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.