The True Ybannag

By Nena, Visitacion Leticia S. de Alban,

October 16, 2016 (Auroras 69th birthday)
The Ybanag, a Filipino ethnolinguistic tribe, is one of the original inhabitants ofCagayan
|Valley. He is still lives in any of the provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Isabela,
Batanes, and Quirino and other parts of the world.
The word Ibannag or "Ybannag" or "Ybanak" or "Ibanak" means "people of the River
bannag mean river. The Ibannags settled along the Cagayan river or areas near the
Cagayan river being the source of water for all purposes. He speaks the ybanac
language and other languages of the valley.
1.Language spoke
The Ybannag speaks ybannag and the languages of other tribes of the region like
Itawis, etc. and other regions like Ilocano, Tagalog, etc, other foreign languages like
English or Spanish or French or German or Japanese or Chinese, etc.
In the late 16th century, Ybanag language became the lingua franca, both civilly and
ecclesiastically for the entire people of Cagayan because it was the most complete and
understood language in the region.
Despite the national plan of the Philippine government in the 40s to strengthen tagalog
by erasing some minor ethnic languages, ybanag remains strong, popular and fluently
spoken in: Tuguegrao City, Solana, Abulug, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Lallo, Tuao,Enrile,
Cabagan, San Pablo, Tumauini, Sta. Maria, Sto. Tomas, Ilagan, Gamu, Naguilian,
Reina Mercedes, San Mariano and towns in Nueva vizcaya, Quirino, Batanes and
other part of the country and abroad.
Ybanak speaking population in the region, other parts of the country and abroad is
estimated to less than a million and about half million can understand and speak some
words. For this reason, Ybanag was chosen as the ethnic language to be taught as
Mother Tongue based Multilingual education program of Cagayan Valley.
2..The most outstanding trait
The Ybanag is the most flexible, adjustable and adaptable among group of Filipinos.
The ibanag language trains the tongue to accept the pronunciation of other languages
as if it were his own, making him a good student for linguistics.
3. Physical description
This tribe is observed to be the tallest of all the ethno-linguistic groups in the country
and have a feature of high nose. He is dark, generally good built and more on the slim
side.
With the coming of immigrants from different parts of the country and other races from
Asia, Europe, America and others. The mixing of bloods with the ybanag produced
more beautiful and more intelligent ybannag children, some earning beauty titles in the
municipality, province, region, national and international beauty contests.
The influx of different cultures,social, civic,educational, religious intercourse and varied
political experiences; and the emotional adjustments to the multitudinous changes
shaped the ybanag in all the facets of his personality, physically, emotionally, spiritually,
educationally and intellectually and financially . Thus, the wonderful ybannag seen
today.
4. Political belief
The ybanag is peace loving, cares for his community and submits himself to policies
and regulations of the authority. He believes in democracy, joins elections for offices
and supports his candidates. He favors free enterprise or capitalism. He believes in the
rule of law and supports the judicial process. He may not speak it but believes in
mercantilism where he thinks an economic system is designed to increase national

power by increasing wealth and trade. He supports nationalism and believes that
totalitarianism may lead to abuse of the implementors, which is the unreasonable
tampering of the rights of private individuals. He appreciates the governments concern
of improving the welface state of the masses .
Home values and training make him a good diplomat but the trait of being easily
influenced by people around him could make him vulnerable to abuse and cheating of
scoundrels.
5. Occupation and economic activity
The Ybanag is good in agrarian work, to include fishing and hunting for subsistence..
Years earlier, he was limited to the use of animals, wood and metal. Today, the ibanag
is more scientific in his agrarian practices employing machines and other inputs like
fertilizers, insecticides, and thers when possible and affordable. However, some of his
brothers are still semi-primitive.
Long time before the 15th century, He engaged in trade with neighboring areas using
distinctive seacrafts, and his commercial interests made his language very popular for
commerce throughout the region . To mention Ibanag language is the most complete
in the regions languages. He is also noted as an excellent blacksmith and continue to
make good bolos up to now.
The ibanag is engaged in various activities beneficial to the community at the same
time giving him better income and opportunities to maximize his potentials. After 500
years, the descendants have become:
a)Teachers majoring in varied disciplines, graduated from the different schools of the
country; the big schools in Manila, other regions and schools and universities of the
valley that can head and mentor in different disciplines of schools public and private
both home and abroad.; And others who function other services in the academia.
b)Engineers to construct houses, offices, schools and government buildings, roads and
Bridges, churches and other structures both at home and abroad.
c)Other kinds of scientists
d) Surveyor, geologists, artisans and etc.
e) Medical specialist, medical doctors in different fields, nurses, midwives, pharmacist,
nutritionists, medical assistants, medical aides, etc from internal medicine to cancer.
f) Businessman, bankers, entrepreneurs, traders, middleman, agents, realtors,
g) Manufacturers, Executives, frontlines , office workers, etc..
h) Agriculturist, landed people
i) Economist, mathematicians, physicist, scientist..
j) Historians, linguists, writers, etc.
k) People in the field of arts, artists, actors and actresses, musicians, composers,
dancers, singers, pianists, painters, etc.
l) Lawyers, philosophers, national politicians like senators, and Vice-president.
m) Priest, , clergy, nuns, preachers, etc.
n) Statesman, politicians, diplomats and people of high consequence, military
o) Millionaires, Philanthropist, social workers, etc..
p) And others.
6. Marriage, community, and the family
The Ibanags is clanish and seek his relatives and close friends everywhere.
Parents used to approve of the partnership of the spouses to be. Wedding expenses
were shouldered by the bride grooms family. These days practices have changed in
most weddings. The bride and groom determine who shoulders expenses, where it is
celebrated and how it is celebrated. The giving of cash dowry is still practiced in some
families and in others only in the form of inheritance of landsand other properties.
There is improvement in the attitude of people. They have become more open minded.

For example, childless couples are accepted as the will of God. Whereas before they
were judged as Punnished or undergoing retribution
To this day, the ybannag loves to socialize. He attends affairs of his neighbors, friends ,
relatives and acquaintances. During fiestas, there is practice of tappo where friends or
relatives bring food to the celebrants for the consumption of all.
The Ybannag cebrates every occasion, thanking God for graces Like: Fiesta, Good
harvest , birth of a child, healing of the sick, graduations, birthdays, announcements of
good news, promotions, purchase of a good property, weddings, death, after burial,
arrival of a friend and etc.
Close ties with neighbors is still encouraged. Bayanihan, sharing, cooperation,
brotherhood, self-responsibility, respect, love, peace, and dignity, are still valued
Because of close family ties married couples with children lived with their parents in
some families.
7. Arts and Literature
Ybanag folk literature promotes love,understaning, gratitude, forgiveness, integrity,
truth, peace, justice, honesty, unity, morality, reconciliation, and lifestyle
improvement,prayer, bravery, valor, wisdom and humility. The literature is didactic,
sentimental, romantic, socialistic, comic and spiritual.
. Feelings, emotions and thoughts are expressed in poems; Versu or balagtasan, unoni
or proverbs either in prose or poetry are preachy, advises and pedagogic as well as
theological. Riddles palavvun are always present during occasions. Old songs,
proverbs, and poems are still sung today. The pabattang, proverbs and the advises
through songs which convey Ibanag history, regional sentiments and values are
revered and held with high esteem.
The instruments Kuribaw, tulali and the kuritang are still used in some places especially
during fiestas that recall the past, the origins and beginnings of the tribe. . Guitars,
piano, violin and other instruments introduced by foreigners are played by ybanags
who have learned it in school. Combo is becoming a fad.
Music, dances and other forms of art are now taught in schools. The famous Ybanag
war dance and other Filipno dances have been enriched. Foreign dances are taught as
well.
Some Ybanags are in painting, architecture, sculpture and other arts.
8. Dressing and fashion
Among the different tribes of the region, the ybannag man and woman are dressed
very simply. They enjoyed copying the dressings of other tribes,sometimes, like the
igorot, or ifugao, or kalinga but always, the body is fully covered. They also used lesser
jewelries and beads. In the 18th century when the saya and kimono for women, camisa
de chino or the barong tagalong for men were introduced, the ybanag immediately
adapted it. Today, Some ibannags are in the fashion world as designers, fashion
models, dress makers, coat sewers etc.
9. Foods and drinks
The ybanag cooked his food in earthen pots and vessels made of clay and still do
today. Rice or corn is claimed to taste better when cooked with earthen jar.
He still cooks the same foods he used to do all those years. Being creative, he has
learned the cooking procedures for new dishes of other regions and other countries.
But outstanding of all the likes of native cooking is of course pinakbet, dinengdeng and

the seasonal availability of fried abaling, asimua, kuribembeng, allalaga, turtles, etc, .
Native cakes like,sinabalu, bibingka , puto, suman, paturki, etc are still around.
Several kinds of homemade beverages are prevalent in rural areasof the country.
Tuba (coconut wine) is common in coconut-growing areas. Tuba can also be made
from the sap of buri and nipa palms. This may be found in northern Cagayan where
there are plentiful coconut trees and nipa palms.
The Ybanag of the Cagayan Valley make layaw, a very strong corn spirit. In the
mountain provinces of Northern Luzon, rice is fermented to form tapuy (rice wine). The
Kalingas and Ilocanos are noted for basi, a sugarcane wine; at its best, it's deliciously
smooth. Wine from grapes is produced at vineyards in Cebu and Ilocos. All these are
served in some households during fiestas or special days. The availability of imported
wine from the stores or brought home by Ybanags working abroad explains the
abundance of foreign made drinks during special days.
10. Houses and buildings
Houses were constructed from indigenious raw materials like hard and soft woods,
hard bamboos, nipa, cogon, anahaw, rattan and other native raw materials.
The valley is typhoon prone so houses were built strong enough as typhoon resistant.
Most people now have to build concrete homes with roofings of galvanized iron
because of the typhoons. Altho these days there is still preference for hard wood, there
is shortage of good hard wood for housing purposes. Besides tree cutting is banned for
environmental reasons.
Big houses, some mansion are now sprawling everywhere in the region owned by both
ybannags and immigrants who have chosen to remain in the region.
11. Housing settlements and land ownership
He used to inhabit the area along the Cagayan river banks but now lives where there is
available space for him. Some Ybanags have to buy lands from new comers
immigrants.
The ybanags have been treated unfairly by the Philippine government. It is lamentable
to see that tribes from other regions owns practically more than 3/4 of the regional
lands.
All those years, land releases were taken by government officials ,their relatives and
rich friends. These government officials who were appointed to offices in the Cagayan
valley took advantage of their positions to get the choice lots by hook or by crook. Their
applications even exceed the area limitation of alienable and disposable lands. The
Register of Deed official appointed is usually an Ilocano, Kapampangan, Tagalog, etc.
The poor ybannag who had been tilling for a long time becomes only a tenant, his
application is set aside in favor of the new comer. Among the many weakness of our
governments programs on the distribution of land, the noted outstanding weakness is
the lack of reservation area for the original tribes of the province and the register of
deeds implements the law according to his/her caprices.
12. Sports
The ybanag is good in swimming, running, walking, archery, throwing at range, horse
riding, etc. However , so many change took place these days because of priority in the
use of time and choices of the sports available and other constraints.
13. Intelligence, skills and Education
The ybannag has natural intelligence. He easily learns under formal and informal
education. He can see the logic of what he does to the needs, feelings and rights of
those around him. He easily connects to the purposes and objectives of a task.

Just like any person of any tribe or race, he has inborn skills and is capable of learning
other skills.
Education is a priority in the Ybanag homes. Parents work hard to see that their
children go to school, and proceed to college if possible. But something is wrong in the
school education system of the Philippines. The ybanag child is taught to forget his
language and culture.
Formal education was made available with the belief that it could propel fast the
change needed to improve standard of living. But the formal education introduced
disregarded the indigenious knowledge. The ybanag was taught western lifestyle,
philosophy and culture. And the Filipino was made to think that to live his native culture
was inferior or barbaric. Some lessons taught totally contradicted the culture of the
ybanags , to mean that, the indigenious culture and knowledge culture were wrong and
superstitious.
This wrong process of education confused the young ybanag mind. He was taught to
be ashamed of the past and forefather, his origins and beginnings. Eventually he lost
confidence and became clumsy. then he started to believe in the superiority of other
regions and the white man. The ybanag literature handed down by mouth, bersu and
others were almost forgotten and left old style. But for the strong minded ybanags who
continued with their tradition and culture, even if they went to formal school. We give
them thanks.
It is a welcome idea that the government realize the value of indigenious knowledge. At
the beginning, it will be difficult to adjust to the changes but eventually the advantages
will be felt. Education will then be more meaningful and fruitful.
14. Religion.
95 % are Christians. And 90 % of the Christians are Catholics. The Ybanag believes in
the existence of a God who bestows graces and guides the movements of nature. The
rituals of the native religion have been immersed in Christian religiosity.
Offerings of food for the departed loved one in all occasions called Tunnag is
considered a spiritual obligation specially in celebrating All Souls Day; Belief in the
presence of the unseen one in everything from planning to execution. And many other
practices, taught in the school as superstitious but found effective by the practicioners.
15. General dreams
It is the commonal dream to improve life for oneself, ones family, relatives and friends
and the country by increasing ones income and sharing it. The mindset to see other
regions, other place, other countries; and to take any opportunity or means to achieve
these dreams.
16.. Facing problems and solving it.
The ybanag prays to his God, calls his ancestors and departed loved one, then
He uses his scientific knowledge; he proceeds to seek the counsel of his parents or
elder; his God parents, his matrimonial sponsors., relatives and friends.
He remembers his departed loved ones, offers them sacrifices of food, dances,and
others as in offering of candles. Often times prepares foods for his visitors or relatives.
If he is a catholic, he offers mass and makes some donations, offers food to his
visitors, all these as sacrifice for his departed to help in the solution of his problems.
In extreme cases, like sickness, or lost of a property, or separation and others, he goes
to the Mangilu, who touches his hands or body to heal the sick body or advises on
what to do to get healed; who will tell what mistake was made and how to make up for
it. What offerings to make in the form of food and others.

References
The CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art: Vol. 1. 1994, Cultural Center of the Philippines
(Manila).
National Commision on Indigenous Peoples. Ethno Group: Ibanag. Accessed 07 May
2009.
Cagayan North. Accessed 07 May 2009.
Cagayan Valley:The Ibanag. ESTRELLA L. SUYU. Philosophy at the University of the
Philippines, Diliman. Cagayan State University, Carig, Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
Interviews and Observation
This is dedicated to all True Ybannags. God bless!