MANOBO

ARCHITECTUR

GROUP 10 (ARC-3202)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 HISTORY
 CULTURE
 CLIMATE
 RELIGION
 ORNAMENTS
 MATERIALS
 ARCHITETURAL CHARACTER
 INTERIOR
 aboriginal” and “tuvu” meaning “grow, growth.”
“Manobo” is

H
the hispanized form.
A group stayed along the river in Lanuan and built
an ilian (fort) and so became the Dianon. Those who
went to the divava (downriver), became the

IS Dibabawon, some of whom branched into the

Kidapawanen. But because all these groups retained
their indigenous beliefs and practices, they retained

T
the name of their original site, Banobo, which
eventually became Manobo. SUBGROUPS
The Manobo appear to be a remnant of the very Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Western
first Austronesian invasion from Taiwan, predating Malayo-Polynesian, Southern Philippine, Manobo

O peoples like the Ifugao of Luzon. The Manobo are

several people groups who inhabit the island of
Mindanao in the Philippines. They speak one of the
NORTH
HIGAONON (MISAMIS HIGAONON MANOBO) KAGAYANEN
(CAGAYANO CILLO, CAGAYANCILLO) MANOBO, CINAMIGUIN
(CINAMIGUIN, KINAMIGIN, KAMIGIN)

R
CENTRAL EAST
languages belonging to the Manobo language family. MANOBO, DIBABAWON (MANDAYA, DIBABAON, DEBABAON)
Their populations range from 749,042 (1994). The MANOBO, RAJAH KABUNSUWAN
groups are often connected by name with either CENTRAL WEST
MANOBO, ILIANEN (LIVUNGANEN, PULENIYAN) MANOBO, WESTERN

Y
political divisions or landforms. The Manobo groups BUKIDNON (ILENTUNGEN, KIRIYENTEKEN, PULANGIYEN)
are all very similar, differing only in dialect and in some CENTRAL SOUTH, ATA-TIGWA
aspects of culture. There are about 25 tribal groups, MANOBO, ATA (ATAO MANOBO, ATA OF DAVAO, LANGILAN)
MANOBO, MATIGSALUG (KULAMANEN, TIGWA, TALA INGOD,
linguistically grouped under the “Manobo” family with MATIG SALUD)
24 main dialects. The Ata or Langilan Manobo, CENTRAL SOUTH, OBO
Talaingod, Matig-Salug, Tigwa, Dibabawon and MANOBO, OBO (OBO BAGOBO, BAGOBO, KIDAPAWAN MANOBO)
SOUTH
Umayamnon are more closely related since their MANOBO, COTABATO (TASADAY, BLIT) MANOBO, SARANGANI
dialects are similar. (GOVERNOR GENEROSO MANOBO) MANOBO, TAGABAWA
(TAGABAWA BAGOBO)
L The island of
O Mindanao is the second
largest of the

C
Philippines archipelago
with a land area of
36,505 square miles

A and the most recent of

the major islands to be
developed. It is often

T referred to as the
"Land of Promise." The
majority of the Manobo
are located in the
Central Mountains of

I the island and are

seldom found in
lowland towns except

O for going there to

trade. Recently,
 ECONOMY AND LIVELIHOOD
C The Manobo people usually engage in farming and agriculture for they
live in the rural areas of Mindanao. The upland Manobo practice swidden or
slash-burn farming whereas those inhabiting the valleys practice wet rice

U farming. Rice culture is so central to the Manobo way of life that there are
more than 60 different names for rice varieties, and all agricultural rituals
center around it. In the late 190s, however many Manobo groups shifted to

L corn culture because of the gradual disappearance of swidden sites. Besides

corn grit, other supplementary foods are sweet potatoes and cassava. In times
of famine, emergency foods are unripe bananas and wild yam.

T Other major means of subsistence are fishing, hunting, bee

hunting, and trapping. Because of these occupations, the Manobo

U live a seminomadic life. However, some Manobo villages that have

established permanent settlements have shifted to the cultivation of
coconut for copra export. An occupation that figures as

R entertainment for the Manobo is bee hunting, the procedure for

which the basis of the comic bee-hunting dance. Bees appear during
the season when the tress start to bloom. The hunter waits for them

E along the creek banks and trails them to their hive. If he catches a
bee, he ties a fluff of cotton to it and then releases it. When the bee
reaches the hive, the other bees raise such a buzzing noise, that a
hunter is led to the location of their hive. He builds a fi re to smoke
 Manobo cosmology consists of four worlds: the many-layered langit
R (skyworld), pasak or yongsud to mamasak (earthworld), yongsud ni
E maybowan (underworld), and kulaguan (the Paradise where the epic heroes
dwell). The Ilianon believe that the skyworld has seven layers; the Manuvu,
L nine. The langit has three kinds of inhabitants: the umli, a class of deities
who hold themselves aloof from human affairs; the diwata, lesser gods who
I control natural phenomena and various living creatures, and are patrons of
human activity; and the busaw, ghoul spirits who cause illness and
G misfortune. Other groups consider the umli and the dayawag as both
messengers of the gods.
I B The religious beliefs of the Manobo are revolved around the concept that
O E there are many unseen spirits who interfere in the lives of humans. They
believe that these spirits can intrude on human activities to accomplish their
U L in times The
desires. of illness.
spiritsWhile thebelieved
are also religioustopractices of characteristics. They are
have human
the
bothManobo
good and vary slightly,
evil there
in nature andseems
can be toevoked
be at to both anger and pleasure.
S I least one common
Animism, the fear of thread linkingisthem
evil spirits, together. of tribal religion. Every
the mainspring
Each
villageculture believes in one
one "great spirit."usually
This a man. Animal sacrifices
E "great
will have
spirit" to
are required
at least
is appease
usually viewed
spirit priest,
the off as the creator
ended spirit
F figure. As the various Manobo groups have been
separated, the religious beliefs of other
S peoples have influenced them somewhat.
However, the Manobo have often incorporated
O MANOBO HEAD ORNAMENTS

In Dulangan Manobo, the general term for a

R headdress is kemage.

N If it is attached to a comb, it is called a sudong.

A
M
E
N
T SUDONG

S KEMAGE PAKUL (hair tie)

C
The province in the low lands normally near the sea
L shores are hotter compare of the places in the high lands
where they established their group in the mountains.
I
M During the months of March to June is the dry season
and wet season is from July to October; the rest of the

A month is the mixture of both.

So as the houses were built in accordance to what the

T temperature and weather condition.

E
M
A
T BAMBOO
E
COGON GRASS

NIPA

R
I
A
L RATTAN

S
GUIJO TREE
YAKAL TREE
A ARCHITECTURE AND
COMMUNITY PLANNING
R • TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE The Manobo house is a
rectangular one-room dwelling
C • OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
• LIGHT that serves as kitchen,
H bedroom, and receiving room.
Without decorations and
I furniture, it is elevated about
1.5-8 meters from the ground
T C on light posts varying in

E H number from 4 to 16. Its high

Corner posts extend upwardfrom
supports are1.5-2 meters
intended for
C A above the floor to support the mainand
defense beams on which
protection against
rest four substantial rafters, which in turn support the
marauders.
T R ridgepole. Lighter rafters of wood or bamboo are then
placed in parallel rows over this frame to support the
U A roofing of either rattan or flattened bamboo shingles.

R C The roof is a four-sided gable. There are two smoke

vents, one on each end of the roof ridge, not only to

A T provide an exit for smoke but also to admit light and

air. The walls are light poles of wood or of bamboo laid
L E horizontally one on top of the other or palm fronds tied
loosely to upright pieces. The walls do not reach the
R roof, leaving a continuous window between the top of
I Forming a frame for the slatted bamboo or palm flooring are four
horizontal pieces attached to the corner posts, which are supported by several
small posts and propped up by still more posts on the joints. In houses

N conceived for defense purposes, an even bigger number of supports and

crosspieces and stronger materials are used. The interior has an elevated
platform on one or either side of the room. This serves as the sleeping area,

T and as chair or bench. There is a fireplace near the wall on the opposite side of
the doorway. Instead of a door, there is a small opening in the middle of the
room. A notched log serves as ladder. The houses are built to last only from

E three to five years. This is because the swidden farming system compels the
family to move in search of forest land to clear each time the crop production
on their farmstead declines. They reuse whatever parts of their old house are
The old house is either burned or completely abandoned; no part of it is
R still usable when they build a house on the new site. A family also moves to a
brought to the family’s new location, for this would cause another death. In
new house when the head of the family dies.
Salangsang, Lebak, Cotabato, the Manobo house has two or three levels. The
afayunan (kitchen), the first section of the house that is built, is the lowest
I level, about 1.5 meters above the ground. It is the gomowen (doorway) to the
house. For a ladder, the Manobo prefer a log 10-15 centimeters in diameter,
with notches for a toe hold, rather than the standard ladder with rungs. At
O mealtime, the log can be turned over, with the notches face down, to keep the
dogs out. The bark of lawan or kubkub (Philippine mahogany) 40 centimeters
wide, afus (split bamboo) 4 centimeters wide, or sinalegseg (poles) 5
R centimeters wide, are tied together with balag-gen (rattan strips) to make up
the sa-ag (flooring). The ab-bu (fireplace) consists of three rocks placed in a
I The main section of the house, measuring 3.72 square meters, is higher
than the kitchen to keep the evil spirits out. The higher floor also serves as
a bench for people warming themselves by the fire as they sit facing the

N kitchen. Four bugsod (corner posts), 12 centimeters in diameter, support a

main section of standard size. More posts are added if it is bigger. Alan
(poles) standing from the ground to support the flooring may number from

T 20 to 50, depending on the flooring material. Bark requires more poles for
support than the split bamboo or 5-centimeter sinalegseg poles. Balagkal
(crosspoles), 8 centimeters in diameter, are laid across the vertical alan

E poles to reinforce the flooring. The kalatkat (walls) are only about 1.5
meters high, so that a continuous window is created by the space between
The
the steeply rising angle of usual walling
the gable roofmaterials areof
and the top 60-centimeter
the walls. pieces of lunot (bark)

R sewn together
Additional small windows are thewith rattan30-60
tagongo, strips. Thesecentimeters.
square are supported by a grill
framework of poles or split bamboo set 30 centimeters apart. Better
looking walls are made of woven horizontal and vertical strips of bulu

I (small bamboo) which make for window openings that are more even
sided. The atof (roof) is made of eli (cogon grass) which are put together
into sheaves held together at both ends with split bamboo. These

O sheaves are laid one by one in an overlapping fashion, starting from the
lower layer to the peak of the roof. The overlapping doubles the
thickness of the cogon sheets and effectively keeps out the rain and the

R sun’s heat. A status symbol, also believed to ward off evil spirits, is a
decorative piece of wood extending from the roof’s top beam. It is about
30 centimeters long, rising at an angle of 80º sharply changing to 45º.
THANK YOU!

ZULUETA, KEN ALWIN C.

CABANA, DENICE
RANJO, MIKAELLA C.
ARC - 3202