PI Day 38 -Mindanao Tribal Tour

Greetings blogistos and blogistas. I wanted to quickly share with you a preview of my upcoming travels. Tomorrow, I leave for Mindanao for approximately three weeks. It is a place that I have rarely visited and have learned little about, compared to other parts of the country. While I have been to Davao City in Mindanao that was just to visit family and I never really had the opportunity to get to know it in the same way that I have gotten to know Luzon.

Mindanao is one of the three major sets of islands in the Philippines. It is well known for its once predominantly Muslim population. Now, Muslims are outnumbered by Christian settlers from other islands. While the Philippines is well known for its Catholic tradition, Islam has been a pillar in the country since as far back as the end of the fourteenth century when Muslim missionaries from Malaysia and Indonesia came to the islands to spread the message of Allah. In the fifteenth century, it was clear that Islam was staying as evidenced by the Jolo in the set of Sulu islands south of Mindanao. The second Muslim sultante to grow in strength and size was based in Magindanao.

Sultan of Maguindanao, late 1800's

Trading of course was a powerful factor in the spread of Islam in the southern Philippines and many of the Sultanates grew to be economic, religious, political, and cultural strongholds. Similar to the spread of Catholicism, many of the indigenous tribes in the area such as the Tausug, Maranaoans, and Magindanaoans were converted to Islam upon its arrival to the islands.

According to Francia, Islam helped the growth of a civil state in the south. These “supra-barangays” as Francia describes them would later resist with more strength compared to many of the other barangays and datus throughout the Philippines. Francia describes the centralized government of the Islamic state in the Philippines saying, “Its head, the sultan, was owed allegiance by other datus. Though the latter governed their own followers, they occupied a subordinate position vis a vis the sultan, who alone could declare war, engage in dealings with other states, and otherwise decide on matters affecting the sultanate as a whole” (Francia 46).These allegiances greatly fortified the strength of the Muslims when the Spanish conquests of the Philippines began. Francia quotes a Spaniard, Don Pedro de Acuna, who described the chemistry of the sultans and their datus:

“They have usually dissensions and controversies among themselves…But against the Spaniards and their other enemies, they confederate and unite…” (46).

Today, it is rare that these contributions and intricate history of the Muslim community in the Philippines is honored or even acknowledged. Here, just as in the States as well as in the rest of world, the Muslim community has been vilified as “The Muslim Problem.” For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard stories of the Muslim community’s desire to separate from the Philippine Republic and many of the stories included some form of violence or another. There was always news of terrorism in the south –occasional kidnappings and explosions. I distinctly remember a guard on our boat in Davao with an enormous rifle with ammunition that looked like mini-cannons. I was shocked by the possibility that he would even need to use such a thing on the clear blue waters of one of the most beautiful areas of the islands.

When I was younger, my father tried to explain to me the differences amongst ethnic, regional, religious, and political groups here in the Philippines, but I didn’t grasp the full extent of the Philippines’ diversity until recently. While there have been some vicious buts of violence in the southern islands, it seems that much of the violence is a product of socio-political hegemony and oppression as opposed to religious fervor. Like many countries, the Philippines has not successfully built a system or culture that holds all of its ethnic and religious groups as equally important and does not provide the space for historically and political representation.

My trip down with Kularts will give me an opportunity to take a closer look at socio-political state and history of different tribes and cities in Mindanao. While I am the first to knock cultural taste testing, etc. I acknowledge that I’ll be participating in some of that through this “Tribal Tour.” Hopefully, I’ll stay keep my other/othering radar on alert while I travel.

~

During our trip I’ll be traveling to Cotobato City, Koronadal City, Lake Sebu, Sarangani Province, Taugum City, and Davao City. I will get to meet government officials; take workshops with the Salamindanao Dance Company; meet sultans, datus, princesses, and queens; observe and participate in a 3 day ipat (healing) ritual; meet weavers, kulintang, and other local artists; visit a T’boli community; go river rafting, ziplining and hiking; learn about K’gan dance and music, and much more that I’ve probably missed.

T'Boli Tribe, Lake Sebu

I’m unbelievably excited and nervous about this trip. There will be a lot of unknowns but I have a feeling there will be many rewards. While my family is concerned about me going this deep in Mindanao because of the political violence that has occurred there, I have to have faith and hope that we’ll be taken care of and watched over.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I’ll take the best notes and observations that I possibly can. My brain is already exploding with everything I’ll be learning on this trip. Report back coming soon!