There are opportunities that I simply cannot resist. This study about the tribes of Bukidnon is among them. It gave me an opportunity to sit down with them and their leaders, and learn a little about where they are coming from.
Meet Bae Inatlawan, a ritualist of the Daraghuyan tribe. Inatlawan means touched by the sun’s rays.
Meet Datu Makapukaw of the Talaandig tribe. His name means him who can awaken.
And meet Datu Vic, the younger brother of Datu Makapukaw.
These two tribes of Bukidnon, two of three major tribes — the third is the Higaonon tribe — are high on rituals. Their every task is guided by rituals.
The photo below is of the Panendan, an annual pilgrimage of the boundary keepers and their descendants to the headwaters of the Tagoloan River, the main river that passes through Bukidnon and down to Cagayan de Oro.
Chickens are slaughtered as part of the rituals, the meat of which are cooked and shared by both guests and hosts.
This is the landmark that will welcome you when you go to barangay Sungko in Lantapan, Bukidnon, the land of the Talaandigs.
While Bukidnon tribes’ costumes are predominantly red, the designs distinguish them from each other. Scroll back up to see Bae Inatlawan’s costume as compared to the costume of the womenfolk of Talaandig.
The headdress the women are wearing is called a “panika”.
To this day, almost a year later, I still look forward to returning to their villages to listen to their stories once more, and this time, not rushing toward a deadline. I pray…
My Web 
As a postscript to this study, I find this as a personal breakthrough of sorts. I insisted on writing it in a way that I am nothing but just a storyteller, the medium through which other people can “hear” the words as the people I talked to said them. This didn’t quite sit well with the ones who contracted out the job at first (I guess, that’s expected because they were expecting an academic dissertation of sorts). I stood my ground and am very grateful that they didn’t reject it.
My point: How can I ever be better in expressing the wisdom, beliefs, and thoughts of those who actually live and breathe with the forests when I was born in the city? This is their story, I am but an instrument, and I chose to tell it the way they told it to me. I will forever be grateful for these people for allowing me to listen to them, and for the people who asked me to write it to tell it the way I believe these tribal folk should be read about.
Hello. The tribe of Bae Inatlawan is called Bukidnon (yeah, same name as the Province). Daraghuyan is the name of their ancestral domain in Dalwangan, Malaybalay.
it was bae inatlawan who said it was daraghuyan. we spent two nights talking with her.
she explained a lot of things including the meaning of their names and practices.
i’ve been with the daraghuyan tribe of bukidnon where the people live at the foot of the mt.kitanglad. the natives are so kind and very friendly.. they are a bit modernized but all the knowledge and practices of their tribe has been passed through generations which is really cool.
you’re lucky. very few get that privilege. and fewer who are really interested to learn.
Bae Inatlawan tribe is BUkidnon and not Daraghuyan. Daraghuyan is the name of their ancestral domain.
Hello. I was very thankful I found your blog. It is a big help for our upcoming cultural presentation. If its okay with you can we use some of your pictures to be displayed in our bulletin and may I ask if do you have any idea what are the Talaandigs home delicacy, and the chicke how it cooked.. thank you
i’d appreciate if you introduce yourself a bit. thanks.
Oh sorry. I am Judilyn Rapacon AB-Psychology student at University of Southern Mindanao . We will be having our cultural presentation and display for our Society and cultures of Mindanao this month and your blog gave us a more idea about the Talaandigs. We are still researching and finding any important infos about the tribe since our teacher seems like like not interested on giving us any help for this. Talaandig is quite diffcult to search in net because of minimal infos that was uploaded.. Your blog will be a very big help for us.. thank you
emailing you.
If i get it right does it mean you will just email me? jewdeeleanara@gmail.com . If you don’t mind may I know your name so I can address you properly 🙂 thank you
email sent.
I am a native of Kalasungay, the rituals that you mention above are similar to what my father told me my grandfather believed and practiced. Sacrificing chickens and pigs to appease the spirits. They were also called magahat, when they kill an enemy the will get a piece of their liver and eat it. I am not sure if the natives of Kalasungay belong to the Higaonon or Talaandig tribe. My late father spoke Binukid and Manobo dialect. Because of my native status in 1960’s I was given free government scholarship after taking a examination they gave. So I took medicine.
As is the practice of indigenous peoples, they associate themselves with the places they live in. Thus, at present time, Kalasungay is a barangay in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Province where the IP group is called Bukidnon. The province of Bukidnon has seven IP groups: Bukidnon, Talaandig, Higa-onon, Umayamnon, Matigsalug, Manobo and Tigwahanon, of which they regard the first three as the main tribes, while the others are from overlapping domains shared with other municipalities and provinces. At least that is what I know. The masters of culture in the province may have better knowledge.