FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Recognition, Representation, Revolution, Respect
Bagobo of the Igorots
They are composed of the Tagabawa, the Ubo, and the Clata or Guiangan subgroups.
Geography
The Bagobo can be found in the Southern part of Mindanao, mostly in the Davao region. They are the majority of the people who live in the huge areas spanning from the Davao Gulf’s west coast to the high peaks of Davao’s famed and significant mountain ranges of Mt. Apo or Apo Sandawa to the tribal people.
Apo Sandawa has been the sacred grounds of the Bagobo since time immemorial, and it is regarded as one of the group’s most valuable cultural assets. It is also the home of the world-famous Philippine eagle. Their houses are scattered near swidden fields
Worldview
The Bagobo believe in a supernatural being called Manama, the creator, which keeps nefarious spirits out of the field to ensure the owner's health, large crops, and wealth.
Before planting, a feast (Ginem) was held, which included the sacrifice of a human individual, in order to appease the spirits and make them happy to increase the riches of all the people. This is dedicated to Mandarangan and Darago, a male and female spirit who dwell on Mt. Apo and are the patrons of warriors.
Material Culture
The Bagobo women weaves hemp clothes on a traditional loom similar to those found on both sides of the Indian ocean. A carved wood ‘saddle’ runs behind the weaver and connects to a pole in front of her torso. The threads are then taken from the tying frame and immersed in the dye, resulting in the appropriate color on the exposed part. Earplugs are worn by both men and women and are joined beneath the chin by a tangle of multicolored beads. Bracelets and bangles made of metal, shell, and cunningly woven vegetable tendrils and fibers adorn their arms and legs.
Spear and knife or the primary weapons of the Bagobo warrior. A harpoon is used in hunting in addition to the traditional spear or lands, which is also a battle weapon.
Shavings, “strips of palm or bamboo leaves, and fabric or palm-leaf streamers” adorn the bamboo altar used in the feast dedicated to Mandarangan and Darago.
Social and Cultural Organization
The head of the Bagobo rules and has the control over the lives of its tribesmen is the Matanum (Chieftain/Datu). The ones responsible in resolving conflicts and problems among its constituents are the Matanum and the Magani’s (Council of Elders). The animistic shaman, Mabalian (Babaylan) is usually a woman who is believed to have spirit guides, by which they could contact and interact with the spirits and they serve as mediums during rituals.
The rest of the members of the Bagobo are classified as either a freeman or a slave. Typically, women and children who were held captives in war become slaves of their captors, however, they can regain their freedom once they had an affair and offspring with their master.
Issues Confronting the Group
- Conflicts against nature's imbalance – the Bagobos struggled with the uncertainty of generating their own food because for them, the weather pattern became unpredictable, forcing them to adapt some changes.
- Presence of NPA, military, and other armed groups - this affected the lives of Bagobos for which they had to struggle for survival, and some of their practices and traditions have been terminated.
- Land disputes - a big portion of the ancestral domain of the Bagobo in Davao city was cleaned by a religious sector known as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Other threats to their lands arrive such as the banana plantation and as a result, most farmers are unable to form so they resort to work as farm laborers and the plantation.
Media
An infographic of the contents here about the Bagobo by Aaron Enriquez, and Kendrick De Vera - University of the Philippines Baguio
References
National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (n.d). People of the Philippines: Bagobo. GOVPH. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/glimpses-peoples-of-the-philippines/bagobo/
Mangune,S.D. (n.d.). Bagobo. GOVPH. https://nccagov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-communities-and-traditional-arts-sccta/central-cultural-communities/bagobo/
H., H. U.. “The Bagobo.” The Museum Jorunal VII, no.3 (September, 1916): 182-194. https://www.pen.museum/sites/journal/516/
Babaylan. (n.d). Retrieved from: https://www.hisour.com/babaylan-37313/amp/
Inzon, M. Q., & De Guzman, L. P. (n.d). Threatened Lives: The Bagobo-Klata of the South. OVCRE. Retrieved from: https://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph/press/features/item/122-threatened-land-threatened-lives-the-bagobo-klata-of-the-south