Visayas Islands (Philippines) - Apollross Reyes

The Visayas Islands located in the middle region of the tropical Philippine archipelago between Luzon and Mindanao, two other major regions. With an area spanning 27,607 mi², it is comprised of 3 regions that are made up of 16 provinces: Region VI/Western Visayas (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental); Region VII/Central Visayas (Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor); Region VII/Eastern Visayas (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte). There are around 30 languages in the Visayan region. Some of the major ones consist of Hiligaynon, Ilonggo, Cebuano, and Waray-Waray. However, it is not uncommon to hear someone from these regions speak Tagalog or English, the dominant languages of the Philippines. There are supposedly many different ethnolinguistic groups but Visayans consider themselves Bisaya collectively. In terms of population, a 2015 statistic that males make up around 50.9% of the population while females make up 49.1% of the entire 19 million household population (“Philippines: Visayas (Provinces, Cities, and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map”). The 2015 age distribution was said to have been: 0-14 years (32.2%) 15-64 years (62%); and 65+ years (5.8%).

“High Culture: The Visayans Before Spanish Colonization Were Badasses”, an article by Justin Umali in Esquire PH, illustrates the life of this region that many might not know much about. In pre-colonial times, the people of the Visayas Islands often traveled on the sea to raid other islands nearby. They were well-known warriors up until Spanish rule came upon them. They also had a culture of tattooing, staining their teeth black and red, decorating their teeth with gold, and molding their skulls. Before Christianity, which was brought by the Spanish, they had a belief system that surrounded celestial bodies and creatures. These beliefs determined the way they treated different aspects of their lives such as farming, praying, and remembering ancestors.

On December 31st, 2020, 9 Indigenous Tumandok leaders were murdered by the Philippine police while 10 others have been arrested on Panay Island in Western Visayas. What sparked this tragic event was the efforts to fight against the construction of Jalaur Dam which would negatively affect the ancestral lands of the Tumandok tribe. Not only will this be an invasion of their land but it will also cause many people within the community to lose their homes, most likely without any promise of compensation. Another major contributor that led this to happen was the recent issue of the Anti-Terror Law that was passed by President Duterte last July 2020 which had increased the number of extrajudicial killings in the country. One of the law components declares any activism to be a form of terrorism thereby being a threat. Despite this being recent, it is just one of many instances that show the lack of support for Indigenous people.

Being someone who has lived in a different region, Luzon, I felt like to familiarized myself more with the rest of the country. Specifically, I wanted to discuss issues that affect communities outside of Luzon since I feel like there is some disconnect when it comes to government support for places that are further away from the capital. There are also many other issues that I hope to cover in the future such as discrimination between different groups, the disproportionate accessibility of resources, etc. I also wanted to address that there is also Mindanao but I believe that there is so much to learn about a single region that I thought it would be best to devote my time learning about one.

Lumad Communities

Hanuno Mangyans and Deforestation

“Visaya, Vintar, Ilocos Norte Profile – PhilAtlas.” Philatlas.com, May 1990,

www.philatlas.com/luzon/r01/ilocos-norte/vintar/visaya.html.

‌Indigenous and Ethnic Groups - Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines. “Indigenous and Ethnic

Groups - Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines.” Google.com, 2011,

sites.google.com/site/philippinetribes/ethnic-groups-of-the-philippines/indigenous-and-et

hnic-groups.

‌“Philippines: Visayas (Provinces, Cities and Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and

Map.” Citypopulation.de, 2015, www.citypopulation.de/en/philippines/visayas/admin/.

‌Umali, Justin. “High Culture: The Visayans before Spanish Colonization Were Badasses.”

Esquiremag.ph, 2020,

www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/visayan-culture-a2212-20200303-lfrm2.

‌Aspinwall, Nick. “9 Indigenous Leaders Killed by Philippine Police in ‘Massacre.’”

Thediplomat.com, 2021,

thediplomat.com/2021/01/9-indigenous-leaders-killed-by-philippine-police-in-massacre/.

‌“Indigenous People of the Philippines Call on Duterte Government to Stop Attacks – Land Is

Life.” Landislife.org, 2020,

www.landislife.org/indigenous-people-of-the-philippines-call-on-duterte-government-to-stop-attacks-470/.