Ifugao OFWs in Taiwan and Discovering More About One's Common Austronesian Roots

I was doing some research on Taiwan finding out that the natives are indeed Austronesians. It seems that Indonesians and Malaysians may have also settled in Taiwan aside from the Philippines. A look at Mt. Alishan and Banaue Rice Terraces have a similarity. Taiwan has its famous tea terraces. Banaue has its famous rice terraces. Both are cultural heritages that must be preserved! I soon found an article which Ifugao OFWs in Taiwan. Not surprisingly, these Ifugao OFWs can point out several things that are pretty similar. An article called "A Gotad Picnic With Ifugaos Living in Taiwan" would tell of Armand Camhol, an Ifugao OFW, who met with other Ifugaos in Taiwan. Gotad is a thanksgiving festival for the Ifugaos.

The News Lens International Edition

What was noted by Armand at the end of the article is:

The people of Ifugao value hospitality, and as a symbol of friendship, they shared their holiday with their invited guests, who, in return, sang, joined the dances, and made jokes. The food, in bountiful amounts, was lowland Filipino style, cooked with an influence of Spanish, Chinese, and European cuisine. Typical Ifugao cuisine is similar to that of Taiwan’s Indigenous communities.

Armand’s home is in the rural areas of Ifugao, he told me, and compares Taiwan and Ifugao: “While I have been to the mountains in this country where geomorphology and certain cultural practices are similar, reminding me of my home, in the end, this is not my home and my people are not here.” 

Indie Gogo

Above is a photo of the Banaue Rice Terraces. We see the indigenous costumes. Now, we would present a scene in Taiwan (below) which would bear a striking resemblance to a Filipino indigenous community:

Get to Know Alishan

This is Mt. Alishan which would resemble an Ifugao town. No wonder Armand says that the place reminds him of home. The costumes of the Taiwan aborigines and the Ifugaos are very similar. 

Ying Xuan Zhuang

This is the Taiwan tea terraces. At first glance, you might feel this is Banaue or the Cordillera region. Instead, we find that terracing is a very common practice. It might even be that Ifugaos are descended from Taiwanese aborigines. The terraces, the costumes, the dance steps, the cuisine, etc. would feel very similar. After all, Taiwan is very close to the Philippines so maybe generations of Austronesians seeking better lands would move to the pre-colonial Philippines. Maybe, that's why the Banaue Rice Terraces is the most well-known for its favorable location. The Philippines has more natural resources than Taiwan.

Alishan National Scenic Area

Filipino native food? At first glance, you may think that the table is in the Philippines. However, it was prepared by the natives of the Tsou Tribe in Taiwan. You might think you saw suman (rice cake) over there or some other Filipino-style dishes. Instead, this is what Alishan National Scenic Area describes the food to be:

The Tsou indigenous tribesmen had long resided in Alishan, and are cooking experts who know the local ingredients well! Stir-fried mountain greens, Tsou style grilled meat, pigeon pea soup and crisp-fried river shrimp are just some of the dishes and cooking techniques that have been passed down from generations. These dishes create unique Tsou cuisines that are different from others. Besides banquet style dishes that are suitable for families, simple meals are also available to satisfy different needs. Please keep in mind that many restaurants require reservations!

Places to shop:

Tsou Tribal Village

Restaurant Recommendation:

Yupasu Tsou Restaurant, Tsou Style Restaurant, Shan-Fu-Rong, Hana Kitchen

This video may provide a surprising history. I did have the assumption that the Austronesians were mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia before reaching Taiwan and the Philippines. I still feel the Ifugaos are a mix of Taiwanese natives and Indonesian natives. I guess the Ifugaos of the Philippines share a very close ancestry with the Taiwanese natives.

I want to further look at Southeast Asia and common culture. Filipino food has a lot of influence. It looks like that even before colonization, Filipino native settlers brought several pieces of their culture before settling in the Philippine archipelago. I may be no anthropologist but learning new stuff can be fun. Taiwan may be closer to the Philippines than you think!