The Bilaan or B`laan

are a tribal community of Southern Mindanao, the name of this indigenous group comes
from the words Bla and An, meaning Opponent People. The Bilaans in South Cotabato
were renowned hunters and food gatherers, they hunted wild animals and were reaping 
grains, rootcrops, fruits and herbs in the once vast open space of cogonal land,  known
as Kolon Datal, nowadys Koronadal City.
The Bilaan live in in Lake Sebu and other municipalities of South Cotabato and are one
of the major non-Islamic tribal groups in the Southern Philippines.They are famous for
their rich and colorful cultural heritage, ethnic art and handcrafts like the brass
ornaments and traditional beadwork. Colorful native costumes woven from abaca and
decorated with embroidery, buttons, beads and heavy brass belts with numerous tiny
bells are worn by the women of the Bilaan, making their approach heard, even from a far
distance. The sequin-like capiz shells called takmon are used  to give a distinct design
and color to their clothes, among the women, the intricately beaded wooden comb,
the swat san salah is a must.
The Bilaans have their own system of weaving using abaca fiber, before weaving the
typical patterns, rituals are held in accordance with the Bilaan culture, but only the
weavers know about these rituals and before making any pattern or design divine
guidance is first sought. It is believed that the designs were imparted to the dreamer
through the l'nilong (fairies), who are considered guardians of nature. Their handicraft
and traditional attires are being brought to almost every ceremony and are considered
as priceless possessions that are offered as dowries during weddings and used as
payment for crimes committed against a person or clan or for settling disputes among
warring clans.
The Bilaan culture is unique, the tribe practices indigenous rituals for almost everything
that they do because of their belief on the supremacy of the great Creator
named Malu or D'wata, who is the source of everything. The Bilaan are strong believers
on the interdependency with the environment and must respect the will of the Creator
and are not allowed to touch or destroy any creature or object without His permission.
They believe that there is only one supreme being that rules the cosmos and  in the
existence of a soul which upon leaving the body causes illness and even death. Bilaan
men wear their hair long and have tattoos on their back, chest legs and arms, some of
the main characteristics practised by men and woman of this tribe is the shaving of the
eyebrows and the blackening of their tongues and filed incisors.
Musical instruments, like wooden lutes, flutes and bamboo tubes with strings are used
extensively with their rituals and dances. One of the well known ritual dance is the Blit
B'laan. a courtship dance of the imitating the movements of the male and female birds
during mating season.
Among the Bilaan in Southern Mindanao, a handwoven mat spread on the ground or the
floor marks a sacred space. A story told on a B'laan mat must tell the truth. It is believed
that the good spirits will join the communing human beings. Only when keeping ther
faith, otherwise it will not work. These mats are also spread out to mediate conflicts by
tribal leaders named Datu or the tribal elders.
Close family ties have always been recognized as one of the core values of Bilaan families
and are deeply embedded in their culture, the life of the Bilaan evolves around their
family that usually lives within one compound, consisting of more than one spouse and
extended relatives living together. To protect their property and to secure themselves
from intrusions, most  marriages are limited to close relatives, within this community
cousins are allowed to marry each other.
The Bilaan of Southern Mindanao are still upholding their traditional ways of living,
their values and their distinctive culture, it is impressive to see how this community can
adjust and find meaning in life in a modern Philippine society.
Blaan is one of the Indigenous People of the Philippines. Our tribe is located in South
Central Mindanao (South Cotabato, Sarangani Province, General Santos City,  Davao del
Sur and Davao del Norte). Our tribal name is spelt as Blaan not B'laan/Bilaan/Bla-
an/Bla'an/Bl'aan/Blaa'n. Blaan is a coined word "bla " and "an". Bla means counterpart
or pair and the suffix an expresses ownership or possession. When joined together,
Blaan, means our counterpart tribe, the To Bali "To" means people and "Bali" means the
other side. The "To Bali" are today as Tboli. Historically, the Blaan lived closely with
Tboli people. -Source: Blaan di Mtutung Book and KafyeBlaan Empowerment, Inc site
(www.kafyeblaan.com). Also, my experienced with my Fu (Lola/Lolo - in English, my
grandparents) when people asked them where they came from, my Fu always answered,
Blaan amda de Lagad (Blaan from the Mountain). So I never heard my old folks mention
B'laan/Bilaan/Bla-an/Bla'an/Bl'aan/Blaa'n. The people who call us B'laan/Bilaan are
Bisayan and  writers/authors/reporters/journalists who were trying to promote our
tribe.  Since our old folks cannot read and write they cannot tell if the correct spelling
has been used. To my fellow Blaan I say we should start to write the correct spelling of
our tribe. If you heard someone called you Bilaan you must correct them in a nice way or
if you see someone write B'laan/Bilaan/Bla-an/Bla'an/Bl'aan/Blaa'n you must correct
them and try to explain to them why we don't want to be called B'laan/Bilaan/Bla-
an/Bla'an/Bl'aan/Blaa'n because those words are being use to discriminate against our
tribe. 
 
Our tribe is sometimes discriminated against by some people who consider the Blaan
people to be lower class.  Despite of all demeaning words about us, we continue to
pursue our goals and be empowered to seek equal opportunities. I am speaking from my
own personal experience.  There was a time when sometimes I tried to hide my identity
because of discrimination but it was a wrong defence mechanism.  When I heard
someone discriminate us "Bilaan sa bukid walang tsinelas" I was very angry and argued.
When I realised that it was wrong, I used those demeaning words as my inspiration to
become successful someday. Some people think that even though one is a professional
but Blaan then you are still lower class. That is so harsh. I came to realise that I should
not hide my identity.  We should learn how to stand up for our rights and speak out. We
are unique, respectful and loving people.  Our tribe has such a wonderful unique culture
that we can actually show to the world such as Maral (Blaan Dance), Manem Igem (Mat
weaving), Mabal (Weaving), Malem (Chanting), our Handmade clothing (Ansif and
Takmon) and a lot more. Our food is purely organic and healthy.

It is believed by some that the name of theIslandofMindanaois derived from the Blaan
word Mahin that means sea and Lanao means lake; these combined words make
Mahinlanao; that means a body of water, referring to Lake Lanao that is considered as
the cradle of the Philippine civilization. Others say that the name of theIsland is taken
from the root word Danao which means Inundation or Flooding.

In early times the domain of the Blaan stretched from Sultan Kudarat to the Davao
region, they were outstanding hunters and food gatherers,relying wholly on food from
the forests and water from the rivers. They hunted wild animals and were reaping
grains, root crops, fruits and herbs in the once vast open territories. Their rich culture,
that is more than 7000 years old, is founded in traditions, but many have abandoned
their tribal roots and embraced modern life. Nevertheless in several Blaan communities
most of the tribes members remain proud of their heritage, traditions and their cultural
identity. Until today they wear their colourful garments and play their ritual music; they
dance their native dances, and sing their tribal songs in sacred chants.

Landan, Polomolok is home to one of the oldest Blaan settlements in Mindanao that has
retained their tribal name until today.This tribal village is locatedat the foothills of Mt
Matutum for centuries before the Spanish invaded the island of Mindanao. The hostile
conquistadores forced the tribespeople to seek refuge in the mountains.
From the early 20th century the Blaan were confronted with the impact of
Christianization, Islamization and mass migration from Luzon and the
Visayas. But the tribe often avoided struggle because the conquerors were
heavily armed. Nevertheless, over the last 500 years this indigenous group
was driven of their tribal land again and again. Mt. Matutum is considered
as the

The tranquil mountain village of Sitio Amgu-o is just one of the settlements
of the Blaan tribe; the hamlet is named after a local pine-tree and located
deep in the highlands of Landan. It can only be reached by a four wheel
drive vehicle, motorbike or horse, it is and enchanting place, where the
clear streams of the river Ba Landan bring life to the mountains and
villages. The word Ba means mouth in the Blaan language. The water
course is used for washing clothes, bathing, and fishing. For the local
children the creeks and their banks are a fantastic playground.

Daily life is still blissfully simple in this small town, it starts when the first
rays of morning are bursting over the villager and the residents are woken
by a cacophony of peppy roosters that are loudly announcing the beginning
of a new day. The people of the Blaan tribe live a frugal and hard life, every
day they have to prepare food for the household, get their children ready for
school, take care of the livestock and once more will work on the land that they
have cultivated and harvested for generations. But no matter how hard and
demanding they labor is, they always find time to go give their guests a warm
welcome with ritual songs and dances and show their hospitality with a generous
spread of food and coffee. This peaceful hillside community is regarded as the
guardians of Mt. Matutum, a non-active volcano that is one of the favorite
climbing destinations in Mindanao.
CULTURE TRAITS of BILAAN TRIBES

The Bilaan or B`laan are a

tribal community of
Southern Mindanao, the
name of this indigenous
group comes from the words
Bla and An, meaning
Opponent People. The
Bilaans in South Cotabato
were renowned hunters and
food gatherers, they hunted
wild animals and were
reaping  grains, root crops,
fruits and herbs in the once
vast open space of cogonal
land,  known as Kolon
Datal, nowadays Koronadal City.

Some of that culture heritage traits

takes the form of cultural property,
formed by tangible artefacts such as
buildings, works of art or monuments.
The Bilaan live in in Lake Sebu and
other municipalities of South Cotabato
 and are one of the major non-
Islamic tribal groups in the
Southern Philippines. It includes
artistic creations they are famous
for their rich and colorful cultural
heritage, ethnic art and handcrafts
like the brass ornaments and
traditional beadwork. Colorful
native costumes woven from
abaca and decorated with
embroidery, buttons, beads and
heavy brass belts with numerous
tiny bells are worn by the women of the Bilaan, making their approach
heard, even from a far distance. The sequin-like capiz shells called takmon
are used  to give a distinct design and color to their clothes, among the
women, the intricately beaded wooden comb, the swat san salah is a
must. Tangible cultural heritage has a physical presence.

Many parts of culture, however are

intangible, including song, music, dance,
drama and festivals. In Musical
instruments, like wooden lutes, flutes and
bamboo tubes with strings are used
extensively with their rituals and dances.
One of the well known ritual dance is the
Blit B'laan. A courtship dance of the imitating the movements of the male
and female birds during mating season. The Bilaan of Southern
Mindanao are still upholding their traditional ways of living, their values
and their distinctive culture, it is impressive to see how this community
can adjust and find meaning in life in a modern Philippine society.
Intangible cultural heritage are the traditions and living expressions
inherited from ancestors and passed on to descendants.

The Bilaan culture is unique, the

tribe practices indigenous rituals for
almost everything that they do
because of their belief on the
supremacy of the great Creator
named Malu or D'wata, who is the
source of everything. The Bilaan are
strong believers on the
interdependency with the
environment and must respect the
will of the Creator and are not
allowed to touch or destroy any
creature or object without His
permission. They believe that
there is only one supreme being
that rules the cosmos and  in the
existence of a soul which upon
leaving the body causes illness and
even death. Bilaan men wear their
hair long and have tattoos on their
back, chest legs and arms, some of
the main characteristics practiced
by men and woman of this tribe is
the shaving of the eyebrows and the blackening of their tongues and filed
incisors.
POSSIBLE LIVELIHOOD OF BILAAN TRIBES

In early times the livelihood of the Bilaan stretched from Sultan Kudarat
to the Davao region, they were outstanding hunters and food gatherers,
relying wholly on food from the forests and water from the rivers. They
hunted wild animals and were
reaping grains, root crops, fruits and
herbs in the once vast open
territories. 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.
 The Blaans have a system of weaving using abaca fiber. The art of abaca
weaving is called mabal or mabal tabih, while the cloth produced by this
process is called the tabih. Bilaan weavers do not use spinning wheels.
Instead, they join together by hand strands of the abaca fiber, which are
then used to weave the tabih. The Blaan have a tradition of creating art
from brass and copper. The Blaan smelt brass and copper to produce
small bells and handles of long knives. These knives, called the fais, are
made with intricately designed brass.
Traditional farming of Bilaan used
panicles stored in farmers house a Seeds
are stored in baskets made from wood
bark stuffed with dried grasses.
Their 
mean
s of li
veliho
od ar
e

swidden farming, weaving the males

weave baskets and the females, mats,
fishing, hunting, food gathering, and
tool- and weapon-making. Bilaan have
kept themselves culturally, politically,
and economically distinct from their
Muslim neighbors they have never
succumbed to the rule of the datuships.
Thus, most of B’laan traditions, customs,
and way of life have remained intact. It
is not unusual to see B’laans still eating their mama (betel nut). The sound of
bells hanging on the women’s sabitan galing(a belt of brass rings) can still be
heard as they go about their daily chores. Elders continue telling stories of
old times to the next generation.

Bilaan cultural indigenous tube livelihood

refers to their basic necessities of life a
livelihood which defined as their set of activities essential to everyday life
that are conducted over one's life span. Such activities and it include
securing water, food, fodder, medicine, shelter and clothing.