(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. 103–4. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here. To cite the book, please see Webliography.
Except for inserting a minor correction, enclosed in brackets, I did not change a single word and kept the style of the text as it appears on the source. Note, however, that some descriptions of geographical locations in this excerpt are not accurate. For a disambiguation of the term Kulaman, see the blog page About Kulaman.)
In Kulaman (now Ninoy Aquino), Sultan Kudarat, the names of sitios, barangays and other places were often derived from the names of people such as their ancestors, events or things. For example, Lambak is the other name of a place called Basag, a term used referring to the soil in the middle of the forest. It also referred to the core (ubod) of a Tapican (palm variety) abundant in the vicinity.
According to the informants, Datu Keson Mamo, Eddie Labe and Jessie Andang, at first there were twenty Manobo families in the area. When the Visayans started arriving in 1974, only ten Manobo families stayed in the area. Their means of livelihood consisted of hunting wild animals, which were plentiful in the virgin forest; fishing in the nearby river or stream; and engaging in kaingin agriculture. As with the other Manobos, they subsisted mainly on dagmay (gabi), sugar cane, sweet potatoes, cassava, corn and rice. Later, they also planted coffee.
The barangay officials of the poblacion of Bugso set a reservation for the Manobos comprising 42 hectares. There is also a proposal by the same officials to make the sitio a separate barangay by itself.
The name of Sitio Todog of Barangay Bugso came from the name of a hunter from Malegdeg who rested and died under the shade of a large tree. The sitio is eight kilometers away from the Municipality of Sen. Ninoy Aquino or Kulaman, and three kilometers from the center of Brgy. Bugso. Its view is splendid, with hills similar to Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, though fields dot the hillsides.
Later, a Manobo named Dipunto Kalay, claimed some 1,500 hectares of land for the use of his family, much to the consternation of the other Manobos. The clan numbered about 30 families, with a population of more than a hundred, including children.
The name of Barangay Lagubang is derived from the oldest resident of the area. A nearby sitio also bears the name of his wife Kapatagan.
Barangay Midpanga was named in honor of a certain datu who went hunting in the lush forest one morning and never returned. His family and relatives went searching and found him dead under a big tree, apparently killed by a falling branch (sanga). Since then they called the place where they found him Midpanga.
Barangay Midtungok got its name from a creek where a mother and a child drowned during a [raging] flood. The child rushed to save his mother who was carried downstream by the strong current. Both disappeared in the swirling waters, their bodies found a couple of days later.
Baranagay Nati was named after the first known leader of the community who died by drowning during a devastating flood long before the Spanish and American colonization.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Dulangan Manobo and Their Domain: Lebak and Kalamansig
(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.
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.
Monday, November 11, 2013
The Dulangan Manobo: An Introduction
(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. 100–1. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here. I did not change a single word and preserved the style of the text as it appears on the source. To cite Defending the Land, please see Webliography.)
There are two sub-tribes of Manobo, according to the geographical setting that each occupied. The Karagatan Manobos inhabit the coastal region of Lebak and Kalamansig, essentially adapting their lifestyles to the exigencies of coastal living. The Dulangan Manobos, on the other hand, are native inhabitants of the hinterlands. The rugged terrain accustomed them to the living standards of the remote forests of Lebak and Kalamansig.
According to Manobo traditional accounts, the Dulangan Manobo were descended from a famous chieftain named Dulangan. He was born to a native couple, Timuway and Tapay Lawa, in Dulaw, a mountain slope near Mebo. The term Dulangan means “a high place” referring to the birthplace of Dulangan.
Because of their nomadic nature, the couple left Mebo and looked for another promising place in which to dwell. Already in his mature age, Dulangan opted to stay and established his own settlement in Dulaw. Subsequently, the Dulangans became a sub-tribe of Manobos living in the hinterlands. The evolving Dulangan communities in the mountain areas of Lebak and Kalamansig flourished in the succeeding generations. Their heritage prospered and their birthrights survived even amid several attempts of assimilation and colonization.
Today, the Dulangan Manobos are exerting all possible means to reclaim their ancestral domain. Attempts to recover what is rightfully theirs find them at the crossroad of two conflicting property systems: government-controlled public domain against ancestral land; western-based property law against indigenous law.
There are two sub-tribes of Manobo, according to the geographical setting that each occupied. The Karagatan Manobos inhabit the coastal region of Lebak and Kalamansig, essentially adapting their lifestyles to the exigencies of coastal living. The Dulangan Manobos, on the other hand, are native inhabitants of the hinterlands. The rugged terrain accustomed them to the living standards of the remote forests of Lebak and Kalamansig.
According to Manobo traditional accounts, the Dulangan Manobo were descended from a famous chieftain named Dulangan. He was born to a native couple, Timuway and Tapay Lawa, in Dulaw, a mountain slope near Mebo. The term Dulangan means “a high place” referring to the birthplace of Dulangan.
Because of their nomadic nature, the couple left Mebo and looked for another promising place in which to dwell. Already in his mature age, Dulangan opted to stay and established his own settlement in Dulaw. Subsequently, the Dulangans became a sub-tribe of Manobos living in the hinterlands. The evolving Dulangan communities in the mountain areas of Lebak and Kalamansig flourished in the succeeding generations. Their heritage prospered and their birthrights survived even amid several attempts of assimilation and colonization.
Today, the Dulangan Manobos are exerting all possible means to reclaim their ancestral domain. Attempts to recover what is rightfully theirs find them at the crossroad of two conflicting property systems: government-controlled public domain against ancestral land; western-based property law against indigenous law.
Monday, November 4, 2013
The Sultans of Kulaman
More often than not, whenever it is mentioned that the Dulangan Manobo have a sultan, eyebrows are raised. In Mindanao, the title sultan is normally associated with Muslim tribes with a large population, a wide territory, and considerable wealth, such as the Maranaos, the Maguinadanaoans, and the Tausugs in Sulu. In contrast, the Dulangan Manobo is an obscure tribe. They have not been converted to Islam, and for hundreds of years, they have been confined to just one mountainous part of the Cotabato empire.
However, there is enough evidence that the highest-ranking leader of the Dulangan Manobo have been using the title for several generations. The Manobo sultan may not be as well-known and wealthy as his Muslim peers, but he wields considerable power in his community. Kulaman is the most famous of all Manobo sultans. He is believed to have lived in the seventeenth century, and named after him are the following:
Sultan is Islamic in origin, so it is not surprising if the Manobo copied the title from the Islamized tribes of Mindanao. Marcelino Maceda, an anthropologist from Cebu, stated in a 1964 article in Anthropos magazine, “The titles given to [Manobo sultans] have been borrowed from the Muslims. It may be also mentioned that the present sultan of Kulaman claimed that his position was granted to him by a Muslim ruler from the south.”
Maceda further explained in the footnote: “Informants and Sultan Kalulong Dakyas himself of Kulaman say that the Muslim ruler referred to is Datu de Patuan of Craan, Cotabato.”
More research has to be done on the title. Based on the tradition of many tribes and countries, the first titleholder usually assumes the title or it is bestowed on him by a higher authority, and then he passes it on to his descendants. The claim of Sultan Kalulong Dakyas makes him appear to be the very first sultan. However, Dakyas was probably interviewed in 1960s, and Kulaman, as mentioned, is believed to have reigned in the 1600s.
A local history document, the content of which appears to have been copied in a website on local products, has the genealogy of the sultans of Kulaman. The document states that the following succeeded Kulaman: Sultan Jani, Sultan Ugis, Sultan Tilok, Sultan Kallon, and Sultan Dakias. It also states that Sultan Tagenek Dakias is the first Manobo elected as a councilor in the municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino.
Note that the information from Maceda and the local history do not match. Maybe Sultan Kalulong Dakyas and Sultan Kallon are the same person, and his son and successor is Sultan Tagenek Dakyas. Being far away from my hometown, and with sources limited to Internet-based, it's difficult for me to ascertain some facts. But at least I'm making progress. Till next post.
However, there is enough evidence that the highest-ranking leader of the Dulangan Manobo have been using the title for several generations. The Manobo sultan may not be as well-known and wealthy as his Muslim peers, but he wields considerable power in his community. Kulaman is the most famous of all Manobo sultans. He is believed to have lived in the seventeenth century, and named after him are the following:
- A river used to be called Matiao, where he died in a flood
- The central village of the municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino
- The municipality of Kalamansig, which means “Kulaman in the river”
- The Kulaman Plateau, at the heart of which is the Kulaman River
Sultan is Islamic in origin, so it is not surprising if the Manobo copied the title from the Islamized tribes of Mindanao. Marcelino Maceda, an anthropologist from Cebu, stated in a 1964 article in Anthropos magazine, “The titles given to [Manobo sultans] have been borrowed from the Muslims. It may be also mentioned that the present sultan of Kulaman claimed that his position was granted to him by a Muslim ruler from the south.”
Maceda further explained in the footnote: “Informants and Sultan Kalulong Dakyas himself of Kulaman say that the Muslim ruler referred to is Datu de Patuan of Craan, Cotabato.”
More research has to be done on the title. Based on the tradition of many tribes and countries, the first titleholder usually assumes the title or it is bestowed on him by a higher authority, and then he passes it on to his descendants. The claim of Sultan Kalulong Dakyas makes him appear to be the very first sultan. However, Dakyas was probably interviewed in 1960s, and Kulaman, as mentioned, is believed to have reigned in the 1600s.
A local history document, the content of which appears to have been copied in a website on local products, has the genealogy of the sultans of Kulaman. The document states that the following succeeded Kulaman: Sultan Jani, Sultan Ugis, Sultan Tilok, Sultan Kallon, and Sultan Dakias. It also states that Sultan Tagenek Dakias is the first Manobo elected as a councilor in the municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino.
Note that the information from Maceda and the local history do not match. Maybe Sultan Kalulong Dakyas and Sultan Kallon are the same person, and his son and successor is Sultan Tagenek Dakyas. Being far away from my hometown, and with sources limited to Internet-based, it's difficult for me to ascertain some facts. But at least I'm making progress. Till next post.
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