The Kalinga people (IPA: [kaliŋɡa]) are an indigenous ethnic group whose
ancestral domain is in the Cordillera Mountain Range of the northern
Philippines. They are mainly found in Kalinga province.
“Kalinga” comes from the common noun kalinga, which means “enemy,”
“fighter,” or “headhunter” in the Ibanag and Gaddang languages.
The territory of the Kalinga used to be the southern half of the province of
Kalinga-Apayao. On 14 February 1995, Republic Act 7878 separated Kalinga
and Apayao into regular provinces. Becoming one of the six provinces of the
Cordillera Administrative Region, Kalinga is bounded on the east by the
Cagayan Valley, on the west by Abra, and on the south by Mountain Province.
Its total land area is 311,970 hectares; its capital is Tabuk City.
History of the Kalinga Tribe
The Kalinga and other Cordillera peoples are believed to have arrived in
separate migrations from southeastern or eastern Asia. The original migrants
of northern Luzon might have had a common culture, but due to particular
conditions of economy, water supply, population density, and ecology, cultural
differences began to appear among the northern Luzon mountain peoples,
resulting in the various ethnolinguistic groups: Ibaloy, Bontok, Ifugao, Kalinga,
and Sagada.
Kalinga men and woman in ceremonial attire, early 20th century
(Fowler Museum at UCLA)
LOCATION
Kalinga is bordered, clockwise from the North,
by Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Mountain Province, and Abra.
details
Cordillera Region
Kalinga is a landlocked province in the northernmost section of the Cordillera
Region. It is bounded by the provinces of Cagayan and Apayao in the north, Mt.
Province in the south, and Abra in the West. The greater sections of Cagayan and
Isabela are found on its eastern part.
ATTIRE
Kalinga Ginamat-
In Kalinga, the ginamat is a rectangular woven material that usually measures 4 to 5
feet long and 3 to 3.5 inches wide. This is for women and is worn as a skirt by
winding it around the waist and hooking it up at the ends.
Kalinga G-string-
This Kalinga native costume is worn by men to hide their lower private parts. It's
similar to the ginamat but narrower and longer. Nowadays, G-strings are wider to be
able to cover most of the buttocks. But still, briefs are not worn, but only the G-string.
Kalinga Accessories Worn with the Ginamat
Kalinga Bongor.-
The bongor is a string of beads worn like a necklace. The bigger the beads are, the
richer the person is. One piece of these genuine beads is worth 1 carabao(7-10
thousand) - an expensive animal that's used as a work animal for making beads.
Kalinga Headdress-
Aside from women wearing headdresses, men can also wear them. Presently,
Kalingas have become more ingenious, creating beautiful headdresses. Sometimes,
the "crown" is adorned with feathers and natural items.
Tattoo-
Tattoos are considered a sign of bravery and high prestige among the Kalinga
people.
Whang-od Oggay, also known as Maria Oggay, she
is often described as the "last" and oldest
mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattooist) and is part
of the Butbut people of the larger Kalinga ethnic
group.
LANGUAGE
Several groups of Kalinga use distinct dialects or languages, namely,
Lubuagan, Butbut, Mabaka, Limos, Majukayang, Tinglayan, and Tanudan.
Ilokano is spoken all over the province.
BELIEFS/PRACTICES
Burial ceremony for an upper-class Kalinga girl (Mario Feir Filipiniana Library)
The traditional Kalinga universe consists of five cosmic regions: luta,
the cosmic name of the Earth, the central region of this universe;
ngato, the skyworld where their supreme being, Kabunyan, lives; dola,
the underworld, which is also inhabited by supernatural beings; daya,
the upstream region that is the junction of the earth and the sky or the
heavens; and lagud, the downstream region of the Kalinga cosmic
universe and most inaccessible to man. The souls of the dead are said
to enter the skyworld, where a special zone is reserved for them. The
soul passes through the farthest region of the lagud when they leave
the earth days after being buried. Once in the lagud, they ascend to
their place in the skyworld.
The supreme being of the Kalinga is Kabunyan, who is said to have
once lived with them. He is also believed to have taught them survival.
Prayers are seldom addressed to Kabunyan because he is believed to
have withdrawn his dominion over his creation. The Kalinga pray to
nature deities called pinading. Nature deities protect and inhabit nature
—forests, wild animals, birds, rivers, waters, and mountains. Everyone
must ask these spirits for permission before taking anything from
nature, and they must also thank these spirits afterward. Otherwise,
the offending persons would be stricken with illness or death.
The alan are deities from other tribes which attack at night and are
considered evil enemies. The Kalinga also pray to dead ancestors and
relatives called kakkalading and anani, who protect them from the
alan. The people also pray to mythological culture heroes who have
individual names. The culture deities are those who assist the mediums
or priestesses in the performance of rituals to drive away misfortune
and evil spirits.
CURRENT ISSUES
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