University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
Regine Maye C. Parman Philippine Indigenous Communities
ABBS – 2A Prof. Maria Lourdes Sta. Maria
Activity #6: Northern and Western Mindanao
Subanon
Ancestral domain
The Subanons are concentrated in the Province of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del
Norte, and parts of Misamis Occidental. Majority of the Subanons dwell sporadically in
the Interlands of Zamboanga del Sur, they depend on farming called Kaingin as their
means of livelihood.
Culture
Male Subanons are dressed in long pants called lambong and long-sleeved shirt celled
sinupa. The women wear skits called taps and blouses called kasinupo same as that are
worn by the ‘men, both men and women wear turbans on their heads.
Subanon house in Sibungan has no windows but the thatched palm leaves, along the sides
are sometimes detached to let in the light.
The Subanons have very strong kinship ties and still practice hereditary succession and
other indigenous traditions, customs, and beliefs
Governance
The Subanon society is said to be patriarchal, with the family as the basic governmental
unit. A person who is tasked to lead the community is given the title of a Timuay. The
Timuay is expected by the community to settle disputes and to ‘be concerned with all
matters that are confronting the community. On socio-political organization, the
Subanons practice hereditary succession. Royal titles such as datu and timuay are
conferred only to members of the royalty and to recognized and respected leaders of the
community. The Subanons build their houses high from the ground and the stairs made
up of one piece of wood to forestall attack by other people.
Religion
The Subanons have a distinct way of worshipping their God. They call their religion as
khano. Their supreme being is Diwata. ‘Marriage among the Subanons is a great concern
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
of the parents. The parents choose the life partner of their children who continue to live
with their parents until they are prepared to live separately and independently.
B’laan
Ancestral domain
The B’laans are another pro-Malayan indigenous group found mostly in Davao del Sur
and South Cotabato.
Culture
The B’laans practice swidden agriculture. They grow rice, corn, sugarcane, banana,
papaya, and other root crops, Some of their crops are used as barter commodities in
exchange for tools and other utensils that they need.
Bird Hunting Dance. The B’laan dances depict their costumes as this bird hunting dance
called admulak
Jewelry. This necklace of several is one of the most common pieces of jewelries among
Bontoc.
Governance
Many have adapted the ways of the modern Filipino and have been integrated into the
main body politic, they still believe and practice their indigenous rituals and customs.
Religion
The B’laan observe certain rituals in their planting cycle. In these rituals, they make
offerings to their deities requesting for signs to know where to best make a clearing fore
particular planting season.
T’boli
Ancestral domain
The T’bolis are of proto-Malayan stock and are found in the mountain of ranges of South
Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Language
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
Tboli, also Tau Bilil, Tau Bulul or Tagabilil, is an Austronesian language spoken in the
southern Philippine island of Mindanao, mainly in the province of South Cotabato but
also in the neighboring provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.
Culture
The T’boli womens are known for their body ornaments. The T’boli mens wear their
traditional dresses made of T’nalak. Both the men and women wear brass ring in sets of
five for each finger.
They have been known for their wealth of craft, elaborate traditional dresses, and
vivacious dances and music. They are also known for their unusual tie-dyed and women
abaca cloth called “TINALAK” used for dresses during ceremonies and festivals
Religion
The T'boli believe in a seven-level upper world inhabited by many gods, foremost of
whom are the couple, Kadaw La Sambad and Bulan La Magoaw. They had seven sons
and seven daughters who formed couples.
Manobo
Ancestral domain
The diffent cultural communities found in the province of Bukidnon are Manobo groups:
The Bukidnon, Higaonon, Matigsalug, Talaandig, Tigwahanon, and Umayamnon. The
Arumanen is another sub-group.
Language
The Manobo languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. Their
speakers are primarily located around Northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao and Caraga
regions where they are natively spoken.
Culture
Manobo female wear several stands of bead necklace and thick handwoven abaca skirt
colored with natural dyes.
Manobo houses are elevated and supported by many post.
Governance
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College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
The center of governance was the Datu, the peacemaker, arbiter, judge and leader. He
was chosen based on a defined set of criteria that were strictly followed.
Religion
Religious beliefs of the Manobo revolve around the concept of many unseen spirits
interfering in the lives of humans.
Bagobo
They are composed of three (3) sub-groups namely the TAGABAWA, the clata or
guiangan and the ubo
Culture
The Bagobos have ornate traditions in weaponry and other metal arts.
They also weave abaca cloths of earth tones and make basket that are trimmed with
beads, fibers, and horse’s hair
Language
Tagabawa is a Manobo language of Davao City and Mount Apo in Mindanao, the
Philippines.
Religion
Their religion is an array of innumerable gimokods (spirits) who have to be shown
respect.
Mandaya
Mandaya means "inhabitants of the Uplands“
Ancestral domain
A group non-christian tribes, non-slamic people living in Eastern Mindanao, Philippines.
The Mandayas located in the province of Agusan, Davao, Surigao Del Sur, and eastern
areas of Cotabato
Language
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
Linguistically, Cebuano-Visayan is used Lingua Franca with the Visayans and Chinese.
Culture
Culturally, the mandayas have retained basic social, religious and political organizations
along with their traditional material crafts.
Governance
Political authority among the mandaya was vested in the headman, Bagani.
Religion
The Mandaya religious structure centers on a elaborated hierarchy spirits anito and
balyan.
Higaonon
The term Higaonon means "people of wilderness“
Ancestral domain
The Higanons occupy not only parts of the Bukidnon Province.
Governance
The ethno-legal aspect of the Higaonon culture revolves mainly around the datu system.
The political system of the Higaonon revolves about a datu.
Bukidnon
Culture
The Bukidnen musical instruments consist of bamboo flutes, bamboo jews harp, one-
stringed violin. And the boat-shaped guitar.
The Bukidnen handicrafts consists of mats, hats, fishtraps, and cloth weaving.
Courtships and marriages among the Bukidnon’s are brought about by parental
arrangements made since the children are eleven years old. Men practice polygamy but
the women are expected to be monogamous
Language
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
The Bukidnens speak the Binukid dialect.
Governance
The power of the Bukidnen chieftain or datu is built on trust and the confidence of his
constituents.
Tagakalao
Ancestral domain
The Tagakalao inhabit the western shores of the guilt of Davao and southern of Mt. Apo.
And they are also found in the coastal towns of Malita and Lais and Talaguton Rivers.
Culture
The Tagakalaos bring with them human sacrifices to this spirit of good and bad,
especially when they imaging that he is angered or when they come to the volcano to
gather sulphur (Ausland, 1881, p. 219)
A wealthy datu could have as many wives as he could secure, wither by capture or by
purchase.
Governance
The datu is both judge and defender of his fellowmen, who in turn work in his fields.
Each datu is the autonomous chief over an area.
Religion
They believe in the supernatural being who is said to live in Mt. Apo.
Ubo
Ancestral domain
The Ubo are a Manobo sub-tribe who inhabit the more isolated mountains of Southwest
Cotabato in the area known as Datal Tabayong, as well as, more southerly Davao del Sur.
Kalagan
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
The Kalagan people (also spelled as Kagan, Kaagan, K'lagan or by the Spanish as Caragan),
They are one of the Muslim minority groups in Mindanao and belong to the 13 Muslim Moro
tribes of the Bangsamoro family.
Ancestral domain
The Islamized-indigenous people in the Western Davao gulf area.
Manguangan
Ancestral domain
The Manguangan makes up the indigenous people living in the Cordillera Sugut
mountains in Mindanao.
Estimated to reach 3,488 in numbers in 1987,they are scattered up to the great lakes of
Buayan or Maguindanao and in the territory between what is occupied by the Manobo
and the Mandaya in Davao and South Cotabato. Due to this close geographic proximity
with the two tribes, they usually are thought members of those although the Jesuits and
others take them as a distinct ethnic group.
Teduray
Their name may have come from words "tew", meaning people, and "duray", referring to a small
bamboo hook and a line used for fishing.
Ancestral domain
They live in teritory bounded such as Tamontaca River to the north, The Tran River to
the south, and the coast to the west and the Cotabato Valley on the east.
Language
They speak the Tiruray language.
Culture
The planting star is observed during the months of December to January
mother of the man leads the search for the kenogon
University of Caloocan City
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Psychology and Behavioral Science Department
If the child is a boy, the maternal grandparents prepare the food. The paternal
grandparents give a pair of dilek, sundang, and P100.00 pesos with other assorted
valuables tamok items to the officiating chieftain through the spokesman for the child to
sit on.
The Tedurays observe the seven days of prayers and offering before and until the
internment.
Governance
Kefeduwan is the leader of the council of elders and spokesman of the village and well-
versed in Teduray customs and traditional laws.
Timuay is the highest rank and honor given to the leader or the Chieftain.
