HISTORY003 RESEARCH OUTPUT PRESENTATION

● ETYMOLOGY
The term “Subanon” comes from the root word suba, which means “river.”
The suffix nun, non, or nen indicates a "locality or place of origin."
"a person or people of the river"
DISCUSSION:
The people would always prefer to live near the water (river) for easy
access of the basic necessity of living and originally lived in the low lying
areas. However, due to disturbances from other aggressive migrant groups
such as the Tausug, Yakan tribes and and migrations of Cebuanos to the
coastal areas in the Subanen territory it caused further pushed the Subanen
people into the interior.
Subanen are peaceful people but characterized by two flexible
natures; if their number is in the majority position then they will dominate and
control the areas but if they are outnumbered then they would either move or
migrate to the other places to avoid any conflict or tend to blend and even
acclimatized with the majority settlers. Subanen people are willing to share
their land or territory and allow migrants to settled in because of the belief that
"Land is owned by all not by just only one" which should be shared to all.
Having visitors or having new migrants to settled the territory does not
constitute as "invasion" in Subanen law but forcibly coercing the belief and
culture are equivalent to war.
Subanen people believe in the principle of the "commonwealth",
which means that no one should own land or territory, but rather the people
within it. As such, they do not hold any title to land as property. The only
properties that they consider as their own are movable properties such as
Chinese jars, gongs, jewelry, and, in later times, currency.

● RECENT POPULATION CENSUS

In 2020 census, IPs identified by NCIP(National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples.) Subanens/Subanons ranked first with 758,499
persons (7.7%), followed by Manobos with 644,904 persons (6.6%),
and Mandayas with 523,475 persons (5.3%).
These are the regions with siginificant populations.

● LANGUAGE
The language of this group is generally referred to as Subanon.
However, there are dialectal variations, depending on the locality in which the people
live.
The Subanen languages (also Subanon and Subanun) are a group of
closely related Austronesian languages belonging to the Greater Central Philippine
subgroup.Often described as a single language, they are considered by linguists as a
dialect cluster more than a monolithic language. Subanen languages are spoken in
various areas of Zamboanga Peninsula, namely the provinces of Zamboanga
Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, and in Misamis Occidental
of Northern Mindanao. There is also a sizeable Subanen community in Misamis
Oriental. Most speakers of Subanen languages go by the name of Subanen,
 Subanon or Subanun, while those who adhere to Islam refer to themselves as
Kalibugan.
It is a language difficult to learn unless learners are exposed twenty four
hours a day for six months to a year to the language. Some Subano words are
difficult to pronounce; some words are spelled easily but pronounced differently
which makes the language difficult to learn. No published rules on how to pronounce
and spell their words. Neither published rules on how their verbs are conjugated and
on how their nouns changes from singular to plural. The only way to learn to speak
write and read their language is to live to with them. And while their language is
different, there are some words they share with some major languages in the
Philippines. Niyog which means coconut in Tagalog, Tausog, Ilocano. and other
Filipino languages, also means coconut to the Subanos. Patay which in Pilipino
means dead is MYATAY in Subano. And in some pronunciations, the pronunciation of
IW like magiliw, a word in the Philippine national anthem, the Subanos pronounce as
MAGILIO, the way Tagalog speaking people in Liliw, Laguna, would pronounce the
name of their town as LILIO. When a Subano sings the first line of the Philippine
national anthem he'll say "bayang magilio." Although not exactly the same, in Bicol a
language spoken in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Norte, Sorsogon,
Catanduanes and most of the northern part of Masbate, SIRA means fish. In Subano,
the word for fish is SARA or Sada

● Locality place of Origin

Subanen people settled Mindanao Islands since more than 4,200 B.C. as it is
proven by the archeologist through artifacts unearthed within the Ancient Subanen
territory as shown in the map. Before the arrival of Islam and Christian missionaries,
the Subanon occupied the entire Zamboanga peninsula, sharing it with the Negrito
who, since then, have disappeared from the whole region. They are a group of
original settlers in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Misamis Occidental in the central
and western Mindanao, South and Southwestern Philippines.

The Zamboanga peninsula, which is more than 200 kilometers long and
shaped like a giant crooked finger that extends westward to the Sulu Sea, is joined to
the Mindanao mainland by a narrow strip of land, the isthmus of Tukuran, which
separates the bays of Iligan and Illana. Beyond this and to the east is the main region
of Muslim Mindanao, which is made up of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte,
Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and North and South Cotabato. The peninsula itself is
divided into three provinces: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and
Misamis Occidental. In Misamis Occidental, the Subanon communities are
concentrated along the mountainous provincial boundary that separates this province
from the two others.

While practically the whole of Zamboanga has always been the ancestral
domain of the Subanon, some areas of the peninsula are occupied by Muslims and a
few others by Christian settlers. The entire southern coastal region of Zamboanga del
Sur, from the Basilan Strait to Pagadian near Lanao, are populated by mixed Muslim
groups. Major urban concentrations such as Zamboanga City, Pagadian, and Dipolog
have a sizeable number of Christians.
● SUBGROUPS
They are divided into subgroups based on their dialect.Using geographical
references, scholars in 1900 identified four subgroups of the Subanon: the residents
in and around Mount Malindang, Sindangan, Sibuguey, and Siocon. They were
considered to be distinct from each other because of the differences in their language
and customs. More recent studies of them indicate that there are six subgroups of
Subanon: the Sindangan Subanon (Central Subanon), Guinselugnen (Eastern
Subanon), Tuboy Subanon (Northern Subanon), Lapuyan or Margosatubig (Southern
Subanon), Kolibugan (Kolibugan Subanon), and Siocon (Western Subanon). These
groups are dispersed over a wide area of the Zamboanga peninsula.

➢ Sindangan Subanon (Central Subanon)-The Sindangan Subanon, also

known as the Central Subanon, are an indigenous ethnic group residing in the
Sindangan municipality of Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern
Philippines. They are a subgroup of the larger Subanon people who inhabit
the Zamboanga Peninsula.
The Sindangan Subanon have their own distinct language, cultural
practices, and traditions that set them apart from other groups in the region.
They are known for their craftsmanship in basket weaving, pottery, and other
forms of traditional arts. Agriculture is a significant part of their livelihood, with
rice and corn being staple crops. They also engage in fishing and hunting as
part of their traditional subsistence activities.

➢ Guinselugnen (Eastern Subanon)-The Eastern Subanen were “protected”

by the Spanish Empire as they conquered the Muslim peoples of Mindanao.
They were dominated by the Spanish until 1899 when the United States took
the Philippines as a colony. Muslim peoples such as the Moros attacked both
the Americans and the Subanen. This wreaked havoc on the lives of the
Subanen peoples; some of them were even enslaved. The Subanen began to
have much more contact with the outside world starting in the 1910s. There
was an influx of new settlers, miners and loggers. The new Philippine
government established stronger control at that time for tax purposes.

➢ Tuboy Subanon (Northern Subanon)-The Tuboy Subanon live on the island

of Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines. They generally live
in scattered farm settlements in the forested, mountainous interior of the
Zamboanga Peninsula. The Tuboy Subanon are a small branch of the
Subanon ethnic group and speak various Subanon dialects.

➢ Lapuyan or Margosatubig (Southern Subanon)-Southern Subanen,

spoken on the Philippine island of Mindanao, is the only Philippine language
known to have contrastive aspiration, which is a rarity in the Austronesian
family. While aspirated consonants are common in the world's languages,
Southern Subanen provides us with an uncommon glimpse at how aspirated
consonants can develop. Their unique historical derivation in Southern
Subanen is such that, in certain environments, aspiration marks semantic
contrasts in verbal prefixes and even functions as a marker of nominalization.
 In this paper, we will analyze the historical sources of this aspiration and its
realization in the modern language.

➢ Kolibugan (Kolibugan Subanon)-The Kalibugan Subanon of Philippines,

numbering 30,000, are Engaged yet 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 Kolibugan Subanon.
The primary religion practiced by the Kalibugan Subanon is Sunni Islam, the
largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims follow the teachings of the Qur'an and
consider the first four caliphs to be the rightful successors of Muhammad.
The Kolibugan on the other hand embraced Islam and are mostly
found on the island of Olutanga, off the coast of Zamboanga del Sur.
"Kolibugan" is a Sama-Tausug slang for half-breed, because the tribe was
former Subanuns who intermarried with Sama and Tausugs and embraced
Islam. However, they retain the Subanun dialect.

➢ Siocon (Western Subanon)-The Western Subanon of Philippines,

numbering 140,000, 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 Western Subanon. The
primary religion practiced by the Western Subanon is ethnoreligion.
Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion
essentially equates to cultural assimilation.

● CURRENT PROBLEMS
➢ Land and Resource Rights- Land rights and access to ancestral lands are
major issues for the Subanen people. Their traditional territories have often
been encroached upon by various interests, including logging, mining,
agriculture, and infrastructure development. This has led to displacement and
loss of livelihoods.

PAGADIAN CITY, 9 June (PIA) - Tribal leaders representing the Subanen Indigenous
People (IP) communities in Region 9 convened for a two-day forum aimed at addressing
a range of pressing issues affecting their tribes.The gathering served as a platform for
leaders to discuss matters concerning cultural heritage, indigenous rights, and
development within ancestral domains.

Expressing their gratitude for the opportunity, Timuay Lucenio Manda shared his
satisfaction with the outcome of the discussions, highlighting their focus on identifying
ways to share blessings and resources with fellow IPs and establishing a collaborative
approach among different ancestral domains.

The leaders also emphasized the importance of the National Summit, which they said
would be very important in involving national agencies and modifying implementing rules
and regulations that had unintentionally violated their cultural heritage and IP rights.
They emphasized the necessity of correcting any consultation-related errors and making
 sure that legitimate IP leaders, represented by the National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP)-9, were appropriately involved in decisions concerning ancestral
domains.

In response to the concern raised by Timuay Braulio Anlimon regarding the quarrying
activities taking place within the ancestral domain of Labangan, the leaders have taken
note of the matter and have already engaged with NCIP-9 and other relevant agencies to
address the issue. Timuay Anlimon appealed for increased attention to the needs of IPs
and urged officials to incorporate their perspectives into development plans, as IPs in
Labangan and neighboring areas had seemingly been left behind in terms of progress.

The leaders acknowledged NCIP-9's challenges, such as staffing and funding

constraints, but committed to seeking assistance and supporting the agency. They
emphasized the significance of safeguarding their rights as IPs and improving their
communities' livelihoods in their ancestral domains.

Timuay Nanding Mudai recognizes the crucial responsibility the government has
entrusted to NCIP-9 and stands united in its resolve to support and defend it. While
acknowledging that NCIP-IX is not without flaws, he stressed that any deficiencies lie not
with the agency itself, but potentially with certain individuals.“Kung mawala ang NCIP,
masamot mi ug kalisud (If NCIP disappears, we will have more difficulties),” he added.

The forum served as a significant platform for Subanen IP leaders to voice their
concerns and find common ground with NCIP-9. The leaders emphasized the need for
collaboration, the revision of laws that may negatively impact their cultural heritage, and
the equitable allocation of resources for the betterment of all IPs in the Zamboanga
Peninsula. (NBE/EDT/HTB/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)

➢ Conflict and Peace- In some areas, conflicts can arise over land, resources,
and competing interests. These conflicts can disrupt the lives of Subanen
communities and threaten their security.

A federation of Subanen tribal leaders in Western Mindanao has

appealed to the United Nations (UN) to help them protect their ancestral
domains against intrusion by the communist terrorist New People’s Army
(NPA).
In a petition sent Tuesday to the UN’s Office of High
Commissioner on Human Rights headed by Verónica Michelle Bachelet
Jeria, Gukom Western Mindanao Tribal Leaders Federation (Gukom)
accused the NPA of actively impeding the development of their tribal
lands through a combination of atrocities and deceptive tactics.

Timuay Lucenio Manda, the Gukom chairperson, led the signing

of the petition and was joined by all members of the federation.
 “We don't want them [NPA] to involve the Subanens in their
conflict with the government by hiding within the hinterlands and forests
that belong under our ancestral domain,” Manda told the Philippine News
Agency Thursday.

He said the NPA's armed rebellion against the government

“disrupts the development of the Subanen communities. If they wanted to
solve their problem, they should talk to the national government and not
involve the peaceful living Subanens."

He said Subanents are worried about the continued" intrusion

and systematic atrocities" of the NPA, which he said has displaced tribal
communities as rebels "illegally occupy" their ancestral lands.

Timuays or tribal elders, he said, are under constant threat of

being killed by the communist rebels if they oppose the NPA's "doctrine,
principle, and struggle".

“They conduct indoctrination to the IP (Indigenous Peoples)

youths, recruiting them to join the terrorism through hate speech and
exploitation against the current government system. What is worse, is
the destruction of the traditional leadership structure and governance
processes,” Manda said.

Timuay Basilio Promon, a tribal leader in Bayog, Zamboanga del

Sur, said the presence of the NPA in their forest lands has exposed them
to dangers.

Promon said the NPA rebels would force the residents in the
area to serve as couriers of food supplies from the town center of Bayog
to the hinterlands.

“They (residents) comply in fear of their lives,” the tribal leader

told the Philippine News Agency.

“As much as we wanted to stay away from them, they keep

coming, and we are afraid being sandwiched between them and the
government forces in cases of encounters,” he added.

Promon said they decided to declare the NPAs as persona non

grata “as we no longer want them to enter our ancestral domain since we
as tribal leaders, wanted peace in our community, and to welcome the
development projects of the government”.

➢ Cultural Preservation- The erosion of traditional languages, customs, and

practices due to modernization, migration, and external influences can
threaten the cultural identity of indigenous communities.

In a complex society where technological advancement are taking over,

buildings are replacing trees and mountains, and everything is going instant like food,
gadgets, clothing and all other necessities in life, it is no wonder why people are
constantly evolving with change.
 This has been the case for the Subanon tribe of Barangay Tabayo in the Municipality
of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. The barangay has a 99% population of Subanon.

The Subanon are known to be “peace-loving” people, which justify the reason why
they move from one place to another. They move to areas far from noise. They
cultivate crops, they are also known to raise livestock including pigs, chickens, cattle
and carabaos. Subanon houses are built along hillsides and ridges overlooking family
fields.

The tribe is continuously confronted with complex societal challenges like

globalization, arm struggle and violent extremism among others.

According to Bonifacio Patoh, 54, BMSPC Chair and a resident of Barangay Tabayo,
the tribe’s community elders have observed that the younger generations are losing
their sense of appreciation for the richness of their culture. This contributes to losing
of their sense of identity in which lies the very existence of their tribe.

Based on the fear among the tribal elders who perceives that the new generation is no
longer practicing the Subanon Cultural processes handed over by their forefathers,
thus the proposal for the construction of the “Subanon Piglompokan Nog Baloy Nog
Mokogulangan”.

➢ Lack of Basic Services-Limited access to quality education, healthcare,

clean water, and sanitation facilities can disproportionately affect indigenous
communities and contribute to ongoing cycles of poverty.
According to a survey done by Bob Brichoux of the Summer Institute of
Linguistics in 1981, adult illiteracy rate of the Central Subanen is 50%. Seventy seven
percent of the illiterates are age 30 and up; 23% are age 15-30. This high illiteracy
rate could be attributed to the fact that Subanens lived in areas where schools if not
available were too far for children to go. Moreover, lack of self-esteem caused
children to drop out of school even before they learned the basic skills of reading and
writing.

Through joint effort with the Department of Education particularly with

Alternative Learning System Division, other government agencies and
non-government organizations existing in the area, the literacy rate in the area has
remarkably raised from 50% in 1981 to 85% in 2005 (as per DepEd record).

Although these remote tribes are slowly being forced into a modern world,
they continue to struggle daily with life's most basic essentials. They are in desperate
need of quality medical care, modern farming techniques, and educational
opportunities.
Poor quality of education is still the prevalent problem in the area. This
problem can be attributed to the following reasons: poor quality of teaching; the
learning experiences do not match with the life experiences of learners since the
languages used in school are unfamiliar to them as well as the methods and materials
used are foreign to them; the school is too far for the children to hike; children are not
motivated to learn; or the education is still not valued by some community members
that it always come last in the list of priorities. Because of these reasons, it is
observed that there is a high rate of dropouts. Moreover, most of the public school
teachers are always absent and are not very much committed to teach. If no early
preventive measures taken, illiteracy rate in the area will still remain a perennial
problem.
➢ Economic Marginalization/Poverty-Many indigenous groups have
historically been excluded from mainstream economic opportunities, leaving
them with limited access to markets, job opportunities, and financial services.
 The Tuboy Subanon have long been exploited and victimized by their neighbors,
binding them to a history of servitude and poverty. Their physical needs are great, but their
spiritual needs are even greater. Most have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel
message.

Majority of the Subanen people belong to the marginalized level of the society with an
average annual income of P 6,000 per household. They are basically farmers who plant corn,
rice, banana, coffee, root crops and coconut for their daily subsistence and as source of their
income. Even though they are landowners, they are unable to cultivate all their lands due to
financial constraints.

● Status and roles of women in the promotion of peace

➢ Leadership and Empowerment- While women's roles might be more
behind-the-scenes in some cases, there are instances of women taking on
leadership positions and advocating for peace at broader levels.Women's
involvement in education and empowerment initiatives can lead to greater
awareness of peacebuilding strategies and human rights, ultimately fostering
a culture of peace within the community.
Misamis Occidental — Who says Subanen, an Indigenous People tribe, is a
marginalized group? Fernanda Etol Gaas, a 54-year old member of Subanen group proves that
they can stand out, lead and empower the community.

Mrs. Fernanda Gaas, married to Nestor Gaas and a mother of five children lived all her
life in Dinas, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. She said that due to disturbances, migrations and
competitions on land, Subanens were pushed to the interior hinterlands. Subanens are farmer
tribe and they are largely involved in crop cultivation and production. Thus, she hardly attends
community assemblies, meetings and gathering.

But she emerged to be a strong IP woman leader when KALAHI-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig

Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National
Community-Driven Development Program) was introduced to their community in 2014.

KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP is a flagship anti-poverty program of the national government

that empowers communities to be involved in development through community-driven
development approach (CDD).

Fernanda Gaas was chosen to lead other IP women’s group as Bids and Awards
Committee (BAC) chair. As a leader, her primary task is to facilitate the procurement process
for the construction of their community project.

“Nabantayan gayod namo ang kapasidad ug dedikasyon ni Fernanda sa komunidad, mao gayod
siya among gipili nga among BAC chairperson, (we really noticed Fernanda’s capacity and
dedication towards community development, that is why we chose her as our BAC
chairperson)”, says Therese Florin a fellow volunteer.

“I never thought that I will be an empowered woman”, she said in an interview. She expressed
her limited skills and knowledge in the procurement process of KALAHI especially that it
involves management of the funds.

But she went through series of trainings and seminars that helped her acquire the necessary
skills needed for the tasks. She said that she accepted the challenge to give herself the
opportunity to be trained because she knows she will learn a lot from the trainings especially
during the project implementation.

As a trained leader, she also coaches and teaches her committee members to understand the
community process of the program, particularly in the procurement process such as the
canvass forms, process of evaluating the canvass and the proper way to facilitate opening of
canvasses.
“Dili sayon nga mahimo kang KALAHI volunteer, kay daghan kayo mga trainings, meetings ug
uban pang mga activities nga kalit-kalit gayod ug nakaapektar sa akong pang adlaw-adlaw nga
bulohaton.Pero tungod adto pud nga mga activities, ang proyekto na implementar gayod ug
insakto ug kong gusto tag kaayuhan ug kausaban sa atong komunidad, kinahanglan gayod kita
magsakripisyo sa atong oras (It is not easy to become a KALAHI volunteer because lots of
trainings ,meetings and other activities that are so rigid and it affected my daily routine. But on
the other hand, with those activities, the Project was properly implemented and if we wanted
changes for the better and improvement of our community we must sacrifice our time)”,
Fernanda said. The whole Process of Community Driven Development (CDD) helped her in
improving her capacity in dealing with people.

She added that the community-driven process of KALAHI-CIDSS helped her as a person
because this invites people in the community to be actively involved. People who are
marginalized such as the IPs will be given the chance to take part and even lead in the
development of the community. She said that she has improved as a person, who used to be a
shy woman and who can hardly speak in a large crowd.

“Bisan tuod nga usa ra ako sa mga Indigenous People, pwede diay gihapon ko maka-lead sa
pagbag-o sa komunidad (though I am only one of those Indigenous People, I can still be able to
lead for a big change in a community)”, Fernanda concluded.

Fernanda Gaas, with the other IP women in the community now enjoys their completed Farm to
Market road project.