Ilyan Hill

Ilyan Hill is one of the landmarks of Kulaman. It stands out among hundreds of hills because its one side is rocky and dips abruptly whereas the other hills slope gently in almost all sides.

Ilyan Hill as seen from the highway in Barangay Buenaflores.

Photo by M. Linan.

The hill’s peculiar shape has inspired tales about it. The Dulangan Manobo have a legend on how the land formation got its name. The account in the next paragraph is taken from a paper by University of the Philippines professor Rosario Cruz-Lucero. It’s originally in Tagalog, and I translated it into English. Cruz-Lucero spelled the name Iliyan, but I prefer to use Ilyan because it’s closer to how the people here pronounce it.

A long time ago, Ilyan Hill was ordinary and had no name. It wasn’t different from the hills standing along it. A hunter named Ilyan was living at the foot of the hill. One day, he left his home to hunt. When he came back, he found M’lat Kum’l, an evil supernatural being with a hundred thumbs. M’lat Kum’l claimed for himself Ilyan’s house and land. Ilyan disappeared, and a hill rose where his house and land had been. This is why the hill is named after him.

I have yet to climb Ilyan Hill. It’s in my bucket list.

Kulaman River

This is Kulaman River. If you are traveling from the lowland towns of Sultan Kudarat, this body of water is the indication that you are entering the village of Kulaman, the seat of government of the municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino. The river is the major vein that runs through the heart of Kulaman Plateau.

Kulaman River as seen from the bridge in the national highway. The photo at the top shows the water flowing toward the bridge, and the photo below shows the water flowing downstream, away from the bridge. Courtesy of M. Linan.

Local legend has it that the river is where Sultan Kulaman drowned in the seventeenth century. In the next paragraph is the story according to a paper by University of the Philippines professor Rosario Cruz-Lucero. It is written in Tagalog, and I translated it to English.

A long time ago, the old name of Kulaman River was Matihaw.  A long period of drought occurred. Matihaw River dried up. Kulaman dug up the mud in search of food, and he caught a fish. He informed his tribesmen of his find, and they happily went to the location of the fish. They slept there that night. A heavy rain suddenly came. Matihaw River flooded, and Kulaman drowned. That’s why the river is named after Kulaman.

It’s only the river and the village that are named after Kulaman. A whole town, too. Kalamansig (the town where Barangay Kulaman used to be a part of before becoming the capital village of Senator Ninoy Aquino in 1989 got its name from the phrase Kulaman suwayeg, which means “Kulaman in the river.”

A spot in Kulaman River. Motorcycles often pass through this shortcut, for the bridge is a couple of kilometers away from the center of the town. For five pesos, a “ferry,” made of bamboo poles tied together, can carry you and you vehicle across the river. A Manobo man propels the ferry forward by pulling on a rope tied to both banks of the river. The kid in the center is taking a bath and soaping his hair. Photo by M. Linan.

Reference: Manobo Narrative Chants by Cruz-Lucero

Written in the Filipino language, this paper features twelve Dulangan Manobo narrative chants. Most of the stories are early myths, such as how the world was created, and some are modern folktales, such as the arrival of the first American. The author, Rosario Cruz-Lucero, a professor in the University of the Philippines, relates the stories to the beliefs, practices, and present predicaments of the Dulangan Manobos.

This paper is a product of the author’s “weeklong visits” to two Manobo communities in October 2002 and May 2003. The chants were recited by a shamaness-cum-storyteller. Because Cruz-Lucero is a fictionist aside from being a scholar, her language is more entertaining to read than the usual academic prose. I must point out, however, a minor error. She states that the interviews were conducted in “the municipality of Kulaman and Todog village.” Kulaman is the poblacion, or capital village, of the Municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino, while Todog is a sitio, or hamlet, within the territory of Bugso village.

Here is a pdf copy of the paper. Delightful news to researchers: The online version of Humanities Diliman, where this paper is published, provides suggestions how to cite the paper. Just click the link at the right of the webpage.