CENTRAL MINDNAO COLLEGES

OSMEÑA DRIVE, KIDAPAWAN CITY

EXPLORING THE CULTURE OF B’LAAN IN BACONG TULUNAN NORTH COTABATO

Marañon, Daniella Camille A.

Develos, Hezzie Kaye P.

Parojinog, Julia Riz C.

Odi, Vhanna Shane S.

Santos, Rhea Mae F.

Miclat, Quenie L.

AISA MONTEFALCON
Adviser

August 2019
 Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the study

The Blaan people,[1] alternatively spelled as "B'laan",[2] are one of the

indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. Their name could

have derived from "bla" meaning "opponent" and the suffix "an" meaning

"people". Other terms used to refer to this group are Blaan, Bira-an, Baraan,

Vilanes, and Bilanes.The Blaan are neighbors of the Tboli, and live in Lake Sebu

and Tboli municipalities of South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City, the

southeastern part of Davao and around Lake Buluan in North Cotabato. They

are famous for their brassworks, beadwork and tabih weave. The people of

these tribes wear colorful embroidered native costumes and beadwork

accessories. The women of these tribes, particularly, wear heavy brass belts with

brass 'tassels' ending in tiny brass bells that herald their approach even when

they are a long way off (Wikipedia).

Some Blaan natives were displaced when General Santos City was

founded in 1939. Others settled in the city. Their language is said to be the

source of the name for Koronadal City, from two Blaan words – kalon meaning

cogon grass and nadal or datal meaning plain, which aptly described the

place to the natives. On the other hand, Marbel, which is another name for the

poblacion, is a Blaan term Malb-el which means "murky waters" referring to a

river, now called Marbel River. The tribe practices indigenous rituals while

adapting to the way of life of modern Filipinos (Wikipedia).

B’laans have kept themselves culturally, politically, and economically

distinct from their Muslim neighbors; they have never succumbed to the rule of

the datuships. Thus, most of B’laan traditions, customs, and way of life have

remained intact. It is not unusual to see B’laans still eating their mama (betel

nut). The sound of bells hanging on the women’s sabitangaling (a belt of brass

rings) can still be heard as they go about their daily chores. Elders continue

telling stories of old times to the next generation.

The Bilaan culture is unique, the tribe practices indigenous rituals for

almost everything they do because of their belief in the supremacy of the great

Creator named Melu or D’wata, who is the source of everything. The Bilaan are

strong believers of interdependence with the environment and the need to

respect the will of the Creator. They are not allowed to touch or destroy any

creature or object without his permission through rituals. In these rituals, they

make offerings to their deities requesting for signs to know where to best make a

clearing for a particular planting season. One of this is the mabah or offering to

the deities requesting omens that would help them choose the fields for

planting.They believe there is only one supreme being that rules the cosmos and

also in the existence of a soul which upon leaving the body causes illness and

even death.
RESEARCH QUESTION:

1.What are the cultural aspects/practices of B’laan Tribe in term of:

a. Ritual c. Traditional Foods e. Waving

b. Traditional Attire d. Cultural Dance

THEORETICAL LENS

A theoretical lens consists of the concepts together with their definition

and reference to B’laan Culture, existing theory that is used for your particular

study. The theoretical lens must demonstrate an understanding of theories and

concepts that are relevant to the topic of your research paper and relate to the

B’laan Culture knowledge being considered relevant to the research problem

you are investigating. The selection of a theory should depend on its

appropriateness, ease of application, and explanatory power of B’laan Culture.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on B’laan Culture and develop base on traditional

beliefs. This study is only related to the culture of B’laan.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

ADMINISTRATION - This study will help to the administration to be aware and fully

understand the B’laan culture.

TEACHER - This study will be to the teachers and general educations teachers,

especially to the teachers who are still newbie in the teaching profession.

Through this research, teachers may purposefully discover the B’laan Culture.

STUDENT - The direct recipients of the output of this research are the students

with special needs. Any improvement of the B’laan Culture can pave the way

of producing better learning and discipline to survive and thrive in the society.

RESEARCHER - The outcome of the study is benefical to the neither present

researhers or the future researchers. This study may be one of the basis that a
B’laan Culture in learning will arise.
 CHAPTER 2

The B’laan are composed of three Proto-Malay subgroups from

Koronadal, Sarangani, and Davao. Many B’laans speak Cebuano aside from

the B’laan language. Their means of livelihood are swidden farming, weaving

(the males weave baskets and the females, mats), fishing, hunting, food

gathering, and tool- and weapon-making.

B’laans have kept themselves culturally, politically, and economically

distinct from their Muslim neighbors; they have never succumbed to the rule of

the datuships. Thus, most of B’laan traditions, customs, and way of life have

remained intact. It is not unusual to see B’laans still eating their mama (betel

nut). The sound of bells hanging on the women’s sabitan galing (a belt of brass

rings) can still be heard as they go about their daily chores. Elders continue

telling stories of old times to the next generation.

The Bilaan culture is unique, the tribe practices indigenous rituals for

almost everything they do because of their belief in the supremacy of the great

Creator named Melu or D’wata, who is the source of everything. The Bilaan are

strong believers of interdependence with the environment and the need to

respect the will of the Creator. They are not allowed to touch or destroy any

creature or object without his permission through rituals. In these rituals, they

make offerings to their deities requesting for signs to know where to best make a

clearing for a particular planting season. One of this is the mabah or offering to
the deities requesting omens that would help them choose the fields for

planting.They believe there is only one supreme being that rules the cosmos and

also in the existence of a soul which upon leaving the body causes illness and

even death.(THE ASWANG PROJECT 2017)

Beadwork

Beadwork among the B’laans involve mother-of-pearl discs (takmun). Shell

discs were the most popular means of ornamenting abaca and cotton

garments of the animist peoples of Mindanao. Other favorites were appliqué,

coins, beads, bells, tufts of horsehair, and sweet-smelling herbs. In older

examples, many of these materials come together in a single garment to

produce a rich palette of colors and textures. Beadworkers in Lamlifew say that

the triangular motifs are symbolic of mountains, of Mt. Matutum in particular,

which is regarded as a sacred mountain. Not only albong takmun / takmum

(woman’s blouse) but also sawal (man’s trousers) were ornamented with

mother-of-pearl shell discs (takmun or takmum).

Although we saw two samples of albong takmun the ground of which was dark

blue oxford cloth with a red piping, the oft-used beads on blouses of the same

cloth are white plastic beads. The plastic beads are procured from General

Santos City while the mother-of-pearl discs are supplied from Cebu. Also used as

beads (and as components of earring-necklace combos) are tiny seeds.

Although kamagi (gold necklace) oft-mentioned as part of bride wealth, not a

glimpse of it was caught in both research areas. Lamlifew’s gentlewoman

Herminia Lacna mentioned that her kamagi (gold necklaces) are in a safety

deposit box in LandBank. There was a time only people with royal blood could

wear the traditional apparel, but now, there are no prohibitions nor restrictions

on wearing or purchasing B’laan traditional apparel.

Music and Dance

In the Lamlifew Village Museum, artifacts represented include spears, anklets,

albong takmun, as well as photos of weavers. A notched log leaning diagonally

serves as the stairs leading up to a room on the second floor.

Musical instruments are extensively used in B’laan rituals and dances. The

instruments run the full range of idiophones (percussions), bamboo tubes with

strings, wooden lutes, flutes and reeds. The odol precussion is a wooden

sonorant plan made from molave. It produces drumlike rythms when it is used to

accompany the dance which is part of the odol performance.

Several stringed instruments are also played. B’laan cultural master Herminia

Lacna donned her albong, malong, and bead jewelry and sang to the

accompaniment of a two-stringed lute (faglong). She sang in the Weaving

Center as well as in the gumne sabak. She said she learned to play the faglong
by watching her father play the instrument. She uses an inch-long bamboo

cutting as a pick. It is tied with thread looped around her index finger.

She composes songs on the fly. The subjects of her compositions include: the

plight of orphans who beg for food and are given just rice and bones (without

meat) and a woman who entreats her lover to return to her because she misses

him. Another song reveals a wish to be like a handsome man whose bearing is

regal. One is about a young girl whose fair beauty prompts a young man to

confess that he wants her to be his bride. A faster number describes dance

steps: lakang ka-upat, hunong sa usa (take four steps and then stop). Dances

have close-to-the-ground steps, consisting of shuffling and going around in

circles.

Five types of dances were demonstrated: (1) Aral Kafi (Bird Dance); (2) Alwek

Mahin (Waves); (3) Fafye Bawe (Applying Makeup; Glamorizing); (4) Almala

Nga(Pacifying a Baby); and (5) Samdi-Ot (Undulating Hips).

Songs rendered were short with simple subjects. The B’laan young girls sang four

songs taught to them by Helen L. Lombos who herself learned at the feet of the

cultural master Herminia Lacna.Song 1—“Fais” (or Kris)—is about a woman who

is vacillating. She is deciding whether or not to say Yes to an ardent suitor. The

suitor travels the wide seas to procure a sword, which he presents to the lady

love, to prove his good intentions.Song 2—“Ew Ew Lamlifew” (Magandang

Lamlifew) is about pride of place. Lamlifew, which is home, is described as being

a beautiful place where trees (kayo) stand and fufow (wild yam) thrive. From

Lamlifew, Makew the mountain is visible.Song 3—“Don Don Man Nga Yoy”

(Child Beggar) is about poverty. A homeless child named Don Don begged for

food and has food thrown at him.Song 4 is about planting rice. It sets the rhythm

for planting rice—men dig a hole with a stick and women put in the rice stalk. It

mentions coming across a snake along the way.

The B’laans currently live in three disparate areas: South Cotabato,

Sarangani Province, and Davao del Sur, according to Quizon (1998, 103) who

cites Arcenas (1993: 4). Brief profiles of the B’laans exist in Peralta (2000), Tiu in

Castrillo (2006), Respicio (2014), Tiu (2005), and Reyes (1992). While Respicio

(2014, 115-116) and Reyes (1992, 104-154) provide information on the B’laan

geographical territory (Respicio adds Sultan Kudarat and Balut Island off

Sarangani Bay as homes of the B’laans), they focus more on the weaving and

embroidery prowess of B’laan women.(OLEDAN 2018 )

The Bilaans have their own system of weaving using abaca fiber, before

weaving the typical patterns, rituals are held in accordance with the Bilaan

culture, but only the weavers know about these rituals and before making any

pattern or design divine guidance is first sought. It is believed that the designs

were imparted to the dreamer through the l'nilong (fairies), who are considered

guardians of nature. Their handicraft and traditional attires are being brought to
almost every ceremony and are considered as priceless possessions that are

offered as dowries during weddings and used as payment for crimes committed

against a person or clan or for settling disputes among warring clans.

The Bilaan culture is unique, the tribe practices indigenous rituals for

almost everything that they do because of their belief on the supremacy of the

great Creator named Malu or D'wata, who is the source of everything. The

Bilaan are strong believers on the interdependency with the environment and

must respect the will of the Creator and are not allowed to touch or destroy any

creature or object without His permission. They believe that there is only one

supreme being that rules the cosmos and in the existence of a soul which upon

leaving the body causes illness and even death. Bilaan men wear their hair long

and have tattoos on their back, chest legs and arms, some of the main

characteristics practised by men and woman of this tribe is the shaving of the

eyebrows and the blackening of their tongues and filed incisors.

Musical instruments, like wooden lutes, flutes and bamboo tubes with

strings are used extensively with their rituals and dances. One of the well known

ritual dance is the Blit B'laan. a courtship dance of the imitating the movements

of the male and female birds during mating season.

Among the Bilaan in Southern Mindanao, a handwoven mat spread on the

ground or the floor marks a sacred space. A story told on a B'laan mat must tell

the truth. It is believed that the good spirits will join the communing human
beings. Only when keeping ther faith, otherwise it will not work. These mats are

also spread out to mediate conflicts by tribal leaders named Datu or the tribal

elders.

Close family ties have always been recognized as one of the core values

of Bilaan families and are deeply embedded in their culture, the life of the

Bilaan evolves around their family that usually lives within one compound,

consisting of more than one spouse and extended relatives living together. To

protect their property and to secure themselves from intrusions, most marriages

are limited to close relatives, within this community cousins are allowed to marry

each other.

The Bilaan of Southern Mindanao are still upholding their traditional ways

of living, their values and their distinctive culture, it is impressive to see how this

community can adjust and find meaning in life in a modern Philippine

society.(Ronald de Jong, Dec 31, 2009 )