Several thousand years ago, the first settlers in the Philippines crossed shallow seas and land bridges from mainland Asia to arrive in this group of islands. These were the Negritos or Aetas related to Melanesians, Australian Aborigines and Papuans. Direct descendants of these people can still be found, especially in Negros Oriental.
Several thousand years later, Austronesian settlers travelled the same route as the Negritos - but this time over sea in their impressive Balangay boats. (This word is where the basic form of the political institution, the baranggay, came from.) The Austronesians are thought to have come from Taiwan and travelled south to the Philippines and then ever onwards, as far away as Hawaii, Easter island, New Zealand and Madagascar.