Republic of the Philippines

SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY

“DULANGAN MANOBO: EXPLORING ITS RELIGIOUS BELIEF”

A RESEARCH PRESENTED TO:

CHRISTINE G. FUNA, MAT

AS A SUBJECT REQUIREMENT IN CULTURES OF MINDANAO

(GE 711)

PRESENTED BY:

JOVIE G. SALILI

ARNEL VICENTE

FELIZA C. DE PEDRO

JOYLEN B. CASPILLO

SIGMA LENN M. RAFANAN

Title Page
SEPTEMBER, 2021
 INTRODUCTION

The Dulangan Manobo do not look much different from most Filipinos. Only, they

are shorter and lighter in built and most of them have curly hair. It is getting more

difficult to distinguish them from the newer settlers because many of them have started

to wear modern clothing and adapt the ways of Christian settlers. Among the older

Manobo folks, however, traditional ways are still evident. Their teeth and mouths are red

from chewing betel quid, and the women often wear large loop earrings made of brass.

The culture, tradition, and customs of Dulangan Manobo Tribe in Bolebak, Lebak,

Sultan Kudarat is being practice in the previous and nowadays. The Philippine

Constitution of 1987, Chapter 1, section 2 mentioned that, the state shall recognize,

respect and protect the rights of the indigenous people and to preserve and develop

their cultures, traditions and institution. In Republic Act (RA) 8371, known as Indigenous

Peoples Rights Act, defined indigenous people as a group of homogenous society, who

have continuously lived as an organized community on communally bounded and

possessed land used as their abode, sharing common bonds of language, customs,

culture, traditions and indigenous religions, become historically differentiated from the

rest of the Filipinos. They’re the living descendants of pre-invasion inhabitants of lands

now dominated by others; they are culturally distinct groups that find themselves

engulfed by other settler who encroached their lands.

Report from United Nation Educational, Social and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO, 2001), also mentioned that many rights of our indigenous people have been

disregarded and there is a difference between indigenous group and the general
population exist. Thus, played a major factor contributing to social marginalization,

poverty and dispossession of indigenous people. As supported by Dean (2003), while

the human rights of the indigenous people are continued to be neglected, these include

cultural and linguistic preservation, autonomy, environmental degradation, incursion and

discrimination. Furthermore, the interaction of indigenous and non-indigenous societies

throughout the history has been complex, ranging from outright conflict and subjugation

of mutual benefit and cultural transfer.

These changes are due in part to the product of both historical relationships,

global economic development as well as cultural beliefs that rationalize or justify actions

that have served certain cultures at the cost of others. The globalization relocates

indigenous people, deny indigenous knowledge, eliminate indigenous languages,

impose a gray uniformity on all of humanity, stifling and suppressing the creative cultural

energies of those who are most knowledgeable and prescient about the forces of

nature. Indigenous knowledge that is passed from generation, usually by word of mouth

and cultural rituals and has been the basis for agriculture, food preparation, health care,

education, conservation, and the wide range of other activities that sustain the societies

in many part of the world. Today, there is a grave risk that much of the indigenous

knowledge is being lost, along with it, valuable knowledge about ways of living

sustainably. Wieesner (2011) opined that indigenous peoples have rich and ancient

cultures, view their social, economic, environmental and spiritual systems as

interdependent. Against all odds, the indignities of colonization and the lures of mod-

ern society, indigenous people have survived as communities with a strong felt, time
honored identity. Their claims and aspirations are diverse, but their common ground is a

quest and claim for the preservation and flourishing of their endangered culture, their

language which are inextricably and often spiritually tied to their ancestral lands. Lutz

(2014) mentioned that the indigenous people who want to be recognized for who they

are as distinct groups with their own unique cultures. They want to enjoy and pass on to

their children their histories, languages, traditions, modes of internal governance,

spiritual practices, and all else that makes them who they are. They want to be able to

pray on their ancestral lands and live without interference from other people.

Statement of the Problem

The present study will be conducted to determine the Religious Belief of

Dulangan Manobo Tribe at Barangay Bolebak, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.

Specifically, this study will find answers to the following questions:

1. What are the differences between the past and present of religious beliefs of

Dulangan Manobo?

2. What strategies they used to preserve their beliefs?

3. What are the different dance rituals pertains to their religious beliefs.
 Review of Related Literature

Dulangan Manobos believe in a Supreme God who created all things

including man. This god is called Namula. There are other gods besides Namula:

the effi, who are good supernaturals and the owners of the forests, the Babae

Pongalubing, the Babae Bugkoglukos, the Kabingebinge, the busao—all of

whom are allegedly evil by nature based on the study of Ortega, J. (2014), They

all inhabit the earth, except for Namula who inhabits the sky said by the Datu

Tunas Kulam of Lebak Sultan Kudarat. Also, unlike the clans in Lebak, the

Manobos of Kulaman are not familiar with the above facts on Manobo gods, and

may have lost track of their ancient beliefs. This may be due to their long contact

with the Christian settlers in the municipality or with their loss of contact with

other Manobos in nearby municipalities such as Lebak. Contrasting many

Lumads, the Manobos believe in the existence of the soul and of life after death.

They believe that the good souls pass through a narrow path guarded by a deity

called Boy Baya who guides the soul to a place of eternal happiness. The bad

soul, will pass through a wider path guarded by Datu Pangading, the equivalent

to Satan who guides the soul to an evil place called Bop Mlow. This place has

eternal boiling water that torments the bad souls.

The Manobo revolve around many unseen spirits interfering in the lives of

humans according to Joshua Project (2016). They believe these spirits can

intrude on human activities to accomplish their desires. The spirits are also

believed to have human characteristics. They are both good and evil in nature

and can be evoked to both anger and pleasure. While the religious practices of

the Manobo vary slightly, there seems to be at least one common thread linking

them together. Each culture believes in one "great spirit." This "great spirit" is

usually viewed as the creator figure. This might be a bridge to the teachings of

the Bible. As the various Manobo groups have been physically separated, the

religious beliefs of other peoples have influenced them somewhat. However, the

Manobo have often incorporated these new practices into their belief system,

rather than abandoning their practices and being "converted" to either Islam or

Christianity. However, there are some Christians among them who can

potentially take Christ to the others.

According to Barndahard (2008), though the culture of Indigenous people

undergone major upheavals, many of the core values, beliefs and practices have

survived and are be- ginning to be recognized as having an adaptive integrity

that is as valid for today’s generation as it was for generations past.

Furthermore, the religious beliefs of the Manobo revolve around the

concept of many unseen spirits interfering in the lives of humans. They believe

that these spirits can intrude on human activities to accomplish their desires. The
spirits are also believed to have human characteristics. They are both good and

evil in nature and can be evoked to both anger and pleasure. While the religious

practices of the Manobo vary slightly, there seems to be at least one common

thread linking them together. Each culture believes in one "great spirit." This

"great spirit" is usually viewed as the creator figure. As the various Manobo

groups have been separated, the religious beliefs of other peoples have

influenced them somewhat. However, the Manobo have often incorporated these

new practices into their belief system, rather than abandoning their practices and

being converted to new religions. The initiation of rituals involve separating

neophytes (initiates) from everyday social life and forcing them to pass a luminal

state in which the boundary of the human social world seems to blur. The ritual

communication is established between human beings and non- human beings

such as spirits, divinities, and the spiritual owners of natural species,

subjectivities that inhabits animal bodies and plants and so on all that is endowed

with different capacities, (Sztutman, 2008).

Moreover, humans know that much of what they possess what we call

culture- was not merely invented by them but taken during mythic times, from

other species not seen since distant past. To celebrate, an intense network of

repayments above all of food and drink but also on some occasion’s songs and

artifacts is set in motion. Supported by Cole (2013), rituals are a means of

praying to the Great Spirit and sacrificing oneself while retaining a direct contact

with the tree of life.

the myth that Spirit interacts with human beings. Manobo’s belief in these beings

perpetuates the idea that the cosmos where the human being lives is a place

where they survive because human beings share and exchange gifts, not only

with spirits but among themselves. The Manobo’s distinguished between diwata,

witches and the disembodied souls of deceased humans (umayad). They

maintain these fundamental categorical distinctions between supernatural

beings. In fact the action of the spirits conceptually separate from anti-social

sorcery (kumetan), spirit mediums can only heal illness caused by a member of a

class of spiritual beings, compatible to human interventions, while victims of

sorcery must be treated with other methods involving magical substances and

talisman.

Additionally, there are several classes of spirits being recognized by

manobos based on their relationship to human com- munities. The three main

categories are unsocial (indifferent to the world of humans), “bounded”

(tawaganen) and “unbounded (baylan) spirits are further subdivided into dozens

of subtype based on appearances, behaviour, associated natural features and

other factors. Bounded spirits are generally attached to particular sites in the

environment while un- bounded are spirits capable of becoming spirits familiars,

diwata most likely to take an active role of human affairs.

In addition, Manobos divination and healing involved spirit mediums,

musical performances and usually the sacrifice of domestically pigs or chickens.

These rituals are de- signed to solicit benevolent pity from spirits by offering them
songs, drum and gong music, consumable substances (betel nuts, tobacco, and

foodstuff) and burnt sacrificial gifts (sinug-bahan). Some of the rituals that

Manobo performed are inajew (a spirit possession healing ceremony), tukey

(incantation rite) and hihinang (a hybrid commemorative ritual involving the use

of Visayan language and western style table).

Cembrano (2013) pointed out on his study that, among the Manobo of

Northeastern Mindanao, one of the rituals called of pamaliskad (ordination) of the

datu is done by taking all the heirlooms like sword, spear, bronze bracelet and

baylan’s skirt and placed in the altar called buggusan or angkuw. The deities are

believed to come down, laden with boiled boar head and tail, a cluster of betel

nuts, a spray of palm betel flowers, sugar cane, taro plant and a chicken. The

drum and gong are beaten to summon the spirits. The installing datu summons

also the spirit of the earth. The invited leaders do the same calling the spirits of

their clans. During the trance, the baylan and the chieftain express the wishes of

their ances- tors and the Mambabaja. The new datu is bestowed with a timuso

( bronze bracelet). He must wear also the sinugbahan ( heirloom) to protect them

from any harm and as a symbol of leadership. The sacred sword is also handed

down to the in- coming datu. The ceremony is believed to ward off evil spirits.

The datu elevated to a high position is entrusted with tangkuyo (headcarp) of the

ancestor leader. The symbol of wisdom and power is decorated with boar and

horse hair, crocodile teeth. The tamed chief spirit and turban can warn him of any

danger and protect him from any harm.

Mamanwas of Surigao province, they are believed to be charmers and

anherbalist. It is thought that they have several charms. It is apopular belief

among the Bisaya/lowlanders population that they are endowed by the power of

barang, a curse or simply a form of sorcery. The Mamanwas generally are peace

loving. They are unassuming and tend to settle their conflict peacefully. The

Tambajon/Baylan, in some extent is a peacemaker, if the Datu seeks his

services. Tambajon/baylan is an institution of Mamanwa society. It holds the

community and provides its solid framework of the society. He is a protector of

their indigenous religion. As an herbalist, his knowledge of indigenous/ traditional

medicine is exemplary including the knowledge in treating or curing snakebites.

The Tambajon then is a healer religious expert. He is an intermediary between

the Diwatas and the settlement. The Tambajon/baylan becomes through his own

effort or through a visionary experience. He is an ex- pert of the indigenous

prayer, (Tud-om), the Mamanwa sham an, whose influence of culture is

noticeable. He is highly re- spected in his spirituality as intermediary to the

temporal world to the Paradise (Katahawan). The Tambajon/Baylancan directly

receive communication from Tahaw, as the Maman- was believed. He is the

most sincere person in the village for he led the Kahimonan with deep respect to

Tahaw. He is ex- pert in the Mamanwa oral tradition and is endowed with wis-

dom of the Tud-om and the code of religious vow of the Tam- balons or the

Binaylans.
 Moreover, of the same author, another religious ceremony of Manobo-

Mamanwas is the pagsangkalanlan. When somebody is sick in the village, it is

believed that it is brought by Habang, thus be treated in the ceremony. For

several weeks the Mamanwas gather salted meat of wild pigs (usually un-

cooked). They are going to store up it in bamboo internodes. They are going to

combine it with starch from a lumbia tree. Then they will cook it. While cooking,

they will dance around the preparation and should become strident. The ritual

dance is called binangazozo. After they were done dancing, they will get a

tungkayan, a wood or stick used in beating the gimbar (drum made of the skin of

iguana). After that the baylan/sarok guided the communal prayer, the banquet

and merriment will go on followed by eating accompanied by drumming the

gimbar. The spirit that gives sickness will be cast out in the ceremony.

Another practice by Manobo-Mamanwas is the ceremony of hunting aimed

at inviting Tama, the diwata of the forest. If Tama is pleased, he will release wild

pigs and deers. The belief that Tama as the Anito in-charge or herder of hunting

animals is clearly noticeable. In the ceremony, the sa- rok/sukdan/baylan is

assisted by female tambajon. The main Tambajon followed by the minor one first

performs the spir- itual dance (Katahawan). After they are done, the rest of the

participants will join. A single gimbar/drum is the only in- strument used is the

ceremony. It is expected that after the dance, request are made to the gods, the

main sukdan/baylan trembles or in the state of trance. He should be brought to

the constructed altar with a boar. After the main sukdanis done with his prayers,

and the minor Tambajon finishes his/her dance, the main sukdan/baylan will get
 a spear and pierces or kills the boar. After which prayers of wish and

supplications/petitions are offered to supreme god Tahaw. Then, the blood of the

boar is scattered to the ground. The community will bring young coconut leaves

for the blessing of the main baylan afterwards. The members of the community

will pass by in the constructed altar to be cured of possible illness. Afterwards,

they will butcher the pig, cook it and then the whole community will share with it.

Data Gathering Procedure

The study aims to explore the religious beliefs of Dulangan Manobo at Bolebak,

Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. The differences of the past and the present religious beliefs, the

strategies on how they are preserving their beliefs, and their different dance rituals.

To gather the data for the study, the researchers will:

First, the researchers secured a permission from the Culture of Mindanao

instructor to conduct a study. The researchers sent a letter addressing the Barangay

Captain of the participants requesting for approval to conduct the study. The letter

should have an endorsement from the course adviser.

Second, if the permission letter was approved, the researchers sent a letter to

the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) humbly asking for

assistance in the locale of the study. The researchers enclosed the endorsement from

the course adviser and the letter that was being approved by the Barangay Captain.

Next, upon approval of the IPMR, the researchers explained to the participants

the purpose of the study in their most convenient time and used preferred language for
the in-depth interview. The researchers used the structured interview guide

questionnaire and secured an audio recording for the analysis.

Lastly, the researchers started the in-depth interview with the participants.

RESULT OF THE STUDY

The Textual Presentations of the qualitative data gathered and the

respective analysis and interpretations.

Results and Discussion

1. Does your Religious beliefs in the past differs from your present?

1.1 Religious Practices Decades Ago

The participants mentioned that they believe in God called Limul’a whom who

teach, guide, and protect them. They also have forefathers that lead their way of living

and practices that could save them if they believe on what they said.

“We Dulangan Manobo Tribe belief in God like Limul’a who created us and the one

who teach, guide, protect and care us. Aside from Limul’a we also believe from our

forefathers that lead us in our way of living and practices. They are the one who instruct

what we need to belief in hoping that will all be save and cherish.” DMP1

“Based on what we have experience, we belief in a Goddess called Limul’a, whose

the one who guide us. In believing that Goddess, the highest people in our tribe which

is our ancestors will be the one to facilitate or share to us what we needed to be

followed in order for us to be saved.” DMP2

1.2 Modern Practices

their ancestors died and failed to left a written marks to the next generation.

Therefore, the new generation has completely forgotten the ancestors’ beliefs and

practices in the past.

“In today’s era, we don’t believe in God or Goddesses since in every generation

we don’t practice or believe on them, or in short we have forgotten it. Aside from that

since our forefathers are died, we don’t have anyone to believe, lead and guide us.”

DMP1

“After our ancestors died and without leaving any marks that could be used to be

followed, from that generation to another generation completely forgotten what our

ancestor’s belief in the past. Therefore, there’s no practices left in this

generation/era.” DMP2

2. Strategies to Preserve Beliefs

Education in the past was taken for granted. The participants mentioned that

they failed to preserve their beliefs and practices. The reason is that their ancestors

doesn’t know how to write and read and they didn’t attend any education.

“In our tribe, mostly we failed to preserve our beliefs and practices. In the

reason why, we don’t have a written works that could teach the new generation.

Therefore, our beliefs and practices are completely forgotten.” DMP1

“In today’s era, we’ve failed to preserve our beliefs after our forefathers failed

to leave any record that could have a teachings on it. In the reason why, our
 ancestors doesn’t know how to write and read. Education isn’t available in their

time or generation.” DMP2

3. Dance Rituals Perform

Ritual traditions of Filipinos are best understood in terms of their intentions. The

fundamental belief that there is a delicate balance between man, nature and the spirit

world is at the core of any ritual. Rituals can be interpreted as an attempt to improve

and maintain this equilibrium. When the balance is lost, misfortune in various forms may

happen and rituals must be performed to restore the state of affairs. As a consequence,

there are also countless practices that can fix this disparity. It helps to explain the

Philippines ' wide range of religious rituals (Obusan, 2015).

The participants mentioned that they performed dance rituals in different

occasions just like Kalipayan (Gathering) and Baylan for thanksgiving. Ani sa Tugda

which performed during harvest season. Adal Delayaw and Hakyadan ritual for good

harvest. Hakiadan is the name of the goddess of rice.

“We perform dance rituals in different occasions most probably we perform it on

wedding, birthday, and harvest time. Here’s different dance rituals that we perform.

KALIPAYAN (Gathering) a ritual which perform for Thanksgiving Day. A gathering of

Baylan and its members in the tribe for thanksgiving. ANI SA TUGDA (Blissful Harvest)

which is usually ended during harvest season. Prior to the day of harvest, the tribe

performs the ritual so that Hakiadan would bestow a good harvest.” DMP1
 “As of today our tribe the Dulangan Manobo here in Barangay Bolebak, Lebak,

Sultan Kudarat we perform Adal Delayaw and Hakiadan Ritual. We dance Adal

Delayaw in celebration to festivities example if the tribe has a good harvest while

Hakiadan Ritwal (Hakiadan Ritual) derive from the name of the goddess of rice. This

dance usually perform to give thanks to Hakiadan “The Goddess of the rice” for taking

the rice from planting to harvest.” DMP2

The indigenous people engaged in many dances such as ritual dance. There are

rituals that determine the future, relax the spirits, ensure good harvest, invoke protection

from the unknown, provide guidance and advice, heal the sick, and bring good luck.

Apparently, every facet of Filipino life is connected to some kind of ritual activity (2015

Villaruz).
APPENDICES
 Republic of the Philippines
SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Fisheries
Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Does your Religious beliefs in the past differs from your present?

1.1 What are your Religious practices decades ago?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.
 1.2 How about today’s practices?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.

2. What strategies did you used to preserve your beliefs?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.

3. What are the different dance rituals do your tribe still performs nowadays?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.

Republic of the Philippines

RESPONDENT 1

1. Does your Religious beliefs in the past differs from your present?

1.1 What are your Religious practices decades ago?

We Dulangan Manobo Tribe belief in god like Limul’a who created us and the

one who teach, guide, protect and care us. Aside from Limul’a we also believe from our
forefathers that lead us in our way of living and practices. They are the one who instruct

what we need to belief in hoping that will all be save and cherish.

1.2 How about today’s practices?

In today’s era, we don’t believe in God or Goddesses since in every generation

we don’t practice or believe on them, or in short we have forgotten it. Aside from that

since our forefathers are died, we don’t have anyone to believe, lead and guide us.

2. What strategies did you used to preserve your beliefs?

In our tribe, mostly we failed to preserve our beliefs and practices. In the reason

why, we don’t have a written works that could teach the new generation. Therefore, our

beliefs and practices are completely forgotten.

3. What are the different dance rituals do your tribe still performs nowadays?

We perform dance rituals in different occasions most probably we perform it on

wedding, Birthday, and harvest time. Here’s different dance rituals that we perform.

KALIPAYAN (Gathering) a ritual which perform for Thanksgiving Day. A

gathering of Baylan and its members in the tribe for thanksgiving.

ANI SA TUGDA (Blissful Harvest) which is usually ended during harvest season.

Prior to the day of harvest, the tribe performs the ritual so that Hakiadan would bestow a

good harvest.
 Republic of the Philippines
SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Fisheries
Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat

RESPONDENT 2

1. Does your Religious beliefs in the past differs from your present?

1.1 What are your Religious practices decades ago?

Based on what we have experience, we belief in a Goddess called Limul’a,

whose the one who guide us. In believing that Goddess, the highest people in our tribe

which is our ancestors will be the one to facilitate or share to us what we needed to be

followed in order for us to be saved.

After our ancestors died and without leaving any marks that could be used to be

followed, from that generation to another generation completely forgotten what our

ancestor’s belief in the past. Therefore, there’s no practices left in this generation/era.

1.3 What strategies did you used to preserve your beliefs?

In today’s era, we’ve failed to preserve our beliefs after our forefathers failed to leave

any record that could have a teachings on it. In the reason why, our ancestors doesn’t

know how to write and read. Education isn’t available in their time or generation.

3. What are the different dance rituals do your tribe still performs nowadays?

As of today our tribe the Dulangan Manobo here in Barangay Bolebak, Lebak,

Sultan Kudarat we perform Adal Delayaw and Hakiadan Ritual. We dance Adal

Delayaw in celebration to festivities example if the tribe has a good harvest while

Hakiadan Ritwal (Hakiadan Ritual) derive from the name of the goddess of rice. This

dance usually perform to give thanks to Hakiadan “The Goddess of the rice” for taking

the rice from planting to harvest.