Displayed Items in Delesan Menubo

I forgot to ask if the display room has an entrance fee. There isn’t,

most likely. To help the nuns maintain the place, you may buy

some tribal trinkets that are for sale inside.

Late last year, I took photos of the items that are on display in Delesan Menubo, which literally means “Menubo home.” Delesan Menubo is a concrete structure inside the compound of RNDM nuns in Barangay Poblacion, Municipality of Senator Ninoy Aquino. The nuns call the compound Delesan Kailawan, which means “cultural heritage home.”

Delesan Menubo contains dozens of items used by the Dulangan Manobo people in their everyday lives and on special occasions. The collection includes clothes and accessories, household items, hunting tools, and a few weapons. Sister Weeyyaa told me that the items were mostly donated by the Manobo themselves since the RNDM nuns regularly interact with them. The nuns provide scholarships and conduct livelihood trainings to the indigenous people, especially the women, aside of course from teaching them the doctrines of the Catholic Church.

I took photos of the items in Delesan Menubo, and I will share the photos in this blog for the next twenty-two Fridays. Several high school students who are staying with the nuns helped me identify the objects. I also referred to the Cotabato Manobo Classified Vocabulary of the Summer Institute of Linguistics and to the Kitab, the customary law of the Dulangan Manobo. The photos will come out in this blog as follows:

January 15 – Manobo Clothes
January 22 – Manobo Accessories
January 29 – Manobo Head Ornaments
February 5 – Manobo Earrings
February 12 – Manobo Necklaces
February 19 – Manobo Belts
February 26 – Manobo Bracelets and Anklets
March 4 – How to Wear a Tubaw
March 11 – Manobo Pouches
March 18 – Manobo Baskets
March 25 – Manobo Bags
April 1 – Bamboo Cases for Betel Quid
April 8 – Tools for Preparing Rice
April 15 – Native Water Containers
April 22 – Large Native Containers
April 29 – Manobo Hunting Weapons
May 6 – Manobo Fishing Tools
May 13 – Manobo Knives
May 20 – Manobo Swords
May 27 – Native Musical Instruments
June 3 – Brass Musical Instruments
June 10 – Rattan Decors

This selapa, a tiny container for betel quid, is my favorite

of all the displayed items. Too bad, it’s not for sale.