Tindupi Pras Samaluna

8/11/2019 Tindupi Pras Samaluna

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Reading 11.5. Source: Adjudged est Paper during the FIRST INTERNATIONAL ,

SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION of.the Philippi'ne Society, or the Study

of

Nature (PSSN)

Community participation and biodiversity education to sus(aln

nature held

at Palawan State UniversityPuerto Princesa City, 2-4

. May 2007

TIN

Pi, P RAS, SAMALUNA:

THE SUBANUN SEASONS AND COMMUNITY SURVIVAL SJRATEGIES FOR

. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION .

[ .

C

Sevidal Castro,

wayway S

Viloria,

Johanna E Hanasan, and Reymund

T

Bago

Paper Presenter: L. C. Sevidal Castro, Pli. D

. Professor __ . . _

Mindanao State University-lligar:i Institute of Tectmology

lligan City

Introduction

The Subanun in .the Mt. Malindang Natural Park are keen observers seasonal variations.

Their -identific13tion with the seasons is a product oflong years of relating with nature. The

Subanun seasonal calendar illustrates the types

of

seasons which a specific ar.ea

experiences over a period of time. The variations

in

seasons dictate the kind of activities

that members

of

the community execute in the process

of

interacting with the ecosystem.

The Subanun had nurtured their intricate coexistence

With

'the biophysical environment

which, on one hand, provides the resources vital for their

~ t i s t e r : i a n c e

on the other, limits

their activities. Nurturing this coexistence has been marked by laboriousness

of

work,

occurrence of poor harvests, lack of social services, and conditions of poor health. Their

belief system, closely tied to their concept

of

nature, provides a sense of security

in

facing

the

d l m a n d ~

and uncertaintie_

of

living and in o.vercoming the d_fficulties therein.

T_he present report briefly tackles thei r seasonal calendar,an important aspect of the

indi enous knowledges stems (IK ) and Subanun cultural system and institutio s

that put

order to the relationship between the communi y an the biophysical environment.

l ~ t l i

paper

are erive from es u y comp f t n V l a y 21)05 for he P 1lippines

Netherlands Biodiversity Research Program for Development in Mindanao: Foc4s on

fv1t

Malindang and its Immediate Environs _ BRP). Said study had been guided by a.conceptual

framework illustrated n the schematic diagram in Figure No. 1.]

A brief literature review

The literature

in

the Philippiri.es and elsewhere on indigenous knowledge systems and on

' the components thereof is not scant. A good number describe the importance

of

indigen0us

knowledge for natural resource management ahd sustainable development. There are

materials which examine, firstly, a number

of

perspectives of studies on indigenous

knowledge systems, resource use and sljstainable development, on traditional ~ n o w l e d g e

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,.

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ge11der and coriser-Vatiop-rifbiologicaf anckultura{ diversity. A few others are studies on

l a n d ownership, use

:;ind

r n a n a g e m e n f

.

- .

- .

. -

.

n

perspectives

.

.,

Much

of ethnographic literaturereviewed tell

uslhat

in

r:nany

traditional territories

of

. indigenous peoples there is continuing deterioration of the natural. habitat of these peoples

ariq their culture. Such literature assert that the indigenous peoples have a wealth. of _ ,

traditional knowiedge and beiief systemswhose efficaciousness in maintaining biological

and cultural diversi ty is unquestionable. SeveraJ

of

these researches assert (hat

i t is

imperative for government bodies ana Civil society to:r.ec6gnize the essential connection

belween biological .afid _cultut'al diversity.

.

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Fig.

No.

1. Schematic diagram of the conceptual framework of the study entitled,

lodigenous-Knowledge Systems

nd

Modern Technology-Based Approaches:

Opportunities for Biodiversity Management and Conservation -n

Mt

Malindang

ndits

- Immediate Ef]virons '

.

-

- Contexts-

_ .. Gultoraf-

-

-

.-

.

,.,,.,..

.

, .

--

'

/ / . _ . _,/.. Landscape approaches >.,.

.

.,,..

:

, ,

r ~ s ; ;

-;

. ~ i e m \

I e , \

I

I

/

./

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I .

0

p

h-

y

s

i

c

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Indigenous

knowledge

systems &

gender

differentia

tion in the

manage..:

ment

conserva-

. tion

of

critical

resources

:

\

Synergism

-

of

\

t ensure access to medical relief

in

case

of

. illnesses. This minimizes the compulsion to go into the forest to ~ x t r a c t herbal plants

whenever illness occurs. Extraction of herbal

r e s o u r ~ e s in

the forest

is

accompanied with

the Subanun's o b s ~ r v a n c e of respect for spirits in the forest. Although he act of

extracting herbals .in the forest

no

longer requires the performance of rituals, still .

an

i n d i v i d ~ a l must seek permission of the s p ~ r i t s before gathering herbal plants in the forest.

Activities during the p ras.

, Pagsilab in upland Lake Duminagat is done in April;

ih

upland Gandawan, in

January and February;

and

in

upland Mansawan,

in

March to April. Meanwhile,

[n

the

upland barangays of Small Potongan and lowland barangay of-Peniel, it is usually done

in

March.

In

Barangay Mamalad, pagsilab is absent.

_

etc., is

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: are g ~ o w n

y e a r - r o u n d

and are harvested at any timeof the year-for subsistence: However,

because of e n v i r o n m ~ n t a l changes which

ren

S o m ~

farmer.s usually plant '

cor:n --pugas --

in

February t6 avoid the January rains. Pugas of corn

is

also done in.that

monthto allow the plant to grow enough .towithstand .the strong wind

Jn

March.

Cornwhich are planted ahead, specifically in a r c h ~ a r e fertilized in this same month. '

Fishing is also done.

. Harvesting

of

mature crops is : also done during this . season.

In

Barangay

Mansawan, corn and kamote are harvested in December. fin 'those. sites growing cash

crops, cabbage is harvested

in

Barangay Lake.Duminagat in April. lnBarangay Gandawan,

.

.sibuyas and cabbage are harvested

in

Aprii, and

ba

,nanc;i

in

November.] ,

- - - --._ : . ' ~ ~ - ~ ; ' ~ ~ ~

- : ~

; . : ; ; ; , ~ - : ~ - - ~ ' ~ ' i . ..;. - ~ o r ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In

October, _rllature crops are harve

St

ed (ani for u p l a rice; kali for r6otcrops) in -

~ S m a l l PotongaH: ,Harvested crops .like u13land rice .and corn are gradually readied for family

.

. .

'

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consumption: pounding in the case of riGe, and grinding for corn. Rice_ grains for -planting

are selected and readie_d for the _next cropping season.

0

:

In

,Barangay Mamalad, the

,-.

month of july marks the second- cropping se'ason

(pang.:llilaFig sa

ba--01)

for corn (to be harvested jn Octobet). Wetland_ ice -is'also

pl

_anted: in

this same month.

'

Fishing is also don_._ ' - '

3

ln 'Oclober, ~ e t l a n d rice and-corn are harvested: lr this same month, t h E { i n c i d e ~

of illness increases.

In Barangay Lake Duminagat, the month of December is marked by the dugmon, the

period of hibernation of- wild boars, and the ting-anak (birthing). Hunting wild .boa? is

' avoided

d ~ r i n g

this season. D ~ e r 1Nander around during this s_eason. c

It fa this same period when fishes "like kasili (eel) and paitari are _ound -in

abundance.

In

Barangay Gandawan and Barangay Mansawan, pahubas, a method in

fishing,_s un_dertaken in the months of April and February, r e ~ p e d i v e l y .

Activi ties cfuring thf gan'us

up

.

Not too

many

activities _are carried out

in

sararigay Lake

D u ~ i n a ' g a t

du-

rfr1g

this

season which occurs in July to August, except planting kamote, gabi, and k a n a k a ~ . In

Gandawan, this season happens in four consecutive months starting in May. and ending in.

August. Several activities are carried out in the same season. First, bung ay or weeding

out grasses including ifs roots (one of far:m maintenance activities) with .the use

of

-a tool

. called guna (trowel) is done-in May. -Second, planting kanaKa .in June [arid spring onions in

August, is also- undertaken].

In

the safTle season, ha Vestlng is done of kanaka -in June

(madkali og kanaka) and of kamote (magkali

og

kamote) in AUgust. [Harvesting is _done in .

May of spring onions (magsipak og si_buyas)fortho.se growing-tile ca.sh crop]. .

Occurr:iFTg in June in Small

Potongan,

gan'us .dupi s -the season

o(

panu-ig sa -

humay basakari, or the first cropping season of wetland rice. Gan'us

dupi

is, also h_arvest

time of wetland rice, marking, as such, the end of he second cropping season, pangulilang

(which started in the moi:ith

of

~ a n u a r y

. . Meanwhile,

in

Barangay Mamalad, gan'us

dupi

marks also the panu-ig for.wetland 'i"ice, and the secohd cropping (pangulilang sa ba-ol) for

upland

com and other

L P . l ~ n d

crops.

,-

' - ' '

< '

Rootcrops -ike kamote, g and kamanting ~ r e - planted during this time in Small

Potongan. Crop tare activities, specifically weeding I uprooting grasses io farm ots, : 're .

undertaken du.ring this r:nc:inth. Fishing, as well as, hunting activities are u n d e ~ k e n

in

this

season:_

Tile months

o

July ~ n d August constitute the

p_eriod

when wild boars become .quite

active, thus, becoming more visible than if ) other seasons. As earlier stated, no s1:1ch

seasonofgan Usi dupi'iJccurs in -upland Marisawan: -

>

Activities during the p'ras

g n ~ u s

.

.- . Unique to upland Small Potongan, p'ras -gan'us is the time for second cropping

(pangulilang) -for corn. Planted

in

-July; the corn is expected.tb be harvested

in

October or

November, or lft ithin 3 to4 months after planting. Significant during this se'ason are such

activities'as: harvesting. (kali) in July of footcrops, harvesting .(sangql) Jn August of corn

pll3Ated ,

in the par-lu-ig ( M a t c h ~ A p r i l ) and planting (pugas) of corn. Hunting starts in July

and 'ends in Augl,Jst.

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Activities during the gan us.

.. , .

. .

During this season,

in

Lake Duininagat, only planting

of

rootcrops and tubers like

kamote, kanaka, and qabi, is 1mdertaken. Meanwhile, harvest .of corn (sanggl

og

mais) and

of

spring

o n i o ~ s

(magsipak

og

sibuyas)

is

undertaken in Mansawan in the month of July.

In

lowland_Peniel, the season involves harvesting in August of corn planted du ring _he panu-ig

thereby ending the first cropping season, and marking the start of the second cropping

(panqulilang). Undertaken in this same month is gathering of herbal plants to remedy

illnesses with which the residents are inflicted during this period. Crop c a r ~ activities, like

weeding or digging out

grasses_

(bunglay) and tasks for pest management are done

in

June.

Activities during the

p ras

gilat I

lugC ng

.

. Observed _onlY:in B a r ~ n g a y Mamalad, the season of p ras q(lat I lugong, is the time

when .farm activities are quite Jimlted. Only weeding I uprooting grasses (bunglay) can be

carried out.

ummary

On

the whole, the Subanun recognize two (2) general seasons obtaining

in

the study ,

sites, with a number of varying n t r m t t n t s e a s o n ~ There are, however, -distinct

differences among the study sites in terms

of

the time

of

occurrence and the length or

duration of the season. .

; .:.

...

The two

gen-eral

seasons are tindupi, or rainy I wet season, and p

ras

or sunny I dry

season. Several intermittent seasons oq;ur in the

a r ~ a

These are the samaluna, gan us

dup( p ras ganius, p ras qilat I luq6nq, and gan us,

There are certain periods when a specific type-

of

season occurs in three or- more

r:.esearch sites simultaneously. For example, tindupi occurs

in

the upland barangay of Small

Potongan and

in

the lowland barangays of Peniel and Mamalad

in

the months of November

till January . In other sites, the

s ~ a s o n

may occur

in

dissimilar months. For example, tindupi

in

the upland barangays of Lake Duminagat,

~ a n d a w a n

Mansawan,.occurs

in

months that

are not the same for the three.

In

Barangay Lake Duminagat, tindupi occurs in September

and again

in

November;

in

Gandawan, tindupi occurs in December; and in Mansawan,

in

October till November, then again in January and May. Tindupi occurs as early as in May

in

the upland barangay of Mansawan; in the upland barangays of Mansawan and Small

Potongan , as well as, in the lowla_

d

barangays of Peniel and Mamalad, tindupi p e ~ s i s t s till

the month

of

January since it commences.

in

September or Octob

er.

The season

of

p ras

o c c u ~ s

in four study sites simultaneously, in the consecutive

months of March and April, that

is

in the upland barangays of Mansawan and Small

Potongan, and in the lowland barangays of Peniel and Mamalad.

March

is

the month in which it occurs

in

.all study sites except in one, incidentally

also the barangay with the highest elevation, Lake Duminagat. -

The season o f p ras is experienced longer

in

- Barangay Peniel than

in

any of the

study sites. This occurs in five months of the year, first from February to May,

consecutively, then again

in

July.

3q

An

intermittent s e a s o n

c o m m o n

to all of the areas

is

the samaluna. The month of

October is the month

n

which s a m a l u n ~ occurs simultaneously

in

the highest number of


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- I

_ s t u d y s i t e s f o u r n a m e l y --in the upland barangays of Lake. Duminaga( G a n d a w a n a ~ d

Small Potoflgan, and

in

the lowlai1d barangay of Mamalad. .

" ' '

.

.

. . .

Gan'us

dUpl

happens . only

in

four study sites: the . upland barangays

of

La"e

D ~ m i n a g a t .Gandawan, Small P o ~ o n g a n and the lowland barangay of Mamalad. It occurs

the lpngest in the upland barangay of'Gandawan, from May t0At1gust. ,

. :

: I

,The rest

of

the intermittent seasons_are peculiar to respective areas: p'ras qan'us.

only in

the. upland barangay

o(Small

Potorigan

in

July and :Augast; gan'us,

in

upland -

_barangays

of

Lake Duminagat and Mansawan and in the lowlar:id barangay

of.

Peni$1. P'ras

-qilat

I

lugbngis known to occur otily ii) t h e ~ o w l a n d barangay

of

Mamah:id

in

May. .

Conclusion

k . : t

Fishing activities are undertak;n in the season of p'ras: Fishing during

the rainy

season is risky -as water. level rises. While -hunting may be done at a11y .time, many, .

Subanun, hqwever, -regardp'ras asthe_seaso)1 m:ost suitable for hunting: . . "' ' . _-

. Due t6 tn.e- need

foe

survival

of

their, families, farmers 'take.the

ris < in

carryjng

du

:some farming .activities at' any season, Ji)


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352

Guide Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4

What comprise the biophysical environment

of

the Subanun in the research sites described

in the artide? .

What constitute their adapiive strategies in their biophysical environment?

How do the seasonal calendars in the research sites reflect the; Subanun intricate co

existence with their biophysical environment? How do they maintain their biological and

cultural diversity?

How does the environment provide the bread.h of resources, as wel as, set the limits for the

. activities

in

theMt.Malindang

~ c o s y s t ~ m

Suggested Activities:

1. Visit a -community

ofindigenous

people. Take note of the different agricultural activities

during a season. Identify the practices, customs, etc., observed during that season in the

Conduct of the activity/ies in order to adapt to their ecosystem.

... t

2.

. Read stories or egends about ra i ligenous people. Describe what the stories reveal about

their adaptive strategies in relating with their environment. _ ;

Documents

Tindupi Pras Samaluna