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Interestingly, these animis­tic rituals survive today even among Christianized Filipinos. In Isabela, the atang-atang ritual of the Ibanag features a gaily decorated small bamboo raft with offerings of rice, oil, eggs, cigarettes, rice cakes and a little chick representing the soul of the sick person. Around this raft situated on the ground, two women dance, drink and chant Christian prayers to cure the sick. Later, the women take oil from the raft and rub it on the face, legs or hands of the sick.

Aside from rituals, tribal dances which were more often than not mimetic may also be considered as proto-dramas. A majority of these dances, which mark important events like baptism, courtship, marriage and even death, depict important tribal activities, like rice­-planting and harvesting, camote-gathering as well as going to war.

The tribes of the Cordillera have dances that reenact the hunt for and the killing of a boar, as well as the practice and ways of head,hunting; the Aeta of Zambales perform dances which show the techniques of gathering wild honey in the forest as well as hunting for fish; the T ausog of Sulu boast of dances that represent how oranges are picked or how not to catch a mudfish. The most important dance, however, among most Philippine tribes is the war dance. The war dance of the Mansaka of Davao del Norte imitates the movements of model warriors called baganis, as the latter fight with spears, bolos and shields.

Other tribal dances which may be considered proto-dramas as well are the dances which are playful imitations of animal movements, like the monkey, fish and fly dances of the Aeta of Zambales in Luzon; the hawk dances of the Higaonon in Mindanao; and the butterfly, monkey and bird dances of the Tausog in Sulu.

As a whole, indigenous dramas are so well integrated into the lives of tribal Filipinos. For clearly, these rituals and dances express the very beliefs and depict the activities and material culture of the tribes themselves. Furthermore, they help fulfill the most basic needs of the tribe - for a good harvest and victory in war, as well as the physical and spiritual well-being of the sick, the newly,born, the youth, the newly-wed members of the tribe. Finally, these plays bind the members of the tribe in a stronger bond for the common good. Rituals of baptism, circumcision, marriage, as well as the dances that instruct chil­dren on the techniques of look­ing for honey or fishing or fight­ing in war, clearly work for the collective good, since a good harvest and plentiful honey and fish obviously benefit the tribe, while the display of war dances teaches the young boys the primary duty of manhood, namely, fighting to ensure survival of the tribe against all aggressors.  

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