Tagalog languages.

The Bugkalot appear in most ethnographic studies as “Ilongot,” and thus are generally called such by outsiders. However, Bugkalot, also spelled Bugkalut, is what they call themselves. The etymology of the term is unknown, but Irungot, which is another self-designation, means “from the forest.” “Ilongot” or “Ilungot” comes from the prefix i, denoting “people,” and gongot or longot, “forest”; thus, the word means “people of the forest.” Ngot or ngut also suggests fierceness. A Spanish version is “Egongot.” “Ilongot” has come to connote such negative images as “savage,” “treacherous,” and “ferocious,” largely as a result of Spanish and American colonialist bias. However, at least two people’s organizations in Quirino carry the name “Ilongot.” Lowland converts, particularly the Isinay, refer to the Bugkalot as Ibilao or Ivilao. Other terms refer to Ilongot subgroups: “Abaka” refers to the Conwap river settlers, “Italon,” to the northern waters of Cagayan river settlers, and “Igongut,” to the Tabayon river settlers. Although there is a large concentration of villages at the source of the Cagayan River, Bugkalot communities are generally scattered in the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo mountains. Numerous rivers and dense tropical rainforests define Bugkalot territory, covering the provinces of Aurora (particularly the municipality of Maria Aurora), Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, and Alfonso Castañeda municipalities), Quirino (Nagtipunan municipality), and parts of Nueva Ecija. The Bugkalot population during the Spanish colonial period was estimated at 5,000. The 1903 census during the American occupation reported 3,601. This number had at least doubled 30 years later, when a 1939 census reported 7,042 Bugkalot living in Nueva Vizcaya and southern Isabela. War and disease in the 1940s caused the population to decrease to 5,282 by 1946.

The “Bugkalot” like any other people have an innate pride in their unique culture. Outsiders and lowlanders often wonder why we unashamedly refer to ourselves as such. We call our tribe and language “Bugkalot” from the root word “Ka-lot” – meaning “interweave” or “interwoven”. Our lifestyle is generally interwoven as can be seen in the way we build our houses which must be interwoven with rattan. Our costumes and native attire must also be interwoven with many colorful decorations. Our artifacts too, are traditionally interwoven with rattan or bamboo and other endemic natural materials like feathers, animal fur, etc. The Bugkalot Tribe, more commonly known to lowlanders as “Ilongots”, are located in the Northern part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. As of this year 2016, it has a population of more or less 15,000. The original and true tribal name “BUGKALOT” was declared as our official name, when the over-all organization of the Bugkalot clans, ‘Bugkalot Confederation’ was organized in 1967. Headed by our former Chieftain Molina Salvador, our elders agreed to use a name that comes from us, instead of ‘Ilongot’ which is not from us. Chieftain Molina said, “Ma Bugkalot siyay ma binangonan si” – meaning “Bugkalot is a name from us and to which we have awakened”. The term ‘Ilongot’ came around in the first half of the eighteenth century and is still being used up to this time. Due to the appropriateness of its meaning, it is still being used to call us as it is already recorded in many documents, internet and even in our Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title where we are defined as “Bugkalot/Ilongot”, for legal purposes.

Tucked away in the Sierra Madre mountain range, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Quirino, and Aurora, is the Bugkalot tribe. The name of the tribe is derived from the root word kalot meaning “interwoven,” although the tribe is more popularly known to outsiders as Ilongots, meaning “head hunters.” The Bugkalot’s population is estimated to be around 80,000 and reported to be descendants of Indonesians, according to anthropologist Laurence Wilson. They were among the first people to settle in the Philippines and the earliest dwellers of the forests of Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino, along with the Dumagat and Agta. Although the Bugkalot are divided into various subgroups that are different from one another, they all share certain linguistic and cultural characteristics. Their skin color ranges from fair to dark, and many of them had converted to Christianity in the 1950s after the arrival of the missionaries in their lands. Previously known for their head hunting practices, the Bugkalot were among the bravest indigenous groups who fought Spanish, American, and Japanese invaders from conquering their villages. Despite fending off foreign invaders, the influx of lowlanders in their areas eventually contributed to the Bugkalot’s transformation. Although others are more familiar with the name Ilongot, the majority of the tribe prefer their original and official tribal name, Bugkalot. Their language, also called Bugkalot, is still spoken by many. They are also fluent in Tagalog and Ilocano, which they mainly use in trading especially among those from Quirino province. Swidden agriculture, also known as shifting cultivation, is one of the major economic activities of the Bugkalot. They grow crops that are harvested and sold to lowlanders. Another source of their food and livelihood is fishing, particularly for those residing near the river.

Bugkalot/Ilongot is an indigenous peoples which were known as head hunters who also love arts, nature, and their culture. Aside from headhunter, Bugkalot men love hunting wild animals and fish for food while women are in charge in plant cultivation. Young Men are trained for fighting, hunting, dancing, singing, playing of instruments and accessories making. Young women are trained in housekeeping, plant cultivating, singing, dancing, playing instruments, weaving, and making attires and accessories.