Republic of the Philippines

Negros Oriental State University

Main Campus 1, Dumaguete City

A

Research on

THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES OF VISAYAS

Commonly the:

Batak

Palawan

Tagbanwa

Magahat Bukidnon

and

Alangan

Submitted to: Mrs. Beverly

Submitted By: Froilan Bhoyd P. Ceriales

June 30, 2015

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Philippines, an archipelagic country is constituted with a large number of indigenous

ethnic groups that become the descendants of the original inhabitants in our country. These

different ethnic and tribal groups contributed to the abundant history and expedient cultures

being past from our generation. That is why Philippines is known to be rich not just in natural

resources but also with the customs and traditions.

In the 1990s, there were more than 100 highland tribal groups constituting approximately

3% of the population. The upland tribal groups were a blend in ethnic origin, like those in

lowland areas of the country, although the upland tribal groups do not interact nor intermingle

with the other tribal groups. One of the interesting and distinctive indigenous tribes of the

Philippines relies on the mid - island of the Country – the Visayas.

The early people in the Visayas region were Austronesians and Negritos who migrated to

the islands about 6,000 to 30,000 years ago. These early settlers were animist tribal groups. In

the 12th century, settlers from the collapsing empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit andBrunei, led by

the chieftain Datu Puti and his tribes, settled in the island of Panay and its surrounding

islands. By the 14th century, Arab traders and their followers, venturing intoMaritime Southeast

Asia, converted some of these tribal groups to Islam. These tribes practiced a mixture of

Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Animism beliefs.

But with the progressive migration of different beliefs, religions and different people,

tribal groups seemed to develop their existence in the country Philippines relying or

domestication in various places, towns, rural areas and valleys enriching and submersing their

own culture, especially the tribal groups in the Visayas. We have the Batak, Palawan,

Tagbanwa, Magahat Bukidnon, Alangan, Buhid, Hanunòòo, Tadyawan, Taubuid (=

Batangan), Iraya, Ratagnon, and Loktanon

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THE TRIBE THAT ARRIVED 50,000 YEARS AGO

THE

“BATAK”

This is the Batak tribe, which researchers believe arrived in the Philippines about 50,000

years ago as the first humans to cross the land bridge from mainland Asia to the archipelago.

Now there are just several hundred of them left in the country and they face several threats to

their existence.

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The Batak, believed to be the oldest inhabitants of the Philippines, are one of three

principal tribes, located inPuerto Princesa City, on Palawan Island. In the far south of the island

is the Palawan tribe, who still live as cavedwellers, hunting in the forest with blowguns. Inside

the limits of Puerto Princesa City are the Batak andTagbanua. The Tagbanua are by far the

largest of the Palawan tribes. Population estimates range from 15-25,000 persons. The Tagbanua

are largely integrated, living in communities, raising rice crops, and sending their children to

church and school, much as their Filipino neighbors. (Note: all tribes in the Philippines are more

or less indigenous and are entitled to Philippine citizenship. The term Filipino here refers to the

modern, non-tribal,majority of Filipinos.) The Batak still live largely as they have for centuries,

as semi-nomadic hunter gatherers. They are by far the smallest tribe, both in stature and in

numbers. The average Batak man barely stands five feet tall. The tribal population is estimated at

360 members.

Way of Life

For generations, Batak have successfully combined hunting, fishing, and gathering of

forest products with shifting agriculture. Rice, root crops and vegetables are grown, and at the

peak of the dry season in March the gardens are burned to the ground. After the Batak have

cultivated a field, they leave it fallow for several years. New gardens are planted in April when

the rain arrives. An intimate knowledge of rice allows them to recognize and name at least 70

different varieties. Women fish with a hook and line, whilst the whole community and works

together to catch fish by stunning them with a plant-based poison.

During the mid to late-20th century the Batak were easily pushed out of their preferred

gathering grounds by the sea into the mountains by emigrant farmers, mostly from Luzon. Living

in less fertile areas, they have attempted to supplement their income by harvesting and selling

various non timber forest products, such as rattan, tree resins, and honey. This has been met with

resistance by the government and commercial collectors, who assert that the Batak have no legal

right to these resources. Conservationists, however, have taken an interest in the Batak's

collection methods, which are much more sustainable than the techniques used by commercial

concessionaires.

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The Batak are hunter gatherers, so their diet consisted largely of forest products and meat.

In the last thirty years, the forest cover of the Philippines has decreased from 70% to 3%. Only

three percent of the PhilippineIslands are covered in old growth forest. Even with the

protectionist measures, the environment of the Batak is shrinking. Today, there is very little large

game left on Palawan Island. The largest animal they could hope to kill in the forest is a wild pig,

and they are now becoming rare.

TRADITIONAL COSTUME

The Batak people used to wear these colorful costumes. The Batak is the smallest among

the different tribes in Palawan. Sadly, their tribe is also disintegrating. In the early 1900s, there

were around 600 of them. During the 70s, there were almost 400 of them and now they're down

to about 300.

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Customs and Traditions

Traditionally, Batak women do not cover their upper torso. On the other hand, removing

of lice from each other's hair seems like a fun pastime. Traditionally, Batak women do not cover

their upper torso. Removing lice from each other's hair seems like a fun pastime!

Batak Tribe’s source of income comes from Sap of the almaciga tree which is sold, and

used for as a varnish. The average family earns around P5, 000 a month. This depends on the

season and weather conditions. The male’s sources of income include selling rattan wood, honey,

or almaciga sap.

Women earn money through handicrafts they make: woven items, flower pots, or beaded

necklaces. Despite the excellent quality, they don’t have regular buyers.

Folk Beliefs and Supertisions

The Batak were once a nomadic people, but have since, at the behest of the government,

settled in small villages. Still, they often go on gathering trips into the forest for a few days at a

time, an activity which has both economic and spiritual value for them. Their belief system is

that of animism, which belief in spirits that reside in nature is. Some, called "Panyeon", are

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generally suspicious of humans but are tolerant of them, as long as people don't abuse or waste

the resources of the forest. Other spirits, called "Diwata" are generally benevolent. All are

capricious. Batak make regular offerings to these spirits, and Shamans undergo spiritual

possession in order to communicate with the spirits and heal the sick.

Folk songs and Folk Dances

The folk dance of the Batak Tribe is the Tor-tor (magical). This dance is serampang

twelve which is sometimes called as the nature of entertainment. The traditional musical

instruments of the Batak Tribe are the Gong: Saga-saga.

A result from the tribe of Batak weaving craft is ulos cloth. The fabric is always

displayed in the ceremony of marriage, establishing homes, funeral ceremony, and transfer of the

estate, welcomed the honored guests and dancing ceremonies Tor-tor and custom fabric in

accordance with inherited belief system ancestors.

Festivals

The Palawan Tarek Festival has been celebrated for as long as there have been Bataks

living in the country and they have even been around even before the colonizers came. This

lively celebration has always been believed to continue to bring the Bataks prosperity and to

ward off evil spirits that threaten to bring misfortune to the tribe. There are 2 tribes that have

been celebrating this, the Tagbanua and the Batak. The Tagbanua celebrate the Palawan Tarek

Festival through planting, dancing and while the mood is somewhat somber, this is in contrast to

the liveliness of how it is celebrated by the Bataks.

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THE PALAWAN TRIBE

Also known as the Palawano or the Pala'wan, are an indigenous ethnic group of the

Palawan group of islands

The Batak is a group of indigenous Filipino people that resides in the northeast portion of

Palawan.

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Palawan tribal people, also known as thePalawano or thePala'wan, are an indigenous

ethnic group of the Palawan group of islands. They are divided into four ethno-linguistic

subgroupings based on Lewis (2009), Ethnologue: Languages of the World.

These are the Quezon Palawano which is also known as the Central Palawano; the

Bugsuk Palawano or South Palawano; Brooke's Point Palawano; and Southwest Palawano.

Palawanos are more popularly known as Palawans, which is pronounced faster than the name of

the province. The Quezon Palawano subgroup are found in Southern Palawan, particularly on the

western section of the municipality of Quezon, Palawan including the eastern part of Abo-abo of

the municipality of Sofronio Espanola, going southward down to the northern section of the

municipality of Rizal. A large group of Palawans can also be found in Sitios Gugnan, Kambing,

Tugpa, and Kalatabog of BarangayPanitian. The Taw't Bato of the municipality of Rizal at the

foot of Mt. Matalingahan also belongs to this same Palawan tribal group although their language

is 15 percent different from the Quezon Palawanos

Ways of Life

The Palawan grows most of their food on small plots of land in the forest. Before clearing

an area for planting, they consult and appease various spirits and interpret omens in their dreams.

Wild pig is the Palawan’s favourite meat, and they must make a request to the pig animal

‘master’ before catching it.

The Palawan collects and sell resin, rattan canes and wild honey. The more settled of the

Palawan also grow rice and coconut to sell, and raise domestic animals such as cows, buffalos

and pigs. Mining has already made it difficult for some Palawan communities to grow and hunt

enough food. Parts of their forests have been devastated, their rivers have silted up and their

sacred sites have been destroyed.

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Folk Beliefs and Superstitions

The principle on which the Palawan base their life is called ingasiq, meaning

‘compassion’. This underlies all their actions and emphasizes the importance of behaving with

generosity and sympathy towards others.

Their ceremonies, prayers, chanting and healing dances are all part of what they call adat

et kegurangurangan, or ‘the customs of the ancestors’.For the Palawan, the universe is vertical

and divided into fourteen different layers. The souls of the beljan (shamans) are able to travel to

these other levels in order to ‘heal the world’ and to re-establish the cosmic balance.

Shamans are not seen as special or sacred people, but are those who, either in a trance or

dream are able to enter the invisible world and contact super-human beings. They can see and

extract impurities that are causing sickness from a patient’s body. They are also usually experts

in the use of medicinal plants.

Good health is dependent on a balance between the body and its ‘life force’ (kuruduwa).

The loss of kuruduwa creates a disturbance, which makes the body vulnerable to illness and

attacks by malevolent beings.

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Folk Songs and Folk Dances

 SONGS CHILDREN LOVE TO SING 

Not all songs appeal to everyone. Each song befits and interests a certain level or group.

In this  particular collection,  the following song  has been noted to have attracted particular

attention of children with ages up to twelve. It is   easy to sing and it has a catchy  

and lively tune.2

a.) TARINGTING 

TARINGTING  is a kind of bird that is usually found in the seashore during low tides. Its 

color is white, with long beaks and long slender legs. It is a familiar sight in the Cuyo

seashore, especially during sunset. 

Children, as well as adults love to relax and unwind in the beach after a long, tiring day . It speak

s of their love of nature, particularly of the ocean. 

Festivals

Among the first towns to be “Christianized” in Palawan is Cuyo.  Up to the present, the p

eople’s religious fervor is still incomparable. Each barrio has its own patron saint

and observes its own fiesta or feast in commemoration of the particular saint’s birthday or death 

anniversary. The town itself, embracing all barrios has its own patron saint. Saint Augustine, wh

ose feast day is celebrated every 28 th of August. This is a time of rejoicing where people of the 

Catholic religion come to attend mass, join or witness the procession. There “atati” or people wh

ose  faces are painted black with soot or indigo representing the “ blacks”  or colored people with 

whom St. Augustine worked with and converted  to Christianity. These are the leaping “innocent

s” and “sinologs’ with sticks, masks  of coconut “ sara’ and banana or coconut leaves that serve a

s decorations around their bodies. They all jump andleap in rhythm to the beating of drums. Ther

e is also the “comedya” or moro in their resplendent costumes of kings, queens and princesses. 

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TAGBANWA

The Tagbanua are the most widely distributed group on Palawan Island. They occupy

areas in southcentral Palawan, northern Palawan, Kalamian, Coron, and Busuanga. In

1947, Fox (1982) placed the number of the Tagbanua at 7,000 people

Ways of Life

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According to folk history, the Tagbanwa had an early relationship with Brunei, with the

first sultan of Brunyu, from the place called Burnay.

Formal history of the Tagbanwa tribe began in 1521 when Magellan's ships docked in

Palawan for provisions. Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler, recorded that the Tagbanwa

practiced the ritual of blood compact, cultivated their fields, hunted with blowpipes and thick

wooden arrows, valued brass rings and chains, bells, knives, and copper wire for binding fish

hooks, raised large and very tame cocks for fighting, and distilled rice wine.

Until the latter part of the 17th century, southern Palawan was under the jurisdiction of

the Sultan of Brunei, leading to friction betweenSpaniards and the Sultan. During this time, and

for almost three hundred years, the Spaniards and the Muslims of Sulu, Mindanao, Palawan, and

north Borneo were at war.

In the 19th century, the Tagbanwa continued to believe in their native gods. Each year, a

big feast is celebrated after each harvest to honor their deities.

When the Spanish regime ended and the Americans occupied the Philippines, some

changes came to the island of Palawan, and to the Tagbanwa. In 1904, Iwahig became the site of

a penal colony, which displaced the Tagbanwa as it expanded. In 1910, the Americans put up a

reservation for the Tagbanwa. In succeeding years, internal migration from the Visayan islands

and from Luzon, the dominance of the Christian religion, and the absorption of the island into

economic and political mainstream marginalized the Tagbanwa people.

Ways of Life

The Tagbanua are shifting cultivators of dry or upland rice, a staple crop dependent upon

rainfall. Rice, which the Tagbanua call paray, is regarded as a kind of “divine gift” and “perfect

food,” which, moreover, is the source of the rice beer tabad, the “perfect drink,” used in their

religious ritual. Rice is extensively grown because of its ritual importance.

The Tagbanua practice what Conklin (1957:2) termed as “integral” swidden; that is,

traditional, year round, community wide, largely self-contained, and ritually sanctioned. Such

tradition is a viable practice in a tropical forest environment (Warner 1981:16).

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Men and women in traditional Tagbanua society maintain their own swidden (uma).

Site selection is normally done by men. Primary forests (giba) or mature secondary forests

(bunglay) are chosen by men while women make their cultivation (tagudali) in the previous

fields but not yet on the fallow of their spouse. Rituals are observed by the Tagbanua in every

swidden stage. For example, there are two village-wide ceremonies called lambay which have

something to do with the burning of forests and secondary growth for planting, and with praying

for moderate rain when planting season comes. Forests are only opened if signs of permission

are given by the spirits.

The size of swidden fields is dictated by the ability of the household to maintain their swidden.

Since production is generally for consumption and a few surplus for exchange, the average size

of each swidden is less than a hectare.

Labor requirement is provided by the household, and cooperation from nearby relatives is

also practiced and reciprocated. Among the Tagbanua, exchange labor activities are held with

feasting (kisig). Burning of the fields is the responsibility of the men. During the planting stage,

the males punch a hole in the ground with a dibble stick as the women and children plant the

seeds (bi’ni). Long maturing rice varieties are planted in the Tagbanua men’s field while in the

women’s field short maturing rice. In Palawan society, women have to carry out most of the

agricultural tasks.

Maintaining the swidden is a woman’s task, although her husband may assist when she is

pregnant and/or when nursing children. Weeding is performed at least three times to protect the

rice plant. Tagbanua males are normally unavailable during this stage for it coincides with the

fishing season. During the harvesting stage, Tagbanua families with a large harvest require extra

labor.

Helpers earn a share and women are usually the harvesters. The obligation to give part of

the harvested rice to those who helped in planting (binlad) is fulfilled. Relatives can also ask for

a basket of rice from their kin with no labor exchange expected.

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In recent years there are marked changes in subsistence roles by Tagbanua men and

women. The former have increased their exploitation of forest products, while the latter have

almost completely abandoned their traditional forest activities. Women contribute more to

swidden labor in addition to their household management and being caretakers of children

(Conelly 1996:80-81).

Permanent agriculture has been introduced to the Palawan indigenous peoples in recent

past in two ways: first, by adopting the agricultural practices of the migrant settlers, either

through imitation or as a result of their experiences while working as laborers in the migrants’

fields. Second, through the state program of resettling them and forcing them to learn the

techniques of lowland agriculture by introducing the plow and dispersing draft animals.Aside

from rice, the Tagbanua grow other crops like camote, corn, millet, taro, and cassava, in smaller

quantities.

Highly valued Philippine woods are found in central Palawan, such as the almaciga

which is the source of gum or resin known as bagtik used for industrial products such as varnish.

The gathering of bagtik during the dry months of January, February, and March is the

Tagbanua’s principal source of cash income, and enables them, as a result, to purchase imported

merchandise.

Aside from bagtik gathering, most fishing and hunting take place during this dry period.

The Tagbanua have traditionally employed six typical fishing methods: pole and line;

catching shrimps by hand or with a small jig; fish poisons, usually from herbs and vines;

damming or drying of streams, and installing fish weirs in openings through

the small dams; using a fishing gun, with rubber slings and arrows; and illuminating a stream at

night with a torch, and killing the fish or eel with a long bolo (Fox 1982:49).

During the dry season, streams and rivers become clear and shallow, which is ideal for

these fishing techniques. Fish poison is best used in deep, still pools of water remaining in dried-

up streams. Hunting wild pigs with spears and dogs is also ideal during this season, since the

prey come out of the forest when upstream waters and brooks dry up, and go to the riverbanks

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where they are more easily caught. From January to J uly, the Tagbanua also collect honey,

edible young bees, and the beeswax which is used for some ritual occasions.

The Tagbanua on the western coast weave sleeping mats to be sold in the market.

Apart from the gathering and sale of bagtik (which gives so little income despite the

amount of backbreaking work), split rattan and local rice have also been traditional sources of

cash. In the municipal district of Aborlan in central Palawan, where the main group of the

Tagbanua has settled, there has been commerce between the indigenous Tagbanua and the

entrepreneur settlers. Many Tagbanua settle their debts with the stores by paying with their rice

harvests. This rice they would later buy back for consumption at inflated prices. Today, the

Tagbanua have carabao and a few cattle, used for hauling sleds loaded with bagtik to be sold in

Aborlan, as well as for transportation. However, these are not used by them in the swidden as

agricultural work animals. Neither has the carabao been slaughtered for food.

The traditional costumes of the Tagbanwa were fashioned from the bark of trees,

particularly the salugin. The preparation of this bark was unique. After being felled, the tree

would be cut around the trunk, the outer bark stripped off to expose the inner layer. A mallet

would beat the layer, until it is soft enough to hang loose from the bole. This is washed and dried

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under the sun. In the past, menfolk wore simple loincloths, supported by a woven rattan

waistband called ambalad, while women wore only brief wraparound skirts made from bark. The

Tagbanua later adopt some articles of Muslim clothing. At present, while many Tagbanwa still

wear their traditional apparel, western-type clothing has found its way among the people.

Custom and Traditions

Political System

Social stratification defines the traditional Tagbanua political hierarchy. Theuripun (slaves) and

duluan or timawa (low bloods) follow theginuu (high bloods), the class of all masikampu or

leaders. The ginuu participate in thesurugid or councils, and exercise judicial and legislative

functions. Succession therein is lineal rather than collateral, e.g., sons eventually assume their

fathers’ titles. The masikampu is at the apex of this hereditary chieftain class that the Tagbanua

inherited from the Moro or Islamized Bornean chiefs. It probably replaced an earlier leadership

by elders; however, authority is still identified with seniority. The masikampu’s traditional

residence in Inagawan Village has been moved to Baraki. Moreover, his once supreme political

and economic status has significantly diminished through time. Today, a masikampu is a

relatively poor citizen, supported mainly by minimal fees and the postharvest gift of a small

portion of rice from subject families.

There are secondary hereditary leaders entitled Laksamana, Mudadi, Pangara,

Tumindung, among many others. Legal guardians of clans, their counsel may extend to cases

involving nonrelatives which may be regarded as interfamilial. Their offices are largely

independent and, unlike the masikampu, their powers depend on personal ability and popularity.

However, among these leaders, the Maradya, Saribangsawan, Nakib, and Sabander are by

tradition and custom superior designations.At present, the villages fall within the jurisdiction of

the Municipal District of Aborlan, though native participation here remains ambiguous. The

district is principally administered by the mayor, vice-mayor, three councilors, and police chiefs.

Theoretically, the mayor of Aborlan’s views outweighs those of the masikampu.

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The district is composed of 16 official barrios, 12 of which correspond to actual

Tagbanua villages. The minor Tagbanua settlements are classified as sitios. The barrio is

headed by a barrio captain or lieutenant called tininti. A municipal appointee, he mediates

between the district and barrio. Internally he operates within the traditional political structure,

and his post is equivalent to that of a hereditary leader. In many instances he upholds the native

before the municipal law.

Notwithstanding adaptations to the national system, Tagbanua political organization

maintains considerable autonomy. Interpersonal relations are guided by kinship and a judicial

system which preserves custom law. Said law involves a series of interrelated rights and

obligations which must be satisfied by the payment of fines and fees.Social Organization and

Customs.

In Tagbanua society, the basic unit is the family, and matrilocality is practiced. This

means that the man goes to live in the place of the woman he marries. The household consists of

a father, a mother, unmarried children, even widows and widowers maintaining separate

residences. Village life is defined by ritual and social obligations.

Tagbanua society recognizes three social classes: the upper, the lower, and the servile

members. The first social class is traditionally hereditary. This is the class from which were

traditionally drawn the leaders or masikampu. The second social class includes the common

people from which local leaders and babaylan (or babalyan) are recruited. The lowest class are

made up of debtors who are unable to pay their obligations. The stratification gives rise to a

hierarchy of authority. The settlement of disputes is the prerogative of a committee composed of

local settlers coming from the second class, whose decisions may be appealed to the masikampu.

The introduction of barrio, later barangay, government has not altered the functions of these

middle-class settlers regarding disputes. The barangay captain may participate in the settlement,

but he usually leaves the decision making to the native leaders.

The Tagbanua family is formed through parental arrangement, though there have been

cases of young people getting married without prior arrangements due to premarital relations

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resulting in pregnancy. After marriage, the Tagbanua couple live with the parents of the woman,

or a new house is constructed for them nearby.

The birth of a child stabilizes the family, the child being recognized bilaterally. Couples

who do not have children or have lost them resort to adoption. The Tagbanua consider having

children as the main purpose of marriage, and children are very much desired and loved.

Monogamy is the ideal norm, though polygyny is practiced, in which case the consent of

the first wife is needed. Besides this privilege of the first wife, she has a preferential share in the

earnings of the household. Divorce is recognized, and a fine is imposed on the spouse who gave

cause for the separation.

A phenomenon which might be called “wife stealing” occurs in Tagbanua society.

This traditional practice, called pang-agaw, is not considered an act of “adultery” on the part of a

married woman or “concubinage” on the part of a married man (there are no such concepts in

Tagbanua morality or custom law), since all cases of pang-agaw end up in divorce and

remarriage. While physical aggression or violence may sometimes follow an act of wife

stealing, this is frowned upon and shocking to the Tagbanua. There are rituals and a legal system

of arbitration and compensation which are designed to prevent any personal and social conflict

arising from wife stealing, especially when it occurs between relatives. “Guilt” is erased with

the payment of necessary fines.

There are three possible situations of wife stealing and fines associated with them.

First, if an unmarried man “steals” (i.e., proposes marriage and wins) a married woman,

he pays the ex-husband a “divorce fine” called bagay, usually three times the amount of the

woman’s original bride-price. He also pays a new bride-price to the woman’s parents. Second,

if a married man takes an unmarried woman (technically not wife stealing, but a prelude to either

polygyny or divorce), he pays his first wife a kapaduwayan (from duwa, meaning two) or

“polygyny fee,” if she and her parents agree to the polygynous marriage; or he pays her parents a

bagay if she demands a divorce. In either case, he pays a bride-price to his new in-laws.

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Third, if a married man and woman agree to live together, the man pays the bagay to the ex

husband, and another bagay to his first wife if she chooses divorce. If she accepts the polygyny,

he pays her a bagay, on top of the bride-price to be paid to his additional set of in-laws.

Folk Beliefs and Supertisions

The Tagbanwa's relationship with the spirit world is the basis for their rituals, celebration,

and dances. The many ceremonial feasts punctuating Tagbanwa life are based on a firm belief in

a natural interaction between the world of the living the world of the dead. These ceremonies and

rituals takes place on all levels, ranging from rituals perform within the family, to those led by

the community's leader on behalf of the people. Such celebrations call for special structures to be

built, such as ceremonial platforms and rafts. Rituals offering include rice, chicken and betel nut.

The Tagabanwa tribe has four major deities. The first, the lord of the heavens, was

called Mangindusa or Nagabacaban, who sits up in the sky and lets his feet dangle below, above

the earth. The god of the sea was named Polo and was deemed a benevolent spirit. His help was

invoked in times of illness. The third was the god of the earth namedSedumunadoc, whose favor

was sought in order to have a good harvest. The fourth was called Tabiacoud, who lived, in the

deep bowels of the earth.

For these gods, the Tagbanwa celebrated a big feast each year, right after harvest, when

there is much singing, dancing, courting, and conclusion of blood compacts.

Thebabaylan (shaman) called for the people to converge at the seashore, carrying food offering

of all kinds. The babaylan took the chickens and roosters brought for the ceremony, and hung

them by their legs on tree branches, killing them by beating with a stick. They were allowed only

one blow for each animal, and those who survive went free, never to be harmed again,

because Polo, the sea god, took them under his protection. The fowl that died were seasoned,

cooked and eaten. After eating, they danced and drank rice wine. At midnight, as Buntala, a

heavenly body, passed the meridian, the babaylan entered the sea waist dipped, all the while

dancing and pushing a raft made of bamboo, which had offering on it. If the offering was

returned to the shore by waves and winds, it meant the sea god refused the people's offering. But

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if the raft disappeared, there was rejoicing. Their offering was accepted and their year would be a

happy one.

Other spirits inhabit the forests and environment, and belief in their existence necessitates

rituals to placate them or gain their favors. The babaylan performs rituals of life, from birth to

death. It is believed that there is a deity who accompanies the soul of the dead to its final

destination. Hunters invoke the assistance of the spirits of the dead relatives in asking the owners

of the wild pigs to allow their hunting dogs to locate the prey. A mutya (charm) is commonly

used to help its possessor succeed in the hunt.

However, the Tagbanwas of the North inhabiting Coron Island are now predominantly

Christians due to evangelization efforts of foreign missionaries during the late sixties and

seventies.

Folk Songs and Folk Dances

Folk Songs

Complementing the rich Tagbanwa rituals and social gatherings in the past was an

assortment of musical instruments. These included the aruding or jaw harp; the babarak or nose

flute; the tipanu or mouth flute; the pagang and tibuldu, two variations of the bamboo zithers; the

kudlung or boat lute; the gimbal or drum, whose top was made from the skin of the bayawak or

monitor lizard; and the tiring, composed of lengths of bamboo with openings of various sizes

producing different notes when struck with a stick. In addition, there were two generic types of

gongs obtained from the shallow babandil. The mouth flute is still in use, and the gongs and

drums are still played during rituals. Modern acoustic type guitar and the ukulele, which is

fashioned from a half coconut shell, supplant the other instruments.

Folk Dances

The known dances associated with the rituals are the following: abellano, also called

soriano, a traditional dance performed by males; bugas-bugasan, a dance for all participants of a

pagdiwata, after they have drunk the ceremonial tabad (rice wine); kalindapan, solo dance by the

female babaylan and her attendants; runsay, ritual dances performed by the villagers on the

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seashore, where bamboo rafts laden with food offering are floated for the gods; sarungkay, a

healing dance by the main babaylan as she balances a sword on her head and waves ugsang or

palm leaf strip; tugatak and tarindak, dances perform by the villagers who attend an inim or

pagdiwata; tamigan, performed by male combatants using round winnowers or bilao to represent

shields.

The dancing accompanying the runsay, performed about midnight and lasting until

daybreak, is possibly the most moving of all Tagbanwa dances, since it is a part of a sacred ritual

that takes place only once a year, and is performed on the beach from where the ritual raft has

been launched towards the sea world.

Guests who attend the albarka ritual watch dances such as the busak-busak, the spider

dance; batak ribid, a dance simulating the gathering of camote; bungalon, a showing off dance;

bugsay-bugsay, a paddle dance using fans; segutset, a courtship dance; and tarek, a traditional

dance. The andardi is a festival dance of the Tagbanwa in and around Aborlan, perform at social

gatherings. When dancing during a festival, the performers are dressed in their costumes, and

hold in each hand a dried palm leaf called palaspas. The music of the andardi is composed of one

part of twelve measures, played or sung continuously throughout the dance. Drum or gongs

accompanies the music and the song.

Festivals

The Palawan Tarek Festival has been celebrated for as long as there have been Bataks

living in the country and they have even been around even before the colonizers came. This

lively celebration has always been believed to continue to bring the Bataks prosperity and to

ward off evil spirits that threaten to bring misfortune to the tribe. There are 2 tribes that have

been celebrating this, the Tagbanua and the Batak. The Tagbanua celebrate the Palawan Tarek

Festival through planting, dancing and while the mood is somewhat somber, this is in contrast to

the liveliness of how it is celebrated by the Bataks.

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MAGAHAT BUKIDNON

The Magahats are also known as the Ati-Man and Bukidnon. There are concentrations of

Magahats found in southwestern Negros, Santa Catalina, Bayawan, and Siaton in Negros

Oriental; and in Negros Occidental. Their language is a mixture of Hiligaynon and Sugbuhanon.

Way of Life

Magahats practice swidden agriculture, because their settlements are in mountainous

areas. They are food gatherers and good hunters as well. The Magahats' major means of

subsistence are food gathering, swidden agriculture and animal hunting. They harvest main crops

such as mountain rice, maize, manioc, and sweet potato. Gathering fruits, vegetables and

rootcrops have become their main food resource. While gathering is considered a regular

activity, hunting wild pigs, birds and bats was seen as one of their important and leisure

activities,the most popular game of men.

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Customs and Traditions

Hunting wild pigs, birds and bats was seen as one of their important and leisure activities

and were the most popular game of men.

Magahat refers to the practice of killing. When a Bukidnon kills another due to the death

of any family member, he is called Magahat. It was the performance of this act that made one a

Magahat, a word ostensibly derived from the Visayan-Cebuano term that means “to kill”. The act

called mag-ahat refers to the killing of an innocent person while the perpetrator is known as

Magahat. This practice no longer exists because of the group’s frequent association with

neighbors practicing the Christian faith. The so-called Magahat did not refer to an ethnic group

that existed independently of the Bukidnon.

Folk Beliefs and Traditions

They claimed that the Magahat were the same people as the Bukidnon but the word itself

did not refer to an ethnic designation but to a ritual practice involving the act of killing. Data

gathered from the group’s report on the indigenous communities of Negros Oriental show that

when a Magahat killed a Christian lowlander (dumagat or banwahanon), he extracted a tooth

from his sacrificial victim and placed it inside his bamboo betel-chew container (malam-an).

This malam-an was then placed in a belt pouch that he tied around his waist with a piece of

stripped rattan and carried wherever he went. If he had another occasion to kill a dumagat or

banwahanon because of another death in the family, the tooth previously extracted was thrown

away and replaced with a new one he had just extracted. The tooth inside his malam-an believed

to be an amulet that could protect the carrier from unfriendly spirits such as his previous victim.

Cutting the hands and feet of the sacrificial victims is also magahat practice. It is an act symbolic

of the belief that the victims not only accompanied the spirit of the dead Bukidnon but also

worked as his slaves (represented by the severed hands) and docile attendants (represented by the

cut feet) in the afterworld. If the departed member of the Bukidnon was a child, only the hands of

the victims were cut; for an adult, both the hands and feet. Worth noting is that an individual

rarely went out and killed alone but was often accompanied by a few male relatives to form a

raiding party. Each was armed with a lance (bangkaw), bolo (pinuti), and long knives (talibong).

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A kind of binding agreement existed between the members of the raiding party which obligated

each one to help each other in case an untoward incident happened along the way. As practiced

in the past, any Bukidnon raiding party also included one person who did not actively take part in

the raid but is charged with taking care of the food provision of the raiding group. His other task

was to serve as a lookout for the group and to bring the news of the raid, successful or not, to the

Bukidnon community. Information further revealed that it was usually the wife of the Bukidnon

who challenged her husband (laki) “to kill” upon the death of a member of the family or nearest

relatives. It was believed that to perform the killing act would put the soul of the departed in

peace. Otherwise, it would continue to molest them. If the husband hesitated, the wife usually

taunted him by calling him a coward (dugo-dugo si laki).

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ALANGAN MANGYANS

The eight indigenous tribes of Mindoro have known no other home since prehistory,

although their ancestors probably migrated from Indonesia. (The seventh-largest island in the

Philippines, Mindoro is part of the MIMAROPA Region and is divided into two provinces,

Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.) The tribes, which are referred to by the general term

"Mangyan," comprise the Alangan, Bangon, Buhid, Hanunoo, Iraya, Ratagnon, Tadyawan, and

Tawbuid. The Mangyan population in the Philippines is over 100,000, and the great majority

have grown roots in Mindoro.

The Alangan Mangyans inhabit a wide area around Mt. Halcon, northern Mindoro Island.

Some Alangans can be found in the Lantuyan and Paitan settlements near the midway point of

the Dulangan River.

The Alangan are of medium build. They have round faces, straight and long hair, and

dark complexion. Their teeth are often black from chewing betel nuts. The Alangan economy is

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based primarily on upland agriculture or the kaingin system (slash-and-burn method). Alangans

make new swidden sites every year or two.

Way of Life

Mangyans lived in peaceful societies as compared to the head hunting tribes of North

Luzon and the brave defiant warrior tribes of the South. Social scientists theorized that some

societies become peaceful because their system of norms and values reward peaceful behavior

but disapprove aggressive and impulsive behaviors. Peaceful societies are characterized by

egalitarian social organization without status competition between men and without asymmetric

relationship between men and women. Another theory posited that populations adapt, therefore,

offering a more logical explanation why Mangyans preferred to retreat in the hinterlands. They

accept peaceful submissiveness when they encounter lowland settlers, missionaries, traders and

government officials.

Mangyan are mainly subsistence agriculturalists, planting a variety of sweet potato,

upland (dry cultivation) rice, and taro. They also trap small animals and wild pig. Many who live

in close contact with lowland Filipinos sell cash crops such as bananas and ginger.

Their languages are mutually unintelligible, though they share some vocabulary and

use Hanunó'o script to write: Tawbuid and Buhid are closely related, and are unusual among

Philippine languages in having an /f/ phoneme; Tawbuid is divided into eastern and western

dialects; Western Tawbuid may be the only Philippine language to have no glottalphonemes,

having neither /h/ or /ʔ/.

Their traditional religious world view is: primarily animistic; around 10% have

embraced Christianity, both Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism (The New

Testaments has been published in six of the Mangyan languages).

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Customs and Traditions

They practice swidden farming, but allow the clearing to be restored for a couple of

years. Their practice of allowing the clearing to go back to its old form helped preserve the

forests of Mindoro. Swidden farming is also practiced by the other seven tribes.

Betel nut chewing or the chewing of nga-nga is part of the Alangan men and women's

tradition. For them, chewing betel nut prolongs hunger. This practice has a social dimension too.

The exchange of its ingredients signify social acceptance between the two parties who conduct

the trade.

Folk Beliefs and Superstitions

A Male member of the tribe traditionally wears a loincloth known as the ba-ag, while the

women wear the Ramit, an indigo dyed handwoven cloth, as skirt with a blouse or a lambung,

while Hanunuo man wear a balukas (shirt) embroidered with their traditional motif known as

the pakudus. The pakudos was originally used as a symbol and a token to ward off evil spirits or

bad omen. Today, the pakudos is mostly considered as a decoration and is popularly used as a

design on bags made of buri (palm leaf) and nito vine. These bags are called the bay-ong. These

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traditional clothes distinguish the Mangyan from the damu-ong, luktanun, sandugo or the Non

Mangyans.

Other Mangyan groups wear the willed rattan belts with the pocket or the “hagkus”;

men wear loincloths made with barks of trees together with a belt and headband. Women wear a

skirt also fashioned from bark called the ‘lingob’ and a bandeau called the ‘sagpan’ to cover their

breasts. The Mangyans are particularly fond of wearing beads in the form of necklaces, bracelets

and headbands. Apart from these being decorative pieces, they are often symbolic of religion,

rituals, love and payments for any offenses made. 

Folk Songs and Folk Dances

Marayaw is a genre of Iraya-Mangyansongs used to communicate withspirits in rituals

for healing the sick orprotecting the community.

Festivals

The Hanunoo is part of celebratingordinary and festive occasions. Accompanying

themselves on these instruments as they recitetheir love poems, the Hanunoo Mangyan paycourt

to the women. During the wedding rituals,songs are sung, musical instruments are played,food is

eaten, and wine is drunk. The songs of theMangyan are lullabies, recollections of warexploits in

the distant past, lamentations,lovelyrics, and stories based on persona.

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