Origin

of
Bagobo
 In the beginning there lived one man and one woman,
Toglai and Toglibon. Their first children were a boy and a
girl. When they were old enough, the boy and the girl
went far away across the waters seeking a good place to
live in. Nothing more was heard of them until their
children, the Spaniards and Americans, came back. After
the first boy and girl left, other children were born to the
couple, but they all remained at Cibolan on Mt. Apo with
their parents, until Toglai and Toglibon died and became
spirits.

Soon after that there came a great drought which

lasted for three years. All the waters dried up, so that
there were no rivers, and no plants could live.

"Surely," said the people, "Manama is punishing us

and we must go elsewhere to find food and a place to
dwell in."
 So they started out. Two went in the direction of the
sunset, carrying with them stones from Cibolan River. After a
long journey they reached a place where were broad fields of
cogon grass and an abundance of water, and there they
made their home. Their children still live in that place and
are called Magindanau, because of the stones which the
couple carried when they left Cibolan.

Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the south,

seeking a home, and they carried with them women's
baskets (baraan). When they found a good spot, they settled
down. Their descendants, still dwelling at that place, are
called Baraan or Bilaan, because of the women's baskets.
So two by two the children of the first couple left the land of
their birth. In the place where each settled a new people
developed, and thus it came about that all the tribes in the
world received their names from things that the people
carried out of Cibolan, or from the places where they settled.
 All the children left Mt. Apo save two (a boy
and a girl), whom hunger and thirst had made
too weak to travel.

One day when they were about to die the boy

crawled out to the field to see if there was one
living thing, and to his surprise he found a stalk
of sugar-cane growing lustily. He eagerly cut it,
and enough water came out to refresh him and
his sister until the rains came. Because of this,
their children are called Bagobo.
 Story
Of
Bathala
Who isBATHALA?

Inancient mythology of the Tagalogs, there

was a creator, a supreme god. He was known
as Bathala Maykapal or Lumikha.

According to F. Landa JocanosOutline of

Philippine Mythology (1969), Bathala is the
grand conserver of the universe the caretaker
of nature and the creatures of the earth.
 BATHALA
The Story of Creation

In the beginning of time there were three

powerful gods who lived in the universe.
Bathala was the caretaker of the earth, Ulilang
Kaluluwa (lit. Orphaned Spirit), a huge
serpent who lived in the clouds, and Galang
Kaluluwa (lit. Wandering spirit), the winged
god who loves to travel. These three gods did
not know each other.
 Bathala often dreamt of creating mortals but the empty earth
stops him from doing so. Ulilang Kaluluwa who was equally lonely
as Bathala, liked to visit places and the earth was his favorite. One
day the two gods met. Ulilang Kaluluwa, seeing another god
rivalling him, was not pleased. He challenged Bathala to a fight to
decide who would be the ruler of the universe. After three days and
three nights, Ulilang Kaluluwa was slain by Bathala.

Instead of giving him a proper burial, Bathala burned the

snakes remains. A few years later the third god, Galang Kaluluwa,
wandered into Bathalas home. He welcomed the winged god with
much kindness and even invited him to live in his kingdom. They
became true friends and were very happy for many years.
 Galang Kaluluwa became very ill. Before he died he instructed
Bathala to bury him on the spot where Ulilang Kaluluwas body
was burned. Bathala did exactly as he was told. Out of the grave of
the two dead gods grew a tall tree with a big round nut, which is
the coconut tree.

Bathala took the nut and husked it. He noticed that the inner
skin was hard. The nut itself reminded him of Galang Kaluluwas
head. It had two eyes, a nose, and a round mouth. Its leaves looked
so much like the wings of his dear winged friend. But the trunk
was hard and ugly, like the body of his enemy, the snake Ulilang
Kaluluwa.

Bathala realized that he was ready to create the creatures he

wanted with him on earth. He created the vegetation, animals, and
the first man and woman. Bathala built a house for them out of the
trunk and leaves of the coconut trees. For food, they drank the
coconut juice and ate its delicious white meat. Its leaves, they
discovered, were great for making mats, hats, and brooms. Its fiber
could be used for rope and many other things.