Cordillera and Igorot Misconceptions

Why can't others get these things right about the Cordillera and the Igorots? I saw lots of websites, blogs and articles correcting these common misconceptions but it seems some people remain uninformed (or they just prefer to ignore the facts and to remain ignorant?)

First, let's clarify what Igorot means. Igorot is believed to have been originated from the Tagalog term i-gulod, meaning people from the hilltop/upland/mountain (i-n. pref. meaning from + gulod, Tagalog term for hilltop). It now evolved to refer to the people from the Cordillera and Caraballo mountain ranges of Northern Luzon. It is unthinkable how such neutral term evolved and gathered backward and inferior connotations along the way that some Cordillerans don't want to be identified or called Igorots.

Now, here are some of the misconceptions I often encountered and have to correct and explain again and again:

1. Igorots have tails. I think this assumption is from the "most ignorant of the ignorants". When I was in college, somebody who learned about my ethnicity asked where my tail is. Instead of harboring self-pity, I felt relief to know that Igorots are not the "stupidiest" people at all. I heard some Igorots discriminating but it did not dropped down to such level of attributing any unusual or abnormal physical traits to a certain group of people. Its astonishing that some do really believe on the existence of people who have tails.
   
2. Igorots are short, dark-skinned with curly hairs. There's nothing wrong being an Aeta, Agta or Ati - of being short, dark with curly hair at the same time but such description never fits generally any of the Igorot tribes. I meet some Kalingas and I-Bontocs who can be considered dark-skinned but they are tall and seldom got curly hair. The Kankanaeys maybe short but they are fair to light complexioned.
   
3. Igorots still use casually their traditional g-string. Some old folks may use their wanes (g-string) from time to time but I don't think the younger generation will find it appealing to use such for daily wear. Aside from its high price, I find it harder to loop and strap the wanes right than donning a pair of jeans. Nowadays, wanes are used in cultural presentations.
4. Baguio is Benguet and vice-versa. Correction, Baguio City is a chartered city located in the province of Benguet. Is that clear? If not, go get a map of the Philippines or of Northern Philippines and you will not miss to notice that Baguio is within Benguet.
   
5. Strawberry and cut flowers are produced in Baguio City. Sorry, this is wrong. There maybe some flower gardens in Baguio but most cut flowers and strawberry are from La Trinidad, the capital town of Benguet. As for the so called "Baguio vegetables", they are actually from all over Benguet.

I hope that somehow, this post will help enlighten those who don't know much about the Cordillera region and its people. I will surely post more as soon as I sort them out.

The Bisarots - Mga Bisayang Igorot

I got a niece and a nephew (see inserted photo) who spent their early years in Masbate where they learned to speak the Visayan language. Fortunately, they were also taught to speak Tagalog/Pilipino while they were in the province. When they came here in Metro Manila to study, the younger boy who entered pre-school didn't bother mixing the Visayan and Tagalog languages (that's the Filipino language, isn't it?) He seem not to mind at all when he was told of the equivalent terms of his Visayan words as if he knows better. However, my niece got ridiculed by her classmates in the first grade class for her "hard" accent.

To those who are unfamiliar, some Visayans and even Igorots and Ilocanos have this problem pronuncing the Tagalog "e" as "ee" or "ea" while "i" is often mispronounced as "e". Tagalog words are spelled as they are pronounced.

One day, my niece came home from school ready to spill a bucketful of tears. She complained that some of her classmates called her Bisaya (Filipino term for Visayan) for mispronouncing some words in the class. I gently told her that she is indeed a Visayan for her father is Bisaya, but there's nothing wrong with that. To my astonishment, she declared that she don't want to be a Bisaya. (See how even small kids can cause others to disown their roots?)

"Bisaya ka (You are Visayan)", I insisted, "at Igorot ka rin dahil Igorota ang nanay mo (and you are also Igorot for your mother is one). In short, you are Bisarot".

I can't help but laugh when she looked at me in utter disbelief as if I just sentenced her to death.

"Pero lagi naman nilang niloloko mga Bisaya at Igorot (But they always ridicule Visayans and Igorots", she complained.

"Ignorante kasi iyong mga nanloloko sa kanila (Those who are ridiculing them are ignorant)", I explained. "Ang kagandahan nga nito, pag Bisaya ka at Igorot pa, mas marami kang alam na salita kesa sa iba (The advantage of being a Visayan and Igorot at the same time, you know more languages than the others). Kagaya ko (Just like me)", I candidly added, "nakakaintindi at nakakapagasalita ako ng salita ng mga Bisaya at Igorot kaya naibebenta ko iyong ibang tao na di nila alam (I understand and can speak some Visayan and Igorot languages and I can sell other people without them knowing it)".

She and her brother who was listening intently to our conversation laughed at my last line.

Somehow our talk enlightened my neice and nephew. When they later transferred to La Union, they told their cousins that they are Bisarots - Bisayang Igorots. And right now, though they dominantly use Filipino, they can still speak Masbate-Visaya, they can do straight Ilocano sentences (the major language in La Union) and their cousins started teaching them Kankanaey (one of the Igorot languages).

Igorot Pride and Forgiveness

Guess I don't have to elaborate what Candy Pangilinan uttered in her recent show at SM-Baguio that compelled the city government to declare her an "unwanted visitor". It's a hit in the showbiz television shows, in the papers and in the net a few days ago. (For those who missed the news, click here.)

But, what did the city government of Baguio in particular, or the Igorot community in general gained from slapping such punishment when Candy apologized from what she did? Will this really teach Candy when she already learned the lesson even before our local politicians came into the picture?

There are lots of negative misconceptions about Igorots and being alluded to as not human at all is one of the worst. It is nothing but human when hundreds sounded their horns upon learning that somebody blurted "Tao ako, hindi ako Igorot" as comedy line infront of the Igorot audience and in an Igorot territory! Igorots, then and now, are always prejudiced by some foreigners and even by fellow Filipinos. It is but normal that many stand and acted to protest this new slur for we already have too much. The reactions are understandable and applaudable.

With Candy's case though, I do believe it is best for everyone hurt to forgive. The pain will not be erased or healed by hurting more people. First, the line was meant as a joke. Others have issued grievous statements purely out of ignorance or to intentionally hurt. Second, Candy realized her mistake and she sincerely asked for forgiveness not just in writing but in national television shows. Third, as we have already shown to others that we have high regard of our ethnicity and will always defend it, we should also tell the world that Igorots are more human because we know when to forgive.