B’laan Tribe

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In Mindanao there are 18 tribal groups. The most well-known indigenous groups are the T’boli and B’laan. The B’laan culture is peculiarly fascinating in the differentiation of patterns that totally continue its psycho dynamics. The extent of practice rests in cultural homogeneity, the interaction of the B’laan with other ethnic groups or the christian culture. In this respect the elder B’laans are more cohesive in their ways and the young, greatly influenced by outside elements, traditional beliefs and value systems other impede or enhance developmental possibilities depending on the strategic interplay of factors in the environment, socio economic, political technological and etc. Culture change as also affected by geography and physical conditions. The following are cultural values of major impact to the B’laan existing way of life and the road ahead for them.
The B’laan is one of the major indigenous cultural communities in Koronadal and Gensan. Their name could have derived from ” bla” meaning “opponent and the suffix “an” meaning people.Other terms used to refer to this group are B’laan,Bira-an,Vilanes,and Bilanes. B’laans have rituals for everything that they do,from selecting a place from a farm planting,harvest and post harvest because of their belief on the supremacy of the great creator. B’laan religious belief and practice range between customs and traditions directly associated with the established christian churches in the areas to highly traditional animistic beliefs which encompass both natural and supernatural elements from the environment in which they live. Evidence of syn-creation of christian and traditional B’laan beliefs and practice appear evident in some instance; many similarities between the following indigenous creation myth and the Biblical account of creation can be seen.
According to the B’laan myth or legend about creation, the first man (To) was created by God (Dawata). One day, lightning flashed in the sky and the heaven were shaken and the rains fill and watered the face of the earth, from the wet ground. God (Dawata) molded the first man, but God saw that man was tough and rugged and decided to make another one. He again took a portion of the ground and mold it and mold a finer and fairer one and was created the first woman from the two, all tribes descended.

The B’laan believe in the existence of a supreme being known as God (Dawata). He is the planters (Mele) of heaven (langit) and earth (tana) and everything thereof. Under Him and other supernatural beings with lower ranks of power or authority- the guardian spirit (L’nilong). To the B’laans nature is entrusted for safekeeping. The guardian spirit are not creator, since creator belong to God. As guardians (snalig), they are often referred as the owner of nature (M-fun). Thus, there is the owner of the sea (M’fun mabin), with owner of the forests (M’fun D’lag), God is the creator and the guardian spirit are guardians and man as the user (occupier).
One B’laan explain…..The highest spirit is God (Dawata). The Lord when we praise, take mercy on us and make us healthy. God is his name. God is God. God is the strongest of them all. He is higher than them all. He is good, we all pray to him and he help us. His children will get angry with us, but he created everything. He created everything when he come down from heaven (langit). Heaven is God’s place where there are many houses.. Their livelihood are farming,weaving(the males weave, baskets and females weave,mats),fishing,hunting,food gathering and tool-land weapon making. 

The plain red and white bands are not traditional Blaan Tabih design or motif. The only ikat weave here are the black and white lizard looking motif in between the plain red, white and black strands. This is a customized order from Lamlife

The indigenous peoples of Mindanao rely on their traditional crafts-weaving, not only for cultural expression but also for helping address the economic needs of the community.

Blaan Tribal Blouse

Matigsalug Tribe

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The Matigsalug are mostly small in stature with dark brown complexion and curly hair. Traditional wear is a long sleeved jacket with knee length pants and head gears embellished with horse's hair and beads for men. Women wear mid-length blouses with a skirt and strands of beads attached to wooden disks on their ears. Their clothes are colorfully embroidered with geometric patterns.
The life of an animistic revolves around a spirit world. They maintain that spirits live in water, land, trees, and rocks. Tragedies like illnesses, drought and death are caused by angry spirits. Events like planting crops and revenge-taking (called "pangayaw") are preceded by rituals. Life is preoccupied with appeasing the spirits by offering sacrifices. Eggs, rice, corn, coins bracelets, anklets and betel nuts are placed on an altar, and the Datu, while calling on the spirits, slits the throat of a chicken and offers the blood. It is very difficult to convince people who been practicing such things for many generations that it is wrong.
The name "Matigsalug" is a construction of Matig and Salug. Matig means from (a place of origin or residence) in various Filipino languages, followed by the specific place of origin or residence. Hence, Matigsalug means from Salug (River). The Matigsalug epic Ulod, provided a definite identity of these IPs which was documented by Manuel(1956).

Matigsalug literally means “people along the Salug River”, where Salug River is the present day Davao River. They are a distinct subgroup of the Manobo tribe and one of the seven lumad groups in Bukidnon. Presently, they can be found in the mountain ranges of central Mindanao and Bukidnon.

Tausog People

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"Tausug" means "the people of the current", from the word tau which means "man" or "people" and sūg (alternatively spelled sulug or suluk) which means "[sea] currents".The term Tausūg was derived from two words tau and sūg (or suluk in Malay) meaning "people of the current", referring to their homelands in the Sulu Archipelago. Sūg and suluk both mean the same thing, with the former being the phonetic evolution in Sulu of the latter (the L being dropped and thus the two short U's merging into one long U). The Tausūg in Sabah refer to themselves as Tausūg but refers to their ethnic group as "Suluk" as documented in official documents such as birth certificates in Sabah, which are written Malay.

History
The history of Sulu begins with Karim-ul Makhdum, a Muslim missionary, who arrived in Sulu in 1380. He introduced the Islamic faith and settled in Tubig Indangan, Simunul, until his death. The Mosque's pillars at Tubig-Indangan, which he built, still stand.
In 1390, Rajah Baguinda Ali landed at Buansa, and extended the missionary work of Makhdum. The Johore-born Arab adventurer Sayyid Abubakar Abirin arrived in 1450, married Baguinda's daughter, Dayang-dayang Paramisuli. After Rajah Baguinda's death, Sayyid Abubakar became Sultan, thereby introducing the sultanate as a political system (the Sultanate of Sulu). Political districts were created in Parang, Pansul, Lati, Gitung, and Luuk, each headed by a panglima or district leader.
After Sayyid Abubakar's death, the sultanate system had already become well established in Sulu. Before the coming of the Spaniards, the ethnic groups in Sulu — the Tausug, Samal, Yakan, and Bajau - were in varying degrees united under the Sulu sultanate, considered the most centralised political system in the Philippines. Called the "Spanish–Moro conflict", these battles were waged intermittently from 1578 till 1898, between the Spanish colonial government and the Bangsamoro people of Mindanao and Sulu.
In 1578, an expedition sent by Gov Francisco de Sande and headed by Capt Rodriguez de Figueroa began the 300-year warfare between the Moro Tausūg and the Spanish authorities. In 1579, the Spanish government gave de Figueroa the sole right to colonise Mindanao. In retaliation, the Moro raided Visayan towns in Panay, Negros, and Cebu for they know the Spanish will get foot soldiers in this areas. These were repulsed by Spanish and Visayan forces. In the early 17th century, the largest alliance composed of the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausūg, and other Moro and Lumad groups, was formed by Sultan Kudarat or Cachil Corralat of Maguindanao, whose domain extended from the Davao Gulf to Dapitan on the Zamboanga peninsula. Several expeditions sent by the Spanish authorities suffered defeat. In 1635, Capt Juan de Chaves occupied Zamboanga and erected a fort. In 1637, Gov Gen Hurtado de Corcuera personally led an expedition against Kudarat, and temporarily triumphed over his forces at Lamitan and Iliana Bay. On 1 January 1638, de Corcuera, with 80 vessels and 2000 soldiers, defeated the Moro Tausūg and occupied Jolo mainly staying inside captured Cottas. A peace treaty was forged. The victory did not establish Spanish sovereignty over Sulu, as the Tausūg abrogated the treaty as soon as the Spaniards left in 1646. But later Sultanate of Sulu totally gave up its rule over south Palawan to Spain in 1705 and over Basilan in 1762. In the last quarter of the 19th century Moros in the Sultanate of Sulu formally recognised Spanish sovereignty, but these areas remained partially controlled by the Spanish as their sovereignty was limited to military stations and garrisons and pockets of civilian settlements in Zamboanga and Cotabato (the latter is under Sultanate of Maguindanao), until they had to abandon the region as a consequence of their defeat in the Spanish–American War.
In 1737, Sultan Alimud Din I for personal interest, entered into a "permanent" peace treaty with Gov Gen F. Valdes y Tamon; and in 1746, befriended the Jesuits sent to Jolo by King Philip. The "permission" of Sultan Azimuddin-I (*the first heir-apparent) allowed the Catholic Jesuits to enter Jolo, but was argued against by his young brother, Raja Muda Maharajah Adinda Datu Bantilan (*the second heir-apparent). Datu Bantilan did not want the Catholic Jesuits to disturb or dishonor the Moro faith in the Sulu Sultanate kingdom. The brothers then fought, causing Sultan Azimuddin-I to leave Jolo and head to Zamboanga, then to Manila in 1748. Then, Raja Muda Maharajah Adinda Datu Bantilan was proclaimed as Sultan, taking the name as Sultan Bantilan Muizzuddin.
Sultan Bantilan Muizzuddin was a "saviour" to the Sulu Sultanate kingdom in 1748. If he had not fought against his brother for permitting the Catholic Jesuits to enter Jolo and spread their "Catholic Doctrine" throughout Sulu, it might have become a Catholic area today.
In 1893, amid succession controversies, Amir ul Kiram became Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, the title being officially recognised by the Spanish authorities. In 1899, after the defeat of Spain in the Spanish–American War, Col. Luis Huerta, the last governor of Sulu, relinquished his garrison to the Americans. (Orosa 1970:25-30).
Prior to modern times, the Tausūg were under the Sultanate of Sulu. The system is a patrilineal system, consisting of the title of Sultan as the sole sovereign of the Sultanate (in Tausūg language: Lupah Sug, literally: "Land of the Current"), followed by various Maharajah and Rajah-titled subdivisional princes. Further down the line are the numerous Panglima or local chiefs, similar in function to the modern Philippine political post of the Baranggay Kapitan in the Baranggay system.
Of significance are the Sarip (Sharif) and their wives, Sharifah, who are Hashemite descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. They are respected as religious leaders, though some may take up administrative posts.