mindanao culture Archives - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jul292020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

LOOK: Matigsalug – Manobo tribes get new tribal hall in Kitaotao

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Culture, Government, Mindanao, Society

Two of Mindanao's tribes now have a new tribal hall complete with sleeping quarters. The Matigsalug - Manobo tribes in Kitaotao, Bukidnon recently received a new tribal hall with sleeping quarters. The new tribal hall, located at Brgy. Sagundanon, Kitaotao, Bukidnon, was inaugurated on July 24, 2020. The Matigsalug - Manobo tribal hall was funded under the Department of Social Welfare and Development Kalahi-CIDSS and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process under its PAyapa and MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) framework. PAMANA is the government's peace and development framework that aims to strengthen peacebuilding, reconstruction, and development in conflict-affected areas. DSWD says that PAMANA has reportedly expanded to include the funding of projects for IPs ...

Jun132016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Good news – More Lumad schools established in Mindanao!

Advocacy, Announcements, Bukidnon, Culture, Kaamulan Festival, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao

A total of thirty nine (39) schools for our indigenous peoples (IP) or Lumad brothers and sisters have been established in key parts in Northern Mindanao, Philippines and I have never been so happy! I think it's high time that we give importance to our Lumad brothers and sisters. Enough of taking advantage of them and abusing the sanctity of their culture. Enough of using them as "props" during certain festivals that are, in fact, just purely commercial in nature. Enough, please! Twenty three of the schools will be established in Malaybalay City (at Nasuli, Bangcud, to be exact), Valencia City and 10 other Bukidnon municipalities. The remaining sixteen will be found in Iligan, Gingoog, Balingasag and Claveria, Misamis Oriental. Thank you to the Department of Education. This is one...

Jul292015 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Bukidnon Kaamulan Festival 2015 schedule of activities

Announcements, Bukidnon, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Malaybalay City

The Kaamulan Festival 2015 schedule of activities is finally out. Kaamulan Festival, a yearly festival that aims to gather Bukidnon’s 7 hill tribes, is usually held every March but in 2014, the Kaamulan Festival was held in August so that it would coincide with the Bukidnon Centennial Celebration. This 2015, the Bukidnon government decided to move it to October. The Kaamulan 2015 festival schedule of activities can be found below but please do “like” the Kaamulan Festival Facebook Page to be constantly updated. Need a place to stay in Bukidnon? BOOK YOUR BUKIDNON HOTEL ROOM HERE OCTOBER 1 - GRAND OPENING 6 AM - Opening Ritual (Pamukalag), Grandstand Malaybalay – Motorcade (to be participated by festival sponsors) – School Band parade - Food Fest, Agri Fair, Indigenous Ba...

Sep22014 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

PHOTOS: Kaamulan Festival 2014 Ethnic Street Dancing And Float Competition

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Kaamulan Festival, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, News, Northern Mindanao, Photos, Tourism

KAAMULAN FESTIVAL 2014 - The Kaamulan Festival 2014 street dancing and float competition is one of the major highlights of Bukidnon's yearly gathering of its 7 hill tribes. This year, the much-awaited event was held for two days - August 30 and 31, 2014 - at Malaybalay City. All Bukidnon cities and municipalities were asked to join the competition this Kaamulan Festival 2014 in line with the province's 100th founding anniversary (Bukidnon Centennial). In previous years, only between 7 and 10 contingents join the competition due to budget constraints. Sharing with you some of the photos taken by Mindanaoan's Kaamulan 2014 team during the Kaamulan Festival 2014 ethnic street dancing and float competition:

May232014 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Let these T’boli dancers welcome you to Sarangani

Culture, General Santos City, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Sarangani, SoSCksargen

I arrived in Sarangani, Mindanao a day before the official start of the Sarangani Bay Festival 2014. And for very good reason - the pretty and amiable Michelle Lopez-Solon, a.k.a. the better half of Sarangani Governor Steve Solon and the lead organizer of SarBayFest2014, invited me and a few other blogger-friends to a mini tour of Sarangani! The tour of Sarangani was something I've been looking forward to for a very long time. Sarangani, after all, does not only boast of rich natural resources but of culture and tradition as well. Our first stop was a barangay in Kiamba, Sarangani. There, we were met by happy, smiling faces led by Lyn Lambago, the founder of the Lemuhen Cultural Dance Troupe. Organized in 2007, the dance troupe was borne out of Lyn's observation that the T'boli cultu...

Dec202012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Christmas: How it Came To Be

Arts, Beauty, Culture, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Society

Curious about the history of Christmas? The history of how Christmas came to be is pretty interesting, if you ask me. This article will shed light into the annual tradition we know as the Yuletide season. If you want to know more about Christmas, then read on. Basically Christmas is that one special day for Christians to come together to remember, commemorate, and celebrate the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s just say it’s like a birthday, only, it’s the birthday of that special one who is mainly the reason why we are here in this world. As we consider it as a birthday of some sort, it is, of course, celebrated annually and can also easily be associated to events like the Nativity, which most Churches would re-enact during masses on the eve of the event; gift giving within fa...

Aug282011 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Bonok Bonok Festival 2011 in Surigao

Arts, Caraga, Contests, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Mindanaoan Update, Surigao, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tourism

After the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, Kagay-an Festival 2011 in Cagayan de Oro City and the 13th Tuna Festival in General Santos City, it's now time for another Mindanao festival --- Bonok-bonok 2011 Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival in Surigao! Bonok Bonok 2011, which officially starts on September 9, 2011, features ethnic mardi gras street dancing and other festivities. Bonok Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw 2011 is also held in line with the annual fiesta celebration of San Nicolas de Tolentino on September 10. This year’s Bonok Bonok 2011 street dancing competition has two categories: the Free Interpretation (FI), which is open to barangays, schools and municipalities within and outside the Province of Surigao del Norte and the Bonok-bonok (BB) based which is open to barangays of Surigao C...

Nov112009 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mining company in Mindanao hires APO Hiking Society’s Danny Javier

Advocacy, Business, Commentary, Controversial, Corporate, Cotabato, Culture, Davao City, Koronadal, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion, Sarangani, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Weird

Yes, you read that right. A mining company operating in the Municipality of Tampakan has hired Danny Javier of the popular group APO Hiking Society. Javier is now a "strategist" for Sagittarius Mines, Inc., a gold and copper mine. As a "strategist," Javier is reportedly supposed to help SMI develop a "better image." It can be recalled that the said mining company, which has business interests in three large areas in Mindanao namely South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, has and still is facing strong opposition especially from the Church. A lot of non government organizations which advocate environmental sustainability have also expressed their opposition against the operation of Sagittarius Mines. What makes this development noteworthy is that Danny Javier of APO Hiki...

Sep72009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Be the next Muzika del Sur VJ!

Announcements, Arts, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Culture, Davao City, Entertainment, Features, General Santos City, Headline, Iligan City, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Society

Hear ye, hear ye fellow Mindanaoans! Muzika Del Sur, the country's first and only magazine show that delves into Mindanao's music scene, is launching a VJ hunt! If you think you have what it takes to be the next video jock (VJ) of Muzika del Sur, then check out the poster found in this Mindanao blog. Thank you very much to my friend Rudolph for the heads up :) For the uninitiated, Muzika del Sur started airing in 2006. They feature Mindanao artists and their music. From Davao to General Santos to Cotabato to Iligan to Cagayan de Oro, Muzika Del Sur makes it a point to highlight Mindanao talents. The show has various segments such as interviews, travelogues and music videos. Muzika del Sur is also responsible for the annual Muzika Del Sur Music Awards. This unique awards ceremony a...

Sep42009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Iligan City Mindanao fiesta to feature Higantes

Announcements, Events, Festivals, Fiesta, Iligan City, Lanao del Sur, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Tourism, Travel

Here's another reason why you should all go and visit Iligan City, Mindanao during their fiesta month this year (September 2009 up to first week of October 2009). "Higantes" will be among the attractions in this year's celebration of the Iligan City fiesta. These "higantes" (giants), made of paper mache, cloth and other indigenous materials, will be part of the "Kasadya Street Dancing and Merrymaking" event. Similar to Angono, Rizal's "Higantes," (see inset picture) the entries will vie for a cash prize of P20,000.00. Each "higante" entry must not exceed 12 feet in height. Organizers also say that the entries must depict two characters linked to the Iligan City fiesta namely St. Michael and Luzbel (Lucifer). I guess this will be one fun event to take photos of! Wow, Mindanaoan w...

Aug272009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanao peace and development hostaged to politics

Commentary, Controversial, Government, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Opinion, Personalities, Politics

Senator (and rumored presidentiable) Francis "Chiz" Escudero has said it and I agree --- the peace and development here in Mindanao is hostaged to politics. The kind of politics that run in "Imperial Manila." One of the things that the next president should do is bring together all stakeholders in Mindanao to craft a development agenda --- one that's doable, cost efficient and worth all of our time and efforts --- that will not be hostaged to any change in administration. “Only an all-stakeholders approach will lead to the long-sought peace and meaningful development in this region, not Imperial Manila’s “urong-sulong, atras abante” approach since we gained independence,” Escudero said. The 39-year old lawmaker said the country’s development will greatly be accelerated if authorit...

Aug92009 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

Horse fights to be re-staged during Kadayawan Festival 2009

Advocacy, Controversial, Culture, Davao City, Events, Festivals, Fiesta, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News

I can already smell the protests courtesy of animal welfare advocates. Horse fights (also known as "Paaway Kuda"), which are part of the culture of indigenous peoples, will be revived in this year's Kadayawan Festival 2009 celebration. Horse fight competitions will be staged from August 17 to 23, 2009 during the 2009 Kadayawan in Davao City, Mindanao. I bet the people behind the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and other animal welfare organizations can't wait to travel to Davao and condemn the "cruel" competitions. Recently, the Davao City Council Committee on Lumads (Indigenous Peoples), led by Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, revealed that the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has approved the staging of horse fights during the Kadayawan Festival. In a horse f...