"I am an Igorot

to Spanish records, the terms “Igorot,” “Ygolotes” or “Ygorrotes” was

used to generally identify the mountain people of Northern Luzon

including the provinces of Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Bontoc, and

Ifugao. Unsuccessful in their resolve to occupy the CordilleraMountains

in their search for gold during the second century of Spanish occupation

of the Philippines, the Spaniards did not extend the use of the term

“Igorot” to other tribes living in other places of the Cordillera.

Instead, they specifically identified them with the name of the village

Spanish missionaries described the

Igorots as light complexioned, very agile, strong, well-built, brave and

intelligent. Comparing their initial meeting of the Igorots and the

lowlanders, the missionaries described the Igorots as having lighter

Spanish attempts to occupy the Cordillera mountains and take control of

Igorots gold mines failed because of the rugged terrain and Igorot

resistance. For three centuries of Spanish colonial rule of the

Philippines, the Igorots fought and successfully repulsed Spanish

control enabling them to maintain up until now many of their cultures

and traditions, which are generally the same with other Filipinos who

abandoned these practices when they embraced Spanish rule and

Head taking/hunting for one is a general practice

of Filipinos. Since the lowlanders and other Filipino tribes abandoned

this practice when they submitted to Spanish colonization, it was only

seen as a practice of the Igorots as they used it in their defense of

their tribe against other tribes and against Spanish forces.

Though

there are Spanish missionaries who wrote positively of the Igorots,

there are others who wrote otherwise especially when the Spaniards

"The name of the Igorrote among Filipinos is synonymous with infidel,

by which they designate whatever races or individuals, whether savage or

pacified, as have not embraced the Christian religion, or who, after

In the Philippine exposition in Madrid, the Igorots were perceived as

savages when compared to the 36 other groups of Filipinos.

Again, in

the 1904 St. Louis Exposition in the USA, thousands of US citizens and

foreigners attended and were thrilled mainly because of the dog-eating,

naked, tattooed and gong beating Igorots.

With all these negative

perception of the Igorots, some people from the Cordillera, especially

those who have spent some time with the lowlanders and have experienced

In introducing House Bill No. 1441 in 1958, Rep. Louis Hora of the Third

District of the (old) Mt.Province sought to prohibit the use of the

terms Moro and Igorot in laws, books and other printed material. He

stated that the term “Igorot” is a misnomer and was invented by the

Spaniards to describe the people of the Cordillera as savage, head

hunting and backward tribe of Northern Luzon. Representative Hora

further explained that the term “Igorot” was invented in mockery of and

to downgrade the different tribes which they failed to conquer and has

Unfortunately, the

Hora Bill was not passed as many Igorots defended the use of the term

“I am an Igorot. Let me be treated as I deserve – with respect if I am

good, with contempt if I am no good, irrespective of the name I carry.

Let the term , Igorot, remain and the world will use it with the correct

The word “Igorot,” according to Dr.

Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, is composed of the word “golot” which means

“Mountain chain” and the prefix “I” which is common to many Philippine

dialects meaning “Dweller in” or “People of”. Records imply that people

from the lowlands have been calling the people of these mountains Igolot

even before Spanish colonization. Thus, the word “Igorot” is an

indigenous Filipino word which originally means “Mountaineer” or “People

from the mountains.”

At the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution,

Igorots played their part in defending the country. As they have always

done with the Spaniards, the Igorots resisted the Americans. They have

participated in the Battle of Tirad Pass which enabled Gen. Emilio

During the American occupation,

the Americans were able to pacify the mountain people by allowing them

to practice their tribal way of life while slowly introducing education

and development. The Americans were impressed by the Igorot’s adjustment

to cruel and inhospitable environment. They are also awed by how the

During

World War II, General Douglas MacArthur singled out the Igorots for

their bravery and heroism in the defense of the Philippines.

“Many

desperate acts of courage and heroism have fallen under my observation

on many fields of battle in many parts of the world. I have seen

last-ditch stands and innumerable acts of personal heroism that defy

description, but for sheer breath-taking and heart-stopping desperation,

I have never known the equal of those Igorots. Gentlemen, when you tell