The dauntless Igorot resisted superior Spanish firepower
 

        When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, they found some of the mountains of Cordillera Central in northern Luzon inhabited by Filipinos called Igorot who traded wax, rattan and gold with their lowland neighbors for rice, livestock, wine and cloth. These so-called Igorot were divided into different language groups, or “tribes”. They lived independent villages of more-or-less related families like barangays without any real “tribal” governments or rulers. If the people in one village had a grievance against those in another, they went to war and took heads and slaves. Sometimes they went to war with one another and sometimes they went to war with lowland villages, but mainly their relationship with lowlanders was peaceful because of their trade.