Anthropology Corner: Agta fashion

Norma sporting subang, long maniqec and pinanas

When anyone starts talking about foraging peoples an image of isolated, untouched tribes comes to mind. People who are at one with nature, high from various jungle plants and creepy crawlies, and adorned with face paints, multiple bamboo piercings topped off with large head dresses only matched by accompanying tiny grass skirts or loincloths.  Yet, this is just a stereotype, one which foraging populations from the South America conform a lot better to. For the Agta, it may be better to say they dominate nature (but more on this later), they don’t lick any frogs (that I have noticed…) and are more often seen in baggy basketball shorts then loincloths.  I am not the type of anthropologist that studies material culture (i.e. the visual representation of a culture demonstrated in clothes, jewellery, art and so forth), yet with some beautiful photography from Wallace I think it important to demonstrate how the modern day Agta looks like, and how they actually beautify themselves.

Close up of pinanas

The most common piece of jewellery of any Agta, be it man, woman or child is an maniqec. Maniqec  are necklaces made of plastic nylon which various brightly clothed beads are threaded on to. Most often the maniqec is made very long and coiled around a women’s neck. For men, it is normally only one layer of beads, so not to interfere with fishing or hunting activities.  Most often, the Agta tell you the maniqec is simply for beauty. But there are many different explanations. Some will tell you it is for curing sickness, as an unseen spirit is best treated with a very beautiful and colourful maniqec.  Single girls are also meant to wear brighter beads, but really this seems to be a personal choice.  Like most aspects of Agta life they may all think differently but always correctly; you have the freedom to think of any explanation.

Little Erik with biscal

Similarly the importance of the thickness of pinanas, or bracelets made from twisted thread, varies.These small pinanas are impressively made by simply twisting and twisting the string until it makes a loop which is then stretched over the hand to fit tightly with 50 or so others of varies different colours. The thickness, say some, may be a sign of morning; black pinanas are worn when a family member has died, the thicker they are the recent the event.  

When these twisted threads are made into a neckless they are called Ulay. They can contain a wonderful array of colours and black threads often indicate death, or that someone just likes black, or that was the colour available in a resource poor world (no easy assumptions here).

When a pinanas is worn on the upper arm it is called a biscal, which shows that the man or boy is handsome (or very cute as is the case for young boys). Some special ones have little balls or fabric, like pompoms! All these items are still relatively common among the Agta of all ages. 

However, some fashions like g-strings, subang (or stretched ears stuffed with flowers, leaves, or thread) and padit (scarification) are now only now evident among the older generation.

 Roger in traditional attire

Really this is an effect of coming into contact with non-Agta populations and the Born Again or 7-day Adventist (I know, a random sect to find in the middle of nowhere) churches who have a strong influence over some Agta communities. So now the younger generation can be ashamed of the old ways, so the girls wear normal earrings, and the men wear same clothes as any other Filipino (but the older ones do profess that a g-string is good for keeping cool!). 

Unok with biscal

Maybe it is because these displays have little, if any, ritual function, that they have started to disappear as the population itself is under pressure to conform to local farming norms. However, everyone will tell you one thing: all these things show you are a strong, beautiful Agta, so I think there is no risk of the cultural identity of Agta dying out just yet.  

My collection of piananas and ring gifts

Love to all,

Wasabi