Understanding the Lumads

The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It
is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad.
The Bukidnon people believe in one god, Magbabaya (Ruler of All), though there are several
minor gods and goddesses that they worship as well. Religious rites are presided by a baylan
whose ordination is voluntary and may come from any sex.
Pangantucan is a place usually where the IP’s lived here in Bukidnon and is a one hour
van ride from Musuan, Maramag. We visited the Ked-Tabur Festival’s IP Youth Congress consist
with lumad youths from different schools to have a knowledge about them and their culture.
As we get there at the venue, the Lumadnons welcome us all with a clap with a big smile
on their faces. We observe the event and later, we met the IP youths during the team building
and surprisingly, they are very friendly and approachable. After that, the session has started which
gave us a big realization about our expectations to them.
“Ang mga talent ng mga kabatan onan maoy ipakusog ug ipalambo para pagpreserba
ug magpabilin ang kultura na nagpabilin sa lumad, makuha na bulawan gikan magbabaya”, Datu
Maximino Sultan, reflected as he continued his speech. The speech is for the y in orderouth of
lumads, for them to have a strong characteristics like the apos in the future knowing that our
generation today are almost colonized by the foreigners and technologies.

Datu Inlagwas Alindiwan of Lumagwas is very happy seeing the youths are active to the
said event and stated that there will be a great achievement by having their presence there. He
also stated the traditional culture of the tribe which is the adat (respect), limu (embrace), tikar
(patience), and talawit (generous) that molds their characteristic to be a good person for
magbabaya.

“Culture must be protected not to be owned” according to Datu Sulad Wendell. He

discussed about taking care of the land as a treasure that they will protect it amidst of the power
of money because the blessings from magbabaya is more valuable and worthwile than a piece of
amount.

Dwanie Grace Sulta, a Licensed Professional Teacher which belong to IP (Indigenous

People) gave her experience and inspirational message that surely inspires the youth. Up to this
day, the Lumad are not only driven away from their lands. Derogatory attitude towards their culture
also continues to take root in the consciousness of non-Lumad, making life even more difficult for
the Lumad. Oftentimes, we hear statements that plainly reflect this attitude. “Ah, hugaw kaayo ka,
mura man ka’g IP (You’re so dirty, you look like an IP)”, one of the statements oftentimes spoken
right to their faces that’s why she keeps on inspiring youths by preaching like: “Being an IP is not
a burden, it is a blessing from magbabaya” and “You should be proud of your own culture” which
really motivates them and them feel that they’re not different from us, that they are also human
that has feelings and can be hurt. Later, she answered the questions from the youths that gave
us the idea also about them.
 We realize that there are lots of things in the culture of the Lumad that a non-Lumad needs
to understand. As the congress goes by, knew already a little piece of them by listening to them
even just for a while.

Technology almost eat ourselves by what we’ve seen that made us prison by our own
world without realizing that little by little we already forgetting our own culture, that it is slowly
fading within us. As a youth we must have to realize that we have our own, and we must preserve
it because sometimes, we don’t know where we come from anymore especially when those who
could tell us are no longer alive. The Apos and Datus of Pangantucan observed how the difficult
struggle for survival and the coming in of settlers have alienated the Lumad from their culture
that’s why they push this Ked-Tabur Festival in order to keep the culture alive.

We hope that people increased their genuine interest in the Lumad culture so that people
will gain insights and a deeper understanding of their way of life, and hopefully, address the age-
old bias against them as a people.