The Maguindanao and Their Ancestral Tales

One of the most popular epics among the Maguindanaos of Bagumbayan concerns the adventures of Pinatikan in Slatan.

Pinatikan, a brave warrior and a local datu, enjoyed hunting for pleasure. On one of his hunting expeditions, he chanced upon an old Manobo couple in Slatan, who readily welcomed him as guest. While eating his meal, Pinatikan noticed a beautiful lady. He later learned that she was the lost Bai Masla, taking refuge at the couple’s house.

Upon learning of her ordeal, Pinatikan claimed that she was his pre-arranged bride and asked to marry her. The old couple agreed on condition that he must slay the monster Tarabusaw who was tormenting the residents of Slatan. He accepted the challenge and headed immediately to the monster’s lair.

Pinatikan engaged Tarabusaw in a fierce battle. In the fight, he lost his golden shield and sword at a nearby lake. The hard-fought battle ended in a stalemate. Pinatikan went to the old couple’s house and reported what happened. Sensing Pinatikan’s determination, the couple decided to stop Pinatikan from fighting the monster and yielded to his marriage proposal to Bai Masla, on the condition that he would leave his lost weapons behind. Thereafter, Pinatikan married Bai Masla and they lived happily.

People believe that the golden weapons left behind by Pinatikan became the source of gold deposits found in Slatan.

(Blogger’s note: This post is the seventh part of an eight-part series on the Maguindanao people. Each part is posted every Monday starting December 8, 2014. The text is copied as it appears in Defending the Land: Lumad and Moro People’s Struggle for Ancestral Domain in Mindanao. The book, published by a consortium of non-government organizations, has an “anti-copyright” notice and may thus be freely reproduced.)