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The Aeta are a tribal ethnic group in the Philippines, believed to be the original settlers. They have dark skin, curly hair, and short stature. Their native religion involves animism and worship of multiple deities. They resist assimilation into mainstream Filipino society and have faced displacement due to natural disasters and government apathy. Many have been forced into lowland society and struggle with modern life.
The Aeta (eye-ta) are one of the tribal ethnic groups of the Philippines. Alternatively called Agta, Atta, Ita, Ati, Negritos or Pugut, they are a dark skinned people with curly hair, large black eyes and short stature. These people are believed to be the descendants of the original settlers of the Philippines.
Like the Spanish negrito, or “little black,” the term Aeta (and its many variations) is often thought to refer to the color of people’s skin. Etymological research suggests that the name may derive from the word it, which can be extended to itim or itom, meaning “black” in various Philippine languages. The word Pugut, on the other hand, means “spirit of the forest”, alluding to the Aeta lifestyle.
The native religion of the Aeta is quite interesting. For example, they believe in one supreme being but also worship numerous deities who may or may not be under the direct command of this supreme being. Anthropologists also suggest that the group are animist, praying to the spirits of trees, forest, and so on.
Until recently, the Aetas preferred their traditional dress of simple wraparound skirts (women) and loincloths (men) to conventional modern clothing. They also enjoyed participating in body scarification, which they viewed as signs of beauty. Nowadays, however, one can be found dressed in T-shirts and rubber sandals, and most young people no longer see this type of body modification as necessary.
As a people, the Aeta are known to consistently resist assimilation into mainstream Filipino society. Despite this, they have shown remarkable resilience in the face of mounting external pressures and have lived largely undisturbed even in times of great socio-political upheaval. Unfortunately, a dismal combination of natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the growing poverty of nearby lowland communities, and government apathy have conspired to drive the Aeta from their ancestral lands.
The Aeta are now more vulnerable than ever. Faced with the destruction and/or misappropriation of their mountain homes, they descended into lowland society, ill-equipped to deal with the realities of modern life. Being a rather isolated and communal people, they have little understanding of things like money, personal property, or government law. Many succumbed to lives of begging or serfdom, begging in the larger cities or working as farm laborers for very little pay.
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