(Blogger’s note: The following is an excerpt from the book Defending the Land: Lumad and Moro People’s Struggle for Ancestral Domain in Mindanao, specifically pp. 101–3. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here. Except for an editorial insertion, enclosed in brackets and which are necessary to make the meaning of the text clearer, not a single word has been changed and the style of the text as it appears on the source has been preserved. To cite Defending the Land, please see Webliography.)
The Dulangan Manobos have lived in the towns of Lebak and Kalamansig as far as they can remember. They consider these areas in Sultan Kudarat their ancestral territories, where their history and legacies evolved and prospered.
Lebak is one of the 11 municipalities comprising the Province of Sultan Kudarat. It has 27 barangays located in the eastern portion of the province. The Municipality of South Upi is in the North, the Municipality of Kalamansig in the South, Celebes Sea in the West, and the Municipalities of Esperanza and Isulan in the East. It has a total land area of 52,015 hectares. The municipality has hilly and mountainous ranges with an elevation of eight [thousand] feet above sea level. The plains range from level to near level. The uplands are hilly, mountainous and gently rolling slopes suitable for intensive rice and corn farming.
According to the Dulangan Manobo of Lebak, the town’s old name was Meles, referring to a body of water or river, because numerous rivers and creeks traversed the area. One noted river is the Salaman River located in the western portion of the municipality. Other creeks were Mebo, Meles, Bagayan, Megaga, Kadapukan, Mepikong and the Tran River that separated the Municipality of South Upi from Lebak.
The scope of the ancestral domain petition in Lebak focused on seven sitios of Baranagy Poloy-poloy. Initial approximation placed the area coverage at 4,500 hectares in Sitios Mebo, Megaga, Abogado, Bagayan, Kebetek, Balacayon and Bedek. Geographically, the barangays of Regandang, Salangsang, Salaman and the municipality of Kalamansig bound the area being claimed. The boundary to the North is Tran River, Kulaman in the South, Isulan to the East and Celebes Sea to the West.
Compared to their Dulangan counterparts, the Karagatan Manobos had a much greater range of resources to exploit. Aside from farming, they also thrived from the bounties of the marine and coastal resources. With their endemic wisdom, knowledge and familiarity over their ancestral territories, they can well describe how these places evolved and became part of their existence.
Bagayan was a famous hunting spot for early Manobos. Native hunters often pass by a creek (Bagayan Creek) to give offerings and pray for a good hunt to the deity who guards their grounds. Bagayan was the name of a relative of Datu Kadayunan, a generous and kind individual who unselfishly shared his produce to his neighbors. Referring to his deeds, the natives adopted the tradition of communal sharing, later known as Baga-ayan.
Datu Kadayunan, a distinguished hunter, used to pass at Bagayan and performed rites for offerings. The natives believe that the deity endowed him with exceptional skills in hunting during his time.
The introduction of agriculture in the later period of 1800s and the fertile soil turned Sitio Bagayan into hunting grounds of early ancestors. They grew crops such as corn, palay and banana.
A noted place of trade for the natives of Lebak was the Sugod Ibon (trading bird). In ancient times, Manobo and Maguindanaon traders bartered goods ranging from forest products to livestock and ornaments. One of the main commodities these traders bartered were chicken and other game, hence the name of the place.
Sugod Ibon is now called Sitio Abogado. It derived its name from an American lawyer who visited the area during the pre-war period. A prospective treasure hunter, he left the area after spending some time searching for fortune. The Manobos do not know if the lawyer did find treasures, but he certainly left his mark—a place named after him.
Abogado was also the natives’ fishing ground, where they used to catch fresh water catfish and mudfish. Other known fishing grounds were the tributaries of the Salaman River such as the Meles and Megaga Creeks.
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