The Iraya Mangyans

1
IRAYA MANGYANS LIVES IN:

 ABRA DE ILOG
 MAMBURAO
 PALUAN
 SAN TEODORO
 BACO
 PUERTO GALERA (BRGY. BACLAYAN, BRGY. TALIPANAN, PG- CALIPAN
ROAD)
IRAYAS IN BARANGAYS OF PUERTO GALERA:
 BRGY. BACLAYAN HAS AROUND 600 IRAYA
 HEALTH CLINIC
 SCHOOL
 VERY ACTIVE COMMUNITY

DIET OF IRAYAS
 RICE
 BANANA
 BEANS
 PAPAYA
 CORN
 SQUASH
 SWEETPOTATO
 OTHER ROOT CROPS
IRAYA BELIEFS
 ANIMIST
 KNOWN TO BE SUPERSTITIOUS
 ROMAN CATHOLIC
 EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN
 IGLESIA NI CRISTO
IRAYA LANGUAGE
 Austronesian language belonging to the northern Mindoro group
 Dialects of Iraya are Abra-de-Ilog, Alag-Bako, Pagbahan, Palauan-

Calavite, Pambuhan, and Santa Cruz
 Tagalog
 Many of the youth can only muster a smattering of Iraya, as Tagalog
is slowly replacing their native language. (developments could jeopardize
the future of the language)
http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/people/ethnic-groups-in-the-
philippines/iraya/#:~:text=The%20Iraya%20language%20is%20an,everyd
TRADITION
 NITO WEAVING
-They are known for their skill of nito-weaving
-a preserved tradition that celebrates their unique art form.
-they weave using a certain vine called nito that can be found in the

forest that is used for basketry and handicrafts.
ay%20speech%20are%20the%20same.
https://primer.com.ph/blog/2017/07/13/a-woven-tradition-the-iraya-
mangyan-community-of-puerto-galera/
3
ANCIENT TIMES
TRADITIONAL ATTIRE
 made of dry tree bark, pounded to make it flat and
soft.
 women usually wore a blouse and a skirt
 men wore g-strings made of cloth
 Today, however, the Iraya are dressed just like the lowland people.
(ready to wear clothes)
 Their existencewas first documented by a Spanish historian in

1571.Originally the only inhabitants of Mindoro
 believed in animism and good spirits, revered shamans and healers,

and usedesoteric herbal cures.
 As civilization closed in on them, they moved to isolated mountain
tops in order to protect their survival, their lifestyle and their dignity
According to Catapang (the appointed

executive director of Mangyans, Mangyan Heritage
Center)
IRAYA CULTURE
 Family togetherness is deeply valued. After the initialharvest of rice
and corn, they wait to be complete before the first meal is served.
 Elders settle every dispute and in many tribes, elections are held
with the use of leaves.
 age was calculated by the number of harvests since one’s birth
CHANGES IN IRAYA CULTURE
 Until a few years ago, before electricity and TV, even petty crimes
were rare.
 Now birth certificates are issued
 Schools teach Mangyan script and the native language, as well as
Tagalog and English
 “Culture changes. Heritage does not. The significance of Mangyan
life is that it represents a living pre-Hispanic culture.”
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
342106632_Evolving_Iraya_Tribe_The_Changing_Perspective_Culture_a
nd_Environment
PINAKANG ARTICLE NA NAKUHAAN KO NG SUMMARY
(KUNG PWEDE AY SCRIPT NA RIN)
The Iraya Mangyans live in Occidental Mindoro, mainly in the towns of

Abra de Ilog, Mamburao, and Paluan. Some populations of Iraya are also
found in the Oriental Mindoro towns of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, and
Baco.
The Iraya are usually not concentrated in just one specific area; they live
in various barangays* of a municipality. Their population in Puerto
Galera, northwest Mindoro, is a typical example. Barangay Baclayán,
which is about a one-hour walk from Santo Niño, has around 600 Iraya.
The barangay has a health clinic and a school, and a very active
community.
Other barangays in Puerto Galera have substantial populations of Iraya:

Sitio Talipanan Barangay Aninuán, located about two kilometers from
San Isidro (White Beach) and Anilao, also has several Iraya residents.
Other small pockets of Iraya are found along the Puerto Galera-Calipan
road.
The diet of the Iraya consists mostly of rice, banana, beans, papaya,
corn, squash, sweet potato, and other root crops.
Traditionally, the Mangyan are animists and are known to be

superstitious. Today, however, many Iraya are Roman Catholic,
Evangelical Christian, and Iglesia ni Cristo, which is attracting a growing
number of converts from other faiths.
Many Iraya in the Puerto Galera area come donw from the mountains
and join the town's Christmas season festivities. They sell their
handicrafts and trade with the other locals for food and goods.
The Iraya language is an Austronesian language belonging to the
northern Mindoro group. The known dialects of Iraya are Abra-de-Ilog,
Alag-Bako, Pagbahan, Palauan-Calavite, Pambuhan, and Santa Cruz. Each
dialect is distinct, but the basic vocabulary and grammar of everyday
speech are the same. Tagalog words are also used by the Irayas living in
the border areas between the foothills.
Even though there remains a healthy number of Iraya speakers to this

day, certain alarming developments could jeopardize the future of the
language in some parts of Mindoro. A good example are the Irayas of
Baclayán. Many of the youth can only muster a smattering of Iraya, as
Tagalog is slowly replacing their native language. And few show interest
in preserving their language, as perhaps it is no longer useful to them.
http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/people/ethnic-groups-in-the-
philippines/iraya/#:~:text=The%20Iraya%20language%20is%20an,everyd
Living in the foothills of Mount Malasimbo, the Iraya-Mangyans are the

indigenous people of Oriental Mindoro who are known for their skill of
nito-weaving, a preserved tradition that celebrates their unique art
form.
This deep-rooted tradition has been the primary source of income of the
Iraya-Mangyans as they weave using a certain vine called nito that can
be found in the forest that is used for basketry and handicrafts.
https://primer.com.ph/blog/2017/07/13/a-woven-tradition-the-iraya-
mangyan-community-of-puerto-galera/
3
During ancient times, the Iraya traditional attire
was made of dry tree bark, pounded to make it flat and
soft. The women usually wore a blouse and a skirt and
the men wore g-strings made of cloth. Today, however,
the Iraya are dressed just like the lowland people. Ready-
to-wear clothes are easier to find than their traditional costume (Uyan,
2002
Their existence
was first documented by a Spanish historian in 1571. Originally the only
inhabitants of
Mindoro, they believed in animism and good spirits, revered shamans
and healers, and used
esoteric herbal cures. As civilization closed in on them, they moved to
isolated mountain tops
in order to protect their survival, their lifestyle and their dignity
According to Catapang (2016)the appointed

executive director of Mangyans, Mangyan Heritage
Center (MCH)
“Family togetherness is deeply valued. After the initial
harvest of rice and corn, they wait to be complete before the first meal
is served. “Elders settle
every dispute and in many tribes, elections are held with the use of
leaves. For example, if a
candidate is represented by mango leaves, his voters bring mango leaves
to the general
assembly. Until a few years ago, before electricity and TV, even petty
crimes were rare.
“However, changes are happening. Now birth certificates are issued,
while as recent as a
generation ago, age was calculated by the number of harvests since
one’s birth. Secondary
schools teach Mangyan script and the native language, as well as
Tagalog and English. Clearly there is progress, but a sweet contentment
is also disappearing.” Mangyans have been dancing
with the winds of happiness and ease for hundreds of years. Today, one
questions whether life
seen through the lens of materialism is, in fact, progress.
Fansler says, “Culture changes. Heritage does not. The significance of
Mangyan life is
that it represents a living pre-Hispanic culture.” In this research, let’s try
to look through
changes that generates a new picture of Mangyans (Iraya Tribe). How
changing time does
affects the peace-loving culture and the heritage of indigenous people.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
342106632_Evolving_Iraya_Tribe_The_Changing_Perspective_Culture_a
nd_Environment

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1

IRAYA MANGYANS LIVES IN:

IRAYAS IN BARANGAYS OF PUERTO GALERA:

 BRGY. BACLAYAN HAS AROUND 600 IRAYA

 VERY ACTIVE COMMUNITY

 OTHER ROOT CROPS

 Dialects of Iraya are Abra-de-Ilog, Alag-Bako, Pagbahan, Palauan-

-They are known for their skill of nito-weaving

-a preserved tradition that celebrates their unique art form.

-they weave using a certain vine called nito that can be found in the

 Their existencewas first documented by a Spanish historian in

 believed in animism and good spirits, revered shamans and healers,

According to Catapang (the appointed

The Iraya Mangyans live in Occidental Mindoro, mainly in the towns of

Other barangays in Puerto Galera have substantial populations of Iraya:

Traditionally, the Mangyan are animists and are known to be

Even though there remains a healthy number of Iraya speakers to this

Living in the foothills of Mount Malasimbo, the Iraya-Mangyans are the

According to Catapang (2016)the appointed

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