ikalahan by: Jean Trinidad
			The  term Ikalahan is derived from the word Kalaban which refers to the type of forest trees growing in the area. The prefex "I" denotes residents. The "people of the forests" number 30,000(National Council of Churches in the Philippines February 1988.) They are concentrated in the Boundary of Sta.Fe and Pangasinan , Kayapa (Province of Nueva Viscaya, Region II) and Buguias(Province of Benguet,CAR). The ikalahan are short people, fair complexioned, black round eyes and black straight and silky hair. Their noses are fairly developed. They are shy and they lived in far flung areas, unreached by any type of trnsportation. The  ikalahan economy is basically agricultural. Raising pigs and chickens is an important part of ikalahan economy. Pigs, because of their importance in prestige feast, have been used as a primary index of wealth in Ikalahan society. In recent times, because of the diminishing observance of the prestige feast, ownership of cows has become a more important indicator of wealth. Handicrafts are a seasonal cottage industry in ikalahan  homes. The musical instruments of the Ikalahans are gongs or gangsa, guitar or galdang, pakgong ang ko-ling (law harp). To the Ikalahans, the person in authority are the elders or Nangkaama. Their decisions and advices are well respected.tongtongam is the highest arbitration bodyin the Ikalahan society. It is composed of elders acting as judges and counselor at the same time. Source: Katutubo Directory, A Global YES Event for the UN Decade of Indigenuous People Keesing, Felix M., The Ethnohistory of Northern Luzon . Stanford University Press 1962