(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. 108–9. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here without prior permission. To cite the book, please see Webliography.)
As native inhabitants of Mindanao, Manobo communities lived in subsistence. From the lush forests, they hunted for wild animals and gathered wild fruits. The forests also provided them with abundant supply of forest products, including timber for building their settlements.
The Dulangan Manobos of Lebak developed various methods in pangayam or hunting, being proficient hunters. They utilize special contraptions for specific preys: balatik for trapping wild boars and deer, eti for fishing, katupid for catching monkeys, and tukob for rats.
Slash and burn methods of farming has long been a common practice among the Dulangan Manobos of Lebak. They are aware that maintaining soil fertility ensures efficiency in agricultural production, so they maintain several farming grounds. They avoid cultivating the same ground by transferring to another. They grow rice, corn and various root crops in the fertile lands of Abogado, Kibetek, Dulaw and Megaga.
Sawitan or sawit is a bayanihan type of farming endemic to the natives. It is a community practice of communal farming and harvesting. They share all produce equally, even with those who were unable to participate.
In farming, the Dulangan Manobos of Lebak perform rituals to ensure a fruitful harvest. To the deities, they make offerings of rice, chicken, tobacco and betel nut that they place on top of an altar or on holy ground.
In foretelling a planting season, the natives refer to nature, mostly to the singing of the bird Alimukon. It is a bad omen if Alimukon begins to sing before planting. The natives also resort to astrological indications. If and when they see three stars closely linked in the heavens, they immediately start planting.
Kailawan is the ritual for the first harvest. This relates to Namola how fruitful the harvest has been.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
The Manobo of Mongkil and Kulaman
(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. 107–8. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here without prior permission. To cite the book, please see Webliography.)
According to Datu Ismael Sakudal, Datu Talihop Kaf’d and Bise Palawan of Sitio Mongkil, Barangay Basag in Kulaman, the Manobos had always lived in the area as far back as anyone can remember. The area was one huge forest teeming with wild animals. The Visayans arrived sometime in 1960, starting with some 30 Ilonggo families scattering themselves in the vast expanse. More settlers moved in later, with the Ilocanos and Cebuanos joining the migration in the later part of the 70’s, bringing the number of non-Lumads to 200 families. The Christians bought, leased and squatted on some lands tilled by the Manobos. They were able to acquire titles to lands once belonging to the Lumads. Eventually the Lumads realized what was happening to their property but could not do anything, ignorant as they were of the legal processes of land possession.
Lambak became a barangay sometime in 1991. The barangay officials are largely settlers. In time, much of the Manobo culture started to vanish, as they hardly had time to get together to maintain their cultural practices. Antang-antang is now almost a thing of the past. They bury their dead almost immediately, with little more than a sheer box to contain the dead, as there are no more trees to fell for the trunk-coffin. With Christian dominance firmly established in the place, the Manobos are pessimistic that they can still retrieve what they had lost over the years.
Barangay Kulaman, more popularly known as the Manobo Village, is at the edge of the municipality. It is home for the Manobos from different sitios and barangays when they get into town. There are a hundred families in the village, but each of them have [sic] a farm in one of the outlying sitios or barangays. The idea of having a village for the Manobos in the municipality was a brainchild of the late Sultan Tagenek Dakias, and approved by the office of the former PANAMIN. It became a reality sometime in 1978. The village consisted of 178 lots, each with an area of 600 square meters. At the village, government officials, provincial or municipal, meet with the datus and Sultan to discuss various concerns. It also became the residence of the present “sultan” of the Manobos, “Sultan” Rey Dakias. The apostrophe [sic] indicates that the community of datus have not confirmed him yet officially as Sultan. The village also served as a haven of the Manobos, especially those who bring their sick to the municipal clinic. Those taking a break from their hectic farm work or who wish to while away their time between planting and harvesting of their crops also stay at the village.
According to Datu Ismael Sakudal, Datu Talihop Kaf’d and Bise Palawan of Sitio Mongkil, Barangay Basag in Kulaman, the Manobos had always lived in the area as far back as anyone can remember. The area was one huge forest teeming with wild animals. The Visayans arrived sometime in 1960, starting with some 30 Ilonggo families scattering themselves in the vast expanse. More settlers moved in later, with the Ilocanos and Cebuanos joining the migration in the later part of the 70’s, bringing the number of non-Lumads to 200 families. The Christians bought, leased and squatted on some lands tilled by the Manobos. They were able to acquire titles to lands once belonging to the Lumads. Eventually the Lumads realized what was happening to their property but could not do anything, ignorant as they were of the legal processes of land possession.
Lambak became a barangay sometime in 1991. The barangay officials are largely settlers. In time, much of the Manobo culture started to vanish, as they hardly had time to get together to maintain their cultural practices. Antang-antang is now almost a thing of the past. They bury their dead almost immediately, with little more than a sheer box to contain the dead, as there are no more trees to fell for the trunk-coffin. With Christian dominance firmly established in the place, the Manobos are pessimistic that they can still retrieve what they had lost over the years.
Barangay Kulaman, more popularly known as the Manobo Village, is at the edge of the municipality. It is home for the Manobos from different sitios and barangays when they get into town. There are a hundred families in the village, but each of them have [sic] a farm in one of the outlying sitios or barangays. The idea of having a village for the Manobos in the municipality was a brainchild of the late Sultan Tagenek Dakias, and approved by the office of the former PANAMIN. It became a reality sometime in 1978. The village consisted of 178 lots, each with an area of 600 square meters. At the village, government officials, provincial or municipal, meet with the datus and Sultan to discuss various concerns. It also became the residence of the present “sultan” of the Manobos, “Sultan” Rey Dakias. The apostrophe [sic] indicates that the community of datus have not confirmed him yet officially as Sultan. The village also served as a haven of the Manobos, especially those who bring their sick to the municipal clinic. Those taking a break from their hectic farm work or who wish to while away their time between planting and harvesting of their crops also stay at the village.
Monday, December 16, 2013
The Manobo of Nati and Sewod
(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. 106–7. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here without prior permission. To cite the book, please see Webliography.)
Informants Datu Embeng, Colon Manguda and Alberto Dakias of Barangay Nati said the non-Manobos (Ilocanos) started trekking into the place as early as 1952. The fertility of the soil and the prospects of setting up commercial establishments attracted them to the Manobo lands. The Resurreccion, Nacional, Labrador, Narvaez, Marcos, Difuntorum and Paluta families were the first, and their descendants remain here to this day. The Manobos retreated into the hillsides to avoid contact with the new arrivals, who became the dominant and prominent residents in the lowlands.
The sitiobecame a barangay in 1989, with a certain Pepito de Ramos as the appointed baranagy captain. During his tenure, he opened a primary school in the area, though Kulaman is only three kilometers away. The barangay has a total population of 970 families, with the Manobos numbering 200 households. They still largely depend on kaingin for their livelihood, planting rice, corn and coffee. As there are no more forests to hunt, and as the streams have few fish, they learned to irrigate their ricefields.
They still practice most of the Lumad rituals, but the role of the Balian is diminishing as some of the Manobos converted to the Protestant faith. They still adhere to the authority of the datus to settle conflicts among themselves and among members of the family. They look forward to the regular antang-antang where the community discusses important issues.
Barangay Sewod got its name from an old datu named Datu Sewod. He was a renowned and respected leader of the community. He married four women, namely Takong, Hagfa, Langgal and Kadi. The last two wives bear the names of present day barangays in the municipality.
According to the informants Datu Mantiko Watamama, Datu Agiro Sedteng, Datu Ungan Ange and Rumbalay Itang, four Ilonggo families arrived in Baranagay Sewod sometime in 1952 and stayed a while with some Manobo families. At that time, there were only about 12 Manobo households.
Now, Christian settlers in Sewod number more than 2,000 individuals. The newcomers grabbed the parcels of land they once borrowed from the Manobos. Later on they had these parcels of land titled in their favor. They greatly outnumbered and outsmarted the Lumads in the latter’s own stronghold. No Lumad rose to the rank of political leader.
Informants Datu Embeng, Colon Manguda and Alberto Dakias of Barangay Nati said the non-Manobos (Ilocanos) started trekking into the place as early as 1952. The fertility of the soil and the prospects of setting up commercial establishments attracted them to the Manobo lands. The Resurreccion, Nacional, Labrador, Narvaez, Marcos, Difuntorum and Paluta families were the first, and their descendants remain here to this day. The Manobos retreated into the hillsides to avoid contact with the new arrivals, who became the dominant and prominent residents in the lowlands.
The sitiobecame a barangay in 1989, with a certain Pepito de Ramos as the appointed baranagy captain. During his tenure, he opened a primary school in the area, though Kulaman is only three kilometers away. The barangay has a total population of 970 families, with the Manobos numbering 200 households. They still largely depend on kaingin for their livelihood, planting rice, corn and coffee. As there are no more forests to hunt, and as the streams have few fish, they learned to irrigate their ricefields.
They still practice most of the Lumad rituals, but the role of the Balian is diminishing as some of the Manobos converted to the Protestant faith. They still adhere to the authority of the datus to settle conflicts among themselves and among members of the family. They look forward to the regular antang-antang where the community discusses important issues.
Barangay Sewod got its name from an old datu named Datu Sewod. He was a renowned and respected leader of the community. He married four women, namely Takong, Hagfa, Langgal and Kadi. The last two wives bear the names of present day barangays in the municipality.
According to the informants Datu Mantiko Watamama, Datu Agiro Sedteng, Datu Ungan Ange and Rumbalay Itang, four Ilonggo families arrived in Baranagay Sewod sometime in 1952 and stayed a while with some Manobo families. At that time, there were only about 12 Manobo households.
Now, Christian settlers in Sewod number more than 2,000 individuals. The newcomers grabbed the parcels of land they once borrowed from the Manobos. Later on they had these parcels of land titled in their favor. They greatly outnumbered and outsmarted the Lumads in the latter’s own stronghold. No Lumad rose to the rank of political leader.
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Manobo of Midpanga and Midtungok
(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. 105–6. The publishers welcome and even encourage the reproduction of the book in part or in its entirety, so I am posting this excerpt here without prior permission. To cite the book, please see Webliography.)
Sitio Midpanga of Barangay Kuden is two and a half kilometers away from the barangay. The rolling terrain made the place unreachable, except by carabao and horses.
According to Datu Kulap Manguda, he is the oldest person in the community. He came from Landingan, Kulaman and moved here long before the Second World War. They are the only family in the area who lived there for a long time, until other Manobos arrived in the 1960s. The area now has 63 Manobo households or some 90 families.
The Manobos still plant corn, upland rice and coffee, evident in the fields dotting the hillsides. Most of the Manobo residents built their huts on hilltops or on the hillsides, offering a breathtaking view of the slopes below. Christian settlers did not bother them, but they say they will feel more secure if the land is theirs to keep without risk of encroachment.
The Manobos lived in Barangay Midtungok since time immemorial. The place had once been lush forest, with wild animals aplenty for hunting. No Manobo table was without roasted deer or pig or monkey, even birds, as the Manobos were good hunters. Their means of livelihood, in addition to hunting in the forest and fishing in the Kulaman River, was planting rice, corn, camote and camoteng kahoy.
Informants Datu Angkay Omot, Datu Mog Pandim, Kagawad Teb Pangki, Danny Salaya said the Ilocanos started arriving in the early part of the 1950s, the first being led by the Narvaez, Nacional and Erpos families. The Ilonggos followed suit in the 1970s. Shortly after the arrival of the Christians, the sitio opened a primary school. Lately, they added Grade V classes, and there is a plan to open Grade VI classes in 1998.
Many Manobos occupy the central portion of the barangay. There are some fifty Manobo families, with more than 500 registered voters. There are about four hundred Christian families in the area.
The election of two Manobos in the barangay—Teb Pangki and Kapali Sonap implies the Christians’ acceptance and recognition of their leadership. Ted Pangki even emerged as number one kagawad in the last elections. There are also four datus in the community: Datus Angkay Omot, Mog Pandim, Abung Ateng and Dyanon Sasa.
Sitio Midpanga of Barangay Kuden is two and a half kilometers away from the barangay. The rolling terrain made the place unreachable, except by carabao and horses.
According to Datu Kulap Manguda, he is the oldest person in the community. He came from Landingan, Kulaman and moved here long before the Second World War. They are the only family in the area who lived there for a long time, until other Manobos arrived in the 1960s. The area now has 63 Manobo households or some 90 families.
The Manobos still plant corn, upland rice and coffee, evident in the fields dotting the hillsides. Most of the Manobo residents built their huts on hilltops or on the hillsides, offering a breathtaking view of the slopes below. Christian settlers did not bother them, but they say they will feel more secure if the land is theirs to keep without risk of encroachment.
The Manobos lived in Barangay Midtungok since time immemorial. The place had once been lush forest, with wild animals aplenty for hunting. No Manobo table was without roasted deer or pig or monkey, even birds, as the Manobos were good hunters. Their means of livelihood, in addition to hunting in the forest and fishing in the Kulaman River, was planting rice, corn, camote and camoteng kahoy.
Informants Datu Angkay Omot, Datu Mog Pandim, Kagawad Teb Pangki, Danny Salaya said the Ilocanos started arriving in the early part of the 1950s, the first being led by the Narvaez, Nacional and Erpos families. The Ilonggos followed suit in the 1970s. Shortly after the arrival of the Christians, the sitio opened a primary school. Lately, they added Grade V classes, and there is a plan to open Grade VI classes in 1998.
Many Manobos occupy the central portion of the barangay. There are some fifty Manobo families, with more than 500 registered voters. There are about four hundred Christian families in the area.
The election of two Manobos in the barangay—Teb Pangki and Kapali Sonap implies the Christians’ acceptance and recognition of their leadership. Ted Pangki even emerged as number one kagawad in the last elections. There are also four datus in the community: Datus Angkay Omot, Mog Pandim, Abung Ateng and Dyanon Sasa.
Monday, December 2, 2013
The Manobo of Bagsing and Lagubang
(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. 104–5. The publishers encourage free reproduction of the book, so I’m posting this excerpt without prior permission. For the complete citation, see Webliography.)
The ancestors of the present Manobos of Sitio Bagsing, Barangay Gapok lived here since time immemorial. They were the first known residents of the area. The name of Sitio Bagsing is both the name of the first known datu and a creek nearby. The sitio used to be virgin forest, teeming with wild animals, deer, wild pigs, monkeys, and wild fowls; the creek also teemed with fishes. The Manobos hunted with bows and arrows, spears, and the luba (pointed bamboo) for wild pig. They also engaged in kaingin system of agriculture, cutting down trees in the process, to plant corn and rice for household consumption.
Informants Datu Samagka Mandaw, Datu Ali Ulan, Datu Langgal Lape and Datu Kafay Gogo said the Ilonggo settlers came in small groups sometime in the 1950’s. Now, they number about 40 families. They worked on the Manobos’ kaingins, promising to leave after harvest. They never did.
The Manobos’ current means of livelihood is planting rice and corn. The excess of their family consumption goes for sale, either at the center or at Kulaman, about 22 kilometers away.
The Manobos of Lagubang have been in the place for as long as anyone can remember. Their early means of livelihood was hunting in the lush forest for wild pigs, deer, monkey, pythons, and monitor lizard (halo). Fishing in the nearby river and planting banana, corn, rice, root crops and sugar cane are their main source of subsistence.
According to Datu Eyet Enggew, Datu Talo Empet, Datu Sakay Salaman, Ernesto Kantim, Ebe Solot and Palot Dangya, the Ilonggos arrived in 1983, in the course of an evacuation. They chanced upon the place and decided to settle there after the evacuation. They secured pieces of land through borrowing or mortgaging some lots from the Manobo residents.
Lagubang became a barangay in 1991, with a certain Leopoldo Deoric as first appointed barangay captain. The next barangay captain was Elmerto Cordero,a nd the latest was Daane Datoon. All three barangay captains were non-Manobos. Buagas Enggew, Mapel Owag and Gomer Ugat are Manobo kagawads in the community. At present, there may be a thousand families in the length and breadth of Lagubang, with the non-Manobo settlers numbering some 70 families and occupying the central portion. The Manobos reside in the periphery of the poblacion and in the hillsides.
The ancestors of the present Manobos of Sitio Bagsing, Barangay Gapok lived here since time immemorial. They were the first known residents of the area. The name of Sitio Bagsing is both the name of the first known datu and a creek nearby. The sitio used to be virgin forest, teeming with wild animals, deer, wild pigs, monkeys, and wild fowls; the creek also teemed with fishes. The Manobos hunted with bows and arrows, spears, and the luba (pointed bamboo) for wild pig. They also engaged in kaingin system of agriculture, cutting down trees in the process, to plant corn and rice for household consumption.
Informants Datu Samagka Mandaw, Datu Ali Ulan, Datu Langgal Lape and Datu Kafay Gogo said the Ilonggo settlers came in small groups sometime in the 1950’s. Now, they number about 40 families. They worked on the Manobos’ kaingins, promising to leave after harvest. They never did.
The Manobos’ current means of livelihood is planting rice and corn. The excess of their family consumption goes for sale, either at the center or at Kulaman, about 22 kilometers away.
The Manobos of Lagubang have been in the place for as long as anyone can remember. Their early means of livelihood was hunting in the lush forest for wild pigs, deer, monkey, pythons, and monitor lizard (halo). Fishing in the nearby river and planting banana, corn, rice, root crops and sugar cane are their main source of subsistence.
According to Datu Eyet Enggew, Datu Talo Empet, Datu Sakay Salaman, Ernesto Kantim, Ebe Solot and Palot Dangya, the Ilonggos arrived in 1983, in the course of an evacuation. They chanced upon the place and decided to settle there after the evacuation. They secured pieces of land through borrowing or mortgaging some lots from the Manobo residents.
Lagubang became a barangay in 1991, with a certain Leopoldo Deoric as first appointed barangay captain. The next barangay captain was Elmerto Cordero,a nd the latest was Daane Datoon. All three barangay captains were non-Manobos. Buagas Enggew, Mapel Owag and Gomer Ugat are Manobo kagawads in the community. At present, there may be a thousand families in the length and breadth of Lagubang, with the non-Manobo settlers numbering some 70 families and occupying the central portion. The Manobos reside in the periphery of the poblacion and in the hillsides.
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Dulangan Manobo and Their Domain: Kulaman
(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.
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 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.
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