Mythologies of the Mansaka Tribe

The word “Mansaka” means “people of the clearings,” from the word saka, which refers to the farming fields. The name has been erroneously interpreted by Visayan migrants who arrived in Mindanao during the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s as “people who go up” because saka means “to go up” in Visayan. The Mansaka were first called Manlorowa, meaning “people who dwell in the forest” (Limikid 2002), possibly because historically, they were driven into the forests by raiding Kalagan Moros. Majority of the Mansaka reside within the three Davao Region provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley, specifically Tagum, Nabunturan, Mawab, Maco, and Pantukan. Compostela Valley is home to the most number of Mansaka (32,052 in 2000) comprising around five percent of the entire population of the province (NSO 2002). Pantukan is presumed to be the main Mansaka center from which the group expanded to other places. A recent estimate by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies puts the Mansaka population at around 56,507. The Mansaka group of languages is often classified under the Manuvu linguistic group, which includes the dialects of the Tagakaolo of Davao del Sur, the Davaoeño of Davao City, the Mansaka and Mandaya of Davao del Norte, and the Isamal of Samal Island. The language is lexically similar, by almost 90 percent, to Mandaya.

Considered one of the eighteen indigenous ethnolinguistic Lumad groups in Mindanao, the native Mansaka have continued their way of life during the hundreds of years of migrations and inter-marriages of the Malays, Indonesians and the Chinese. Although the Mansaka people evolved over time, they were never heavily influenced by the Spanish during their colonization. However, when the Americans arrived many Mansaka were encouraged to work in coastal plantations and adapt to the Christian religion and lifestyle. Today, although many Mansaka are Christians, they also still embrace many of the traditions and beliefs passed down to them over time. Considered the birthplace of the Mansaka people, Mainit hot spring (pictured above) is where the first Mansaka man was from. His name was Inangsabong. Inangsabong had seven wives who eventually settled in different areas of Compostela Valley creating the different Mansaka settlements still present today. Inangsabong’s grave and final resting place is said to be at the top of this hot spring.

Both non-Christian and non-Islamic, the Mandaya are found in Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte, Mindanao. Their name means “the first people upstream,” derived from man (“first”) and daya (“upstream or upper portion of a river”). Mandayas are said to be polygynous; divorce is also socially acceptable. The Mandayas are shifting cultivators who rely largely on swidden farming (also known as slash-and-burn) as a means for survival. Their other means of livelihood include fishing, food gathering, hunting, and the planting of abaca as a cash crop. Aesthetics and arts rank high among the Mandaya. They are excellent metalsmiths, who can fashion beautiful silver ornaments and brass items (evidence of their contact with Muslim groups), and weapons. Music is also an important part of Mandaya culture, as they use various musical instruments and dances for celebrations and rituals. The name Mansaka is a combination of man (“first”) and saka (“to ascend”), and is almost identical to the meaning of Mandaya: “the first people to climb the mountains or go upstream.” Mansaka can be found in Davao Oriental. The Mansaka’s traditional clothing distinguishes them from other tribes. The cloth and its patterns are handwoven. Jewelry is an important part of the attire of both genders.

The Mansaka tribe found in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley) is part of the Lumad, whose members are described as farming people. However, as their environment has changed in recent years and continues to change, they have been slowly adapting to this transformation in their territory. This leave us to wonder if the Mansaka will be able to safeguard their people’s history and tradition. The Mansaka people are most dominant in Davao de Oro, with their villages still present today. Mainit Hot Spring is considered the birthplace of the tribe, where legend says the first Mansaka man named Inangsabong descended. The Mansakas also have settlements in the cities of Davao and Tagum. According to historical studies, the Mansaka belonged to a single tribe along with the Mandaya and Kalagan, but the three groups of people have since parted. The Mandaya went to the upper portion of the river, Kalagan occupied the seashore or riverside, while the Mansaka headed up to the mountains. Thus, the name Mansaka meaning “first people to ascend the mountain or go upstream” derived from the word man meaning “first” and saka meaning “to ascend.” Farming is the major source of livelihood for many Mansakas. They have been farming their land and growing subsistence crops throughout the valley. Since men are in charge of cultivating the land, certain members are chosen by the community to manage the farm. In recent years, the Mansakas have slowly moved away from farming and began searching for alternative jobs to augment their income. As peace-loving people, the Mansakas actively avoid stepping into someone else’s land, since this is a frequent source of tribal war. Such conflicts can result to the death of several members unless a tribal leader mediated and resolved the problem.

In one of their stories of long ago, the Mansaka, an indigenous tribe in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, once possessed a golden guitar, which they played when they sang their songs of longing, aspirations and victory. But as time went by, they realized that nobody appreciated their songs anymore, so they hurled the guitar into the deepest part of the sea. Now they can only sit and look at the sea, towards the place where they hurled their guitar. The story of the Mansaka’s golden guitar is only one of the epics of the Lumads (a collective term for the indigenous peoples of Mindanao) that speak of golden objects. According to Dr. Carmen Unabia, former dean of Central Luzon State University in Munoz in Nueva Ecija, golden objects pepper the folklore of the Lumad. Unabia, who recently guested an afternoon of storytelling at the Museo Dabawenyo, said she came upon these stories from the Lumad elders she had spoken with for her graduate and doctorate degrees. She believes that the presence of gold in Lumad literature depicts a history of abundance of the precious mineral. “It revealed that, sometime in their lives, they were rich in gold,” she said.