Boy: “A very select group of women existed in indigenous Philippine society which has hardly merited

any account in history. These women were daughters of datus or rulers who were kept hidden in special
rooms and were not allowed to be seen by any man. They remained secluded from society but their
beauty and prestige were widespread. Their seclusion contributed immensely to their near invisibility in
history, except that their presence dominates the narratives of almost all the Philippine epics. In these
epics, these secluded women are described in length, from their physical beauty to their abilities in the
spiritual realm. The description of these young women, desired by warrior-heroes and rulers as their
wives, are an uncanny guide in a closer reading of the historical texts where we find glimpses and hints
of their presence once their characteristics are discovered from the epics.” ~ MARIA BERNADETTE L.
ABRERA

The Practice

Joseph: Binukot is a Filipino cultural practice that secludes a young person (usually a young woman) with
the expectation that seclusion will result in a higher value placed on the individual by marital suitors in
the future. The practice originated in the pre-Hispanic Philippines but continues to this day. It was most
recently practiced by the Panay Bukidnon people, who keep women from the public eye beginning in
childhood. The Binukot is isolated by her parents from the rest of the household at 3 or 4 years old. She
is not exposed to the sun, not allowed to work, and is even accompanied by her parents when she takes
a bath. This results in a fair, frail, fine-complexioned, and long-haired woman. As she stays at home most
of the time, her parents and grandparents entertain her with various oral lore and traditional dances.
This makes the Binukot excellent epic chanters and repositories of their history.

Tradition persists that the Binukot must not be seen by any man from childhood until puberty. Only the
family members and the female servants, called apid, may come face-to-face with her. A Binukot is not
allowed to do heavy work but may weave in her room. She is provided female servants to do other work
for her.

Kent David: When a Binukot is ready for marriage at 13 or 14, or even younger, her parents ask for a
high pangayu (bride price or dowry) from the family of the suitor. Jealously and zealously guarded, the
maiden, with her beauty and high pangayu, brings prestige to the family and livestock. Even when the
suitor visits her, the parents do the entertaining and she is kept inside her room—but she can show the
tip of a fingernail. However, though very occasionally, she is bought by her parents to big gatherings
such as weddings where young men could appreciate her beauty and she could perform a ritual dance.

Where this practice came from is largely unknown. No extensive comparative studies on the subject
have been done in other animist SE Asian communities. Some speculate that it may be tied to the
Islamic practice of veiling, although I suspect it has closer ties to the related, yet earlier, Indian/ Hindu
practice of “purdah” which restricted women’s social mobility and behavior. Some scholars argue that
purdah was initially designed to protect women from being harassed, but later these practices became a
way to justify efforts to subjugate women and limit their mobility and freedom. However, others argue
that these practices were always in place as local custom, but were later adopted by religious rhetoric to
control female behavior. Which view is taken would be greatly dependent on when the practice arrived
in the Philippines. This proves challenging because evidence is not only sparse but limited in time,
appearing only in the colonial sources.

Image of a Binukot

Vyron Lavalle: Binukotan (plural for binukot) are describe in epics and tales using metaphors such as,
visage of the sun, appeared like the sun, shone like a star, pale as the moon, and incomparably beautiful,
which suggests that the Binukot is a standard of aesthetic beauty.

A Binukot is said to be the most beautiful maiden in her community. She is a fair to white complexion,
and is dressed in an ankle length skirts and long-sleeved blouses that appear to be richly embroidered
(Panubok) at the collar, cuffs, and hem.

The Binukot of Panay-Bukidnon wears jewelry made from Spanish coins that are strung together and
called biningkit, a waistband of coins is called a wakus, and a headdress of coins is known as a pundong.
There is fortunately an historical illustration of this hidden group, from the record of Francisco Alcina of
Samar and Leyte in 1668. She is labeled as “binocot ó principala”, indicating that she was a secluded
maiden or synonymously, a female member of the principal class. Her ankle length skirt and long-
sleeved blouse appear to be richly embroidered at the collar, cuffs, and hem. She is veiled, reaching
down to her knees, but her face is shown. She holds a native hat on her right hand. She appears
opposite the “dato ó principal”, the male ruler of the community. The datu carries a spear and a long
shield, wears a potong or cloth around his head, wears a long sleeved shirt, and appears to be tattooed
on his face, neck, and legs. This is an historical indication of the social class of the binukot. She belonged
to the elite and was esteemed as equal in rank to the datu or ruler. Datus desired binukot maidens for
their wives, a practice that is more than reflected in the epics. William Dampier, cruising Mindanao in
1687, records some snippets which are useful about the practice of seclusion. The Sultan in Mindanao
that they visited had many daughters by many women, but it was his one daughter by his wife who was
a binukot.

Renan: The fairness of the binukot is likewise seen in the Visayan Epic, Labaw Donggon. His three wives,
all binukot from their own respective worlds. Of the first wife, her complexion was compared to the
hikay, a large white shrimp, as well as to the balanak fish that is known for its white meat. Her legs were
smooth and flawless, sleek like a banana trunk, and as white as the bamboo when split open. His second
wife, a binukot from the world under the earth he saw in a dream, whose sway when she walked
resembled the movement of the treetops in fluidity. Her skin was fair like the balanak and flawless too
as a banana trunk, and was renowned in the use of weapons. The third wife was carefully watched over
by her retinue of servants while she slept in a hammock as her husband had strictly instructed that that
no fly should be allowed to come near to disturb her rest. The radiance of their beauty was renowned
and brought men to seek them out.

Etymology

Dhan:
The general term for this group of women is binukot, a word which is still used in the Philippine island of
Panay. Its root, bukot, is denoted as “be blanketing, be swaddling oneself” while bukotán is a verb that
means “to blanket, swathe, swaddle” much like an infant or a sick person.

Francisco de San Antonio (1624) who recorded one of the earliest vocabularies of a Philippine language,
indicated that the Tagalog bocot meant encerramiento como monja (to be cloistered, like a nun). This
was repeated in the 1754 vocabulary list of Noceda and Sanlucar, bocot: encerramiento como de monja.
Both the 17th and 18th century Tagalog vocabularies indicate a second meaning for bocot as a noun,
which was un cesta tegido de palma, a basket woven from palm leaves; pagbocotan was where it was
put, while the bocotan and sangbocot both meant un cesto (a basket). This would be related to the use
of the word bocot meaning “to entrap” such as an animal or a fish, which is still current in the Kiniray-a
language in Panay island. Alonso de Mentrida (1637), writing on the languages in Panay, defines the root
word bocot as “to have daughters who do not go down from the house, or to have them in seclusion:
the room or the retreat”. In another Philippine language, Bicol, bukot had a synonymous meaning in the
19th century, “to cloister daughters so that they do not leave the house, as practiced in the olden days”.
Binobocot further meant to be cloistered and placed in a clausura or secluded place, while either the
place of seclusion or the trap itself was called the binobocotan.

From various historical sources American anthropologist, William Henry Scott gives the general
impression of the binukot as a lady or a royal princess who is secluded and inaccessible. Their high
position in society lends their name to a type of small, fragrant banana called “todlong binokot” or
ladyfingers.

Known Binukot

Jare: Anggoran (Christian name: Preciosa “Susa” Caballero) – Preciosa, also known as ‘Susa’ or
Anggoran, her native name, was a 73 year old babaylan, (priestess) and epic chanter from the Barangay,
Garangan, in Calinong, Iloilo, Panay who passed away in December of 1993.

She is one of the many epic chanters to be recorded and contributed in the help of preserving epics
from Panay. On a journey and mission to record 9 other epics following the Filipin@ folklorist and
anthropologist, Dr. Felipe Landa Jocano, Alicia P. Magos from the University of the Philippines in the
Visayas, with her research assistant and guide, and with funding from the French government, met
Anggoran and from August to November of 1993, Anggoran was recorded when she spoke lines of two
epics, Humadapnon sa Tarangban (which is recited for 24 hours) and Derikaryong Pada (recited in 7
hours).

During those months she would sing lines from the epics for 10 minutes at a time and would rest. Due to
her old age Alicia Magos gave her plenty of time to chant at her leisure. Anggoran would chant when she
felt like it and was inspired to, at times waking up at dawn around 4 in the morning to chant and be
recorded.

At the end of November of 1993 she finished recording both the epics, but unfortunately she passed
away in December of that year leaving at least 2 other epics she knew about and spoke of to be
unrecorded.
Jilanne: Rosita Silva Guillermo Caballero – Rosita was the last “secluded maiden” or “binukot” of the
Caballero family from the Panay Bukidnon tribe in Calinog, Iloilo and passed away on July 23, 2017 at
the age of 74. [Show Picture]

Elena Gardoce – Gardoce is known in cultural circles because of an award from the Cultural Center of
the Philippines for story-telling in the dialect. Lola Elena Gardoce was also once a binukot. She passed
away at age 98. [show Picture]

Conchita Gilbaliga – Lola Conchita, whose real name is Conchita Gilbaliga is Panay Bukidnon’s binukot
from Nayawan, upland Tapaz, Capiz. She was 83 as of 2009. [ show Picture ]

Living Traditions

Last Member:

During WWII, many mountain residents on Panay needed to flee their homes; and the binukots, who
were too frail to run and were not allowed to be seen were left behind. It is suspected that many of
them ended up as “comfort women” for the Japanese soldiers. This apparently saw the number of
Binukot decrease significantly, along with potentially undocumented epics. Since then, the Binukot
practice has evolved and to the current generation to be more reflective of current times for the Panay
Bukidnon. It is not known whether there are still existing binukots elsewhere in the Philippines. With the
threat of vanishing oral heritage, Frederico Caballero, son of a binukot established the balay turun-an,
small schools that teach these oral traditions and dances to children. As of 2004, there were only seven
known remaining Binukots on Panay.

‘Living traditions’ are best described as being in faithful continuity to the past while meeting the needs
of the present and thinking about the future. As an urban dweller, I can’t say I am sad to see the Binukot
practice, as it was, fade into history. Without a lifetime of cultural context, it is difficult for me to wrap
my head around it being anything other than a form of child abuse. That is the challenge of studying
different cultures. It is easy to romanticize forgotten traditions, but when they still live among us it
becomes more difficult not to criticize it with our ‘modern’ thinking. Still, had this practice died off with
so many others at the time of Spanish colonization, we may never have heard the epics of Panay. Still,
sometimes honoring a tradition requires that we approach it anew, and I believe that is what the Panay
Bukinon are doing with their schools.