Ibatan

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A language of Philippines

ISO 639-3
ivb
Alternate Names
Babuyan, Ibataan, Ivatan
Autonym
Ibatan
User Population

1,240 (2007 NCIP). No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 2,430 (2010 census).

Location

Cagayan Valley region: Cagayan province, Aparri municipality on Fuga island, Calayan municipality; on Babuyan islands.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Bashiic, Ivatan
Dialects

None known. Intelligibility of Itbayaten Ivatan [ivv] 64%; Basco Ivatan [ivv] 31%. Lexical similarity: 72% with Itbayaten Ivatan [ivv], 74% with Basco Ivatan [ivv] (1974–1975 SIL survey).

Language Use

All domains as well as religious services and ceremonies, and local commerce. Some of all ages. Positive attitudes. Some also use Filipino [fil]. Also use English [eng]. Also use Ilocano [ilo], with increasing numbers of people shifting. Used as L2 by Ilocano [ilo].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 90%. Literacy rate in L2: 80% (2007 SIL). All school-aged children are literate. Schooling is in Filipino [fil] or English [eng]. Literature. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1996.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ibatan
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Since 1978, speakers have increased from 450 to 1,220. On June 1, 2007, the Ibatan were awarded title to their island home of Babuyan Claro with all collective rights to natural resources, including 5 km of ocean around the island. The ancestral domain was established with the help of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines and based on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (2007 SIL). Christian.