05.

04 9:37 PM
EPANAW OUTPUT

Interviewer: Clave Carl T. Pikilan

Interviewee: Naumay Pikilan
Place of focus: Bakalan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay

Disclamer: Part I was accomplised from credible online sources and personal
knowledge of the topic. Parts II, III, and IV were accomplished from the answers
given by the interviewee and supplemented by personal knowledge and
recommendations.

PART I : IP GROUP PROFILE and DESCRIPTION

Subanen is an ethnic group whose majority are living in Region IX, Zamboanga
Peninsula. As to hearsays and literature, Subanens are called as such for they
heavily reside on places near the ‘suba’, a Cebuano term for river, therefore
deriving the word Subanens. As to history books, Subanens are originally settled
along the coastlines of Zamboanga Peninsula. However, as other ethnic groups coming
from Basilan and other places of Mindanao started settling in the area, Subanens
were pushed to live in the highlands. Thus, most of the Subanens are mountain
dwellers. Similar with other ethnic groups, Subanens developed their own way of
living, culture, customs, a form of government and superstitions.

PART II : IP FESTIVALS / RITUAL

Subanen rituals were usually practiced on certain life events and for a specific
purpose. When it comes to traditional Subanen wedding, the couple needs to undergo
‘Daak’, the meeting of the minds of the couple together with their parents or any
close relatives as to the specificities of the wedding including but not limited to
place, day, time and even as to ‘sunggudan’, a gift given by the groom to the
bride’s parents usually in monetary forms. Wedding proper comes after which usually
ends in 3 days or ‘mogsolakan’ in native connotation. It is spearheaded by the
‘bogolal’ who will bring money, a ring, or ‘sundang’ whom he will give to the
bride’s parents. After the wedding proper, ‘mogsalo’ or reception is held
immediately. At the reception, the ‘gunong’ or couple will then share a chicken
egg as a symbol of their union or consolidation. On the other hand, in times of
illness, Subanens occasionally use ‘kamanyan. It is a herbal plant which is then
burned to produce smoke. The smoke is directed towards the ill Subanen while
simultaneously rotating it around him or her called as ‘palina’. In worst cases
such as death, Subanen relatives place ‘dulang’ or a scoop of rice offered to the
fallen relative which they place to his or her side.

Subanen festivals are usually celebrated in times of harvest to provide a sense of

thanksgiving to their ‘Diwatas’, god - like beings of early Subanens who practice
‘Kidanoy’ or Pagan religion. In the festival, Subanens will avoid eating the
harvested crops until the festival commences. The festival is characterized by
‘manampot’ or dancing to the sounds and beats of the ‘agong’ and by drinking
‘pangasi’, a traditional Subanen wine.

Unfortunately, most of the festivals and rituals mentioned above are not practiced
today. One factor of this disappearance is the influence of Christianity and Islam
paving the end of Pagan culture.

PART III : TOURIST DESTINATIONS

The barangay of Bacalan is a landlocked mass of land, the downside of which is the
absence of seas and other saltwater bodies that provide tourism oppurtunities.
Moreover, the barangay officials are not heavily invested in tourism since Bacalan
is an agricultural barangay, which heavily relies on rubber, copra and other
products to generate its local income. Still, Bacalan has potential tourist
destinations to offer, one of which is the Bacalan river. The river stretches to
and from the other barangays of Ipil and Naga. In status quo, the river is
inhabited by a few residents only making some parts of the river still untouched,
clean and closely resembles of what a river seems to look like when still
uncivilized. However, other parts of which has been degraded by the presence of few
business owners exhausting the river’s potential and maximizing its products
including sand and freshwater fishes. Adjong river, a river north of Bacalan river
is also promising. The river has rock formations which differ in sizes and shapes
whose overall view is picturesque. The water is fairly clean and reasonable
especially when there are a few tourists in the spot. The rock formations specially
the big ones provide a spot for rock climbing and diving for adventure seekers.

PART IV : SOCIO-ECONOMIC INVESTMENT

To harness the fiscal autonomy of local government units including barangays, socio
- economic investments including its decision making and planning must be practiced
within the barangay sector. Furthermore, to boost its potential investment returns,
it also needs to strengthen its strengths and maximize its oppurtunities. For
barangay Bacalan, its economic power is mostly concentrated on rubber with few
percentages allocated to copra and other agricultural products.

To strenthen this industry, the socio - economic investments the public officials
may appropriate may include:

(1) investing on human resources specially the farmers such as:

(a) conducting seminars directed to farmers on topics such as propagation,
skill enhancement and such, and
(b) providing rubber farming tools and instruments to unpriviliged farmers.
(2) increasing the productivity of lands through:
(a) giving away seedlings to be used by farmers in ther unused lands,
(b) providing free and cruelty - free fertilizers to elevate quality standards
when it comes to land produce, and
(c) catering the need for pesticides that hamper the lands capacity to produce.
(3) providing financial benefits to buyers including third -party to motivate
bussiness owners to engage in the rubber industry such as:
(a) tax exemption benefits when one reaches a certain quota of purchased rubber,
and
(b) smoother certification of governmental regulations to sellers to ease their
barrier of entry in the industry.

All of which when adopted benefits both buyer and seller and increases financial
returns in the future.

Lastly, its oppurtunities economically may include the tourism sector drived by
tourist spots mentioned earlier. This include:
(1) Endorsing the said tourist spots to promote the place,
(2) creating a profitable atmosphere by promoting businesses to promulgate nearby
the said spots

All of which create jobs and employment to unemployed residents of the barangay.