DESPITE the loss of their beloved leader, the Mandaya Tribe in CADT-01, Sitio Sangab, Barangay Pichon, Caraga, Davao Oriental has shown their strong will to portray their culture no matter what as they conducted their 19th Kalindugan Festival last October 28.
Children from kinder to high school became the festival’s immediate attraction as they wore their Mandaya attire and effortlessly exhibited their dance footworks.
Through their dances, the children depicted the different forms of living and livelihood of Mandaya, such as weaving, and usage of their tools for agriculture, especially with abaca as their main crop.
They also repeatedly showed themes of their utmost care and concern of the environment, and the tribes intent to shoo away illegal loggers.
Most of all their dances were the tales of their tribes’ struggle to have their ancestral domain, for the formation of an established system which translated not only their immediate security but also for the perpetuation of their tribe’s culture.
One prominent figure which cannot be missed in every presentation was Likid Cupertino Banugan also known as Likid Cuper — the former chief of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT-01), who was executed along with his brother and nephew by the New People’s Army (NPA) outside their house in poblacion Caraga town in what has been described as an overkill. (They were executed using a grenade launcher, it was said).
Likid Cuper was highly regarded for being able to make his people revive their culture as Mandayas and abiding CADT policies.
In claiming responsible for his death, NPAs accused him of using his power to usurp 14,000 hectares land owned by Iligan, Bayon, Silat, Tibay and Panin clans. Based on reports, Banugan when he was alive said that these families had been claiming the ownership of the tract of land within the CADT-01. An ancestral domain is the collective property of the whole tribe.
Likid Cuper said in a previous interview that the Mandaya CADT-01 council of elders decide on disputes based on their tribal policy citing Rule III, Part II, Section 8, or rules and regulation of Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) Administrative Order number 1 which states among others that “land conflicts will be resolved in accordance with was customary laws traditions and practices of the IPS.
NPA allegedly resented this and in May of 2016, has threatened Banugan.
On June 13, 2016 around 200 NPA rebels, tried to enter the village from the mountains of New Bataan Compostela Valley, and descended in Sangab, and knocked on several homes.
The rebels were apparently interceding for one family, the Bayon Family, who was taking claim over an area occupied by a clan in CADT-01.
CADT-01 is made up of 13 of 18 sitios in Barangay Pichon. The five other sitios are still dominantly Mandaya, but who have already imbibed the lowlanders’ ways and did not want to be part of the ancestral domain,
While he was alive, Likid Cuper also denied the claim of NPA that he is extorting 10 percent of the gross sale of Abaca and other products of farmers of CADT, by saying that the ten percent fee to administer the ancestral domain.
During the festival, Likid Cuper Banugan’s legacy of awakening the tribe’s spirit in preserving the culture and environment is evident to the story plot of young kids who strongly portrayed the role of Banugan as a leader.
With Likid gone, the ancestral domain and the festival is now headed by Likid's 26-year-old daughter, Maigen Christine Banugan.
“Kring-Kring”, as the young chieftain is called, said she would have opted not to push through with the festival this year as they are still mourning Likid's death.
“Kung ako lang dili unta ko gusto mag Kalindungan. Actually dili ko gusto ma-emotional kay karon pag Kalindungan sanay mi nga naa siya. Feeling nako karon dili namo kaya kay first time nga wala siya pero ingon ang council dapat ipadayon namo kay nakabalo pud sila nga mas malipay ang kaluluwa sa among amahan nga mapadayon ang iyang legasiya (If it was left to me, I would not have wanted to hold the Kalindugan this year. I do not want to be emotional but Kalindugan reminds me of him. I thought we cannot do it without him, since it is also the first time that he is not around but the council said that we should continue since they also know that the soul of my father will be happier if we continue his legacy),” she said.
The Kalindungan, celebrated for 19 years now, is a product of Likid's effort.
Christine said that it is not easy to celebrate with the feeling of sadness in their hearts but through the united effort of their tribe she is happy that they have successfully organized this year’s event.
Having been named as the new chief of CADT-01 is a big challenge, she admits, as she had no leadership experience before.
Banugan said that after graduating college, she worked in a private company in Davao City for two years and returned to her community to become her father’s assistant.
But when a member of the council of elders asked her if she can do the job, she said yes.
“I cannot equal my father's leadership, but I told the council that since I know that my father raised me as a good person, and as I witnessed in my father the qualities of a good leader, I told them that I will do my best, and that I will accept the challenge given to me,”she said in the vernacular.
She said she is set to continue her father’s dream to push for the residents of CADT-01 to have income and food security and also for the continued preservation of culture and environmental protection.
She has her father to thank for the good example he has set and for awakening the tribe’s consciousness and pride.
“When he was alive, my heart for the tribe is not that strong because I depended on him. When he was gone, I was really challenged. I want to thank him because even if he is dead, he still continues to inspire me to think not only of myself but also my whole tribe,” she said, teary eyed.
Christine said that currently she now seeks for the continuation of the school of living tradition of National Center for the Culture and Arts (NCCA), and that to also include in the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) a half-day session every week of the students in all schools in the CADT for them to be taught of the tribe’s culture.
She also urged government agencies to help their tribe attain food security.
“I really wish that the different agencies of the government will help us like the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, in their different programs that will help in the livelihood of the members of the tribe,” she said.
She said that as to the peace and order her father has organized the Mandaya Ancestral Domain Defense Unit (MANADU) to protect the CADT and it still remains strong until now. She said that the Philippine Army is also assisting them with the peace and order.
She said that currently they can accommodate to serve food for visitors but they cannot have facilities yet for overnight stay accommodation at Sitio Sangab.
She added that they also cannot advise huge influx of visitors to directly visit their area due to road safety issues, as road rehabilitation is one of the key concerns in going to the area.
Despite the limitations of visitors to come to visit the hear t of CADT-01, Mandaya Art was proven unbounded by space or location as it has already been showcased internationally through the NCCA-funded: Hinabi Project Exhibit dubbed as “Weaving Peace and Dreams: Textile arts of Mindanao” in San Francisco, California last September 18- October 24, 2017.
Christine led the group that represented the Mandaya tribe, and also the one who explained about the dagmay.
“It was really overwhelming, awesome. We were walking in San Fransisco wearing our Mandaya attire. I could not contain the happiness in my heart. We were crying when we were there because it boils down to my father. Because he was the one who awakened us to continue the preservation of our culture. When he was alive he said that we should continue to preserve our culture so that time will come we can go to different places and we can be proud of it. We realized there that 'wow' we have already reached our dream to bring Mandaya Tribe not just in the national but also to our international community,” she said.
Christine is now looking ahead asking the support of the whole tribe to maintain the legacy of her father and to improve their tribe even more.