Ilongot - Economy



The Ilongot depend primarily on dry-rice swidden agriculture and hunting, as well as fishing and gathering. They burn and plant new fields each year, growing maize and manioc among the rice. Fields that already have produced one rice crop are planted in tobacco and vegetables, and fields that are in their last productive service are used to grow sweet potatoes, bananas, or sugarcane. Fields made from virgin forest are in use for up to five years, then lie fallow for eight to ten years. Fields are abandoned after a second use, and the group farming them leaves to find new virgin forest. Men in groups hunt several times a week with the aid of dogs; the meat acquired is shared equally among all households and is consumed immediately. Sometimes hunts of three to five days take place, and the meat from these trips is dried for trade or for bride-price discussions. Individuals who hunt keep their meat for trade. Fish are taken by nets, traps, spear, or poison. The Ilongot gather fruits, ferns, palm hearts, and rattan from the forest. They keep domesticated dogs for hunting, and pigs and chickens for trade. Men forge their own knives, hoes, and picks, and make rattan baskets, whereas women weave and sew. The items noted above as destined for trade are exchanged for bullets, cloth, knives, liquor, and salt. Most trade within Ilongot society occurs during bride-price payments and gift giving. Real property belongs to whoever clears it; personal property belongs to the individual as well.

Also read article about Ilongot from Wikipedia

User Contributions:

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jenny
Can you please tell me the current status of the ILONGOT??

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