ILOKANO ETHNIC LEVELING-N2

QUOTE, UNQUOTE. 
Paging Prof Junley Lorenzana Lazaga and Atty Eugene Carmelo Cabanilla-Pedro!

A proof of why the Hispanic theory on the Ilocos--'iloc'--does not work. A more substantive explanation of this is a variety of essays I have written on Ilokano language, culture, literature, and history serialized by Tawid Magazine, various dates. 

"...the introduction of the wet rice culture as the main pre-Hispanic factor in the ethnic leveling, it is said said that this was first introduced (probably by Chinese traders) in the coastal flats and in the trading centers where Asian traders and merchants even actively participated in its development. Upon hearing of this type of rice culture, people from the interior belonging to the various ethnic gradients started to trek down to the lowlands to learn in. As a result of the positive interaction of the interior highlanders and the people in the coastal areas, many of the former decided to establish themselves at the foothills, thereby becoming effective intermediaries between the interior and the lowland settlements. On the other hand, lowlanders who were eager to acquire new fertile lands moved up to the interior in greater number and frequency upon hearing of the farming possibilities in the fertile mountain pockets from there intermediaries, hence, transplanting their lowland culture up there among the various culture gradients who were only too glad to learn from them more sophisticated farming methods and lifestyle of their lowland brothers.'

Mario G.R. Rosal, 'Some Notes on the Iloco Self-Process,' paper presented at the First National Conference on Local History, Xavier University, Sept 22-24, 1978, MS, pp. 11-12.

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