Waray people
The
Waray people form the sixth largest Filipino ethnic group.
The Warays form the majority in the provinces of
Samar,
Northern Samar, and
Eastern Samar, while they form a significant population in
Leyte and
Sorsogon.
Wrays number about 3,702,000. The Warays, technically considered Visayans, are culturally closer to the Bicolanos than to the other Visayans. This similarity has been shown by customs, traditions, and language. Warays speak the
Waray-Waray language, which is further subdivided into various dialects. The majority of Warays are Roman Catholics.
The Warays' livelihood are farming and fishing. Many Warays send their children to
Manila to work as maids or
katulong, since most Waray families live below the poverty line. Also, their islands, Samar and Leyte, remain one of the most underdeveloped areas in the
Philippines. The Warays are primarily known for their traditional courtship dance, the
balitaw or
kuratsa, which features verses in rhyme and dance motions.
One aspect of the Waray culture that makes them widely known is faith-healing. In the island of Samar, especially in the province of Eastern Samar, many still practice animistic traditions alongside with Roman Catholicism.
The Warays are descendants of the Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came to the Philippines during the Iron Age. Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Warays were likely Hindus or Muslims. In 1521, the Warays were the first Filipinos to be sighted by Europeans under the leadership of
Ferdinand Magellan. The Warays were among the first Filipinos converted to Christianity. Paradoxically, they are also among the last Filipino ethnicities to retain traditional pagan practices alongside their practice of Roman Catholicism. From the Spanish Colonization onwards, they have been considered the underdog of Filipino ethnicity. There has never been a Philippine president of Waray heritage.
