Festivals of Lebak, Kalamansig, and Palimbang

Municipality of Lebak

(Blogger’s note: The original version of this text is in Filipino. It seems to have been used by a dance group that performed in the street dancing competition on the province’s foundation anniversary celebration. I omitted more than half of the material.)

Lebak is a place where various tribes have gathered, and though they have different cultures, traditions, and religions, they were made one by a common occupation—tilling the soil. As farmers, all of them had a practice of having a thanksgiving feast after every harvest, though these feasts were conducted separately and in different manners. These separate gatherings eventually melded into one and became what is today the Hinugyaw Festival.

The Christian settlers, being mostly migrants from Panay Island, used to stage their own version of Aklan’s ati-atihan, which was originally a celebration of the aboriginal Aetas. Eventually, as the Christians of Lebak became more acquainted with the other tribes in the locality, the festivity began to form its own shape, becoming less like ati-atihan. Hinugyaw is a Hiligaynon term that means “jubilation.”

Municipality of Kalamansig

( The original version of this text is in Filipino. I have doubts about its accuracy. The Dulangan Manobos call God “Nemula,” not “Manama.” Whoever wrote the original text might have referred to the folklore of another Manobo tribe.)

The Dulangan Manobos rely on the abundance of nature. The bountiful mountains serve as their home and source of food, materials for shelter, and medicine for various illnesses. They are farmers who depend on the fertility of the land, and whenever their crops are lush and bear plenty of fruit, they celebrate Salagaan, which means “plenteous harvest.”

During the celebration, the Manobos dance, play musical instruments, and rejoice as a way of thanking “Manama,” whom they recognize as the Supreme Being. In times like this, the tribe unites to express their common dream of peace, love, prosperity, and happiness.

Municipality of Palimbang

(This account seems like pure invention to me. The original version uses the term Manobo Bagobo. I changed it to Dulangan Manobo since there are no Bagobo settlements in Baluan. I’ve been there myself. The indigenous people there are Dulangan Manobos. Also, a communal system of planting crops is not a prevalent practice among the Dulangan Manobos, according to some research papers that I’ve read.)

In a Manobo village in Baluan, the people were hardworking and united. In spite of their simple life, they were happy and contented of what they had. During planting season, people practiced the bayanihan system to prepare the land for planting. Men and women, young and old, helped each other in the farm. They enjoyed these activities because it was a time for gathering and knowing each other better.

The happiness of the people in the community was short-lived. When their plants were about to bear fruits, calamity struck the whole area, and all the people were saddened and depressed. They then gathered and tried to look for ways and means to overcome the situation. With concerted efforts, they eventually won over the plague.

In celebration of their success, they made an offering to the god of harvest to thank him for the victory and the abundant blessings. Because of that calamity, the community valued the spirit of unity and cooperation. They realized that their strength magnified when they joined hands and fight for a common objective.

Based on that story, Palimbang adopted the culture of the Dulangan Manobos and named the annual celebration of the municipality Kalilang/Sanufe Festival.

(This post is a part of “The Other Towns” series. See my October 5 post for the overview.)