156 PEOPLES OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Since the economic practices of the Christian tribes 
have become somewhat altered in conformity with 
European standards, and those of the wild tribes of 
Mindanao and of the Negritos are very imperfectly 
known, the best picture of the native life in this aspect 
is preserved by the pagans of Luzon. The Ifugao distin- 
guish two kinds of property: purely personal belongings 
which can be disposed of at will, and second, property 
normally obtained by inheritance and therefore looked 
upon as being essentially owned by the family or lineage. 
This the individual holds much in the capacity of 
trustee. When such property is sold, a ceremonial 
known as 7zbuy must be made, and the agents and wit- 
nesses to the transfer receive commissions or at least 
presents definitely regulated by custom. One value of 
the zbuy obviously is that it makes a public record of 
the transfer. 
The Ifugao is constantly going into debt. Sickness 
frequently makes necessary the purchase of animals 
required for the sacrifices which alone are believed 
capable of inducing recovery from illness. A death 
involves an elaborate feast for all who attend the 
funeral. Other occasions require expenditures which 
must be made from loans if available property is in- 
sufficient. The borrower often pledges a rice field or 
other valuables as collateral. Such a pawn is called 
balal. If a field is pledged, it can be held by the lender 
until full repayment is made; but it does not become his 
property even after two and three generations. Col- 
lateral is often repledged to another lender, and such 
procedure is regarded as legitimate, provided each suc- 
ceeding loan is smaller than the first one. Death in no 
case extinguishes a debt. 
Interest is known as lupe and is enormously high: the 
normal rate is one hundred percent for a year or any 
