Philippines Map 1899 - Ethnic Territories

[Dimasalang]

Thought this map could be of use to those who were interested in Filipino weapons, the different regions, and ethnic groups around the Philippines. Very insightful considering it is an older map of the sections and territories that can be relative to the various weapons of these groups.

[Robert]

Dimasalang, A great map that will be of invaluable help to many of us here. Thank you very much for posting this.

Robert

[Battara]

Nice scan, thank you! I must admit I took stuff like this for granted.

[migueldiaz]

dimasalang, thanks for the map!

one can almost imagine the topography here. for instance in luzon (the northern and largest island), where it says 'igorot/ibanag' is the cordillera mountain range; the elongated black strip on the left on the other hand is the zambales mountain range; and where you have the two large black 'negrito' strips with 'pagans' in between is the sierra madre mountain range.

and those three mountain ranges basically define luzon topography. in between will be mostly flatlands to slightly hilly terrain, occasionally dotted by relatively smaller volcanic mountains.

thus to avoid getting colonized, many filipinos then simply retreated deep into the mountain ranges, where it was a logistical nightmare for any invading force to sustain a campaign.

i also don't wonder why the central highlands of samar and leyte have no designation as to who lived there. perhaps it was because those mountain ranges were practically impenetrable (not to mention that the people are very war-like) ...

[Dimasalang]

Thanks guys. Im sure this map will be used extensively for reference by us and others in the not so distant future.

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

dimasalang, thanks for the map!

one can almost imagine the topography here. for instance in luzon (the northern and largest island), where it says 'igorot/ibanag' is the cordillera mountain range; the elongated black strip on the left on the other hand is the zambales mountain range; and where you have the two large black 'negrito' strips with 'pagans' in between is the sierra madre mountain range.

and those three mountain ranges basically define luzon topography. in between will be mostly flatlands to slightly hilly terrain, occasionally dotted by relatively smaller volcanic mountains.

thus to avoid getting colonized, many filipinos then simply retreated deep into the mountain ranges, where it was a logistical nightmare for any invading force to sustain a campaign.

i also don't wonder why the central highlands of samar and leyte have no designation as to who lived there. perhaps it was because those mountain ranges were practically impenetrable (not to mention that the people are very war-like) ...

You know what, I just realized that the deep interiors of Samar and Leyte are blank on the map. HAHA I would bet that is why it is empty, due to the dangerous region and warlike people living there...no one dared at the time; or at least survived to tell who lived in those regions during that time. Home of the Pulajanes...Waray-Waray people isn't it?

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

You know what, I just realized that the deep interiors of Samar and Leyte are blank on the map. HAHA I would bet that is why it is empty, due to the dangerous region and warlike people living there...no one dared at the time; or at least survived to tell who lived in those regions during that time. Home of the Pulajanes...Waray-Waray people isn't it?

Yes, indeed.

And on a related matter, it is believed that it was the same seafaring Warays of Samar that made those routine attacks in southern China in the 12th century (in 'The Visayan Raiders of China Coast, 1174-1190 AD' by Efren Isorena, Phil. Quarterly of Culture & Society, June 2004).

Back to the more recent past, what's that US Marines unit again (early 1900s, and related to the Balangiga encounter) which suffered deaths while simply crossing those mountains of Samar on a patrol mission, due to the difficulties involved?

[Spunjer]

actually, on the first edition of the map, it WAS marked. it was later removed so it wouldn't cause any mass hysteria.
Ye Original Map

[laEspadaAncha]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

actually, on the first edition of the map, it WAS marked. it was later removed so it wouldn't cause any mass hysteria.
Ye Original Map

LoL... Someone had to give props where props were due... too funny.


Re: the map, it seems to resonate with any/every anthro class (read: both) I took. In that one static image, you can almost envision the waves of migration of different peoples over millennia, with each successive "invader" more often than not pushing the previously settled people further from the coast.

At a glance, based on the map it would appear as if the (Austronesian?) Igorot were the original inhabitants, followed by Negrito migrations (from PNG or Melanesia?), followed by the comparably "recent" migrations from elsewhere in SE Asia. Is this even remotely accurate?

[Dimasalang]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

actually, on the first edition of the map, it WAS marked. it was later removed so it wouldn't cause any mass hysteria.
Ye Original Map

HAHHAHAHAH Good one!

Originally Posted by laEspadaAncha

Re: the map, it seems to resonate with any/every anthro class (read: both) I took. In that one static image, you can almost envision the waves of migration of different peoples over millennia, with each successive "invader" more often than not pushing the previously settled people further from the coast.

At a glance, based on the map it would appear as if the (Austronesian?) Igorot were the original inhabitants, followed by Negrito migrations (from PNG or Melanesia?), followed by the comparably "recent" migrations from elsewhere in SE Asia. Is this even remotely accurate?

I have also read the same...much of the early original settlers being killed off and chased up the mountains by waves of the next migrations. It looks to be true and accurate judging by the placement of the two earlier inhabitants. I tend to follow that theory.

I am guessing there was a lot of Dragon slaying as well, since the Dragons were also pushed to the highlands of Samar/Leyte.

[Dimasalang]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Yes, indeed.

And on a related matter, it is believed that it was the same seafaring Warays of Samar that made those routine attacks in southern China in the 12th century (in 'The Visayan Raiders of China Coast, 1174-1190 AD' by Efren Isorena, Phil. Quarterly of Culture & Society, June 2004).

Interesting...never heard of that. I am gonna have to research more of this time. Thanks!

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Back to the more recent past, what's that US Marines unit again (early 1900s, and related to the Balangiga encounter) which suffered deaths while simply crossing those mountains of Samar on a patrol mission, due to the difficulties involved?

The US Marine unit was under Maj Littleton Waller. Not sure on which detachment or which particular Marine unit.

-Going way off on a tangent here..sorry-
Waller was actually tried for executing in the town square his native guides from this expedition. During his trial is also where the controversial order by Gen Jacob Smith publically came out...to kill all natives over 10 years old and turn Samar in to a "howling wilderness"(retaliation and revenge for the Balangiga Massacre). Which became even a bigger stink in American papers and the US government...it fully eclipsed the Waller executions. Smith was quickly put to trial and was set to be charged; but after the trial he was given the choice to resign as Brigadier-General before facing sentence and a court-martial. Waller was also charged, but strangely enough was later acquitted. Waller(USMC) was being tried in a US Army court system. During that time, a court and trial of one military branch could not put to trial another soldier or officer of another branch. So automatically Wallers trial was considered void. Waller was never brought back to trial for the killing of these natives under the Naval court(Marines are under the Navy branch). Interesting being Waller was actually promoted to Colonel shortly after this controversy...I truly believe his promotion was due to this expedition and the respect the Marines had for this great accomplishment. The trek through Samar was the greatest expeditionary track of that era and made Waller a legend. Waller would go on to lead a very successful military career...fighting in WWI and ending his career with the rank of Major General. My brother, who was in the USMC, told me they mentioned this Samar expedition when they learned of Marine Corp lore and history during boot camp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littleton_Waller


You can read the basic overall story of Wallers expedition here.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/samar.txt

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

actually, on the first edition of the map, it WAS marked. it was later removed so it wouldn't cause any mass hysteria.

yo spunjer, man that was a spoiler!

that info is supposed to come out way till the end, on how the visayan hilt design really came about (see att.) hey, how's everything?

@dimasalang, thanks for the info on waller. that was very interesting. those sohoton cliffs in samar is surely one thing i have to add now to the places to visit before i die. what other books or reading would you recommend on the action in samar, during the phil-am war? thanks in advance!

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by laEspadaAncha

At a glance, based on the map it would appear as if the (Austronesian?) Igorot were the original inhabitants, followed by Negrito migrations (from PNG or Melanesia?), followed by the comparably "recent" migrations from elsewhere in SE Asia. Is this even remotely accurate

hello. the supposed migration path is per attached. linguistics and genetics heavily support this theory as far as i know. here's an excellent short video on the subject.

[Battara]

Good example of linguistics is the word "mata". In Hawaii and as far away as Easter Island, it means "eye". In Tagalog, "matari" means "fierce eyes". Interesting isn't it.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Battara

Good example of linguistics is the word "mata". In Hawaii and as far away as Easter Island, it means "eye". In Tagalog, "matari" means "fierce eyes". Interesting isn't it.

indeed here are other examples:

parao - Tagalog (Phils.)
folau - Polynesia
barau - Efate
farau - Tahiti
volau - Fiji
poruku - Futuna
palahu - Indonesia
prau - Indonesia
broa - Formosa
palwa - Tagalog (Phils.)

bangka - Philippines
wangka - Malay, Indonesia
waka - Maori, Tonga, etc.
vaka - Vaturana, Savo, etc.
vaga - Alite
va'a - Tahiti
wa - Mate, Lamenu, Nul, etc.
waha - Ceram
wak - Numer
paki - Fila
wakten - Port Vato

[Nonoy Tan]

Hi, Dimasalang. Do you have the name of the person who made the map and the date it was made?

There are other similar ethnographic maps made before the colonization of the Philippines by the USA. Here are a couple of samples which I would like to add, thanks to the initiation of this thread by Dimasalang.

One is attributed to Fernando Blummentrit, dated 1890. He was a respected ethnographer who wrote on the Philippines. Unfortunately, he had never visited the country

Another is by the Manila Observatory (made by locals under the supervision of Jesuit priest, Jose Algue), dated 1899. The map was turned over the Americans after the Spanish-American War. Thus, the details in the map are in Spanish, while the attribution (printed on the top left corner of the page) is "United States Coast and Geodetic Survey."

An earlier map by Pedro Murillo y Velarde, dated 1734 is somewhat "ethnographic" as it contains images on both sides of the peoples and their customs - e.g. Bisayan, Aeta, Arabs, Chinese, Japanese, Mongol, Spaniard, Armenian, etc.

It is always good to know the background of historical sources, in order to assess their value and limitations. The stories behind them are also interesting

[Nonoy Tan]

Re: the map, it seems to resonate with any/every anthro class (read: both) I took. In that one static image, you can almost envision the waves of migration of different peoples over millennia, with each successive "invader" more often than not pushing the previously settled people further from the coast.

At a glance, based on the map it would appear as if the (Austronesian?) Igorot were the original inhabitants, followed by Negrito migrations (from PNG or Melanesia?), followed by the comparably "recent" migrations from elsewhere in SE Asia. Is this even remotely accurate?

The "waves of migration" espoused by the eminent anthropologist Henry Otley Beyer, as it refers to the Philippines, has been rejected by later scholars based on new evidence.

The "out-of-Taiwan" theory of migration is popular and there are strong evidences supporting it. However, that is not the whole picture in my opinion. Surely there were migrations from elsewhere too, as proposed by other eminent scholars who have a differing opinion. In the study of weaponry, IMHO, the consideration of migrations while important has its severe limitations. Instead, the study of trading routes (instead of migratory routes) will provide more leads.

I also would like to think out of the box and consider the possibility that "original" inhabitants were living in elevated areas (e.g. mountains) instead of the coast in order to avoid malaria. Thus, the push into the mountans may have happened only later - i.e. after people had already started living along the coasts in order to take advantage of trade. Before the period of trade, the inhabitants settled the mountains, not lowland coastal areas. I could be wrong though.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

Good example of linguistics is the word "mata". In Hawaii and as far away as Easter Island, it means "eye". In Tagalog, "matari" means "fierce eyes". Interesting isn't it.

In Bahasa Indonesia it mean as well "eye" and matahari means "sun".

[Battara]

Thanks Sajen. I wondered since Filipino languages, Indonesian and Malaysian languages are all related.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

Thanks Sajen. I wondered since Filipino languages, Indonesian and Malaysian languages are all related.

Yes, all three are malay languages.

Regards,

Detlef

[Titus Pullo]

I lived my Malaysia for two years....but I regret not having learned the language.

[Spunjer]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

yo spunjer, man that was a spoiler!

that info is supposed to come out way till the end, on how the visayan hilt design really came about (see att.) hey, how's everything?

well, mystery solved!!! those hilts WERE designed after them fabled dragons, lol. family's doing great bro! heard you guys has a visitor (actually visitors) lately. that's pretty cool!

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

well, mystery solved!!! those hilts WERE designed after them fabled dragons, lol. family's doing great bro! heard you guys has a visitor (actually visitors) lately. that's pretty cool!

and via oral tradition we know that one of them who lived by the sea was called paf (english spelling: puff)

yep they were here. and we had lunch with nacho & reichsritter. among other activities we surveyed the 1904 st. louis expo sandata that are now at the phil. national museum (pic attached).

[Spunjer]

nothing but good things about you guys, is what i heard... hopefully next year would be my turn. we're having a reunion at CPU, so checking out bandholtz collection is definitely in my to do list. would love to see the pre hispanic collection. but most of all, sisig and sarsi

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

nothing but good things about you guys, is what i heard... hopefully next year would be my turn. we're having a reunion at CPU, so checking out bandholtz collection is definitely in my to do list. would love to see the pre hispanic collection. but most of all, sisig and sarsi

that would be great if your trip will push thru! yes aside from the bandholtz items, the prehispanic collection is a must-see. i think it's very useful to look back that far back in time. when we do that, the more we discover that our many islands have a solid common root. just tell us when you'll arrive so we can ready the marching band upon your arrival at the airport ... then on to the sisig and sari en route to the museums