Mandaya

"Mandaya" derives from "man" meaning "first," and "daya" meaning "upstream" or "upper portion of a
river," and therefore means "the first people upstream". It refers to a number of groups found along the
mountain ranges of Davao Oriental, as well as to their customs, language, and beliefs. The Mandaya are
also found in Compostela and New Bataan in Compostela Valley (formerly a part of Davao del Norte
Province). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumad#B.27laan)

2. From the outsider’s perspective and observation, the Mandaya according to a French historian are
“people of superior mentality” (De Sainte-Croix, 1803-1809). In a book “The Manobos of Mindanao”
(Volume XXIII, 1929), an American anthropologist John M. Garvan mentioned a description of the
Mandaya as “the greatest and best tribe in eastern Mindanáo” and as “people of a superior race.”
Even before the Spaniards came in the 16th century, the Mandaya were already far more advance from
their contiguous ethnic groups in the Philippines, as evidently shown in their intricate arts and designs,
literature, political structure,  philosophy, and religious beliefs.
They independently lived and had their own sophisticated governance led by the Chief Warrior (Bagani)
and the Council of Elders (Kaugpongan Ng MgaMangkatadong), equipped with the technology of farming,
fishing, and weaving that are still existing today in Davao Oriental, and some parts of Compostela Valley
and Surigao Del Sur.

Etymology and Geographic Location

The etymological meaning of Mandaya (collective noun) comes from two words “mán” (prefix) and “dáya”
(root word). Mán or máng is a Mandaya possessive prefix, which means “of” or “from” referring to the
point of origin, i.e., people, time, and place. Dàya, on the other hand, literally means “upstream” or
“upland,” which refers to an indefinite place that is farther away from the lowland. Hence, Mán-dáya or
Mandaya describes the people who are living in the high regions, e.g., plateau, valley, or mountain.

It is important to note that this possessive prefix would also classify the same tribal groups based on
geographic locations in some parts of Davao Gulf, Davao Del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Surigao del
Sur. For instance, Manobô (known to be descended from the Mandaya) are people by the river or near
the island, Mansaka living in the outskirt, Mangguangan living in the forests, and Managusan living along
Agusan River. Sans possessive prefix are Dibabawan (people living in upper Compostela Valley),
Tagabaloy (people from Balo-oy) and Kalagan (spirited people), Islamized Mandaya living along coastal
areas of Mati, Tarragona, Manay, and Banaybanay.

Mandaya is one of the ancient ethnic groups in the Philippines. While some Mandaya are sporadically
scattered in some 
The origin of the Mandaya is quite a mystery and has been subject to different debates and theories by
anthropologists and historians.  The Montano Indonesian Theory, for example, proposes that, among
other ethnic groups in Mindanao, the Mandaya must have originated from the native Indonesians
belonging to Polynesian family (Garban 1929). Another popular theory is that the Mandaya originated
from the Malay, the Chinese, the Japanese, and later, the Dutch.parts of Davao Del Norte, Compostela
Valley, and Surigao del Sur, the concentration of their settlement, which still exists today, is at the heart of
Davao Oriental particularly Baganga, Caraga, and Cateel. The Augustinians and Recoletos Friars
frequently mentioned these three towns during their 17 th and 18th century missions (Schreurs 1989; 2000),
and how the Mandaya strongly resisted from their proselytization of Caraga Province.
Depending on which period and how they are being categorized based on the epochal developments and
influences, it can be surmised that the Mandaya race is the mixture of different contacts with the maritime
oriented people or Nusantao (Solheim Theory) at the height of their oceanic trade in Southeast Asia, e.g.,
Indochina, Vietnam, and Taiwan, dating back to 5000 B.C (Solheim 2006). The amalgamation of different
races through the genetic and linguistic influences between 5000 and 300 BC may have produced the
origin of the Mandaya today. (http://news.davaooriental.com.ph/index.php/feature-the-quintessence-of-
being-a-mandaya-by-danny-castillones-sillada/)