EARLY LITERATURE IN

MINDANAO
________

UNDERSTANDING
LUMAD
Outline
Second Presenters
Group Name: Group 2

Group Members:

Castillones, Jica Pearl S.

Cervantes, Grace Marie S.
Dela Luz, Rose Ann T.
Delos Santos, Abegail L.
Emboscado, Marjorie
Ferrel, Bebelyn C.
Pajo, Amelene D.

Topic Outline:

Module 2: Early Literature in Mindanao

GEOGRAPHY

Mindanao is known in the Philippines as the “Land of Promise.” It is

consisted of the major islands of Mindanao mainiand, Camiguin, Siargao, Samal,
Dinagat, Bucas Grande, Basian, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

The island is consisted of the - regions namely BARMM, CARAGA,

Davao, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKARGEN, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Davao City is said to be the most populous place in Mindanao. Mount Apo in
Davao is known as the highest point in the Philippines.

Famous local destinations are Maria Cristina Falls, Limunsudan Falls,

Tinago Falls, Tinuy-an Falls, Lake Lanao, Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Agus
River, Siargao, Dahilayan Forest Park, Rio Grande River, and Enchanted River
in Surigao del Sur. Famous landmarks are Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin Island,
The Grand Mosque of Cotabato, Dapitan, Zamboanga City and the islamic City
of Marawi.
 Population consists of 63% Christians, 32% Muslims, and 5% affilisted
with other religions.

LANGUAGE

Cebuano - generally the native language in most regions, except for

Muslim areas on the west coast and hill tribes: Mandaya, Kalagan, Giangon,
Dibabawon, Tagabawa, Mansaka, Sangirese, Obo, Sarangani, and Hiligaynon.

ETHINIC GROUPS

Lumads from different regions: Zamboangs Peninsula - Subanons

Northern Mindanao and CARAGA Bukidnon, Ata Manobos, Mamanwas.
Matigsalugs, Agusan Manobdos, Talaandgs, Karmigins, Higaonons.

 SOCCSKARGEN – T’Bolis, Tirurays, B’laans, Saranganis,

Cotabato and Manobos.
 DAVAO - Obos, Mandayas, Giangans, Tagabawas, Kalagans,
Sangirese, and Mansakas.
 MOROS - Maguindanaos Maranaos Tausugs Yakans lranuns
Samas
 OTHER GROUPS - Butuanons Surigaonons Kagay-anons
Zamboangueños Hiligaynons Cebuanos Bajaos

MINDANAO LITERATURE FROM PAST TO PRESENT

Each Muslim cultural community has its own inventory of folk literatures,
which usually displays themes that are unique and peculiar, yet unified by Islamic
faith. Oral literary forms may be didactic, hortatory, entertaining, instructive, or
just like the other Filipino groups that follow oral tradition, Mindanao Muslim folk
literature has a rich variety of folktales, myths, legends, poems, epics, ballads,
riddles, and proverbs.

Folktales are called differently according to the ethno-linguistic groups and

its origin: Kana-kana (from jama Mapun and Sama), Kotokota (from Tausug),
Oman-oman (from Davaoeños), Totol (from Maranao), Tudtol (from Iranon)
and Tudtolan (from Maguindanao).

Famous folktales include: Agamaniyog Folktales from Maranso, and

Manuk-manuk Bulawan from Indanan (also known as Agta and Datu
Dakula).

Posong or Pusung from Tausug - stories of how Posong the trickster

has always deceived the datu and get away with it.

Famous epics include:

 Bantugan - Maranao epic

 Indarapatra and Sulayman - Maguindanao epic
 Parang Sabi hi Abdulla iban hi tsara - Tausug epic/ ballad

For every folk literature such as ballads, proverbs, riddles, the ethnic
groups have their own ways of naming it. Most ballads are historical which
feature hero’s deeds of important personalities. In the present time, Filipinos
Rave lack of access to the textual materials of the oral literature of Mindanao.

Literature scholars concluded that the people themselves don’t seem to

realize that their cultural products are already vanishing due to lack of literary
preservation. Moreover, the people of Mindanao seem to be preoccupied in
mundane with politics and economics.

Modern Mindanao Literature themes revolve on topics such as war and

conflict, quest for peace, social inequality, landlessness, love of one’s land, and
others. Mindanao Harvest 4: A 21st Century Literary Anthology was published
in 2018 by Far Eastern University (FEU) Publications. This anthology is said to
be the first comprehensive literary anthology on Mindanao’s contemporary
literatures including 63 Mindanao writers. This book is edited by Jaime An Lim,
Christine F. Godinez-Ortega, and Ricardo M. de Ungria.
LESSON 1: Folk Narratives

Folk narrative (tales) is the reflection of culture for a particular group of

people, it’s an amalgamation of the traditions common to a particular culture,
subculture or group. These include tradition of narrating tales and proverbs.

TYPES OF FOLK NARRATIVES:

 Fairy tales are set in an unspecified time (e.g., the well-known Once upon a
time…) and place, and are believed not to be true. They often have a happy
ending and contain magical elements.
EXAMPLES:
 In the Beginning
 Bulanawan and Aguio
 How Children Became Monkeys
 Magbangal
 The Flood Story

 Legends are situated in a known place and time, and occur in the recent past.
They were regarded as non-fiction by the narrator and the audience at the time
they were narrated.
EXAMPLES:

 The Legends of the Mythical Creatures of Mindanao by Arthur Monteclar 

- Garuda
- The Imprisoned Naga
- Mantiyanak
- Tambanokano
 The Legend of Sarimanok by A.V.H Hartendorp

 Rajah Indara Patra and the Dragons by Bartolome Del Valle

 Urban legends also called urban myth, contemporary legend, or modern
legend, in folklore, a story about an unusual or humorous event that many people
believe to be true but that is not true.
EXAMPLES:
 Giant snake in a department store. It’s our take on the rumored
snake that lives in the basement of a popular mall in Metro Manila.
Rumor has it that the floor of the department store is a trap door
that leads to the chamber of the giant snake, which is said to be the
twin of one of the department store owners.
 Kid ghost in hotel’s 3rd floor. This posh hotel in downtown Davao
is not as old as other hotels but there are already sightings of
ghosts in the hotel’s third floor. Rumor has it that if she doesn’t like
you, she’ll make noises you will never forget.
 White Lady. Drivers report seeing a white lady along Bajada near
the Southern Philippines Medical Center and in front of the
Carmelites Monastery. The white lady goes as far as riding the jeep
or taxi.

 Personal narratives are personal memories (not rooted in tradition) that

happened to the narrator himself or were observed by him.
EXAMPLES:
 Personal Reflections on the Bangsamoro Struggle by Edilwasif Baddiri
 Mindanao: Land of promise (1999) by Macapado A. Muslim and Rufa
Cagoco-Guiam

 Riddles are usually short, consisting of a question and an answer.

EXAMPLES:
 Un canastro de prutas, si denoche ta man calayad, si dedia recujido.
(A basket of fruits where at night they are scatted but during the daythey become well-
arranged.) - (Estrellas/Stars)
 Tiene un pono, ta comé de suyo mismo cuerpo.
(There’s tree that eats up its own trunk.) - (Candela/Candle)
  Mucho sila man hermano y hermana, todo cuga
(There are many siblings but all  of them are being strangled.) (Escoba/Broom)

 Situation puzzles, also referred to as kwispels (Burger and Meder, 2006), are
narrative riddle games and start with the mysterious outcome of a plot.
 Jokes are short stories for laughter.
EXAMPLES:
buburong sang kuagut (salve for the cold), used to refer to a newly
married girl who goes to bed with her husband during cold evenings; luwa
sang kagang (saliva of the crab), used by Mansaka teenagers to refer to a
drink when the Visayans are around; and hunungan sang garung (left
behind by fast-flying time), used to refer to old bachelors.
 Songs. A short metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially
one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad. A musical piece adapted for singing or
simulating a piece to be sung: mendelssohn's “songs without words.” Poetical
composition; poetry.
MUSIC IN MINDANAO INDIGENOUS PRACTICES
Indigenous Philippine folklore is characterized by sacred rituals and
practices, and made more fervent and vibrant by the music that accompanies
them.

 In Mindanao, the sounds of the agum and guimbao signal the assembly of the

participants in the performance of sacrifices by indigenous groups.
The miminsad, a dance song, is also chanted as they walk before the altar.
 The wedding feast is another occasion where music plays a key role. Some
Muslim groups play music using small and large kettledrums as accompaniment
to dancing, one of the highlights of the celebration.
 In Jolo, the sua-sua is a celebrated courtship song and dance that has often
been modernized for troupe performances.
 A war dance in Bukidnon called the sagayan epitomizes the gallantry of Muslim
combatants while little girls perform a festival dance wherein they wear hollow
copper anklets and ring little cells to produce certain sounds “to the
accompaniment of a variety of tom-tom and an indigenous xylophone.” (Bañas
1975).
  In Agusan, the tud-ob, a song composed of four notes, is sung during rice
harvests. In Sulu, four gongs are used to produce a kind of music called
the tagungo.

 Mindanao folk music includes the ancient Muslim folk song and dance
called estijaro, and a Mindanao folk song called uruyan. These are usually
accompanied by drums, gongs, or other percussion instruments like the subing,
a gong.

LESSON 2: Poetry

Poetry is a type of literature that aims to evoke an emotional response in

the reader through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and
rhythm. The five defining characteristics of a poem include:

 Meter
 Rhyme
 Form
 Sound
 Rhythm/Timing

A poem is usually about, or alluding to, a specific topic or theme. Some of

the most common themes that poets write about are: love; nature; friendship;
family; animals; good vs evil; growing up and ageing; bravery and courage;
prejudice; war.

EXAMPLES:

 Dead Stars by H.O. Santos

 Land Of Promise by Joselito Rizaldo
 I Love Camiguin by Vo Amour Adelle Lao
 Home Of Tyranny by Neldy Jolo
 Mga Hagas ni Aliwagwag by Danny Castillones Sillada
MIDTERM COVERAGE

MODULE 1: UNDERSTANDING LUMAD

LUMAD is a Bisayan term meaning “native” or “indigenous”. It is adopted

by a group of 15 from a more than 18 Mindanao ethnic groups in their Cotabato
Congress in June 1986 to distinguish them from the other Mindanaons, Moro or
Christian. Its usage was accepted during the Cory Administration when R.A.
6734, the word Lumad was used in Art. XIII sec. 8(2) to distinguish these ethnic
communities from the Bangsa Moro. At present, Mindanao Lumads account for
2.1 million out of the total 6.5 million indigenous people nationally. (1993 Census)
these fifteen Lumads in the Cotabato Congress were the following:
Subanen, B’laan, Mandaya, Higaonon, Banwaon, Talaandig, Ubo, Manobo, T’bol
i, Tiruray, Bagobo, Tagakaolo, Dibabawon, Manguangan, and Mansaka.

They are found in the following towns and cities: Cotabato, Tandag,
Dipolog, Kidapawan, Marbel, Tagum, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Malaybalaym
Pagadian, Butuan, Suriao, Ozamis, Ipil, Digos, Mati and Dipolog.

LESSON 1: THE MANOBO OF DAVAO DEL NORTE: THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE

CALLED ATA

The Ata-Manobo of Davao del Norte, aboriginally called Ata, believed that
they originated from Paquibato, Davao City. The Ancestral Domain of the Ata-
Manobo covers portions of the Municipalities of Kapalong, San Isidro, Sto.
Tomas and Taingod.

The Classification of Manobo: Cotabato Manobo, Agusan Manobo,

Dibabawon Manobo, Matig Salug Manobo, Sarangani Manobo, Obo Manobo,
Tagabawa Manobo.

The Manobo literature have atukon, riddles; panonggelengan, proverbs;

pangumanon, folktales, fables, and humorous tales; ituan, myths and legends;
and Owaging. Riddles of the western Bukidnon Manobo show the use of
 metaphorical language in describing their natural environment, material culture,
and human anatomy. Each riddle is preceded by a phrase “entuke nu kediey.”

EXAMPLES:

 "Emun edtibasan nune vasag ne edlambas ne linear. (Sikan is luvi) (If you
cut into it, it’s a bow; if you pierce it, it’s a pool. [Coconut])"
 "Kesile man guntaan heyan ne ziya nu edluwiti te zizale. (Sikan is tikulan
te manuk) (Camote, the inside of which you peel. [Chicken gizzard])"
 "Buntud man guntaan heyan ne emun ed-ahaan nu ne egkiramkiram da,
ne emun egkewaan nu ne egkekawe nu. (Sikan is izung) (A mountain that
can only be dimly seen, yet you can reach it with your hand. [Nose])"
 Manobo epic hero Agyu, on top of a fort he constructed with his people
(Illustration by Harry Monzon)

LESSON 2: THE MANSAKA OF COMPOSTELA VALLEY

The Mansakas are one of the eighteen indigenous ethnolinguistic Lumad

groups in Mindanao, the native Mansaka have continued their way of life during
the hundreds of years of migrations and inter-marriages of the Malays,
Indonesians and the Chinese. Considered the birthplace of the Mansaka people,
Mainit hot spring is where the first Mansaka man was from. His name was
Inangsabong. Inangsabong had seven wives who eventually settled in different
areas of Compostela Valley creating the different Mansaka settlements still
present today. Inangsabong’s grave and final resting place is said to be at the top
of this hot spring.

MANSAKA RIDDLES, EPIC POEMS, MYTHS AND FOLKTALES

Mansaka tutukanon (riddles), aside from providing a form of relaxation

in the evenings after work, express how the Mansaka see the world. Subjects are
drawn from familiar things in nature such as food, flora and fauna, body parts,
household implements, and natural phenomena. Spirits and supernatural
creatures are rarely, if ever, part of the Mansaka riddle. The Mansaka consider
riddling a form of relaxation and pleasure, and inclusion of the supernatural realm
may bring the participants of the tutukanon bad luck or even death.

Mansaka tutukanon are expressed in a pair of unrhymed but rhythmic

verses (Fuentes and dela Cruz 1980):

Sang kaban

Yamakmo nang tigib.

(Baba)

(It is a chest

Full of chisels.

[Mouth])

Budbud ya panga-panga

Sangmararan yang kumorang.

(Anila)

(It is a lush tree, but

Felled with fingernails.

[Grass onion])

Pagsumbingay (jokes) employ metaphorical expressions to add subtlety

to humor. Examples are:

buburong sang kuagut (salve for the cold), used to refer to a newly
married girl who goes to bed with her husband during cold evenings; luwa
sang kagang (saliva of the crab), used by Mansaka teenagers to refer to a
drink when the Visayans are around; and hunungan sang garung (left
behind by fast-flying time), used to refer to old bachelors.

The diawot (epic poems) of the Mansaka narrate the customs and
traditions of the tribe. They consist of seven-syllable verses that are either sung
or chanted, and employ linda (rhetorical devices), such as the use of synonyms
for repeating ideas in successive lines, part-whole identification, and end rhymes
or identical sound patterns. The hulubaton is a diawot in verse form—the
Mandaya have the same word but they use it to refer to the narratives making up
the epic. In Mansaka, it is applied to the prosaic form of the diawot, which is
usually chanted or sung. Before reciting the epic, the native bards invoke the
help of friendly spirits. This invocation is not part of the epic proper but is recited
so as not to displease the spirits. Following is a translation of one such prayer
(Fuentes and dela Cruz 1980):

Dweller of the balete tree,

Composer of songs,

Attend to my prayer.

Rock yourself before me,

Teach me your music.

Instruct me carefully.

So as not to commit mistakes.

Alimokon, bird of the balete tree,

Blend your voice with mine

Lest I become harsh and croaky,

Lest I become a laughingstock.

Do not consider me presumptuous

I did not volunteer to sing.

Someone ardently desires to record

Your song

As legacy to our children.

 Let me proceed with the song.

Skipping a long portion of the beginning,

That I may tell only of the story of Sugan.

Another type of Mansaka folk speech is the binabalian or oracion,

prayers recited when making an offering after planting or harvesting:

Di da kaw magkadaman kay umpo.

Wara tuyoa na olitarowan kaw antak

Kami matigam sang ka-mayo kaluwa

Daw mun-muno kay kaniwa pa a-katigam

Sang kamayo pagtuo adto sang Tagallang.

(Do not get angry, Grandfather, for

We are not taking your picture because

We want to see how it is. We do not really

Know what the Lord thinks of this.)

Below is another example of the oracion related to rice planting:

Laong niini gabutangan ko ako

Manwagtag na magalay ako na maga-

Tanom ako niini humay ko.

 Kamong tagama-ring kamo ang magtag

Iya ining tanom ko an-tak mabuhi

Yagala-ong ako titaway ado sa tagmaring.

Kamong tanan kanaan tu-nga yang

Pawa. Ako yang apog ako yata-wag

Ako yang kaasaron.

(I am telling you I am offering something

And calling all of you. I, the one offering

You this bounty, am planting rice. Help me grow

My crop. You inhabitants of the balete shall own

My crop so that it will grow. I am telling

You inhabitants of the balete tree that I own

Half of the clearing. I am the old man,

And I am the one calling and promising.)

The most popular of the Mansaka diawot is the Manggob, consisting of

some 15 episodes tied into the main plot filled with supernatural objects and
creatures such as the magic necklace, the magic sword, the fighting shadow, and
the magic handkerchief. Literary devices like the deus ex machina are used. For
example, the three gods, Macawlang, Mangaway, and Magbuburangin, are
used to resolve tribal problems and conflicts. A synopsis of the diawot Manggob
follows (Magaña 1972).
 The babatukon or human-human (folktale) embodies the Mansaka’s
value system, attitudes, and worldview. The human-human is recounted in prose,
accompanied by facial and bodily expressions, and usually begins with a formula
phrase like “once upon a time” or “long ago.” One of the most famous tales told
among the Mansaka is of Kimod and the swan maiden, a folk narrative that they
share with the Mandaya.

LESSON 3: THE MANDAYA OF DAVAO ORIENTAL

The pre-Spanish era of Davao Oriental, which is before 1521, is marked

by a very primitive way of life, worship, culture, customs and traditions. Davao
Oriental is populated by the Indigenous people since time past before the coming
of the Muslims and the Christian Spaniards.
The Mandaya language, culture, and traditions are vanishing! Mandaya,
from the root word daya, which literally means “upstream” or “upland,” is the
ethnic tribe of Davao Oriental (and in some parts of Surigao Del Sur), the
southeastern part of the Philippines.
Mandaya poetry is relatively unknown in Philippine literature. And before it
could be known or studied in the academe, this unique form of poetry with its
native Mandaya language is already vanishing. One of the unique vanishing
Mandaya traditions is the performative poetry, i.e., bayok, dawot, and oyog-
oyog. Bayok is a narrative poetry about life, death, and sacrifice, sung or
chanted by one or two people. Dawot is antiphonic love poetry similar
to harana or serenade sung between two wooing lovers. Oyog-oyog is lullaby
poetry about love and filial connection between parents and children, or between
the villagers and Mother Nature. These three different types of poetry (or music)
were never written nor were they intended to be written, but are handed down
orally from one generation to the other. They are meant to be performed (either
sung or chanted) during ritual, festivity, and other tribal gatherings. Unlike the
mainstream Western- influenced Filipino poetry, the Mandaya poetry and music
 are integral part of the community life—the soul of tribal existence, dreams, and
longings.

The bayok, for instance, as an epic and narrative poetry, is performed

during festivities and rituals. The magbabayok or poet-performer plays a very
important role in the community parallel to a teacher, philosopher, or historian. 

Being the only literary writer of Davao Oriental with major influences from
the Mandaya poetry, artist–writer-musician Danny Castillones Sillada writes
and shares a brief essay on the different types of Mandaya poetry and his own
poems (text and video) written in modern Mandaya/Kamayo language with
English translations. 

EXAMPLES:
 Yang Puerta Ng Biniya’àn Na Bāy Bayok ni Danny Castillones Sillada
 Pánghìmatuŏg Ng Inâ Oyog-oyog ni Danny Castillones Sillada
 Mother’s Lullaby English translation by Danny Castillones Sillada

LESSON 4: THE DIBABAWUN OF KAPALUNG

The Dibabawun village of Kamitaan II was supposed to be three and a half

hour ride by habal-habal from Tagum. Kimataan II is a rugged upland community
in northwestern portion of Kapalong, veering towards the boundary of Laac town.
Taginiit (almighty). Tagbanwa and Sogojun nurture the kabubuhian (animals)
angd kakajuhan (trees). Makabuntasay, gamawgamaw, mandalingan,
kawahigan, tagun-on. The leader or maninugon (now datu) is chosen by the
community and the Kamanigoonan (Council of Elders) based on exemplarytraits
and nobility. When somebody assumes leadership role in the community, he
actually putting himself as a mortal. A big celebration to give thanks to Taginiit
follows the solemn recognition ceremony. During the occasion, the Dibabawun
 give thanks to the spirits. They call this festive part Hinang. With four steps:
Pangapog, Panjujab, Binakilid, and Inidang.

References:

Anonymous. (2020). Ata Manobo. https://ncip.gov.ph/ata-manobo/

Anonymous. (n.d) PoetrySoup. Best Mindanao Poems. Retrieve from

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/mindanao

Anonymous. (n.d.) Twinkl. What Is Poetry? Retrieved from

https://www.twinkl.com.ph/teaching-wiki/poetry#:~:text=Poetry%20is%20a%20type
%20of,meaning%2C%20sound%2C%20and%20rhythm

Bañas, R.C. (1975). Pilipino Music and Theater. Quezon City : Manlapaz Publishing.

Famoso, JMG (2021). Sama Culture and Folk Narratives Structures. Southeastern
Philippines Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 26, No. 2. 2021. 83-96.
https://doi.org/10.53899/spjrd.v26i2.155.

https://gatheringbooks.org/2013/04/27/arts-corner-the-vanishing-journey-of-mandaya-poetry-
and-music/

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-
heritagesch/historical-research/lumad-in-mindanao/

https://www.yodisphere.com/2022/09/Mansaka-Tribe-Culture-Traditions.html?m=1

Jamera, J., et.al. (2020). Ritual plants used by the Manobo tribe of Surigao del Sur,
Philippines. Vol. 3. No. 2 (2020) https://smujo.id/aje/article/view/6580#:~:text=Manobo
%20tribe%20is%20culturally%20rich,on%20agriculture%20and%20forest%20plants .

Masinaring, M. R. (2011). Understanding the Lumad: A Closer Look at a Misunderstood

Culture. Tebtebba Foundation.
Mishra, P., et.al (2020). Genre of Folk Narratives as Rich Linguistic Resource in
Acquiring English Language Competence for Young Learners. Vol. 12, No. 1, January-
March, 2020. 1-10. https://dx.doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v12n1.08

Nguyen, D., et.al (2012). Automatic classification of folk narrative genres in 11th
Conference on Natural Language Processing, KONVENS 2012, Empirical Methods in
Natural Language Processing, Vienna, Austria, September 19-21, 2012. pp. 378-382.