The Ancient Tribes of the Mountains in Bukidnon Philippines — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:12- While our group was in Bukidnon,
2. 0:15we were invited by a Higaonon tribe
3. 0:17to experience their traditions.
4. 0:26In the process of documenting their culture,
5. 0:29we learned new things about life.
6. 0:36This is the story behind our storytelling.
7. 1:45- Good day!
8. 1:47I’d like to introduce Amay Matangkilan of the Higaonon Tribe.
9. 1:53He is the leader of the Higaonon in Mintapod.
10. 1:56He prepared the things that will be used for the ritual
11. 2:00we are going to do.
12. 2:03- During our visit to Sitio Mintapod, various experiences
13. 2:07awakened our awareness— like the preparation
14. 2:10of the Mamaon by the elders for their ancestors.
15. 2:15In the provinces of the Philippines,
16. 2:17it is customary to use mama, mamaon, or mama.
17. 2:21According to the locals, this is the uniting of hearts
18. 2:25among people, whether visitors or fellow locals.
19. 2:29Through this, a visitor becomes part of a community.
20. 2:40- Let’s place a peso.
21. 2:49- The ritual is something we’re really obligated to do—
22. 2:55everyone who enters this community must do this.
23. 2:57This is our formal permission to enter, and it’s also a form
24. 3:05of cleansing for us since we are outsiders.
25. 3:09With me are Datu Junie Pantaon, Amay, and Brendo Pantaon.
26. 3:21They are the leaders of this community,
27. 3:25the Higaonon of Mintapod.
28. 3:30- The Mamaon symbolizes the tribe’s plea to their ancestors
29. 3:35to protect the community and the visitors.
30. 3:39It also includes the prayer that the true intention
31. 3:43of visitors like us may come out freely in their land.
32. 3:49- At the start of the ritual, each offered a personal prayer
33. 3:53to Magbabáya, the Creator.
34. 3:57Through the sacrifice of chickens, they believe the animals
35. 4:02become messengers that will carry their prayers
36. 4:05to the ancestors in the afterlife.
37. 4:14- Each of us who wants to enter here,
38. 4:18let’s place our hands in the blood.
39. 4:23That mark means we’ve been cleansed.
40. 4:25It’s like washing off whatever we brought from outside.
41. 4:32The feather is placed on the "bangkaso,"
42. 4:35or the altar of the indigenous people.
43. 4:40There are different levels of altars because there are
44. 4:46different levels of rituals.
45. 4:49This is the first part of the ritual.
46. 4:52That will be cooked, and then there’s a second part
47. 4:55of the ritual where everyone will share the meal.
48. 4:57That’s the part where we’ll all pray together and offer it.
49. 5:04- I’m cooking the rice now.
50. 5:07This is Sir Alden, a staff member at the school.
51. 5:12Ronel Tumana.
52. 5:15I am Lea Pantaon.
53. 5:22This is Ate Theresa Pantaon, wife of Sgt. Pantaon.
54. 5:29This is Nanay Luisa Bandahan, our teacher in the tribe.
55. 5:36She is our teacher.
56. 5:38And also Amay, our teacher in the tribe here
57. 5:40in our SLT class.
58. 5:42- Wow.
59. 5:45We called this Kinam-o. Kinam-o.
60. 5:49We’ll eat this once the sweet potato suman is cooked.
61. 5:55- We’ve already tried many different foods
62. 5:57from various places in the Philippines,
63. 5:59but nothing compares to the feeling when you’re served
64. 6:03traditional dishes prepared especially for you.
65. 6:14There’s also a special kind of joy in seeing
66. 6:17the whole community working together just
67. 6:19to give us a warm welcome.
68. 7:23It was also an honor for us to be given
69. 7:25the "Galang Ha Bukala", a brass bangle of their Datu.
70. 7:29It is believed that the Bukala possesses power
71. 7:33to ward off evil spirits.
72. 7:36Only the Datu is allowed to give this to those visiting
73. 7:39their community.
74. 8:02- You, sir, all of you—
75. 8:07you can try this, it’s sweet potato.
76. 8:13- Frog.
77. 8:14- Yes.
78. 8:15- Watergrass.
79. 8:16- Yes.
80. 8:21- We shared the chickens, the ones offered in the ritual,
81. 8:26the ones the community cooked for us while they continued
82. 8:28to offer blessings.
83. 8:30It was a unique feeling, because it felt like
84. 8:31a commitment was given to us— to share their stories
85. 8:36with more people in the best possible way.
86. 8:39And so, we embraced this responsibility
87. 8:41with our whole hearts.
88. 8:44(laughs)
89. 8:46- First of all, I’d like to introduce
90. 8:48Datu Mambalsahan Altohan.
91. 8:52Mario is his Christian name.
92. 8:55We Higaonon, we have many names.
93. 9:00So as for me, I am Idot— that’s my nickname—
94. 9:05and Brendo is my Christian name.
95. 9:10Then when I got married, I was called Mambibuan.
96. 9:15Amay is Datu Amay Mantangkilan.
97. 9:24He has a nickname too, but it’s not often mentioned
98. 9:28because it’s sacred.
99. 9:30He is the one who fully understands the traditions.
100. 9:35He also knows the ways of the forest.
101. 9:41Then there’s Datu Manggaygayan—
102. 9:44Junie Pantaon is his Christian name.
103. 9:46He was just recently ordained as a Datu, because he served
104. 9:51in the Philippine Army.
105. 9:56- Where were you assigned, sir?
106. 9:59- I’ve been all around Bukidnon.
107. 10:04- I’m Dindo Pantaon, and this is my older brother, Brendo.
108. 10:15- Amay, maybe you could tell us what the CADT is,
109. 10:21what the importance of ancestral domain is,
110. 10:24and how it was granted or awarded to the community?
111. 10:48- Amay said that at first, Fathers Bling and Mark told him:
112. 10:53"Amay, your land is vast. It might be best if you claim it,
113. 10:58declare it as ancestral domain— CADT—so that your land
114. 11:03can’t be easily taken by others."
115. 11:08So this CADT is the 54th one awarded,
116. 11:15if I’m not mistaken, in the entire Philippines.
117. 11:17- Amay, how did you fight for the CADT?
118. 11:20Because that isn’t something easily granted.
119. 11:31- Amay said that he was worried the area he would point out
120. 11:35might overlap with a neighboring CADT,
121. 11:41so the first thing he did was to verify the boundary
122. 11:46over by Agusan Del Sur.
123. 11:48- Was it Amay himself who traveled that entire route?
124. 11:50- Yes. Because even before, Amay already knew
125. 11:54the area very well, since he was a hunter.
126. 11:57- Why did Amay fight so hard for the CADT?
127. 12:01That’s real dedication.
128. 12:0414,000 hectares— Amay went through all of that.
129. 12:07What can you say about that? That’s not easy.
130. 12:14- Amay didn’t want to get married because he just wanted
131. 12:18to stay in the mountains to protect the natural resources
132. 12:25and the boundaries— which he continues
133. 12:29to promote even today.
134. 12:31He didn’t like conflict.
135. 12:32So he traveled to visit the neighboring Datu
136. 12:37who governed other boundaries or CADTs to consult with them.
137. 12:44That was his sacrifice.
138. 12:46So when the declaration to claim came,
139. 12:50it wasn’t difficult anymore.
140. 12:52- This is the full 3D map of the CADT of AGMIHICU,
141. 12:59or Agtulawon Mintapod Higaonon Cumadon.
142. 13:02So over here is Agusan Del Sur.
143. 13:06Over there is Misamis Oriental.
144. 13:08And here are the neighboring municipalities.
145. 13:11This is the entire map.
146. 13:12You can see the mountain ranges over there.
147. 13:16That’s what Amay mentioned earlier—
148. 13:20the most sacred mountain of the Higaonon,
149. 13:24and its highest peak is there.
150. 13:26That’s Mount Kimangkil, the highest peak in this area.
151. 13:30So if we locate Mintapod, it’s right there—where we are now.
152. 13:35- We’re right here.
153. 13:37- 14,313 hectares.
154. 13:41- Amay went around all of these boundaries?
155. 13:44- All of them.
156. 13:44- Even beyond, sir.
157. 13:46Because it depends— he was hunting.
158. 13:49- How did the Armed Forces of the Philippines help
159. 13:54the indigenous communities?
160. 13:56- In 1982, the NPA grew in numbers, and the Datu
161. 14:02were being pressured to increase their forces too.
162. 14:06So we, in the Army, were deployed
163. 14:12throughout the communities.
164. 14:13That’s what the Army did to prevent the NPA from penetrating.
165. 14:21So that the way of life of the Lumad communities
166. 14:26could continue.
167. 14:27Even until now, that peaceful way of life continues.
168. 14:34- Amay, could you introduce Sitio Mintapod to us?
169. 14:52- Amay said that even during the time of our ancestors,
170. 14:58Mintapod was already peaceful.
171. 15:00Also, he said that Mintapod is a sacred place—
172. 15:05what we call "tulungdanun" or sacred ground.
173. 15:10At first, it wasn’t supposed to become a sitio or a place
174. 15:14to build homes because this place—
175. 15:16Sitio Mintapod—is sacred.
176. 15:18But over time, with the help of the ancestors
177. 15:22and Amay, they were forced to say,
178. 15:26“Let’s build homes so we can live here.”
179. 15:30- I’ll just add, sir— Sitio was established
180. 15:33when Amay lived in Patuga back in 1976.
181. 15:41Then religious groups came in without permission.
182. 15:50There were many of them, more than 100.
183. 15:53They lived here.
184. 15:56So their plan was to build a barangay here.
185. 16:04"If you no longer want the religious sector
186. 16:09to live here, then you live here instead.
187. 16:14We’ll take care of asking them to leave.”
188. 16:17So Amay and the others decided to live here and spoke
189. 16:23with the religious leader, and they were asked to leave.
190. 16:30So from then on, it became Mintapod.
191. 16:36- Why are you now open to sharing your culture,
192. 16:43your way of life, and your people with us?
193. 16:45Because not everyone is open— and this place truly is sacred.
194. 16:50- You wouldn’t even see Amay here before—
195. 16:55just in the mountains or the forest.
196. 17:00But once we were Christianized, and it became a sitio,
197. 17:05we started mingling with people.
198. 17:07Because according to Amay, the Higaonon are humble,
199. 17:11flexible, and don’t like trouble.
200. 17:14Let’s go back to what Amay said earlier—
201. 17:18that he always talked with neighboring villages
202. 17:23to keep good relations.
203. 17:27And to your question now about why we're open—
204. 17:30It started when the Iglesia entered.
205. 17:36That’s when we realized we really had to take care
206. 17:41of Mintapod.
207. 17:42Compared to other places or other tribes, there is no—
208. 17:46how do you say— no aggression here. None.
209. 17:52Because we have a culture that we’ve always followed—
210. 17:56a relationship like holding an egg that we don’t want to break.
211. 18:03So we need to protect that.
212. 18:06That’s why many come here, and we welcome
213. 18:09those who show good intentions or who can help
214. 18:12in Sitio Mintapod, AGMIHICU.
215. 18:15- As the elder among everyone, what is your dream
216. 18:18for Mintapod?
217. 18:32- What Amay wants now is for all his brothers
218. 18:39and fellow tribespeople to settle here.
219. 19:01- One of the primary livelihoods of the women
220. 19:04in Sitio Mintapod is weaving.
221. 19:06It has a deep connection to their tradition and culture.
222. 19:10Each color has meaning, each symbol carries a story.
223. 19:16The age of the weaver also relates to the responsibilities
224. 19:19placed upon her.
225. 19:22- Their story to us was that Bae Anak
226. 19:25was the very first weaver of hinabol.
227. 19:28She used what they call polkas, a type of loom
228. 19:30that’s strapped to the back.
229. 19:32Bae Anak supposedly brought home the loom
230. 19:36and called it "hablanan," along with dye or ilalama,
231. 19:40abaca planting material, and a sugarcane press
232. 19:44called "ligid-ligid."
233. 19:47- In the tradition of the community,
234. 19:48hinabol is only worn during special occasions
235. 19:51like weddings, tribal peace pacts, and gatherings held
236. 19:55to give thanks to important visitors.
237. 19:59It is also used as an offering or dowry in marriage,
238. 20:02or as payment to resolve misunderstandings.
239. 20:06- The tradition of weaving is deeply embedded
240. 20:09in the consciousness of each person.
241. 20:11Hinabol is important to those in Sitio because only
242. 20:14a few women, called Bae, are allowed to weave
243. 20:18in the community.
244. 20:20They believe that the Bae has a generous heart.
245. 20:29- This is Vilma Tomana. She’s the master weaver,
246. 20:33second-liner as a master weaver.
247. 20:35So now, they are the master weavers.
248. 20:38This is Luisa Bandahan, also a master weaver.
249. 20:44They are now our teachers.
250. 20:47Ate Lea, she is also with Norma,
251. 20:51she is the one who watches over us here.
252. 20:55So these are the new weavers. They’re in the same batch.
253. 20:58This is Inday Pinaabot.
254. 21:02So they’re also masters now at weaving.
255. 21:09This one—this is our traditional sling bag,
256. 21:13and this design is what I mentioned earlier
257. 21:18as the traditional design.
258. 21:20We call this "ginuntian."
259. 21:22This was made using what we call "kinanaway,"
260. 21:25the method of designing.
261. 21:28This ginuntian, only the Bae are allowed to weave it.
262. 21:33We’re not allowed to weave it unless we’ve been
263. 21:36given authorization.
264. 21:40And this one is also a traditional design—
265. 21:46you can see the difference.
266. 21:48We call it "binudbud."
267. 21:50Like this one too, it’s different.
268. 21:52This one’s also kinanaway.
269. 21:55This is what I’m talking about, it’s a simple design
270. 21:57but still traditional.
271. 21:59So now, this is the truly natural color.
272. 22:04These ones—if we want to weave by meter, this is it.
273. 22:09Because we produce so much, and we want more people
274. 22:17to know what can be made out of abaca fiber,
275. 22:20we also added earrings and such.
276. 22:23Because it would be a waste if our rejects from weaving
277. 22:28just end up as trash.
278. 22:32So really for us women here— we’re just thankful
279. 22:36that we were allowed to sell, because this is now
280. 22:40our livelihood.
281. 22:42If we didn’t have this...
282. 22:43They say, “If I didn’t become a weaver,
283. 22:50I wouldn’t have been able to support my child’s education.”
284. 22:54For me, it’s really a gift from the Lord
285. 23:04that we were able to learn this.
286. 23:25- The experiences we’ve had with the community
287. 23:29are priceless—and next, they taught us
288. 23:31how to make "Langkuga," their version of rice wine.
289. 23:53- Impressive.
290. 24:25- I didn’t go with them, I’d be left behind.
291. 24:39- That was washed to be used as a strainer
292. 24:43for the pressed sugarcane.
293. 24:48You’re not allowed to use soap on that
294. 24:50or it’ll ruin the sinubog.
295. 24:58Bae said once the pressed sugarcane is put in the sinubog,
296. 25:04it can be drunk in about two days.
297. 25:09But we can already taste what it’s like once
298. 25:14the pressed sugarcane is mixed.
299. 25:19- Go ahead, Datu.
300. 25:22- I’ll go first, okay?
301. 25:28- What does it taste like?
302. 25:29- It won’t even last two days— it can already get you drunk.
303. 25:33- There we go.
304. 25:34(laughs)
305. 25:42- It’s already fermented, there’s a slight sweetness
306. 25:44because of the sugarcane.
307. 25:46Delicious.
308. 25:47(giggles)
309. 25:49It really can get you drunk.
310. 25:50- You’ll get drunk if you drink a lot.
311. 25:53- Oh, Mon.
312. 26:01- It’s good.
313. 26:03(laughs)
314. 26:05- This is insane.
315. 26:10- Is this already the one that gets you drunk?
316. 26:14This is stronger. How many days has it been?
317. 26:19- Around three days?
318. 26:21- Ah, three days.
319. 26:22- That has a bit of sourness.
320. 26:26- It’s good.
321. 26:29- I prefer the taste of the fermented one.
322. 26:31- Two days?
323. 26:32- Three days? It’s better. I prefer this one.
324. 26:39- The rice is delicious.
325. 26:41- Yeah, right? Solid. Want to try?
326. 26:44- If it reaches six days, it starts tasting like vinegar.
327. 26:48- So it should be drunk before that?
328. 26:49- Yes.
329. 26:50- The flavor is more concentrated now.
330. 26:53- It’s already bound.
331. 26:54- We like it more at three days.
332. 26:57- Sacred tradition.
333. 27:01- Food.
334. 27:03- Experience.
335. 27:06- New friends.
336. 27:10- Happiness like no other.
337. 27:14- The journey continues— through sharing, through adapting.