Ibaloi

House Ethnic
H o u s es

presented by:
Rocheil Liegh Paltingca &
Khyzzia Necol Ponio
Contents

Introduction History Geographical

1 2 3 and Geological

Climatic Economy &

4 5 Livelihood 6 Culture & Beliefs

7 Traditional 8 References
House
 1
Introduction Ethnic
Houses
of Phili
ppines
Introduction
The Ibaloi Tribe

The Ibaloy is derived from “I” a prefix signifying “pertaining to”

and baloy or house meaning “people who live in houses.” The variants are
“ibaloi,” “inibaloy,” and “nabaloi.”They are indigenous ethnic group found in
the northern Philippines. The Ibaloi are one of the indigenous peoples
collectively known as Igorot, who live in Northern part of Luzon particularly
in the mountains of the Cordillera and neighboring provinces. The Ibaloi
language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian
languages family. It is closely related to the Pangasinan language. The Ibaloi
in Kasibu inhabit at the southeastern part; they are concentrated in barangay
Lupa, Pao, Muta, Pudi, Paquet and Siguem. Some are also scattered in
barangay Kongkong, Alloy, Watwat, Antutot, Macalong and Poblacion.
 of
History
Ibaloi

History
2
An account of a Spanish expedition into Benguet in 1582 notes that there were tilledlands and
plenty of mined gold. Evidence that the Ibaloy had pre-Spanish contactwith overseas traders was
the presence of jars, plates, beads, and brass gongs, whichwere exchanged for gold and other
products. Rice did not seem to be a staple fooduntil fairly recently. A 1624 expedition noted that
food consisted of yams, sweet potato, taro, maize, sugarcane juice, and sugarcane wine. An 1829
expedition sawno rice paddies

During the Spanish period, there were about 110 settlements in Benguet and about ahundred
more in the outlying mountain areas. Spanish occupation began in 1618,when King Philip III sent
orders to the Philippines to search for Igorot gold becausehe needed to finance his involvement in
the Thirty Years War. In February 1620,Captain Garcia de Aldana Cabrera and a force of 1700
reached the Boa miningcommunity near what is now Mines View Park, Baguio. The Ibaloy
residents therehad anticipated his arrival and had destroyed their own town. Aldana dug up
thetimber that the Ibaloy had buried and built Fort Santissima Trinidad, a few houses,and a
chapel. Fort Santiago was built at the Santo Niño mines in 1623 and Fort delRosario at the
Antamok-Itogon mines in 1625, but like the first, these were soonabandone
 3
Geological
&
Geographica
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Benguet is one of the six provinces comprising the Cordillera
Administrative Region or CAR. It was by the Republic Act
No. 4695 enacted on June 18, 1966 which divided the former
Mountain Provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao
and Kalinga-Apayao. At 5,000 feet above sea level, Benguet,
the gateway to the highland provinces of CAR lies in the
southern end of the Cordillera Mountain Range, 256 kms
north of Manila and is bounded on the North by Mt. Province,
on the East by Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya, on the
South by Pangasinan, and on the west by La Union and Ilocos
Sur and it is accessible by landand air transport.

Rugged and sloping terrain and deep valleys characterize the

province. Amidst these mountain peaks is a wide plateau
wherein the capital town, La Trinidad, is located. A total of
13 municipalities and 140 barangays make up the province.
4
Benguet is known for its cold pleasant weather the whole year round. Its
temperature readings are the lowest in the country mainly due to its topography
and elevation. From 2000 to 2006 the lowest temperature recorded is 11.2 ˚C
and the maximum is 24.4 ˚C in April 2003.

The Southern and western potions of the province received the lowest annual
rainfall ranging from 2,500 to 3,000mm. In the western areas, the mean
monthly total show that approximately 90% of the total annual rainfall occurs
from May to October and only 10% from November to April showing no
pronounced seasons. In the eastern portion approximately 60% of the total
rainfall was from May to October and 40% from November to April showing
that the seasons are not very pronounced.
 Culture, Beliefs & Practices
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History
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Philipp f
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Culture
The Ibaloy build their houses (balai or baeng) near their farms. These are usually built on five foot posts (tokod)
and contain only one room with no windows. Pine trees are usually used to build the houses, especially for
wealthy families, while bark bamboo for floors and walls, and cogon grass for roofs (atup), are used by the
poor. For cooking, they use pots are made of copper (kambung), and food compartments (shuyu) and utensils
made of wood. Baskets and coconut shells are also used as containers. A wooden box filled with soil serves
as the cooking place (Shapolan), and three stones as the stove (shakilan). Traditional weapons of the Ibaloys
are the spear (kayang), shield (kalasai), bow and arrow (bekang and pana), and war club (papa), though they
are rarely used in present times. The Ibaloy also employ cutting tools like knives, farm tools, and complete
pounding implements for rice: mortars (dohsung), which are round or rectangular for different purposes, and
pestles (al-o or bayu)of various sizes, carved from sturdy tree trunks and pine branches. Their rice winnower
(dega-o or kiyag) are made of bamboo or rattan.

Music is also important among the Ibaloy, with the Jew's harp (kodeng), nose flute (kulesheng), native guitar
(kalsheng or Kambitong), bamboo striking instruments, drums (solibao), gongs (kalsa), and many others.
They are considered sacred, and must always be played for a reason, such as a cañao feast.
The Ibaloy have been affected by modern ideas of house building and dress. Since
the American colonial period, the thatch has been replaced by pine board for the
floor and walls, with galvanized iron roofing. The family sleeps on native beds or on
wooden floors.Visual Arts and Crafts
In olden times both men and women used bark cloth to cover their private parts
and, until the Spanish colonial period, wore tattoos. Originally meant to identify
one’s tribal origins, the tattoo now has a purely ornamental purpose. The ink used
is made of pig’s bile and soot. The favorite design is the lizard figure, which is the
Ibaloy symbol for the anito or ancestral spirit.
The weaving industry was introduced to the Ibaloy in the early American colonial
period, specifically in 1906. Therefore, blankets that were found in old coffins were
probably bought from the Kankanay. At present, the weavers of Baguio produce a
great amount of textiles for tourists and have established a reputation for their preferred
color combinations, i.e., red-black-and-white or red-black-and-yellow.

Some houses have ornamental friezes of stylized human and animal skulls, such as those
of a pig, carabao, cow, and deer. These are meant to signify family status, a warrior’s
prowess, or sacrifices made by the house owner.
Beliefs
Ibaloy cosmology consists of three worlds: tabun, the skyworld inhabited by people
like those on earth; the earthworld, which is supported by four pillars; and the
aduongan, the underworld inhabited by people with tails. Earthquakes occur when
hogs of the aduongan rub themselves against the pillars.

There are 16 culture heroes, now worshipped as gods, all of whom are invoked in the
bendian ceremony, originally a victory dance after head taking, later a festive
ceremony for good fortune, harvest, or for healing.

Kabigat (the Supreme Deity), Lumawig, Wigan, Wigwigan,

Amdagan, Balitok, Maodi, Moan, Bulian, Gatan, Montes, Daongan, Bangon, Bangan,
Obag, and Obagobagan
Practices
Ancient Tradition of Mummification

It is a complicated process that takes about weeks or months and sometimes even years to accomplish. The
corpse is properly cleaned and covered in salt and herbs before it is placed over a fire in a seated position.
Meanwhile, tobacco smoke is blown into the cadaver’s mouth to dry its internal organs. This process helps
remove fluids from the body.

During the early 20th century, several mummified remains were found enshrined in different caves in the
Cordillera Mountain. The remains were enclosed in oval-shaped coffins estimated by scientists to date back
between 1200 and 1500 CE. The mountain is considered sacred and believed to be inhabited by ancestral spirits.
To appease these spirits, the locals pay respect through offerings and rituals. The municipality of Kabayan houses
the mummies for the deceased Ibalois and is recognized as the center of Ibaloi culture.
Currently, more than a hundred man-made burial caves have been found in the region, with 15 of the caves
containing preserved human mummies. The Kabayan Museum in Benguet was named among the 100
most endangered sites in the world. It housed four mummies that were eventually returned to the Timbac
Caves in February 2004. There are still between 50 to 80 mummies left in their natural caves in Benguet.
This ancient practice has since died beginning in the 1500s when the Philippines was colonized by Spain.

Cañao Tradition

A popular native feast amongst the Ibalois is the Cañao Tradition. It is a thanksgiving ritual that refers to
several native feasts of the Ibaloi and Benguet people. There are different types of cañao ceremonies, most
of which involve massive preparations and revelry. Among the most extravagant observances is the
Pechit or Pesshet that entails feeding the whole neighborhood. It involves sacrificing animals as well as an
offering of rice wine or tapuy.

A ritual is performed to appease the spirits, seek approval, or simply to give thanks or appreciation. Tapuy is
an important offering since rice was a special commodity in the past and was only served during special
occasions. Some lavish celebrations could take up to a week of merrymaking where people incessantly
sing and dance. A number of the traditional ceremonials are still carried out despite the new developments
surrounding the mountains of the Cordillera today. The Ibaloi and the Benguet people overall still hang on
to the ideas of supreme beings and spirits that influence their way of living. Theirs is a deep-rooted
tradition that transcends generations.
Tehungas -A purification rite with a ceremony held to avenge the ghost of the enemies who killed their people in the
past, signifies the purification of those whom they have avenged. Pesshet -It is a public feast mainly sponsored by
people of prestige and wealth. It lasts for weeks and involved the butchering and sacrifice of the dozens of
animals. Bendiyan Dance -Is one of the popular dances of the ibaloi which is participated by hundreds of males
and females.

Kanyao -May be performed for thanksgiving for the health of the community, there could be a kanyao
(petionary/intercessory) for bountiful harvest. Kaising -Is an arranged marriage. Engagement happens between
the parents of the couple. The marriage is arranged as early during the childhood days of the couple. Kalon -A
marriage that has a “mediator” or someone that arranges the marriage. Ngilin or arol -Is the wedding ceremony
that last for eight days at least. Sulibao -Is a conical tenor drum .It is played with the palms of both hands. It
usually appears as part ofan ensemble along with the kimbal, pinsak,kalsa and palas.Sulibao is made from
ahollowed out log covered with deer skin.
Economy &
Livelihood
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6
Economy
The Ibaloy’s habitat is mountainous and rocky, affording them narrow flat floors for agricultural pursuits.
However, they have skills in terracing the mountainsides and planting them with rice, their staple food, from
which tafey/tapuy or rice wine is also made. Irrigation from mountaintops to lower levels is a manifestation of
engineering skills, the water sometimes brought from kilometers away through troughs and bamboo pipes.
Slices of sweet potato are dried and preserved, then pulverized in periods of need, such as drought or food
scarcity. Rice is harvested twice a year. Gabi and other tubers are cultivated as supplementary food. Livestock
raising is for food and ritual purposes. The native black pig is favored for rituals. Some gold panning is also
done.

The Ibaloy are industrious gardeners and horticulturists. They raise strawberries and all kinds of vegetables, such
as cabbages, lettuce, turnips, cauliflower, beans, carrots, and broccoli which supply the needs of Manila and
other cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. A number of lowland Filipinos and foreign capitalists, having
tried and failed to enter into competition with the native industry, act as intermediaries, transporting the
vegetables to the plains or exporting them. However, the principal transportation business in Benguet province is
in the hands of Ibaloy families.
Deer hunting is done with dogs, spears, and nets. The hunters beat their bolo against the wooden sheaths as they
advance upon the prey in the forest. Hogs are lured into pits that are dug near camote fields. Blacksmiths make
the ax, adze, bolo, hand spade, and small peeling knife. Pottery is practiced only in Daklan town, where
small water jars are made. There is no indigenous tradition of cloth weaving, which was introduced through the
schools in 1906.
 Livelihood
The Ibaloy inhabit a mountainous and rocky environment that provides them with
small flat floors ideal for agricultural operations. They do, however, have expertise
in terracing mountain slopes and cultivating them with rice, their staple grain from
which tapey, also known as tafey or tapuy (rice wine) is manufactured. Irrigation
from mountaintops to lower levels is a feat of engineering, with water being
transported kilometers distant via troughs and bamboo pipelines.

Sweet potato slices are dried and kept before being pulverized during times of
need, such as drought or food scarcity. Rice harvesting occurs twice a year. Gabi
and other tubers are grown as a source of additional food. Animal husbandry is
practiced for food and religious purposes. For rituals, the indigenous black pig is
preferred. Additionally, some gold panning occurs.

Having a great land surroundings, farming is the primary source of income and
needsof the ibaloys ,but not every day this livelihood can support their daily
needs mostlyduring the time of bad weather Lack of constant daily income for
ibaloy may cause forthem to migrate from place to place in order to seek a
regular or permanent job tosupply their families daily needs in order to survive.
This phenomenon may lead toculture deficiency for the ibaloys whose migrate
from place to place mostly to theyouths. Who was born in different surroundings
and culture.
Traditional
House
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7
The traditional house of the nuclear family, which is the social unit, consists of one
room, 6 x 8 meters, roofed and walled with thatch. It stands on posts 1.6 meters
from the ground. The door is oriented toward the north or east. There are no
windows. Mortises and grooves, instead of nails, are used to fasten the boards
and timber together; rafters are tied to joists with rattan strips. Entrance to the house
is by a ladder that is pulled up and inside at night. The wealthy keep a large cauldron
underneath the house to be used in the grand feasts like the peshit or cañao.
In the middle of the room is a low dining table, the dulang. When not in use, this is
stood up on one end to lean against the wall so as to make room for sleeping.
Deer or cow hide is used as mat. Chairs are blocks of wood. Cooking vessels are
hung from hooks or placed atop stones in the house. Also hanging from hooks are
baskets of various shapes and sizes, in which different kinds of uncooked food are
stored. There is an earth-filled box used as the hearth. Above this is a bamboo rack
or a garret (the space underneath the roof) where rice or root crops are dried and
stored. Fruits are also placed there to hasten ripening.
Houses, generally scattered in fields or on hillsides, are raised about two meters on posts and covered with a pyramidal
thatched roof. Subsistence is based on wet rice, tubers, beans, and maize, supplemented occasionally with the meat of
pigs, dogs, chickens, water buffalo, horses, and cattle. Descent is bilateral. There is marked differentiation between the
rich and the poor, with a considerable concentration of power and influence in the hands of the former. The traditional
Ibaloi religion centered on ancestor worship.
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References
https://car.denr.gov.ph/images/R-CAR/2019_FILES/P_Benguet/penro-benguet.pdf
https://www.flickr.com/photos/citizendesigner/1268149527/in/photostream/
https://www.puertoparrot.com/articles/the-ibaloi-tribe
https://www.puertoparrot.com/articles/the-ibaloi-people-and-their-ancient-traditions
https://www.yodisphere.com/2022/04/Ibaloy-Ibaloi-Tribe.html