I-tineg means "people
living near the Tineg river," which these people certainly do. Ostensibly
the still-wild remnant of the
Ilokanos, the Tinggians
still maintain very close relations with them. They reside in the provinces
of Abra, Ilocos Sur, and Iloilo, with concentrations in the municipalities
of Tubo, Manabo, Sal-lapadan, San Quintin, Luba, and Boliney. Two general
groupings exist: the valley Tinggian of the lower reaches of Abra province,
who cultivate wet rice and maintain a concentrated and homogenous population;
and the mountain Tinggian who rely on dry cultivation and root crops, and
are much more sparse of population. The Tinggians traditionally live in
fortified villages adjacent to their swidden fields. They differ from all
other Philippine groups in their taste for dressing in white; the women
are known also for their extensive and heavily beaded lower arm ornaments.
The political unit is the village, at the head of which is an elderly
lakay
assisted by a council of other elders.
Kadaklan (or
Kabunyian)
is the supreme deity of the animistic religion. Women generally serve as
priests and healers. The
sayang prestige feast, as elsewhere in the
Cordillera, is aspired to by men of means.
AKA:
Itneg, I-tineg, Tinguian, Tinguianes, Itinek,
Mandaya, Tingian
Location:
NW Luzon
Languages:
Ilokano
Supergroup:
Subgroups:
Adassen, Binongan, Inlaod, Masadiit, Aplai, Banao,
Gubang, Maeng, Luba, Balatok
Subsistence:
Valley wet rice, swidden rice and tubers
Population:
51,422 (1990)