Ifugao

An indigenous people of northern Luzon in the Philippines, numbering approximately 70,000. In addition to practising shifting cultivation on highland slopes, they build elaborate terraced rice fields. Their language belongs to the Austronesian family.

The Ifugao live in scattered hamlets and traditionally recognize a class of nobles, kadangya, who are obliged to provide expensive feasts on particular social occasions. Although indigenous beliefs remain, many Ifugao have adopted Christianity. Some Ifugao work as wage labourers outside their highland region.