• Geography:
Mindoro, Mt.
Halcon
• Kaingin
Socio
historical
Context
Concept Map

•LOCATION
Occidental Mindoro is the western part of the island of
Mindoro,south of Batangas. It is bounded on the north by
the Calavite Passage,on the east by Oriental Mindoro, on
the west by ApoEast Pass, and onthe south by the Mindoro
Strait.
•THE LAND
Occidental Mindoro consists of high rolling mountains in
the east. To the west are coastal plains where the towns are
situated. Numerousrivers flow from these mountain
ranges: Pagbahan and amburao-Matamayor in the north,
Mompong and Amnay in the center, and Caguray and
Busuanga in the south. The climate is dry from November
to April and wet during the rest of the year. The province
lies in the path of destructive typhoons.

Socio-historical ContextCultural Context
– Oriental Mindoro North Mangyan group
(Iraya, Tadyawan, Alangan)and South
Mangyan group (Batangan,Buhid,Hanunoo)

Brief History of Mindoro
• Mindoro, formerly called Mait, was known to
Chinese traders even before the coming of the
Spanish.
• In 15 70, the Spanish began to explore the
island and named it "Mina de Oro" (mineof
gold) after finding some of the precious metal,
though no major gold discoveries were ever
made.
• Missionaries became active around Ilin Island
off the southern tip, Lubang Island off the
northern tip, and Mamburao.

•Moro raids later forced them to
abandon these places. In 1754, the
Muslims established strongholds in
Mamburao and Balete (near Sablayan).
From there, they launched raids against
nearby settlements. An expedition sent
by Governor Simon de Anda put an end
to these raids.
• In the early years, Mindoro was
administered as part of Bonbon, now
Batangas.

•Early in the 17th century, the island was
separated from Bonbon and organized into a
corregimiento.
• In 1902 the island of Lubang, which was
formerly a part of Cavite, was annexed to
Mindoro. In the same year Mindoro and Lubang
were annexed to Marinduque when the latter
became a regular province.
• Mindoro became a regular province in 1921. On
June 13, 1950, under Republic Act No. 505,
Mindoro was divided into two provinces,
Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro.

THE PEOPLE
• The plains of Occidental Mindoro are
inhabited by the Tagalogs and the remote
forested interior by the Mangyans.
• Extensive tribal settlements of Mangyans in
the province belong to such sub-groups as the
Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan, Buhid, Hanunuo, and
Bangon. The Mangyans are simple people. They
were once coastal dwellers driven into the
mountains to avoid religious conversion by the
Spaniards, raids by Moro pirates, and the influx
of recent migrants. They now lead a semi-
nomadic existence.

•Men wear a loincloth of pounded bark
while the women have a coil of woven
nito, a sturdy blackvine, and rattan
around their hips.
•Mangyans practice animism and are
superstitious.

• • Marginalization
of culture •
Cultural
preservation
• Geography:
Mindoro, Mt.
Halcon
• Kaingin
Socio historical
Context
Issues

•The Philippines is an archipelago of
7,107islands with a population of 84 million
speaking over 120 languages.
• Out of the 110 indigenous people (IP) groups in
the country today, only four still use their
original scripts. Other ethno-linguistic groups
now write in the Roman alphabet of the
colonizers.
• Hanunuo Mangyan script is very much alive
and being taught in Hanunuo Mangyan schools

Their Distinctive heritage
• Mangyans, with eight different languages and
cultural traditions, possess a rich and distinctive
cultural and literary heritage. One manifestation is
the various traditional musical instruments used
during festivities, special occasions and for
courting: guitar, violin, flute, gong, and jew’s-harp.
• With a pointed knife, Hanunuo Mangyans
inscribe notes and poems on bamboo trees in the
forests or on bamboo slats. These ambahans—
written or recited in poetic language—allegorically
express situations or characteristics.

•The Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans weave
and embroider their own traditional attire.
• The Iraya and Alangan Mangyans
skillfully weave nito and rattan into
elaborate baskets. The other groups also
produce baskets, bags, hats, hammocks and
other crafts made of forest vines, and all the
eight tribes practice beadwork.

• Unfortunately they do not have security of land
tenure. Their unrecognized traditional right over
their ancestral domain is evident in the
continuous influx of so-called government
development projects. Private business interests
have also harassed them: mining, tourism, hydro-
power, and even reforestation. Illegal titling of
lands by non-Mangyans also continues.
• The implementation of these projects often
undermines their culture and traditional right to
protect, manage and utilize the resources in their
ancestral domain. More important, the
Mangyans have lost their land to these projects.

•The Mangyans’ subsistence-level livelihood is based on
swidden cultivation: planting upland rice, sweet potatoes,
corn, beans, bananas, cassava, yams and other root crops.
Mangyan education
• There are few public elementary schools, no public high
school, and no functional health center. Public elementary
schools in Mangyan communities usually do not offer all
the elementary grade levels.
• Classes are multi-grade. Teachers do not report regularly.
There are few or no books at all for students.
• Students walk for hours and make numerous river
crossings to go to school, which can be dangerous for
young children.

• Before the last decade, no Mangyan was
elected to a municipal or higher position,
further limiting the indigenous people’s
opportunities to be heard and to participate
in decision-making. There are also very few
Mangyan government employees.
• Discrimination by lowlanders hinders
Mangyans from attaining the development
level they deserve. Lowlanders often buy
their products at very low prices. Often the
Mangyans are exploited.

• The Mangyan situation illustrates the complexity
of heritage conservation. To preserve the
endangered traditional script, language, literature,
crafts and lifestyle, there is need to improve their
education, livelihood and governance.
• However, any government or NGO assistance
given to the Mangyans must not be done in an
insensitive manner. Any kind of help must be
granted with vision—in the framework of true
understanding of the Mangyan culture, ensuring its
preservation, but also giving the people the benefits
of the 21st century.

• • Marginalization
of culture •
Cultural
preservation
• Types (Vocal,
instrumental)
• Geography:
Mindoro, Mt.
Halcon
• Kaingin
Socio historical
Context
Musical Forms
Issues

Vocal music
• Igway (song)
• Marayaw (spirit song)
• Pamuybuyen (legend) - it
means fear of water

Instrumental Music
• Flute (Bangsi),- is an external duct flute,
which has a chip glued on to the tube of the
flute
• Jaw’s Harp (Subing),- is a bamboo jaw harp
• Lute (Gitgit),- a three-string indigenous violin
with human hair forstrings.
• Gongs (Agong),- a metal shaped like a pail
with a circle in the middle
• Sticks (Kalutang)- This is percussion sticks
played in pairs to produce harmonies on
seconds, thirds, and fourths.

• Functions of culture
(Work, Leisure, •
Cultural Worship,
preservation Ritual)
• • Marginalization of
culture • Cultural
preservation
• Types (Vocal,
instrumental)
• Geography:
Mindoro, Mt.
Halcon
• Kaingin
Socio historical
Context Musical Forms
Musical
Context
Issues

•Marayaw is a genre of Iraya-Mangyan songs used
to communicate with spirits in rituals for healing the
sick or protecting the community.
• Musical Context Music for the Hanunoo is part of
celebrating ordinary and festive occasions.
Accompanying themselves on these instruments as
they recite their love poems, the Hanunoo Mangyan
pay court to the women. During the wedding rituals,
songs are sung, musical instruments are played,
food is eaten, and wine is drunk. The songs of the
Mangyan are lullabies, recollections of war exploits
in the distant past, lamentations,lovelyrics, and
stories based on persona.

Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino
My sweetheart, my love so
dear,
when I left, in coming
here,
coming from my house and
yard;z
all the rice that I have
stored,
I have left it there behind,
because I hope here to find
one more valued than my
rice!
One to be my partner nice
to the water, to the field,
a companion on my trips,
and one who will share my
sleep!
O liyag, aking hirang
Kanina nang lumisan
Galing sa 'king dingdingan
Palay na inanihan
Akin lang iniwanan
Hinangad kong katuwang
Di basta palay lamang
Sa lakad sa ilog man
Maging sa kaparangan
Kaakbay ko saan man
Kaabay sa higaan!

Hanunuo-
Mangyan
English Filipino
Says the lobster
in the creek:
Even if you
place a dam,
I will jump it
high and neat!
Sabi ng hipong
sapa:
Kahit mo man
bakuran
May lusot,
paraan pa!
The character of the youngster is fixed now. Even if there are traits the parents do not
like, these traits can no longer be changed. Wherever he is, the young adult will behave
in his accustomed manner and will not change his attitudes because of others.

Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino
Look! The moon so full and
bright,
shining in front of the house!
How can you explain to me,
that the rays are soft and cool?
If a man like us he were,
I would hold him by the hand!
Seize the hair to keep him back!
Grasp the clothes to make him
stay!
But how could I manage that!
It is the moon in the sky!
The full moon shining so bright,
going down beyond the hills,
disappearing from the plain,
out of sight behind the rocks.
Kay liwanag ng buwan
Sa balkunahe'y sinag
Paano naging ganyak
Luningning ay busilak
Kung tao s'yang katulad
Pipigilan kong tiyak
Sa buhok, siya'y hawak
Siguro sa damit man
Pa'no mapipigilan
May buwang nakasinag
Bituing kumikislap
May bundok kinublihan
May hinamugang patag
May tuktok na pinugad.
The visitor will be home again, but the memory of his good
friends will remain forever.