LUMAD

 “Lumad” is a Cebuano term for “native” or "indigenous". It is a collective term used to

describe the indigenous people of Mindanao. It is short for Katawhang Lumad (literally:
"indigenous people"),.
 They are the natives who have not been converted to the religions which came here such as
Christianity and Islam. There are a lot of lumad tribes and the exact number of how many
there are is a bit foggy.
• The Lumad are the largest indigenous group in the Philippines. The
word “Lumad” is a Visayan term which means “born of the earth.”
The Philippines is composed of 14 to17 million indigenous peoples
(IPs) belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups, according to a study by
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
HISTORY OF IDENTITY
• Lumad people’s identity grew out of a response to the martial law during the reign of President
Ferdinand Marcos.
• In June 1986, delegates from 15 tribes agreed to adopt a common name in a congress that also
established Lumad-Mindanao.
• The choice of a Cebuano word was slightly ironic, but they considered it most appropriate as the
Lumad tribes do not have any other common language except Cebuano.
• This was the first time in their history that these tribes agreed to a common name for themselves,
different from the Moros and from the migrant majority.
• The name Lumad was spurred on by a political awakening among tribes.
• The united Lumad people of Mindanao sought and still seek to achieve self-determination for their
member-tribes or, more concretely, self-governance within their ancestral domain in accordance
with their culture and customary laws.
• The organization, Lumad Mindanao, is no longer intact, but the name remains and is gaining more
adherents.
ETHNIC GROUPS
• The Lumad are the non-Muslim indigenous people in Mindanao.
• The collective term is used to describe the about 13 ethnic groups of Mindanao, including the
Blaan, Bukidnon, Higaonon, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Manobo, Mansaka, Sangir, Subanen,
Tagabawa, Tagakaulo, Tasaday, and T’boli.
• The Manobo tribe includes further large ethnic groups, in particular the Ata-Manobo, Agusan-
Manobo, and Dulangan-Manobo.
• Considered as “vulnerable groups”, Lumad people live in hinterlands, forests, lowlands, and
coastal areas.
• Despite the fact that the Butuanons and Surigaonons are also native to Mindanao, the term Lumad
excludes these groups. This is because of their Visayan ethnicity and lack of close affinity with the
Lumad.
• The Moros, such as the Maranao, Tausug, Sama-Bajau, and Yakan, are also excluded, despite also
being native to Mindanao and despite some groups being closely related ethnolinguistically to the
Lumad. This is because, unlike the Lumad, the Moros converted to Islam in the 14th and 15th
centuries.
• This might be confusing as the word Lumad literally means “native” in the Visayan languages.
LANGUAGES

• The Lumad people speak various Philippine languages such as

Manobo languages, Chavacano (in Zamboanga), Cebuano,
Hiligaynon, Filipino, and English.
MUSICAL HERITAGE

• The Lumad tribe is commonly known for tribal music produced by

musical instruments they made.
• Most of their musical heritage consists of various types of Agung
ensembles – ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended, or
held, bossed/knobbed gongs that act as a drone without any
accompanying melodic instrument.
 WAY OF LIVING
• Lumads still prefer to live a traditional life.
• They are non-Muslim or non-Christian; instead, they believe in spirits and gods. There is a god for land, water, and for the
harvest, to name a few. Lumads believe that the mountain is sacred.
• They also believe that death and illness or bad faith are God’s way of showing anger.
• The offering of live animals such as pigs and chicken are common during tribal ceremonies for them to have a good harvest,
health and protection, and thanksgiving.
• The Lumad people who reside within the southern highland ranges are swidden farmers and exercise little trade. Like many of
its neighbors, the Bagobo community is ruled by a class of warriors known as magani or bagani. The elaborate dress and
personal adornment of Bagobos are famous among anthropologists.
• The T’boli and Teduray are also acknowledged for their baskets, trinkets, bracelets, and earrings created of brass. The T’boli’s
t’nalak are prized fabrics deemed to be inspired by the dreams of the woman weavers.
• On the mountains and plateaus of Bukidnon live those who call themselves Higaonon, or “mountain dwellers”.
• The mountains and valleys parted Higaonon from their neighbors and may account for why many of their traditions and
customs have been maintained.
• The Mandaya, Agusan Manobo, and Ata share various cultural traits and social institutions like clothing and religious rituals.
They exercise slash-and-burn farming and trade with neighbors. Warriors, commanded by the datu, are greatly valued and
respected.
SOCIAL ISSUES

• For many years, the Lumad were forced to physically defend their right to
control their ancestral territories against corporate plunder and militarization.
• When the migrants came, numerous Lumad groups went into the mountains
and forests.
• These places are also the sites of the armed conflict between the New People’s
Army (NPA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
• Caught in the conflict, the education, property, and security of the Lumad
people were endangered because of the increasing amount of violent
confrontations by the armed parties.
• On August 9, 2018, Lumad evacuees in Surigao del Sur formally returned to
their homes after days or indeed months in evacuation camps.