Say “Kulaman Plateau” anywhere in Sultan Kudarat Province and you’ll be met with a slightly confused look. Virtually no one here calls Kulaman a plateau. For the people living in the plains, Kulaman is a mountain. For the residents of Kulaman’s neighboring villages, Kulaman is a valley.
I myself never thought of Kulaman as a plateau until I read the academic papers on the limestone burial jars. I come from a village that is outside of, and more elevated than, Barangay Kulaman, and I grew up hearing people refer to our poblacion as a valley. However, if one looks at the place from a farther point or with a broader perspective, such as the anthropologists from outside Mindanao did, it indeed makes more sense to describe Kulaman as a plateau than as a mountain or a valley.
So do use Kulaman Plateau when writing about the burial urns or the Manobo people, but if you are visiting Sultan Kudarat and asking for directions, use Kulaman only. Mention plateau and people won’t have a clue what you are talking about.
