The document summarizes information about the Bukidnon tribe in the Philippines. It discusses that the Bukidnon are an indigenous ethnic group located in northern Mindanao. There are several Bukidnon tribes distinguished by the rivers they inhabit, each historically led by a Datu chieftain. The document outlines aspects of Bukidnon culture such as traditions around marriage, death, religion, arts/crafts, and the annual Kaamulan festival celebrating Bukidnon culture. It provides details on linguistic heritage and livelihoods centered around agriculture.

1. Bukidnon

2. Lesson Outcome:
At the end of the lesson, the students
can:
1. Identify the Bukidnon tribe;
2. Discuss the tribe’s cultural identity; and
3. Differentiate the Bukidnon tribes’
culture.

3. The Bukidnons is an ethnic tribe
in North central Mindanao whose
ancestors were the aborigines of
the coastal places of what is now
the province of Misamis Oriental
(Clotet, 1889).

4. The Bukidnons are one of the traditionalistic ethnic
groups in the southern Philippines. They inhabit the
northeastern part of Mindanao, the second largest
island of the archipelago. The term “Bukidnon”
(mountain dweller) was derived from the Cebuano
language but nowadays, it is accepted by most
members of the ethnic group referred to.
There are seven different tribes in the province
namely: Talaandig, Higa-onon, Bukidnon,
Umayamnon, Matigsalug, Manobo and Tigwahanon.

5. The tribes in the province of Bukidnon are
indigenous and their names are derived from
the rivers/ watershed areas that they
inhabited. The Matigsalugs, for example, are
the people who live along the Salug river and
the Tigwahanuns – are natives who inhabit the
banks of the Tigwa river.

6. A Datu – a chieftain, is the political and spiritual ruler
of each tribe. The Datu is one who settles disputes
and gives judgment whenever their unwritten laws
called Batasan are violated. The Bukidnon Datu holds
a great influence on the tribal and communal life of the
Bukidnons. Aside from maintaining peace and order
within the tribe, he also performs rituals like the
Panlisigan (driving away bad spirits) and
Panomanoran (calling for the entrance of spirits who
guide the Datu in his decisions). These pre-datuship
ceremonies are precursors to other rituals that the
Datu shall perform called the Kaliga-on rituals.

7. Bukidnon is witness to varying degrees of acculturation of its people.
• The first-degree Bukidnons are those leading the most traditional
lifestyle and those whose parents are full-blooded natives. They are
those who lived remote from any access of lowlander influence, deep in
the forest and along the watershed areas and the main rivers.
•The second-degree Bukidnons live near the fringes of the forests and
directly within the bounds of the lowlanders.
•The third-degree Bukidnons are highly assimilated natives and are
generally able to send their children off to school.
•The fourth-degree Bukidnons have fully assimilated the ways of urban
living and hardly acknowledge the old ways of their background.
• The fifth-degree Bukidnons are largely recent immigrants from other
parts of the Philippine archipelago and have made Bukidnon as their
permanent home.

8. Dialect of Bukidnon
The Bukidnon people of the southern Philippines
speak the Binukid dialect within the Manobo Language
Family.
Livelihood
Occupying a wide plateau in the North Central part of
Mindanao, Bukidnon has a progressive agriculture-
based economy. It is a major producer of rice, corn,
sugar, coffee, rubber, pineapple, tomato, flowers,
cassava, and other fruits and vegetables. It is also a
major producer of chicken, hogs, and cattle.

9. RELIGION AND EXPRESSIVE CULTURE
• Religious Beliefs - They continue to believe in a vast hierarchy of invisible supernatural beings led by
Magbabáya, “most powerful of all.” These spirits possess human characteristics and, while most are beneficent,
they have to be won over with sacrifices of food and drink.
•Religious Practitioners - But in villages where priests are not resident, and especially in those that are visited
by priests only once a month or less, the baylan still plays an important role as the one who can communicate
with spirits.
• Ceremonies - Pamuhat is the generic term for ceremonies propitiating the spirits through prayers and sacrifices
of food and/or drink. The principal Bukidnon celebration was kaliga ( kaliga-on ) at harvest time, but today the
fiesta serves as a substitute.
• Arts – Today Bukidnon women still make and sell grass mats and grass or abaca-fiber baskets. Also, the
annual celebration since 1974 of Kaamulan in the provincial capital of Malaybalay has helped revive the art of
appliqué in the creation of bright red, white, blue, black, and yellow Bukidnon outfits.
• Medicine – Today Bukidnon everywhere know the value of modern medicine and medical practices, and when
seriously ill will spare no effort to obtain treatment in a clinic or hospital.

10. • Marriage - Bukidnon marriages are monogamous, although in the
past datus took more than one wife if they could afford to do so, a
custom still practiced by a few datus in remote areas today.
Marriage is done by exchanging betel with molded rice.
• Death and Afterlife – In villages far from the highway, some
Bukidnon continue to believe that one’s soul goes to Mount
Balatukan regardless of one’s conduct in life, and these people will
bury with the deceased a few of his/her belongings for use in that
terrestrial abode of the dead. Otherwise Christian burial is
practiced.
• Costumes – PANAY BUKIDNON ATTIRE – is the traditional wear
of the indigenous people of Panay Island. Mainly accentuated with
patterns & designs of panubok, a traditional embroidery. The
designs reflect shapes & objects from the environment such as

11. Marriage Costume

12. BUKIDNON TRIBE
• They have light brown complexion, straight black hair, have an average height of
about five feet. Their nose bridge is not flat (NCIP, 2003). The Ips who simply
identifies themselves as Bukidnon is mostly found in the northern part of the
province.
• They specifically inhabited the lower slopes of the mountains of Sumilao, around
Malaybalay and those lowland areas of Central Bukidnon.
• Courtships and marriages among the Bukidnons are brought about by parental
arrangements made since the children were eleven years old. Men practice
polygamy but the women are expected to be monogamous.
• Bukidnons art is best expressed in their dances, poetry and music, mat weaving,
and basketry. The Bukidnon musical instruments consist of bamboo flutes, bamboo
Jew’s harp, one-stringed violin, and the boat shaped guitar.
• The Bukidnon handicrafts consist of mats, hats, fish traps, and cloth weaving. The
traditional method of farming is still being practiced by the farmers in planting
palay, corn, sugarcane, pineapple, coffee, cassava, abaca, and vegetables.

13. Kaamulan Festival is an ethnic cultural festival held annually
in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon in the Philippines from the
second half of February to March 10, the anniversary date of
the foundation of Bukidnon as a province in 1917.
Kaamulan is the dubbed as the only authentic ethnic festival
celebrated in the whole Philippines wherein they celebrate
the richness of Bukidnon in terms of culture, ethnicity and
language. Kaamulan promotes cultural preservation and
recognition for each tribe.
The festivities include a grand street dancing and float
parade, a tableau presentation, a concert of traditional songs
and dances, a traditional tribal sports fest, art exhibits,
rodeo and a month long trade fair.

15. THANK YOU!