THE SEVEN TRIBES

PROVINCE OF BUKIDNON
• The tribes in the province of
Bukidnon (Talaandig, Higaonon,
Bukidnon, Matigsalug, Umayamnon,
Manobo & Tigwahanon) are
indigenous, some tribe’s name are
derived from the rivers/watershed
areas that they inhabited.

Showcasing the unique indigenous culture of Bukidnon, the Kaamulan

is held annually in the province, particularly in Malaybalay City, the
provincial capital, from the second half of February to March 10, which
latter date marks the anniversary of the creation of Bukidnon as a
province in 1917.
As an ethnic festival, the Kaamulan celebrates the customs and
traditions of the seven tribal groups that originally inhabited the
Bukidnon region. They dance together, chant, perform ancient rituals,
and compete in indigenous sports.
Graced by cultural groups whose ways have remained unchanged
throughout the centuries, the Kaamulan is characterized by the
authentic rituals with real indigenous peoples.
UMAYAMNON
• These Indigenous peoples dwell along the watershed of
Umayam River in the Mountains of Pantaron in the Eastern
side of the province of Bukidnon. They are fair in complexion
five feet or above in height. Their eyes are set closed enough
to each other with an average height of nose bridge. They are
proud and reserved people.
• They chew betel nut very frequently and their teeth are filed
to uniform length which are mostly blackened. Purposes for
making the teeth black are two namely: for medicinal
purposes and for decoration. The black dye that they used to
blacken the teeth means one distinction of being a human
(who knows how to dye his teeth black) for according to them
only monkeys have white teeth. Umayamnon are excellent
makers of bead jewelry like the necklaces called ginakit and
inboy, beautiful beaded men’s bag called suning and unisex
beaded bracelets called binuklad.
• The Umayamnon traces their kinds bilaterally, that is the
blood relations of both father and mother are esteemed as
close relatives. Reciprocal roles are expected from them like
helping raise a ransom or a bride price, sharing games or catch
for the day or participating in a communal field clearing the
kagsakum.
HIGAONON
• The Higaonon described as “people of living mountains” and
“people of the wilderness” are one of the lumads (indigenous
peoples) in the mountainous areas of Northern Mindanao in
southern Philippines, who have resisted assimilation or
acculturation, with their traditional systems, practices,
beliefs remaining relatively intact (Tri-people Consortium for
Peace, Progress and Development in Mindanao, 1998).
• Panika, the headdress of the Higaonon women, symbolises
a sacred responsibility to champion their cultural heritage.
Not any Higaonon woman can wear the panika. She has to
make the commitment, and be recognized as a conduit of
continuing the Higaonon traditions. there are seven
traditional dances of the Higaonon namely: Anahaw,
Binanog, Kagmalaki, Kagsabona, Kapangamote, Saut, and
Talapak. Furthermore, it reveals that the Higaonon dancers
have common costumes, accessories, adornment and
accompaniment used in different dances.The Higaonons of
Bukidnon province in the Philippines are teaching us the
lessons that upholding community security, respecting all
members of a community and adhering to the traditions of
cultural heritage are crucial to building a peace in the
community.
BUKIDNON
• The Bukidnons is an ethnic tribe in North central Mindanao
whose ancestors were the aborigines of the coastal places of
what is now the province of Misamis Oriental (Clotet, 1889).
Their major means of subsistence are food gathering and
swidden agriculture.
MANOBO
• The Manobo tribe is culturally renowned for their
traditional practices, traditional medicinal
knowledge, and diversity of plant resources. In the
southern part of the Philippines, they live in
hinterlands and mountainous regions and depend
on agriculture and forest plants for survival.
• What is the tradition of Manobo tribe?
• Sunggod Ta Kamanga” is a celebration of Manobo
culture. It is a tradition of lumads in preparation of
farm activities and farm implements. Live chicken
and pig are sacrificed. Their blood spread on farm
tools and asking the “Mambabaya' (GOD) for the
safety and for the abundant harvest through rituals.
• The “baylan” and “bagani” hold palm fronds instead
of “tubao” for their religious dances. Among the
Manobo dances are the “sinundo/singangga”, a
dance ritual to ward off "busau" or epidemic;
“pangaliyag”, a courtship dance; “pangasawa”,
marriage ritual; “kinugsik-kugsik”, squirrel dance;
“saut”, war dance; and others.
TIGWAHANON
• Tigwahanons value human life highly. They
build so-called batangan tree houses,
which rely solely on the trunk of a
developing tree for support. Banowit
fishing using a hook and line is their
specialty, and they use variously shaped
bu-o (bamboo fish traps).
• Tigwahanon Village in San Fernando,
Bukidnon, Mindanao
TALAANDIG
• The Talaandig are known to be dwellers of the
steep places. They are the people of the slopes
(andig). These IPs who ascribed themselves as
Talaandig are mostly found in Lantapan and
Talakag. Both the Talaandig and Higaonon
indigenous communities claimed Mt. Kitanglad
as their sacred “temple” and ancestral home.
• Datu Waway Saway is an international artist
from the Talaandig community of Sungco,
Lantapan Bukidnon. The Talaandig culture is
well known for their artistry in the performing
arts and in soil painting. He has led his
community by using art to educate the youth.
Dugso is a sacred ritual and dance where
stomping of feet awaken and invite the
caretaker spirits of the environment.
MATIGSALUG
• The Matigsalug previously practiced a hunting-
and-gathering lifestyle with minimal
agriculture. Recently, influenced by migrant
farmers and traders from the northern
Philippines and the island provinces, the
Matigsalug shifted to sedentary land cultivation
with more or less permanent villages.
• Signs of their earlier lifestyle are now found in
their cultural and artistic expression, as
evidenced by their costumes of bright-colored
mid-rib blouses and short skirts, and skilled
hunting and gathering techniques. This early
lifestyle is also depicted in their music, songs,
dances, poetry, epic, and spiritual expressions.
Matigsalug men wear knee-length tight-fitting
pants and turbans decorated with beads and
fringed with goat or horse hair.
3.0 BUKIDNON
• Bukidnon is home to a wealth of traditions and is abounding in cultural, artistic and
aesthetic heritage. The oral folk literature of Bukidnon are the: Olaging (ethno-epic about
the adventures of Agyu, the culture hero of Bukidnon), Idangdang (ballads/ songs that tell
stories), Bayok-bayok (verses), Antoka (riddles), Basahan (proverbs or wise sayings),
Limbay (lyric poem), Sala (love song), and Nanangon (folktales), Tutalanon (stories telling
about the origins of things and names of places), Dasang (debate in verses during the
settling of the bride price) and the Kaliga-on (religious and ceremonial songs that are sung
during the Kaliga rituals; these are divided into two parts – pamamayok, sung by the men
and tabok, sung by the women while dancing the dugso). Their musical instruments are
the pulala (bamboo flute), salambing (small agong), and the kudyapi (guitar).
• Bukidnon visual art is traditionally expressed in weaving, crafts, earth painting, beadwork,
patchwork and embroidery. For example, the Bukidnons are identified for their three
different kinds of weave – Tinilogas (one over one), Tigdaruwa (two over two) and Tigtatulo
(two over one). They are also experimental in their application of mat edgings like Sinapay
or Insapay, and Binaling or Igbaling. Usually, traditional Bukidnon clothings are decorated
with geometric shapes like Binitu-on, binabangon, and kinabuka. These traditional
Bukidnon garments are widely ornate with shapes and the strong colors of red, blue, white
and black. This is also seen in the making of the traditional "panika" (headdress). The
Bukidnon traditional emboridery process is called panulam and the embroidered cloth is
called pinamulaan.
• The religion of the Bukidnon traditional people is generally monotheistic. They believe in
one God "Magbabaya" (the ruler of all), under Magbabaya are the nature guardian spirits
(i.e. Ibabasok – who watches over growth of crops; Bulalakaw – who is the god of the
rivers and lakes).