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Module 10

Indigenous Filipino Spirituality

GENERAL OBJECTIVE:

1. Students should be able to comprehend Indigenous Filipino spirituality by recognizing and

debating various religious and spiritual beliefs and practices among the Philippines'
indigenous groups;

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

1. Discuss Filipino spirituality as well as the different religious practices of Filipinos;

2. Identify an indigenous group in the Philippines like the Aetas and discuss their spiritual
beliefs and practices.

3. Write a story about the lives of indigenous peoples. Their religious and spiritual experiences
are felt or manifested in various ways.

Lecture/Discussion
Indigenous Philippine folk religions are the
distinct native religions of various ethnic groups
in the Philippines, where most follow belief
systems in line with animism. Generally, these
indigenous folk religions are referred to
as Anitism or Bathalism or the more modern and
less Tagalog-centric Dayawism. Around 0.2% of
the population of the Philippines were affiliated
with the so-called "tribal religions", according to
the 2010 national census.
The profusion of different terms arises from the
fact that these indigenous religions mostly
flourished in the pre-colonial period before the
Philippines had become a single nation. The
various peoples of the Philippines spoke different languages and thus used different terms to
describe their religious beliefs. While these beliefs can be treated as separate religions, scholars
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have noted that they follow a "common structural framework of ideas" which can be studied
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together. The various indigenous Philippine religious beliefs are related to the various religions
Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph
Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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of Oceania and the maritime Southeast Asia, which draw their roots from Austronesian beliefs
as those in the Philippines.
The folklore narratives associated with these religious beliefs constitute what is now
called Philippine mythology, and is an important aspect of the study of Philippine
culture and Filipino psychology.
Religious worldview
Main article: Anito
The rotation of the Bakunawa in a
calendar year, as explained in Mansueto
Porras' Signosan (1919)
Historian T. Valentino Sitoy, in his review
of documents concerning pre-Spanish
religious beliefs, notes that three core
characteristics which shaped the religious
worldview of Filipinos throughout the
archipelago before the arrival of Spanish
colonizers.
First, Filipinos believed in the
existence of parallel spirit world, which
was invisible but had an influence on the
visible world.
Second, Filipinos believed that there
were spirits (anito) everywhere - ranging
from the high creator gods to minor spirits that lived in the environment such as trees or
rocks or creeks.
Third, Filipinos believed that events in the human world were influenced by the actions
and interventions of these spirit beings.
Anito were the ancestor spirits (umalagad), or nature spirits and deities (diwata) in the
indigenous animistic religions of precolonial Philippines.
Paganito (also maganito or anitohan) refers to a séance, often accompanied by other rituals or
celebrations, in which a shaman (Visayan: babaylan, Tagalog: katalonan) acts as a medium to
communicate directly with the spirits. When a nature spirit or deity is specifically involved, the
ritual is called pagdiwata (also magdiwata or diwatahan).
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Anito can also refer to the act of worship or a religious sacrifice to a spirit.
Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph
Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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When Spanish missionaries arrived in the Philippines, the word "anito" came to be associated
with the physical representations of spirits that featured prominently in paganito rituals.
During the American rule of the Philippines (1898–1946), the meaning of
the Spanish word idolo ("a thing worshiped") has been further conflated with the
English word "idol", and thus anito has come to refer almost exclusively to the carved
figures or statues (taotao) of ancestral and nature spirits.
The belief in anito is sometimes referred to as anitism in scholarly literature
(Spanish: anitismo or anitería).

Deities of Philippine mythology

Creator gods in Filipino religions
Many indigenous Filipino cultures assert the existence of a high god, creator god, or sky god.
Among the Tagalogs, the supreme god was known as Bathala, who was additionally described
as Maykapal (the all-powerful) or Lumikha (the creator).
Among the Visayan peoples the creator God is referred to as Laon, meaning "the ancient
one."
Among the Manuvu, the highest god was called Manama.
Among most of the Cordilleran peoples (with the Apayao region as an exception), the
creator and supreme teacher is known as Kabuniyan.
In most cases, however, these gods were considered such great beings that they were too
distant for ordinary people to approach. People thus tended to pay more attention to "lesser
gods" or "assistant deities" who could more easily approached, and whose wills could more
easily be influenced.
"Lower gods" in Filipino religions

Lesser deities in Filipino religions generally fit into three broad categories:
Nature spirits residing in the environment, such as a mountain or a tree;
Guardian spirits in charge of specific aspects of daily life such as hunting or fishing;
Deified ancestors or tribal heroes. These categories frequently overlap, with individual
deities falling into two or more categories, and in some instances, deities evolve from
one role to another, as when a tribal hero known for fishing becomes a guardian spirit
associated with hunting.
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Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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Concept of the soul

Main article: Souls in Filipino cultures
One of the many Limestone tombs of Kamhantik (890–1030
AD), which is said to have been created by forest deities
according to local traditions. The site was looted by the
Americans before proper archaeological research was
conducted.
Each ethnic group has their own concept and number of the
soul of a being, notably humans. In most cases, a person has
two or more souls while he or she is alive.
The origin of a person's soul have been told through narratives concerning the indigenous
Philippine folk religions, where each ethnic religion has its unique concept on soul origin, soul
composition, retaining and caring for the soul, and other matters, such as the eventual passage
of the soul after the person's life is relinquished.
In some cases, the souls are provided by certain deities such as the case among the Tagbanwa,
while in others, the soul comes from certain special regions such as the case among the Bisaya.
Some people have two souls such as the Ifugao, while others have five souls such as the
Hanunoo Mangyan.
In general, a person's physical and mental health contribute to the overall health of the
person's souls. In some instances, if a soul is lost, a person will become sick, and if all living
souls are gone, then the body eventually dies. However, there are also instances in which the
body can still live despite the loss of all of its souls, such as the phenomenon called
mekararuanan among the Ibanag. Overall, caring for one's self is essential to long life for the
souls, which in turn provide a long life to the body.

Ghosts or ancestral spirits, in a general Philippine concept, are the spirits of those who have
already passed away. In other words, they are the souls of the dead. They are different from
the souls of the living, in which, in many instances, a person has two or more living souls,
depending on the ethnic group.
Each ethnic group in the Philippine islands has their own terms for ghosts and other types of
souls. Due to the sheer diversity of indigenous words for ghosts, terms like espirito and multo,
both adopted from Spanish words such as muerto, have been used as all-encompassing terms
for the souls or spirits of the dead in mainstream Filipino culture. While ghosts in Western
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beliefs are generally known for their sometimes horrific nature, ghosts of the dead for the
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various ethnic groups in the Philippines are traditionally regarded in high esteem.
Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph
Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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These ghosts are usually referred to as ancestral spirits who can guide and protect their
relatives and community, though ancestral spirits can also cast harm if they are disrespected. In
many cases among various Filipino ethnic groups, spirits of the dead are traditionally venerated
and deified in accordance to ancient belief systems originating from the indigenous Philippine
folk religions.
Important symbols
15th century Ifugao bulul with a pamahan (ceremonial
bowl) in the Louvre Museum, France.
Throughout various cultural phases in the archipelago,
specific communities of people gradually developed or
absorbed notable symbols in their belief systems. Many of
these symbols or emblems are deeply rooted in indigenous
epics, poems, and pre-colonial beliefs of the natives. Each
ethnic group has their own set of culturally important
symbols, but there are also "shared symbols" which has
influenced many ethnic peoples in a particular area.
Some examples of important Anitist symbols are as follow:
 okir – a distinct mark of cultural heritage of the now-Muslim peoples in specific portions
of Mindanao; the motif is notable for using only botanical symbols which enhance a
variety of works of art made of wood, metal, and even stone
 vulva – an important symbol of fertility, health, and abundance of natural resources;
most myths also associate the vulva as the source of life, prosperity, and power
 lingling-o – special fertility ornaments which specific symbols and shapes; notably used
by the Ifugao people today, but has been historically used by various people as far as
the people of southern Palawan
 moon and sun – highly worshiped symbols which are present as deities in almost all
mythologies in the Philippines; portrayals of the sun and moon are notable in the
indigenous tattoos of the natives, as well as their fine ornaments and garments
 human statues – there are a variety of human statues made by the natives such
as bulul, taotao, and manang; all of which symbolize the deities of specific pantheons
 serpent and bird – two notable symbols of strength, power, creation, death, and life in
various mythologies; for serpents, the most notable depictions include dragons, eels,
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Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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and snakes, while for birds, the most notable depictions are fairy blue-birds,
flowerpeckers, eagles, kingfishers, and woodpeckers
 phallus – a symbol associated with creation for various ethnic groups; in some accounts,
the phallus was also a source of both healing and sickness, but most myths associate the
phallus with fertility
 flower – many tattoos and textile motifs revolve around flower symbols; each ethnic
group has their own set of preferred flowers, many of which are stated in their epics
and poems
 crocodile – a symbol strength and life after death; crocodile symbols are also used as
deflectors against bad omens and evil spirits
 mountain and forest – many mountains and forests are considered as deities by some
ethnic groups, while others consider them as home of the deities such as the case in
Aklanon, Bicolano, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, and Bagobo beliefs
 bamboo and coconut – symbols of creation, defense, sustenance, and resilience; many
creation myths depict the bamboo as the source of mankind, while in others, it was
utilized by mankind along with the coconut
 rice and root crop – various mythologies magnify the rice stalk, rice grains, and root
crops as the primary cultural associations with agriculture; many stories have stated
that such crops are gifts from the divine and have nourished the people since ancient
times
 betel nut and wine – betel nuts and wines serve important ritual and camaraderie
functions among many ethnic groups; these two items are notably consumed by both
mortals and deities, and in some myths, they also lead to peace pacts
 tattoo – tattoos are important status, achievement, and beautification symbols in many
ethnic beliefs in the country; designs range from crocodiles, snakes, raptors, suns,
moons, flowers, rivers, and mountains, among many others
 aspin – dogs are depicted in a variety of means by many mythologies, with many being
companions (not servants) of the deities, while others are independent guardians; like
other beings, myths on dogs range from good to bad, but most associate them with the
divinities
 sea, river, and boat – symbols on seas, rivers, and other water bodies are notable
depictions in various mythologies in the Philippines; a stark commonality between
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Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

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various ethnic groups is the presence of unique boat-like technologies, ranging from
huge balangays to fast karakoas
Shamans
Main article: Philippine shamans
A Hiligaynon woman depicting a babaylan (Visayan shaman)
during a festival. According to Spanish records, majority of
pre-colonial shamans were women, while the other portion
was composed of feminized men. Both of which were
treated by the natives with high respect, equal to
the datu (domain ruler).

A variety of modern Filipino charms and talismans

called anting-anting or agimat. Certain agimats blessed
by the deities are believed to give its wielder
supernatural powers, such as invisibility, strength, speed,
and defense. Some agimats are used as good luck
charms, while others are used to deflect curses and
enchanted beings.
Indigenous shamans were spiritual leaders of various ethnic peoples of the pre-
colonial Philippine islands. These shamans, many of whom are still extant, were almost always
women or effeminate men (asog or bayok).
They were believed to have spirit guides, by which they could contact and interact with
the spirits and deities (anito or diwata) and the spirit world.
Their primary role was as mediums during pag-anito séance rituals.
There were also various subtypes of shamans specializing in the arts
of healing and herbalism, divination, and sorcery.
 Numerous types of shamans use different kinds of items in their work, such as
talismans or charms known as agimat or anting-anting, curse deflectors such
as buntot pagi, and sacred oil concoctions, among many other objects.
 All social classes, including the shamans, respect and revere their deity statues
(called larauan, bulul, manang, etc.), which represent one or more specific
deities within their ethnic pantheon, which includes non-ancestor deities and
deified ancestors. More general terms used by Spanish sources for native
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shamans throughout the archipelago were derived

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Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: July A. Ajero
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from Tagalog and Visayan anito ("spirit"); these include terms

like maganito and anitera.
The negative counterparts of Philippine shamans are the Philippine witches, which include
different kinds of people with differing occupations and cultural connotations depending on the
ethnic group they are associated with. They are completely different from the Western notion
of what a witch is.
Examples of witches in a Philippine concept are the mannamay, mangkukulam,
and mambabarang. As spiritual mediums and divinatory, shamans are notable for
countering and preventing the curses and powers of witches, notably through the usage
of special items and chants. Aside from the shamans, there are also other types of
people who can counter specific magics of witches, such as the mananambal, which
specializes in countering barang. Shamans can also counter the curses of supernatural
beings such as aswangs. However, because they are mortal humans, the physical
strength of shamans are limited compared to the strength of an aswang being. This gap
in physical strength is usually bridged by a dynamics of knowledge and wit.
Sacred grounds
Main article: Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds
A Kankanaey burial cave in Sagada with coffins stacked-up
to form a sky burial within a cave.
Ancient Filipinos and Filipinos who continue to adhere to
the indigenous Philippine folk religions generally do not
have so-called "temples" of worship under the context
known to foreign cultures. However, they do have
sacred shrines, which are also called as spirit houses.
They can range in size from small roofed platforms, to structures similar to a small house (but
with no walls), to shrines that look similar to pagodas, especially in the south where early
mosques were also modeled in the same way. These shrines were known in various indigenous
terms, which depend on the ethnic group association. They can also be used as places to
store taotao and caskets of ancestors.
Among Bicolanos, taotao were also kept inside sacred caves called moog.
During certain ceremonies, anito are venerated through temporary altars near sacred places.
These were called latangan or lantayan in Visayan, and dambana or lambana in Tagalog. These
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bamboo or rattan altars are identical in basic construction throughout most of the Philippines.
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They were either small roofless platforms or standing poles split at the tip (similar to a tiki
Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph
Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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torch). They held halved coconut shells, metal plates, or martaban jars as receptacles for
offerings. Taotao may sometimes also be placed on these platforms.
Other types of sacred places or objects of worship of diwata include the material manifestation
of their realms. The most widely venerated were balete trees (also called nonok, nunuk, nonoc,
etc.) and anthills or termite mounds (punso). Other examples include mountains, waterfalls,
tree groves, reefs, and caves.
Many ethnic peoples in the country have a shared "mountain worship culture", where specific
mountains are believed to be the abodes of certain divinities or supernatural beings and aura.
Mythical places of worship are also present in some mythologies. Unfortunately, a majority of
these places of worship (which includes items associated with these sites such as idol statues
and ancient documents written in suyat scripts) were brutalized and destroyed by the Spanish
colonialists between the 15th to 19th centuries, and were continued to be looted by American
imperialists in the early 20th century. Additionally, the lands used by the native people for
worship were mockingly converted by the colonialists as foundation for their foreign churches
and cemeteries. Examples of indigenous places of worship that have survived colonialism are
mostly natural sites such as mountains, gulfs, lakes, trees, boulders, and caves. Indigenous man-
made places of worship are still present in certain communities in the provinces, notably in
ancestral domains where the people continue to practice their indigenous religions.
In traditional dambana beliefs, all deities, beings sent by the supreme deity/deities, and
ancestor spirits are collectively called anitos or diwata.
Supernatural non-anito beings are called lamang-lupa (beings of the land) or lamang-
dagat (beings of the sea or other water bodies).
The dambana is usually taken care of by the Philippine shamans, the indigenous spiritual leader
of the barangay (community), and to some extent, the datu (barangay political leader) and
the lakan (barangay coalition political leader) as well. Initially unadorned and revered
minimally, damabanas later on were filled with adornments centering on religious practices
towards larauan statues due to trade and religious influences from various independent and
vassal states.
It is adorned with statues home to anitos traditionally-called larauan, statues reserved for
future burial practices modernly-called likha, scrolls or documents
with suyat baybayin calligraphy, and other objects sacred to dambana practices such
as lambanog (distilled coconut wine), tuba (undistilled coconut wine), bulaklak or flowers
(like sampaguita, santan, gumamela, tayabak, and native orchids), palay (unhusked
rice), bigas (husked rice), shells, pearls, jewels, beads, native crafts such
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as banga (pottery), native swords and bladed weapons (such as kampilan, dahong palay, bolo,

Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: July A. Ajero
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and panabas), bodily accessories (like singsing or rings, kwintas or necklaces, and hikaw or
earrings), war shields (such as kalasag), enchanted masks, battle weapons used in pananandata
or kali, charms called agimat or anting-anting, curse deflectors such as buntot pagi, native
garments and embroideries, food, and gold in the form of adornments (gold belts, necklace,
wrist rings, and feet rings) and barter money (piloncitos and gold rings). Animal statues, notably
native dogs, guard a dambana structure along with engravings and calligraphy portraying
protections and the anitos.
Status and adherence
Aklanon participants at the vibrant Ati-Atihan festival, which
honors the Ati people and the Aklanon since around 1200
AD. Spanish colonization used Catholic figures to replace the
festival's original roster of honorees.
In accordance to the National Cultural Heritage Act, as
enacted in 2010, the Philippine Registry of Cultural
Property (PReCUP) was established as the national registry
of the Philippine Government used to consolidate in one
record all cultural property that are deemed important to the cultural heritage, tangible and
intangible, of the Philippines. The registry safeguards a variety of Philippine heritage elements,
including oral literature, music, dances, ethnographic materials, and sacred grounds, among
many others. The National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Law, as enacted in 1992
and expanded in 2018, also protects certain Anitist sacred grounds in the country.
The indigenous Philippine folk religions were widely spread in the archipelago, prior to the
arrival of Abrahamic religions. The majority of the people, however, had converted to
Christianity due to Spanish colonization from the 16th to the late 19th century, which
continued through the 20th century during and after American colonization. During
the Philippine Revolution, there were proposals to revive the indigenous Philippine folk
religions and make them the national religion, but the proposal did not prosper, as the focus at
the time was the war against American colonizers.
In 2010, the Philippine Statistics Authority released a study, stating that only 0.2% of the
Filipino national population were affiliated with the so-called "tribal religions", referring to the
indigenous Philippine folk religions. Despite the current number of adherents, many traditions
from indigenous Philippine folk religions have been integrated into the local practice of
Catholicism and Islam, resulting in "Folk Catholicism" seen nationwide and "Folk Islam" seen in
the south. The continued conversion of adherents of the indigenous Philippine folk religions
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into Abrahamic religions by missionaries is a notable concern, as certain practices and

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indigenous knowledge continue to be lost because of the conversions.

Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph
Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]
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Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Philippine_folk_religions#:~:text=First%2C%20Filipin
os%20believed%20in%20the,trees%20or%20rocks%20or%20creeks.

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Course: Philippine Indigenous Communities www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: July A. Ajero
E-mail: [email protected]