Davao's Indegenous People
Posted on Friday 15 August 2014
Davao’s
Indigenous People
By Apolinario Villalobos
When the moon is at its fullest and the
forests are awash with the sweet fragrance of the flowering wild fruit trees,
it is time for a thanksgiving. And, the tribes that inhabit the hills and
mountains of Davao gather for a feast. But this time, to give lowlanders an
opportunity to have a glimpse of their colorful culture, the yearly
thanksgiving is held in the city.
Distributed in pockets of small villages
throughout Davao’s 19,672 square kilometers area, the number of tribes in this
part of Mindanao is staggering. Davao’s coastal areas pockmarked by the
Guiangas, Atas, Bagobos, Tagacaolos, Mandayas, and Tagaods. The Mansakas
inhabit the mountains; the Mangoangans live along the Tagum River; the Tagalianaos
enliven up the area between Garaga and Katil; and the Culamans are found near
Sarangani.
Typically of Malay-Indonesian stock,
Davao’s ethnic groups are generally of slight build. They are characterized by
a moderately broad and long face with full lips, oblique eyes, dark hair and
reddish brown skin with a slight olive tint.
As a part of their culture, they give
special attention to their colorful attire and body ornaments, especially,
during festive occasions. Their clothing is made from hand-stripped abaca
fibers and dyed to the desired colors that they prepare from leaves, barks and
roots. The careful and meticulous process involved in the preparation account
to the durability of the materials. They is why, for them it is just normal to
wear an “ongpak” (shirt) of a great grandfather.
Providing elaborate trimmings to the
hand-woven skirts and shirts are colorful beds and shells. Arranged usually in
geometric designs or in strips, the beads provide a lively contrast to the dark
shade of the cloth.
Unlike the northern ethnic groups who are
fond of tattoing their bodies, the southern ones make use of roots and barks of
“kinarang” and “silkahib” trees as well as tusks and shells in decorating their
bodies. A native outfit is never complete without leglets of seeds and rattan
strips, necklaces and earrings that also double as necklaces. For the men, an
ivory disc covers each ear, making them elaborate part of the ceremonial
costume.
The women wear a tight-fitting jacket over
an undershirt which reaches down to the figure-hugging “panapisan” (skirt). The
men on the other hand wear the “ongpak” (shirt) which is open in front, and
completing his attire is the saruan (knee-length pants) that is supported by a
belt.
A complete raiment of a native could cost
about two or three carabaos, a whooping amount that could come close to five
digits. This exorbitant price could just be fair considering the effort exerted
in making a single skirt which normally takes about three to four months to
finish, including its last phase of preparation which is the glossing with the
use of shells.
As lowlanders would ridicule those with
stained teeth, so do would the natives with those who have white teeth. For
them, one who has white teeth is just like a monkey. Blackening and filling of
the teeth at an early age of twelve or thirteen is a part of their culture.
Using a black sticky substance derived from
a process known only to them, the teeth are rubbed until they assume a shiny
sheen. The filling of a tooth on the hand could be very painful as it reaches
up to the stump. Some sort of a reddish tinge lends color to the teeth by the
time the youngster reaches the betel nut chewing age.
There’s a belief among the natives that the
body has two souls, “Takawana”, the right hand soul, the good one, and
“Tebang”, the left hand soul, the bad one. While “Takawana” is attached to the
body until death, “Tebang” wanders off from the sleeping body in search of
things with unhappy influence, resulting to nightmarish dreams or horrible
mental images.
Though how primitive they may look in the
lowlander’s point of view, the natives, especially, the Manobos believe in the
existence of powerful spirits. The most powerful of these is called “Manama” or
“Kalayagan”. He is considered as the creator of all and he is believed to be
living beyond the skies where he can see everything that man does. Only the
“Mabalian” (spirit man), a datu, or an old wise man can communicate with him.
Then there’s the couple of spirits,
“Mandarangan” and “Darago”, god and goddess of warriors. The natives believe
that the couple live in the crater of Mt. Apo which emits great amount of
sulphur. To appease them, a sacrifice has to be offered to them.
The focal point of their belief in spirits
is “limokon”, a bird supposedly used by them in communicating with the living.
However, some of these tribes consider “limokon” as a bird of omen. But to
some, it brings an important message from the spirits whenever it makes a call,
hence, all activities must immediately be stopped.
With their spirit-centered life, the
natives attribute almost everything to the supernatural beings. Even just the
flowering of betel nut tree had to be enhances by ceremonies, as well as,
common activities like planting and harvesting of rice.
Almost all aspects of the southern natives’
culture and traditions are showcased during the yearly Kadayawan Festival held during
the month of August in Davao City.
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