The Ga’ddang tribe was considered to be one of the indigenous group in the Cordillera. The national Commission for the Culture and the Arts expounded the history that Ga’ddang once comprised a large group in the Cagayan valley Region and mostly found in Central Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino and Cagayan. Most of them can also speak in Ilocano, the Northern Lingua Franca of Northern Luzon, the Ga’ddang Language is closely related to Agta, Atta, Ibannag, Isneg, Itawis, Malaweg and Yogad. Moreover they’re known by other names such as the Gadan, Gaddanes, Iraya and Irraya meaning “upriver”. They can be found in the Eastern parts of Ifugao, the Mountain Province, and Southeast Kalingga and in the foot bills of Central Cordillera. During the Spanish occupation, the lowland Ga’ddang intermingled with other valley occupation, such as the Ibanag’s and Ilocano’s, while others still, fled to the Cordillera and Sierra Madre Mountains to escape Spanish Persecution. The population of this Indigenous Tribe is declining because of intermarriages and become absorbed by the large groups. Their name were derived from a combination of ga means “heat” and dang means “burned”,hence they have a darker complexion.
Traditional attire for Ga’ddang Women includes the tapis, a lengthy piece of cotton cloth worn around the waistline down the knees and a long sleeved, round collarless and waist-length blouse. The cloth
used for these costumes are woven by the women themselves from homegrown cotton, and dyed in bright natural colors. In olden days, Ga’ddang women did not have upper garments except during feast days. Today, most Ga’ddang use skirts, trousers and dress for everyday wear and reserve the traditional attire for ceremonies and other formal occasions.
The Ga’ddang are distinguish for having elevated beadwork to an art, Ga’ddang are lavish with their used of beadwork. The Ga’ddang women are fond of wearing seed beads around their heads, necklaces, and wrists, but glass beads are precious stones are especially priced. Their arms are never without ginadding or ginalmaddan, bracelets made of beads and copper, head bonds called attifulan and their combs called lagod, which also lavishly tasseled and beaded. Exquisite beadworks are also trademark of the Ga’ddang textile.
this is another kind of headband. It is called “singat”. It was made up of native cloth that designed with beads and the edge was designed with tassels made up of beads.
– This is called by the Gaddang as “laggud” or comb. It is used as attire where it is putted on hair and used as a hairpin. It is used when there’s a wedding and for cultural contest. It is made out of designed beads and red cloth.
the Ga’dang necklace was made up of valued stones. According to the Elders, “every stone of this necklace was pure antiques before and to the modern generation it was mixed with plastic beads
a pair of pure beads bracelets that made up of pure different colors and sizes of beads. The edges of this bracelets are full of buttons that attaches with threads to enclose when wearing it.
collarless blouse beaded with different color of beads. The weaving cloth that was used is called the “lallad”, commonly known as the stripe of white and red.
this kind of attire designed to the both sides with yellow and white beads and the edge was designed with tassels made with the different color of beads.
native attire, skirt, designed with white beads. In the both edges designed with some tassels or “inansing” with the different color of beads. The weaving cloth is another style of “lallad.
In addition in wearing an ethnic attire of the Ga’dang women, there’s a slit. The Elders stated that “before, the Ga’dang worn their clothing with slit to show the beauty of their thigh. The Ga’dang women competing to each other when it becomes to the beauty of their thighs. This slit was intentionally made not only to show the beauty of the thighs of the women but also to show the edge designs of the both edges. But in wearing the skirt of the Ga’dang the slit must be place at the right side. According to the Elders, “the slit should be placed on the right side not on the left side because left side symbolizes death or the way of death.”
Then this is the slit in the right side with the width of 2 inches according to the Ga’dang ancient ancestors.
Also, these native clothing of the Ga’dang in this generation develop the apparel style/design. This native clothing can be a dress, a straight skirt and blouse. It can be also use as a table’s curtain and wall decorations if it intentionally made.
In designing, the beads were aligned to the lines of the cloth to maintain its beauty. According to the Elders, “the beads serve as decoration or design to the cloth. The beads should be aligned to the lines to show the beauty of the combination of the beads and the native cloth. It is unlovely if the beads contradict the lines of the clothing.” The beads design to the Ga’dang Native Attire contributes to the clothing to develop the beauty of the cloth.
Ga’dang native attire has different weaving textiles, which is the original clothing “inammata” indicates the intelligence of the weaver. In the form of an apparel, the Ga’dang cloth can be form into dresses, pouches, skirts, blouses and other apparel.
The weaving textiles of the cloth is symbolized to their tribe, it has different color by their own means the color red is bravery, and the other color like black, yellow, blue and white it is a design, that if it just a plain cloth it is un lovely to view.
The Ga’dang native attire can be modified as dresses, skirt, blouses and other apparels. We found out also that it can be modified with another designs but not taken from the other designs of other tribes.
Gaddang Attire and Accessories 