Proposed Title: The Life of Manobo Tribe

Introduction

Manobo simply means “people” or “person”; alternate names include Manuvu and
Minuvu. The term may have originated from “Mansuba,” a combination of man (people) and
suba (river). Manobos are concentrated in Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Misamis
Oriental, and Surigao Del Sur. The first Manobo settlers lived in northern Mindanao, at present
Manobo tribes can be found at the hillsides and river valleys of the northeastern part of
Cotabato. According to Elkins (1977) the Manobo belongs to the original stock of proto-
Philippines or proto-Austronesian people who came from South China thousands of years ago.
He later coined the term Manobo to designate the stock of aboriginal non-negeritoid people of
Mindanao. They mostly inhabit the hinterlands of Bukidnon specifically on the boundaries of
Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao and Misamis Oriental (NCIP,2003).

The Western Manobos are in the Southwestern part of Bukidnon in Mulita, Kalilangan
and Pangantucan. These people speak a quaint language with Marawi
influence which cannot be understood by other ethnic groups in
Bukidnon.

Objectives

To determine their living and social conditions.


To study the strategies used by the tribe to withhold their practices as
well as their hopes and aspiration.

Location

Caraga region: Agusan del Norte province west; Agusan del Sur province, west area southeast of
Lake Buluan; Surigao del Norte province south tip, inland; Surigao del Sur province southwest
of Lanuza peninsula to Lianga bay; Davao region: Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte
provinces’ north borders; Davao Oriental province scattered; Northern Mindanao region:
Bukidnon province, scattered.

Population

74,000

Religion

Ethnic- largest

Christian – 8%

Evangelical – 6%

Main Language

Manobo, Agusan

Marawi

Way of Living

The most common lifestyle of the Manobo is that of agriculture. Agriculturally, they
practice swidden, a slash-and-burn farming, oft planting and harvesting rice, root crops, and
vegetables for consumption. Unfortunately, their farming methods are very primitive. The
Cotabato use a farming system called kaingin. This is a procedure in which fields are allowed to
remain fallow for certain periods of time so that areas of cultivation may be shifted from place to
place.

Social life for the Manobo is patriarchal (male-dominated). The head of the family is the
husband. Polygyny (having more than one wife at a time) is common and is allowed according to
a man's wealth. However, among the Bukidnon, most marriages are monogamous. The only
exception is that of the powerful datus (headmen).

Form of government

The political structures of the Manobo groups are all

quite similar. In civic matters, the political leader and Datu
(Filipino chieftain) of the village attains his position by virtue of
wealth; speaking ability and knowledge of customary law, known
as fendan. The primary obligation consists of settling disputes
among members of a family, neighbors, and the community.
When a fine is set and/or imposed by the Datu, the accused has to pay it to the aggrieved party; if
he's unable to, then he will become servant to the one who pays for him, otherwise known as
dok.

The political aspects of life are often integrated with the social aspects. For example,
many social events, such as weddings, require political leaders. Whenever there is a negotiation
for marriage, both the bride and the groom must use the local datu (headman) to make all of the
arrangements.

Tradition and beliefs

The religious beliefs of the Manobo revolve around many unseen spirits interfering in the
lives of humans. They believe these spirits can intrude on human activities to accomplish their
desires. The spirits are also believed to have human characteristics. They are both good and evil
in nature and can be evoked to both anger and pleasure.

While the religious practices of the Manobo vary slightly, there seems to be at least one
common thread linking them together. Each culture believes in one "great spirit." This "great
spirit" is usually viewed as the creator figure. The Ubo believe in multiple deities headed by a
central figure, Diwata (God), they're animist, they also believe in ancestral spirits and unseen
beings inhabiting the animate and inanimate objects found throughout their environment.
 As the various Manobo groups have been separated, the religious beliefs of other peoples
have influenced them somewhat. However, the Manobo have often incorporated these new
practices into their belief system, rather than abandoning their practices and being converted to
new religions.

Marriage is traditionally by parental arrangement, which begins when each of the two
families chooses a spokesperson, preferably a datu or bai, who is known for eloquence and
knowledge of custom law. Marriage is an alliance system in which reciprocity and mutual
obligation between the groom's and bride's kinship groups are expected. It is, therefore, a means
of maintaining peace and order, for the Manobo's practice of retaliation does not extend to one's
kindred or allies.

Social Organization and Customs 




The traditional social structure consists of four classes: the bagani, the baylan (shaman),
commoner, and slave. The bagani class, now gone, defended the community and went to battle.
The baylan, who can still be found, is a male or female priest and healer. The commoners were
farmers; and the slaves, who had been seized in raids, belonged to the ruler and were usually
given away as part of the bridewealth. Village members could also become enslaved if they
could not pay the penalty for a crime they had committed, such as thievery, destruction of
property, adultery, or verbal offense. Slaves, however, could win their freedom through diligence
in the fulfillment of their duties, faithfulness to their master, or payment of their debt through
servitude. Slaves who were treated like members of the family although still in servitude were
bilew, and it was considered an insult if they were referred to as slaves. One who did so was
committing tempela, ridiculing someone for their low status or physical handicap.

Poligamy, although rarely practiced, was allowed. A datu might resort to it, usually for
economic and political reasons. Several wives allowed for more foelds that could be cultivated,
since the Manobo women did all the work in the fields. Poligamy also multiplied one's alliances
and expanded them to several communities. However, they could take another wife only if the
first wife and her parents consented. The first wife remained the head wife.

References

http://www.bukidnon.gov.ph/home/index.php/about-bukidnon/traditional-people/the-manobo

http://www.bukidnon.gov.ph/home/index.php/about-bukidnon/traditional-people/the-manobo

https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/The-Manobo-Tribe-Then-and-Now-An-Ethnography.pdf

h t t p s : / / w w w . r e s e a r c h g a t e . n e t / p u b l i c a t i o n /
322365750_Economic_Globalization_and_the_Manobo_Peoples'_Struggle_for_Social_Justice

http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph:81/CC01/NLP00VM052mcd/v1/v34.pdf