The Philippine journal of science. [Vol. 57, no. 1]

240

The Philippine Journal of Science

1935

endurance to pain, and are honest in their dealings among
themselves, with regard to the settlement of questions of land
boundaries and property rights.
However, they are mentally and physically superior to the Aeta, whatever their ethnologic status may be.12
One of their outstanding qualities, which make them lovable,
is their unrevengefulness and spirit of fair play. They will not
strike at a person behind his back-unlike the Aetas, most of
whom are sly and treacherous.
CLOTHING
The clothing of the men is very simple and primitive, consisting of a single loin cloth. The women, for their part, wear
the tapis, a sheet of cloth wound about the body and fastened
a little above the breasts. The cloth falls to a little below the
knees. Both the loin cloth and the tapis are of native-grown
cotton. Very often they are dyed bright red, for these people
love red. Sometimes the men wear short cloth jackets.
At present, however, the Dumagats are undergoing a change
in their mode of dress. The men are slowly learning to wear
regular trousers and undershirts, while the women are beginning to wear sayas or skirts. This change can be explained
by their more frequent contact with their Christian neighbors.
ORNAMENTS AND BODILY DECORATION
The Dumagats love to adorn their bodies in various ways.
The most characteristic adornments of the men are bejuco rings
encircling the arms, waist, and head. In their liking for gaudy
show they stain their bejuco rings red.
A red belt of stained rattan is used by men and women. Both sexes
use wristlets and the males armlets... The Dumagat's love of brightcolored adornment is not confined to any age. It begins with the small
children who deck themselves out with colored berries and flowers, and
is as intense in the old who will trade their souls for a varicolored bead
necklace or bit of scarlet cloth.'
On special occasions, they fasten fragrant leaves or flowers on
these rings. Even marine shells are, to some extent, employed
to decorate the bejuco rings. The women wear masses of beads
around their necks and long strips of cotton cloth, dyed red as
usual, wound around their waists. They gather their hair in
a knot at the back of the head, and tie around it bands of nito.

" Turnbull, W., op cit. 131.

13 Turnbull, W., op. cit. 182.