_preparing_Hemp_-Drawing_out_the_fibre_(c._1900%2c_Philippines).jpg) Bicolano men preparinghemp by drawing out its fibers, c. 1900 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 7,079,814 (2020 census)[1] (6.5% of the Philippine population) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Philippines(Bicol Region,Quezon Province,Northern Samar,Metro Manila,Davao Region,Caraga Region,Soccsksargen,Misamis Oriental)  Worldwide | |
| Languages | |
| Bikol languages,Filipino,English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantlyRoman Catholicism, with minorityProtestantism) Islam,Animism,indigenous folk religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tagalogs,Visayans (Masbateños andWarays), otherFilipinos |
TheBicolano people (Bikol:Mga Bikolnon) are the fourth-largestFilipino ethnolinguistic group.[2] Their native region is commonly referred to asBicol, which comprises the entirety of theBicol Peninsula and neighboring minor islands, all in the southeast portion ofLuzon. Men from the region are often referred to asBicolano, whileBicolana may be used to refer to women.
Bicolano people are largely an agricultural and rural people, producing rice, coconuts, hemp, and spices. A great majority of Bicolanos are Roman Catholics, with many towns celebratingfestivals in honor of patron saints, andCatholic Mass being celebrated daily in many of the Bicol region's churches. There also exists minority Protestant and Muslim populations among Bicolano people.[3] An undercurrent of animism persists as well; for instance, it is common for Bicolano people to believe that whenever a supernatural entity stalks a house, they will leavecentavo coins as compensation.
Bicolano people speak about a dozen closely related dialects ofBikol, largely differentiated according to cities, and closely related to other central Philippines languages, all of which belong to theAustronesian (specificallyMalayo-Polynesian) superfamily of languages.[4]
According to a folk epic entitled Ibalong, the people of the region were formerly calledIbalong or Ibalnong, a name believed to have been derived from Gat Ibal who ruled Sawangan (now the city ofLegazpi) in ancient times. Ibalong used to mean the "people of Ibal"; eventually, this was shortened to Ibalon. The word Bikol, which replaced Ibalon, was originallybikod (meaning "meandering"), a word which supposedly described the principal river of that area.
Archaeological diggings, dating back to as early as the Neolithic, and accidental findings resulting from the mining industry, road-building and railway projects in the region, reveal that the Bicol mainland is a rich storehouse of ceramic artifacts. Burial cave findings also point to the pre-Hispanic practice of using burial jars.
The Spanish influence in Bicol resulted mainly from the efforts of Augustinian and Franciscan Spanish missionaries. Through the Franciscans, the annual feast of the Virgin of Peñafrancia, the Patroness for Bicolandia, was started. The Catholic priest Miguel Robles asked a local artist to carve a replica of the statue of the Virgin in Salamanca; now the statue is celebrated through an annual fluvial parade in Naga City.
Bicolanos actively participated in the national resistance to the Spanish, American and Japanese occupations, led by two well-known militants,Simeón Ola and GovernorWenceslao Vinzons.[5] Historically, the Bicolano people have been among the most resistant to foreign occupation, and the region was very hard for the central government to control until the end of World War II.[5]
Bicolanos live in theBicol Region, which occupies the southeastern part ofLuzon, now containing the provinces ofAlbay,Camarines Norte,Camarines Sur,Catanduanes andSorsogon andMasbate (although the majority of Masbate's population are a subgroup of Visayans). Many Bicolanos also live in the southeastern towns of theCalabarzon province ofQuezon and inMetro Manila. Bicolanos also live outside Luzon, particularly inNorthern Samar inVisayas (due to its proximity toBicolandia) andDavao Region,Misamis Oriental,Caraga andSoccsksargen inMindanao.
Bicolanos numbered 6,082,165 in 2020.[6] They are descended fromAustronesian peoples who came from Taiwan during theIron Age. Many Bicolanos also have someHan Chinese,Arab, andSpanish admixtures; most of the townsfolk have small traces of each heritage. Bicolanos have a high percentage of Spanish introgression; a government-sponsored study show that 20 percent of the population have Hispanic ancestry. Bicolanos are also the ethnic group with the second largest amount of Spaniards/Hispanics as a percentage of the population, afterChavacanos.[7]
Like any other ethnic groups from Luzon, Bicolanos are also widely dispersed outside their regional homeland. As of 2000, they make up the largest non-Tagalog group in the following cities ofMetro Manila:Caloocan City, 59,276 or 5.05% of the city’s population;Pasig City, 24,678 or 4.9%; andValenzuela City, 21,896 or 4.55%. InQuezon City, they rank second in population size after theVisayans, numbering 108,293 or 5%. InManila they number 39,295 or 2.5%, ranking third, after theIlocano andCebuano. They are the largest non-Tagalog group in the following provinces of Luzon:Rizal, 73,253 or 4.30%;Laguna 57,282 or 3%; andBatangas 11,661 or 0.42%. They rank second after the Visayans in the following provinces:Cavite, 52,031 or 2.54%,Bulacan 43,605 or 1.95%, andQuezon, 36,339 or 2.45%. They are found as well in the following provinces: Aurora, 7,079;Pampanga 6,685;Oriental Mindoro, 2,930; 247 inMarinduque; and inCebu 1,534, which is 0.06% of the population. In just this random survey, the Bikol people make up a total of 545,544 or more than half a million, residing outside their region of origin. On the other hand, other ethnolinguistic groups in the Bicol region, besides the Tagalog, are the Visayans, particularly the Cebuano andIlonggo; and theKankanaey from northern Luzon.[8] Bicolanos are also found as a minority inMindanao, especially in theDavao Region.[9]
Bicolanos supposedly have a high tolerance for eating chili food or foods which are highly spiced. The Bicolano cuisine is primarily noted for the prominent use ofchili peppers andgata (coconut milk) in its food. A classic example isgulay na lada, known outside the region asBicol express, a well-loved dish usingsiling labuyo (native small chilies) and coconut milk. Meals are generally rich in carbohydrates, and vegetables are almost always cooked in coconut milk; meat recipes includepochero,adobo,tapa anddinuguan. Commonly eaten fish are mackerel and anchovy; inLake Buhi, thesinarapan ortabyos (known as the smallest fish in the world) is common.
Copra processing andabacá stripping are generally done by hand. Fishing is also an important industry, and the supply of fish is normally abundant from May through September. Organized commercial fishing makes use of costly nets and motor-powered and electric-lighted boats or launches calledpalakaya orbasnigan. Individual fishermen, on the other hand, commonly use two types of nets – thebasnig and thepangki, as well as thechinchoro,buliche andsarap. In Lake Buhi, thesarap andsumbiling are used; the small fishes caught through the former is the sinarapan. Thebunuan (corral) of theinangcla,sakag,sibid-sibid andsakag types are common. Thebanwit, two kinds of which are theog-og andkitang, are also used. Mining and the manufacture of various items from abaca are important industries. The former started when the Spaniards discovered the Paracale mines inCamarines Norte.
Coconut and abacá are two dollar-earning products grown in the coastal valleys, hillsides or slopes of several fertile volcanoes. TheBicol River basin or rice granary provide the peasants rice, corn, and root crops for food and a small cash surplus when crops evade the dreaded but frequent typhoons. For land preparation,carabao-drawnplough andharrow are generally used.Sickles are used for cutting rice stalks; threshing is done either by stepping on or beating the rice straws withbasbas, and cleaning is done with the use of thenigo (winnowing basket).
As in other neighboring regions, men still expect the Bicolana women, both before and after marriage, to do the majority of household work, while Bicolano men are still expected to be the primary source of income and financial support of their family. Close family ties and religiosity are important traits for survival in the typhoon-prone physical environment. Some persisting traditional practices are thepamalaye,pantomina andtigsikan, and the people hold strong beliefs on God, the soul and life after death. Related to these, there are annual rituals like thepabasa,tanggal,fiestas andflores de mayo. Side by side with these are held beliefs on spiritual beings as thetawonglipod,duwende,onglo,tambaluslos,kalag,katambay,aswang andmangkukulam.
On the whole, the value system of the Bicolanos shows the influence of Spanish religious doctrines and American materialism merged with traditional animistic beliefs. Consequently, it is a multicultural system that evolved through the years to accommodate the realities of the erratic climate in a varied geographical setting. Such traits can be gleaned from numerous folk tales and folk songs that abound, the most known of which is theSarung Banggi. The heroic stories reflect such traits as kindness, a determination to conquer evil forces, resourcefulness and courage. Folk songs come in the form ofawit,sinamlampati,panayokyok,panambitan,hatol,pag-omaw,rawit-dawit and children's song and chants.
To suit the tropical climate, Bicolanos use light material for their houses; others now have bungalows to withstand the impact of strong typhoons. Light, western-styled clothes are predominantly used now. The typical Bicolano wears light, western-styled clothes similar to those of other Filipinos in urban centers. Seldom, if ever, do Bicolanos weavesinamay orpiña for clothing as in the past;sinamay is reserved now for pillow cases, mosquito nets, fishing nets, bags and other decorative items.[5]
Bicolanos observe an annual festival in honor of theOur Lady of Peñafrancia on the third Sunday of September. TheCity of Naga comes alive. During the celebration, a jostling crowd of all-male devotees carries the image of the Virgin on their shoulders to theNaga Metropolitan Cathedral, while shoutingViva La Virgen! For the next nine days people, mostly Bicolanos, come for an annual visit, light candles and kiss the cult image of the Virgin. To the Bicolanos, this affair is religious and cultural as well. Every night, shows are held at the plaza the year's biggest cockfights take place, bicycle races are held and the river, a lively boat race precedes the fluvial procession. At noon of the third Saturday of the month, the devotees carry the image on their shoulders in procession to the packed waterfront. On the ninth day of the festivities, TheVirgin of Peñafrancia is brought to her home, to theMinor Basilica of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia via a grand fluvial procession in theNaga River. This celebration of the Bicolanos is considered one of the largest Marian celebrations in Asia.[10]
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