History 003

Mindanao State University- General Santos City

Prepared by J.A. Shuffle
Lumad Ethnolinguistic Groups
1. Manobo
-from “Mansuba”=”man” (people) and “suba” (river) =river people
-from “Mantuvu” = “man” (first) and “tuvu” (growth) = first growth
Location: Around Agusan River Valley, Bukidnon (South), Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato, Misamis Oriental,
Surigao del Sur, and Davao Provinces.
Livelihood: Fishing, Hunting, Farming, Bee Hunting
*rice-most important crops (60 varities)
*Other important crops: corn, camote, cassava, banana, yam, coconut
Community Leader: Timuay
*other terms: datu, bagani, masikampo, kulano, kayano, bai
Subgroups: Agusan-Surigao, Arumanen, Kinintekan, Livunganen, Kulamanen, Matigsalug, Tigwa,
Umayamnon, Ilianon
Characteristics: brave people, warrior class
-Semi-nomadic life
-animistic = natural spirits
-male-dominated
-gods/goddesses
1. Lalawag-god of all forest games
2. Parayangan-god of bee hunting
3. Ballak & Sallaguitungan-inhabited the skyworld
4. Mahumanay-god who owns the forest
Burial Practices:
*male-buried facing east
*female-buried facing west
Atukon-riddles
 Linew man guntaan heyan ne nelingut te ligewana. (Sikan is mata)
 A pool surrounded by fishing poles. (The eyes)
Panonggelengan-proverbs
 Ke etew ne kena edlilingey te impuun din ne kena ebpekeuma diya te edtamanan din.
 He who does not look back to his origins will not reach his destinations.
Dances
 Kedsaut-war dance
 Pegako-courtship dance
 Paningara-bee hunting dance
 Binanog-hawk dance
 Takumbo-women dance
 Agpanikop-fist hunt dance
 Suyad-buya-healing ritual dance
Baylan-shaman
2. B’laan
-bila-house
-an-people
-“people living in a house”
-“friends of the Moors”
Location: South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sarangani, Around Buluan Lake
Livelihood: Fishing, Hunting (mlok), Weaving, Farming, Making tools and weapons
 Important crops: agol (corn), kasila kayo (kamote), palay
 Lmigo-kaingin
 Smalaf-fishing in river/stream
 Smalo-fishing in the shoreline
Classification:
 Tolagad-mountain people
 Bulanes/Bilanes-residing around Lake Buluan
 Kolon-cogonal area
 Fongol- dweller in the island (Sarangani & Balut)
Community Leader: Fulong/Datu
 Admagan-datu with many horses and carabaos
They are monotheistic. (Meleh-creator)
 Kaluwalhatian-heaven
The letter “F” is common in their language.
Musical Instruments:
 Tangungo-set of 8 metal gongs
 Familak-gong
 Kubing- Jew’s harp
 Kitara-4-stringed lute
 Diwagay-1-stringed lute
 Faglong-2 stringed guitar
Dances:
 Admulak-bird hunting dance
 Amti-fishing dance
 Mihag-sugon-gathering honey
 Asbulong- healing dance

3. Mandaya
Mandaya is occupying the mountainous area of Surigao, peninsula of San Agustin, and northern part
near the Gulf of Davao. Very similar with Manobos in terms of ways and customs except that the Mandayas
were docile and gentle
 They were more expressive of their religious belief. Altar are tended for the Anitos (spirit of their
ancestors) in front of every Mandayas household, on rivers, constructed rafts and makeshift boats
with offerings for other anitos. Their dead were entered into huts built deep inside the forest- shows
great attachment to idolatry.
 Magbabayo-supreme god
 MANAUAG- name of their idols and made from the Bayog tree- a special kind of wood. The eyes
were made from the fruit of Magobuhay , influenced greatly by their Bailanas or priestesses and
sometime by living deities.
  From the words “man”-first and “daya”-upstream/upper portion of a river. Mandaya means “first
people upstream”.
 Livelihood: farming (rice, tubers, banana, root crops, vegetables), trading, fishing, gathering forest
products, hunting (wild boar, deer, wild chicken, monkey, lizards, birds)
 Political system: Bagani (political leader), Likid (advisory council to the bagani composed of elders)
4. Tagakaolo
 Also kaolo, kaulo, kaula
 From the words “ka”-people and “ulo”-top/head. It means “people of the mountain tops”.
 Build their communities at the sources or head of rivers, inhabiting the areas between Malalag and
Sarangani, pertains to those who dwell at the head of the river, part of the Davao District, bordering
on the Davao Gulf, extending from the Casilaan cave to a point little below the Lais River, Peninsula
of San Agustin, between Cuabo and Macambul.
 Characteristics: black teeth, eyebrows (shave), putting tattoo, hair (dreadlocks)
 Characterized before as violent tribe who was always with conflict with the Blaan of Sarangani
Province.
 Datu-community head. He can marry more girls.

5. T’boli
 Also Tagabili, Toboli, Tagabeli, Tagabulu, Tibole
 From the words “tau”-small human and “bili” fruit of wild vine.
 Inhabit the area hidden in the mountains of South Cotabato between Surallah and Kiamba. Most are
located in Lake Sebu with 3 lakes with a floating island, numerous lagoons, coupled with waterfalls,
rolling hills, steep crests and forested mountains.
 Livelihood: fishing, hunting, farming, gathering forest products, trading
 Likes to put ornaments in the body, cosmetics, hairstyle, colorful costume.
 Girls at young age understand already the concept of beauty. Usually a 5 or 6 years old apply make-
up already.
 White teeth symbolize ugliness.
 Tamblang-practice of blackening and dislocating the teeth.
 Datu-community leader
 Scarification-another form of body décor by creating scars in the body.
 They are animistic.
-Kadaw la sambad-god of sun; bulon la mogoaw-goddess of moon (both lived in 7th heaven.
-they have 7 children-Cumucul, Sfedat, Boi Kabil, Bong Libun, Dwata, Sedek We, Hyuwe
-Cumucul has 7 children also namely Litik (thunder), Blanga (stone/rocks), Teme Lus (wild beasts),
T’dolok (death), Ginton (metallurgy), Lmugot Mangay (life), Fun Bulol (mountains)
-Busao-bad spirits, malevolent spirits

 Destinations of Souls
1. Kayong-murder victims/warriors-war. Everything is red.
2. Kumawing-suicide. Everything swing/sway
3. Sea-drowning
4. Mogol-illness/ sickness
 T’nalak Cloth-made from abaca fiber. Its designs were based on dreams so the Tboli who made this
called as “Dream Weavers”.
6. Ata
  Derived from a word meaning” high” or “on top of”, with the “OBO” and TIGDAPAYA, DUGBATANG
or DUBGATONG.
 Also known as Talaingod, Atao, Langilan, Matigbangilan
 ATA-applied to members of groups living in the high mountains in the interior of Mindanao, West
and Northwest of Mt. Apo, the headwaters of Davao, Lasan, Tuganay and Libagawan Rivers. Central
part of Mindanao are the TAGANUANUM, have distinct features like those of the Negritoes. Known
to be traders of hemp cloth and knives. Classified also as Atas.
 Livelihood: farming, livestock raising, fishing, trading, gathering forest products
 Practiced the kaingin system. They are nomadic people.
 Binotok-traditional house made from cogon. Panubag-tubag- a ritual performed before the
construction of the house.
 They are animistic.
 Manama-supreme god.

7. Tiruray
 Also Tirurai, Teguray, Tidulay
 From the words “tiru”-place of origin, birth, or residence and “ray”- upper part of a stream/river.
 One of the ethnic groups that live and have retained much of their religion inspite of their proximity
to the Maguindanao of Cotabato valley. They are found in Upi, Dinaig, Sultan Kudarat and North
Kotabato. Houses are usually situated near the upland fields.
 Livelihood: farming (corn, rice, sweet potato, sugarcane, cassava, tobacco), hunting (28 hunting
methods), fishing, trading, gathering forest products
 INGED – group of houses in the vicinity of the house of the leader.
 Classification:
1. Etew rotor-mountain people
2. Etew dogot-coastal people
3. Etew teran-Tran Grande river
4. Etew awang-Awang people
5. Etew ufi-Upi people
 Arts & Crafts:
Traditional basket with black trimmings that are exceptionally beautiful; Horse-hair
ornaments – earrings, pendants, neck pieces are clearly representative of their material
culture.
 Dengonon-community composed of 5-20 families
 Polygamy is allowed as long as there is a consent/permission from the first wife (tafay bawag).
Duwoy-another woman.
 They are animistic.
-Minaden-goddess who created the world
-Tulus-brother of Minaden, commander of all good spirits, also known as Meketefu/Sualla.
-Busaw-bad spirit living in caves and feed on remoger (soul)
8. Subanon
 Also called “Subanu, Subano, Subanen.” Derived from the word soba or suba which means “river”
and the suffix nun or non which indicates a locality or place of origin or Subanon means a person or
people of the river.
 The ancestors of Subanon practiced dry agriculture and had a knowledge of pottery making. They
are mainly agriculturist.
 3 TYPES OF CULTIVATION
 A long coastal areas – wet agriculture
 Beyond the coasts – wet and dry agriculture
 Interior/Uplands – swidden

Along the coasts, coconuts are raised aside from rice. Further inland, corn becomes an
additional crop aside from the first two.

PRINCIPAL CROPS – rice and corn, root crops camote, cassava, gabi, ubi. Root crops are roasted,
boiled or made into preserves and sweet meats.
TOBACCO – planted by Subanon in some places.

The people supplement their income and their food supply by fishing, hunting and of forest
products. The extra rice they can produce, plus the wax, resin and rattan they can gather from the
forest are brought to the coastal stores. These will be traded for cloth, blades, axes, betel boxes,
ornaments, Chinese jars, porcelain, and gongs.
Trade between the mountain and valley – dwelling Subanon, on one hand, and the coastal
people of Zamboanga, the Muslims and the Visayan, on the other, goes back many centuries. An old
Subanon legend tells about the possible origins of this ancient trade.
Sometimes there are crop failures, as a result of drought or infestation pests. Lacking the
supply of rice, Subanon resort to the gathering of buri and the lumbia or lumbay, which are palm
types with pith along the entire length that is rich source of starchy flour. This is extracted and
processed into food. They also gather sago in the forests, along riverbnks, for their flour. For
additional income, they raise sqush, eggplant, melons, bananas, papayas, pineapples, jackfruit and
lanzones. They were able to cultivate orchards, gardens and small plantations.
In some coastal settlement the Subanon been known to cultivate coconuts for food and for
trading purposes. They grow hemp or abaca and use the fiber for making ropes, weaving cloth or
exchanging for finished products in the barter trade.
The relationship between natural phenomenon and agricultural cycle is well established in
the folk knowledge of the Subanon. They study wind patterns and signs of weather changes. Based
on their native meteorology, they identify three seasons within agricultural cycle.

 PENDUPI – June to September – winds blowing from the southwest.

 MIYAN – December to January – a time of winds and northeast monsoon rains.
 PEMERES – March to April – hot and dry season.

The Subanon reckon agricultural time by the stars, the “constellation Orion.” It signals the
time for the clearing of a new swidden.

Subanon of Sindangan – most rice conscious of all Phil. groups, because of their marked preferences
for rice above all other staples as well as the amount of labor and attention they devote to
their ricelands.
 Location: Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental
 Timuay-community leader
 Polygamy is allowed for the rich.
 Blessed if a family has many daughter.
 Diwata Migbebaya-god
 Child marriage is common among them.
  4 kinds of supernaturals
1. gimuud-soul
2. mitubog-spirit
3. getautelunan-demon
4. diwata-gods
 Bichara-gathering of diwatas.
 Dances:
1. anito balyan-ritual dance for healing
2. japa kaunod-courtship dance
3. inamo na sayaw-monkey dance
4. udol-commemorates fallen warriors.
9. Mamanua
 from the words “man”-first and “banwa”-forest. It means “first forest dwellers”.
 Location: Agusan del Norte, Surigao Provinces
 Variously called Conking, Mamaw, Amamanusa, Manmanua, Mamaua and Mamanwa – are one of
the three groups that occupy a very distinct position in the Philippine populations. Heretofore, the
Mamanwa has been classified as a negrito subgroup, but physical anthropological data indicate
otherwise. The Mamanwa form a distinct branch from the rest of the Philippine populations, which
include the various groups of the negrito and the Autronesian-speaking people which now comprise
the modern population. They appear to be older branch population appearances in the Philippines
affecting to some extent the Negrito of southeastern Luzon. Like all the negrito groups in the
country, the Mamanwa speak a language that is basically that of the dominant group about them.
 The lifeway of the Mamanwa is founded on slash-and –burn cultivation on small patches and minimal
wet rice agriculture. Food gathering is heavily relied upon. The bow and arrow, which was once
important in hunting, is no longer in use. Patron-client relationships with members of the
surrounding group operate to some extent to provide them with subsistence needs. Settlements are
generally small, numbering from three to twenty households in high ridges or valleys. The houses are
usually arranged in circle. Traditionally, dwellings are without walls.
 A community is usually composed of Kindred. Leadership resides in the oldest and most respected
male. The role is not inherited but must be earned.
 Characteristics: curly hair, dark skin, small, flat nose
 They are friendly people and peace-loving people.
 The elders are highly respected in their community.
 Tambayon-leader/community head.
 Magbabaya-supreme god.
10. Banwaon
 Related to Manobo tribe.
 Location: Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte
 From the word “banwa”-village/country. It means village settlers.
 Livelihood: fishing, farming, hunting, trading
 Datu-community leader
11. Higaonon
 From the words “higa”-living, “goan”-mountains and “onon”-people. It means “people of the living
mountains” and “people of the wilderness”.
 Location: Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, ILigan City
 Livelihood: farming, hunting, fishing, gathering forest products
 Characteristics: 5’2 average height, lighter skin, European features (Spaniards)
  Datu-community leader
 Bagani-right hand of the datu
 Magbabaya-creator, supreme god, Igbabasok-god of farms, Pamahandi-god over treasures and
properties, Bulalakaw-god over waters and fishes, Panalagbugta-dominion over lands.
 Illness, bad harvest, death-occurred because you did not satisfy the spirits around you.
 Hinabol-cloth they are proud of.
12. Mansaka
 From the words “mang”-to and “saka”-climb.
 Location: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental
 Livelihood: farming, fishing, hunting, gathering forest products
 Products: humay (rice), batad (corn), paruda (kamote), coffee, hemp
 Dagmay-cloth made from abaca. Common designs are square, human forms, laron na opat (croc),
dots
 Blackening of teeth is common among them.
 Bagani/maniktad-warrior
 They are animistic. Magbabaya-supreme god.
13. Bukidnon
 From the word “bukid” –mountain
 Location: Bukidnon Province
 Livelihood: farming, trading, hunting, fishing
 Magbabaya-supreme god
 Datu-community leader
14. Mangguangan
 Location: Northern part of Davao Gulf, Salug River
15. Dibabawon
 Location: South and West of Compostella Valley
 Related to Mandaya people.
16. BAGOBO
-bago-new, recent
-obo-grow, growth
Location: Davao Provinces, Mount Apo
Livelihood: Farming (rice), Hunting, Fishing, Trading, Gathering Forest Products
Physical Features: brown-brownish black hair (wavy to curly), wide face, dark eyes, men (158cm), women
(147cm)
Community Leader: Datu
Traditional Religious Beliefs and Practices:
They are animistic.
1. Pamulak Manobo- creator of the earth.
2. Tigyama- guardian of the home.
3. Tarabume-god of the crops.
4. Malaki t’Olu k’Waig- a divine man whose home is at the mythical source of all the mountain streams, and
to whom the Bagobo may freely turn in sickness and in perplexity.
5. Mandarangan- inspires men with fierce courage and who love to drink the blood of the slain.
6. Tigyama- protector of the household and healer of the sick.
7. Duma-Tango- the god who keeps the people.
8. Paneyangen- protector of the bees.
9. Abog- god who controls success in the hunt.
10. Gamo-Gamo- male and female water gods.
11. Sebandal & Salangayd- gods of the sky.
12. Renerungen & Sindar- mountain gods.
13. Linug- the gods ruling over the ground and the air.
14. Tot-darugo- god of the sky for women.
15. Tolus ka Kawayan- All Knowing One of the Bamboo.
16. Tolus ka Balekayo- is a female divinity who is associated with the sections of forest made up of that
slender, thorny variety of bamboo called balekayo.
17. Tolus ka Talegit- All Knowing Medicine of the Loom who understands perfectly the art of weaving and
knows all about the work of women.
18. Domakolen- creator of the mountains.
19. Makakoret- creator of the air.
20. Makaponguis- creator of the water.
21. Malibud- the deity who created women.
22. Todlay- a god who presides over marriages and was creator of the male sex.
23. Todlibon- wife of Todlay yet a goddess ever virgin.

Gods of Nine (9) Heavens:

1. Lumabat- god of the first heaven.
- one of the first of mortals to achieve the sky.
2. Salamiawan- “the greatest god of all”
- god of the second heaven who married to Bia-t’ odan.
3. Ubnuling- rules over third heaven.
- father of Pangulili.

4. Tiun- goddess of the fourth heaven.

- she is a virgin (daraga)
- elder sister of Kadeyuna.
5. Bia-t’ odan- goddess of the fifth heaven.
- spouse of Salamiawan.
6. Bia-ka-pusud-an-langit- goddess of the sixth heaven.
- “Lady of the Navel of Heaven”.
7. Kadeyuna- queen of the seventh heaven.
- younger sister of Tiun and wife of Malaki Lunsud.
8. Malaki Lunsud- presides over the eighth heaven.
9. Pangulili- god of the ninth heaven and son of Ubnuling.

2 Souls Inhabiting Every Human Body:

1. gimokud t’ebang- located in the left side of the body. A bad soul that becomes a buso at death.
2. gimokud ta-kawanan- located in the right side of the side. A good soul that goes to the Great Country
below the earth and there lives forever.

GIMOKUDAN-also known as the GREAT COUNTRY.

-destination of good souls (Gimokud).
REGIONS IN GIMOKUDAN:
1. Kag-bunoan-special region in Gimokudan. It is reserved for those who are slain by sword or spear.
2. Dakul Banua-intended for all people, good and bad, who die from disease, or from sickness in any form.
3. Banua Mebuyan- a place for little children who die when they are still being nourished at their mother’s
breasts.

BUSO- demons, spirits of diseases, evil supernatural beings of whatever forms.

- Prey upon human flesh.
- Send sickness to the living in order to kill them and thus have their dead bodies for food.
1. Tigbanua- the most malignant buso.
2. Tagamaling- a good buso with extreme moderation in eating human flesh.
- resemble the Bagobo in physiognomy and in manner of dressing. Their houses are invisible
to man.
- resided in mountains and hills.
3. S’iring- a rustic demon, who under the guise of some relative or friend, lures a young person into the
densest part of the forest, causes him to lose memory and judgment, and finally brings him to his death in
some indirect manner.
4. Tagasoro- the demon who makes men dizzy.
5. Tagareso- an ugly fiend who stimulates ill-feeling and arouses a quarrelsome spirit on festival occasions.
He tries to make married men dissatisfied with their wives, so that they will want to run off and leave them.
6. Balinsugu- another dangerous spirit that stirs up enmity at ceremonies, in the hope that good men may
be induced to fight and kill one another in the house where many are assembled, and thus give him blood to
drink.
7. Mantianak- is characterized by a hole in the breast and by the long claws. Constantly trying to kill men
and boys, but that it is afraid of women and girls.
8. Riwa-Riwa- a buso who lives in the sky with eight eyes.
9. Busu buntud- he is black as soot, and has nine faces.
10. Buso lisu t’ kayo- is pure white, being probably associated with the pith of forest trees.
11. Buso t’ abo- is a mere torso of a demon with head, chest, shoulders and arms, but having no legs or
abdomen.
12. Karokung- disease-bringer, a white woman with long black hair, whose home is in rivers.

BAD ANIMALS-buso in the form of beasts.

- living in Mount Apo.
1. KILAT-gigantic ungulate, it may be horse or it may be carabao-that runs through the sky and during a
storm makes his voice heard in claps of thunder.
2. NAAT-buso in the form of deer with his one good horn and his one bad horn that has a branch pointing
downward.
3. MAMILI-King of Snakes.
4. TIMBALUNG-is a disease-bringer whose home is on the mountains, and who is said to be “a big bad
animal that goes into the belly and makes the Bagobo very sick”.
5. BLANGA-is a cursorial animal, distinguished by enormous branching horns.
6. PUNGATU-is pictured as a fat quadruped, with a bird-like head, and several humps on his back.
7. LIMBAGO-is a long-necked quadruped that carries sickness wherever he goes.
8. ABUY & RUU-are pig-like forms, the latter is an underground animal, with a big belly and extremely
pointed teeth.
9. SEKUR-is a big-eared quadruped, a mountain climber, sometimes called SAKAR.
10. MARINA-is an arboreal animal with a snake-like body that climbs by means of long arms.
11. UBAG-looks like a horse with a hump on his back.
12. KOGANG-is a bad animal which is visualized under several shapes.
13. BUSO TULUNG-resembles a jungle fowl.
14. MINOKAWA-is an enormous bird that swallows the moon at the time of a lunar eclipse.
15. WAK-WAK-a fierce mythical crow that flies headless and feeds on human flesh.

PAGHUAGA (Human Sacrifice)- ceremonial putting to death of a human victim. They practiced this during
the death of a datu, during an epidemic, when crops fail, when drought lasts for a long period, or when
other misfortune overtakes the tribe.

17. Talaandig
-people of the slopes
Location: Bukidnon
Livelihood: Farming, Fishing, Hunting, Trading
Community Leader: Datu
*They believe in existence of the highest god called Magbabaya and the spirits who guard and
protect nature.
Dugso is a sacred ritual and dance where stomping of feet awaken and invite the caretaker spirits of the
environment.

Pinag-agawan portrays courtship with the use of a handkerchief to express emotions and sportsmanship.
The piece ends with community a
* 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.
* Their diet consists mainly of tubers and root crops and whatever their hunts yield.Marriages are arranged
with the girl's parents. Education is informal through demonstration by the elders. They are taught their
proper roles in their society. A transfer of values and customs occurs from one generation to the next. Each
settlement is ruled by a council of elders.

These people are known for their art. They tattoo their bodies in red, black and purple. Their handicrafts are
characterized with geometric patterns. Chanting their everyday experience is their most popular form of
entertainment.

Largely animistic, they bury their dead below their houses which are then abandoned. Geographically they
are very isolated and the water source is a thousand feet away from their settlement. Red eyes, headaches,
stomach disorders, fever and skin diseases are very rampant.