Siquijor Island in the context of History of the Philippines (1565-1898)

⭐ Core Definition: Siquijor Island

Siquijor (/ˌsɪkiˈhɔːr/ SIK-ee-HOR, Tagalog: [sɪkɪˈhɔɾ]), officially the Province of Siquijor (Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Siquijor; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Siquijor), is a Philippine island province (the third smallest in the country, in terms of population and land area) located within the Negros Island Region. Its largest town and capital is the municipality of Siquijor. The province lies south of Cebu, southeast of Negros Oriental, southwest of Bohol, and north of Mindanao.

During the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, the Spaniards called Siquijor the Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire), due to the glow of fireflies that swarmed the molave trees.

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Siquijor Island in the context of Anito

Anito, also spelled anitu, refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associations depending on the Filipino ethnic group. It can also refer to carved humanoid figures, the taotao, made of wood, stone, or ivory, that represent these spirits. Anito (a term predominantly used in Luzon) is also sometimes known as diwata in certain ethnic groups (especially among Visayans).

Pag-anito refers to a séance, often accompanied by other rituals or celebrations, in which a shaman (Visayan: babaylan, Tagalog: katalonan) acts as a medium to communicate directly with the dead ancestors and spirits. When a nature spirit or deity is specifically involved, the ritual is called pagdiwata. The act of worship or a religious sacrifice to a spirit and deities.

View the full Wikipedia page for Anito

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