This report, Negritos of Zambales, was authored by William Allan Reed of The Ethnological Survey and published in Manila in 1904. It represents one of the earliest extensive ethnographic studies of the Negrito people in the Philippines conducted during the American colonial period, specifically focusing on the communities residing in the mountainous regions of Zambales and contiguous provinces. The study was part of a larger initiative by the Department of the Interior to scientifically document the diverse indigenous populations of the archipelago following the transfer of colonial governance from Spain to the United States. The author conducted two months of fieldwork in 1903, traveling to remote settlements to gather detailed observations on the Negrito's physical features, customs, social structures (including marriage and burial rites), industrial life (hunting, fishing, trade), and spiritual beliefs. The document establishes a significant historical record of a community facing pressure from lowland Christian Filipino populations, documenting their retreat into mountain forests. It also includes an introductory chapter on the history and distribution of the Negrito race across the Philippines and a summary of past Spanish attempts to organize or settle them. The work is foundational to the fields of Philippine ethnology and anthropology, capturing a critical moment in the history of the country's first inhabitants.
Negritos of Zambales