People
Karay-a Tribe
Used to reference the people of Western Visayas in the illustrated digital comics, Karay-a, Kinaray-a, or Hiniray-a is a ethnolinguistic group mainly located in Panay Island in Western Visayas. The name Karay-a and its other forms, when examined in parts, mean different things. “Ka” meaning companion, “iraya” meaning upstream, and “in” meaning having gone through something.
Most of the Karay-a tribe lives in Antique which is located along the western coast of Panay Island. Due to Antique’s lack of fertile plains, mountainous terrain, and geographical isolation, it led the people to be more independent with their food unlike in other regions. Palay, also known as unhusked rice, is its people’s main food source and primary product.
Gods and characters from the Karay-a tribe are well known for their appearances in the sugidanon epics of Panay. The sugidanon (from Kinaray-a sugid, to tell) were first documented in the 1950s by Felipe Landa Jocano, Filipino anthropologist and educator. It tells a story in ten chapters of strong noblemen, demi-goddesses, and mythical creatures. These stories are still recited and taught until now in the form of chanting sessions that may last for hours.
Negritos
Negritos, also called Ayta, Aeta, Ita, Agta, Ati, Ateng, and Mamanwa, can be found in Guimaras, located in the Western Visayas region. It is one of the many places they can be found in, others including Bohol, Samar, Mindoro, and Palawan. They were named Negrito by the Spaniards, with the meaning “little black people.” This is false, however, as the Negritos are not actually black–their skin tone is dark brown with a yellowish undertone on less exposed body parts. The normal height for a Negrito is about 4 feet and 3 inches, making them a lot shorter than the average Filipino.
Sources:
Arbues, L. R. (1960). The Negritos as a Minority Group in the Philippines . Philippine Sociological Review, 8(1/2), 39–46. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43498079
Clark, J. (2016, February 6). Visayan deities in Philippine mythology. The Aswang Project. https://www.aswangproject.com/visayan-deities-in-philippine-mythology/
Cruz-Lucero, R., & Manuel, E. A. (1994). CCP Encylopedia of Philippine Art. CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. https://epa.culturalcenter.gov.ph/1/2/2358/