MUSIC OF MANGYAN IN MINDORO

MINA DE ORO is the oldest name given to Mindoro because it is the center for goldmining. Most of
the Hanunuo Mangyans are wanderers. They travel from different places where there is food to eat.
Mangyan is the general term for people who live in the mountainous region of Mindoro.
The music of the Mangyans is characterized by its chanting song style called Ambahan. It has no
specific tone style but it is monophonic in texture. Basically, it made up of seven syllables in one line.
The Ambahan ranges from three to 134 lines. It is expressed in an allegorical manner. The Ambahan
is a means to encourage the parents in guiding their children, in expressing their love to them and in
sharing valuable experiences that can be applied to their day to day living.
The Mangyans write the lyrics of the Ambahan in a bamboo tube called Luka as a means to preserve
their music.
The term Hanunuo means true or genuine . This word is used to describe the Mangyans who
have remained faithful to their traditions. This tribal group possess a system of writing which is a
descendant of the ancient Sanskrit alphabet. They use this form of writing to compose the chanted
poetry called Ambahan.
Mangyans write their newly discovered ambahan in a portion of a bamboo pole. They take care of it,
teach it and pass it on to the next generation. They are taught how to write the ambahan at a very
young age even though they could hardly read its script.
Mangyan music is a way of life. It is used for courting, merrymaking, relaxing and worshipping. The
vocal style used is leader-chorus type and is often accompanied by musical instruments. Their songs
include:
*Lullabies like the iyaya
*Recollection of war exploits
*Documentation
*love lyrics
*ritual chants like the ayung or ngayung
The musical joust done during merrymaking is participated in by both men and women of the
tribe.Musical instrument like the kudyapi, gitgit and wind instruments are played to accompany the
Ambahan. Sometimes the Ambahan is used as a tool for courting women.
To accompany the festive Hanunuo music are the gongs of Mindoro. These are smaller and lighter
suspended gongs with bosses facing each other. The rhythm of the gongs together with the other
instruments is used to accompany the Ambahan and the post harvest of merry making.
The Mangyan musical instruments are classified into three sections: string instruments or the
chordophones, wind instrument or aerophones and percussion instruments or idiophones. These
instruments are played in various festivities, rituals and daily activities. The xylophones,
drums,bamboos or sticks are used for improvisation of accompaniments.

STRING INSTRUMENT OR CHORDOPHONES

Gitgit an indigenous three-stringed violin with human hair string
Batiwtiw a bamboo instrument
Kudyapi - a lute
Kudlung a bamboo zither with parallel strings
Gitara a home-made guitar
WIND INSTRUMENTS OR AEROPHONES
Bangsi an external pipeflute

Badyung a bamboo trumpet

Cantuy a nose flute
Plawta a mouth blown transverse flute
Tangkop- a bamboo whistle
PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS OR IDIOPHONES
Buray dipay a bend pod rattle
Kalutang percussion stick
Agung - brass gongs
Kinaban a bamboo Jews harp
Subing a Jews harp
Barimbaw a bamboo slit gong

The WEDDING GOWN OF MANGYAN IN MINDORO

Mangyan is a general term that refers to eight ethnolinguistic groups of proto-malay origin that
occupies the mountainous region of Mindoro island. The Mangyans are the original inhabitants of
Mindoro, the seventh largest island in the Philippines.
Among the Mangyans in the southern end of Oriental Mindoro, courtship takes a romantic flavor.
Under the magic splendor of the moonlight, young man takes his native guitar and blanket, goes to
the girl's hut, and sings to her. The girl comes out and goes with him to a forest. There, in some
secluded spot, the man spread out a mat. The girl lies on it, while her suitor sits at her side pouring
out his feelings in love songs the whole night through. The maid answers him in songs also.

Wedding Ceremony
Mindoro Wedding Traditions is the same with the other tagalog regions.
There are still many traditional customs or superstitions that are being followed by Filipinos or those
people who wish to have a Filipino style wedding. As time pass by, this beliefs started to fade slowly
but not totally gone.
Marrying in the Philippines, as we all know, are truly remarkable and special. The wedding day will
never be forgotten, thus, it will be treasured and remembered forever.
Filipinos have many age old traditions make for a beautiful and exciting event. Filipino weddings, also
known as kasalan, are among the most beautiful and intricate celebrations in the world because of
the Filipino cultures high regard for the sanctity of marriage making the event a lengthy and
ceremonious occasion to remind everyone attendingespecially the bride and groomthat the bond
connecting the couple is expected to become permanent.

Filipino bride dress up in a traditional all-white wedding gown and the groom is handsomely clad in
the traditional barong. In addition to the gown, the bride often wears a veil and carries a bouquet of
flowers. A garter may also be worn and removed by the groom during the reception.
The groom wears a barong, a traditional hand embroidered formal shirt made from especially handloomed jusi or pina (pineapple fiber) cloth. You will be able to see some men wearing the Barong
Tagalog at the wedding, a thin and transparent dress, most of the time white of color with a shirt
under it. Now, even men go for black tuxedo.

During a specific point in the ceremony known as the Sanctus, the veil sponsors carefully pin a large
veil on top of the bride's head and onto the shoulder of the groom. These secondary sponsors play a
part in the wedding ceremony, and each couple has specific functions: lighting of the unity candles these two candles are lit symbolizing the joining of the two families and to invoke the light of Christ in
their married life, putting on the veil - white veils are placed over the bride's head and the groom's
shoulders, a symbol of two people clothed as one and the cord for their respective ceremonies. In
Filipino traditional wedding the bride and the groom drape over their shoulders the yugal (a decorative
silk cord) in a figure-eight shape--to symbolize everlasting fidelity, it is one of several centuries-old
Philippine wedding traditions. The groom offers the bride 13 coins, blessed by the priest, as a sign of
his dedication to his wife's happiness and the welfare of their future children.
Towards the end of the ceremony, at a signal from the Priest/Minister, the Bride and Groom come up
and approach the candles. When the bride and groom exit the church, they are greeted good wishes
and applause by family and friends. During the reception couples practice the Filipino wedding
custom of releasing a pair of white doves to symbolize a loving and harmonious marriage.There will
be music and dancing for hours. Spanish music among others will be played the night through.The
bride and groom will dance the "money dance" where guests pin pesos or dollars to the bride or
groom in exchange for a dance with them. Depending on the wishes of the couple, Spanish traditional
dances will be performed. Filipinos love to party and celebrate, and a wedding is one grand occasion.
It is during the reception that the wedding cake is cut.
Beliefs
Filipinos still adhere to numerous widely-held folk beliefs that have no scientific or logical basis but

maybe backed-up by some past experiences.

Brides shouldn't try on her wedding dress before the wedding day or the wedding will not push
through.
Giving arinola (chamberpot) as wedding gift is believed to bring good luck to newlyweds.
Altar-bound couples are accident-prone and therefore must avoid long drives or traveling before their
wedding day for safety.
If it rains during the wedding, it means prosperity and happiness for the newlyweds.
- A flame extinguished on one of the wedding candles means the one on which side has the unlit
candle, will die ahead of the other.
Throwing rice confetti at the newlyweds will bring them prosperity all their life.
The groom must arrive before the bride at the church to avoid bad luck.
It is considered bad luck for two siblings to marry on the same year.
Breaking something during the reception brings good luck to the newlyweds.
The bride should step on the groom's foot while walking towards the altar if she wants him to agree to
her every whim.
A bride who wears pearls on her wedding will be an unhappy wife experiencing many heartaches and
tears.
An unmarried woman who follows the footsteps (literally) of the newlyweds will marry soon.
Dropping the wedding ring, the veil or the arrhae during the ceremony spells unhappiness for the
couple.

Mangyan in Mindoro Wedding

The Filipinos have unusual marriage traditions. Mangyan can be a general term which represents 8
ethno linguistic groups involving proto-malay origin in which occupies the mountainous region of
Mindoro. They are the first occupants of Mindoro, the 7th biggest island in the Philippines. One of the

Mangyans in the southern part of Oriental Mindoro, the courtship requires a romantic quality.
Underneath the magical wonders of the moonlight, the young guy will take his native guitar as well as
blanket, visits the girls hut, as well as sings. The girl goes out with him to the forest. There, in certain
remote place, the man spread a mat. The girl lies down, while the boy sits at the side throwing out his
love feelings through love songs the whole evening. The girl answers him also in songs.
The wedding tradition in Mindoro is similar to the some other tagalog regions. There are lots of
traditional customs or perhaps superstitions followed by Filipinos or perhaps those individuals who
would like to have a Filipino type wedding. While time goes by, the beliefs began to fade slowly yet
not totally vanished. The bride wears a traditional wedding gown as well as the groom is handsomely
dressed in barong. As an addition to the bridal gown, the bride usually wears a white veil and has a
bouquet of flowers. The groom must wear a garter that can be removed during the reception.
During the ceremony, the veil sponsors cautiously pin the veil over the brides head as well as to the
grooms shoulder. The secondary sponsors play a role during the wedding ceremony, and every
couple has certain functions: lighting of the candles these candles are lit which represents the union
of the 2 families and also to conjure the light of Jesus within their married life, wearing the veil is put
on the brides head and the grooms shoulders, symbolic of 2 people dressed as one as well as the
cord for own ceremonies.
Within Filipino traditional wedding bride and the groom hang on their shoulders a yugal (a silk cord) in
the figure-8 shapeto represent eternal loyalty, its one of many centuries-old wedding customs. The
groom provides the bride Thirteen coins, blessed by the officiating priest, being a symbol of his
persistence

for

his

wifes

joy

as

well

as

the

wellbeing

of

their

future

kids.

At the end of the wedding, a sign from the Priest/Minister, the couple stand up and approach the
candles. Once the couple leaves the church, theyre greeted and applause by friends and family. In
the reception, married couples practice the Filipino wedding tradition of releasing a set of white doves
to represent a loving as well as a happy marriage. Therell be music as well as dancing for several
hours. The couple will dance the money dance in which guests pin cash to them in return for a
dance along with them.