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Agta: The Guardians of the Valley

The Agtas of the Cagayan Valley Region play a vital role in the preservation of the region’s forests. They are considered the sentinel of the Sierra Madre - their native land, their home, and their territory. 

Agtas are characterized as short, dark-skinned, tiny-haired, thick-lipped, and small-nosed individuals. They are said to be the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines and they lived modestly up to this digital age.

Over the years, they have managed to keep their cultural practices and traditions, but sadly, they also face challenges such as displacement, marginalization, and poverty. 

Based on the documentation of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region 2, the Agta family in the Cagayan Valley Region is relatively young. Female Agta are generally married, upon urgings of the community elders or with the decision of the parents, as young as 14. 

Lifestyle 

While people in the lowlands and the cities are on fashion, the Agta families remain in their traditional clothes - the tapis or skirt for women and the bahag or breechcloth for men, that are made out of red thin cloth. 

Since they are considered nomadic, the traditional Agta houses are built in clusters and made from indigenous materials such as bamboo, wood, cogon, coconut leaves, and abaca bark. 

Agtas' source of income is connected to the environment where they are living. Foraging is their oldest occupation and activity to survive. They hunt wild animals such as deer, pigs, monkeys, birds, and others. 

They also gather edible plants, wild orchids, ornamental plants, fruits, tree resins, honey, and firewood. 

A typical Agta family in Cagayan Valley Region. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)

Some of them sell these products to the lowlanders at very cheap prices or in exchange for rice, canned goods, and other starchy foods.  

They are also engaged in farming and agriculture but they only clear a small area to plant root crops such as corn, banana, cassava, gabi, yam, leafy vegetables, and others. 

Fishing is also one of the seasonal economic activities of the Agtas. They usually go fishing during sunny seasons when the water is clear. They are famous for catching freshwater eels using an improvised arrow.

Usually, they can catch more than five eels a day during the summer season. They preserve them with salt for their consumption up to the next season or sell them at the nearest public market. 

Traditional Practices and Rituals

The Agtas are perhaps one of the Indigenous People’s groups that have preserved their traditions and practices well as they live far from the influences of foreign communities and other indigenous tribes. 

Agta fishers perform the ‘Wagah’- a fishing ritual to pray for good catch and for their safety in fishing. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)
The ‘Gaygay’ - a custom of Agtas of fencing off part of their ancestral domain whenever there is a death of an elder to allow natural resources to replenish. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)

The NCIP Region 2 was able to document some of these practices and rituals.  One of these is the ‘Apogan’ - a ritual they perform to determine the compatibility of couples who are getting married. The would-be couple shall each prepare nganga (betel nut with lime powder and tobacco), exchange, and chew them. After which, they will spit out the betel juice. If the color and consistency are strong, solid red, it means they are compatible and will have a happy and meaningful marriage. But if the spit is considered pale red and light-colored, the marriage could possibly be troubled. 

Another famous practice of the Agra is the ‘Wagah’ or pre-hunting and pre-fishing rituals, usually done outside of the home or at hunting or fishing grounds, wherein members of the indigenous community will gather around a bonfire, chew nganga, discuss hunting or fishing strategies, and pray for a good catch within a short period. 


They also do ‘Gaygay’ up to now. It is a custom to fence off part of their ancestral domain whenever there is a death of an elder in the community to allow natural resources, hunting, and fishing grounds to replenish themselves. Red strips of cloth are attached to a rattan rope which serves as a warning and notice that nobody or any non-Agta should enter or pass through the area cordoned off or marked. Intruders may be subject to dire consequences, including death, for ignoring or defying the gaygay. 

Unarmed Sentinels in the Mountains

In previous years, the Agta community seemed to be powerless and voiceless. They are frequently disregarded,especially their civil rights. But now, the government is ensuring IP’s participation, including the Agta, in all development programs and initiatives. 

Some Agta members participate in a community activity in Cagayan Valley. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)

Based on the study of the group Tessa Minter, out of the total estimated 10,000 Agta population, around 1,800 live within or on the boundaries of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMP) in some 80 settlements. 

The study also presented that Agta throughout the NSMNP regularly expresses concern that overexploitation of wildlife and timber is negatively affecting their livelihood and food security. 

With this, the Protected Area Management Board, which governs the park, involves Agta representatives to sit as a member of the policy-making body to ensure that the plight of their community will be considered in whatever proposals, decisions, and policies that the board may approve or implement within their ancestral domains.

Agta elders perform their cultural dance in an activity conducted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)
An Agta leader signs peace covenant in a forum conducted by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)

As they are living inside the forest, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) deputizes some of them as forest guards. They are also among the key informants about illegal activities in the forest. 

Most of the Agtas in the mountains also contribute a lot to the greening program of the government, planting and nurturing various forest tree seedlings. The DENR Region 2 organized an Indigenous Peoples Organization for Agta as a beneficiary of the National Greening Program (NGP). They also maintain NGP sites within their ancestral domains.

Government Support 

One of the government’s thrusts is countryside development, which boosts the lives and livelihoods of people in rural and upland communities, including the Agtas. Government instrumentalities exert effort to incorporate the Agta groups in various programs, projects, and initiatives. 

On the Pantawid Pamilya program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, almost all Agta families are beneficiaries of the program. The Department of Agriculture also enrolled them in 4K, or the Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo program, a locally funded program that caters to IP farmers and fisherfolk within their ancestral domains.

The families of Agta former rebels were also given decent housing units through the ‘Pabahay Program’ of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the National Housing Authority. 

The Philippines Statistics Authority also collaborated with some Local Government Units, Local Civil Registrar, and NCIP to conduct free birth registration for Agtas so they could acquire legal proof of identity.  

The NCIP also awarded several ancestral domain titles to various Agta groups within the region, including those in the coastal zones of Isabela province and in the municipalities in the eastern portion of Cagayan. 

Social Integration

Though the majority still hesitates to come out into the open to voice out their sentiments and fight for their rights, there are already some elders who are courageous enough to defend not only their rights but also their territories. 

In rural communities, there are already some Agta young individuals who are enrolled in basic education, an indication that this minority group now values education. 

Recently, some of the leaders of this group have been seen as active in various development advocacy programs, including the reforestation of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the anti-insurgency agenda of the government, countryside development programs, and the conservation of natural resources. 

Truly, the Agtas of Cagayan Valley are the guardians of the Sierra Madre Mountains, the shield of the valley forests against abusive and destructive man-made activities. (OTB/PIA Region 2 in coordination with NCIP 2) 

Agta representatives join a pageant staged for Indigenous Peoples in Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of NCIP)

About the Author

Oliver Baccay

Information Officer IV

Region 2

  • Assistant Regional Director, Philippine Information Agency Region 2
  • Graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication 
  • Graduate of Master of Arts in Education, major in English
  • Graduate of Doctor in Public Administration

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