MANGYAN
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found in Mindoro island, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs. The total population may be around 100,000, but no official statistics are available because of the difficulties of counting remote and reclusive tribal groups, many of which have no contact with the outside world.
The ethnic groups from north to south of the island are: Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan, Tawbuid (called Batangan by lowlanders on the west of the island), Buhid, Hanunoo. An additional group on the south coast is labelled Ratagnon. They appear to be intermarried with lowlanders. The group known on the east of Mindoro as Bangon may be a subgroup of Tawbuid, as they speak the 'western' dialect of that language.
Mangyan are mainly subsistence agriculturalists, planting a variety of sweet potato, upland (dry cultivation) rice, and taro. They also trap small animals and wild pig. Many who live in close contact with lowland Filipinos sell cash crops such as bananas and ginger.
Their languages are mutually unintelligible, though they share some vocabulary. Tawbuid and Buhid are closely related, and are unusual among Philippine languages in having an /f/ phoneme. Tawbuid is divided into eastern and western dialects. Western Tawbuid may be the only Philippine language to have no glottal phonemes, having neither /h/ or /ʔ/.
Their traditional religious world view is animistic. Around 10% have embraced Christianity, both Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism. New Testaments have been published in six of the languages.
The ethnic groups from north to south of the island are: Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan, Tawbuid (called Batangan by lowlanders on the west of the island), Buhid, Hanunoo. An additional group on the south coast is labelled Ratagnon. They appear to be intermarried with lowlanders. The group known on the east of Mindoro as Bangon may be a subgroup of Tawbuid, as they speak the 'western' dialect of that language.
Mangyan are mainly subsistence agriculturalists, planting a variety of sweet potato, upland (dry cultivation) rice, and taro. They also trap small animals and wild pig. Many who live in close contact with lowland Filipinos sell cash crops such as bananas and ginger.
Their languages are mutually unintelligible, though they share some vocabulary. Tawbuid and Buhid are closely related, and are unusual among Philippine languages in having an /f/ phoneme. Tawbuid is divided into eastern and western dialects. Western Tawbuid may be the only Philippine language to have no glottal phonemes, having neither /h/ or /ʔ/.
Their traditional religious world view is animistic. Around 10% have embraced Christianity, both Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism. New Testaments have been published in six of the languages.
Alangan Tribe
- Alangan
The Alangan Mangyans in Lantuyan Baco, Oriental MIndoro Philippines
The name Alangan was derived from the name of a river and mountain slopes in the upper Alangan Valley.
MANGYAN ROOTS AND HISTORY
Mangyans were the first to inhabit the island of Mindoro. Comprising 10% of the whole Mindoro population, the Mangyans are composed of twelve tribes, each with its own language, culture, and way of life. There are the Iraya, Batangan, Buid, Hanuno'o, Alangan, Ratagnon, Tagaydan (or Tadyawan), Bangon, Pula, Buhid, Nauhan, and Furuan.
For centuries, they lived peacefully along the coastal areas of Oriental Mindoro, where they fished for a living. That was until migrants from nearby islands settled on the island. To avoid disputes, the mild-mannered and peace-loving people gave up their land, moved to the mountains, and came down only for food and other necessities.
Sadly, they have been treated as second class citizens like other indigenous people in the world -- for years often exploited, neglected, and discriminated against by lowlanders. They have experienced being misjudged as uneducated and uncivilized people. They often struggle with poverty. They survive by farming root crops and fruits, which is the only livelihood they know.
According to hearsay, during the Spanish times, a Spanish ship sank in the oceans near Mindoro. Its passengers mostly Spanish soldiers and some of their families, rowed onto nearby shores and settled. They discovered that it was inhabited by people the "mangyans." Some of the soldiers sleep with female native and bore sons and daughters. Thus, their offsprings grew up handsome and beautiful. In some areas of Mindoro, there are Mangyan community whose people lives a better life in concrete houses, dresses like civilized people in lowlands, owned rice and corn plantation and even have vehicles
The Mangyans were the only inhabitants of Mindoro before they were driven from the coasts into the mountainous areas by invading Tagalogs. They are a mixture of Austronesians, proto-Malays, Indian settlers and Malays. They once populated the whole island including the coasts. Since 150 years they have by and by been driven to the mountainous areas of the island by invading Tagalog settlers. Today their settlements can be found mainly in central cordillera and in secluded areas of Oriental Mindoro. There are now about 50,000 Mangyans living in Oriental Mindoro. The term Mangyan is a generic name for the diverse groups inhabiting the mountains and foothills. Individually, the groups identify themselves by other names.
"Mangyan" is a collective name of uncertain origin for several tribes of which the main groups are:
ALANGAN 6,000 to 7,000 (1991 SIL). North central Mindoro, around Mt. Halcon
IRAYA 10,000 (1991 OMF). Northern Mindoro from Baco to Mamburao
BUHID (BUKIL, BANGON, BATANGAN) 8,000 . Southern Mindoro
TADYAWAN (PULA, TADIANAN, BALABAN) 2,000 . East central Mindoro
HANUNOO (HANONOO) 10,000 to 12,000. Southern Oriental Mindoro
Some Mangyans in remote areas have conserved their traditional lifestyle - hunting with bows and arrows and gathering food. The majority though practices small-scale and self-supporting agriculture and exchange of products. Tagalog planters employ them for "dirty work" such as cleaning the plantations from unwanted plants or even converting forests into plantations - which contributes to further reduction of their habitats.
The Hanunoo tribe seems to be less affected by influences of the Tagalog speaking population - maybe also because their settlements in the mountains are located in an area dominated by the New People's Army guerilla.