Arumanen

The Arumanen-Manobos refers to the indigenous people found in the Province of North Cotabato. They

belong to the original proto-Philippine stock. Arumanen-Manobos find their main means of subsistence on food

gathering and swidden agriculture (kaingin system). Both men and women take part in the burden of work. The

head of the Arumanen-Manobo group is the Timuey or Daft who calls the people to meetings.In earlier

times,Arumanen social structure consists of five classes, namely: the Timuey(governance group), the Valian

or "Shaman" (spiritual leaders), the warrior, the commoner, and the slave.

At present, the Arumanens still adhere to certain rites or rituals. They have the annual Samayaan festival

celebrated to seek for a sign of what blessings and misfortunes the coming year will bring to the community. It

is held annually on the last week of December as a thanksgiving to the gods and deities for the whole year.

Reference

"Arumanen" http://www.ncip.gov.ph/resources/ethno_detail.php?ethnoid=76 (July 13, 2007)

Affinity Group: Southeast Asian Peoples

Affinity Bloc: Malay Peoples

People Cluster: Filipino, Tribal

Language: Ilianen Manobo - (mbi)

Alternate Name(s): Ilianen, Liringanen

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions

Country: Philippines

Also found in:

Population: 16,500

Global Population: 16,500

Progress of the Gospel: No Longer Unreached

Global Status of Evangelical Christianity: 5

Overview: The Arumanen Manobo of Philippines, numbering 16,500, are No Longer Unreached. They are part of the Filipino, Tribal people cluster within the Malay Peoples affinity bloc. This people group is only found in Philippines. Their primary language is Ilianen Manobo. The primary religion practiced by the Arumanen Manobo is ethnic religion. Ethnic religion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.

The Arumanen Manuvu Indigenous People of Bentangan, Philippines

"Probing the Spirits for Peace"

by Yul A. Olaya

To the Arumanen Manuvu community in Central Mindanao, the village of Bentangan is a sacred place. Not only is it the ancestral home of this indigenous group of people, it also houses the gimukods (souls of the great ancestors and elders), and the different lumuna (the goddesses of the earth). "Lankgkat", the indigenous religion practiced by Bentangan's inhabitants, functions as a triad system in which the spirits, nature and people converge. This melding is expressed in their dances, rituals and other important feasts and gatherings like samayaan, guana, ulahing and kanduli. Magbabaya, their creator, oversees the practice of these expressions of faith, and endows his people with inspiration and protection. Their faith in Magbabaya, known as pangani-ngani, assures the community of life and peace.

Throughout his life as one of Bentangan's greatest leaders, Datu Sampal Mamporok strictly obeyed messages communicated to him by the great spirits, especially on matters dealing with peace and unity. Datu Sapalaw, as he was affectionately known by Bentangan's residents, urged his community to forsake guns and murder. His generosity and hospitality were admired and followed by everyone, including strangers. The people of Bentangan willingly embraced his pronouncements as messages from the gods.

During the time of Datu Sapalaw, the community accommodated many Moro and Christian families by giving them farmlands to till for their livelihood. This special gesture of giving and acceptance further enhanced the already harmonious and productive relationships among the three people groups.

However, before he died in 1998, he noticed that violence began to creep into their ancestral domain. In 1995, a strafing incident occurred in Sitio Kumarit that left one man dead, and a woman and her daughter wounded. During that same year, cattle rustling increased as various groups of armed men looking for bounty began to roam the hills near Bentangan.

Their decision to remain unarmed and hospitable toward Muslims led the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to label them as sympathizers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). In 1996, the 3rd Infantry Battalion visited Bentangan and convinced Datu Sapalaw to arm his people. It was indeed a real dilemma for this group of deeply pious indigenous people whose gods and goddesses never permitted them to use any other instruments of warfare.

However, under extreme pressure from many different kinds of combatants, they eventually ran out of options. They felt forced to side with either the government or the MILF. After much deliberation, the tigulang (the respected elders), along with the timueys (local chiefs) and the Barangay Council unanimously decided to conform to the position of the government. As a result, almost every man in the community is now part of the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) while some of them joined the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU). Timuey Modesto Egsolin said that, "It is only now in my 60's that I am able to carry this gun," proudly displaying a US-made M-1 30 caliber rifle.

In April 2000, when the firefight and mortar bombardments between the MILF and the government forces surged to explosive levels, Bentangan was transformed into a battlefield. The Arumanen Manuvu CVO and CAFGU units took their turn on the frontline. They fought well and defended their place against intrusion from the armed groups. "It was the work of the gods that enabled us to defend our sacred place", Kagawad Filemon Lantong said as an M-14 rifle dangled from his shoulder. Although they were successful in defending Bentangan during the war, the people completely lost their Muslim brothers and sisters. All their Muslim neighbors and co-farmers slowly migrated out of Bentangan, leaving farms vacant and houses unoccupied.

The irony in this context of fear and hostility is so apparent. While they admit that they are peace-loving people, Bentangan's residents regularly carry weapons. And at the same time that they cast out the community's bad energy through their prayerful sayawan every Saturday, they are also slowly closing the door on their Muslim brothers. It is now clear that two communities, who were once the best of friends and originally descended from the same blood, are becoming adversaries.

Timuey Anastacio Pendaupan ambivalently admits, "We really do not know what drives us to this kind of situation despite the words of Datu Sapalaw". But Master

Franklin Salilin, the head of the wali-an (the clairvoyant indigenous doctor of the tribe), is hopeful that the spirits of peace will not leave the tribe without guidance. He is confident that the maleficent spirits will soon spare them from any acts of dautan(evil).

But the spirits of peace have not been idle. After the war, the community started its own efforts to resurrect the harmonious relationships it once enjoyed with its neighbors. Kamid Ladialan, one of the many Muslims who once lived in Bentangan, secretly delivered two wild boars. Immediately after making his somewhat secretive delivery, Kamid returned to his home several kilometers away. That day, every Arumanen Manuvu family received a portion of the pork that Kamid had graciously given to the community.

In addition to Ladialan's gesture of kindness, Barangay Chairman Dahel Mamporok and Timuay Modesto Egsolin have engaged members from a local armed group in a dialogue. At some point, they reached a mutual agreement that seeks to prevent Bentangan from being further victimized by armed conflict. Mamporok trusts that these simple and highly personal discussions are more effective compared to gathering signatures on a piece of paper. But would this make them restore their original peaceful indigenous character as mandated by Langkat? He replied, "Only Magbabaya and the great spirits know".

       The Arumanen-Manuvu had its origin from a village settled in a place called Banubu near the mouth of Pulangi River (Rio Grande de Mindanao).

The village is ruled by a Patriarch, Apo Tabunawai, acclaimed as the Timuay (convenor of the village elders).

Timuay Apo Tabunawai was a skillful forest food gatherer such as wild ubi (derehiay) sago palm, various roots, nuts and fruits. By foot and with the use of basket types of traps, the hunters bring home large fowls, fish, lizards, pythons and lesser wild games. The most arduous chore, but not lacking of thrills and danger, is a catch of wild pig and deer by dog chase. Some boars are with razor sharp canines that attack dogs and men.

The villagers acknowledge that the abundance brought home from a hunt comes from the favor of Elemental Beings whose compassion is anchored upon Apo Tabunawai. In fact, he is the one who calls upon and receives the messengers from the Luminous Heights.

The younger brother, Mamalu, leads the fishing chores of the villagers. Favored too by nymphs and mermaids, he gained for a daughter a young lady that has emerged from the crack of a piece of bamboo that he was using in building a fishpen. She issued forth as a ball of light and reformed as a lady clothed in exotic garments and adorned with sparkling ornaments. He called her Putchi Tunina. She later was married to a Muslim seafarer.

The influx of Islam following the landing of Shariff Kabunsuan prompted the patriarch to leave Bonubu to the highlands of Pulangi River. Mamalu was charged with the duty to sustain the meaningful co-existence of his people with the Muslims. However, he could not accept Islam. He waited for other faiths (agama) that are more hospitable to his connectedness with other forms of belief.

Apo Tabunawai has made a pledge to visit his brother with love gifts from the forest so that he may also obtain things that are only available in the Banubu trade center.

At the departure hour, he and his younger brother feasted on a roasted boar’s head with 21 head warts. The skull and the plate in which they partook the communion is in the progression of the ruling Rajah Buwayan of Maguindanao. In his yard on way out, Apo Tabunawai performed the war-dance with seven turns with perfect form and agility.

In the span of long years with a  chain of settlement in the highlands of Pulangi, Apo Tabunawai settled in Aruman specifically at the spring of Sinimburan now a barangay of Carmen, Cotabato. The Matigsalung, Tala-andig and Bagabao ascribed the name ARUMANEN to his villagers.

Demographic Location of the Arumanen

Three sub-class emerged and spread far toward the head waters of Pulangi and Mahirhakau River.

The KIREN taken under Timuay Kampang settled around a riverbed known as Sariruan-te Kirentek where a lady faithful was transfigured and  became enchanted as an Elemental Being. This clan now-a-days are spread over Northern Cotabato and Western Bukidnon with their society center in Kimonait, Pangantucan, Bukidnon.

A group settled easterly of Aruman under the leadership of Timuay Montopid later to be referred to as ILIANEN because they have constructed an “Ilian” (fortress) to bar off Matigsalung and Bagobo marauders.

The group has spread to the municipalities of Carmen, Pres. Roxas, Arakon Valley, Antipas, Matalom and Kabacan all of Cotabato.

The third clan distinguished as PULANGIYON are those who have reached the headwaters of Pulangi River in Pantarun Range. The prominent elders are Lantung and Pula-os who has settled in Maranaag. This group is now spread in San Fernando, Valencia Kitao-Tao and Songcagon all of Central Bukidnon.

At old age, Apo Tabunawai called upon his subgroup leaders and stated his desire to stay close to his younger brothers in Banubu. And indeed after the season’s harvest, Apo took the westerly route traversing the Malitubog Range and settled in Pigkalumbayan (now Alamada, Cotabato). His people spread over the valley of Libungan River hence ascribed the group name LIRINGANEN. Some have settled at the mouth of the river at its junction with Pulangi.

The stock group is now spread in the municipalities of Libungan, Alamada, Pigcawayan, Midsayap, Aliosan, Pisit, Bonisilan and Carmen all of the North Western Cotabato.

Death has caught up with the Patriarch while at Metengen (Western barangay of Pigcawayan) some forty kilometers to Banubu. No one really knows where the Apo was buried. Some say in Bonubu others say he was taken and buried by birds.

Tribal surnames as Lantung, Montapid, Kampong and Saliling have, in long years, served their group as great leader.

The 1985 Census have figured the Arumanen-Manuvu to 44,000 population. It could be close to 100,000 these days.

Rituals and Festivals

From the life of Apo Tabunawai and in the long years of communing with the elemental beings, spirit of saintly ancestors, spirit helpers and divine host of Megbebaya, the

earlier village developed a worship system to the Most High (also to whom the names Midlimbag (Creator) Maminteran (Divines) and Misuara (Voice) are attributed.

To accent the volition of the faithful, rituals and festivals are designed to appropriately express the Arumanen spirituality. The common denominator of spiritual expression is the “Pongapar,” the burning of dukat (incense) offering of betelnut and the prayer of the ritual expert. The following are the major rituals and festivals the Arumanen celebrate:

       a. Kanduli. Ritual to celebrate life (from fetus to adulthood) as well as to heal a sick person. Could be undertaken by a family or the whole group. The foundation of the act of worship is “Pongapar” followed by an offering of food

       b. Beliley. This is a collective effort of the faithful of a given sacred place which could be shrines or sites noted to be where the Megbebaya’s holy light is anchored or shines in a given time of the year. Still the “Pongapar” is undertaken and a feast of community-prepared food.

The noted Belilayas are: the whirlpool of Kiintekin Pangantucan, Pinamaloy (lake in San Carlos) and Pool of Apo Apiyao (Quezon) all in Bukidnon. In Cotabato, the noted pilgrimage sites are Tinuntunan (Midsayap) and Sinimburan Pool (Carmen).

       c.  Semeya-an/Bulongan. This is After-Harvest Festival with Pongapur featuring the ritual expert, procession of faithful with chants, white and red rooster and the parade of virgins celebrated with yells and fire crackers.

From the results of the cockfight, omens of peace and productivity are inferred from the fate of the white rooster and from the red, the opposite. The succeeding matches are merely for fun and celebration.

Food, songs, music, dances and epic chanting are heard and presented at the eve of and after the ritual. The more formal issues are tackled by the Council of Elders such as the review and reconstitution of community policies for the coming moons. To bring omens of good tidings, abundance and societal well-being, marriages of young people are arranged and undertaken on the post-festival evenings.

Marriage ceremony is one major ritual and festival for the Arumanen because it is a societal investment of life and goodwill.

Sometime in 1910, the worship system of the Arumanen was elevated to an institutional and networked worship of villages. This was instituted by Timuay Mampurok Palao and called the system “Langkat” with its worship house called “Bentona.” This is practiced in Mt. Akir-Akir (Pigcawayan) and extending to Mt. Karatungan among the Pulangiyon.

Among the 100,000 Arumanen-Manuvu is an upsurging volition to recapture the relatedness/correctness of Apo Tabunawai — the Arumanen people, through

communication with the spiritual realm through rituals and festivals, being the reservoir of cultural revelations and societal inspiration for justice and peace.

About the Author:Custodio A. Saliling belongs to the Magantas (chain breaker) community and holds the royal title Saliling-Ne-Magantas. He has labored greatly on the revitalization of Arumanen spirituality as he himself is a spiritualist and ritualist.

Edtami MansayaganPhilippine National Commission of Indigenous PeoplesEdtami brings his extensive experience in indigenous advocacy to his role on the Samdhana Board. An Arumanen Manobo (an indigenous people from Cotabato, Philippines) himself, he has worked in various capacities for many indigenous peoples advocacy groups, including his most recent roles as executive director of the Tribal Filipino Center for Development and as a member of thePresidential Task Force for Indigenous Peoples. He is also the Chairperson of the Arumanen Ne Menuvu Advisory Council, their governing council, and a current member of the Board for the Foundation of the Philippine Environment. Edtami holds a degree in Theology from aProtestant Seminary.SAMDHANAwww.samdhana.org, 20 Nov 2004 [cached]Edtami Mansayagan...Edtami MansayaganEdtami is former Commissioner for the Philippine National Commission of Indigenous Peoples representing the Central Mindanao Ethnographic Region.An Arumanen Manobo himself, (an indigenous peoples group from Cotabato, Southern Philippines), he finished his degree in Theology in aProtestant Seminary in1988 and since then committed to work for the indigenous peoples causes, first as was Executive Coordinator of Tribal Filipino Center for Development Inc., then as Secretary General of theSouthern Mindanao Lumad Alliance for Democracy, following that as Desk Coordinator of the External Relations and Membership building of the Lumad Mindanaw Peoples Federation Secretariat.He became Secretary General of theNational Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines for five years up to 2000, when he was appointed to sit in the National Anti-Poverty Commission.It was here that he was spotted to sit in the Presidential Task Force for Indigenous Peoples, upon its throes to implement the hard won Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, which was one theme of the struggle that Tami was strongly a part of.IRQwww.aitpn.org, 1 April 2008 [cached]In September 2008, Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network with endorsement from the Kebager te Ked-Inged (Philippines), Centre for Peace and Development (India),Asian Centre for Human Rights (India), Centre for Indigenous Peoples Research and Development(Bangladesh), Hill Watch Human Rights Forum(Bangladesh), Tribal Welfare Association (Bangladesh), Hill Women Federation (Bangladesh) and Mr Edtami P Mansayagan, Former Commissioner, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, Philippines submitted a stakeholders' submission.Global Greengrants Fund :: Advisors & Alliance Funds :: All Advisorswww.greengrants.org, 12 June 2010 [cached]Edtami MansayaganEdtami ...greengrants.org, 11 Mar 2007 [cached]Edtami MansayaganPhilippine National Commission of Indigenous Peoples

Midwife gives back to indigenous peoples' community

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5 August 2015

It takes a one-hour motorcycle ride and seven kilometers of walking for 26-year-old Jowena Bangcas to reach the health center of an indigenous peoples' community in the town of Carmen, North Cotabato in southern Philippines where she serves as a health worker.

Jowena doesn’t mind because serving the tribe is her way of giving back to the Arumanen-Manobo people of Sitio Gawasan who brought her closer to her dream of becoming a midwife. She was one of the midwifery students who received assistance from the Indigenous Peoples’ Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition Project (IPMNCHN Project) in Mindanao. 

The Project, a joint initiative by the European Union and the United Nations Population Fund, with the National Commission on Indigenous People, promotes maternal health and family planning in five IP communities in Mindanao. The project component includes review scholarships to midwifery students

who are willing to serve in the IP

communities. 

Jowena weighs a baby during a child immunization day in Sitio Gawasan. (Photo: Mary Ann Llanza/UNFPA Philippines)Jowena had graduated from her midwifery course in 2007 but her practice was delayed as she had yet to pass the midwifery licensure examination. She did not have the resources to enroll in a good review class to prepare her for the examination. 

In 2014, through the IPMNCHN Project scholarship, she was able to enroll in a midwifery licensure examination review class. Aside from her tuition, the scholarship also paid for her board and lodging in Davao City for the duration of her review. In November that same year, she passed the examination. 

“Before I was accepted into the review scholarship, the tribal leaders of Sitio Gawasan asked me if I was willing to serve the community. Becoming a midwife was a childhood dream so I am ready and willing to serve, especially in this community,” Jowena narrated, adding, “This is my way of giving back to them for supporting me. This is really a blessing to me!” 

A last requirement for her to become a full-fledged midwife is to undergo a training on Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC), which she will soon take. Once she has the training she will serve as the full-time midwife at the birthing facility in Sitio Gawasan, which was

established through the initiative of the tribal leaders and the support of the IPMNCHN Project. 

Jowena gives advise to a mother on how to care for her sick child. (Photo: Arlene Calaguian Alano/UNFPA Philippines)

“We have complete equipment and supplies here. I started working here in February this year as a health worker supporting immunizations and other regular health services, including assisting deliveries,” Jowena said.

She works alongside the village midwife in assisting deliveries at the Rural Health Unit, the town's main health facility. "I can't wait to deliver babies on my own but for now, this is a good training ground for me to learn further on the proper way to deliver babies and care for both mother and child."

The Arumanen Manobo, sometimes referred to as “people of the river,” are indigenous inhabitants of Carmen and surrounding areas of North Cotabato, which has a total population of 86,626. Carmen, North Cotabato is one of five project sites of the IPMNCHN Project.

Aside from Jowena, the IPMNCHN project sponsored two other review scholars for the November 2014 Midwifery Board Exam. The two others also passed and are now serving as midwives in their own communities.

- See more at: http://www.unfpa.org.ph/index.php/news/262-midwife-gives-back-to-tribe-who-supported-her#sthash.CGSftuyR.dpuf

AUGUST 10, 2012 

Lumad woes highlighted on World Indigenous Peoples’ DayAug. 10, 2012

 The Mindanao Lumad Alliance, Kalumaran, urges Aquino to “put an end to the killings, abuses, and military recruitment of Lumad paramilitaries in our communities that failed to bring peace and development” as it called to “stop this deception that mines, dams, and agribusiness will bring in development.”By DANILDA L. FUSILERODavao TodayKIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, Philippines — August 9 marks United Nations (UN) Declaration of the World Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but Lumad groups said their communities are threatened with displacement due to ‘development’ projects and military operations.“This situation cuts across almost all IP communities,” said Bai Norma Capuyan, a Manobo from North Cotabato and leader of Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa sa Cotabato (ASLPC).She added, lumads suffer the most from these perennial problems caused by the “government’s apathy, negligence and arrogance.”Thursday marks the Declaration’s 18th year which was first proclaimed by the UN’s General Assembly in 1994 mandating nations to “protect and uphold the rights of indigenous peoples particularly on economic, political and cultural rights.”ASLPC said that indigenous communities are the usual target of military operations to pave the way for what they call “culturally-insensitive” development projects of big corporations.Based on ASLPC’s records, upland villages in the towns of Magpet, Arakan and Tulunan, which are territories of the Manobo, Bawa-Bagobo, Arumanen, and Blaan tribes are targeted for big agri-business projects.“The government, aided by military operations, is forcing the entry of these big projects in our ancestral lands,” Capuyan said.Marcelo Lintad of the Nagkahiusang Katawhang Talaingod sa Antipas said that the Manobos are in the brink of displacement after a Community-based Forestry Management (CBFM) was forcibly implemented inside their claimed ancestral domain in Pontevedra village, Antipas town.Lintad said the town mayor has mobilized the military to escort Visayan settlers to implement the forestation program.“They are supported by our Mayor and they have military escorts in planting the trees,” Lintad, a Manobo, said.He added that a detachment of the Philippine Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion was forcibly built inside their claimed ancestral domain.Leaders of the Manobo-Arumanen Fasakaday Association hinted that the 57th IB is backing-up the operations of armed bonnet-wearing persons

roaming their villages during nighttime in search of residents suspected to be supportive of the NPAs.Mafa spokesperson Mercedita Ali said a fact-finding mission in the villages in Magpet town showed women and children affected by military operations, which intensified following a clash with NPA guerrillas.“Pregnant women and those who have small children suffer the most in times of armed clashes,” she said.Other indigenous communities in North Cotabato face several threats, such as Blaans in Tulunan town’s Bacung village, who protest the conversion of their 4,819-hectare ancestral land into rubber and napier grass plantations.Meanwhile, the remaining ancestral lands of the Manobo and Arumanen tribes in the towns of Matalam, Carmen and Kabacan are set up for oil palm plantation.ASLPC is wary that mining explorations will be “resurrected” in the ancestral lands in Magpet, Roxas and Arakan following the approval of President Noynoy Aquino’s Executive Order 79.EO 79 sets the administration’s new mining policies, which, environmental advocates say, only strengthen the Mining Act of 1995 that gives power to “destructive and large-scale and foreign mining companies.”“At the expense of the lumads, the Aquino government is dead serious in pushing a development that we hardly even understand,” Capuyan said.Other ‘development’ projects include the MegaDam5 in Lama-lama village in President Roxas town and the drilling of the third well in Mt. Apo Natural Park by the Lopez-owned Energy Development Corporation.Both projects aimed to respond to the reported power shortages in Mindanao but ASLPC has expressed opposition to these for encroaching on their territories.In a separate statement, Dulphing Ogan, secretary general of the Mindanao Alliance Kalumaran, urged President Aquino to “put an end to the killings, abuses, and military recruitment of Lumad paramilitaries in our communities that failed to bring peace and development” as he called to “stop this deception that mines, dams, and agribusiness will bring in development.”They also said Aquino must take decisive steps to protect the country’s patrimony and environment as “it is a source and sustenance of life.”“What is development when only a few stand to profit from plundering our resources and we get only the wastes from mining?” Ogan said. Reposted by - See more at: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/08/10/lumad-woes-highlighted-on-world-indigenous-peoples%e2%80%99-day/#sthash.5mPCJKZC.dpuf

Manobo, Ilianen in PhilippinesJoshua Project has identified the Manobo, Ilianen only in Philippines

Send us a photo of this people group

Population

20,000

Christian

11.0%

Evangelical

4.0%

Largest Religion

Ethnic Religions

Main Language

Manobo, IlianenProgress

Map Source: Mark Stevens

Profile

Introduction / History

Located in North Cotabato, the Arumanen Manobo (Erumanen ne

Menuvu') group themselves by clans, which are headed by a Datu.

They claim to be direct descendants of Apu Agyu and his kinsmen.

There are a number of sub-tribes including Sinimburanen,

Dungguanen, Simuniyen, Derupuwanen, Ilianen, Lehitanen, Isuruken,

Ilentungen, Kirinteken, Mulitaan and Livunganen.

Where Are they Located?

They are found in the following areas:

In Central Mindanao: the villages of Pikit, Aleosan, Midsayap, Libungan,

Pigkawayan, Alamada, Banisilan, Carmen, Pres. Roxas, Antipas,

Arakan, Matalam, Kabacan; 

In the southern part of Bukidnon: Damulog, Kibawe, Dangcagan,

Kadingilan, Pangantucan, Quezon, Kalilangan, Don Carlos, Maramag,

Valencia City; 

In Lanao del Sur: along the Maridagaoi River; and 

In Maguindanao: Buldon

What Are Their Lives Like?

Men provide food for their families through subsistence farming.

Women help in food-gathering to augment their meager harvest. A

"datu " heads the tribe and together with a council they form the

timuay (governing body" which is the highest class in their society. The

other four are the walian or "shaman" (spiritual leaders), the warrior,

and the commoner. They still practice rituals like the Samaya-an

Festival, a thanksgiving celebration .

The areas where the tribes live are generally underdeveloped with poor

infrastructure. Dispossessed of their tribal lands, they have little control

over their lands. They practice swidden agriculture and live off the

forest. They are driven off the land by loggers and corporate

plantations.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Originally they were animists but with the advent of Christian

missionaries some of them converted to different Christianity or other

religions.

What Are Their Needs?

Unlike the dominant Muslim tribes, they have failed to consolidate

themselves and thus have no significant voice in politics. Because of

their unattended grievances, they are prey to the communist rebels

and other dissident movements who wish to use them against the

government.

They claim that they have been deprived of the proper delineation of

their ancestral domain/territory which they estimate to be around

500,000 hectares.

Effective ministries are those that combine evangelism with

discipleship and community development. Upland farm technologies

are in demand to help uplift the economic situation of the people.

Education and medical assistance are other basic needs in the area.

Hindrances to the Gospel include the bitterness of hill tribes at being

dispossessed of their ancestral lands by Catholic lowlanders, whom

they collectively lump with other Christians.

Prayer Points

* Pray that more Manobo pastors and church leaders will be raised up

to reach out to their own people.

* Pray for wisdom for those who are ministering to them right now.

That they will be able to clearly present Christ to these people.

* Pray for improved living conditions

* Pray that the surge of materialism (due to lowlander influence) will be

stopped by the gospel

* Pray that their efforts to hold on to their land will be successful. That

they will not deceived by opportunistic lowlanders with offers of

money.

* Pray for the availability of the Jesus Film in the primary language of

this people.

MGA EPIKO AT KUWENTONG BAYANMGA EPIKO AT KUWENTONG BAYAN

AGYU

Si Agyu ang pangunahing bayani ng sinaunang epikong-bayan na Olaging at Ulahingan sa Mindanaw. Olaging ang tawag sa epikong-bayan ng mga Bukidnon at sinasabing ukol lámang ito sa búhay at pakikipagsapalaran ni Agyu. Sa kabilâng dako, ayon kay Elena G. Maquiso (1977), ang Ulahingan ay isang sanga ng epikong-bayang Bendigan at nakaukol sa búhay ni Agyu at kaniyang angkan. Ang Bendigan diumano ay epikong-bayan ng mga Manobo at may sanga ito na tinatawag na Tulalangan at hinggil naman sa bayaning si Tulalang.

Malimit na ang paksa ng Ulahingan ay ang paglalakbay ni Agyu, angkan, at mga alagad upang hanapin ang Nalandangan o Nelendangan. Nagsisimula ito sa pagdating ng isang malupit na kaaway o mananakop kayâ kailangang tumakas ng komunidad ni Agyu. May episodyo tungkol kay Mungan, asawa ng kapatid ni Agyu na si Vanlak. Nagkasakit ng ketong si Mungan at nagpasiyang magpaiwan. Ngunit pinagaling siyá ng mga naawang diwata at tinuruan pa kung paanong makaliligtas ang komunidad ni Agyu. May episodyo din sa mga kapatid ni Agyu na gaya nina Tabagka atLena, gayundin sa anak niyáng si Bayvayan. Isang lumilipad na malaking bangka, ang sarimbar, ang sinakyan nina Agyu upang makaligtas. Sa dulo, narating nilá ang pangakong lupain, ang Nalandangan, at doon naghari si Agyu sa habang-panahon kasáma ang mga adtulusan o pinagpalà.

Gayunman, may nakararating ding kaaway at ibang problema sa Nalandangan. Sa isang Olaging na nakolekta ni Ludivina R. Opeña (1972), inilarawan ang isang malaki’t madugong labanan nang lusubin ng mga kaaway ang Nalandangan. Nagwagi ang mga taga-Nalandangan dahil sa kapangyarihan ni Agyu at sa husay niyá sa pakikidigma. Ang isang katangi-tangi sa Olaging na ito ay ang paglalarawan sa tila-paraisong kalagayan ng Nalandangan at sa malaking bahay ni Agyu.

BANTUGËN

Si Bantugën ay isang magiting na mandirigma sa epikong-bayang Darangën ng mga Mëranaw. Siyá ay kilalá sa kaniyang kahariang Bumbaran dahil sa mga naipanalo niyang mga digma at labanan.

Sagisag ng tapang at kakisigan, si Prinsipe Bantugën ay sikat na sikat sa kanilang kahariang Bumbaran lalo na sa mga dalaga. Sinasabing naligawan na niya ang 50 na pinakamagandang prinsesa sa mundo. Dahil dito, lubhang naiinggit sa kaniya ang mas nakatatandang kapatid na si Haring Madali. Ipinagbawal ni Madali na kausapin ng kahit sino ang kaniyang kapatid.

Sa labis na kalungkutan, umalis ng kanilang kaharian si Bantugën hanggang nagkasakit at namatay malapit sa Kaharian ng Lupaing nása Pagitan ng Dalawang Dagat. Nakita ng hari at ni Prinsesa Datimbang ang katawan ni Bantugan at agad inilapit ang kanilang balita sa pulong ng mga tagapayo. Isang loro ang pumasok at sinabi kung sino at kung saan gáling ang patay na manlalakbay.

Nang mabalitaan ito ni Haring Madali, binawi niya ang kaluluwa ng kapatid sa langit upang maibalik sa katawan ni Bantugën. Kumalat ang balita ng kaniyang pagkabuhay hanggang sa kaaway na kaharian at kay Haring Miskoyaw. Sinugod ng kawal ni Miskoyaw ang Bumbaran at nabihag si Prinsipe Bantugën na may nanghihinà pang katawan. Nang magbalik ang lakas, pinuksa niya ang hukbo ng kaaway na hari at

iniligtas ang buong Bumbaran. Nagkaroon silá ng malaking pagdiriwang at nawala na ang inggit sa puso ni Haring Madali. Matagal at masayang namuhay sa kaharian ng Bumbaran si Prinsipe Bantugën kasáma ng mga pinakasalan niyang prinsesa.

INDARAPÁTRA AT SULÁYMAN

Ang Indarapátra at Suláyman ay isang epikong-bayan ng mga Magindanaw sa Mindanao. Inaawit na ito bago pa man dumating ang paniniwalang Islam sa isla. Pangunahing tauhan nitó ang magkapatid na sina Raha Indarapatra at Raha Sulayman at kung paano nilá iniligtas ang Mindanao laban sa mga halimaw. Hari si Indarapatra ng Mantapuli, isang malaki at dakilang lungsod na pinamamahayan ng maraming tao, samantalang magiting na mandirigma si Sulayman. Bukod sa epikong-bayang ito, lagi ring nababanggit si Indarapatra sa ibang kuwentong-bayang Magindanaw, at maituturing siyáng kanilang maalamat na bayani.

Nagsisimula ang Indarapatra at Sulayman nang mababalitaan ni Indarapatra ang malimit na pananalakay ng mga dambuhala at mababangis na hayop sa ibang panig ng Mindanao, sa labas ng kaniyang kaharian ng Mantapuli. Ipinatawag niya ang kapatid na si Sulayman. Papakiusapan niya itong puksain ang mga halimaw, at ipahihiram ang kaniyang mahiwagang singsing at mahiwagang kris, ang Juru Pakal, na animo’y may sariling isip sapagkat káya nitóng lumusob sa kalaban nang mag-isa. Pagkatapos ng iba pang tagpo at labanan, sa dulo ng salaysay ay ipanganganak sina Rinamuntaw at Rinayung, kambal na anak na lalaki at babae ni Indarapatra at sinasabing ninuno ng ilan sa mga tribu ng rehiyon ng Lawang Lanao.

Ayon sa aklat ni Damiana L. Eugenio, umaayon ang lunan ng epikong-bayan sa lupaing pamilyar sa mga Magindanaw, tulad ng mga bundok Kabalalan, Matutun, Bita, at Gurayn. Kahit may nakapasok na mga pangalang Arabe, nananatili pa rin daw tapat ang naratibo sa katutubong tradisyon ng mga Magindanaw.

OLAGING

Ang Olaging (O•lá•ging) ng Bukidnon ay isang epikong-bayan tungkol sa labanan sa Nalandangan at ang pagtatanggol dito ng bayaning si Agyu at kaniyang angkan. Kuwento ito ng mga táong nagpapahalaga at nagmamalaki ng kanilang lupain at ng mga pagdiriwang para sa kanilang lahi at ng bayaning si Agyu. Bagaman mayroong mga pinsala, naipanalo nilá ang labanan. Isa si Matabagka, ang kapatid na babae ni Agyu, sa mga nagtagumpay nang ipagtanggol niya ang Nalandangan hábang naglalayag ang mga kalalakihan.

Ang tawag ng mga Arakan-Arumanen at Livunganen-Arumanen para sa epikong-bayan ay “olaging,” “ulahing,” o “ulahingan.” Mayroong itong dalawang bahagi: ang kepuunpu-un na tungkol sa pag-akyat ni Agyu at ng kaniyang kamag-anak sa langit; at ang sengedurug na tungkol sa pakikipagsapalaran nilá. Ang kepuunpu-un ay isang estandardisadong naratibo. Maaaring gumawa ng maraming sengedurug kung kayâ nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang kuwento na umiikot sa mga kamag-anak ni Agyu. Naiiba ang naturang epikong-bayan tungkol kay Agyu at sa kaniyang mga kamag-anak dahil hindi ito ang karaniwang kuwento ng paghahanap ng isang bayani ng kaniyang mapapangasawa. Sa halip, layunin ng bayani ang ipagtanggol ang kaniyang lupain upang mapanatili ang kanilang lahi at tribu.

SANDÁYO

Ang Sandáyo ay epikong-bayan mula sa mga Subanon na naninirahan sa bulubunduking nasa hanggahan ng Hilaga at Timog Zamboanga. Kinalap, itinalâ, at isinalin ito sa Ingles ni Virgilio Resma, isang pampublikong guro sa Misamis, mula sa salaysay ng isang babaeng Subanon na kilalá bilang si Perena, sa loob ng pitóng magkakasunod na gabi, simula ika-9 ng gabi hanggang ika-3 ng madaling-araw, noong ika-9 hanggang ika-16 ng Hunyo 1980. Una itong nailatlahala sa pamagat na Keg Sumba Neg Sandayo sa Kinaadman: A Journal of the Southern Philippines noong 1982. Pinamagatan naman itong Sandayo sa salin sa Filipino ni Antolina T. Antonio bilang pagkilála sa bayani ng epikong-bayan.

Pangunahing tauhan ng epikong-bayang ito si Sandayo, anak nina Datu Salaria at ng asawa nitóng si Salaong ng Tubig Liyasan. Gayunman, hindi siyá iniluwal ng kaniyang ina kundi nahulog sa buhok nitó sa ikasiyam na ulit na pagsuklay. Sa pagsapit ng kaniyang unang buwan, ipinasiya ni Sandayo na maglakbay at mula roon ay masasaksihan ang katapangan at kahusayan ng bayani sa pagharap sa mga hamon at labanan.

Binubuo ng 4,843 taludtod, isa ang Sandayo sa tatlong epikong-bayan ng mga Subanon. Ang dalawa pang nailathala na rin ay ang Ang Guman ng Dumalinao na binubuo ng 4,063 taludtod at ang Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan na binubuo ng 7,960 taludtod. Kilalá rin ito sa tawag na guman na tumutukoy hindi lámang sa epikong-bayan ng mga Subanon kundi maging sa paraan ng pag-awit nitó. Nagaganap ang pagsasalaysay nitó sa isang buklog, ang isang linggong pagdiriwang na kinapapalooban ng awitan, sayawan, at kainan. Kaugnay nitó, pinaniniwalaan ng mga Subanon na kapag may isang ibong dumapo sa bubong sa panahong inaawit ang epiko, ito ay ang kaluluwa ni Sandayo–ang bayaning mangangalaga sa kanilang mga lupain at tubigan at magpapanatili ng kapayapaan at kaayusan ng pamayanan.

TUDBULUL

Mula sa pamayanang Tiboli ng lalawigan ng Timog Cotabato, Mindanao ang epikong-bayang Tudbulul. Isinasalin ang salaysay nitó sa iba’t ibang pangkat at panahon sa pamamagitan ng pag-awit o helingon. Ang mga awit o lingon na bumubuo sa epikong-bayan ay tinatawag sa loob ng pamayanang Tiboli na Lingon Tuha Logi (“Awit ng Matanda”). Malawakan naman itong kinikilála bilangTudbulul dahil ito ang pangalan ng bayaning tauhan.

Tinatayâng may 20 hanggang 24 na lingon ang epikong-bayan, at bawat isa ay nagsasalaysay ng isang buong kuwento. Nagsisimula ang epikong-bayan sa awit na Kemokul Laendo nga Logi(“Walang Anak si Kemokul”) na nakatuon sa pagnanais ni Kemokul na magkaroon ng anak na lalaki na siyáng magtatanggol sa kanilang pamayanan, ang Lemlunay. Ang kapanganakan ni Tudbulul ang magiging katuparan ng kaniyang nais. Ipinahihiwatig ang kadakilaan ng sanggol ng mga kakambal nitóng gamit pandigma: sombrero, kalasag, mamahaling gong, at isang kabayo.

Ang pag-awit ng Tudbulul ang siyáng pinakatampok sa anumang pagtitipon ng pamayanan. Isinasagawa ito tuwing Klalak, ang bahagi ng pagdiriwang kung kailan tapos nang kumain ang lahat at wala nang iba pang gagawin maliban sa pakikinig ng lingon. Itinuturing na sagrado ang pag-awit ng epikong-bayan dahil ang kanilang diwata ang nagsasabi kung ano ang kanilang dapat isalaysay. Ginagawa

ang helingon hábang nakaupô at mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang paghiga. Kaugnay nitó, mataas ang pagtingin ng mga Tiboli sa umaawit ng epikong-bayan at pinatutunayan ng paghahandog sa kaniya ng mga pagkain at regalo sa katapusan ng pagtitipon.

TUWÁANG

Tuwáang ang pamagat ng epikong-bayan ng mga Manobo, mga táong nakatira sa hanggahan ng Cotabato, Bukidnon, at Davao, at tungkol sa pakikipagsapalaran ng bayaning si Tuwáang. Sinasabing may mahigit sa 50 kanta ang mga Manobo tungkol kay Tuwáang. Dalawa sa mga ito ang naitalâ at ipinalathala ni E. Arsenio Manuel, ang Mangovayt Buhong na Langit (Ang Dalaga ng Langit Buhong) at Midsakop Tabpopowoy (Pagdalo ni Tuwaang sa Kasalan).

Sa Ang Dalaga ng Langit Buhong, pumunta si Tuwaang sa lugar ni Batooy upang pakasalan ang kararating lámang na dalaga ng Langit Buhong. Matapos ang mahabàng paglalakbay, nagpahinga si Tuwáang malapit sa dalaga, at naikuwento nitó na may isang higanteng binata ng Pangumanon na nais siyáng pakasalan. Nang hindi pumayag ang dalaga sa kahilingan ng binata, sinunog ng lalaki ang kaharian ng babae. Tumakas siyá sa kalupaan upang magtago. Nang matapos ikuwento ito ng dalaga ay dumating ang binata ng Pangumanon, pinatay ang mga tao, at hinamon si Tuwáang sa labanan. Natálo ni Tuwáang ang taga-Pangumanon.

Sa Ang Pagdalo ni Tuwaang sa Kasalan, naimbitahan si Tuwáang sa kasalan ng Dalaga ng Manawon at ng Binata ng Sakadna. Dumating si Tuwáang sakay ng gungutan, isang malaking ibon. Nang dumating ang lalaki sa Manawon, minasamâ ng binata ng Sakadna ang pagdalo ni Tuwáang. Sinabi ni Tuwáang na isa rin siyáng bagani kung kayâ nása kasalan. Nang sinimulan na ang paghahandog ng mga regalo, hindi naibigay ng Binata ng Sakadna ang gintong gitara at plawta. Sinagip ni Tuwáang ang binata at siyá na ang nagbigay ng mga ito. Lumabas ang dalaga at inutusan ang lalagyan ng kaniyang ngangà na magbigay nitó sa mga bisita. Huminto ang mahiwagang lagayan ng ngangà sa tapat ni Tuwáang. Tumabi pa ang dalaga kay Tuwaang. Nagalit ang binata ng Sakadna at hinamon si Tuwáang na maglaban. Matagal ang labanan at nahirapan si Tuwáang bago natuklasan ang lihim ng lakas ng kalaban. Sakay ng gungutan, umuwi si Tuwaang sa kaniyang kaharian kasáma ang dalaga ng Manawon. (SJ) (ed VSA)

ULAHINGAN

Ang Ulahingan ay epikong-bayan o bendingan ng mga Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo na naninirahan malapit sa Ilog Libungan sa Hilagang Cotabato, Mindanao. Itinuturing itong pinakamahabàng epikong-bayan sa buong Filipinas. Ang ulahing o pag-awit ay maaaring abutin nang mahigit sa dalawang linggo. Isinasalaysay rito ang pakikipagsapalaran ng bayaning si Agyu at ng kaniyang mamamayan sa daigdig at paraisong tinatawag na Nelendangan. Mahigpit na kaugnay ito ng epikong Agyu ng mga Ilianon Manobo, sapagkat ang dalawang nabanggit na pamayanang Manobo ay dáting iisang grupo.

Nahahati sa dalawang bahagi ang Ulahingan: ang kepu’unpu’un at ang sengedurug. Tumutukoy ang kepu’unpu’un sa simula ni Agyu at ng kaniyang mamamayan sa daigdig; samantalang isinasalaysay sa sengedurug ang búhay nina Agyu sa Nelendangan. Iisa lámang ang kepu’unpu’un bagama’t maaari itong magkaroon ng maraming bersiyon. Apat ang naitala at nailimbag na bersiyon nitó, dagdag pa rito ang

bersiyong nalikha ng Langkat, isang relihiyosong sekta na nabuo bunsod ng pangako ng Ulahingan sa pagmamana ng paraiso ng susunod na pilìng grupo. Angsengedurug ay bahagi ng epikong-bayan, bagama’t bawat isa nitó ay isang kompletong kuwento. Sa kasalukuyan, umaabot sa 1,647 ang sengedurug at patuloy pa itong nadaragdagan bunga ng sinasabing pananatili sa Nelendangan ni Agyu at ng kaniyang mamamayan. Isa sa mga sengedurug nitó ay ang Ang Pagbisita ni Lagaba’an sa Nelendangan na umaabot ng 5,779 taludtod. Itinalâ ito ni Elena G. Maquiso ng Silliman University mula sa salaysay ng magkapatid na Langkan at Santiago Abud at nairekord ni Samoan Bangcas sa Barongis, Libungan noong 1963. (JGP)

ULOD

Ang Ulod ang epikong-bayan at pangalan ng bayani sa epikong-bayan ng mga Matigsálug, ang isa sa mga pangkating etniko ng mga Bagobo na naninirahan sa hilagang kanluran ng Davao. Sa mga Matigsalug, tinatawag na ad-ulahing ang pag-awit ng epikong-bayan. Tulad ng Tuwaang, ang epikong-bayan ng mga Manobo, binubuo rin ang Ulod ng ilang awitin, at karaniwang inaawit upang maging libangan tuwing may libing at kasal, at isinasagawa rin bilang ritwal ng pagpapasalamat para sa masaganang ani o tagumpay na pangangaso.

Nagsisimula ang epikong-bayang ito sa pagsusugo sa Dalaga ng Bundok Misimalun upang magtanim ng palay. Dalá ng hangin, agad na dumating ang bayaning si Ulod upang tumulong sa pagtatanim. Pag-uwi, natuklasan ni Ulod na ang kapatid niyang babae’y tinangay ng Binata mula sa Buttalakkan. Agad sumugod si Ulod at hinámon ang Binata. Napatay ang Binata at natagpuan ni Ulod ang kapatid na sirâ ang damit. Ginawa niyang suklay ang kapatid at inilagay sa kaniyang buhok. Nakita ni Ulod ang kapatid na babae ng Binata at inilagay niya ito sa palawit ng kuwintas niya bago siyá umuwi. Pagkalipas ng ilang araw, dinalaw niya ang Dalaga ng Bundok Misimalun na nagtanong sa kaniya kung bakit siyá napadalaw. Naglakbay si Ulod nang gabing iyon at napaisip naman ang Dalaga na kailangan na niyang ibigay ang sarili sa bayani. Iniuwi siyá ni Ulod, at tinipon ng bayani ang kaniyang sakop upang tanungin kung sasamahan siyá ng mga ito sa langit. Namahagi ng ngangà ang dalaga at nagpatugtog ng gitarang kawayan. Hindi nagtagal, may pumanaog na sasakyang panghimpapawid at sinabi ni Ulod sa kaniyang mga kamag-anak na sumakay rito sapagkat magtatatag siyá ng limang nasasakupan sa lupain ng Katulussan.

Ang teksto ng Ulod ay binigkas ni Abbiyuk Ansavon sa tahanan ni Datu Duyan sa Lumut noong 1956. Isinaayos ito sa 416 na linya ni Sadani Pagayaw, at upang awitin ito’y binibigkas ng Matigsalug ang ad-indakko: Ulahing.

LUZON / VISAYAS / MINDANAO / UMIIRAL SA TATLONG KAPULUAN

UMIIRAL SA TATLONG KAPULUAN

JUAN TAMBAN

Si Juan Tambán ang isa sa mga tauhang “Juan” (Hu·wán) o “Suwan” sa mga kuwentong-bayan ng Filipinas. May popular na tugmang-bayan na ganito ang linya:

Si Juan Tamban

Bulók ang tiyan.

Mahihiwatigan sa tugmang-bayan na isang anak ng maralita si Juan Tamban. Itinulad nga sa isdang tambán ang kaniyang tiyan dahil mapintog ngunit punô ng burak. Sinabing bulók ang kaniyang tiyan dahil maaaring puro panis na pagkaing pinulot sa basurahan ang ipinantitighaw niya ng gútom.

Ang sitwasyong ito ang ikinintal ng dulang Juan Tamban, isang dula na may tatlong yugto na isinulat ni Malou Leviste Jacob noong 1979 at nagtatanghal sa malubhang pagdarahop ng batàng anak ng maralitang tagalungsod. Nagsimula ang konsepto ng dula sa totoong buhay ng isang batàng kumain ng mga ipis at butiki kayâ napabalita sa mga pahayagan. Nagsaliksik ang PETA tungkol sa kaniya at gumawa ng dula tungkol sa nasabing paslit, na inihandog para sa pagdiriwang ng Pandaigdigang Taon ng mga Batà.

Ethnic Musical StringByMindanewson August 31 2013 10:11 am

A member of the Arumanen-Manuvu plays the “Dayuray,” a stringed musical instrument made of bamboo and

monitor lizard skin on Friday, August 30 in Carmen, North Cotabato during the culmination of the Kavurunan.

Kavurunan, which means a festive gathering, is one of the activities for the Kalivungan Festival where different

indigenous tribes of the province come together to showcase their dances, songs and games.MindaNews photo by

Ruby Thursday More

Read morehttp://www.mindanews.com/photo-of-the-day/2013/08/31/ethnic-musical-string/

ManoboManobo

by: Lydia Mary De Leon

“Manobo” or “Manuvu” means “person” or “people”; it may also have been originally

“Mansuba” from man (person or people) and suba (river), hence meaning “river

people.” A third derivation is from “Banobo,” the name of a creek that presently flows

to Pulangi River about 2 km below Cotabato City. A fourth is from “man” meaning

“first, aboriginal” and “tuvu” meaning “grow, growth.” Manobo ” is the hispanized

form.

A Tigwa Manobo leader in his traditional dress.

(photo by Hans Brandeis)

The Manobo Belong to the original stock of proto-Philippine or proto-Austronesian

people who came from South China thousands of years ago, earlier than the Ifugao and

other terrace-building peoples of the northern Luzon. Ethnolinguist Richard

Elkins(1966)coined the term “Proto-Manobo” to designate this stock of aboriginal non-

Negritoid people of Mindanao. The first Manobo settlers lived in northern Mindanao:

Camiguin, Cagayan, and some areas of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental. Subgroups

are: Agusan-Surigao, Ata, Bagobo, Banwaon, Blit, Bukidnon, Cotabato(which include

the Arumanen, Kirintekan, and Livunganen), Dibabawon, Higaonon, Ilianon,

Kulamanen, Manuvu, Matigsalug, Rajah Kabungsuan, Sarangani, Tboli, Tagabawa,

Tigwa, Ubo, Umayamnon, and western Bukidnon. Manobo languages representative of

these groups are Agusanon, Banwaon, Binukid of Mindanao, Cagayano of Cagayancillo

Island, Cotabato Manobo, Dibabawon Manobo, Eatern Davao Manobo, Ilianon Manobo,

Kidapawan, Kinamigin of Camiguin Island, Livunganen, Magahat, Sarangani Manobo,

Southern Cotabato and Davao Manobo, Tasaday, Tagabawa, Tigwa Manobo,, Ubo of

the Mt Apo region in Davao, western Bukidnon Manobo, and western Cotabato

Manobo (Elkins 1966; Olson 1967).

The Manobo have for their neighbors the Talaandig of Bukidnon, the Matigsalug of the

middle Davao River area, the Attaw or Jangan of the midland area which is now within

the jurisdiction of Davao City, the Tahavawa and Bilaan in the south and southeast,

and the Ilianon along the Pulangi river basin . This was the site of barter dealings with

the Muslim traders who travelled upriver into the hinterlands.

Most Manobo inhabit the river valleys, hillsides, plateaus, and interiors of Agusan,

Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Misamis Oriental, and Surigao Del Sur. The whole Manobo

population numbers 250,000 (NCCP-PACT 1988). The subgroup Manuvu inhabits a

contiguous area along southern Bukidnon, northeastern Cotabato, and northwestern

Davao. The Ilianon, Livunganen-Arumanen, and Kirintekan are in northern Cotabato.

The Tigwa/Tigwahanon are concentrated in Lindagay and scattered all over the town

of San Fernando, Bukidnon, close to the border of Davao Del Norte. Tigwa may have

derived from guwa (scattered) or the Tigwa River, whose banks they inhabit. The

Umayamnon are scattered around the town of Cabalangsan, Bukidnon, and the

interiors of Agusan Del Sur. The western Bukidnon Manobo inhabit the southwestern

quarter of Bukidnon province.

The different Manobo languages belong to the Philippine subfamily of the superfamily

of the superfamily of languages called Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian in the old

literature). Some linguists of the Summer Institute of Linguistics have discovered that

the Mindanao languages belong to a subgroup of Philippine languages which they call

the proto-Manobo. The protolanguage, however, has not yet been reconstructed or

dated.

History

Oral tradition and records about the introduction of Islam into Mindanao give us a clue

to the history of pre-Spanish Manobo. Their ancestors inhabited the lowervalley of the

Pulangi River in central Mindanao. In the 14th century, Sharif Kabungsuan, a muslim

missionary, arrived from Johore, to convert the people. According to oral tradition, the

Manobo’s leaders were two borthers:Tabunaway and Mumalu. They lived by a creek,

Banobo , which flowed into the Mindanao River near the present site of Cotabato City.

Tabunaway rejected Islam but advised his younger brother to submit to conversion.

Tabunaway and his followers fled up the Pulangi River to the interior and, at a certain

stop, they decided to part ways. Tabunaway and his group who went to Livungan

became the Livunganen. Others became the Kirinteken, Mulitaan, Kulamanen, and

Tenenenen. The Kulamanen split into the Pulangian and Metidsalug/Matigsalug.

Branches of the Tenenenen were the Keretanen, Lundugbatneg, and Rangiranen. A

group stayed along the river in Lanuan and built an ilian (fort) and so became the

Ilianon. Those who went to divava (downriver), Became the Dibabawon, some of whom

branched into the Kidapawanen. But because ali these groups retained their

indigenous beliefs and practices, they retained the name of their original site, Banobo,

which eventually became Manobo. On the other hand, Mamalu’s descendant’s became

the Maguindanao.

Magellan landed in Butuan in 1521 and planted a cross at the mouth of the Agusan

River to commemorate the first mass celebrated there. By 1591 Butuan had become an

encomienda and tributes were collected. However, Spanish garrison towns and forts

had to be erected because of Moro and Manobo resistance to colonization. In 1648, a

rebellion that caused the death of many Spaniards was led by a Manobo chieftain

named Dabao, a historical figure who became a hero of legends recounting his

fantastic feats by a giant. Records of Christian conversion probably refer to the

Visayan lowlanders, since all attempts made by the Spaniards to make Manobo

conform to the pueblo or town system was futile. Christianized Manobo towns were

established bye 1877, but these would shortly after be abandoned and razed to the

ground bye the converted Manobo themselves, who would then flee to the mountains

and revert to their old ways. By 1896, at the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in

other parts of the archipelago, the missionaries and troops had already withdrawn

from the hinterlands because the Manobo constantly engaged them in warfare.

It was during the American colonial period that significant changes occurred in the

Manobo way of life. Patrols of Philippine Constabulary with American officers in

command aimed to put a stop to the intertribal raids and feuding among the Manobo.

AT the same time, the civil government tried to persuade the people, through their

datu, to live in villages instead of dispersed settlements, and to send their children to

school. Consequently, more or less permanent Manobo barrios began to be established

in the lower areas.

WWII hastened acculturation because lowlanders evacuated to the mountains to

escape the Japanese. After the war, government homestead program encouraged

families from the northern islands to settle in Mindanao. Each homesteader was

offered “a farm plot of 16 acres for the first year, farming materials, a carabao, and

farm implements” (Elken 1966:163). Although the Manobo themselves were offered

the same privileges, their elders initially ignored the offer and, thorugh their council of

datu forbade their people from cooperating. However, the younger ones, especially

those who had been educated, joined the program in defiance of their elders.

Furthermore, logging companies caused roads to be built in the mountains, and this

facilitated interaction with the lowlanders, especially since the trucks of these

companies usually offered them free rides.

A typical Manobo settlement that underwent rapid change is Barrio Salangsang of the

municipality of Lebak, Cotabato. For generations, the Manobo way of life was intact

here until 1950s, when it was opened to Tiruray setlers. A Protestant church was built

in 1959 and an elementary public school in 1951. By 1966, out of a total of 510

households, 143 were Tiruray, all living in the village center. Out of the barrio’s 11

sari-sari stores or corner shops, nine belonged to the Tiruray.

Link:  http://litera1no4.tripod.com/manobo_frame.html

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