The Igorots and the Untold Stories

Please give due credit to the author. Do not copy-paste.

By: Felisa Daskeo

Most Filipinos probably do not know that a huge number of Igorots are scattered around the world. There’s a top notch lawyer out there, an engineer, an accountant, a business man, a doctor, a police general, but they don’t carry with them tags or banners to identify themselves as Igorots.

That said, I will now begin to bring you around my humble hometown nestled between tall mountains; where lawyers, engineers, accountants, high ranking policemen, doctors, teachers, nurses, midwives, abound nowadays.

Tadian, Mt. Province is a home to more or less 5000 residents. Of course, they are Igorots, except for a very few that you could count with your fingers who are from other regions in the Philippines, mostly because they have married an Igorot. 

In the year 1960s, I could still vividly remember how our elderly would exclaim happily every time an airplane was heard overhead, “Oh, that’s ___________ flying by.” I can’t remember the name of the pilot. I was still a very young girl then.  Oh, thanks goodness, someone, a kind kailyan (town mate), shared the name of our first pilot in Tadian. He was the late Victor C. Astudillo.

Now that it is 2017 and I still hear and read expletives hurled against the Igorots, aggravated with descriptions like pigs, pangit, dogyut(untidy), and ignoramus, my thoughts travel back in the 1960s when we already have a pilot in our hometown.

Let's take a break first so I can share this FB post I recently read in Facebook. 

Yeah, that maybe taken just as a joke but there is truth in those questions. Perhaps you don’t believe it but the man you see resembling a beggar maybe the owner of a multi-million-peso vegetable garden, who supplies the vegetables you eat; who drives a Montero around, who lives in a mansion but who wears no ties, no well-pressed slacks and polo shirt except for worn-out jeans, cowboy boots and a leather jacket.

If you have still time to read, click and read this anecdote of an Igorot man and see what I mean.

Back to where I started, some people think that Igorots are still way behind modern civilization. To tell you the truth, several Igorots are serving many Filipino people. There are judges out there, police superintendents, lawyers, accountants, doctors, midwives, engineers and many more who are working their butts off for the people.

In Tadian, Mt. Province, my hometown, every parent is striving hard to send the children to school. Education is necessary and getting a diploma in college is every child’s dream. 

The house below that is as big as 4 townhouses combined is where a CPA-Lawyer resides. Not content to be an accountant and a business owner, she juggled her time between her job, taking care of her thriving business and going to her law class during weekends. She successfully passed the recent bar exams and she’s now a certified lawyer and an accountant. Her accomplishment does not rest in her personal achievements alone because her 3 children are themselves achievers in their schools. They are the top students in their classrooms.

Walk a little further and you can find a humble dwelling that produced 7 smart children who are also achievers in their own field of education. The family has two judges, a nurse, a teacher, a police superintendent, a forester, and a businessman. They have gone a long way in their professions and are all on top of their careers. Two years ago, one of the members of the family was one of the top five among the graduates of PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy). There are more achievers in the family as the family grows.

These are only a few of the achievers in my hometown. This post could become a book if I mention everybody here and tell his or her story one by one. In the neighboring towns, there are countless achievers too. They are either working in the country or else deployed in other countries. 

Igorots are hard-working people and dedicated to their jobs. That’s one thing that an Igorot man or woman possesses and there is no doubt about that. What makes them shine even more is that they are frugal and know the importance of money.

It is worth noting that Igorots come in many colors and shapes just like other Filipinos. You can see them anywhere, from the farm to the corporate world, politics, showbiz, furthermore, they can be anywhere, from the freezing cold Canada to the blazing hot desert in the Middle East and they are all working hard just like many other Filipinos.

Copyright 2020 Felisa Daskeo All rights reserved.

The Igorots and the Untold Stories

Please give due credit to the author. Do not copy-paste.

By: Felisa Daskeo

Most Filipinos probably do not know that a huge number of Igorots are scattered around the world. There’s a top notch lawyer out there, an engineer, an accountant, a business man, a doctor, a police general, but they don’t carry with them tags or banners to identify themselves as Igorots.

That said, I will now begin to bring you around my humble hometown nestled between tall mountains; where lawyers, engineers, accountants, high ranking policemen, doctors, teachers, nurses, midwives, abound nowadays.

Tadian, Mt. Province is a home to more or less 5000 residents. Of course, they are Igorots, except for a very few that you could count with your fingers who are from other regions in the Philippines, mostly because they have married an Igorot. 

In the year 1960s, I could still vividly remember how our elderly would exclaim happily every time an airplane was heard overhead, “Oh, that’s Victor flying by.” Because at that time, there was already a pilot from Tadian, Mt. Province. I can’t remember the name of the pilot. I was still a very young girl then.  Oh, thanks goodness, someone, a kind kailyan (town mate), shared the name of our first pilot in Tadian. He was the late Victor C. Astudillo.

Now that it is 2022 and I still hear and read expletives hurled against the Igorots, aggravated with descriptions like pigs, pangit, dogyut(untidy), and ignoramus, my thoughts travel back in the 1960s when we already have a pilot in our hometown.

Let's take a break first so I can share this FB post I recently read in Facebook. 

Yeah, that maybe taken just as a joke but there is truth in those questions. Perhaps you don’t believe it but the man you see resembling a beggar maybe the owner of a multi-million-peso vegetable garden somewhere in the Cordillera Region; who supplies the vegetables you eat; who drives a Montero around, who lives in a mansion but who wears no ties, no well-pressed slacks and polo shirt except for worn-out jeans, cowboy boots and a leather jacket.

If you have still time to read, click and read this anecdote of an Igorot man and see what I mean.

Back to where I started, some people think that Igorots are still way behind modern civilization. To tell you the truth, several Igorots are serving many Filipino people. There are judges out there, police superintendents-even generals, lawyers, accountants, doctors, midwives, engineers and many more who are working their butts off for the Filipino people.

In Tadian, Mt. Province, my hometown, every parent is striving hard to send the children to school. Education is necessary and getting a diploma in college is every child’s dream. 

The house below that is as big as 4 townhouses combined is where a CPA-Lawyer resides. Not content to be an accountant and a business owner, she juggled her time between her job, taking care of her thriving business and going to her law class during weekends. She successfully passed the bar exams and she’s now a certified lawyer and an accountant. Her accomplishment does not rest in her personal achievements alone because her 3 children are themselves achievers in their schools. They are the top students in their classrooms.

Walk a little further and you can find a humble dwelling that produced 7 smart children who are also achievers in their own field of education. The family has two judges, a nurse, a teacher, a police superintendent, a forester, and a businessman. They have gone a long way in their professions and are all on top of their careers. A few years ago, one of the members of the family was one of the top five among the graduates of PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy). There are more achievers in the family as the family grows. The recent bar exam has added another 2 lawyers in the family.

These are only a few of the achievers in my hometown. This post could become a book if I mention everybody here and tell his or her story one by one. In the neighboring towns, there are countless achievers too. They are either working in the country or else deployed in other countries. And these are all Igorots who are often discriminated in their own country.

Igorots are hard-working people and dedicated to their jobs. That’s one thing that an Igorot man or woman possesses and there is no doubt about that. What makes them shine even more is that they are frugal and know the importance of money.

Igorots are one of the people you could trust. Just look at the taxi drivers in Baguio City who are considered the most trusted taxi drivers in the Philippines. If you hire a taxi in Baguio City, there's no need to worry how much you are going to pay because they charge fairly according to the regular rate and they don't ask for more. If you leave some valuables inside the taxi, you can rest assured that your money, cellphone or other valuables will be given back to you

It is worth noting that Igorots come in many colors and shapes just like other Filipinos. You can see them anywhere, from the farm to the corporate world, politics, showbiz, furthermore, they can be anywhere, from the freezing cold Canada to the blazing hot desert in the Middle East and they are all working hard just like many other Filipinos.

Copyright 2020 Felisa Daskeo All rights reserved.

Igorots Once Lived in a House called BINANGI

By: Felisa Daskeo

Once upon a time, the Igorots lived in a small, humble house called BINANGI.

The traditional house of the Igorots is a four-posted, thatched roofed shaped like a pyramid, one-room house. It has a floor made of thick and wide lumber that is about ten by ten foot and the lower part is usually left vacant to allow for storage of wood fuel and other materials. This house is called Binangi.

The binangi is provided with a removable ladder that serves a good purpose for the occupants to conveniently remove and replace the ladder as they leave and arrive. There is a place at the side of the house where the ladder is hanged when there is nobody home. The house is not provided with any windows or rooms so the interior is dark. There is a small hole though directly in front of the door where a speck of light passes through to slightly illuminate the interior of the house. Except for the small door, there is no other entrance. There were no locks then in those olden times and anyone could have access to the house but there were no thieves around and every house was safe even if it was left unlocked for days.

I love to reminisce those times when I was still six and one of our neighbors still lived in a binangi. The house was so dark that when you enter it, you have to squint to adjust your sight before you are able to see things around. Since the house has very limited space for playing; we weren’t allowed to play inside. We stayed instead under the house or else in the yard. I loved the binangi house because of the ladder that tickled my toes when I climbed up. Besides, we usually used the ladder like a monkey bar if we wanted to have fun. But we weren’t allowed to play in the ladder if an adult was around. Our elders were so strict then that excessive fun and noise was not allowed since it was a belief that excessive fun could have a negative requite.

Our house in those olden days has no ladders. Instead, it has stairs. We lived in a two-story house with small glass windows that had short-crocheted curtains so when it rained and lightning struck, we all gathered in the kitchen where we thought was safer for us. The windows of the kitchen were made from galvanized iron so it wasn’t transparent. I was always frightened by lightning and thunder so I would have preferred living in a binangi without windows.

Except for the main door that was  moved at the front and a few renovations, the original house that was once our house has remained.

There are some advantages of living in a binangi. Binangi is warmer during the cold season. The roof is made of thick bundles of grass which make the house warm. During summer when it is warmer, the binangi is also a more comfortable place to stay because the place is cool and very refreshing. I can still remember when I used to go up the ladder with my friend whose house is a binangi. Once inside, you could feel the cool air comfortably blanketing you. At night when you enter a binangi; the warm air is like a warm blanket and it is such a soothing thing to enjoy.

In the sixties, there were already very few binangi in my home town. Most houses were constructed using the common construction materials like lumber, galvanized iron for roofing, and even cement. I haven’t tried living in a binangi but I wish I had.

It was a beautiful house that made one felt the true essence of life. Living in a binangi makes one closer to nature and it makes one feel content in life. 

I would have stayed in my hometown and enjoyed the beauty and the serene environment of the place but I left when I finished high school and went home only after many years. Since then, I visited the place rarely; only on occasions where we need to go home. Work, time and money are the reasons why I rarely visit my hometown.

In the year 2000 when my grandmother died, I went home and found my hometown already crowded with beautiful modern houses. It was a place far different from the place I once knew. I looked around and saw no binangis standing and I was so sad to have missed taking their pictures and showing them off when they were still cared for and they were still in good condition.

Today, when I go home to my place of birth, I cannot see any binangi anymore and I miss them. In 2009 when I went home, I only saw one binangi that was abandoned and was left rotting; and that was all that I was able to picture. It is sad because no one has ever thought of preserving the binangis that were part of the Igorot culture.

What now populated my small hometown are beautifully constructed houses and the BINANGI became a history.

Lately though, the community people had constructed an exact replica of the BINANGI to preserve our culture. The house stands proudly just in front of the Tadian Municipal Hall.

The BINANGI was erected to preserve the culture. It will tell the people that once upon a time, a long, long time ago, Igorots lived in small, humble houses but not on the TREES.

These are a few of the houses that now populate my small town.

Copyright 2020 Felisa Daskeo. All rights reserved.

The Igorot House Called Binangi

by: Felisa Daskeo


The traditional house of the Igorots is a four-posted, thatched roofed, one-room house that has a roof that resembles a pyramid. It has a floor made of thick and wide lumber that is about ten by ten foot and the lower part is usually left vacant to allow for storage of wood fuel and other materials. This house is called Binangi.

The binangi is provided with a removable ladder that serves a good purpose for the occupants to conveniently remove and replace the ladder as they leave and arrive. There is a place at the side of the house where the ladder is hanged when there is nobody home. The house is not provided with any windows or rooms so the interior is dark. There is a small hole though directly in front of the door where a speck of light passes through to slightly illuminate the interior of the house. Other that the small door, there is no other entrance. There were no locks then in those olden times and anyone could have access to the house but there were no thieves around and every house was safe even if it was left unlocked for days.

I love to reminisce those times when I was still six and one of our neighbors still lived in a binangi. The house was so dark that when you enter it, you have to squint to adjust your sight before you are able to see things around. Since the house has very limited space for playing; we weren’t allowed to play inside. We stayed instead under the house or else in the yard. I loved the binangi house because of the ladder that tickled my toes when I climbed up. Besides, we usually used the ladder like a monkey bar if we wanted to have fun. But we weren’t allowed to play in the ladder if an adult was around. Our elders were so strict then that excessive fun and noise was not allowed since it was a belief that excessive fun could have a negative requite.

Our house in those olden days has no ladders. Instead, it has stairs. We lived in a two-storey house with small glass windows that had short-crocheted curtains so when it rained and lightning struck, we all gathered in the kitchen where we thought was safer for us. The windows of the kitchen were made from galvanized iron so it wasn’t transparent. I was always frightened by lightning and thunder so I would have preferred living in a binangi without windows.

There are some advantages of living in a binangi. Binangi is warmer during the cold season. The roof is made of thick bundles of grass which make the house warm. During summer when it is warmer, the binangi is also a more comfortable place to stay because the place is cool and very refreshing. I can still remember when I used to go up the ladder with my friend whose house is a binangi. Once inside, you could feel the cool air comfortably blanketing you. At night when you enter a binangi; the warm air is like a warm blanket and it is such a soothing thing to enjoy.

In the sixties, there were already very few binangi in my home town. Most houses were constructed using the common construction materials like lumber, galvanized iron for roofing, and even cement. I haven’t tried living in a binangi but I wish I had.

It was a beautiful house that made one felt the true essence of life. Living in a binangi makes one closer to nature and it makes one feel content in life. 

I would have stayed in my hometown and enjoyed the beauty and the serene environment of the place but I left when I finished high school and went home only after many years. Since then, I visited the place rarely; only on occasions where we need to go home. Work, time and money are the reasons why I rarely visit my hometown.

In the year 2000 when my grandmother died, I went home and found my hometown already crowded with beautiful modern houses. It was a place far different from the place I once knew. I looked around and saw no binangis standing and I was so sad to have missed taking their pictures and showing them off when they were still cared for and they were still in good condition.

Today, when I go home to my place of birth, I cannot see any binangi anymore and I miss them. In 2009 when I went home, I only saw one binangi that was abandoned and was left rotting; and that was all that I was able to picture. It is sad because no one has ever thought of preserving the binangis that were part of the Igorot culture.

Copyright 2020 Felisa Daskeo. Please don't copy-paste.

"Apade" - The Igorot Fairies

by: Felisa Daskeo

My father was a prolific storyteller who spiced my youth with interesting if not adorable stories. There was this strange story that was left unexplained.I haven't heard any development of this story since then, but I believe it was true.

When tribal wars were still predominant in our region; an unexplained phenomenon kept my father’s village safe from the neighboring enemies.

As soon as darkness swallowed the village, clusters of lights out of nowhere surrounded it and kept the enemies at bay. They called these "APADE". And they are like moving torches. These were the fairies of the Igorots in Tadian Mt. Province.

My father said that Tadian, Mt. Province has never been attacked by the enemies since they thought that the lights were the villagers themselves protecting their village.

When we were young, we often saw lights scattered around the mountains. We often thought they were men, but we learned from my father that they were not. They were the "APADE", which were like fairies of the town.

There was this story a long time ago about a man who caught one of them out of curiosity and was surprised to discover only dirt on his hand.

When modernization was adapted by the Igorots, the "Apade" slowly left the village. There was this story told that a man once saw lights parading away from the town and a voice saying, "We'll leave this place. We are of no use anymore." Perhaps they left to find another place to protect from danger. As for Tadian, it still is a very safe and peaceful place to stay even to these days. 

Sad to say, these considered fairies slowly vanished with the modernization of lifestyle. They say that these fairies were driven away by modern technology. They love peace a long time ago.

Copyright 2020 Felisa Daskeo. Do not copy.


What's even sadder is that these fairies will never come back to Tadian.

How to Win an Igorot Man's Approval

By: Felisa Daskeo

The online craze brought about by the handsome Igorot had abated and everyone in FB is back to normal life but we will never forget Jeyrick Sigmaton aka Mr. Carrotman. His pictures are still flocking FB and gaining several views and likes from fans.

Image credit by Paul Louie Serrano

After Jeyrick, and Cabbageman who also captured the attention of many people because of his undeniably good looks, more Igorot men came out from their hiding places and posted their pictures. And more and more people are now proving that many Igorots are good looking too just like other Filipinos.

During the height of Mr. Carrotman’s online popularity, something interesting sprouted in FB. A lady admittedly said that she was overjoyed by the turn of events. She has proven that her Igorot boyfriend is really kind and not just pretending.

With the positive turn of events, I’m sure there are ladies out there who are already getting curious about Igorot men.

Here’s something to satisfy your curiosity about Igorot Men.

The new Igorot generation may be different.

•       He is not the romantic type of man.

He can buy you expensive jeans but do not expect chocolates and roses from him.

•      He is not fond of physical appearance when choosing a woman.

The Igorot man does not choose a woman according to face and body value. In fact, he prefers someone who is not beautiful but who is not afraid to soil her hands. He does not think good looks is the way to a man's heart. The first thing that attracts him is what's inside your heart. Never mind if you are not physically beautiful for as long as you have a beautiful heart and mind.

•              He does not display his affection in public.

In fact, he prefers the romantic part of his life to be very private. During my childhood days, I have observed that unlike the Ilocanos, Tagalogs, Visayans, and other Filipinos, Igorots never held hands while walking and they never displayed any kind of affection to each other. Of course, the new generation is far different from what we were before. But there are still many Igorot men who still cling to the old tradition.

•       He is very practical.

He will not let you go hungry but don’t expect him to bring you to a five-star restaurant even if he can afford it. The Igorot man can build you a beautiful, sturdy and expensive dwelling but he won't buy you jewelry and cars if they are only meant to show off. He will buy a car because it is necessary.

•          He is the rugged type man.

Don’t make him wear the well-pressed slacks and polo shirt because he prefers the rugged denim pants and T-shirt. Buy him Levi's 501 and he'll love you more for that.

•          He doesn’t talk too much.

He talks only in a few words but with sense. Be sure to listen carefully.

•          He is a family man.

He loves his family and works hard to provide for his family. His family first before others.

•          He loves everything country.

He enjoys listening to country music, reading cowboy paperbacks, and wearing rugged denims.

•          He is kind, caring and responsible.

Although he is not very romantic, he is kind and caring. He always makes sure that you are safe and well.

•          He’s a hard-worker.

He works very hard to earn a living and does not choose what kind of job for as long as he can do it.

Ladies, brace yourselves because here’s the core of the article.

Here’s how to win an Igorot man’s approval.

The Don’ts.

• He doesn’t like the “maarte” and the “maluho”.
• He doesn’t like a woman with well-manicured nails.
• He doesn’t like a woman who is too confident about herself.
• He doesn’t like a “loud” woman.

The Do’s.

• He likes a simple woman with simple lifestyle.
• He likes a woman who is a “katuwang sa buhay”.
• He likes a conservative woman.
• He likes a woman who is aware of her surroundings.
• He likes a woman who will be a wife and a mother.
• He likes a woman who will be his partner in decision making.

Now, ladies out there, you can breathe now. Of course, just like any other situation, not all Igorot men are the same. And that depends on how both of you will work on the relationship. Igorot or not Igorot, there are always factors that will affect a relationship. But of course putting yourself in the right place will help make a relationship work.

5 Misconceptions About Igorots and the Truth About Them

by: Felisa Daskeo

Mr. Carrotman’s sudden surge to online stardom has made many Filipinos asking if Jeyrick Sigmaton is really an Igorot.

Credit to Paul Louie Serrano

Igorots are the most talked about indigenous people in the Philippines today because of Mr. Carrotman who is from Barlig, Mt. Province. Many people are asking the true identity of an Igorot.

Are Igorots really as good looking as Mr. Carrotman?

There’s this one post in FB that said, Jeyrick doesn’t look like an Igorot because he is not dark with curly hair.

There is nothing to be curious about or nothing to wonder about an Igorot because we are actually not far different from other Filipinos. Igorots are the indigenous group of people with traditions, beliefs and practices that are different from other Filipinos but this does not mean that Igorots are people who look different or who act differently from other Filipinos.

The misconceptions about Igorots and the truth about Igorots.

• Igorots have tails. Many people think that igorots have tails. They don’t have tails because they are human beings and not animals that is a fact. But if the tail is referred to the G-string, yes, Igorots wear G-string but only during occasions where it is needed. After the celebrations, they discard the G-string and wear their normal clothes such as jeans, shorts, shirts, or pants. They don’t wear that loincloth everyday.

• Igorotslive in tree houses. Some people believe that Igorots are still living in tree houses just like those built by the first Filipinos up on the trees to protect themselves from their enemies and wild animals. This is not true. Igorots live in sturdy-built houses that could withstand storms and earthquakes.

One of the several Igorot Villages in the Cordillera.

•  Igorots are short, dark, with curly hair. Definitely not true. I have never seen an Igorot who is like an Aeta. Igorots are mostly fair-skinned with black straight hair just like most Filipinos.

They are all Igorots. Three of them are teachers, one is an accountant and one is the wife of the Baranggay Captain.

• Igorots do not know how to cook. If you are talking about gourmet cooking, I would say yes. Igorots cook simple meals without many food enhancers. That was what it used to be, but in this technologically rich society, many Igorots have learned to cook too just like other Filipinos. In fact, their popular “pinikpikan” has evolved too.

Traditional cooking of glutinous rice to be wrapped in banana leaves.

• Igorots are still primitive. Definitely not. In this computer age, Igorots live a lifestyle just like the other Filipinos in the lowlands. They have big, beautiful houses. They have furniture and appliances at home. They have computers and gadgets. They eat adobo, kare-kare, fried chicken, sinigang, sweet and sour, spaghetti, pancit, pizza, hotdog, hamburger, etc.

Igorots may not be the “fashionistas”, they love jeans and shirts, They are not “maarte”, and they prefer to look simple and conservative, and not “maluho” they are very frugal and spend their money only in necessities, but they are definitely not primitive people.