MANDAYA

Davao Oriental is a province of the

Philippines located in the Davao
region in Mindanao. Its capital is Mati
City and borders Compostela Valley
to the west, and Agusan del Sur and
Surigao del Sur to the north. Davao
Oriental is the easternmost province
of the country with Pusan Point as the
easternmost location. The Philippine
Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, faces
Davao Oriental to the east. Part of the
province lies on an unnamed
peninsula that encloses the Davao
Gulf to the west.
 
MANDAYA derives from "man"
meaning "first," and "daya" meaning
"upstream" or "upper portion of a
river," and therefore means "the first
people upstream". It refers to a
number of groups found along the
mountain ranges of Davao Oriental,
as well as to their customs, language,
and beliefs. The Mandaya are also
found in Compostela and New Bataan
in Davao del Norte.
The Mandaya generally
have high foreheads,
prominent cheekbones,
broad noses, thick lips
and angular features.
They are generally fair
(Valderrama 1987:6-7).
Population estimate in
1988 was about 22,000
for the Mandaya found
in Davao Oriental, and
about 33,000 for the
whole country (Peralta
1988:8).
The Mandaya are
   
honorable people, peace
loving, respectful, docile,
submissive and patient.
Many have thick beards
and wear their hair long.
The most outstanding
man in the tribe is called
the Tigulang (old man).
They obey and consult
him. They have a legal
code and penal customs.
Idolatry, polygamy and
slavery are the rule
among themselves.
The Mandaya are
colourful dressers. The
women are fond of
sporting variegated
earrings, anklets and a
head-dress. This
homemade jewelry when
worn makes the women
feel confident, beautiful
and fashionable.
Mandaya jewelry is a
measure of one's
economic status in the
Community. These
ornaments worn daily by
both men and women
add to one's prestige.
The Mandaya of Davao build their
dwellings high in the branches of
trees and often in the edges of cliffs
which can be reached only from one
direction. The tree houses are of two
kinds – the first is a crude one simply
resting on the limbs of trees and
conforming in size and shape to the
nature of the supporting branches.
This type sometimes has horizontal
sides and sloping roofs. The roof
usually slides directly from the
ridgepole to the edge of the platform,
thus doing away with the need for
side walls.
The more typical Mandaya house is
built on top of a tree that has been
cut 15 to 20 feet above the ground
with the stumps serving as
foundation. Many more smaller
poles are placed not only to support
the flooring but also to extend
upward to form the wall and the
roof. An upper flooring made of
beaten bark rests on crossbeams
lashed by rattan to the uprights.
Above the flooring are horizontal
poles forming the framework for
attaching walls of nipa palms.
In some houses two or three
foundation poles extend above
the floor to support the ridge
pole. In other houses the
Mandaya would have kingposts
resting on the beams which in
turn are supported by corner
poles. From the ridge, a number
of smaller rods extend over the
side walls and on them rests the
roofing of nipa palm. Several
inches of space intervene
between the roof and the side
walls.
The whole tree house is so firmly
lashed together by rattan that it
can withstand the severest of
storms, although it moves and
creaks with every gust of wind.
In such a case the house is
secured further by anchoring it
with rattan lines to nearby trees.
MANDAYA HOUSE
The typical Mandaya house is built on a
tree stump 15 to 20 feet high.
MANDAYA HOUSE
The extra high stilts of this Mandaya
house have required diagonal bracing.
Between the roof and the high sidings are
slit windows
MANDAYA HOUSE
Lower stilts and bigger openings show
trust in one’s neighbors.