Cebuano people
The Cebuano people (Cebuano: Mga Sugbuanon) are the largest subgroup of the larger ethnolingustic group Bisaya, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. Their primary language is the Cebuano language, an Austronesian language. They originated in the province of Cebu in the region of Central Visayas, but then later spread out to other places in the Philippines, such as Siquijor, Bohol, Negros Oriental, southwestern Leyte, western Samar, Masbate, and large parts of Mindanao. It may also refer to the ethnic group who speak the same language as their native tongue in different parts of the archipelago.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 9,125,637 (2010)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 (Central Visayas, Negros Oriental, Masbate, western parts of Eastern Visayas, large parts of Mindanao) Worldwide | |
| Languages | |
| Cebuano, Filipino, English | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism. Minority others, Aglipayan, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Filipinos (Boholano, Waray, other Visayans) other Austronesian peoples |
History
The earliest European record of Cebuanos was by Antonio Pigafetta of the Magellan expedition. He provided some descriptions of their customs as well as samples of the Cebuano language.[2][3] Ferdinand Magellan was killed in Cebu during the Battle of Mactan against the forces of Lapu-Lapu.[4][5]
Later early Spanish colonists referred to the Cebuanos (and other Visayans) as the pintados ("the painted ones"), due to their widespread practice of tattooing to record battle exploits.[5]
Culture and festivities
The majority of Cebuanos are Roman Catholic, with many in rural areas synchonizing Catholicism with indigenous Anitism, maintaining beliefs and rituals around saints as avatars for older diwata. A minority of Cebuanos (specifically those in Mindanao) are Muslim, or in mixed Chinese-Cebuano families, incorporate Catholic beliefs with aspects of Buddhism or Taoism.[6]
Among the island's notable festivities are the Sinulog[7] festival, which is a mixture of Christian and native cultural elements, celebrated annually every third week of January.
Language
The Cebuano language is spoken by more than twenty million people in the Philippines and is the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages. Most speakers of Cebuano are found in Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Biliran, Western and Southern Leyte, eastern Negros and most of northern, southeastern and western Mindanao. Because of the standardization and adoption of Tagalog as both an official and 'national' language (Pilipino) and the lack of formal teaching of Cebuano in schools and universities, many in "Imperial Manila" remain ignorant of the cultural significance and historic lingua franca of the Central Visayas and most of Mindanao.
See also
References
- "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) - Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- Donald F. Lach (1994). Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume I: The Century of Discovery. University of Chicago Press. pp. 175, 635–638. ISBN 9780226467320.
- Sebastian Sta. Cruz Serag (1997). The Remnants of the Great Ilonggo Nation. Rex Bookstore, Inc. p. 95. ISBN 9789712321429.
- Blair, Emma Helen (August 25, 2004). The Philippine Islands. The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume II, 1521-1569, by Emma Helen Blair. p. 126, Volume II. [EBook #13280].
- Paul A. Rodell (2002). Culture and Customs of the Philippines. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 50. ISBN 9780313304156.
- "Culture and Lifestyle". Cebu Province official website.
- "Cebu Philippines Festivals, Fiestas and Cultural Event". eTravel Pilipinas-Discover the Wonders of Island Paradise. Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2009-11-18.