About 86-87% of the Philippine population belong to the majority ethnolinguistic groups who are classified as neither indigenous nor Moro. they are a predominantly Christian group who reside within the lowlands and coastal areas of northwestern
Luzon mainly the
Ilocos Region. Other Ilocanos are also found in
Cordillera Administrative Region and
Cagayan Valley, as well as in west and east Pangasinan. Minor pockets of Ilocanos are also found in scattered parts of
Central Luzon, such as
Zambales,
Tarlac,
Bataan,
Nueva Ecija, and
Aurora, in
Metro Manila and in some municipalities in
Mindanao, mainly in
Sultan Kudarat. They speak
Iloco or Iloko with two distinct dialects the Amianan (Northern) and Abagatan (Southern) dialects. Ilocanos even speak other languages within the environment of other ethnic groups in areas they settled and grew up in, like Ibanag, Pangasinan, Ivatan, Kapampangan and Tagalog in Central Luzon, Chavacano, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Butuanon, Surigaonon as well as Lumad and Moro languages in Mindanao. Their foremost folk literature is
Biag ni Lam-ang (The Life of Lam-ang), an
epic poem with similarities with the
Ramayana.
Bolinao The
Bolinao people live in
Bolinao and
Anda,
Pangasinan. They speak the Bolinao language or Binubolinao, which is the second most widely spoken
Sambalic language in Pangasinan (after
Sambal), & is related to
Kapampangan. The language, which has more than 50,000 speakers, has been influenced by
Pangasinense,
Tagalog,
Spanish, and
English. The residents can also speak Tagalog, Pangasinense,
Ilocano, and often, English as well.
Pangasinan The
Pangasinense people are the eighth-largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. They predominate in the northwestern portion of
Central Luzon (central and east
Pangasinan, northern
Tarlac, northern
Nueva Ecija and northern
Zambales, and selected areas of Aurora, Bataan, and Bulacan), as well as southern parts of
La Union,
Benguet and scattered parts of Mindanao. They are predominantly Christian (mainly Roman Catholic). They primarily use the
Pangasinan language, which is spoken by more than 1.2 million individuals, & mostly speak Ilocano as second language.
Sambal The
Sambals are the inhabitants of the province of
Zambales, including the independent city of
Olongapo. They are also found in the neighboring municipalities of
Bolinao and
Anda in northwestern
Pangasinan, which were under jurisdiction of Zambales and as far as
Palawan, especially in Barangay Panitian in
Quezon and Barangay Mandaragat in
Puerto Princesa. Sambals currently make up a large proportion of the population in the Zambales municipalities of north of
Iba, the provincial capital. Their language,
Sambal, is related to
Kapampangan. They even speak Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan, & Kapampangan as second languages.
Kapampangan The
Kapampangan people are the seventh-largest ethnic group in the Philippines. They predominate in the southwestern portion of
Central Luzon (entire
Pampanga, southern
Tarlac, southwestern
Nueva Ecija, southeastern
Zambales, western
Bulacan and northeastern
Bataan, and in selected areas of Aurora Kapampangans, along with the Tagalogs, played a major role in the
Philippine Revolution.
Kasiguranin The
Kasiguranin live in
Casiguran in
Aurora Province. The
Kasiguranin language descends from an early
Tagalog dialect that had borrowed heavily from
Northeastern Luzon Agta languages such as
Paranan Agta, and Filipino migrant languages like Ilocano, Visayan languages, Bikol languages, Kapampangan, and Paranan. It is 82% mutually intelligible with Paranan, a language in eastern
Isabela, since Aurora and Isabela lie in close proximity. Kasiguranin speak Ilocano & Tagalog as additional languages. They rely mainly on fishing and farming, as do other groups in Casiguran.
Paranan The
Paranan or Palanan are a group that is largely concentrated on the Pacific side of the province of
Isabela about
Palanan Bay. The population areas are in Palanan (9,933) with a total population of some 10,925 (NSO 1980). This is probably the northeasternmost extension of the
Tagalog language. There is, however, a considerable mixture with the culture of the
Negrito from the
Paranan Agta language. Paranan speak Ibanag, Ilocano & Tagalog as additional languages.
Tagalog The
Tagalogs are the most widespread ethnic group in the Philippines. They predominate the entirety of the
Manila,
mainland southern Luzon regions and the entirety of
Marinduque, with a plurality in
Central Luzon (mainly in its southeastern portion
[Nueva Ecija,
Aurora, and
Bulacan], as well as parts of
Zambales and
Bataan provinces except
Pampanga and
Tarlac), coastal parts of
Mindoro, major parts of
Palawan and even many parts of
Mindanao. , there were about 22.5 million speakers of Tagalog in the Philippines, 23.8 million worldwide. Tagalogs even speak other languages within the environment of other ethnic groups in areas they settled and grew up in, like Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan (all in Central Luzon) and Bicolano (in Bicol Region), as well as Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Zamboanga Chavacano, Butuanon, Surigaonon and indigenous
lumad as well as
Moro languages in Mindanao where they also made a significant diaspora. They speak Tagalog as a second language already outside of their native regional homeland due to assimilation to the other ethnolinguistic groups who form majority to these areas they settled and grew up in.
Caviteño Caviteños live primarily in
Cavite City and coastal
Ternate,
Cavite. They speak the Caviteño dialect of
Chavacano, which enjoyed its widest diffusion and greatest splendor in
Spanish and
American period of Filipino history, when newspapers and literary outputs flourished. Residents of
Paco,
Ermita,
Quiapo and
Malate shared this common tongue with those of
San Nicolas,
Santa Cruz and Trozo. During the Spanish regime, it was prevalent for
Spaniards, both peninsulares and insulares, to use the creole in their negotiations with the townfolk. Cavite Chabacano was spoken with relative ease because it was essentially a simplification of
Castillan morphology patterned after
Tagalog syntax. Gradually and naturally, it acquired the sounds present in the Spanish phonological system, which had the authocthonous phonetics as core. After World War II, creole Spanish speakers within the capital and surrounding regions went in decline or vanished entirely, leaving Caviteño and Ternateño as the remaining Tagalog-based Chavacano dialects in Luzon. A great number of Mexican men had settled at Cavite, spread throughout Luzon, and integrated with the local Philippine population. Some of these Mexicans became Tulisanes (Bandits) that led peasant revolts against Spain.
Ternateño The
Ternateño Chavacanos are found in the municipality of
Ternate in
Cavite. They speak a dialect of
Chavacano with
Tagalog as its
substrate, just like
Caviteño and the extinct
Ermiteño. There are an estimated 3,000 speakers of the language at present. The Merdicas (also spelled Mardicas or Mardikas) were
Catholic natives of the islands of
Ternate and
Tidore of the
Moluccas, converted during the
Portuguese occupation of the islands by
Jesuit missionaries. The islands were later captured by the
Spanish who vied for their control with the
Dutch. In 1663, the Spanish garrison in Ternate were forced to pull out to defend
Manila against an impending invasion by the Chinese ruler,
Koxinga, from the
Kingdom of Tungning in
Formosa (Taiwan) (sacrificing the Moluccas to the Dutch in doing so). A number of Merdicas volunteered to help, eventually being resettled in a sandbar near the mouth of the
Maragondon river (known as the
Bahra de Maragondon) and
Tanza,
Cavite. The Merdicas community eventually integrated into the local population. Today, the place is called Ternate after the island of Ternate in the Moluccas, and the descendants of the Merdicas continue to use their Spanish creole (with Portuguese and Papuan influence) which came to be known as Ternateño
Chabacano.
Masbateño Masbateños live in
Masbate province of the
Philippines. Masbate is part of the
Bicol Region. They number about more than 623,000. Masbateños may be considered Visayans by language but are Bicolanos by region. They speak the
Masbateño language and almost all practice
Roman Catholicism. The
Masbateño language is closely related to
Hiligaynon and
Capiznon. However, in various municipalities of the island, various other languages are spoken. In the vicinity of the towns of
Cataingan,
Palanas and
Dimasalang, most residents speak
Waray-Waray. In
Pio Corpuz the people speak
Cebuano, while in
Placer and in the west coast along coast of
Mandaon,
Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) and
Capiznon are spoken.
Bicolano is also spoken by the residents.
Groups in the Mimaropa Region Lowland
Christianized groups of the region of
Mimaropa, consisting of the islands or provinces of
Mindoro,
Marinduque,
Romblon,
Palawan, and other surrounding islands. They also speak Tagalog as their second language because of arrival of Tagalog settlers from South Luzon. They speak the
Western Tawbuid dialect. The Bangon Mangyans also speak the western dialect of Tawbuid. In
Occidental Mindoro, Western Tawbuid (also known as Batangan) is spoken by 6,810 people in the municipalities of
Sablayan and
Calintaan.
Buhid The
Buhid are mangyans that primarily live in Malfalon,
Calintaan,
Occidental Mindoro; Bato Eli, Barrio Monte Claro,
San José Pandurucan (on the southern bank of the Bugsanga (Bisanga) River) in Occidental Mindoro; Barrio Rambida,
Socorro, Oriental Mindoro; and Barrio Batangan, Panaytayan,
Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. They speak the
Buhid language in the
island of Mindoro, Philippines. In the 1950s, evangelical missionaries introduced Christianity to the Buhid people. The missionaries encouraged the Buhid to move to the flatter areas of Batangan to establish a local congregation. Some Buhid people were receptive to this suggestion and moved to the central region of Batangan.
Ratagnon about 10% of
Ratagnon have converted to Christianity, Ratagnon (also transliterated Datagnon or Latagnon) are
mangyans of the southernmost tip of
Occidental Mindoro in the
Mindoro Islands along the
Sulu Sea. They live in the southernmost part of the municipality of
Magsaysay in
Occidental Mindoro. The
Ratagnon language is similar to the Visayan
Cuyunon language, spoken by the inhabitants of
Cuyo Island in
Northern Palawan.
Tribal Palaweño The
indigenous peoples of Palawan are a diverse group of both indigenous tribes and lowland groups that historically migrated to the island of
Palawan and its outlying islands. These ethnolinguistic groups are widely distributed to the long strip of mainland island literally traversing
Luzon,
Visayas and
Mindanao. Listed below are specifically the tribal groups of Palawan, as opposed to its urban lowland groups that historically settled its cities and towns. Palawan is home to many indigenous peoples whose origins date back thousands of centuries. Pre-historic discoveries reveal how abundant cultural life in Palawan survived before foreign occupiers and colonizers reached the Philippine archipelago. Today, Palawan is making its best to preserve and conserve the richness of its cultural groups. The provincial government strives to support the groups of indigenous peoples of Palawan.
Agutaynon Agutaynon are lowland dwellers of
Agutaya Island,
Palawan that also call themselves as
Palaweños, like the
Cuyunons, much to the amusement and distress of the original tribal groups, such as the
Palawan, who are called
Palawano by outsiders. The
Agutayanons practice a simpler island lifestyle, with fishing and farming as their main source of livelihood. They speak the
Agutaynen language which is spoken by about 15,000 people on
Agutaya Island and six of the smaller
Cuyo Islands, namely Diit, Maracañao, Matarawis, Algeciras, Concepcion, and
Quiniluban. After
World War II, Agutaynen speakers were also moved to
San Vicente,
Roxas,
Brooke's Point,
Balabac,
Linapacan, and
Puerto Princesa City on
Palawan Island.
Kagayanen The
Kagayanen are from the municipality of
Cagayancillo, Palawan province. There are about 36,000 Kagayanen in the Philippines. They speak the
Kagayanen language, which belongs to the
Manobo languages found mostly in
Mindanao. They can also be found in coastal communities across
Palawan, and around
Balabac,
Busuanga,
Coron, and other areas around the Philippines, such as
Iloilo Province;
Silay, Negros Occidental;
Manila;
Quezon and
Rizal areas. Some can also speak in
Hiligaynon,
Filipino (Tagalog),
Cuyonon,
Kinaray-a,
Cebuano, or
English.
Cuyunon Cuyunon are lowland dwellers hailing originally from the island town of
Cuyo and
other surrounding islands. They claim descent from the
Kadatuan of Taytay and have historically spread to northern and central
Palawan. They also call themselves as
Palaweños, like the
Agutaynon, much to the amusement and distress of the original tribal groups, such as the
Palawan, who are called
Palawano by outsiders. They are considered an
elite class among the hierarchy of native
Palaweños. Their conversion to
Christianity has led to the merger of the animistic beliefs of the Cuyunon with the Christian elements to produce a
folk Christianity which is the prevailing belief of the Cuyunon. They speak the
Cuyonon language, which is a
Visayan language, but have recently also adopted
Tagalog and
Hiligaynon due to an increase of Tagalog-speaking migrants from
Luzon and ethnic
Hiligaynons from
Panay Palawano The
Palawan tribal people, 40.00% christian, are an indigenous ethnic group of the
Palawan group of islands in the Philippines. They traditionally hunt using soars and bamboo blowguns. They speak the
Palawano language, which is divided into four ethno-linguistic subgroupings: the
Quezon Palawano which is also known as the Central Palawano; the
Bugsuk Palawano or South Palawano;
Brooke's Point Palawano; and Southwest Palawano. Palawanos are more popularly known as Palawans, which is pronounced faster than the name of the province. The Quezon Palawano subgroup are found in Southern Palawan, particularly on the western section of the municipality of
Quezon including the eastern part of Abo-abo of the municipality of
Sofronio Española, going southward down to the northern section of the municipality of
Rizal. A large group of Palawans can also be found in Sitios Gugnan, Kambing, Tugpa, and Kalatabog of Barangay
Panitian. The
Taw't Bato of the municipality of Rizal at the foot of
Mt. Matalingahan also belongs to this same Palawan tribal group although their language is 15 percent different from the Quezon Palawanos. The Palawano closely resemble the
Tagbanwa, and in the past, they were doubtless the same people. Some
Tausug residents in Palawan call the Palawano
Traan, which means "people in scattered places". Like the
Yakan of
Basilan, the Palawano live in houses out of sight of each other, scattered among their plots of farm lands. Their main occupation is subsistence farming, cultivating mainly upland rice. A number of them are
Protestant due to recent
missionary campaigns.
Groups in the Visayas Lowland
Christianized groups of the
Visayas archipelago. The
Visayans are a
metaethnicity race native to the whole
Visayas, to the southernmost islands of
Luzon and the northern and eastern coastal parts of
Mindanao. They are speakers of one or more
Visayan languages, the most widely spoken being
Cebuano,
Hiligaynon and
Waray-Waray. Other groups speak smaller languages such as
Aklanon,
Boholano,
Butuanon,
Capiznon,
Eskaya,
Kinaray-a,
Masbateño,
Porohanon,
Romblomanon, and
Surigaonon. If speakers of the
Visayan languages are to be grouped together, they would comprise the largest
ethnic group in the nation, numbering at around 33 million as of 2010.
Abaknon The
Abaknon (Capul Samal, Capuleño) live on the island of
Capul on the northern tip of
Samar in the
San Bernardino Straits, south of the province of
Sorsogon. Although set across Central Philippines from the
Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi archipelagoes where the
Sama groups live, the Abaknon speak the
Inabaknon language, also known as Abaknon, Abaknon Sama, Capuleño, Kapul, or Capul Sinama, that is related to the
Sama language, and not to the languages of the peoples around them like the
Bikol and
Waray languages, the latter is the Abaknon speak as second language. The largest concentrations of this population are in
northern Samar (8,840), and in Capul (8,735) with a total population of some 9,870 (NSO 1980). The orientation of the people is marine with the basic industry focused on fishing, with set rice farming toward the interior. The communities are highly acculturated and practically indistinguishable from the surrounding communities of mainstream ethnic groups.
Waray The
Waray people refers to the group of people whose primary language is the
Waray language (also called Lineyte-Samarnon). They are native to the islands of
Samar,
Leyte and
Biliran, which together comprise the
Eastern Visayas Region of the
Philippines. Waray people inhabit the whole island of Samar where they are called Samarnons, the northern part of the island of Leyte where they are called Leytenyos, and the island of Biliran. On Leyte island, the Waray people occupy the northern part of the island, separated from the
Cebuano language-speaking Leyteños by a mountain range in the middle of the island. On the island of Biliran, Waray-Waray-speaking people live on the eastern part of the island facing the island of Samar; their Waray-Waray dialect is commonly referred to as
Biliranon. On the island of
Ticao, which belongs to the province of
Masbate in the
Bicol Region, Waray-Waray-speaking people live on most parts of the island; they are commonly referred to as Ticaonon. However, the Ticaonon have more affinity with the
Masbateño-speaking people of Masbate, being their province-mates. The
Bicolano language has more common vocabulary with the Waray-Waray language than with other Visayan languages (i.e.
Cebuano or
Ilonggo). They are historically known to be part of the
Pintados people of the Visayas encountered by the Spanish and were regarded to have an established pre-Hispanic maritime militia. They are known to have cuisine with coconut milk and meat and have a slightly sweeter palette than Visayan neighbors. Animism is still a noticeable culture among the Warays and are usually practice based and alongside dominant religions.
Caluyanon The
Caluyanon people are found on the
Caluya Islands of
Antique Province in the
Western Visayas Region. They speak the
Caluyanon language, but many speakers use either
Kiniray-a or
Hiligaynon as their
second language. According to a recent survey, around 30,000 people speak Caluyanon.
Aklanon festival in
Kalibo, Aklan Aklanon form the majority in the province of
Aklan in
Panay. They are also found in other Panay provinces such as
Iloilo,
Antique, and
Capiz, as well as
Romblon. Like the other Visayans, Aklanons have also found their way to
Metro Manila,
Mindanao, and even the
United States. Aklanons number about 500,000. They are culturally close to the
Karay-a and
Hiligaynons. This similarity has been shown by customs, traditions, and language. Aklanons speak the
Aklan languages, which includes
Aklanon and Malaynon.
Ati and
Kinaray-a are also spoken to some extent. Meanwhile,
Hiligaynon is used as a regional language. Aklanon and Hiligaynon are spoken by Aklanons in
Metro Manila, while the official languages of the Philippines,
Filipino and
English are taught at school.
Capiznon The
Capiznons or Capizeños refer to the people who are native to or have roots in
Roxas City and the province of
Capiz, located in the
region of
Western Visayas in the central section of the
Philippines. located in the
region of
Western Visayas in the central section of the Philippines. It is located at the northeastern portion of
Panay Island. They speak the
Capiznon language, which is often confused with
Hiligaynon due to dialectological comprehension similarities and as high as 91% mutual intelligibility, but it has its certain unique accent and vocabulary that integrates
Aklanon and
Waray lexicon.
Karay-a The
Karay-a people speak the
Karay-a language, also known as Kinaray-a. The name of this group was derived from the word
iraya, which means "upstream". The
Karay-a number about 363,000. Meanwhile,
Hiligaynon,
Tagalog, and
English are used as second languages. Most are
Christians. About half are
Roman Catholics, and the remaining half are
Protestants. Some people belonging to the
Suludnon tribe, are
animists. As of 2015, there are about 1,300,000 Karay-a speakers all over the country. About 45% from
Antique, 38% from
Iloilo and 7% in
Mindanao specifically
Sultan Kudarat and
Cotabato.
Hiligaynon The
Hiligaynon people, often referred to as Ilonggo people (
Hiligaynon:
Mga Hiligaynon/Mga Ilonggo), refers to the ethnic race whose primary language is the
Hiligaynon language, an Austronesian language native to
Panay,
Guimaras, and
Negros Occidental. Other Hiligaynons lived in
Romblon, southern
Mindoro,
Palawan,
Masbate and
Soccsksargen. Over the years, inter-migrations and intra-migrations have contributed to the diaspora of the Hiligaynons to different parts of the Philippines. Now, the Hiligaynon form the majority in the provinces of
Iloilo,
Negros Occidental,
Guimaras,
Capiz,
South Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat, and
Cotabato. Hiligaynons also tend to speak and understand other languages within the environment they settled and grew up such as
Cebuano (a related Visayan language spoken within the borders of Cebuano-speaking provinces of
Negros Oriental,
Bukidnon,
Davao del Sur and
Davao Occidental in Visayas and Mindanao respectively that has 80% mutual intelligibility with Hiligaynon),
Ilocano,
Maguindanaon and other languages native in Soccsksargen such as T'boli, Blaan and Teduray.
Magahat The
Magahat are also known as the Ati-Man and Bukidnon. There are concentrations of Magahat found in southwestern
Negros,
Santa Catalina,
Bayawan, and
Siaton in
Negros Oriental; and in
Negros Occidental. They speak the
Magahat language (also called Southern Binukidnon), which is a mixture of
Hiligaynon and
Cebuano. The Magahat practice swidden agriculture, because their settlements are in mountainous areas. They are food gatherers and good hunters as well.
Porohanon Porohanon are the people of
Poro Island in the
Camotes Islands,
Cebu in the
Philippines. They are part of the
Visayan metaethnicity. They speak the
Porohanon language, and
Cebuano as their second language. Interestingly, though, the Porohanon language has few similarities with Cebuano. It is closer to
Masbateño and the
Hiligaynon languages.
Cebuano The
Cebuano people (
Cebuano:
Mga Sugbuanon) are the second most widespread ethnic group in the Philippines after the Tagalog people. They are originally native to the province of
Cebu in the
region of
Central Visayas whose primary language is the
Cebuano language and later spread out to other places in the Philippines, such as
Siquijor,
Bohol,
Negros Oriental, southwestern
Leyte, western
Samar,
Masbate, and large parts of
Mindanao. The majority of Cebuanos are
Roman Catholic. Despite being one of the majority ethnicities in Mindanao as well as southwestern Leyte, western Samar and Masbate, Cebuanos also tend to speak and understand other languages within the environment they settled and grew up such as
Waray,
Masbateño,
Hiligaynon (a related Visayan language spoken within the borders of Hiligaynon-speaking areas of
Negros Occidental and
Soccsksargen in Visayas and Mindanao respectively that has 80% mutual intelligibility with Cebuano), and other languages native in Mindanao such as various
Lumad languages,
Zamboanga Chavacano,
Maranao,
Maguindanaon,
Iranun,
Tausug,
Butuanon and
Surigaonon with the latter three being related to Visayan languages.
Boholano The
Boholano people, also called Bol-anon, refers to the people who live in the island province of
Bohol. They speak the
Boholano dialect of
Cebuano Bisaya, which is a Visayan speech variety, although it is sometimes described as a separate
language by some linguists and native speakers. The population of
Bohol is 1,137,268 according to the 2000 census. Some also live in Southern Leyte and Mindanao (mainly in the northeastern portion). The majority of the population is
Roman Catholic adherents or other Christian denominations. Others practices traditional indigenous religions.
Eskaya The
Eskaya, less commonly known as the Visayan-Eskaya, are the members of a
cultural minority found in
Bohol,
Philippines, which is distinguished by its cultural heritage, particularly its literature, language, dress and religious observances. The unique
Eskayan language and writing system in particular has been a source of fascination and controversy. Today, the Eskaya are officially classified as an
Indigenous Cultural Community under The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8371).
Groups in Mindanao Lowland
Christianized groups of the island of
Mindanao.
Surigaonon Surigaonons populate the eastern coastal plain of
Mindanao, particularly the provinces of
Surigao del Norte,
Surigao del Sur and
Dinagat Islands. They are also present in the provinces of
Agusan del Norte,
Agusan del Sur, and in
Davao Oriental. They speak the
Surigaonon language which closely resembles
Cebuano, albeit with some local words and phrases. Because of the mass influx of
Cebuano settlers to Mindanao, they also speak
Cebuano as second language since Surigaonon is a
Visayan language, other languages are
Tagalog, and
English as third languages. The vast majority of Surigaonons are
Roman Catholics, very few are
Muslims in contrast to its very closely related
Tausug brothers which are predominantly
Muslims.
Kamiguin The
Kamiguin/Kamigin people inhabit the oldest town of the island of
Camiguin—
Guinsiliban—just off the northern coast of
Mindanao. They spoke the
Kamigin/Kinamigin language (Quinamiguin, Camiguinon) that is derived from
Manobo with an admixture of
Boholano.
Sagay is the only other municipality where this is spoken. The total population is 531 (NSO 1990).
Boholano predominates in the rest of the island. The culture of the Kamiguin has been subsumed within the context of
Boholano or
Visayan culture. The people were
Christianized as early as 1596. The major agricultural products are abaca, cacao, coffee, banana, rice, corn, and coconut. The production of hemp is the major industry of the people since abaca thrives very well in the volcanic soil of the island. The plant was introduced in Bagacay, a northern town of Mindanao, but it is no longer planted there. Small-scale trade carried out with adjoining islands like
Cebu,
Bohol, and Mindanao. Nowadays, the language is declining as most inhabitants have shifted to
Cebuano.
Butuanon The
Butuanon are an ethnic group descended from Visayans. As with the
Surigaonons, the Butuanons are also previously considered as Cebuanos. They live in the provinces of
Agusan del Norte and
Agusan del Sur. Some live in
Misamis Oriental or in
Surigao del Norte, all of which are in the northeastern corner of
Mindanao. They number about 1,420,000 and speak the
Butuanon language, but most Butuanon nowadays primarily speak the
Cebuano language, because of the mass influx of
Cebuano settlers to Mindanao, and
Filipino,
English as second languages. Most are
Roman Catholics, while some are
Protestants.
Zamboangueño The
Zamboangueño people (
Chavacano/
Spanish:
Pueblo Zamboangueño) are a
creole ethnic group of mixed
Spanish and native
Austronesian descent that mostly speak
Chavacano, a
Spanish-based creole. They originate from the
Zamboanga Peninsula, especially in
Zamboanga City. Spanish censuses record that as much as one third of the inhabitants of the
city of
Zamboanga possess varying degrees of
Spanish and
Hispano-American admixture. The Zamboangueño constitute an authentic and distinct ethnic identity because of their coherent cultural and historical heritage, most notably the Old Castilian-based creole language "
Chavacano" language, that distinguishes them from neighbouring ethnic groups. The region historically received immigrants from Mexico and
Peru. Chavacanos are the Philippine native ethnic group which holds the most Spanish descent, a government sponsored genetic study discovered that 4 out of 10 Chavacanos or 40% of the population, are in fact Spanish in descent.
Historical foreign migrants and intermixed peoples The
Philippines consists of a wide number of settlers that form part of the national population. They historically immigrated or descended from various countries or lands throughout the
history of the Philippines, from as early as the
precolonial period, the
Spanish colonial period, the
American colonial period,
Japanese occupation, and
modern era. Historically in the context of modern countries, they most notably came from
Spain,
Mexico,
China, the
United States,
Japan, and
India. Much of these immigrant peoples throughout the centuries eventually integrated or assimilated into the country's population, producing new groups of intermixed people that many identify as part of their Filipino identity. Across the
Philippines for the past centuries especially since the
Spanish Colonial Era, the main historical migrant heritage groups are also the
Chinese Filipinos and
Spanish Filipinos who in
Spanish Colonial Times later intermixed with the above lowland native Filipino ethnic groups, which produced the
Mestizo de Sangley (
Chinese Mestizo) and
Mestizo de Español (
Spanish Mestizo) respectively. A Spanish groups known as
Insulares or Criollos are so integrated to the lowlanders that they identified with this culture calling themselves
Los hijos del país (lit. "sons of the country") and identifying the Philippines as their motherland. One eye witness of this integration was an English engineer, Frederic H. Sawyer, who had spent most of his life in different parts of Asia and lived in Luzon for fourteen years quoted.... Spaniards and natives lived together in great harmony, and do not know where I could find a colony in which Europeans mixes as much socially with the natives. Not in Java, where a native of position must dismount to salute the humblest Dutchman. Not in British India, where the Englishwoman has now made the gulf between British and native into a bottomless pit.Sir
John Bowring, Governor General of British Hong Kong who is also a witnessed to this phenomenon in the Philippines concluded:"...There is no doubt that having one Religion forms great bonding. And more so to the eyes of one that has been observing the repulsion and differences due to race in many parts of Asia. ''
There was also the mix of Tornatrás
during the Spanish Colonial Era, who were either the mix of both the Spanish and Chinese (Sangley) in Spanish Colonial Philippines or the mix of the Chinese mestizo and Spanish mestizo, resulting in carrying all three ancestries from Spanish, Chinese, and native Filipino ancestry. Historically though, it was the Mestizo de
Sangley (Chinese Mestizo) that numbered the most among mestizos.
Many Filipinos today associate the term "mestizo
" with Spanish mestizos. Most descendants of the Mestizo de
Sangley (Chinese Mestizo), despite assuming many of the important roles in the economic, social, and political life of the nation, also later readily assimilated into the fabric of Philippine society. Historically, they first settled in the Philippines, as soon as, Spanish colonization commenced in the disunited archipelago of the time. They have historically composed the ruling upper class of the Spanish colonial era and their legacy includes the Mestizos de Español and Tornatrás, which combined with them, are represented in all levels of Philippine society and are integrated politically and economically, in the private and government sector. In the Spanish colonial era, they used to also be classified as either Peninsulares
(pure Spanish descent born in Spain or the Iberian Peninsula), Americano
(Criollo, Castizo, or Mestizo descent born in Spanish America), or Filipino/Insulares
(pure Spanish descent born in the Philippines). Currently, they mostly speak and can code-switch between English and Filipino (Tagalog) or other Philippine languages, just like other Filipinos, but some families can still speak Philippine Spanish, the historical Spanish dialect of the Philippines, mostly as second or third language. They historically brought Philippine Spanish into the Philippines, which is very similar to Mexican Spanish, because of Mexican emigration to the Spanish East Indies (Philippines) over the years. It is spoken mostly among Spanish Filipinos and was the prestige language during the Spanish colonial period. This Spanish dialect went into decline and has largely been taken out of the mainstream languages of the Philippines during the American colonial era, but it has left a large linguistic imprint into most if not all Philippine languages. Some parts of the country with a larger Spanish Filipino influence produced a Spanish-based creole called Chavacano, that is still spoken in Zamboanga, Cavite city, and Ternate. Some of the richest Spanish Filipino families are families that have inherited the fortunes of their family owned companies or conglomerates. According to an 1818 study by the renowned German ethnologist Fëdor Jagor entitled The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes
, not less than one third of the inhabitants of the island of Luzon were descendants of Spaniards, mixed with varying degrees of South American, Chinese, and Indian ancestry and the vast majority of military personnel then had Pan-American origins. According to the tribute-census in the 1700s, 5% of the population were Spanish-Filipinos. in the Manila-Acapulco Galleons which was the main form of communication between the two Spanish territories. Similarly the route brought various different Filipinos, such as native Filipinos, Spanish Filipinos (Philippine-born Insulares''),
Chinese Filipinos (See
Chinese immigration to Mexico), and other
Asian groups to Mexico. According to Stephanie Mawson in her M.Phil thesis entitled
Between Loyalty and Disobedience: The Limits of Spanish Domination in the Seventeenth Century Pacific, in the 1600s there were thousands of Latin American settlers sent to the Philippines by the Spaniards per year and around that time frame the Spaniards had cumulatively sent 15,600 settlers from Peru and Mexico while there were only 600 Spaniards from Spain, that supplemented a Philippine population of only 667,612 people. Due to the initial low population count, people of Latin American and Hispanic descent quickly spread across the territory. in a Philippine population which was only around 1.5 Million, thus forming 2.33% of the population.
Chinese Filipino Chinese Filipinos (
Intsik/Tsinoy/Chinito/Chinita/Pilipinong Tsino/Lannang) are Filipinos of
Chinese descent, mostly born and raised in the
Philippines. Most migrations of Chinese to the Philippines started even before the Spanish colonial period, when foreign trade with other countries were opened to the Philippines. Ethnic Chinese sailed around the Philippine Islands from the 9th century onward and frequently interacted with the local Filipinos. Some
datus,
rajahs, and
lakans (indigenous rulers) in the Philippines were themselves a product of the intermarriage between the Chinese merchant-settlers and the local Filipinos. The majority of the Filipinos of Chinese descent are of
Hokkien origin, while a small minority are
Cantonese or
Teochew descents. Chinese Filipinos of Hokkien descent mostly trace roots from
Fujian province, specifically mostly from
Quanzhou and
Xiamen and to a lesser extent from
Zhangzhou, thus the
Philippine Hokkien dialect mostly takes from the
Quanzhou dialect with influences from the
Xiamen (Amoy) dialect and the
Zhangzhou dialect. Some Hokkien Chinese Filipinos before moving to the Philippines also initially moved from
Hong Kong, despite originally being from Fujian province, thus many carry family names spelled in the Cantonese style despite being Hokkien themselves. Meanwhile, the Chinese Filipinos of Cantonese descent mostly trace roots from
Guangdong province, specifically
Taishan,
Guangzhou, and
Macau, thus many speak the
Taishanese or mainstream
Cantonese. Lastly, Chinese Filipinos of Teochew descent are a rare minority, where not much is known about them except that they are frequently confused with those of Hokkien ancestry but may instead have
Teochew as
heritage language. Historically, the Chinese have been trading and settling with the peoples of the Philippines even during the precolonial era, ever since the
Tang dynasty era in
China, but it was during the first few centuries of the early Spanish colonial period, when they settled in larger numbers. In Spanish colonial times, Chinese immigrants used to be called "
Sangley" which in Hokkien means "business", but centuries later, they eventually intermixed with natives and Spanish Filipinos, producing
Mestizo de Sangley and
Tornatrás Filipinos. Over the centuries, generations have both been gradually assimilated and replenished from occasional fresh immigration from family or village contacts in their Hokkien home province of
Fujian in
China or
Taiwan, so they are still well represented in all levels of Filipino society, while leaving many historical contributions to Philippine society. Many Chinese Filipinos also play an important role in the Philippine business sector. Many of the richest families in the country are from Chinese Filipino families that run big conglomerate companies. Currently, they mostly speak and can code-switch between
English and
Filipino (Tagalog) or other
Philippine languages, just like other Filipinos, but some families can still speak
Philippine Hokkien, the historical
Hokkien dialect of the Philippines. Some have also studied
Mandarin, but currently, the youth are usually not fluent due to lack of practical exposure. Philippine Hokkien has vocabulary with that shares similarities with other Southeast Asian Hokkien dialects to its south, like
Singaporean Hokkien,
Penang Hokkien, and
Medan Hokkien, and to its north, like
Taiwanese Hokkien. Philippine Hokkien has preserved vocabulary that most Hokkien speakers in China would regard as old-fashioned.
Mestizo de Español (Spanish Mestizo) These are the mixed descendants of the native peoples of the Philippines with the native Spanish or the Spanish diaspora in the Americas settlers who settled in the
Spanish East Indies (Philippines) during the
Spanish Era. Most were of either Spanish ancestry or Amerindian-Spanish ancestry (The term 'Mestizo' originated in Spanish American colonies). The first groups of Spaniards sailed in 1565 with
Miguel López de Legazpi from
New Spain, in what is now
Jalisco state,
Mexico to colonize the Philippines. In addition to this, select cities such as
Manila,
Vigan,
Bauang,
Naga,
Iriga,
Iloílo,
Bacólod,
Cebú and
Zamboanga, which were home to military fortifications or commercial ports during the
Spanish era, also hold sizable
mestizo communities.
Mestizo de Sangley (Chinese Mestizo) Mestizo de sangley are the mixed descendants of the native peoples of the Philippines with the
Sangley (Chinese) and sometimes Japanese migrants who settled in the
Spanish East Indies (Philippines) during the
Spanish Era. Most were of
Hokkien ancestry, with a few being of
Cantonese,
Taishanese or
Japanese ancestry.
Sangley is a Hokkien word from sng-lí (生理) meaning "business",
Tornatrás (Spanish-Chinese Mestizo) Torna atrás are the mixed descendants of the above
Spanish Filipinos and
Mestizos de Español with
Chinese Filipinos and
Mestizos de Sangley, who settled in the
Spanish East Indies (Philippines) during the
Spanish Era. Most now have native ancestry along with
Hokkien or other Han Chinese/
Japanese ancestry as well as
Spanish ancestry.
American Filipino/Filipino American Americans (
Amerikano/Kano) usually consist of various ethnicities such as whites (mostly descendants of European immigrants from Great Britain and Ireland), native Americans (aboriginal Americans who existed prior to European colonization) and black Americans (who descended from African slaves brought to America during the 1700s). American settlement in the Philippines began during the
Spanish colonial period, when Americans came to the islands primarily to conduct business and trade. They owned many businesses in the
sugar industry. There was not much American inflow to the Philippines until after the
Philippine–American War. After the
USA won the war and
colonized the Philippines, thousands of Americans settled there temporarily or permanently. Most were either members of the
U.S. military or
Christian missionaries. After independence in 1946, many Americans chose to remain in the Philippines while maintaining relations with relatives in the US. Most of them were professionals, but missionaries continued to settle the country. In 2015, the U.S. State Department estimated that there were more than 220,000
U.S. citizens living in the Philippines, with a significant mixed population of
Amerasians and descendants from the colonial era as well. Since 1898, when the United States
annexed the Philippines from Spain, there were as many as 21 U.S. bases and 100,000 U.S. military personnel stationed there. The bases closed in 1992 leaving behind thousands of Amerasian children. There are an estimated 52,000 Amerasians in the Philippines, but an academic research paper presented in the U.S. (in 2012) by an Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines Amerasian college research study unit suggests that the number could be a lot more, possibly reaching 250,000 and thus forming 0.25% of the population. This is also partially due to the fact that almost all Amerasian intermarried with other Amerasian and Filipino natives. This group also includes
Filipino American (Fil-Am), and sometimes
Filipino Canadian, returnee migrants from the United States and
Canada. During year 2025, there were a recorded number of 750,000
American citizens living in the Philippines, forming 0.75% of the population and when this is combined with the 0.25% of the population who are
Amerasians, 1% of the Philippine population has American descent. Most Indians in the Philippines belong to either
Sindhi or
Punjabi ethnic groups, and are largely businessmen and traders. A smaller population of Indians belonging to the
Marathi ethnic group form part of the clergy of Roman Catholic dioceses in the country. Besides age old indianized influences from indianized history of precolonial states inherited from neighboring
Indonesia and
Malaysia,
Indian Filipinos (
Bombay or
Turko [Cebuano-speaking reference to Indian residents of Cebuano-speaking areas, probably mistaken for
Turkic people especially from
Turkey]) or
Mestizo de Bombay are the mixed colonial descendants of the native peoples of the Philippines with the Indian or
Bumbay migrants from Bombay (now
Mumbai,
Maharashtra)
or Sepoy soldiers from Madras (now
Chennai,
Tamil Nadu) who settled in the
Spanish East Indies (Philippines) during the
Spanish Era, especially during the
British occupation of Manila in the
Seven Years' War. Many settled in what is
Cainta, in what was then the Province of
Manila (currently part of
Rizal Province). As of 2006, between 70 and 75 percent of Indians in the Philippines lived in Metro Manila, with the largest community outside of Manila being in
Isabela province. The region in and around Cainta still has many Sepoy descendants. However, Indian business people started to arrive in larger numbers in The Philippines during the
American colonial period (1898–1930s) – especially during the 1930s and 1940s, when many Indians and Indian Filipinos lived in Filipino provinces, including
Davao. The longest serving
Mayor of Manila,
Ramon Bagatsing, was of Indian-Punjabi descent, having moved to
Manila from
Fabrica,
Negros Occidental before the second world war. A second surge of Indian businessmen, especially Sindhis arrived in the Philippines during the
1947 India-Pakistan partition. In the present day, most of the Indians and Indian Filipinos in the Philippines are
Sindhi and
Punjabi with a large
Tamil population also existing. Many are fluent in
Filipino (
Tagalog) and
English as well as other local languages of the provinces and islands. Many are prosperous middle-class citizens, with their main occupations being in
clothing sales and marketing.
Sikhs are involved largely in
finance, money lending (locally called
five-six),
sales and marketing.
Japanese Filipino Japanese people have been settling in the Philippines for centuries even before World War II, therefore there has been much cultural and genetic blending. The
Ryukyu Kingdom (located in modern-day
Okinawa Prefecture) also had heavy trade and mixing in the Philippines, particularly in Northern
Luzon, as depicted in the
Boxer Codex.
Japanese Filipinos (
Nikkei / Nikkeijin / Hapones / Haponesa / Japino) have an extensive history in the Philippines, such as trading during
precolonial times like the extensive
Rusun jar trade, the Japanese settlements found in Northern Luzon, and the Catholic Christian
kirishitan exiles during the
Edo period, but throughout the centuries, their numbers have dwindled as generations assimilated without much replenishment from
Japan. In
Spanish colonial times, they were called
Iapon/Japon/Hapon or
Xaponese/Japonés/Hapones or were sometimes also confused with
Sangleys (Chinese mestizos), so their children too would sometimes be regarded as
Mestizos de Sangley or
Tornatrás. During the
American colonial era, Japanese laborers were brought in to build the Benguet Road (
Kennon Road) to
Baguio, but eventually after the project, many moved to work in
abaca plantations in
Davao, where Davao soon became dubbed as
Davaokuo (in Philippine and American media) or (in ) with a Japanese school, a
Shinto shrine and a diplomatic mission from Japan. The place that used to be "
Little Tokyo" in
Davao was Mintal. Many have roots from either
Okinawa (
Ryukyu) or
Mainland Japan. When
World War II broke out, many were killed or expelled because of their unwilling or willing
fifth column collaboration with the
Japanese Imperial Army (mostly as translators). This led to many Japanese mestizos who tended to deny their Japanese heritage and changed their family names in order to avoid discrimination. Eventually, many either intermarried and assimilated into the Filipino populace, such as those in Davao who intermarried with the
Bagobo, and those in Baguio with the
Igorot. Many eventually completely lost their Japanese identity while others have immigrated to the US or "returned" to Japan, the homeland of their forebears. Most Japanese Filipinos in the modern times (colloquially called
Japino) are now fresh new immigrants from Japanese businessmen who went with female
OFW entertainers in Japan. The Filipina mothers usually return to the Philippines with their children along with them. Other Japanese who stayed in the country initially came to the Philippines to learn English or set up businesses. These days, most Japanese Filipinos can be found around
Davao,
Baguio,
Iloilo or
Cebu, as well other cities and towns, with only a few around
Metro Manila, though historically there were many around Manila, such as
Plaza Dilao in
Paco, Manila.
Sangil/Sangirese The
Sangil people (also called Sangir, Sangu, Marore, Sangirezen, or Talaoerezen) are originally from the
Sangihe and
Talaud Islands (now part of
Indonesia) and parts of
Davao Occidental (particularly in the
Sarangani Islands),
Davao del Norte,
Davao del Sur,
Sultan Kudarat,
South Cotabato, and
Cotabato. Their populations (much like the
Sama-Bajau) were separated when borders were drawn between the Philippines and Indonesia during the
colonial era. The Sangil people are traditionally animistic, much like other
Lumad peoples. During the colonial era, the Sangil (who usually call themselves "Sangir") in the Sangihe Islands mostly converted to
Protestant Christianity due to proximity and contact with the Christian
Minahasa people of
Sulawesi. In the Philippines, most Sangil converted to
Islam due to the influence of the neighboring
Sultanate of Maguindanao. However, elements of animistic rituals still remain. The Indonesian and Filipino groups still maintain ties and both
Manado Malay and
Cebuano are spoken in both Indonesian Sangir and Filipino Sangil, in addition to the
Sangirese language. Indonesian Sangir even live in the Philippines, particularly Balut Island,
Davao del Sur,
Davao del Norte,
Davao Oriental,
Sarangani,
Sultan Kudarat,
Cotabato,
South Cotabato,
General Santos and
Davao City, Other estimates range between 100 and 18,500 people (0.000001% and 0.005% of the country's total population). ,
Metro Manila has the largest Jewish community in the Philippines, which consists of roughly seventy families. The country's only synagogue, Beth Yaacov, is located in
Makati, as is the
Chabad House. There are, of course, other Jews elsewhere in the country, like the Bagelboys of Subic and Angeles City either
diplomats or business envoys, and their existence is almost totally unknown in mainstream society. There are a few
Israelis in Manila working at call centers and a few other executives. There are also a number of converts to Judaism. == Recent modern immigrants and expatriates ==