This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
The Sambal people are a Filipino ethnolinguistic group living primarily in the province of Zambales and the Pangasinense municipalities of Bolinao and Anda. The term may also refer to the general inhabitants of Zambales. They were also referred to as the Zambales (singular Zambal) during the Spanish colonial era.
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Zambales, Bolinao, Anda, Metro Manila, Quezon | |
| Languages | |
| Sambal, Bolinao, Botolan, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, English | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Filipino ethnic groups |
In 1950s, hundreds of Sambal from the northern municipalities of Zambales migrated to and established a settlement in Quezon, Palawan; this settlement was named Panitian. The residents call themselves Palawenyong Sambal (Spanish: zambales palaweños) or simply Sambal.
History
The Sambal are the original Austronesian inhabitants of the province of Zambales in the Philippines. They speak mainly Sambal and Botolan, as well as Kapampangan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Bolinao, and Pangasinense. The Sambalic languages are most closely related to the Kapampangan language and an archaic form of Tagalog still spoken in Tanay in the province of Rizal. This has been interpreted to mean that the Sambal originated from that area, later being displaced by migrating Tagalogs, pushing the original inhabitants northward to what is now the province of Zambales, in turn, displacing the Negritos.
The Sambal traditional dress consists of a single-shoulder short-sleeved shirt, paired with short trousers. Usually worn at the chest and shoulder areas of the shirt are badges that resemble multicolored crosses.[1]
The Sambals were known to be militant and fierce fighters,[2][3] notorious for their bloody raids on Christian settlements.[4] In the Boxer Codex, they were described as being headhunters who immediately cut the head of people they kill with a bararao dagger. They then make a crown-shaped incision on the head and remove the brains. The head is kept as a trophy, similar to the head-hunting traditions of Cordillerans. The Boxer Codex also mentions other customs whose veracity is questionable, including claims that they eat carabao intestines raw, or that only the first and second sons inherit their father's property while the rest are enslaved or killed.[5]
The Sambals have been occasionally recruited by Indio commanders (indio was the term used for the Austronesian natives) in campaigns against the Spanish, who then governed the islands. The Sambal were also once known to have captured and enslaved Diego Silang as a child, eventually being ransomed by a Recollect missionary in Zambales.[6][7]
During the first hundred years of Spanish rule, the Sambal, like most other non-Spanish groups in the Philippines during the colonial era, had their village structures reorganized and were forced into reducciones in order to assimilate them into Spanish cultural norms.[1]
During the 1950s, hundreds of Sambals coming from Candelaria, Santa Cruz, and Masinloc in Zambales migrated to an undeveloped and forested area in southern Palawan. They established a settlement which was later on named Panitian. Like in Masinloc, many residents of Panitian have their last names start with the letter E. Most common last names are Eclarino, Elefane, Echaluse, Echague, Español, Ebuen, Ebilane, Edquid, Escala, Edquilang, Ebueng, Ebuenga, Ebalo, Ejanda, Elacio, Elfa, Eliaso, Elgincolin, Edquibal, Ednalino, Edora, Espinoza, Ecaldre, Eufeminiano, Edilloran, Ermita, and Ecle. Those who came from Santa Cruz have their last names usually begin with the letter M, foremost of which are Misa, Mora, Moraña, Moralde and Meredor. Other common last names of Sambali people are Ángeles, Atrero, Agagas, Hebron, Hitchon, Hermoso, Hermosa, Hermana, and Hermogino. There are now approximately 6,000 Sambals residing in Palawan. Many of the Palawan Sambals have since moved to the provincial capital, Puerto Princesa, settling in Mandaragat and New Buncag, in particular, although a majority still resides in Panitian.
Sambal indigenous religion
The Sambal people have a complex indigenous religion since before Spanish colonization.
Immortals
- Malayari: also called Apo Namalyari, the supreme deity and creator[8]
- Akasi: the god of health and sickness; sometimes seen at the same level of power as Malayari[8]
- Deities in Charge of the Rice Harvest
- Manglubar: the god of peaceful living[8]
- Mangalagar: the goddess of good grace[8]
- Aniyun Tauo: the goddess of win and rain who was reduced in rank by Malayari for her conceit[8]
Language
Three Sambalic languages are spoken by the Sambal: Sambali, Bolinao, and Botolan, with approximately 200,000, 105,000 and 72,000 speakers, respectively, based on the 2007 population statistics from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).[9] The Sambali speakers are the residents of the municipalities of Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, and the capital town Iba of the province of Zambales. The Bolinao subgroup is located in Anda and Bolinao municipalities of Pangasinan, while the Botolan subgroup is found in Botolan and Cabangan municipalities of Zambales. An estimated 6,000 Sambali speakers can also be found in Panitian in Quezon, Palawan, and in Puerto Princesa.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Ninuno Mo, Ninuno Ko: Miguel de Loarca 6". elaput.org (in Filipino).
- ^ "Aklasan Ng Charismatic Pinoys: Andres Malong". elaput.org (in Filipino).
- ^ "Aklasan ng Charismatic Pinoys: Si Gumapos at si Almazan". elaput.com (in Filipino).
- ^ "Zambales". geocities.com/lppsec/pp. Archived from the original on 2002-11-20. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ Turley, Jeffrey Scott (2015). Souza, George Bryan; Turley, Jeffrey Scott (eds.). The Boxer Codex Transcription and Translation of an Illustrated Late Sixteenth-Century Spanish Manuscript Concerning the Geography, History and Ethnography of the Pacific, South-east and East Asia. Brill. pp. 328–329. ISBN 9789004301542.
- ^ "Aklasan Ng Charismatic Pinoys: Diego Silang". elaput.org (in Filipino).
- ^ "Diego Silang". Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jocano, F. L. (1969). Philippine Mythology. Quezon City: Capitol Publishing House.
- ^ "PSGC Interactive - Province: Zambales". National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2011-05-11.