Mythologies of the Sambal Tribe

The Sambal people are a Filipino ethnolinguistic group living primarily in the province of Zambales and the Pangasinense municipalities of Bolinao, Anda, and Infanta. The term may also refer to the general inhabitants of Zambales. They were also referred to as the Zambales (singular Zambal) during the Spanish colonial era. In 1950s, hundreds of Sambal from the northern municipalities of Zambales migrated to and established a settlement in Quezon, Palawan; this settlement was named Panitian. The residents call themselves Palawenyong Sambal (Spanish: zambales palaweños) or simply Sambal. The Sambal are the original Austronesian inhabitants of the province of Zambales in the Philippines. They speak mainly Sambal and Botolan, as well as Kapampangan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Bolinao, and Pangasinense. The Sambalic languages are most closely related to the Kapampangan language and Sinauna and archaic form of Tagalog still spoken in Tanay in the province of Rizal. This has been interpreted to mean that Sambals had once lived in that area, later being displaced by migrating Tagalog settlers, pushing the original inhabitants northward to the modern province of Zambales, in turn, displacing the Aetas. The Sambals were known to be militant and fierce fighters, notorious for their bloody raids on Christian settlements. They were described by European writers as being excellent archers who used poison arrows. They were also armed with short spears, a short blade or dagger, and carried large rectangular kalasag shields. Fr. Manuel Buzeta in Diccionario Geográfico, Estadístico, Histórico de las Islas Filipinas (1850) describes the Zambales region during the early Spanish period as being sparsely populated by a small number of Sambal villages, with huge distances between them. Each village had about ten to thirty families and were often at war with other villages. The Sambal were headhunters, with similar headhunting traditions as the Cordillerans. A warrior's status was tied to the number of enemies they had killed. They kept a collection of heads or skulls to indicate this, which is also represented by certain ornaments worn on the body. When a person dies by violent or natural means, the immediate male relatives would wear a strip of black cloth to signify mourning. They would be forbidden from singing, dancing, or participating in festivities until they kill an enemy. Murderers within a community are also punished by death, unless a payment of a certain quantity of gold or silver or slaves is accepted by the family of the deceased.

The Sambal people of Zambales are known to have been fierce warriors during pre-colonial times. Sambal is a collective name for three groups, namely, the Tina Sambal, Bolinao Sambal, and Botolan Sambal. These three groups can be differentiated by the languages they speak. The Sambal people inhabit the western coastal areas of Central Luzon and the Zambales mountain range. They are known to worship a pantheon of gods. The name Sambal has two possible origins. It could have come from the word samba, meaning “to worship,” as Spanish colonizers regarded the Sambals as highly superstitious people who worship the spirits of their ancestors. The other possible origin of the name Sambal is the Spanish word zambo, used by Iberian colonizers to describe people of African descent. Before the Spanish colonized the Philippines, the Sambal people had a complex indigenous religion. This religion is composed of several deities and beings that share similarities with the Kapampangan and Tagalog deities. In their religion, Malayari is the highest and most powerful deity. He is in essence the creator and main controller of the universe. Despite his omnipotence, Malayari does not perform his duties alone. He is helped by several minor deities called anito, with each one having a role to play in administering the affairs of the universe. Among the prominent ones are Akasi, Manglubar, Mangalagar, Anitun Tauo, Damulag, Dumagan, Kalasakas, and Kalasokus. It is not only the deities that awaken the imagination of mythology enthusiasts; there are also several popular folkloric beings in Sambal mythology. Among them are Ani-ani, who can change into a man or a beast; Bacobaco, a great sea turtle that resides at the top of Mount Pinatubo; Binagoonan, an evil spirit that causes grave misfortune; Boroka, a being that eats human children’s livers; Camana, a being that can assume the form of small animals or becomes invisible; Kamanan Daplak, a tiny being that lives in trees; Mambubuno, a fish-like human female; Maniniblot, a female being that goes out to harm her enemies by prickling a tiny doll during the full moon; Mangkokolam, a supernatural being similar to Maniniblot that gives various diseases to people; and Patianak, a dwarf in the form of a little girl. When we talk about famous destinations in Zambales, Mount Pinatubo would almost certainly come up. It is no surprise that it, too, is a source of various mythologies. These myths all center on the Pinatubo volcano erupting and the mythical creatures causing its eruption dwelling in it. These creatures are Malyari, a Kapampangan ruler of the eight rivers and the moon; Sinukuan, a Kapampangan sun god of war and death; Algao, the sun god, and Bacobaco, a great sea turtle, who battled it out and eventually caused Bacobaco to burrow into the top of Mount Pinatubo, creating a huge crater and emitting flames, rocks, and ashes. It is said that when Bacobaco resurfaces, Mount Pinatubo erupts.

In the past, fierce Sambal warriors frequently raided Christian settlements. They were also highly superstitious and worshiped the spirits of their ancestors. Today, the Sambal are predominantly Roman Catholic, though probably still superstitious. The Botolan Sambal inhabit Zambales, particularly in the towns of Botolan and Cabangan. They are popularly known as the Negritos or Aetas of Luzon, who live in the mountain ranges of Zambales. Before the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the Botolan Sambal freely roamed the mountains and forests of Zambales. Their primary economic activities were farming, hunting, and food gathering. The eruption all but ruined their habitat, thus displacing them. Today, the Botolan Sambal live in the resettlement areas around Zambales, adapting to the modern world while striving to preserve their culture.