My Point of View: Higaonon tribe of Iligan city celebrates “Kaamulan”

The Kumba, Holy place of the Higaonon Tribe, with Datu Kilala (2nd from left) and the Baes.

 

BY JUN ENRIQUEZ (President, Manggagawang Media ng Mindanaw - MMM)

 

It's amazing! October is the “Kaamulan” month for the tribal communities in our country. This reminds us of the early civilization prior to the coming of the Spanish era, called the “Maharlika” of nations, now the Philippines.  I enjoyed writing this brief story featuring the lives of the Higaonon tribe of Iligan City as a reflection of our living memories.

Month of October is Kaamulan fests celebrations of the Tribal communities nationwide. “Kaamulan” is sanctifying the Sacred Healing for the preservation of the culture and tradition of the tribe and protect its nature in their ancestral lands, as it was explained in a conversation with “Datu Kilala,” Lanelio Sangcoan, City Councilor and Tribal leader of the Higaonon Tribe in Rogongon, the current Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), the City council of Iligan City. Datu Kilala is the second IPMR of the Iligan City government since 2013, started his term of office of the 18^th council in 2022. 

Datu Kilala

The Higaonon tribe of seven (7) communities endorsed through consensus, the IPs Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to represent the tribe and become a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) as City Councilor, a local legislative body of the local government unit of Iligan City. The selection of IPMR is mandated under the Republic Act 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, coupled with the existing traditional laws of the tribe, especially in terms of decision-making, supervised by the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP). The local legislation of the IPMR was passed in 2013 authored by the former Iligan City councilor, Atty Manny Salibay, also a Human rights advocate. The first IPMR of the Iligan city council was Datu Rolando Soong, through appointment, started his term of office in 2013 and ended in 2021, good for two terms.

There were at least ten clans of the Higaonon tribe joined this year's celebration held at Kalasan tribal village, Migsaliding, Rogongon, Iligan City, a four-day activity of day and night celebrations started on six until ten of October 2022. Rogongon has a distance to at least 30 kilometers of concrete roads from the city proper with average travel time of 45 minutes free of traffic problem. It is a mountainous area with elevation estimates to at least 845 Meters above sea level (MASL) at its peak, bounded by Misamis oriental in the North, Bukidnon in the east, Lanao del Norte in the west and Lanao del Sur in the south.

Sikyop cave underground river

Iligan City is composed of 44 barangays with a total land area of 81,337 hectares and has a population of 363,115 as of 2020 census. The estimated 20 percent of the total land area belongs to the coastal area and the 80 percent is mountainous area, including Rogongon. The Barangay Rogongon is situated in the eastern part of Iligan City with a population of 7,592 inhabitants. The 70 percent of the population is composed of Higaonon tribe while the 30 percent is non-IPs or settlers of different cultures. Barangay Rogongon enjoyed of having complete schools for Elementary and High school education, to cater the IPs and non-IPs students in the area.

Rogongon is rich in natural resources with still the presence of a larger portion of forested areas, rivers, waterfalls, caves with underground rivers. Most of the agricultural products confined on abaca, coffee, cacao, bananas and vegetables, and few animal raisings. However, challenges encountered in agricultural production, are massive viruses that kills their plants and animals that hampered the economic trends of the Higaonon tribe.

The Baylans in ritual

Datu Kilala expressed concerns about the aim and purpose of the Kaamulan celebration to remind the members of the Higaonon tribe to be united, preserve and protect the culture and tradition with connectivity of their relationship to the nature and environment they lived since time immemorial, the so called Suwara, on how it will relates the importance of the lives of the tribes for its existence.

Datu Kilala famously known in the tribe, means “Helpful” explained that the celebrations will be filled with rituals and prayers by the “Baylans”, the religious leaders of the tribe. The Baylans will also give narration of the history of the tribe using the Higaonon tongue to remind the members of the tribe since the creation of the Earth by the “Magbabaya” (God). The Datus and Baes and the youth will perform Tribal songs and dances as part of the rituals during the day and night celebrations. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Tribes and Nature’s Survival”. 

The Limunsudan falls at 270 meters high

Datu Kilala expressed his thanks to Iligan City Mayor Siao for supporting the Kaamulan celebration as part of his first 100 days accomplishments in serving the people of Iligan City. He also extended his thanks to the members of the 18^th council of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Iligan City for their support for the success of the celebration. 

In our continued conversation, Datu Kilala told me that the Higaonon Ancestral Domain has a total land area of 32,000 hectares for the Higaonon tribe in Iligan City. Inclusive to it, the Kalasan tribal village has its own 400 hectares as part of the Ancestral domain of the tribe.

The Baes, women leaders on ritual songs

There was also the existence of the Tribes and Nature’s Defenders, Incorporated (TNDI), a non-profit and non-government organization (NGO), whose main objectives is to protect and preserve the culture and tradition of the tribe and its environment. The TNDI is managed by “Datu Pasagi” Lito Morano, Executive Director. Datu Pasagi said that the Kaamulan festivity is celebrated on the month of October of every year. He said whenever the Kaamulan festival is joyfully celebrated by the tribe like in heaven. The role of the TNDI will be the vanguard of the ancestral domain and gatekeeper of the culture and traditions of the Higaonon tribe. Datu Pasagi said that they invited the Talakag Tribal falls village of bukidnon, the Military and Police from the security sector and other visitors.

The natural stairway of Sinulok cave

During the earth month celebration in April, NCIP Provincial Director Buddy Landong reminded the tribe to plant trees and keeps it growing, not tree planting, growing then cutting is irresponsible. Director Landong emphasized about their responsibility to restore the denuded forest, maintain ecological balance to give life for the watersheds and hunting grounds because the tribe is always connected to the environment. He added, if the environment is dead, the tribe will be lost because venues of tribal ceremonies such as rituals, “Pamomolakaw and Panalawahig”, will be held at the forests, trees, rivers, watersheds and caves. Trees will produce water naturally. Forest should be protected to prevent disaster. If the tribe will not protect the Ancestral domain, it will be lost forever. 

Datu Kilala holds mobile phone for selfie with the tribe

Director Landong narrated the responsibilities of the tribe will not only settle in protecting the environment but most importantly, is to protect the Ancestral Domain. He said according to historians and tribal leaders, in every second, minute and an hour, babies will be born to continue keeping the ancestral lands for the existence of the tribe. The “Magbabaya” (God) will no longer give more lands He created.

Higaonon female youth performs ritual dance

Director Landong said if the ancestral lands will be lost in the hands of the tribe, the big question is to where will be the new generation goes to survive? Reflecting in a situation like this, if the lands will be owned by other people who are non-IPs, in worst case scenario, the tribe will become workers of their lands already owned by other people. That’s why NCIP Director Landong appealed to the tribe to seriously put in their heart to keep the Ancestral Domain intact for the good future of the tribe.

In response to this, Datu Kilala expressed his commitment asking the unity of the tribe to protect and preserve their Ancestral domain. The Kalasan tribal village in Migsaliding, Rogongon is the heart of the Higaonon tribe in Iligan City. He was appealing all the sectors in the tribe to act it now not tomorrow, especially the youth to actively enjoin to protect the nature and environment and strengthen the culture and tradition of the Higaonon tribe, called the Suwara, the interconnecting of the culture and environment for a better future of the coming generations of the tribe.

The Higaonon children of forest rangers

Datu Kilala ambitioned to uplift the living conditions of the Higaonon tribe calling all the sectors in the society to become stakeholders to help capacitate the tribe especially the youth in terms of education, livelihood, environmental protection, cultural strengthening, among others.

Whoever has the interest to help the Higaonon tribe for socio-economic partnerships, you may contact “Datu Kilala” Lanelio Sangcoan, City Councilor and IPMR Representative (tribal leader), Sangguniang Panlungsod, Local government unit (LGU), Iligan City. 

The Migsaliding river

Just a point of view, to clarify the recently held Diyandi Festival celebrations in September, that the word "Diyandi" is an alien word not coming from the Higaonon tongue and was confirmed by the tribe. Asking to some Iliganons, the word "Diyandi" is a celebration of a person in a state of dying. Some people suggested that the word "Diyandi" must be changed in celebrating Iligan fiesta to break the bad Karma, so that Iligan City will rise up from falling (not from the dead) for so long now. Hope the message will be understood. 

Viewing further, another round of understanding the word "Iligan" is a Higaonon word "Ilig", meaning to go and find a place for comfort. This was confirmed by the Higaonon tribe. It is noted that some of the name of the places in Iligan City rooted from the Higaonon word.

(Photo credits: the Internet, Bob Quijano, Kag. Maricel Timbangan and Datu Kilala)

Rogongon map with an altitude of 845 MASL