Introduction to ambahan Essay

Ambahans inscribed on a bamboo slatThe ambahan is a literary product and poetic expression of the Southern Mangyans of Mindoro, Philippines. Although in that respect atomic number 18 active cardinal- key varied ethnic gatherings living in Mindoro, collectively c onlyed the Mangyans, these groups argon kind of evident from each(prenominal) well-nigh early(a) as to phrase, customs, and way of living. barely the ethnic group living in the south of Mindoro, roughly comprising the atomic number 18as within the municipalities of Bulalacao (San Pedro), Mansalay, oriental person Mindoro and San Jose, occidental Mindoro, claims the scream Mangyan as the descriptive title of their tribe. To stress their point, they efficacy add the epiteth Hanunuo Mangyan, that is, a truly, real, genuine numerousgan. Together with their northern neighbors, the Buhids, they possess a pre-Spanish create verbally system, considered to be of Indic ori di sunlightite, with characters expressing the open syll fitteds of the language. Two distinct syllabaries argon gloss over in practical pureness plague among the ethnic groups in Mindoro, viz. the northern Buhid on wizard hand and the southern Buhid with the Hanunuo-Mangyans on the opposite. The existence of a writing system among these tribes truely accounts by and large for the wealth of literature prevalent among them. One of the literary products, the one written down roughly frequently on bamboo-tubes or slats, is the ambahan. For better understanding and delay of the ambahans presented here, a short out transmission line on the character and use of the ambahan provide be given here. As a definition, it can be stated that the ambahan isA. A rhythmic poetic expression with a meter of s unconstipated syllable lines and having rhythmic end-syllables. B. It is most oft presented as a chant without a determined tuneful pitch or accompaniwork forcet by musical instruments. C. Its purpose is to express in an ever y(a)egorical way, liber entirely(a)y using poetic language, sure situations or p perishered characteristics referred to by the one reciting the poem. The meter of seven syllables in one line is the characteristic of the ambahan which most obviously distinguishes it from new(prenominal) frames of Hanunuo-Mangyan rhyme. However, in that location ar exceptions to the rule. For instance, more than seven syllables whitethorn be instal at the beginning of the ambahan, e redundantly when it starts with the standard expression magkunkuno (speaks, arranges) because the one who speaks here may have a long name containing more than the usual seven syllables. Actually, these first lines should non be considered as go against of the poem proper, just now sooner as an introduction to or an definition of the circumstances which gave rise to the ambahan itself. Some times, there may be more than seven syllables because the employed word or rowing cannot be shortened and no other com bination of linguistic communication is available. On the other hand, a line may contain less than seven syllables in order to preserve the meaning of the line itself which top executive be disturbed if more syllables were added. However, the exist exception rarely occurs. In an effort to conform to the rule of having only seven syllables in each line, the composer tries to fit his oral communication within the pre-determined quantity of syllables.This accounts for the musical compositiony elisions and contactions of words that make the reading of the ambahan in the Hanunuo-Mangyan script so difficult and exasperating to the translator. Thus nirwasan comes from niruwasan nilkasan from nilukasan the mono-syllables gin from ginan u from una. Conversely, the words may be extended, i.e. syllables may be added in order to have the required seven syllables. In most cases, the normal routine involves the use of affixes and suffixes, both of which are extensively use in the Philippine languages. The most common one in the Hanunuo-Mangyan language is the suffix -an. Manok becomes bitukan, balunos becomes balunusan, without a modification in meaning. Within the word, extensions may as well be found which mogul be old infixes, no lengthy common. So dayap becomes dalayap, layaw becomes lugayaw. Another way of increase a word is by repeating the word itself, not so much to make it superlative in meaning (e.g. in Tagalog laking-laki), but rather to complete the seven syllable requirement. While it is not my intention to be technical on this point, as a linguists analysis of morphological phenomena would be, the forego illustrations demonstrate that the prescribed scheme of seven syllables in ambahan verse gives ample opportunity for lexical calisthenics, an exercise which may fascinate human racey students.The rhyming end-syllables are an essential feature of the ambahan. The most common rhyming syllable is -an, being a regular suffix for verbs and substantive s in the Hanunuo-Mangyan language. save other combinations with the vowel sound a are rather common too, such as in lines having the end-syllables a, ak, ag, ang, as, aw, ay. Here the vowel a is combined with nearly all the consonants in the Philippine alphabet. In the uniform way, the vowels I (or e) and o (or u) can be found as the rhyming syllables, either alone or in combination, e.g. I, id, ing, ip, it, and o, od, ok, on, ong, os, ot, oy. The rhyming in the ambahan is consequent, i.e. once started with -an, all lines will end in -an. This appears to be in contrast to the rhyming scheme of a Tagalog poem, where at the end of a line a vowel rhyme may include any consonant in combination with this vowel. The ambahan is stricter in this attentiveness, though it is interesting to note that here and there consonants, if lasting to the said(prenominal) phonetic class, may be included as the rhyming consonant in combination with the rhyming vowel. Hence, the word inwag rhymes wi th ma-ayad because both g and d belong to the phonetic class of voiced stops. The word humbak rhymes with dagat because both k and t belong to the phonetic class of voiceless stops.The word sundong, lumon and tayutom are the end-syllables of one ambahan because ng, n, and m belong to the phonetic class of voiced sonorants. Of course, it is not because the Hanunuo-Mangyan k todays anything just about phonetics that these instances occur, but it is a position that the interchanges of these consonants are not considered violations of the unwritten rules of the ambahan, provided that the vowel remains the same. The ambahan is a chanted verse, but it is changed plainly or almost recited. The rendering of the ambahan with musical pitch might differ from person to person. Some might intone the words like in common conversation others might use it a monotone recitation or still others might sing it with a distinct melody. only generally, it can be said that when an ambahan is sung, there is only a slight musical pitch discernable, except maybe towards the end, when the last syllables are drawn out a bit to indicate that the chant is about to end. Furthermore, it is well worth noting that the ambahan, is sung without the accompaniment of musical instruments, as differentiated from another kind of Mangyan verse, the urukay, which is preferably chanted to the accompaniment of the home do guitar. One who has a knowledge of the language of the Hanunuo-Mangyans as it is used in their free-and-easy conversation, will be able to understand very little of the language that is used in the ambahan. The language used in the ambahan differs from the spoken language, though many a word used widely in the daily Hanunuo-Mangyan language is also used in the ambahan-vocabulary. It is quite possible to compile a long list of words (eventually a completedictionary) that are used only in the ambahan verse, but, for the purpose of this book, only a few words need to be mentioned. Conv ersational language Ambahan language faceamang bansay fatherinang suyong motherdanom kagnan waterbalay labag houseniyog bu-anay coco testiclebagaw duyan talkmata pamidkan eyeThat the words of the ambahan vocabulary are found not only in the ambahan of the Hanunuo-Mangyans but also in the literary products of the neighboring Mangyan tribes, seems to be a significant coincidence worth investigating, especially if it is remembered that these other tribes use a conversational language different from the Hanunuo-Mangyan language. Some questions that would confront the investigator are the following Where do these ambahan words come from? Are there other dialects in the Philippines from which they may have been derived? Or do we have to turn our attention to other countries like In makesia or India to get an explanation? Here is a potential surface area of research that should give a linguist enough material to work on. In some of the ambahans here presented, it will be noticed that the theme is about a fowl, a flower, a tree, or an insect. Other ambahans, though not nature poems in the strict sense of the term, deal with the sun, the daydream, the stars, the rain and the wind. When a Mangyan poet writes of a flower, he writes of itnot for the purpose of celebrating its beauty or fragrance but to make it an allegory or a symbol of human life, its problems, and its challenges. Sometimes the symbolic representation of a bird or flower may be clear enough, as when a boy talks to his girl about a bonnie flower that he would like to down home. Very often, however, one symbol may refer to different holds or circumstances and, thus, becomes a multiple symbol. An question of ambahan no. 114 will help clarify this point. What does the poem mean? First, it means simply what it says Be careful, or you will be stung by a bee. Take precautions in getting honey. This would be the true interpretation of the poem. The added meaning of allegoricalinterpretation would depe nd, of course, on the occasion and circumstances, such as climbing a mountain, going to sea, going to town, engaging in a contest with another person, or going to the parents to ask for the hand of their daughter. The complex set of meanings thus interweave into an ambahan are gra doublely unravelled only later the poem had been analyzed with much care and patience. A related study which is worth mentioning at this point would be an investigation into the psychological motivation for the Mangyans frequent use of plants, animals, and nature symbols and their predilection for allegorical poetry. Postma, Antoon SVD. Treasure of a Minority. Manila Arnoldus Press, Inc., 1981.The origin of the ambahanA Hanunuo-Mangyan muliebrity chanting an ambahan at a community ambahan session Source Antoon Postma If you ask a Hanunuo-Mangyan, Where did you get this ambahan?, he will most likely effect, I copied it from somebody else. That is quite probable, for the ambahan has been popularized by b eing copied on any piece of bamboo, such as the container for tobacco or apog (lime), the scabbard or sheath of a bolo knife, a violin or guitar, and even on the bamboo beams of a house. When a Mangyan discovers a nice ambahan, he uses his knife to engrave it on bamboo, in the age-old Indic-derived script. Thus, he has copied it. In answer to the same question, another Mangyan may reply, We obtained this from our forefathers. Most of the ambahans they possess now have been handed down from parents to children through continuos copying. Yet there is no doubt that virgin ambahans are still being written today by the poets or composers, although it is hard to arrive out who these poets are. A Mangyan would never admit that he is opus ambahans. To determine the approximate time in which an ambahan was written, 2 criteria may be suggested the offspring and the kind of words used. The first criterion cannot be utilize without reservation, for the subject of the ambahan is sometimes very general and true of any period. tho if we find reference in the ambahan to Moro attacks or to Mangyans still living along the sea-shore, we are on surer ground, for the attacks of the Moros are know to have occurred at a certain time, and the Mangyans lived along the shores before the non-Mangyans settled on the island. On the other hand,when an ambahan poet writes of going to America, the poem is certain to have been written in modern times. The second criterion, the kind of words used, is more reliable and, if used by experts, would be a more certain indication of the age of the ambahan. By using this criterion, ambahans may be categorized into three classes. The first type is the ambahan that only uses the poetic language with a stripped-down of contemporary words. Sometimes common Hanunuo-Mangyan words are used, but this type of ambahan restricts itself mainly to the use of literary words, i.e. words not used in daily conversation. According to the Mangyans themselves, t his is the oldest kind of ambahan. The next type of ambahan is that in which words borrowed from neighboring tribes, especially the Buhid tribe, are used. Frequent contact with this tribe has make the Hanunuo-Mangyans accept these borrowed words and expressions which found their way into their ambahans. Lastly, there is the ambahan of later times, in which loan-words from Spanish, Tagalog or Bisaya are evident. The painstaking study by linguists of the words used in the ambahan may fork over the final answer to the question of the time in which an ambahan was written. Postma, Antoon. Mangyan Treasures. Manila Arnoldus Press, Inc., 1995.The ambahan and its usesHanunuo-Mangyan poems in the Mangyan syllabic script inscribed on betel nut containers do of bamboo The ambahans are very common among the Hanunuo-Mangyans. About thirty percent of the Hanunuo-Mangyans do not read or write the pre-Spanish Hanunuo-Mangyan script, but it would be rare indeed for a Mangyan not to know the art o f the ambahan. Of course, a Mangyan will quickly deny any knowledge of the ambahan, but this is only a polite way of refusing to demostrate such knowledge. People who have tried to collect ambahans will be the first to admit the difficulty of making the Mangyans recite the ambahans outside of the proper occasion for doing it. out from the Hanunuo-Mangyans, the neighboring Mangyan tribes also know about the ambahan. Though the actual extent to which the ambahan is cognize by these other tribes has not been affluenty investigated, it is certain that this type of poetry is also common among the Buhid-Mangyans. The language of the Buhid is completely different from that of the Hanunuo-Mangyans, but one may stillpartly understand the literary products of the other. The ambahan can also be found among the tribes living deep in the mountains of Mindoro. These natives go down to the lowlands very rarely, and on one of these occassions I was lucky enough to acquire some copies of their am bahans. The Hanunuo-Mangyans do not understand much of it, except when exclusive ambahan words are used. However, before anything more authoritative can be said on this matter, one must explore the field further. The verse of the Iraya-Mangyans (in the north of Mindoro) is also very similar to the ambahan-type, i.e. they also have the characteristic heptasyllabic meter and rhyming end-syllables. Ambahans are known and recited by Hanunuo-Mangyans, both old and young. Of course, different ambahans will be appropriate for different age groups. The children definitely have their own kind of ambahans, something which might be considered as the equivalent of our nursery rhymes. However, even in these rhymes all the elements of the ambahan are present the main distinction lies in the simplicity of the language used. The ambahans for children, however, are short, most of them containing not more than six lines. A boy (kan-akan) and a girl (daraga) would be familiar with the ambahans fit for them, but once they are married, they would acquaint themselves with the ones that are appropriate for their new state of life. Like all poetry, the ambahan is an expression of an belief or feeling in a beautiful and harmonious language. Unlike other forms of poetry , however, the ambahan is not poetry for its own sake or for the poets satisfaction. The ambahan is primarily a poem of social character it finds its true existence in society. It is created by the Mangyans to serve practical purposes within the community. It is used by the parents in educating their children, by young masses in courting each other, by a visitor in a scrambleg for food and by a relative bidding goodbye or farewell. Of course, it would be a mistake to think that the Mangyans conference with each other only by the ambahan. If a man comes from his field, he would not use an ambahan to control his wife that he is hungry he will express the feeling of his stomach in plain and clear language. But generall y speaking, the ambahan is used on those occasions when something embarrassing, unpleasant, delicate or even treasured (as love) has to be said. For instance, a boy may tell a girl in plain language that he will never forget her, but it would sound so much nicer if he were to do so in an ambahan. The social nature ofthe ambahan has given rise to a kind of verbal contest. Whenever Mangyans are together, a few of them (often the previous(a) generation) will eagerly compete with each other in the ability to recite the ambahan called for by the vex and the occasion. Among these occasions are festivities held in connection with reburial. One Mangyan might challenge another with an ambahan, for example. This starts the contest. The people gather almost the two contestants (without agreement, without rules, without bets), listening intently to the ambahans recited alternately by the two opponents. Each ambahan recited is an answer to the problem or theme propounded in the ambahan prece eding it. both(prenominal) contestants are lustily cheered and encouraged by their supporters. In most cases, the one who recites last is declared the winner. The contest may go deep into the night. Whether one or the other wins is unimportant what matters most is the entertainment derived from the contest. A few final remarks about the translation of the ambahan may still be of interest. A researcher who happens to be in the mountains of Mansalay and becomes acquainted with the ambahan will become enthusiastic about it and may even want to translate some of them into his own language. But before he can translate the ambahan, he must study the ancient Indic script. After having know it well, he will find out to his dismay, that he still cannot read everything written on the bamboo. This is due to the fact that the script itself does not show the final consonant of each syllable. When he has overcome the disappointment, he will probably try to get an ambahan written down in clear, readable letters. Tape-recording the ambahan would take past the initial difficulties of copying from script. However, even then he will not understand all the implications of the ambahan unless the Mangyan can explain it. In translating an ambahan, we find a special difficulty arising from the symbolic meaning of the words used. The Mangyan may supply the applied allegorical meaning but he might not understand the literal meanings of certain words. The meanings of these words can often be discovered because of the frequent use of repetition of ideas. Sometimes complete lines may be repetitions of the same idea in synonymous words. Before the ambahan can be completely understood, it is imperative to collect as many samples of the ambahan as possible. This is the main work being make at present in this field. A detailed comparison of specimens, sifting and classifying words, and careful experiments in translating the words intoanother context have to be done by experts in this fiel d of research. Only then will the ambahan emerge in the fullness of its beauty and signification. The present anthology of ambahans is selected from a collection that started in 1958. In preparing this selection, it was not an easy undertaking to decide on the best way of grouping or arranging these ambahans. It was finally decided to observe a dual system in classifying these Mangyan poems. The first system is to take the obvious and literal meaning as expressed by the poem. The second is the allegorical or applied meaning that can be gleaned from the ambahan. With this dual system in mind, the ambahans in this collection have been arranged according tot he life-cycle of the Hanunuo-Mangyans. Hence, this collection of ambahans starts with the rocking chair and ends with the grave. It is believed that this arrangement is the most satisfactory. Postma, Antoon SVD. Treasure of a Minority. Manila Arnoldus Press, Inc., 1981.Ambahan Birth and infancySince the aim of this collection of ambahans is to present a cross-section of the Mangyan poetic verse with respect to the life-cycle of the Mangyans, the first ambahans, to be chronological, should pertain to the first chapters of human life. The following series of common cradle songs in ambahan port might be a alright illustration of how the songs can be different in rhyme and metaphor whereas the underlying theme is the same. Ambahan 3Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino My in force(p) botch, do not crycause the wild cat might hear usThe big one from over there,with his awful long-stretched howlHelpless are we if he comes.Our spear is broken stilland our bolo bent and blunt Huwag ka ngang umiyakHala ka at mapukawPusang-ligaw sa gubatNgumiyaw, maghihiyawWala kitang pambugawSibat natiy nawasakGulok natiy nabingawAmbahan 4Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Dont be noisy, baby dearThe wild iro might come here.The one out of the deep woods.How to fight him when he comes?Broken is our spear in twoand our bolo disappeared Hwag ka ngang maguloMay laog nanunubokMula gubat susugodWala kitang panghamokSibat natiy napulpolItak ay anong purolAmbahan 5Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino You, my baby, dont make noiseSome strange animal might come,coming from across the streams.Knocking on the house, he will,with his glittering sharp claws,No weapons for us to killour bolo we cannot use,rusty is our spear and blunt. Anak, wag kang ngumalngalHala ka, may bakulawSa dahilig don buhatTutuktok sa sulirasKay tulis ng galamayWala kitang pamatayTong itak walang saysayKinalawang yang sibatAmbahan ChildhoodSweet are the memories of our childhood. For the Mangyan child, it is a time of unconcern and carefreeness, even if the child has to take his share of the family duties to the measure of his capacities. It is with feelings of bathos and homesickness that a young man recalls the happy days of his youth that passed away too fast. It is also with pride that he remembers the love and kindness shown to him by his parents. Ambahan 6 (4)Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino That time, when I was still young,(I was just a baby still)when I sat on mothers lap,when she rocked me in a crib,in a cradle newly do.Mommy lulling me asleep,did not leave me in a crib,in her arms she cradled me.Oh, how sweet these memorieswish I could climb once againin the cradle lovely makeSo I could be showing offhow I grew so beautifullyYou, the people from the shore,people from the mountains too,could you just come here this wayVisit me just once again,the unfolding, blooming treeIll recall this all my life. Noong akoy muraanSanggol na sanggol pa langKarga pa sa kandunganInuugoy sa duyanSa kagagawang duyanHinehele ni NanayHindi nya iniiwanSapo nya sa kandunganO kay gandang nagdaanMuli sanang mahimlaySa banayad na duyanNang tunay kong mamasdanPaglaki kong kariktanKayong taga-baybayanMaging taga-burulanKung maaring puntahanPasyalan at pagmasdanPunong namumukadkadAlaala kailanmanBut there is also the obedient child who has his impo rtant task in the whole of the family work watching that the products in the field will not be destroyed by the wild animals. Ambahan 13Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino The reason wherefore I am here,walking along hills and vales,because Mother has told meand my forefather he just saidBetter go and have a look,at the field we have prepared.Monkeys might be eating thereand the pigs destroying plants.So I went and had a lookat the field we have prepared.But no monkeys eating there,and no pigs destroying plants.However, what I did see,was a bird, still rather small,sitting on the field we have,at the borders of the field.Maybe one day itll be there,when the sieve is ripe and fair. Sanhi po ng paglakadsa kabundukanAng bilin po ni InangKay Amay kawikaanPumaron ihot tingnanKaingin nating hawanBaka matsiy lamunanBaboy ay mag-arumbang akin nang pinuntahanKaingin nating hawanMatsin ay wala namanNi baboy na ligaw manAnut aking namasdanMerong ibong liitanSa kainging hinawanSa gilid na tanim anBaka bukas nandiyanPagdatal ng anihanChildren, however, are the same everywhere. Romping around with their playmates, they produce a deafening noise, often to the despair of their parents. Ambahan 15Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Sure, the kids they are not bad,but, say, who would not get madWhen from morning until nightall this noise, right at your side,and those fights on top of that Kahit batay mabaitSinong di maiinisBuong araw at gabiIritan dyat kagalitAwayan dyan sa inggitAmbahan AdolescenceThe transition from the dependent child into the self-sufficient young man or woman is not marked by initiation ceremonies or induction rites. In some things, children are given independence at an early age. In other things, they continue to act dependently. Ambahan 27Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Mother carried me around.Father always at my side.I, the baby, was still smalljust a little child I was.Going to the field to work,Father led me by the hand. til now speaking simple wordsas a babe I did not know.But now everything has changed.The small baby has grown up.Now the baby understandsall the words that Father speaks,Everything that mother says. pull down when Im walking far,when I travel far awayand it becomes dangerousIll supply neighboring(a)ly. Kinakalong ni NanayKinakandong ni TataySadya pang kamusmusanTunay akong paslit langHangang sa kaingin manSinasama ni TatayKahit pa utal-utalSanggol na walang muwangNgunit nang magka-minsanLumakit magkagulangAkin namang nalamanKay Tatay, kawikaanKay Nanay, kasabihanMalayo mang lakaranSaan man ang abutanKung kasam-an ang datnanSila lang ang uwianThen the day comes when adolescence ends. The parents know now that there isnot much hope that the young people will do things the way the parents want them to do. The young man goes his way, and nobody can direct him anymore. Ambahan 30Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says the lobster in the creek even so if you place a dam,I will jump it high and neat Sabi ng hipong sapaKa hit mo man bakuranMay lusot, paraan paThe character of the youngster is fixed now. plane if there are traits the parents do not like, these traits can no longer be changed. wheresoever he is, the young adult will behave in his accustomed manner and will not change his attitudes because of others. Ambahan 31Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Pigeon, with a shortened tail,even there across the hills,you wont be a nightingale Hoy, ibong Balud-balodLibanin mo may bundokPungos pa rin yang buntotAmbahan CourtshipMany pages of sweet-flowing romances have been written about courtship, but the Mangyans create their own by using the examples of the budding and flowering plants and trees around them. Ambahan 38Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino The bamboo in MarigitThat I saw at first approachWas just sprouting and still small.When I saw it yesterday,It was standing firm and thickReady now to build a floor. Kawayan sa MarigitPag tanaw ko, palapitLabong pa siyang kay liitNang daanan ko pabalikSiks ikan mga tinikMainam nang pang-sahigAmbahan 39Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino The palm bordering my fieldBack when it was very smallMy attention did not call.But now that its fully-grownand has shed its dried-up leaves,I will harvest it so freshand weave me a basket fair.That I can bring everywhere. Buli sa may kainginNoong sya pay musmusinHindi ko pinapansinNang gumulang, pagsapitTanggi ko ang lumainSariwa kong kukuninBayong kong lalalainLagi kong sasakbitinA boy has his way of convincing a girl of his good intentions and conversant(p) love. He is willing to sacrifice anything for his beloved. Ambahan 68Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino My sweetheart, my love so dear,when I left, in coming here,coming from my house and yardall the rice that I have stored,I have left it there behind,because I hope here to findone more valued than my riceOne to be my partner niceto the water, to the field,a companion on my trips,and one who will share my sleep O liyag, aking hirangKanina nang lumisa nGaling sa king dingdinganPalay na inanihanAkin lang iniwananHinangad kong katuwangDi basta palay lamangSa lakad sa ilog manMaging sa kaparanganKaakbay ko saan manKaabay sa higaanAmbahan HomeTo give a sample of all the various aspects of the home life within a Mangyan settlement would be next to impossible. However, an attempt to draw a general outline will be undertaken here. Two great themes can be considered of importance in the life-cycle of a Mangyan 1) His struggle for life in and around his house, to keep hunger and sickness away and, 2) His unbelievable ability to relax, be happy and unconcerned, often by escaping from his immediate surrounds. What does a Mangyan home look like? His house is not as important as a house is to his countrymen of modern culture. A Mangyan will be the first to admit that his house is of poor construction and just a temporary dwelling. Ambahan 102Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino This the wood Mangyan saidWhat I have to tell you, sir,Ive been thin king of for longYour existence is not badIn the lowlands where you live. at that place the houses that you haveAre built with beams of the bestLike your floors all made of wood.But we to the mountains bornWho have lived here for so long,Our houses are not like that.Our floor is of bamboo built,Our roof made of cogon grass,All of it is tied with vines.But to that I have to add.Dont forget that we can liveVery near the water sourceWhere the birds all come to drink.A cool, shady place to be. Sabi ng isang MangyanAng wika koy pakingganIto ngang kaisipanMabuti ang yong lagayIkaw, taga-kapataganKaya taga-baybayanTabla ay ilang-ilangNagsahig nang mainamKaming taga-burulanKaya nasa burulanaming kabihasnanSahig ay patpatanKugon lang ang bubunganMay taling baling-uwayDatapwat toy pakingganHwag naman kalimutanIbon sa may igibanBukal itong inumanNa kay lilim kung tingnanAfter all, life is hard and a Mangyan has to spend most of his time eking out a subsistence for himself, so the house itself i s of little importance. Ambahan 103Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Your condition is quite goodand your house is beautiful.The walls made of banban leaves,still enforced with bamboo poles.But we, living out-of-doors,we, the mountains dwellers up,if we did not have to searchfor some food to stay alive,we could also be so wise,we could also find these waysBut the only thing we find,is a sago palm for food Dampa moy kainamanBahay nyo pong gandahanMay dingding na banbanPatukurang kawayanKaming nasa bakuranKaming taga-burulanDi dapat paghanapanDi dapat panghinaanWala pong karupukanDi dapat manghinayangDahil masisilayanYaong buling gandahanEven if the construction is nice and strong, the day will come that the house will be torn apart by the ripping blasts of wind. Ambahan 105Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Climbing vine with the long leaves,leaves symmetrical and fine,how very nice looks your stemBut, they say, youll be blown downby the tempest from the shore Hoy, uway na lambaanMalamb a ang dahon manAng punoy kainamanKung nasa daraananBagyoy galing pataganAmbahan ProblemsBut at home, life is not always as pleasant as the Manygans would like it to be. There are loathsomeness days when the emerging doesnt look very bright. These dark days have to be overcome. Ambahan 113Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Balkawi, my climbing vine,Youre not happy in that spotYour fine leaves are ripping thereAnd your poor stem creaks and cries.I have to replant you nowIn a place where you will dilateFree from rain and gusty winds. Hoy, punong BalkawihanPangit ang tinubuanDahon moy nangalagasPuno moy langitngitanMuling itanim na langSa payapang hanginanSa walang daluyunganThere are the domestic misunderstandings that might arise the simple accidents that might happen. Ambahan 115Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Sticks from the balanti treeIf you cut them properlyFrom the depth they will resound.But if cut improperlyAll you get is awful noise. Kalutang kong BalantiKung timbang iyang yariTaginting ay mabiniKung tabtab mali-maliSintunadong matindiThere is no reason, however, to be as upset about a domestic misunderstanding or a simple accident as about a great disaster. Ambahan 117Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino What is the matter with youthat you are so much upset?Like the heavens coming down,as if the whole sky collapsedEven rain will stop some day,but rain doesnt own a houseA storm will not last all time,but storm has no place like youAre you not a human? Man?Doesnt man always go backto his dwelling place, his home? Bakit ka nagkaganyan?Ang ulo moy kay initBagsak ang kalangitanParang bayang guhuanPagtila nitong ulanUlay walang tahananHihinto ang ampiyasanHangiy walang uwianDi bat tao ka namanDi bat may babalikanSa kawayang daluyanAmbahan SicknessSickness is required in human life. A person who is ill can easily be recognized. Sometimes, whatever is done, all treatment seems to be in vain. But there is always a treatment thats been forgotten. Ambahan 131Hanun uo-Mangyan English Filipino This my problem, my headache,I had called the doctors all,had it treated frequentlybut my headache didnt go.Like the storm not calming down,like the rain that doesnt stopit was even getting worsemy head almost cracking up.But the final medicine,why did I not think of it?We must love each other more.Then the problem will be gone,carried along by the wind,covered by the forest trees,and we will be sad no more. Itong ulong makirotDinalit nat ginamotNiritwal na sa bulongAyaw pong huminahonParang bagyong inikotLaging unang lagunotLalo itong tumibokSa bunbunan paloobDatapwat iyang gamotIkaw, sa king pagsukotAy karamay kong irogHuhupa na ang kirotSa hangin ipasaklotSa gubat ipataklobLalaho na ang lungkotA serious condition might develop. The usual treatments are of little help. Ambahan 132Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says Yumay, when feeling illDaog, I am calling you.I am coming all the wayto visit your house, Daog.I would like to ask from you,if you could a pply your wit,have me treated with your charms.The main reason for all thismy problem, my headache wastreated seven times in vain,still the sickness doesnt goI am worried and I thinkthat this sickness will resultfinally into my terminal. Panawagan ni YumaySi Daog tawag tawagPakay niya sa lakadSi Daog sa may dampaAko naway tulunganSa bulong mong malakasSa mabisa mong dasalKaya nga nagkaganyanMasakit ang uluhanPito mang patas-unanKirot pay palagianHuwag sana, hwag namanSakit waring hantunganTiyak na kamatayanWhy dont the treatments work? Maybe all the requirements of offerings to the centers were not properly fulfilled. Ambahan 133Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says the spirit of the springWhat has been your offering?Softly cooked rice, there was none,Not a chicken, even oneOnly some fruits from a treeWhat else could the answer bebut rains and a hurricanehitting house and yard again.What are you going to do?Incantation might help youor a seer and his witMaybe he can solve your cas eand prevent further disgrace.Says the one responsibleYou, dear spirit of the well,Please, do hide your angrinessIts my fault, I do confess.Ill bring the best from my floorthat you will complain no more. Wika ng lamang-lupaApo Ilog nagbantaHandog na kaniy walaNi manok na hinandaBungang-kahoy lamang baAmboy umampiyas ngaHangin ay hagunot naSa kabila ng dampaAnong ibibigay paBibigkas ng dasal ba?Uusal ng dalit haGanyang magmatigas kaHanggang katapusan paSumagot ang sinamaKayo, Poon ng sapaHwag kapootan nawaAlay namin, dulog naSa sahig nagmumulaSa sumpa poy iadyaAmbahan Food and workObtaining food keeps the Mangyans busy for most of the year selecting and preparing the field sowing the carefully unbroken seed weeding and cleaning the plants harvesting the most precious food, cotton-white mountain rice. Unfortunately, an ideal harvest depends on an exact amount of sun, wind and rain. Often though, an extensive drought, a nasty typhoon or prolonged monsoon rains effect the opposite resu lt, sorrow and scarcity of food. It is therefore, no wonder that the Mangyans worry about their crops a great deal. Rice is a food the Mangyans enjoy. After they have harvested their rice, it seems that there will never come an end to their supplies. But, before they realize it, gone is all their hope and happiness. Ambahan 136Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino This kind of rice, Kabasag,When I saw for the first time,The stalks were heavy with grain.When I returned and looked again,Empty and flat were the heads Ang palay kong KabasagNang minsan kong namatyagUhay ay sangkatutakNang balikan kot tingnanUhay ay mangahungkagAmbahan 137Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino The little black bird Sawi,So hereabouts its was told,Had a tail long and pretty.But the bird when it grew big,Tail, alas, shorter it grew,Struck by lightning as storm blew. Ibong si Sawi-sawiNoon pa man ang huniBuntot, mahabang diliSubalit nang lumakiBuntot ko ay umiksiKinidlat, binuhawiWhether one likes it or not, it is nec essary to work hard in order to keep his stomach filled. He has to work hard even if he has the help of the spirits. Ambahan 139Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Our good and precious soilWould it be as beautifulif we did not work and toil?Very soon it would be waste. Ating lupang payapaPaano pa gagandaKung di tayo gumawaDagli yang mawawalaAmbahan TravelingAs a relief from his struggle for life, the Mangyan sometimes goes traveling. The moment will come when the Mangyan cannot be kept tied any longer to his house and the daily chores. He has to go, whether it is opportune or not. The woman, however, is not as fortunate as the man she is tied to her home,especially when her children are still small. In spite of that, she would also like to go out once in a while. The parents should be, therefore, understanding and reasonable. Ambahan 164Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino This journey that I must do, verbalize me please whats wrong with it,And please explain how, indeed,Father and mother dearestBut then if theres nothing wrong,Then why scold me for so long? Iring aking pagpasyalKung mali po ang asalAko ay kagalitanO Tatay ko, O InayNgunit kung kawastuhanHwag sanang magtungayaw?The following ambahan is a special bit of advice to those with the unpleasant ringworm skin disease. Ambahan 166Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Little bird, Balinayaw,When the sun is fading fast,Better not to walk outside,For your colors will stand outOn the leafless Limpayaw Ay naku ibong BalawKung pusyaw na ang arawHuwag ka ngang galawgawKulay mo ay lilitawSa panot na LimpayawJust as the speed of those who travel differs, so the character also differs. Ambahan 178Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Take my bird, the bidlawan,whistling loud and flying far,still he will always come backto the house wherein we dwell.But the bird alipasangwhistling loud and flying far,he will not come back againto the house wherein we dwell. Ibong kong si BidlawanSakaling ngang liparanBabalik pa rin iyanSa ming dampang pugaranAng ibong layang-layangKung puma-ilanglangWala na pong balikanSa pugad na tahananAmbahan Hospitality and friendshipWhen a traveler arrives at a house he wont be afraid that he may not be receive. Hospitality is considered the highest of virtues among the Mangyans. Ambahan 181Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino My dear friend, be welcome hereWhere, perchance, did you come from?From the seashore ebbing low,from the bubbling water spring?If from the water source up,let us talk a moment here,in a happy, friendly way.Even whoever you are,we like to be at your side. Katoto kong matalikSaan ka ba nanggalingSa baybayin bang gilidNasunson ba ng batisKung sa bukal ng tubigHalina at magniigSa kwentuhan mong ibigDi-kilala mat batidMakapiling kay liripSitting together on the balcony in the soft moonlight, the Mangyan feelinspired. Friendship is great Ambahan 198Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Look The moon so full and bright,shining in front of the houseHow can you explain to me,tha t the rays are soft and cool?If a man like us he were,I would hold him by the handSeize the hair to keep him backGrasp the clothes to make him stayBut how could I manage thatIt is the moon in the skyThe full moon shining so bright,going down beyond the hills,disappearing from the plain,out of sight behind the rocks. Kay liwanag ng buwanSa balkunahey sinagPaano naging ganyakLuningning ay busilakKung tao syang katuladPipigilan kong tiyakSa buhok, siyay hawakSiguro sa damit manPano mapipigilanMay buwang nakasinagBituing kumikislapMay bundok kinublihanMay hinamugang patagMay tuktok na pinugad.The visitor will be home again, but the memory of his good friends will remain forever. Ambahan 205Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino You, my friends, dearest of all,thinking of you makes me sad.Rivers deep are in between,forests vast keep us apart.But thinking of you with love,as if you are here nearbystanding, sitting at my side. Lugod kong kaibiganKung kitay pag-isipanMay ilog sa pagitanMay gubat sa harapanNgunit kung pagbulayanParang nasa tabihanKapiling sa kandungan.Ambahan MarriageAlthough the courtship period has a vary set of rules and ceremonials, the marriage itself is as simple as possible. After the consent of the parents has been obtained, the unceremonial first sleep of both the spouses together is considered as wedlock itself. In the ambahan literature, a study part revolves around the perennial theme of married life and all its ramifications. After many years of living together, does the husband still remember his promise that he gave as an ardent lover? When difficulties arise, the Mangyans try to smooth them out themselves. Ambahan 210Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino If the ties you use at home amaze weak and tend to break,You should be the one to mend,The one to restore their strength. Panali may marupokUway iyan na gapokIkaw itong susubokMagtitibay nang lubosThe following advice is worthwhile to rememberAmbahan 231Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Even with disharmonyand a quarrel now and then.No reason to separate.Try to understand it first Kahit may kaguluhanMay tampuhat alitanDi dapat talikuranUnawain mo namanParting for a longer period of time is sad for the couple.Ambahan 234Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino My dear fragrant herb, my wife,it is true, we have to part,on this day and on this hour.If united we remainand our bandage is strong and pure,you and I, far as we are,its like holding hands again,its like sitting side by side. Kabyak kong halimuyakKita may magkawalayNgayon at lumaon manKung buklod ay matibayMaayos ang samahanIkaw nga at ako manMagkahawak ng kamayWariy nasa kandunganAmbahan Old ageSharing their love, the happy couple grows old together.Old age in Mangyan society is not given special status and special privileges. As long as anyone is able to keep up, he is expected to take part in daily work. It is, therefore, not surprising to see the old and feeble people working side by side with the younger generations in the rice fields. However, the irrevocable advance of time is felt by the elder generation. It is something that cant be changed. Ambahan 235Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Its a fact we all know,a truth wherever we gothe sun in the afterwardsnoonwill be setting very soon. Di bat totoo namanKatunayan saan manAraw sa kataasanAy lulubog rin naman.Among themselves, the older generation talk about the time when they will no longer be together. Will there still come another day after this night? Ambahan 237Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino At this hour of the dark nightwe are still together nowon the woven sleeping-mat.But when the sun rises soon,and the stars become detached,our bond might break up too.When well ever meet again,it is not with mortal eyes,but the eye-sight of the soul. Sa sandaling karimlanKahit kita magtipanSa banig na higaanPagsikat nitong arawTalang maghihiwalayBuklod natiy bibigayPagkikitay daratalPaningiy mapawi manMay bagong kaanyuan.The thought of death is quietly accepted by a Mangyan. It is not the frightful and horrible event that is feared so much by the lowland Christians. For a Mangyan, death is part of the life cycle of every human being it is looked upon as something that will bring a definite change in life, mostly for the better, not for the worst. Especially when the Mangyan gets old, he likes to think of death as the moment that will bring him back again to his beloved who went ahead of him. Ambahan 242Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says the man, already old,thinking of life after deathWhen I leave, it will be nice.I will whistle, I will yellon the highest mountain peaks.Yes, one day I will be gladI will see my wife againMany things well have to sayThen I wont want to come back. Wika ng isang MangyanIsip ang kamatayanKung yayaot papanawSipol akong hihiyawSa landas sa bundukanKung dumatal ang asamPagtagpo natin hirangSa usal ay puspusanPapanaw nang tuluyanAmbahan DeathWhen physical life comes to an end, the soul departs for anot her place. The moment of dying, this unique(p) experience, is vividly remembered afterwards by the soul, especially if death came during an agonizing circumstance. Ambahan 246Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says the soul rememberingJust a while ago at home,in the house I used to stay,My body was really bad,lying sickly on the mat,though not ready yet to go.Scared to death I really wasI was going to the rightand to left, back and forthSo confused I was that timeNow, my body laid at rest,finally I took a bathin the waters for the soul.I am starting on my wayto the place my father went,and where Mother joined him, too. Taghoy ng kaluluwaKanina nang lumisanSa dampa kong tahananKatawan koy naghihirapSa banig na higaanDi pa lumilisanBalisang nagpaalamPa-biling-biling namanPakaliwat pakananSige na nga kung ganyanAko na ay lilisanLiligo sa hugasanSa tubig dalisayanSa bago kong hantunganSa tabihan ni AmangKapiling na si InangTragic, also is the Mangyan who died out of misery and chagrin be cause of the hardship he had to deal with We do not know what his problems were or who caused them, but that he had some is clear from his explanation Ambahan 251Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino These are the words of the soulWho would finally not complainMy house on the mountain slopein the darkness of the night,hurricanes were howling loud.When the sun was in the sky,the shower came trounce downAll the southern typhoon winds,all the north-western storms,my house they were hitting hardThat was exactly the case.No wonder I left the place Hinagpis ng kalulwaSinong di masasaktanBahay ko sa tarikanKung gabi at karimlanAng hangin ay bugsuanKung araw ay sikatanAmbon ay ampiyasanSaklot ng habagat manPispis nga ng amihanTutok doot bugsuanKang ganyan rin nga lamangSa dampa nay lilisanAll this information comes from the realm of the dead, furnished by the deceased themselves communication with the souls or spirits of the dead is nothing extraordinary for the Mangyans. These are those perso ns who possess the power to strike up a conversation with the spirits by means of a medium or daniw. The conversation resembles a sance among spiritualists. The Mangyan who grieves about the death of a dear one likes to avail himself of the services of a daniw in order to see if the soul of the deceased cannot be convinced to come back and join his earthly body again. Positive results are said to be known, but they are not recorded in the ambahan verse. The ambahan samples available only relate the failure of the daniw and the decisiveness of the soul to continue his course in the other life. Ambahan 252Hanunuo-Mangyan English Filipino Says the seers mediumYou, soul, can you tell me please,why is it you were so scared,that time when you left the house?Wasnt a spirit from the woods?If so, I took care of thatthrough my prayers very strongand the incantations tooYour fears should have disappeared,since the Evil one is gone.All the more, its long agothat I caged him through my strength. Ang wika nitong Daniw Kalulwa, hoy sabihinTakot ka ba at bakit?Sa tahanay umalisKung malignong gubatinLigtas nating taluninSa lakas ng dalanginSa tindi ng humigmigTuloy kang manahimikMalignoy gagapusinNgayon at noon mandinSa dunong bibihaginMangyan groupsEthnographic map of MindoroThere are around 300 million innate peoples in the world. In the Philippines, of the projected population of 94 million in 2010, about 15% belong to indigenous groups. AusAID Mindoro is the ordinal largest island in the Philippines, with an area of 10,224 square kilometers and two provinces Oriental and Hesperian. Of the total population of one million, the indigenous population is estimated at 100,000. Mangyan is the collective name for the eight indigenous groups living in Mindoro, each with its own name, language, and set of customs * Iraya* Alangan* Tadyawan* Tau-buid* Bangon* Buhid* Hanunuo* RatagnonIrayaAn Iraya-Mangyan family Source Mangyan MissionThe Iraya Mangyans live in the municipalities o f Puerto Galera, San Teodoro and Baco in Oriental Mindoro but most are in Occidental Mindoro, particularly in the municipalities of Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao and Santa Cruz. Estel (1952) described the Iraya as having curly or deep wavy hair and dark skin but not as dark as that of the Negrito. During ancient times, the Iraya traditional fig up was made of dry tree bark, pounded to make it flat and soft. The women usually wore a blouse and a madam and the men wore g-strings made of cloth. Today, however, the Iraya are dressed just like the lowland people. Ready-to-wear clothes are easier to find than their traditional costume Uyan, 2002. The Irayas are also skilled in nito-weaving. Handicrafts such as jars, trays, plates and cups of different sizes and design are being marketed to the lowlanders. They subsist on rice, banana, sweet potato, and other root crops.AlanganAn Alangan-Mangyan woman in traditional attireThe Alangan Mangyans live in the municipalities of Naujan, Baco, San Teodoro, and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro. The name Alangan was derived from the name of a river and mountain slopes in the upper Alangan vale Leykamm, 1979. The women traditionally wear a skirt called lingeb. This is made of long strips of woven nito (forest vines), and is wound around the abdomen. This is worn together with the g-string called abayen. The upper coating is called ulango, made from the leaf of the wild buri palm. Sometimes a red kerchief called limbutong is worn over the ulango. The men wear g-strings with fringes in front. The Alangan Mangyans practise swidden farming, which consists of eleven stages. Two of them are the firebreak-making (agait) and the fallowing (agpagamas). A firebreak is made so the fire will not gobeyond the swidden site where the vegetation is thoroughly dry and ready for burning. Two years after clearing, cultivation of the swidden is normally ceased and the site is allowed to re vert back to forest Quiaoit, 1997. Betel nut chewing is also noted among the Alangans, like all other Mangyan tribes. This they chew with great fervor from morning to night, saying that they dont feel hunger as long as they chew betel nut Leykamm, 1979. Nonetheless, betel chewing has a social dimension. Exchange of betel chew ingredients signifies social acceptance.TadyawanTadyawan Mangyans in Oriental Mindoro Source Mangyan Mission The Tadyawan Mangyans live in the municipalities of Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola, Gloria, Pinamalayan, and Bansud. In the past, the women wore for their upper covering a red cloth called paypay, which is wound around the breast. For their lower covering, they wrapped around the waist a white cloth called talapi. The men wore g-strings called abay. For their accessories, women wore colorful bracelets and necklaces made of beads. Today the women are rarely seen wearing their traditional attire, though some men still wear the abay. Like all other Mangyan tribes, the Tadyawan depend on their kaingin farm for subsistence. Their staple foods are upland rice, banana, sweet potato, and taro. Some have also planted fruit-bearing trees like rambutan, citrus, and coffee in their kaingin.Tau-buidA Tau-buid Mangyan in Occidental Mindoro Source Overseas Missionary Fellowship The Tau-buids are known as pipe smokers and even children begin smoking at a young age. Standard dress for men and women is the loin cloth. In some areas close to the lowlands, women wrap a knee-length cloth around their bark bra-string and men wear cloth instead of bark. clamber cloth is worn by both men and women in the interior and is also used for head bands, womens breast covers, and blankets. Cloth is made by extracting, pounding and drying the inner bark of several trees Pennoyer, 1979. The Tau-buid Mangyans live in the municipalities of Socorro, Pinamalayan and Gloria, butmostly in Occidental Mindoro.BangonA Bangon-Mangyan elder Source Mangyan MissionThe Bangon M angyans live along the Bongabon river called Binagaw and the surrounding mountains in the municipalities of Bongabong, Bansud, and Gloria in Oriental Mindoro. The Bangon Mangyans have their own culture, language and writing system, different to the other tribes in Oriental Mindoro, and asserted they be considered the seventh major tribe not a sub-tribe of the Tau-buid. In a March 28, 1996 meeting with Buhid Mangyans in Ogom Liguma, they decided to accept the word Bangon for their tribe.BuhidA Buhid-Mangyan woman Source Mangyan MissionThe Buhids are known as pot makers. Other Mangyan tribes, like the Alangan and Hanunuo, used to buy their cooking pots from the Buhids. The word Buhid literally means mountain dwellers Postma, 1967. Buhid women wear woven black and white brassiers called linagmon and a black and white skirt called abol. Unmarried women wear body ornaments such as a braided nito belt (lufas), blue thread earrings, bead headband (sangbaw), bead bracelet (uksong), and bea ded long necklace (siwayang or ugot). The men wear g-strings. To enhance body beauty, the men wear ornaments like a long beaded necklace, tight choker (ugot) and beaded bracelet (uksong). Both sexes use an accessory bag called bay-ong for personal things like comb and knife Litis, 1989. Together with the Hanunuo, the Buhids in some areas possess a pre-Spanish syllabic writing system. The Buhid Mangyans live in the municipalities of Roxas, Bansud, Bongabong and some parts of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipalities of San Jose and Rizal in Occidental Mindoro.HanunuoA Hanunuo-Mangyan family Source Mangyan MissionTo the Hanunuo, vestments (rutay) is one of the most important criteria in distinguishing the Mangyan from the non-Manyan (damuong). A Hanunuo-Mangyan male wears a loin cloth (ba-ag) and a shirt (balukas). A female wears an indigo-dyed short skirt (ramit) and a blouse (lambung). Many of the traditional style shirts and blouses are embroidered on the back with a design called pakudos, based on the cross shape. This design is also found on their bags made of buri (palm leaf) and nito (black fern), called bay-ong. Both sexes used to wear a twilled rattan belt with pocket (hagkos) at their waist. Long hair is the traditional style for a man. It is tied in one spot at the back of the head with a cloth hair-band called panyo. Women also have long hair often dressed with a headbands of beads. The Hanunuo Mangyans of all ages and both sexes are very fond of wearing necklaces and bracelets of beads Miyamoto, 1985. In the past they cultivated cotton trees and from these obtained raw materials which they wove in a crude hand loom called harablon. The process of weaving was called habilan, which starts with the gathering of cotton balls and pilling them to dry in a flat basket (bilao). Afterwards, the seeds are upstage and the cotton placed on a mat and beaten by two flat sticks to make it fine. Next the cotton is placed inside a container made out o f banana stalks (binuyo) and woven. Noted anthropologist Harold Conklin made an extensive study on the Hanunuo-Mangyan agricultural system in 1953. The Hanunuo Mangyans practise swidden farming. This type of farming is different from the kaingin system practised by non-Mangyans which is often very destructive when it is done with no proper safeguards to prevent the fire from spreading to the surrounding vegetation. A fallow period is also observed so that the swidden farm will revert back to forest. According to Conklin, the Mangyans managed their swidden farms skillfully. In 1995, almost half a century after Conklins research, a study on the Hanunuo Mangyans swidden farming system was conducted by Hayama Atsuko. She concluded that the Hanunuo Mangyans farming practices have prevented land deterioration in spite of the fact that forest land degradation is now evident in their territory due to various factors. Together with their northern neighbor the Buhids, the Hanunuo possess a pr e-Spanish writing system, considered to be of Indic origin, with characters expressing the open syllables of the language Postma, 1981. This syllabic writing system, called Surat Mangyan, is being taught inseveral Mangyan schools in Mansalay and Bulalacao. The Hanunuo Mangyans live in the municipalities of Mansalay, Bulalacao, and some parts of Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, and in the municipality of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.RatagnonThe Ratagnon live in the southernmost part of the municipality of Magsaysay in Occidental Mindoro. Their language is similar to the Visayan Cuyunon language, spoken by the inhabitants of Cuyo Island in northerly Palawan. The Ratagnon women wear a wrap-around cotton cloth from the waistline to the knees and some of the males still wear the traditional g-string. The womens breast covering is made of woven nito (vine). They also wear accessories made of beads and copper wire. The males wear a jacket with simple embroidery during gala festivities and carry flint, tinder, and other paraphernalia for making fire. Both sexes wear coils of red-dyed rattan at the waistline. Like other Mangyan tribes, they also carry betel chew and its ingredients in bamboo containers.