Eskaya people

Eskaya

Total population
2,285[1]
Regions with significant populations
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

Demographics of the Philippines
Philippine Statistics Authority Census Religions Languages Ethnic groups Country of citizenship
Filipinos
Indigenous Mestizos
v t e

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.