Eskaya people

This article is about the people. For the language, see Eskayan language.
Eskaya
Total population
2,285[1]
Regions with significant populations
Philippines Philippines: Bohol
Languages
Cebuano (Boholano dialect); auxiliary use of Eskayan
Religion
Philippine Independent Church
Related ethnic groups
Cebuano, other Visayan peoples, other Filipino peoples, other Austronesian peoples
locator map of Eskaya in Bohol
Demographics of
the Philippines
Filipinos

The Eskaya, less commonly known as the Visayan-Eskaya, is the collective name for the members of a cultural minority found in Bohol, Philippines, which is distinguished by its cultural heritage, particularly its literature, language, dress and religious observances. After the Eskaya first came to public attention in 1980, these cultural practices were the subject of intense speculation on the part of local journalists and amateur historians who made diverse claims about the ethnolinguistic status of the Eskaya people.[2] The unique Eskayan language and writing system in particular has been a source of fascination and controversy. Some journalists argued that the Eskaya were historically displaced from the Middle East,[3] while others suggested that the community was a cult speaking an invented language.[4] According to Eskaya mythology, the language and script was created through divine inspiration by the ancestor Pinay who based it on the human body. Suppressed by the Spanish colonists, Pinay's language was said to have resurfaced under the leadership of Mariano Datahan (ca. 1875–January 17,1949), a veteran of Bohol's republican army. Although the historical existence of Pinay cannot be confirmed, more recent studies that combined linguistic analysis with oral history and genealogical research provide evidence that the Eskaya language was most likely created and disseminated within a generation by a charismatic individual. Today, the Eskaya are officially classified as an Indigenous Cultural Community under The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997 (Republic Act No. 8371).[5][6] A number of reports have suggested that Eskaya linguistic and cultural education has been in steady decline since the mid-1980s,[7][8][9] although promising revitalisation efforts have also been documented.

  1. ^ "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) - Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  2. ^ Kelly 2012a.
  3. ^ Abregana 1984.
  4. ^ Logarta 1981.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ramos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Republic Act No. 8371 (1997), An act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous people, creating a national commission of indigenous people, establishing implementing mechanisms, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.
  7. ^ Alberto A. Payot, Sr. "Bisayan Eskaya: Karaang Pinulongan sa Bohol?". Bisaya. June 3, 1981. 11, 55–6
  8. ^ Felicisimo B. Amparado. "Iniskaya: Karaang Pinulongan sa Bohol." Bisaya. April 15, 1981. 12, 55
  9. ^ Stella Marie de los Santos Consul. "Iniskaya: A linear linguistic description." Cebu Normal University. September, 2005