Mythologies of the Tagakaulo Kalagan Tribes

The Tagakaulo or Tagakaolo inhabit Mindanao, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, and Mt. Apo. Presently, they’re also found in the coastal towns of Malita, Lais, and Talaguton Rivers. There are approximately 71,356 native speakers (2000, SIL International). Tagakaulo belongs to the Austronesian and Malayo-Polynesian language families; its dialect related to the Mandaya, Kalagan, and Kamayo. Tagakaulo translates to “inhabitants of headwater (olo sa tubig) or sources of rivers and streams.” Their environment, diverse, consisted of the lowland, coastal, riverine, valley, mountain, highland, and the plain. Their lifestyle, wholly sedentary with principal subsistence dependent on agriculture, fishing, and paid labor. Each upland river valley or highland plain inherited by primogeniture (right of succession belonging to the firstborn child). Central to their culture is the datu who presides over civic and labor duties; a prominent datu could secure, either by capture or by purchase. Each datu is the autonomous chief over an area.

The Tagakaulo people are located on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. They number over 100,000 and reside in primarily three provinces: Saranggani, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental. Before the 1980s the Tagakaulo in the Municipality of Malungon (and perhaps other areas of the region) referred to themselves as Kalagan, and they were known as Tagakaulo only by “outsiders.” Tagakaulo means ‘people of the headwaters.’ And so, in most of the linguistic data collected before the 1980s and other written material, the Tagakaulo were referenced under the name Kalagan.

One non-Muslim warlike tribe in Mindanao that had achieved notoriety during the American occupation of the Philippines was the Tagakaolos. American anthropologist Fay-Cooper Cole, in his book “The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao,” published in 1913 has a dire description of the tribe, it reads, “They are of a turbulent, warlike disposition, and have been a constant source of trouble to the Spanish and American authorities.” The name “Tagakaolo,”signifies “those who dwell at the head of the river” but the name also applies to the hill dwellers between the coast and the country of the Bila-an. On the original territory of the Tagakaolos, Cole wrote, “Prior to Spanish times they held the hill region back of the coast, between Malalag and Lais. On the Gulf side they were barred from the sea by the Kulaman and the Moros, while in the mountains they encountered the powerful Bila-an tribe.” A substitute term for Tagakaolo is Kagan, Cole explained on how this alternative name came to be, ‘Today the members of this tribe can still be recognized by their close fitting suits of red and yellow striped cloth, from which they have received the name of Kagan.” The oral history of the Tagakaolos named a brave warrior named Paugok that had led the tribe against a successful war against the Bagobos, another non-Muslim, ethnic minority tribe in Mindanao.

The Tagakaolo tribe traveled south of Mt. Apo from the Davao Gulfs western beaches a long time ago. There are around 71,356 native speakers in the country (2000, SIL International). Tagakaulo is connected to the Mandaya, Kalagan, and Kamayo dialects and belongs to the Austronesian and Malayo-Polynesian language families. Tagakaulo means headwater dwellers (olo sa tubig) or headwater dwellers (olo sa tubig) or headwater dwellers (olo sa tubig) or headwater dwellers (olo sa tubig Lowland, coastal, riverine, valley, mountain, highland, and plain habitats were all present. Their main sources of income were agriculture, fishing, and paid labor, and they lived completely sedentary lives. Primogeniture runs across each upland river valley or highland plain (right of succession belonging to the firstborn child). The datu, who is in charge of civic and labor obligations, is a significant person in their culture; a powerful datu may be captured or purchased. Each datu is the self-governing chief of a region. The Tagakaulo tribeâ€™s lifestyle is influenced by religious beliefs, ceremonies, and customs. They are touched by supernatural phenomena because they think ghosts are also part of the community. Their religious views represent their relationship with the divine realm, which has an impact on how they should act, behave, and interact with the unseen world. As a result, traditional belief systems and rituals have survived and continue to be practiced today. All aspects of our life are influenced by cultural belief systems and customs. As a result, in order to preserve these notions and traditions, research that is in tune with other cultures beliefs and practices should be promoted. Furthermore, studies like these will aid in the spread of understanding as well as acceptance and respect for diverse faiths views, practices, and faith.

The Tagakolu people are one of the many Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The Tagakolu are in the highlands of the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Sarangani. Like all the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, the Tagakolu face the immense challenge of standing up for their rights, being accepted and respected for who they are as a people and making their voice heard in the current globalized world. Tagakolu means people who live upstream where the forests are and from where the waters of rivers flow. Kolu in the name Tagakolu refers not only to the forests but also to the land, the plants and animals, the water and the air, the people and their ancestors, the spirits of the forest, their history, their stories, their beliefs and traditions, their music and songs as well as the dynamic relationship between these elements. All this is kolu!

The Kalagan live on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. They are located in an area between the interior uplands and the western coast of the Davao Gulf. The Kalagan are thought to be one of various groups of lowland Filipinos who came to the islands from Asia's southwestern mainland several thousand years ago. Their lifestyle and culture are very similar to that of the Magindanaw. With the arrival of Islam in the 1500's, the Kalagan split into two separate groups—the Tagakaulu Kalagan and the Tagakaolo Kalagan. The Tagakaulu Kalagan speak Tagakaolo, which is closely related to a number of other languages spoken in the region. While some of the Tagakaulu Kalagan receive wages for labor, others work as farmers. Maize is the major crop grown and is harvested two or three times a year. The coastal Kalagan are also fishermen; others work as laborers on plantations.