Manobo Agusan

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 Agusan Manobo or simply Agusan are scattered all over Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur,
and even Surigao del Sur. Agusans call their language Minanubu, and is one of the Manobo
languages that still has a large number of speakers. It has four dialects: Umayam, Adgawan,
Surigao, and Omayamnon.
 Lifestyle and Agriculture
-The most common lifestyle of the Manobo is that of agriculture.
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.

- The Manobo usually build their villages near small bodies of water
or forest clearings, although they also opt for hillsides, rivers,
valleys, and plateaus. The communities are small, consisting of only
Capital : Agusan 4-12 houses. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
Population : 76,000
Belief
-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.