The Ifugao have a language that changes from village to village. It is of Malayo-Polynesian derivation. Dialect and change of pronunciation can make it a real challenge to sustain a conversation between neighboring villagers. However, an official language dictionary has been produced. The population of the Ifugao has been estimated at between sixty and one hundred thousand, with no recent census figures available.
Villages are no more than small clusters of huts spaced between large areas of rice terraces.
Travel between the villages is by foot, along the narrow footpaths along the edges of the terraces. Huts in the villages are on stilts four or five feet high. Strange looking discs are placed toward the top of each set of stilts. The purpose of these discs is to prevent rodents and other pests from getting up into the hut. The home has no window and a single room and doorway.