Kalanguya
The Kalanguya tribes live in the mountain range from Caranglan in municipalities of Santa Fe, and a potion of Aritao, Ambaguio and Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya province. Others are at the other side of the mountain range covering portions of the municipalities of San Nicolas and San Manuel in Pangasinan province, then upstream to the municipalities of Buguias and Kabayan in Benguet province then upward to the municipalities of Asipulo and Tinoc, both in Ifugao province.
The tribes practically live within the headwaters and forest reserves of the Agno river basin and the Magat river basin, which supplies water to Ambuklao, Binga and San Roque dams along Agno river and the Magat dam along the Magat river.
The Kalanguya ethno-linguistic group, also known as Ikalahan or people from the forest, maintains a unique cultural identity through language, customs and traditions, although they have been separated into several provinces through political boundaries.
The Kalanguyas occupy easthern Benguet as well as the western portions of the adjacent provinces of Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya.
The Ibaloys, Kankana-eys and the Kalanguya are culturally similar. The three tribes share a common belief sustem dominating their lifeways and observe common rituals. Their main difference are the dialects each speak.
The term Ikalahan is derived from the word Kalaban which refers to the type of forest trees growing in the area. The prefex "I" denotes residents. The "people of the forests" number 30,000(National Council of Churches in the Philippines February 1988.) They are concentrated in the Boundary of Sta.Fe and Pangasinan , Kayapa (Province of Nueva Viscaya, Region II) and Buguias(Province of Benguet,CAR).
The ikalahan are short people, fair complexioned, black round eyes and black straight and silky hair. Their noses are fairly developed. They are shy and they lived in far flung areas, unreached by any type of trnsportation.
The ikalahan economy is basically agricultural. Raising pigs and chickens is an important part of ikalahan economy. Pigs, because of their importance in prestige feast, have been used as a primary index of wealth in Ikalahan society. In recent times, because of the diminishing observance of the prestige feast, ownership of cows has become a more important indicator of wealth.
Handicrafts are a seasonal cottage industry in ikalahan homes.
The musical instruments of the Ikalahans are gongs or gangsa, guitar or galdang, pakgong ang ko-ling (law harp).
To the Ikalahans, the person in authority are the elders or Nangkaama. Their decisions and advices are well respected.tongtongam is the highest arbitration bodyin the Ikalahan society. It is composed of elders acting as judges and counselor at the same time.
Source:
Katutubo Directory, A Global YES Event for the UN Decade of Indigenuous People
Keesing, Felix M., The Ethnohistory of Northern Luzon . Stanford University Press 1962
