Nikki Minaj said, “Pound the alarm!” Dabawenyos say, “Pound the gong and kulintang!” Kadayawan Saturdays mean one thing—revelry at the streets of downtown Davao City. Different contingents from all over Eastern, Southern, and Central Mindanao bask in the sun and strut their dance moves to the beat of the drums, kulintang, and agung as Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan begins mid-morning. The heart of Davao City throbs vibrantly in colors and the beat of street party. (more…)
Mindanao
Sideline: Ang Pagpanaug sa Kapatagan
It wasn’t my first time seeing our indigenous peoples head to the city to earn for a living. Just like a probinsyano attracted to the prospects of greener pastures of the big city, some IPs “go down” and seek better opportunities, to either prosper or to survive. The three photos I’d be showing is just one example of such. Captured during Kadayawan Festival in Davao City last weekend, I couldn’t help but notice this group of lumad girls wearing their bright indigenous clothing and posed for a souvenir shot together with a foreigner and several local tourists. My guess is that the group earns a living by posing for tourists or entertain using their indigenous music or probably selling their bracelets that they made. I still yet to know what particular indigenous group is it.
My First Kadayawan Festival in Davao: 10 Tribes, One Vibe
Since 2004, I have promised myself to witness Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, but it didn’t come. However, when I resettled in Mindanao and Davao was just a three hour ride by bus, and the long weekend came, then I didn’t hesitate to enjoy Mindanao’s King of Festivals! It was my first Kadayawan, and I wasn’t disappointed at all! Madayaw! (more…)
Return to UP Mindanao in Davao
Yes, I am an alumnus of UP Visayas of Miagao in Iloilo—what we call as a UP campus where the mountains meet the sea. I cherished memories of “the best days of my life” in college. However, there is another UP campus that is also very dear to me—that’s UP Mindanao in Davao City. Although I only spent two months in this campus at the foothills of Mount Apo, it has influenced and shaped my life for who I am now. (more…)
Lake Lanao: The Heart of the Maranao Civilization
Lake Lanao is the second largest lake and perhaps one of the deepest in the Philippines. Found in Lanao Del Sur Province in north-western Mindanao Island, it has become the bastion of Maranao civilization. It is at the heart of the Maranao homeland and culture—the prime source of food and even the formation of their culture. Not only Lake Lanao is important to the Maranao homeland, but also to the entire island of Mindanao, as it is the primary source of power for the Agus Hydroelectric power plants, that power almost the entire island. The lake itself is one of the 15 ancient lakes of the world. Yet despite all of these accolades, she sits serenely in the volcanic basin of Ranao, with lots of stories spanning more than a million years.
While four major tributaries feed water to Lake Lanao, it has only one outlet—Agus River. That same river powers entire Mindanao with strings of power plants—including the famous Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City and Tinago Falls.
Philippines to host local Google Map Maker Summits
Philippines will hold three local conferences about Google Map Maker this April 2012, after the successful Google Map Maker Workshop which was held in Makati City last March. The local Google Map Maker Summits will be held at the cities of Bacolod City, Baguio City, and General Santos City respectively.
Torogan: The Forgotten Heritage of Dayawan Marawi
It was raining when we came back at Marawi City that November afternoon. It was cool but somehow the atmosphere was melancholic. Among other things we would like to see in the Maranao world, it is the traditional living quarters of the royal families called torogan. It’s a good thing that there are a few that survived time and elements just near the city, in the district known to locals as “Tuka” which sits beside the placid Lake Lanao.
Herencia y Poder: Zamboanga City Hall
In “El Pueblo,” as the local Zamboangueños call their city center or downtown, is an edifice that is synonymous to the city and perhaps throughout the history of Mindanao. The Zamboanga City Hall stands majestic amidst the well-groomed parks of Plaza Pershing (named after the American general John “Black Jack” Pershing) and Plaza Rizal. The edifice itself became Mindanao and Sulu’s bastion of power (the capital city) for several years during the American colonial era, making Ciudad de Zamboanga the capital of the whole southern islands itself!
Tugaya: Obra Maestra Maranao Primera
A lot of people have been to Lanao Del Sur, but they are just either at MSU or Marawi City itself. They never dared explore the towns beside the placid Lake Lanao for so many concerns and reasons. However, I was allured by the town of Tugaya in some journals and websites I read. It is said to be the bastion of arts and craft of the Maranao people. Curiously, it is a town full of talented craftsmen that is famed all throughout Mindanao for its fine products, may it be brass ware to clothing and tapestry, which has been handed over from their ancestors for centuries. Because of it’s fame, it was even nominated by the National Center for Culture and the Arts for UNESCO World Heritage List in early 2000s. Now, it made me more curious—hence it became my primary goal in visiting Tugaya.
