Tagalog people
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The Tagalogs are the largest indigenous Filipino ethnic group next to the Visayans. The name Tagalog comes from the native term taga-ilog, meaning 'riverine people'.
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[edit] Area
The Tagalogs are the most widespread in the Philippines. They form a majority in the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Bataan, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, and Rizal. Other provinces with significant Tagalog populations include the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Aurora, Zambales, Oriental Mindoro, and in Metro Manila. The original Tagalog homeland is in Batangas.
[edit] Demographics
Tagalogs number about 15,876,000. The origin of the Tagalogs is still disputed, whether their cultivating homeland was in (what is now) Taal, Batangas, or ascending from the south where their closer linguistic kinsmen (the Visayans) dwelled. Nonetheless, the Tagalogs (like other aboriginal Philippine ethnicities) are likely the descendants of Austronesian-speaking immigrants from prehistoric Taiwan (see Taiwanese aboriginals). Tagalogs speak the Tagalog language, with many dialectal variations, although all Tagalog dialects are considered to be mutually comprehensible to each other. The main religion of Tagalogs is Christianity, mostly Roman Catholicism as well as Protestantism. There are also some Muslims.
[edit] Culture
The Tagalog culture of the Pre-Hispanic times was totally different from its forms today. From a former tattooing tribe, the Tagalog culture grew steadily to accept foreign, especially Hispanic, Chinese, and American cultural influences, and their culture today remains the backbone and the representative of all other Filipino cultures. Traditionally, the Tagalogs are for the most part agriculturalists, although there are some who engage in fishing. Today, the Tagalogs are disproportionately represented in the Philippine professional setting.
[edit] History
See main articles: Manila (history)
The ancient Tagalogs were primarily a Hindu people who were undergoing a process of Islamization by Malay and Arab Muslim traders just before the arrival of the Spaniards led by Miguel López de Legazpi. Spanish colonial rule eventually led to most of the people to convert once again, this time to Catholicism.
The primary centers of Tagalog civilization were based in riverine deltas, especially those in what are now Manila, Taal, Batangas, Pila, Laguna, and scattered townships along Manila Bay. The Tagalogs also had long commercial relations with the Portuguese and the Chinese before the arrival of Legazpi. Even from the start, the Tagalogs have shown readiness to assimilate various cultures and traditions compared to other ancient Philippine ethno-linguistic groups. This is evidenced by the slaying of Ferdinand Magellan and his crew when they have arrived in Cebu by the Visayans led by Lapu-lapu, which is contrasted by the way Rajah Lakandula and Rajah Sulayman welcomed the Western culture of the Spaniards through blood compact with Legazpi. After several negotiations, Legazpi brushed off the Manila settlement of Rajah Lakandula and Rajah Sulayman, and built a fortress there (the current Intramuros). The building of the Intramuros saw forced labor or polo among the Tagalogs, and this led to deep resentment by the latter. Nevertheless, the Tagalogs have shown some intellectual and cultural vigour compared to the Visayans and other ethno-linquistic groups, as evidenced by the number of Philippine national heroes who are Tagalog. The Tagalogs staged the most numerous revolts against Spanish colonization, and were also among the earliest. One such revolt was that of Tagalog Apolinario de la Cruz (Hermano Pule), which was religious in orientation. In 1898, most leaders of the Philippine Revolution were also Tagalogs, including the first Philippine president Emilio Aguinaldo. Since Aguinaldo, four other Tagalogs assumed the presidency: Manuel L. Quezon (who was actually a Spanish-mestizo whose native ancestry was Tagalog), Jose P. Laurel, Corazon Aquino (partly of Tagalog descent, from her maternal side) and Joseph Estrada. Early Philippine history has always been dominated by the struggles and triumphs of the Tagalog people and the Tagalogs came to dominate the present Philippine economy and politics. Perceived Tagalog domination and prominence in many aspects of national character and identity — best exemplifed by the long-standing debate on Filipino (the national language) — continue to cause deep resentment by other Filipinos, especially the Visayans.
| The Filipino People | Ethnic Groups in the Philippines |  |
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| Bicolano | Bisaya | Chinese | Ilocano | Kapampangan | Moro | Pangasinan | Spanish | Tagalog | Hill tribes | Minority groups | Overseas Filipinos |
