Mythologies of the Yogad Tribe

Yogad is one of the smallest minority groups in the province of Isabela. They are an indigenous community that speaks a distinct language that swims together with numerous other Filipino languages that have puzzled many other researchers. Here are some of the most common points to better understand the Yogad people. The Yogad communities are located mainly in Echague within the Isabela province. Aside from that, however, they are scattered in other areas in Isabela: Angadanan, Camaras, Santiago, and Jones. Similar to the rest of the region, the locations where the Yogad settle thrive in terms of agriculture. Also, the local members are active in keeping their community values and beliefs intact. However, as modernity comes into play, the people are beginning to experience the struggles of preserving their indigenous practices. A distinct feature of the Yogad indigenous group is their language. It is also one of the most vulnerable aspects of the indigenous people’s lives. The Yogad are Filipinos who speak an Austronesian language recognized as one of the five dialects of Ga’dang, with the others being Gaddang proper, Maddukayang, Katalangan, and Iraya. But what exactly is the Ga’dang? It is the language spoken in the area of northern Luzon. Many neighboring provinces use this language. Specifically, Ga’dang is used in Tabuk, Kalinga, Paracelis, Mountain Province, and Potia, Ifugao. Even though the Yogad language share this particular linguistic lineage, it is classified by the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS) as Level 6b (threatened or vulnerable). Why is it a Level 6b? This is because the Yogad language still used within the communities remains in oral form. Also, the language speakers are less likely to pass on this knowledge to the younger generation. This means that the Yogad native speakers are getting older each day with no one to keep the language alive for it to thrive in the younger generations within the communities.

The Yogads occupy five towns of Isabela, namely Echague, Angadanan, Santiago and Jones. They are a part of the Christianized Kalingas in Western Isabela. Similar to other Christian groups in the lowlands, the Yogad civilization is slightly influenced by the Spaniards. But they hold strongly to their many customs and beliefs. Their build is of the Indonesian type. They vary from reddish brown to dark brown in complexion, with straight black hair and dark brown eyes. They live in houses made of wood like bamboo and roof thatched with leaves. The men wear shirt and trousers while the women wear chemise and skirts. The Yogads are music and dance lovers. The principal product of the Yogads is tobacco, and corn is an important food. They depend on agriculture for their source of livelihood. They are also fond of hunting in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Like the other highlanders, the Yogads are good in basket work, which they sell in nearby markets to help them with their monetary needs. The Yogads are one of the smallest minority groups in the Cordillera area. They usually have little influence on whatever political decisions the local and national governments are doing within their territories. Their villages are usually under the leadership of local native leaders who have access to higher local government.

Yogad is an Austronesian language spoken primarily in Echague and other nearby towns in Isabela province in northern Philippines. The 1990 census claimed there were around 16,000 speakers. Anthropologist H. Otley Beyer describes Yogad as a variant of Gaddang language and the people as a sub-group of the Gaddang people in his 1917 catalogue of Philippines ethnic groups. Glottolog presently groups it as a member of the Gaddangic group; in 2015, however, Ethnologue placed Yogad as a separate member of the Ibanagic language family. Godfrey Lambrecht, CICM, also distinguished separately the peoples who spoke the two languages. The Yogad alphabet has 21 letters composed of 16 consonants and 5 vowels.

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