Mythologies of the Hanunóo Tribe

The largest of the eight Mangyan tribes is the Hanunoo Mangyans, who are dubbed the “artisans of the Mangyans.” They are a highly civilized and cultured Mangyan group, with a population between 15,000 to 17,000. They grow their own food mostly through slash-and-burn farming and are known for their beautiful handicrafts, such as baskets (bayong and balulang), beadwork, and mats. Another thing they are famous for is their ancient burial grounds. The Hanunoo speak the language of the same name, also spelled as Hanunó’o. Though modernization has forced the Hanunoos to learn English and Tagalog, they still retain proficiency in their own language and script. The Hanunoos’ writing system, called Surat Mangyan, is descended from the ancient Sanskrit alphabet. Its syllabary is composed of 18 characters; 3 vowels and 15 consonant-vowel combinations. These are usually found scribbled on bamboo trunks using a bolo-shaped knife. The artistic Hanunoos dwell in Bulalacao, Mansalay, and some parts of Bongabong, all in Oriental Mindoro, and in San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.

The 7,000 Hanunóo (Bulalakao, Hampangan, Hanono-o, Mangyan) live in an area of 800 square kilometers at the southern end of Mindoro Island (12°30′ N, 121°10′ E), in the Philippines. They speak an Austronesian language, and most are literate, using an Indic-derived script that they write on bamboo. The Hanunóo were largely out of contact with schools and missions at least as late as the early 1950s. They trade with coastal Filipinos for metal, European-made glass beads, and salt, and they act as wholesalers for their interior neighbors, the Buhid, who supply the Hanunóo with clay pottery. Hanunóo live in single-family dwellings of wood, bamboo, and thatched roofs. These structures are built on pilings, often in rows so that their verandas join end to end. Granaries resemble houses, but they are smaller and lack verandas. Settlements are semipermanent and autonomous, and have no more than fifty residents; they vary in size from two to twelve houses, with an average of between five and six. The Hanunóo choose as sites for their villages valley slopes overlooking streams, and they name them after the nearest geographic feature. The social group that lives in the village, however, goes by the name of one of the eldest members. The Hanunóo rely primarily on swidden horticulture for their food. In a previously unused (primary) swidden they plant first corn and then rice. Shortly before the harvest, they plant corn, beans, and sugarcane among the rice. They plant sweet potatoes and other tubers in previously used (secondary) swiddens. Although the Hanunóo sometimes then plant bananas and papayas, they let most swiddens lie fallow after two years. The Hanunóo trade surplus crops with lowland peoples for the goods already mentioned. Fishing is an important source of food as well, though in the past hunting—done with poisoned arrows, spears, traps, dogs, and fire surrounds—was more important. The traditional game included wild pigs, deer, monkeys, and wild water buffalo. The Hanunóo eat the meat of domesticated pigs, chickens, and humped cattle on festive occasions.

The Hanunoo live on Mindoro, a Philippine island located just to the southwest of the main island, Luzon. The Hanunoo are also known as the Bulalakao, the Hampangan, and the Mangyan. As recently as the 1950s, the Hanunoo were almost entirely isolated from modern civilization, but today they have begun to develop relationships with other peoples and cultures. The Hanunoo language is unlike many other Filipino languages because it has a written script. As a result, most of the Hanunoo are able to read and write. Interestingly, they write on bamboo, not paper. A densely populated plain covers the entire coastal region of Mindoro. The interior of the island is covered by rugged mountains, and few people live there. Although Mindoro was once a dangerous region infested by malaria, in recent decades, immigrants from other parts of the Philippines have moved there, lending a frontier aspect to life on the island. Hanunoo communities are usually built in valleys and are often situated to overlook nearby streams. The villages are small, with only five or six homes and no more than fifty people. Houses are made of wood and bamboo and have thatched roofs. The homes, which are built on stilts, are sometimes arranged in rows so that the verandahs connect to each other. A great majority of Hanunoo grow their own food. They use a method of farming called "slash-and-burn" agriculture, in which a section of forest is cut down, the plant debris burned, and crops planted in the resulting clearing. In new clearings, the Hanunoo plant crops such as corn, rice, sugarcane, and beans. In previously used clearings, they plant secondary crops such as sweet potatoes. Sometimes they grow bananas and papayas in even older clearings. After several years of use, the clearings are left to lie fallow and will usually be used again after at least two years. In addition to farming, the Hanunoo rely on their domestic animals to provide them with food, although the people only slaughter the animals on festive occasions. During major feasts, young men and women court by exchanging love songs. A man will be accompanied by fiddles, guitars, nose flutes, and harps, as he sings a song expressing his affection for the young woman. The woman answers with a song of her own. Marriages are arranged only after the families of the couple have given their mutual consent. The husband goes to live with his wife's family in order to repay the debt he has incurred by marrying their daughter.

The Hanuno'o are the best known of the various groups called "Mangyan" living in the interior of the island of Mindoro. To an even greater extent than other such outsider-given names, "Mangyan" covers a wide range of meanings. In the Tagalog, Bikol, and Visayan languages of the central Philippines, the term combines the ideas of "savage," "mountaineer," and "pagan Negro," apparently once referring to Negritos rather than to Mangyan, who physically do not differ from lowland Filipinos. The word even came to mean "servant" or "debt-slave," much as, among the Tausug, captive slaves in general were called bisaya. In the usage of most Mindoro highlanders themselves, "Mangyan" equals "a person," a fellow "tribesperson," or "pagan." The exception is the Buhid who use it only to refer to other highland peoples and not to themselves. The Hanuno'o, on the other hand, insist that they are the "authentic" Mangyan (hanuno'o means "true" in their language). Mindoro presents one of the great anomalies of Philippine history. Whereas Cebu, Panay, and, above all, Manila retained and increased their regional importance under Spanish colonial rule, Minodoro lost its pre-Hispanic prominence. Finding mention in Chinese accounts of the 13th century, the island was the first place in the Philippines to enter the historical record under the name Mait (Ma-yi in modern Mandarin pronunciation). To exchange for beeswax, musk, sandalwood, kapok, and the leather of the tamaraw (a wild and smaller version of the water buffalo), Chinese traders brought porcelain, metal, cloth, and silver coin; the Mait people themselves carried these goods to other islands and returned with the products the Chinese desired. Shaded by umbrellas, the Southeast Asian emblem of royalty, the chiefs of the coastal towns were powerful enough to deter pirate attacks, to exact customs duties from the Chinese traders, and to vouch for their own people, whom the Chinese regarded as "trustworthy."

Hanunoo (IPA: [hanunuʔɔ]), also rendered Hanunó'o, is one of the scripts indigenous to the Philippines and is used by the Mangyan peoples of southern Mindoro to write the Hanunó'o language. It is an abugida descended from the Brahmic scripts, closely related to Sulat Tagalog, and is famous for being written vertical but written upward, rather than downward as nearly all other scripts (however, it is read horizontally left to right). It is usually written on bamboo by incising characters with a knife. Most known Hanunó'o inscriptions are relatively recent because of the perishable nature of bamboo. It is therefore difficult to trace the history of the script. Fifteen basic characters of the Hanunó'o script each represent one of the fifteen consonants /p/ /t/ /k/ /b/ /d/ /ɡ/ /m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /l/ /r/ /s/ /h/ /j/ /w/ followed by the inherent vowel /a/. Other syllables are written by modifying each of these characters with one of two diacritics (kudlit) which change the vowel sound to /i/ or /u/. The glyph for /la/ is the same as that for /ra/ but the glyphs for /li/ and /ri/ are distinct, as are those for /lu/ and /ru/. There are also three glyphs that represent vowels which stand alone (phonetically preceded by a glottal stop, transliterated as q). Final consonants are not written, and so must be determined from context. Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma, who went to the Philippines from the Netherlands in the 1950s, introduced the pamudpod sign ( ᜴ ) to indicate a syllable final consonant. (The pamudpod functions as a virama.) The pamudpod virama is also used in modern Baybayin (used in Tagalog and others).

This Valentine’s Day, the #NationalMuseumPH brings you to the world of magkaibog (courtship) among the Hanunoo Mangyan living in Oriental Mindoro, with their expressions of love through writing and serenading. Pamtang or exchanging gifts during the courting stage is an important practice among the Hanunoo. Traditionally, the women weave buri baskets while men prepare apugan (bamboo lime containers) and luka (tobacco tube containers) as gifts. What makes these containers special is that men, aside from incising them with geometric designs, would also inscribe a song or personal message before giving it to the women they adore. In response, a woman may answer her suitor/s by writing on the same tube to be given in the next betel exchange. A young man may also serenade (maglayes) his beloved by playing a traditional ceremonial guitar or violin along with the recitation of the ambahan, the 7-syllable line poetry that is often inscribed on bamboo and other wooden objects. Hanunoo children learn the scripts from their parents and during social gatherings through observation, imitation, and constant practice of inscription of chants and verses in bamboo, wood and even leaves, such as the backbone of a banana leaf.

Eddie Uncay is a 47-year-old Hanunoo tribe member from Brgy. San Roque. He is an organic farmer and has been leading the community’s organization, the Samahang Pangkabuhayan sa Lagnas (SAPALA), for almost 6 years. The Hanunoo have a generation-long practice of farming and have explored and developed different farming practices, rituals, and traditions. Rice, root crops, bananas, and legumes are the primary produce in the community. In 2016, SAPALA met MASIPAG during the Mangyan mission in the area. Since then, MASIPAG has been extending technical support for sustainable farming to the community through trainings and seed support. The tribe learned and applied composting to ensure and maintain healthy farmland and manage pest. They also practice Diversified Integrated Farming System (DIFS) to ensure the communities have a diversified harvest and diet. Aside from these, Eddie and the tribe continue to practice their rituals. He shared about their ritual called “bugkos” wherein they tie the rice plant to a stone, bury it at the root area, and cover the soil after, accompanied by a community prayer. This ritual aims to increase yield and has been practiced and passed down through generations. For them, the practice of sustainable organic farming is solely to secure food for the community and their families. “Kalakhan ng aming ani ay pangkonsumo pero kung may sobra at kung marami ang nangangailan ay binibigay ito sa tribu. [Most of our produce is for consumption, but if there is surplus and many are in need, it is given to the tribe.]”, Eddie narrates.

Solidarity governs the Hanunuo. Their long-kept beliefs rooted on the value of fellowship sustain the harmonious connections they have with one another, between children and the elderly, men and women. One of the eight indigenous groups collectively known as the Mangyan, the Hanunuo reside in Mindoro Island, at a rustic community atop the mountains, overlooking turquoise waters and lush fields. A school and a church stand surrounded by a myriad of nipa huts and a few concrete cottages, symbolizing the community’s high regard for education and religious practice. While driven to preserve their cultural ancestry, the Hanunuo also embrace the modernized ways of living. Quite simply, they embody the marriage of tradition and modernity, keeping the authenticity of their culture as they adapt to the present-day lifestyle of non-Mangyans. Compelled to adopt the common tongues of the Philippines, the Hanunuo is versed in Filipino and English. Nevertheless, they primarily use their mother language, also called Hanunuo-Mangyan, which has its own written syllabic script unlike several native languages. The Hanunuo’s livelihood primarily centers on agriculture and design. They are known for doing kaingin, or swidden farming, an act often misjudged by those outside of their indigenous group, even replicated wrongly which tainted the reputation of their farming practices. They also collaborate with some social enterprises based in more commercial locations such as Baguio and Manila, where most of their women and children work as artisaEmbroidery plays a huge part in the Hanunuo’s lives. Their authentic clothing—ba-ag and balukas for men and ramit and lambung for women—is often accentuated by pakudos, cross-shaped designs on the back of their shirts which they believe to keep them out of harm’s way. Other than embroidering by hand, the Hanunuo is also versed in weaving or habilan, where they use cotton. Non-Mangyans recognize their handiwork for both remarkably complex designs and neat execution. Naturally innovative and artistic, the Hanunuo is one of the few indigenous groups whose craftsmanship is now acclaimed internationally, thanks to their partner enterprises that help them reach a wider, stable market.

Hanunoo are one of several Mangyan cultural groups indigenous to Mindoro Island, Philippines. As lowland Filipinos have migrated to Mindoro searching for arable land and other economic opportunities, Mangyan peoples (e.g. Hanunoo, Buhid and Iraya) have become ethnic minorities. The Hanunoo of south central Mindoro have attempted to maintain their autonomy by retreating from the coastal lowlands to the rugged forest interior of the island. No roads penetrate into the Hanunoo area; it is accessible only by steep trails. In the Philippines, three Hanunoo communities have initiated an alternative education program to standard Philippine education. It is hoped that an education more sensitive to their culture will enable Hanunoo to develop skills essential for self-determination in their changing world. Organizing the new school has called for collaboration between Hanunoo, external support agencies, teachers and administrators. A ten-year project illustrates the importance of such collaboration and the need to base educational systems on the expressed needs of the community served by this school.

The Hanunoo Mangyan of the Philippines‘ island of Mindoro are notable for their colourful jewelry and headbands made of seeds (just caught in the photo below) and for having their own hieroglyphic alphabet which they inscribe on bamboo canes. Quite a few still wear the loincloth, although usually with a T-shirt on their upper body as well, and some of their communities are relatively easy to access when compared to other more isolated and reclusive Mangyan groups such as the Batangan and Bangon. On top of this the nearest coastal town has some stunning beaches and offshore tropical islands and other nearby coastal villages have markets to which Mangyans from lots of different interior tribes come on foot to trade. The nearest coastal town to the Hanunoo is Bulalacao. To get there from Manila, take the ferry from Batangas to Calapan then the jeepney or bus to Bulalacao. Alternatively fly from Manila to San Jose then take the jeepney or bus to Bulalacao. If coming from Palawan, there are also very irregular pump boats from Coron to San Jose. There are also dodgy, irregular pump boats from Odiongan on Tablas (Romblon Province) and Caticlan on Panay to Roxas on Mindoro which is closer to Bulalacao than Calapan. In Bulalacao there are a couple of simple guest houses whose owners can recommend you which nearby villages have tribal markets on which days and at what times the jeepneys leave Bulalacao to get there. Two examples of these markets are at Manaul and Bangkal, although the former is by far the more colourful, with dozens of Mangyans from different tribes wandering the streets and alleys. As mentioned on other pages, however, Mangyans are extremely shy and wary of outsiders unless accompanied by someone they know, so talking to them or even buying something from them can be pretty difficult at these markets.