| Permanent Exhibition | Exhibitions in Branches | Exhibitions in Preparation |  | Research/Fieldwork | Special Projects | Latest Findings | Latest Publications |

 
    The Anthropology Division is primarily concerned with the field study and documentation of the different ethno-linguistic groups in the country. A national reference collection of ethnographic materials is curated, and a number of exhibitions are maintained covering various aspects of ethnic culture. Cultural conservation is one of the more recent concerns with activities geared toward the preservation of still extant aspects of traditional culture: e.g. vernacular architecture,  boat architecture, etc. Information is provided to other agencies of government with regard to policy decisions regarding peoples of the Philippines. Marginally assistance is provided to members of the ethnic communities in ameliorating their conditions by working with other government institutions. It is directly concerned with the control of entry to the Tau't Batu area of southern Palawan. The collection inventory includes some 10,000 items, broken down into different ethnic groups.
 

Ethnic groups  maranao

palawan

ifugao

 

sama d' laut

subanen

 

The division is composed of the following sections:

 

Permanent Exhibition      Southwestern Philippine Cultures

Hiyas at Palamuti - Selected personal ornaments are displayed in this small gallery ranging from prehistoric ornaments to contemporary ethnic cultures     Northern and Southern Philippine Cultures

 

 

Exhibitions in Branches  1. Ibaloy - Kabayan Benguet  2. Ethnographic and Liturgical Arts - Magsingal, Ilocos Sur  3. Pala'awan and Tagbanua - Quezon, Palawan  4. Manobo Culture - Butuan City  5. The Maguindanao, Manobo, Tiruray and T'Boli - Cotabato City  6. Sama Traditional Boats - Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City  7. Sama, Subanon and Yakan Cultures - Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City  8. The Tausug, Jolo, Sulu  9. The Ifugao - Kiangan, Ifugao  10. The Itawis - Tuguegarao, Cagayan  11. The Marinduque Culture - Boac, Marinduque

Maranao horn sari-manok

 

 Exhibitions in Preparation 
1. Bicol Culture- Cagsawa, Albay
2. Philippine Textile (changing)
3. Traditional Boats of Southwestern Philippines- Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City and Jolo, Sulu

death blanket 4. The Story Of the Filipino People (permanent)  5. Chabacano Culture- Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City 6. The Kalinga - Lubuagan, Kalinga  7. The Mangyan of Mindoro -  8. Ancient Literacy

buklug ceremony

 

Research/Fieldwork   1. Palawan Script Preservation, Brooks Point, Palawan.(Mr. Leo Batoon)  2. Northern Buhid Script mapping of traditional script writers, Mindoro Oriental. (Mr. Linricon Absuelo)   Hanunoo  bamboo container  with writing       boat making                      documentation and collection of traditional boats   3. Collection of traditional boats in the Sulu/Tawi-Tawi archipelagoes - (Mr. Artemio Barbosa)  4. Whale Hunting Technologies , Central Philippines (Mr. Nicolas Cuadra)  5. Lexico-statistical Mapping of the Philippines (Dr. Jesus T. Peralta)  6. Leadership among the Waray Traditional Fishermen (Mr. Artemio Barbosa)  7. Comparative Study of the Iranun of the Philippines and Malaysia (Mr. Artemio Barbosa)  8. Totemism among the Maranao of Lanao del Sur (Mrs. Sidie Rismin Alonto)

Bulul

Special Projects 1. Production of a CD-ROM on Peoples of the Philippines (Dr. Jesus T. Peralta)  2. Ethnographic Collection Catalogues (various authors)  3. Anthropological Literature on Marinduque (Dr. Jesus T. Peralta, ed.)  4. Myth and Legends conference coordination under the International Organization of Folk Art, Manila, Phils., 1998  5. Organization of ASEAN Museums  6. Documentation of material culture from museums in Great Britain in coordination with the NCCA and the British Council.

 

Latest Findings   1. Whale hunting is a continuing activity in the island of Pamilacan, of the island of Bohol. The technology has spread to the northern coast of Mindanao, at least three sites in the island of Marinduque and about Mati in southeastern Mindanao. The method is by using a stainless steel gaff-sized hook plunged onto the backs of cetaceans. (Mr. Nicolas Cuadra)

 
2. The "Bago" of the provinces of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan were found to be composed of a mix of ethnic groups: Ilocano, Kankanaey and Tinguian, with the Ilocano language as the base of dialects from the composing ethnic groups. This validates earlier anthropological and other reports. The issue was raised by the "Bago" themselves but who continue to regard themselves as a distinct ethnic group after the study was presented to them for unknown reasons. (Peralta, J.T. et al.)

3. After the initial finding of about 60 people who still know the Tagbanua/Pala'wan script, a project was started to propagate the script in Brookes Point by utilizing some of the people themselves, while institutionalizing the effort by engaging the Palawan State University and its branches to teach these to the lower levels.(Batoon, Leo,et al.)  4. The initial survey showed that the Northern Buhid traditional script writers are still plentiful and the script is very much in use.( Cuadra, Nick)

 

Latest Publications

1. Peralta, Jesus T., 1997,Cultural Conservation: A Philippine Perspective. Paper read at the Cultural Conservation Conference, Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 7

2. Peralta, Jesus T. (in press), Tinge of Red - A Prehistory of Art Expression in the Philippines, Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

3. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1995, The Abaknun of Capul Island, Samar, Philippines, International Sama/Bajao Conference, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

4. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1995, The Pasig River in the History of Manila, Asia-Pacific 43, Unesco, Japan.

5. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1997, Glimpses of Philippine Cultural Heritage in Selected Museums and Collections., Quezon City Press

6. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1997, Waray Fisherman Vis-a-vis Fishing: Its Social Maritime System. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan.

7. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1997, The Complex Culture of Philippine Museums: Its Movement Toward the Millennium, paper read during the Conference on Comparative Museology and Museography in ASEAN. Manila.

8. Barbosa, Artemio C., 1996, Conducting Research on Ethnobotany in the Philippines: A Guide. ASEAN-NZ, Inter-institutional Linkages Programme, The National Library, Manila.

9. Cuadra, Nicolas C., 1995, Aquatic Mammal-hunting among the Pamilacan Islanders, Bohol, in Binisaya nga Kinabuhi (Visayan Life), Visayas Maritime Anthropological Studies II, eds. Iwao Ushijima and Cunthia Neri Zayas.CSSP Publications, University of the Philippines, Q.C. Links: