No one knows exactly how the Remontados acquired their tribal name. According to the old folks it was a name given to them by the Spaniards when confronted with their mountain people's ways. It is estimated that there are 8,028 (OSCC, 1987) living today in the provinces of Rizal and Quezon. The Remontados are half-lowlanders for they are crosses between the offspring of a Dumagat father and a lowlander mother. They have brown complexion, light curly hair and medium height. They are nomadic, and practice widen agriculture, producing camote, cassava, gabi, ubi and rice for daily consumption.
Remontado women wear kimona (blouse) and saya (skirt) and the men wear camiseta (shirt) and G-string if pants are not available.
They build fire outside their house using a bamboo called puyos. They cook their food in a bamboo and leaves of tigbak which they call binunyog. They practice this when they are outside their house. Their houses are of light materials like bamboo, cogon grass and rattan.
They gather forest products such as rattan, almaciga and orchids. They also make charcoal in addition to what they gather for money. They also hunt wild pigs and deer and sell the salted meat.
Remontado contract marriage at an early age as young as ten years old. No marriage rites are held. The parents of the girl will set the period of balaihan which is wedding celebration and, before the celebration ends, the elders of both parties give advice to the couple and then announce to the congregation that the two are already married.
They have no specific religion but they believe in God who created the earth. They honor the spirits of their dead and give food offerings of which they partake after the offering ritual, especially during the first harvest of crops.
