The Manobo people inhabit areas of Mindanao and play various musical instruments. Their gong ensembles include the Ahong which has 10 gongs played at festive occasions. The Ahong has different roles - the Kaantuhan carries the melody, the Gandingan provides an ostinato, and the Bandil sets the tempo. Other instruments include the sagagong gong ensemble, sauray bamboo zither, tugo bamboo zither, kuglong lute, faglong lute, lantoy bamboo flute, and pundag/flandag bamboo flutes. Manobo also enjoy vocal music like epics, lullabies, and songs about nature.

1. MANOBO MUSIC
Prepared by: Geraldine D. Reyes

3.  MANOBO MUSIC- is a general term for various groups of people mainly occupying the
highlands of Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Bukidnon, Agusan and Davao.
 GONG ENSEMBLES – Ahong (Magpet)- 8 gongs , Sagagong- 5 small hand-held gongs
struck with padded sticks.
 Ahong- 10 small knobbed gongs hung vertically on a frame usually in a triangular
formation with a smallest gong at the apex.
 Kaantuhan – higher -pitched gongs which carry the melody. Player stands as he strikes
his melodic patterns on gongs
 Gandingan- 3 lower- pitched gongs providing a melodic ostinato. Players strikes gongs
7,8, and 9 occasionally gong 6.
 Bandil – lowest pitched gongs which sets the tempo. Player is confined to gong 10
 Ahong is heard during festive occasions and has its repertoire pieces entitled:
 Panihuman (Conversation), Badbad ( thanksgiving), Tukubong (reconciliation) and
Malando’y ( clan reunion).
 In the municipality of Pres. Roxas and sitio Kabalantian in Magpet the Manobo gong
set called Tagungguan one provides the basic tempo on gong 6 or 8.While the other
plays the melody on the remaining gongs. Tagungguan is used in an ensemble with a
drum called gibba and a pair or sticks called pagakpak at agricultural rituals and
festive occasions where it usually accompanies dances.

4.  Tagungguan- are Managway nag sinagkaw (crying lady),
Abadti (thanksgiving), Panihuman ( merry making),
Babang ngat ( a dance music) and Tagunguan/Tagungga
(playing Tagungguan music)
 Manobo Gong Ensemble- from Kulaman Valley
Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat referred to as sagagong.
 Manobo Gong Ensemble is similar to the Tiruray sagagong
where each of 5 performers carries a single song by its
short string as he strikes his particular rhythmic pattern.
When only 4 players perform , the 2nd and 3rd gongs are
assigned to one person.
 Sagagong-is played during festive gatherings and among
its pieces are Deket-Deket, Talibenan, Tulos, Funinko and
Mandiser,the last 3 of which are dance pieces .
 Sauray- bamboo tube zither of the Manobo. In Magpet
sauray plays pieces of the gong ensemble and
accompanies songs like Lahinat ko Maandas (stand up
maandas)

5.  Saluray/Tugo-has anywhere from 5-9 strings lifted up from the
hard skin of the tube itself. In Kulaman Valley many pieces of the
tugo are programmatic such as Lambag dagat (waves of the sea),
Dagi sigkil (tiny bells of anklets), Kagit batako ( a man wading in
the water looking for his lost brother), Hamelin a tao namatay
(advice from a dying man) and Hambog Nonoy (Nonoy the
braggart).
 Kuglong- another string instrument of the Manobo in Magpet and
Pres.Roxas Accompanies songs such as Iyanad so anak ko ( go to
sleep my baby), Talukaw (a tree), Nakad sandita (a lady regretting
her fate), Eslole (slowly) and Alimogkat (godess of the river)
 Faglong- in Kulaman Valley. Dakal Faglong is a piece with dance.
 This 2 –stringed lute is played during agricultural rites, courtship,
marriage and death. It accompanies songs and dances witn the
performer usually singing, dancing and playing the lute at the same
time. The 2 –string lute may be played solo or an ensemble with a
saluray and a ring -type bamboo flute with 4 fingerholes called
Lantoy.

6.  Lantoy- used as a solo instrument to play tunes of vocal songs like the
epic Umahingan and to accompany songs like Baya-Baya which tells
of life experiences.
 Pundag- another bamboo flute in Pres. Roxas
 Flandag- in Kulaman Valley features a notch in its blowing end and
has 3 fingerholes plus a thumbhole.
 Examples Of its repertoire are: Duyoy Tomas (song of a hen),
Malakufak (a singing bird), Tingkalong (fox), Daleway ( a girl
mourning her father’s death), Duyoy bata (song of a woman about to
be married) and Hongti hai ( remembrance)
 Kombeng- Manobo flutes like bamboo jaws harp, used for courtship
and entertainment or to express their feelings.
 Other instruments particularly found in Kulaman Valley: sluloy (small
flute), lutang ( 3-5 suspended logs), taluan/salagaan (long drum),
takumba (2-stringed parallel zither), duwagey (singe stringedbowed
fiddle), slagi-large song which is used to call people to gather.
 Manobo vocal music- characterized by narrative songs,lullabies and
songs of nature.
 Important song type is the epic Uwahingan whose equivalent in the
Kulaman Valley is Duyoy Tugudon
 Nalit- a type of song that relates life experiences.
 Dagi pla- enitled Fotfot is sung during wakes and social gatherings.

8. Gandingan

9. Bandil

10. saluray

11. Duwagey