TITLE : HIGAONON CHANTS AND MUSIC

RESEARCHER : MS. JANE L. PAGLINAWAN

Teacher 1 – Science, SPA Music Specialist

ABSTRACT

The Higaonon is one of the least known ethnolinguistic groups that inhabit North-Central
Mindana0. The occupy the mountainous regions of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon plateau, the
mountain borders of the provinces of Agusan and Lanao in the east and west, respectively. There
is an average of 6.3 members in an Higaonon household (a range of 6.04-6.9). The estimate of
Higaonon population in a 15-20 kilometer radius is between 10,000 and 20,000 from Misamis
Oriental to Cagayan de Oro City, there are approximately 100,000 Higaonon members (National
Commission for Cutlure and Arts-central cultural communities [NCCA], 2011).
In the mountains of Rogongon, they comprise 80% of the actual population in the area.
The population in Rogongon is identified into 3 groups: Dinagat (children in mixed race),
Maranaos, and Higaonons (Guidance Counselor, Kabangahan Rogongon Elementary school July
2016).
The case of the Higaonon tribe, the Northern and Central regions of Mindanao,
particularly in the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Agusan Del Sur
and Agusan del Norte, are their inhabitations. Among all the ethnic groups of the area,
Higaonons are the least known and is now given attention to revive and inculcate their culture
and traditions in the cities. They are described as the “people of the living mountains” and
“people of the wilderness” (Saranza, PNU-Mindanao).
The language of Higaonon, called Binukid, is one of the 15 Manobo languages, which
form a subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian or Austronesian family of languages. In border areas
of Bukidnon and neighboring regions, the musical cultures seem to be influenced by the adjacent
music cultures.
This study, the researcher aims to document the chants and music of the Higaonon tribe
situated in Rogongon. Specifically, this study aims to analyze these in terms of richness in
human values, characterization, symbols, and interpretation through music. The output of this
research is a performance art demonstrated and studied using appropriate instructional materials
integrated in the community’s mother tongue and shared to aspiring Music students in the
Special Program in the Arts under the researcher’s supervision.
This study is anchored on the theory of Hood (1971) that an ethnomusicologist must be
familiar with a wide array of general musical knowledge as well as knowledge in at least one
specific area of the world.

Keywords: Higaonon, Rogongon, binukid, chants, literature, performance art, instrumental arts,
kuglong, ethnomusicology, ethnography