Tagakaolo

Tagakaolo comes from the phrase “olo sa tubig” which means inhabitants of headwater. These places
have been the favored dwellings of the Kaolos.

Their traditional territories are in Davao Del Sur and the Sarangani Province particularly in the localities
of Malalag, Lais, Talaguton Rivers, Santa Maria, Davao Occidental and Malita of Davao Occidental, and
Malungon of the Sarangani Province. The Tagakaolo tribe originally came from the western shores of the
gulf of Davao and south of Mt. Apo a long time ago.

A major part of their culture is the datu who leads civic and labor duties. Each datu is the autonomous
chief over an area.

Kalagan

The Kalagans are the Islamized-indigeneous people in the Western Davao gulf area. They became
Muslim most likely during the middle of the 19th century due to a combination of following factors:

•The political pressure and/or influence of the Tausug migrants of Davao.

•Extensive exposure and/or contact with the communities of their Maguindanaon neighbors.

•Inter-marriages of Kalagan and Maguindanaon and/or Tausug.

They're predominantly found in Davao City, district of Sirawan, around Tagum, Davao del Norte, Mati-in
Davao Oriental, some places in Davao del Sur and two other Davao provinces. The Kalagan use
Tagakaolo language but have increasingly incorporated some Tausug and Maguindanaon words. They're
renowned as agriculturalists, cultivating rice, corn, abaca, and coconut for cash crops, whereas their
counterparts living along the coast, practiced fishing.

Mamanwa

The Mamanwa can be found in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Panaoan Island, and
in the mountains of Southern Leyte. The Mamanwan dialect is bordered on the north and east by
Suriganon; on the west by a mixed vernacular of Surigaonon and Cebuano; on the southwest by
Butuanon; and on the southeast by Bislig Kamayo. Mamanwan is typologically an Austronesian language
classified as a member of the Visayan language family tree of the Southern Philippines (by Dyen 1965).
According to comparative studies made by Pallesen (1985), the Southern Visayan language family,
historically, has two dominant branches which are Proto-Surigao and Proto-Mansaka; from Proto-Surigao
are ascended the Mamanwa, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Kamayo, and Tausug.

Ubo
The Ubo are a Manobo sub-tribe who inhabit the more isolated mountains of Southwest Cotabato in the
area known as Datal Tabayong, as well as, more southerly Davao del Sur. As of last count, they numbered
close to 17,000 (OSCC, 1987); a follow up on their numbers in subsequent years has proved difficult.

Tiruray

There are coastal, river, and mountain Tiruray clans, each of which has variations in dialect. In fact,
Tiruray is a combination of tiru (“place of origin, birth, or residence”) and ray (from daya, meaning
“upper part of a stream or river”). Their language, another distinct ethnolinguistic group, is structurally
related to those of the Malayo-Polynesian family but is unintelligible even to their immediate neighbors.
The majority of Tiruray habitations are in Upi, South Upi, Dinaig, and Ampatuan in Maguindanao
(ARMM), plus scattered populations in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato (SOCCSKSARGEN Region).

Manguwangan

The Manguangan are found in the Cordillera Sugut mountains in Mindanao, scattering up to the great
lakes of Buayan or Maguindanao and in the territory between what is occupied by the Manobo and the
Mandaya in Davao and South Cotabato.

The Mansaka tribe is just one of the many ethnic groups found in Davaoregion. According to the National
Commission for Culture and Arts (NCAA), they are commonly found in the province of Davao del Norte
and are the most dominant ethnic group in Compostela Valley (ComVal) pro-vince.

Bagobo

The Bagóbo are a proud people with proto Malayan features and with a strong social structure enabled
them, as a group, to integrate with the main body politic while retaining much of their indigenous
customs, beliefs, and values. That said, most of the Bagóbo have suffered dislocation due to the loss of
their ancestral lands and the effects of modern day insurgency. While many are in economically
depressed circumstances, a considerable number have attained a substantial degree of self-sufficiency.
For instance, they are renowned for their metal-craft skills, particularly in the production of brass articles
by means of the ancient lost-wax process; weaponry best exemplify Bagóbo ornate traditions of metal-
crafting. While still others of the Bagóbo specialize weaving abacca cloths of earth-toned hues, as well
as, basket-making trimmed with beads, fibers and horse hair.

The Ata Manobo

Tagum – More than four years ago, I was fortunate to visit the wonderful community of the Ata people in
Talaingod, a second-class municipality in Davao del Norte. Endowed with a breathtaking view and
mountainous landscape, the Atas live a modest life and rely mostly on farming for daily survival. That
day, the reverberating sound of the drumbeats set the jovial ambiance of the plaza as the Ata celebrated
the Kalibulungan Festival donned in colorful tribal garb.

Dibabawon

The Dibabawon can be found in Manguagan, in the province of Davao del Norte, on the island of
Mindanao.