IPs in the Philippines: Indigenous or Migrant?
The Philippines is composed of seven thousand six hundred forty-one islands with more than hundreds of Indigenous People. These people were said to be the products of our Filipino sense of resistance. The transcript of Dr. Danilo Geronas enlightened my perspectives on the history of IPs in the Philippines. But before that, this article revolves around this question. Where do Indigenous people came from, and are they real indigenous ethnolinguistic groups living in our country? According to Dr. Danilo Geronas, Aetas were not original inhabitants. They were not indigenous; they were also migrants. The archeologist would probably say they were not here because the Philippines did not exist. It only existed when the land- uplift happened. That’s the main reason where the ancient people have visited the Philippines. How come that the Philippines can produce such Indigenous People?
Most Filipinos believe the Aetas were the first people who came here to the Philippines. But, as I read the lecture by Dr. Danilo Gerona, I could realize that it was based on the Wave Migration Theory proposed by Henry Otley Beyer. One thing that is unusual for me is how come that after a long time they don't have good integration with the lowlanders. Are they afraid of us? Based on the transcript, they became different from us because of the politics. The Spaniards give them brands. Brands that until now it was adapted by the lowlanders. Anyway, in connection with the topic, where do the ancient people come from?. Anyway, when we say Indigenous, these are the people who originally came from a certain area. Based on what I have read, I would probably say that the IPs in the Philippines are not indigenous. Why? Because they are migrants who came from the Philippines and choose to live here. This argument can be proven by Jocano's theory, where he believes the people are the product of evolution and migration.
The people of tabon cave came here and became the first inhabitant of the Philippines where they pass through the ridges uncovered because of the low water level. When I was in primary grade, my teacher told us that the first ancient people evolve in Africa, and they came here during the Pleistocene time. But little is known about the migration routes used to reach the Philippines. The Philippines is an interesting country because we all know that it has large spreads of the sea which could be done using watercraft such as boats. There is clear evidence of an early settlement of the Philippines, however, little is known about the migration routes of the first man who lived in the Philippines. Indeed, that the ancient Filipinos used the techniques of navigation.
History leading to so much confusion for the modern people because we cannot say what happened in the past, especially the migration of the first man in the Philippines. Though we have some shreds of evidence and researches about that until now, most of us don't know the real story behind the Indigenous People. About the lecture by Dr. Danila Gerona, I can say that sharing his thoughts enlightened my mind with the Indigenous People in the Philippines. Of course, we should not treat them differently from us because they are truly Filipino. We must respect them as they are also human. Regardless that at some point, they have different beliefs and practices. All of us deserve to be respected. Indigenous people have the culture that they preserve, and we must be open to this matter.
Source of my idea:
Transcript of Dr. Danilo Gerona’s lecture
Philippine History. The first Filipinos. (n.d.). https://www.philippine-history.org/early-filipinos.htm.