The document summarizes several indigenous tribal groups in the Philippines, including their origins, cultures, economic activities, health beliefs and statuses. It discusses the Aeta, who originated from Borneo; the Malays, the last immigrants from Asia; the T'boli, who live in Cotabato and practice animism; the Tagbanua, one of the oldest ethnic groups living traditionally in Palawan; and the Badjao, a nomadic seafaring people from the Sulu Sea. The tribes have diverse cultures and economies including hunting, farming, fishing, and crafts, and maintain traditional health and religious beliefs involving spirits, though many also seek medical care. Diseases such as malnutrition, respiratory illnesses and

1. Tribal Groups of the
Philippines
Socio-Anthropological Foundations in
Transcultural Nursing
Prepared by: Hannah Lynn B. Enot, RN

2. AETAS

3. • The Aeta live in the
northern part of the
Philippines on the
island of Luzon.
• Crossed from the island
of Borneo between 20-
30,000 years ago, using
a land bridge that was
partially covered by
water around 5,000
years ago.

4. Economic Activity
• Traditionally a hunting/ gathering people, the
Aetas are still among the most skilled
anywhere on earth in jungle survival.

5. Manifacio De La Junta
Florentino

6. Religion and Ceremonies
• Believe in a supreme being who rules
over lesser spirits or deities and are
also animists.
• Believe that good and evil spirits
inhabit the environment, such as the
spirits of the river, sea, sky, mountain,
hill, valley and other places.

7. • Women perform a
ceremony before
gathering shellfish,
which is meant as
an apology to the
sea for taking its
children.
• Men dance
before and after
harvesting
honey and
hunting pigs.

8. Diet
• Aetas are master bee-keepers, keeping
bee hives with their own techniques
adopted by bee-keepers around the world.
• Meat eaters compared to most indigenous
tribes in the area because they are
situated in mountain regions, largely
unsuitable for traditional farming.
• They eat to survive and will take whatever
is available.

9. Health Beliefs and Practices
• Since one average Aeta
only gets to use a dozen
or two of these natural
remedies in a lifetime, it
is obvious that the
people take pains to
memorize entire canons
of local herbs, roots and
barks and pass them on
to their children.
• The Aetas have a
superior knowledge
of not only the edible
fauna and staples in
the forest but over a
hundred medicinal
herbs and their
applications.

10. • They are also sought after
by lowlanders for the rare
medicines they are able to
gather in the mountains.

11. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
• Although the Aetas now have running water
to use for bathing and laundry, it has not
changed the way they maintain personal
hygiene.
– They change their clothes only after several days
of wear.
– Children are allowed to play on the ground
barefoot and clad only in dirty shirts.
– Food is handled without handwashing, and soap is
rarely used.

12. • Toilets are nonexistent in
Canawan. Aetas defecate and
bury their stools in nearby
fields. Remarkably, there have
been no reported major
outbreaks of diarrheal
diseases in the area, the local
perception being that they
have become immune to
diarrhea-causing germs.

13. Health status
• The Aetas believe that evil spirits are the usual cause of
illness.
• They still practice a ritual called kagon, a form of spirit
healing performed with dance, song, and guitar music
to exorcise the dimonyo from ailing individuals.
• It is customary to wear a necklace of stringed pieces of
sticks to ward off bad spirits like lamang-lupa,
inhabitants of the earth believed to enter the body and
cause disease.
• When an illness persists, the Aetas seek medical help
at the local clinic

14. • COMMON DISEASES/ILLNESS:
– Malnutrition
– Measles
– Pneumonia
– Malaria
– Dengue
– Upper Respiratory Infections

15. Modern Adaptations
• Inter-marriage
with Filipinos • Games of pool
and basketball

16. • Clothing
• Education
• Karaoke

17. MALAYS

18. • The last immigrants from mainland Asia to
reach the Philippines in prehistoric times were
the Malays in three distinct migratory waves.

19. • The Muslim Malays
were in this third
migratory wave, and
their descendants
became the Muslims
of Mindanao and
Sulu.

20. Physical Features
• Brown in complexion
• Medium height
• Slender but hardy and
supple bodies
• Straight black hair
• Dark brown eyes
• Low noses
• Scanty beards
• Hair covering their bodies
was hardly noticeable.

21. Culture
• Decorated their
bodies with intricate
tattoo designs.
• They wore clothes of
woven fabric and
ornamented
themselves with
pearls, beads, glass,
colored stones, and
gold.

22. • Cultivated food
crops, medicinal
and ornamental
plants, and fruit
trees.
• Chewed betel nut
and ate meat of
domesticated
animals.

23. Religion and Beliefs
• Religion was in the hands of the
WOMEN.
• Basic belief: Everything in this
world - a tree, river, roof, a
season, had it's own ANITO , or
SPIRIT.

24. • Believe that in nature
spirits or DWENDE,
supreme deities,
such as DWATA and
an ability to repel the
naughty spirits, or
MOMOH (ghost) with
ANTING ANTING, or
talismans.

25. Politics
• Rulers were called DATUS and BARANGAY or
"community" culture respected other people's
property, the more you had , the more likely you
could become a DATU.

26. T’boli

27. T’boli
• The T'boli people live
in the southern part
of the province
Cotabato, in the
environment around
lake Sebu, west of
the city General
Santos.

28. Culture and Practices
• The T'boli distinguish their selves, like all
other "tribal Filipinos", by their colorful
clothes and specific ornaments like
rings, bracelets and earrings.

29. • The T'boli culture is richly
connected with and inspired by
nature; their dances are a mimic
from the action of animals such
as monkeys and birds.
• The T'nalak, the T'boli sacred
cloth, made from abaca is the
best known T'boli craft and is
one of the tribes traditional
textile

30. • The T'boli has a rich
musical culture with a
variety of musical
instruments, but the
T'boli music and
songs are not meant
for entertainment
only.

31. Agriculture
• practiced the primitive way of
agriculture "slash and burn“
• Rice, cassava and yams were the most
important agricultural products.
• hunting or fishing for additional food.
• At present The T'boli live in the
mountains. Agriculture is the only
source of income.

32. Political System
• They call their leader Datu(or
chieftain), who is usually sought
for interpretation of T’boli
customs and traditions, and in
settling inter-tribal disputes. The
position is not hereditary and to
be elevated as a Datu, a T’boli
must have wisdom and an
expansive grasp of their
traditions.

33. Religion
• Only a few T'boli are
Christian or Islamite.
• More than 95% of The
T'boli people still has
their animistic religion.
• Many still believe in
spirits who live on
several places in the
natural environment.

34. Health Status and Practices
• COMMON DISEASES/ILLNESS:
– Malnutrition
– Cholera
– Upper Respiratory Infections
– Maternal death
– Neonatal death
• The T’bolies believed that illness is
either caused naturally or cast by
angered spirits.

35. • They seek the help of mewa nga
(tribal healer) or m’tonbu
(herbal healer/shaman). If the
illness is lingering, a demsu
(offering) will probably heal the
patient.

36. Tagbanua

37. • The Tagbanwa or
Tagbanua, one of
the oldest ethnic
groups in the
Philippines, can
be mainly found
in the central and
northern
Palawan.

38. • Tagbanwa are possible descendants of the Tabon
Man; thus, making them one of the original
inhabitants of the Philippines. They are brown-skinned,
slim and straight-haired ethnic group.

39. Economic Activity
• They cultivate rice in swidden or kaingin field that
is intercropped with sweet potato, corn, and
cassava.
• Those in the coastal areas indulge in fishing and
exchange it with agricultural products for
consumption. They also gather forest products
such as gum, rattan, and honey for cash
• The highest potential source of income for the
Tagbanwa are handicrafts particularly
woodworking, mat making and basketry

40. Culture
• Tagbanwa live in compact villages
of 45 to 500 individuals. In 1987,
there are 129,691 Tagbanwas
living in Palawan. At present,
Tagbanwa tribe has an estimated
population of over 10,000.
• Language: (Aborlan Tagbanwa,
Calamian Tagbanwa, and Central
Tagbanwa)

41. Health status
• COMMON DISEASES/ILLNESS:
– Malnutrition
– Measles
– Pneumonia
– Malaria
– Dengue
– Upper Respiratory Infections

42. Religion and Health Beliefs
• The Tagbanwa's relationship with the spirit
world is the basis for their rituals, celebration,
and dances
• Four major deities. The first, the lord of the
heavens, was called Mangindusa. The god of
the sea was named Polo. The god of the earth
named Sedumunadoc. The fourth was called
Tabiacoud, who lived, in the deep bowels of
the earth.

43. • Significant Event in honor of
their gods: Tagbanwa
celebrated a big feast each
year, right after harvest, when
there is much singing, dancing,
courting, and conclusion of
blood compacts.

44. • Other spirits inhabit the forests and
environment, and belief in their existence
necessitates rituals to placate them or gain
their favors. The babaylan performs rituals of
life, from birth to death.
• Believe in two rituals that seek protection for
all Tagbanua everywhere from the feared
salakap (spirits of epidemic, sickness & death).

45. • The basic social unit
of the Tagbanwas is
their nuclear family
composed of a
married couple and
their children.
• They live in houses
that are made up of
bamboo and wood
for a strong frame,
anahaw leaves for
roof and walls, and
bamboo slats for the
flooring.

46. Badjao

47. • The Bajau have been a
nomadic, seafaring
people for most of
their history.
• The precise origin of
the Bajau is unknown.
• They chart particularly
the waters of the Sulu
Sea

48. • From old to young, the Bajau are a colorful,
festive and musical people. They believe they
are descended from royalty. This is perhaps
partly why they wear such richly colorful
clothes, the patadjong.

49. Culture
• Brides and grooms wear
even more colorful
clothing at their wedding.
She will also receive
dowry.
• Arranged marriages are
common. Marriage by
kidnap and elopement are
also still quite frequent.

50. • RITUALS:
– Childbirth ritual
– Badjao leaders are the only ones
who can consecrate a marriage

51. Economic Activity
• Seafaring Bajau make their
living from fishing. Those who
have abandoned that lifestyle
have become farmers and
cattle rearers.
• pursuit of trade, particularly
in a sea cucumber species

52. • They come to shore to barter their
harvests for farmed produce such as
fruits, cassava as replenish supplies
and repair their boats.

53. Health Status
• COMMON DISEASES/ILLNESS:
– SEVERE Malnutrition
– Bronchitis
– Pneumonia
– Upper Respiratory Infections
– Skin diseases

54. Health Beliefs and Practices
• In times of epidemics, the
mediums are also called upon to
remove illness causing spirits
from the community.
• They do this by setting a spirit
boat adrift in the open sea
beyond the village.

55. Modern Influences
• Badjaos lost some of their heritage as some of
their stories were never re-told to the next
generation. The Bajau are also beginning to lose
something of their identity as they integrate with
their adopted, land-based communities.
• Even the most traditional, seafaring Bajau are
losing their boat-building craft as they replace
their hand-made lipa-lipa boats with
commercially built, mass-produced ones.

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