Ethnicity and Solidarity in the Philippines

Ethnicity in the Philippines

• Sense of solidarity and belongingness to an ethnic group, reckoned by blood and traced through family tree.
• Ethnic group is consanguine in nature, meaning it is based on blood relationships.

Definition of Terms

• Acculturation: the cultural modification of an individual or group, adapting traits from another culture.
• Refugee: an individual who flees from one area to another, seeking shelter or protection from danger.
• Health disparities: differences among specific population groups in incidence, prevalence, mortality, burden of diseases, and other adverse health outcomes.

Minorities in the Philippines

• Indigenous peoples (IPs) are estimated to be around 14-17 million, consisting of 110 ethno-linguistic groups.
• Distribution of IPs: Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) - 33%, Lumad - 61%, and others - 6%.

Northern Luzon: Igorot Community and Other Minority Groups

• Main forms of work: wet-rice farming, wet-rice and dry-rice growing techniques, nomadic, hunting, gathering, and jungle survival.
• Herbal medicine is used in the community.

Northern Luzon: The Aeta/Ayta/Agta Community

• Language: "Sambal".
• Respectful to the environment, with women healers playing a significant role.

Threats to Community Health of Aeta People

• Dispossession, poverty, and political discrimination through decades of protracted land rights processes.
• Lack of recognition and support from the local government.
• Marginalization and displacement due to land grabbers, illegal logging, mining, and slash-burn farming.
• Racial discrimination.

Mindanao: The Lumad Community

• "Lumad" means "indigenous", "native", or "born on earth".
• Comprises 61% of the indigenous population and 5% of the Mindanao population.
• Includes the Ata, Bagobo, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Manobo, Subanon, and Tiruray.

Threats to Community Health of the Lumad People

• Long-term displacement due to legalized land dispossession.
• Threats from development of plantation agriculture, logging concessions, hydro-electric and geothermal energy plant schemes.
• Human rights violation, including destruction and burning down of schools, areal bombings, and use of school facilities for military operations.

Indigenous Health and Health Status

• WHO defines indigenous health as a collective and individual inter-generational continuum, encompassing four distinct shared dimensions of life.
• The four dimensions of life are spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental.

Explore the concepts of ethnicity, solidarity, and belongingness to an ethnic group in the context of the Philippines. Learn about the importance of consanguinity, acculturation, and minority-majority dynamics.