Negritos of Zambales | Page 6

in need of verification. Inquiries pursued
by The Ethnological Survey do not bear them out--in fact, point to an
opposite belief.
There is a small body of what may be pure types near the boundary
between Isabela and Cagayan, west of the Cagayan River, but the coast
region, so far as is known, does not hold any Negritos.
As many as sixteen towns of Cagayan report Negritos to the total
number of about 2,500. They are known commonly as "Atta," but in the
pueblo of Baggao there are three groups known locally as "Atta,"
"Diango," and "Paranan." They have been described by natives of
Baggao as being very similar to the ordinary Filipinos in physical
characteristics except that they are darker in color and have bushy hair.
Their only weapons are the bow and arrow. Their social status is in
every way like that of the Negritos as distinguished from the
industrious mountain. Malayans of northern Luzon. Yet future
investigations may not associate these robust and warlike tribes with
the weak, shirking Negritos. Negritos of pure type have not so far been
reported from Cagayan.
At only two places in the western half of northern Luzon have Negritos
been observed. There is a small group near Piddig, Ilokos Norte, and a
wandering band of about thirty-five in the mountains between
Villavieja, Abra Province, and Santa Maria, Ilokos Sur Province, from

both of which towns they have been reported. It is but a question of
time until no trace of them will be left in this region so thickly
populated with stronger mountain peoples.

In the Southern Islands
Although Negritos were reported by the early Spanish writers to be
especially numerous in some of the southern islands, probably more of
them are found on Luzon than on all the other islands in the
Archipelago. Besides Luzon, the only large islands inhabited by them
at present are Panay, Negros, Mindanao, and Paragua, but some of the
smaller islands, as Tablas and Guimaras, have them.
Negritos of pure blood have not been reported from Mindoro, but only
the half-breed Manguian, who belong in a group to themselves. It is
questionable whether the unknown interior will produce pure types,
though it is frequently reported that there are Negritos in the interior.
There is a rather large colony of Negritos on the west coast of Tablas
near Odiungan, and also a few on the Isla de Carabao immediately
south of Tablas. These have probably passed up from Panay. All the
provinces of the latter island report Negritos, locally known as "Ati"
and "Agta." They seem to be scattered pretty well over the interior of
Panay, being especially numerous in the mountainous region where the
Provinces of Antique and Iloilo join. In Antique there are about 1,000
Negritos living in groups of several families each. They are reported
from nearly all the towns, being more numerous along the Dalanas and
Sibalon Rivers. The number of pure types is said, however, to be
rapidly decreasing on account of intermarriage with the Bukidnon or
mountain Visayan. They are of very small stature, with kinky hair.
They lead the same nomadic life as the Negritos in other parts, except
that they depend more on the products of the forest for subsistence and
rarely clear and cultivate "ca-ing-in." [11] They seem to have
developed more of religious superstitions, and believe that both evil
spirits and protecting spirits inhabit the forests and plains. However,
these beliefs may have been borrowed from the Bukidnon, with whom

they come much in contact. From a mixing of the Ati and Bukidnon are
sprung the Calibugan, who partake more of the characteristics of their
Visayan ancestors than those of the Ati, and generally abandon the
nomadic life and live in clearings in the forest.
About ten years ago there was a group of about 200 Ati at a place
called Labangan, on the Dalanas River, governed by one Capitán
Andres. They made clearings and carried people across the river for a
small remuneration. Many of them are said to have emigrated to
Negros to escape public work to which the local authorities subjected
them without compensation.
There is a small, wandering group of Negritos on Guimaras, probably
emigrants from Panay. They have been reported from both Nagaba and
Nueva Valencia, pueblos of that island.
Investigation does not bear out the statements of the historian
previously quoted in regard to the early populations of Negros. At least
it seems that if the southwestern part of that island known as Sojoton
had been so thickly populated with Negritos early in the eighteenth
century more traces of them would remain to-day. But they seem to
have left no marks on the Malayan population. While in the Isio region
in August, 1903, I made special investigation and inquiry into this