Visayan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Philippines · Southeast Asia
The Visayas are the island group of the central Philippines, including Cebu, Panay, Negros, Leyte, Bohol and Samar, and Visayan languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray are spoken by tens of millions. Magellan's expedition landed at Cebu in 1521, and Spanish colonisation of the islands began there in 1565. In our model, the Visayan average is 89.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer, the Austronesian-related component, with small Papuan and Near Oceanian (4.4%), Southeast Asian Neolithic (3.8%) and South Asian hunter-gatherer related (1.9%) shares. The Papuan-related trace, absent from the Ilocano average further north, may echo older populations of the islands, including the Ati of Panay and other groups often called Negritos. The closest modern averages are another Visayan sample (0.0127) and Filipino samples, and, remarkably, Native Hawaiians at 0.0308. The ancient matches tell the same oceanic story: Neolithic Liangdao off Fujian (0.0448), then Lapita-era people from Tonga and Vanuatu, about 2,500 and 2,900 years old.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 89.9%, Papuan and Near Oceanian 4.4%, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 3.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Vizayan, distance 0.0127
- Closest ancient group in our data: Liangdao N, distance 0.0448
This page sums up what the DNA of the Visayan sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Philippines, and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Visayan average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Visayan average, 89.9%, goes to Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, ahead of Papuan and Near Oceanian (4.4%) and Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers (3.8%). The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Papuan and Near Oceanian, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers and South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.040): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report
Closest modern populations to Visayan
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Vizayan first for Visayan, at 0.013, then Filipino and Native Hawaiian. By the tenth closest (Mentawai) the distance grows to 0.049, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vizayan | 0.0127 | Very close |
| 2 | Filipino | 0.0236 | Very close |
| 3 | Native Hawaiian | 0.0308 | Close |
| 4 | Filipino (Luzon) | 0.0349 | Close |
| 5 | Mandar | 0.0370 | Close |
| 6 | Filipino (Tagalog) | 0.0419 | Close |
| 7 | Luzon | 0.0455 | Close |
| 8 | Dusun (Malaysia) | 0.0468 | Close |
| 9 | Nias (Hilitobara) | 0.0472 | Close |
| 10 | Mentawai | 0.0486 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Visayan
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Visayan, Liangdao N (Neolithic) comes first, at 0.045, with Malaysia Early Modern next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liangdao N | Neolithic | 0.0448 |
| 2 | Malaysia Early Modern | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0459 |
| 3 | Tonga 2500BP | c. 550 BC | 0.0477 |
| 4 | Vanuatu 2900BP | c. 950 BC | 0.0520 |
| 5 | China Liangdao2 N | Neolithic | 0.0528 |
| 6 | China Liangdao1 N | Neolithic | 0.0535 |
| 7 | Guam Unai Late Ritidian | Unai period, before c. 900 AD | 0.0549 |
| 8 | China Fujian LN Tanshishan | Late Neolithic | 0.0565 |
| 9 | Taiwan IA Hanben | Iron Age | 0.0601 |
| 10 | Guam Latte Haputo | Latte period, c. 900-1700 AD | 0.0605 |
Ancient DNA from Philippines
Our ancient DNA database holds 2 individuals excavated in present-day Philippines, dated from about 167 AD to 189 AD. The most frequent mtDNA haplogroups among them are B5 (1) and F1 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Visayan population.
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2 from Philippines.
Compare yourself with Visayan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Visayan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Visayan and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Visayan. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Visayan average. Your own DNA has its own story: Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Austronesian / Indo-Pacific ancestry: ancient regional core (the Taiwan Neolithic homeland, the Lapita culture, Guam Unai and Latte periods, the Medieval voyage to Madagascar) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from Southeast Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Visayan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Visayan average is about 89.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, 4.4% Papuan and Near Oceanian and 3.8% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Visayan?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Visayan average are Vizayan, Filipino and Native Hawaiian. The closest ancient matches are Liangdao N, Malaysia Early Modern and Tonga 2500BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Visayan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Visayan average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Visayan ancestry?
For the Visayan average, the regional report to choose is Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.