The name Tagakaulo denoted the tribe’s preferred settlement in the headwaters of rivers and mountain streams (Gloria 1993). There are two versions as to how the Tagkaulos got separated from their mother tribe, the Kalagans. According to Gilles (2003), the late Gov. Sebastian Generoso of Davao (Dob-dod) imposed an agreement with the Kalagans, the details of which are now unclear. Apparently, those who accepted the governor’s terms got to remain in the vale and continued to be known as Kalagans. Those who disagreed fled to the mountains and settled there. They are now known as the Tagakaulos.
An alternate explanation for the division of the tribe is provided by the Bethany World Prayer Center (1997). It is said that the coming of Islam in the 1500s caused the tribe to splinter into the Tagakaolo Kalagan who converted to the new faith, and the Tagakaulu Kalagan, who remained animist.
According to Buckman (2005), there are around 35,000 Tagakaulos in the country. A large number of them could be found in Malita, Davao del Sur, especially in and around an area formerly known as Kalatagan, now shown in the map as the barangays of Demoloc and Datu Danwata. The Tagakaulos that reside in some sitios there are still pure blooded and unacculturated (Cabanda 2003). Some still practice marriage with close relatives, and even for those who opt for exogamy, a Tagakaulo partner would still be preferable (Manayas 2006).
The entry of Christian missionaries and the introduction of formal education tend to affect Tagakaulo cultural tradition. The tribe now faces the challenge of modernization. Whether they withstand the forces of change or remain in their traditional way of living is uncertain. For now, they live in a constant struggle to uphold their cultural traditions, while at the same time adjusting to the influences of modern living.
The Tagakaulo Oral Narratives
Oral narrative give tribal communities a sense of preserving the foundation of their treasured values. If collected narratives are analyzed, the tribe is enriched by the reiteration of the traditional values from cultural integrity that could be drawn from these sources. These are the cultural roots that sustain a thriving community long after tribal customs would have been completely overtaken by change. A memory of the past as a remembrance for the coming generation lends to every member of the tribe a reminder of his tribal identity.
This study was conducted in order to collect, record, translate, categorize, and analyze the collected Tagakaulo oral narratives. In the analysis, I tried to extract the Tagakaulo treasured values from each narrative. I also examined some educational implications of the narratives in keeping with the tradition of using the narratives as a source of instruction.
The new generation Tagakaulos do not seem to be interested in their culture anymore, including their oral narratives. While researching for this paper, I asked some of the children to narrate folk stories they have heard from their elders. The children were vague on the details, evincing little interest about this aspect of their cultural heritage. These stories are in danger of becoming moribund if no records are made right now when the tribe still have living members who could remember them.
Site of the Study
Barangay Demoloc and Barangay Datu Danwata in Malita, Davao del Sur were chosen as the site of the study because majority of their Tagakaulo residents are not yet acculturated. I traveled to the site four times overa period of time, being able to visit the sitios of Makalong, Kangko, and Kilawom in Demoloc and Sitio Tabunan and Sitio Lagunan in Datu Danwata.
My husband accompanied me during the first three trips. These were on 17 October 2003, 10 November 2003, and 26 July 2004. My fourth trip happened after a hiatus if about two years. I returned on 15 February 2006 with four engineering students of Southern Philippines Agri-Businees Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) who were conducting their research about the indigenous farm implements.
The trip from Digos, my place of residence, to Malita takes two hours by bus. From Malita poblacion to the Malita Tagakaulo Mission (MATAMIS) is a one-hour drive by motorcycle crossing three small streams, two bridges, and four rivers. To reach the other sitios from MATAMIS, one has to hike for at least three hours. The roads were usually slippery. The trails under trees and along the narrow paths that turned into little streams were difficult. I often stumbled or slid. The longest hike I had was going to Tabunan (“covered by fog”), a sitio in Datu Danwata, which at 3,200 ft., is the highest peak in that mountainous region. We started off with guides from MATAMIS at 1:00 p.m., and arrived at Tabunan at 7:00 p.m. When I looked up, I felt weak. The peak’s slope was almost ninety degrees before us! I tried and crawled to the top. I almost fainted, but at last, “I did it my way”.
On these trips, I stayed overnight in the field, sleeping in the houses of the Tagakaulos. The longest I stayed in the field was four days.
The key Informants
The key informants are pure Tagakaulos. Udaya Umpaw and Mapanaw Umpaw are siblings who live in Makalong. They are more than seventy years old. They do not know exactly how old they are. Balasian Tanawan also shared his knowledge of the narratives. He is about seventy years old. In Kangko, we met Carillo Santaneller who is forty-eight years old. We also met Mario Suwa, a resident of Sitio Kilawom, and a pastor of Protestant church in Demoloc.
In Sitio Tabunan, Brgy. Datu Danwata we met six storytellers. They are Manumpay Mariano, Uday Mariano, Bansalan Mariano, Balanigan Laginan, and Dumelda Laginan. None of them know their exact age. They belong to the clan of Baden and Laginan.
Manumpay told the most number of stories. He said he learned these stories from his grandmother Baden who narrated these stories at night before he went to bed. Baden had told him that he should not forget the stories so that when someone would ask him to tell the stories he would not miss even one. That is why he was so glad of our arrival. Before the storytelling, we were having a short conversation when I gave him our share for inch. Manumpay pushed away the canned goods. His face dimmed I wondered why. But he continued answering our questions. He started the storytelling at ten in the morning, taking no lunch nor dinner. We went back to our cottage at about at about ten in the evening. Before we left he sang for us an instant self-composed song.
We were heading to the cottage the next day when we met Manumpay at the water pump. He said he missed narrating some stories and wished them to be recorded. He said he would ho to our cottage at seven in the evening. Indeed, he continued the storytelling. We handed him some money in return but he refused to take it. He told us that he was not accepting anything from anybody because it is a sin. Tyumanem, he said, would give him anything that he wants if he will work for it. He said that when I give him the canned goods he was afraid to accept them because Tyumanem might punish him. The only thing he asked was to be greeted over Bombo Radyo Davao. Every morning he listens to the radio and to be greeted on air over his favorite station is a great pleasure for him.
Marina Laginan Manayas is the youngest of my informants at twenty-six years old. She is the tribal teacher in Tabunan. She and her husband Angelo treated us very well during our stay in their place
Aside from the storytellers, a lot of other people helped us gather other information. They were the missionaries, tribal teachers, Tagakaulo children, teenagers, and elders. They were the source for the background information of the situation of the tribe. To mention a few:
Father Bellanger Gilles, S.J. who is the mission station team incharge; Archie Ayot, the tribal teacher in Kangko; and Angelo Manayas, the husband of Marina. In Sitio Laginan, Mila Laginan Bartolome, sixteen years old, allowed us to take pictures of her native Tagakaulo costume. Her older sister, Lita Laginan Muda, entertained us by playing the kulili to the tune of “Anugon”.
The staff of the mission house who are all Tagakaulos were very warm and hospitable. They are Rosalinda “Ibing” Balandan who is the manager assigned in the mission house of Demoloc and Elsa Albaracin who is the pastoral in-charge and manager assigned in the mission house of Datu Danwata. Julie and Wilma “Inday” Garcia did so many good things for us.
Our guides to Makalong were the Garcia couple together with Leonardo “Boy” Garcia, the father of the tribal teacher Joylyn. Ricky Mariano and Johnlai Montic guided us in our six-hour trek to Tabunan.
Translators
Mr. Dodo Cabanda, a Tagakaulo and the head of the Tribal Filipino Apostolate, gave much of his time in translating some of the stories. He lives in Malita, Davao del Sur so it was difficult for me to follow up the finished translations. Due to the need of hastening the translation process I asked the help of Mrs. Merilet T. Avila, the mother of my student who is a Tagakaulo, to finish the translation of the remaining narratives.
Secondary Translators
Mrs. Francisca Arboleda, my colleague in SPAMAST, transcribed some of the Visayan translation and helped me understand some of the Tagakaulo terms by talking to me in Tagakaulo. She learned the language because she had lived with the Tagakaulos for quite a long time. Prof. Helen W. Noel, another colleague in SPAMAST, used Tagakaulo in casual conversations and translated it right away into Visayan so that I would become familiar with some terms. She was raised in a Tagakaulo community.
Documentation
The oral narratives were collected using field cassette tape recorder. The guide or translator facilitated in the actual gathering of data by asking the informant in Tagakaulo about their oral narratives. The narratives were told in their own language (Tagakaulo). After each storyteller was finished, we replayed the recorder. The story tellers were amazed upon hearing their voices for the first time. On one occasion, one of the storytellers followed us after the interview and whispered to my husband to take good care of their voices that has been transferred to the tape. They were afraid that something bad would happen if their voices would not be taken care of. They valued their voices so much just like their footprints. According to their belief, they could be bewitched through their footprints, so they thought it could also be true to their voice.
Transcription and Translation Process
I asked the translators to transcribe the recorded narratives in the original language. The translator these narratives into Visayan. I translated the Visayan narratives into English. Miss Ellaine Lagmay helped me in some of the translation. Prof. Cindy B. Rosil, the Head of the Education Department, was my English critic.
In the translation, I used the Meaning-based Translation Theory of Larson (1984). This theory is also known as the idiomatic translation or thought-for-thought translation wherein the meaning of the original is translated into forms which most accurately and naturally preserve the meaning of the original forms.
The translators were instructed to translate the recorded narratives through meaning rather than form. It concentrates on what is important, and to restructure the form when it is necessary to convey meaning. The Visayan translations are shorter than the Tagakaulo text because the original texts have lots of repetition that the translator found unnecessary to be translated. The Visayan text was the basis for the English translation. Only the original language and the English translation of the narratives are included in the text.
Research Plan
This research work started early but was finished much later than planned. This proves that this kind of work is not really an easy task. Before I made the proposal, I had already made some advanced researches. Then I learned that it needed total commitment and courage, and sacrifice too. These three ingredients helped me to succeed.
It was so difficult for me at the beginning since I am working as a full time college instructor in SPAMAST and at the same beginning to establish a family. A year after my wedding I started the research. Fortunately, my husband was very supportive and even went with me to the field.
When my husband and I started the field research, our first baby was five months old. I did not know that I was a month pregnant with our second child as I hiked the hills and dells for hours. At that time I thought that not experiencing a monthly period was normal for a mother who breast-fed her baby. That was what I heard from my friends. Maybe if I had known then that I was pregnant I might not have began my research. When I learned later that I was pregnant the research had to stop.
After I delivered my second baby, I committed myself to finish the research. Our second baby was then one month and twenty-three days old. My husband and I left our two angels with my parents. We hiked for six long hours. For me, that was real courage. But I was not able to finish yet.
Early in October 2005 my husband underwent a surgery. I was advised to finish the Master’s degree in the school year of 2005-2006 by the school administration and my adviser encouraged me to finish my thesis study. My husband suggested that he and our two kids go for a vacation in Leyte so that I could concentrate on my research and finish it on time. He promised to come back during my graduation. I realized the sense of it so I agreed. They departed in 1 November 2005. I found it terribly difficult to go home when home did not have my husband and children. Yes, nobody would bother me while I was working, but I was severely disturbed by the loneliness and silence. It was a sacrifice I was not sure was worth doing. But sacrifice I did anyway. I defended the final paper on 15 March 2006.
Classification of the Collected Tagakaulo Oral Narratives
Using the system of classification provided by Demetrio (1979), the thirty oral narratives collected for this paper include nineteen legends, seven myths, three hero tales, and one fairy tale.
The legends are the following: 1) “Palasan and Lagang;” 2) “The Old Man and the Crow:” 3) “The Rice Reaper;” 4) “The Chicken and the Millipede;” 5) “Langkapan;” 6) “Dansulan;” 7) “Sakung;” 8) “Lominggo and Laoni;” 9) “Suwagan;” 10) “Kanlubong;” 11) “Kuwan;” 12) ” Kustan;” 13) “Tagkay and Alalagkay;” 14) “Menda and Beye;” 15) “Sima and Lolong;” 16) “How Barangay Dimulok Got Its Name;” 17) “How Sitio Kamugna Got Its Name;” 18) “How Sitio Tabunan Got Its Name;” and 19) “How Sitio Kangko Got Its Name.”
Classified under myths are: 1) “Kulias and Ubal;” 2) “The Rat and the Frog;” 3) “The Monitor Lizard and the Iguana;” 4) “The Life of Uwan and Mansiagan;” 5) “The Origin of Fog and Rain;” 6) “Why the Sky is High;” and 7) “The Creation of Man.”
There are three hero tales included in this collection. These are: 1) “Dulongbatang and Sinulatan;” 2) Kabangbata and His Younger Brother;” and 3) “The Old Couple.”
The lone fairy tale is “Kitkit Magasungkit and Kutkut Magasalmot.”
The Legends
Following the classification of legends provided by Eugenio (1982), the first four legends listed previously may be classified as etiological legends, or those that explain the cause of a particular phenomenon. The rest are non-etiological legends that may further be sub-classified as: 1) legends recounting encounters with supernatural beings; 2) place name legends; and 3) miscellaneous legends.
There are six legends that recount encounters with supernatural beings or strange men who were in possession of knowledge previously unknown to the dreamer. In “Lominggo and Laoni,” Lominggo gets to meet a strange hunter who taught him to hunt wild animals. The stranger killed a wild pig that, at the moment of death, turned into a man, much to Lominggo’s surprise. Similarly, in “Kustan,” a frog turned into a man when it was about to be hit by Kustan’s spear. “Tagkay and Alalagkay” tells about contact between Tagkay who lived on earth and Alalagkay who came from heaven. “Sakung,” “Suwagan,” and “Kanlubong” all feature the appearance in a dream of a strange man bearing advice for the protagonist. Suwagan became a rich and Kanlubong was able to heal others because they both followed what the man in their dream said. However, not all of the dreamers gained positive consequence as a result of heeding the counsel. Sakung died because he submerged his head in boiling water which, according to his dream, would cure his back problem.
Four stories tell how each place got its name. The original Tagakaulo settlers gave the names to all of these places. Barangay Demoloc got name from the kamugna plant; Sitio Tabunan got its name from the highest peak in Datu Danwata; and Sitio Kangko got its name from Kalangkangan, which was shortened to Kangko. Kalangkangan is a species of a tree that proliferates in the place.
Miscellaneous legends include “Langkapan,” which tells the legend a the lonely man; Dansulan,” which tells about the discovery of the technique for making clay pots; “Beye and Menda.” which tells the legend of the Malabiga; “Sima and Lolong” which talks about the first marriage; and “Kuwan,” which tells of a generous brother-in-law. All these stories dwell on normal everyday experiences.
Myths
Stith Tompson (1978) proposed a Motif-Index of folk literature which gives the following categories: 1) The gods, their activities and relationships; 2) Cosmogony and cosmology; 3) The topographical features of the earth; 4) World calamities; 5) Establishment of natural order; 6) Creation/ origin of human life; 7) Creation/ origin of animal life; and 8) Creation/ origin of plant life.
Among the seven myths collected, three are about the origin of animal life or animal characteristics. “Kulias and Ubial” explains that the race of monkeys was descended from the pregnant survivor Kulias’s revenge. “The Rat and the Frog” tells about the comic transfer of the rat’s tail to the envious frog. “The Monitor Lizard and the Iguana” explains why they have different designs on their backs.
On myth tells about a calamitous flood, while two are about cosmogony and cosmology; one explains why the sky is high while the other tells about the origin of the rain and the fog. Last on the list is a tale about the creation or origin of human life.
Hero Tales
“Kabangbata and His Younger Brother” tells about the strange friendship between the boy and a magical crab, while “Dulongbatang and Sindatan” tells of Dulongbatang’s encounters with various malevolent characters. “The Old Couple” tells the story of two seemingly hapless children who exacted justice for the trickery played on them by the old couple.
Fairy Tale
“Kitkit Magasungkit and Kutkut Magasalmot” is about a couple who protects wild animals and warns people not to harm them. They have the power to turn the animal’s blood into different colors in order to scare people enough to heed their warnings. They also demonstrate the ability to command the wild animals to do their bidding. While it is not directly said that they are fairies, their demonstrated powers are consistent with woodland fairies that protect forest animals.
Values Found in the Tagakaulo Oral Narratives
The Tagakaulo oral narratives are rich in values that mirror those held by their ancestors. The following analysis attempts to highlight the positive values that the tribe instills through the telling of these narratives. At the same time, these narratives also present a recognition of the tribe’s weak points and their telling could be interpreted as an admonition to address these weakness for the establishment of a better, more harmonious society.
Social Values
A social value is concerned with the whole society in general. It signifies social responsibilities like mutual love and respect, fidelity, concern for others or for the common good, freedom, equality, social justice, human rights, active nonviolence, and popular participation in civic action. Social value implies the strengthening of communal bonds, most particularly in the family, the foundation of the community. These values are gleaned from the display of respect for parents and generational authority. Harmonious social relations serve not only the interest of the community, but work for the individual’s well being as well.
Other people help us shape our identity and the meaning of our life. As existentialists say, a man is a being-in-the-world-with-others. This stresses the social dimension to being human. The Tagakaulos for not advise the life a hermit. Living among others is a prescription underlined in the stories of Langkapan, Kustan, and Sakung.
“Langkapan” show how a solitary life may lead to one’s confusing fantasy with reality. In the story, Langkapan lived alone in a place called Alalangan. One day, he caught a deer in his trap. He brought the deer home, clothed it, and offered it a mamaen (betel chew) because he fantasized the deer to be a woman. In the Tagakaulo tradition, an offer to betel chew is a social convention that precedes a formal conversion. Much to Langkapan’s dismay, the deer did not respond in the way he had expected. This was when he knew that what was facing him was indeed a deer and not a woman. Langkapan died after eating the deer.
Langkapan’s story emphasizes that people need people. Langkapan lost his wits because he could not identify himself, being the only one of his kind in that place. Having no one to identify himself with and apart from, he was not able to appreciate his existence. His actions showed that Langkapan wanted the presence of somebody he could relate with. Clothing the deer and offering it mamaen show his expectations of the kind of company he wanted and the kind of interaction he desired. The story suggests that people who live alone would seek for human companionship. Not finding it leads to one’s tragic death.
“Kustan” and “Sakung” also tell about the dire consequences of living alone. While out hunting, Kustan was attacked by a frog that turned into a monster. Sakung, on the other hand, heeded the man in his dream who instructed him to immerse his head in boiling water in order to cure his aching back. Nobody came to their aid when they were in distress, simply because there was nobody else. What Sakung’s story further suggests is that a man alone may resort to impaired judgment when no one can tell him the soundness of his plan of action.
In oral narratives, the family oftentimes becomes the setting and the arena of the unfolding events. A closer examination shows these narratives to prescribe conventions on mate selection, duties for family members, as well as admonitions on sibling and family relations.
“The Chicken and the Millipede,” for example, is a fable about family strife brought about by irreconcilable differences among siblings. The clamorous younger Chicken taunts the elder Millipede for being slow. The Millipede takes the taunting as a sign of disrespect. He goes away, never to return even after the Mother Chicken died. The story implies that disharmony in the home could be serious enough to tear the family apart. It is therefore important for younger siblings to accord their elders with respect. As the foundation of the community, traditional arrangements like generational authority ought to be fostered to keep the family intact. Cherishing the value of mutual love, respect, and concern for the feelings of others helps preserve the unity and sanctity of family life. To achieve this goal, it is fairly important to be able to negotiate individual differences and resolve a common identity as a family.
“Sima and Lolong” tells of the legend of the first marriage among the Tagakaulos. Sima and Lolong realize their respective need for a partner. Since they live at opposite sides of the world, they travel far and wide in search of a partner. Sima and Lolong soon meet, and realizing that they are the only people on earth, they decide to live together, build a house, and have children. Their story prescribes mate selection procedures acceptable among the Tagakaulos. Readiness for marriage and family life is emphasized as a precondition to an individual’s initiation of the mate selection process. Only then should come the decision to search out the special someone and, upon finding him or her, build a house and live together as husband and wife.
In-law relations become the centerpiece for the story of Kuwan. Kuwan is a man who has nothing- no food, no house, no garden, no clothes. He goes to his brother-in-law and there he is provided with everything he needs. The story shows how in-law relations extend the support one could legitimately expect from others. When one marries into a family, he too becomes concerned not only with the material needs of his spouse, but with that of his in-laws,too.
In the story of “Beye and Menda,” a famine strikes in the mountains and so highlander Menda brings her children to go begging for food from lowlander Beye. Beye feeds Menda and thereby affirms the latter’s belief that the former is her friend. When it is time to go, Beye gives them the malabiga for the children to take home and eat. However, the children itch all over and die after eating Beye’s token of generosity. Filled with despair and anger at the betrayal, Menda seeks out Beye and they fight until they both die.
The story shows how Menda is taken in by a false friend. Beye’s uncharitable action is unforgivable because it causes fatal harm to Menda’s most treasured children. Menda models ideal maternal disposition in her desire to feed her children even if it means begging. She proves it further by fighting to the death to avenge her dead children.
A narrative that prescribes the duties of the father is “Uwan and Mansiagan.” The couple lives in a cave. Mansiagan keeps telling Uwan to build a house, but he does not listen to her even after the children start coming and the cave becomes too small for all of them. One day, while both parents are out foraging, a great storm comes. Upon returning to the cave, they find that mud has covered it and their children inside.
According to Mariano, that Tagakaulos fear bad weather, and this story seems to underscore that fear to be justified. People should be prepared for calamitous events because they are outside the control of human powers. In the story, Uwan is remiss in performing his role as a father to provide adequate housing that would protect his family from the exigencies of nature. By his neglect and unconcern for potential danger posed on his abode and his children, Uwan loses them.
Uwan’s story is not the only narrative that shows people in authority to be less than worthy of it. In “Old Couple,” generational authority is abused to take advantage of young children. The tale goes that the children respectfully ask and are allowed by the old couple to climb a tree and eat its fruits. a foraging deer soon comes to eat the fruit peel that the children drop. Seeing this, the children keep feeding the deer whole fruits until it chokes and dies. Then they come down to decide how to bring the deer home for food. Seeing the children’s good fortune, the old couple conspires to make the children give up the deer. The children are so disappointed with this treatment that they take revenge on the old couple. They kill the man, but the woman is able to escape. The children reclaim their food.
The story seems to say that justice in interpersonal relations should be the concern of both the young and the old. The conduct of just relations is a personal responsibility in the absence of social mechanisms to see that justice is done. This is similarly shown in the next tale where the protagonist uses the desires of his enemies to exact his revenge.
Strangers could become our fast friends or our worst enemies, depending in part on how we treat them. In “Kulias and Ubal,” Kulias goes to visit his friend Ubal. As he is passing through the forest, he meets a band of big monkeys who make fun of him and carry him up a lawaan tree so they can throw him down. They change their mind, however, when they see Kulias’s teeth. They want to know how Kulias turned his teeth black. Kulias explains that the color came from eating makopa. Hearing this, the monkeys tell Kulias that they would spare him his life if he would lead them to the makopa. Kulias agrees. When they get to the makopa, the monkeys rush to climb it. Quick as a flash, Kulias gathers dried leaves around the base of the makopa and sets the tree on fire. His attackers are killed in the conflagration. However, it is said that a pregnant monkey is able to escape when she gets thrown to the river as the burning tree falls. From her came the race of monkeys who generally stay away from humans.
Even place name legends could be used to demonstrate social value. “How Sitio Tabunan Got Its Name” narrates that fog covers the Tabunan mountain in the afternoon until dawn. Tabunan dwarfs all the mountains and plains below. Fog rises from these places and gathers to shroud the peak. Mount Tabunan is, in a certain sense, similar to a leader who stands watchful and protective over his followers, while at the same time gathering from them a conglomeration of ideas that have to be collectively considered for the interest of the common good.
Another legend that can be analyzed for social value is “The Creation of Man.” It is said that the human race sprang from the body of the first creature on earth, with the men taken from the base of the skull and the women taken from the throat. The men came out black and the women came out white. This story suggests an adherence to a system of social differentiation where people are set apart by identifying characteristics present at birth. Implied in the story is the belief that the roots of physical differences lie deeper than individual inheritance. Fatal determinism sets the sexes apart, creating categories that divide men and women and dictate the expression of their different moral predisposition and physical capabilities.
Economic Value
Economic value refers to economic efficiency manifest in thriftiness or conservation, work ethic, self-reliance, productivity, scientific and technological knowledge, and entrepreneurship. This is achieved through work, the exercise of human mastery over the resources of nature, and creative imagination in the solution of complex problems. Below are three selected examples of the Tagakaulo oral narratives which emphasize economic value.
“Palasan and Lagang” is focused on the economic stability of the family. Palasan and Lagang have one son. They own a cornfield which Palasan prepares for sowing. When the corn is ready for harvest, Laging performs a ritual in the fields in order to ensure a bountiful and never-ending harvest. Then she immediately sets aside enough for the family’s consumption. When she comes home, Palasan meets her with much gladness, as her harvest shows that what he had sowed has proved to be plentiful. Lagang urges Palasan to plant some more. The story highlights the Tagakaulo division of labor and stresses the relevance of industry and the splendid reward that awaits those who work hard. Lagang demonstrates foresight in planning for her family’s future needs, and her grateful supplication for the continuing kindness of the spirits.
The necessity for active intervention to protect one’s food supply is the theme of “The Old Man and the Crow” and “The Rice Reaper.” In the first story, the old man makes a trap for the crow that is feeding on his field. Caught, the crow pleads for his life. The old man lets the creature go after exacting its promise never to come back. In the second story, a farmer finds a rat in his rice container. He brings home a cat to chase away the rat. In both instances, the protagonists use timely remedies to avert a threat to their economic security.
Intellectual Value
This value is related to truth, the tireless quest for knowledge in all its forms, and the development of creative and critical thinking in meeting the vicissitudes of life. Indeed, intellectual value can be discerned from the oral narratives of the Tagakaulos. Below are three selected examples of oral narratives that highlight intellectual value.
“How Barangay Dimulok Got Its Name” tells about a wanderer who tracks the streams and the tributaries until he comes to find that they all lead to a big river that, in turn, leads out to the sea. Dimulok means the biggest river. The mouth of the river is now called Demoloc. In this legend, we see the overwhelming curiosity and the tireless quest of the wanderer to understand the nature of water forms.
Idle intellectual pursuits may motivate the actions of some. However, there are enough concerns in everyday Tagakaulo life that challenge people to apply brain power. For example, “Dansulan” shows attempts by a couple at making a pot for cooking. The first time, they mold clay from the ground until it looks like a pot. They then try to use it for cooking, but the water leaks and puts out the fire. Again, they make a pot from clay, but before using it for cooking, they leave it on a burning flame until it turns red from heat. When it cools, they find that it does not leak when filled with water and can now be used for cooking.
Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. The experiments of the Dansulan couple show the employment of trial-and -error method for solving a mundane problem. It shows an active capacity to learn and to create adjustments to improve one’s solutions for practical purposes.
Solving problems requires that people think of the consequences before enacting changes in the current state of affairs. Despite good intentions at correcting problems, the failure to analyze consequences could have dire results. Such is the experience of heaven-residing Alalagkay when he comes down to the aid of earthbound Talagkay. Alalagkay comes down because he notices and is concerned that Tagkay is just wnadering about seemingly without any sense of direction. When Alalagkay asked Talagkay why this is so, the latter tells him that he is wandering because he is a foolish man. Upon hearing this, Alalagkay takes up an alingatong stalk and whips Tagkay with it, with the intention of bringing him back to his sense. Tagkay screams in pain and chokes Alalagkay to death.
The alingatong causes pricking itchiness when it touches the skin. While Alalagkay intends for the whipping to heal Tagkay, it instead causes Tagkay to react in murderous rage. Alalagkay’s death is a direct result of his own impulsive action at causing Tagkay pain without first explaining his intention and getting Tagkay’s consent. His fate shows how important it is to think first and to consider the mental state as well as the receptivity of the person we wish to help before initiating any action.
Moral Value
Moral value is related to love. This is the quest for personal integrity, the development of self-worth or self-esteem, honesty, and personal discipline which are the mark of a mature and useful person. This value involves respect for authority, marriage and sex behavior patterns, religious rituals, and other basic codes of human behavior.
Hero tales are replete with moral values as they highlight what higher purposes ought to direct extraordinary feats when these could be done. Heroes accept the responsibility to protect the community, especially the defenseless, the poor, and the afflicted. They are ready to do battle in order to champion the people. In “Dulogbatang and Sinulatan,” we see the hero battling Sinulatan, the monster with flaming horns, and the strong men who command malevolent birds. In all instances, Dulogbatang overpowers the enemy. This protagonist shows the hallmarks of heroism- magnificent physical prowess, the sense of self-sacrifice, bravery, responsibility, and dedication to protect his community.
The virtue of independence is shown in “Kabangbata and His Younger Brother” which is a story about orphans. One day, they go hunting for food, but when they are able to catch a bird, Kabangbata uses his being the elder to deny food to his brother. This again happens the next time they catch game. Hungry and disappointed at being maltreated, the younger brother decides to leave Kabangbata. He encounters a magical crab that teaches him how to hunt with a bamboo pole that magically transforms into a sharp lance. Using this weapon the boy is able to catch a deer.
While he is preparing the deer meat, an old man comes by and offers help. He cooks a portion of the bile and feeds it to the boy. The boy complains of the bitter taste. The old man tells him that this is because the meat is bad and that the boy will be poisoned if he eats any more of it. Believing the old man, the boy gives up the deer and leaves. The old man, whose intention it is to divest the boy of his catch, happily carts home the meat. Unbeknownst to him the boy follows and sees him prepare the meat for food. The boy realizes that he had been tricked. The boy kills the old man and takes back the meat.
Out of his experiences with unkindness, the young boy learns to live independently and to fend for himself. He learns to fight back and to survive. The moral of the story is for people not to allow others to take advantage of our kindness and our need for human company.
On the personal aspect, the Tagakaulos also reflect on such human preoccupations as developing self-acceptance and self-worth. Discontent comes from low self-esteem and often results in envy, as in the case of the frog that admires the rat’s tail and wants to have it for himself. Upon knowing this, the rat takes the tail off and places it on the frog’s rear. This certainly does not make the frog feel comfortable and in his great need to be rid of it, he runs and leaps about until it comes off. He gives it back to the rat and they decide to go their separate ways, the frog much relieved. With that experience of having a tail, the frog learns to appreciate his tail-less rear from thereon.
Physical Value
This value is related to health. Health implies physical well-being and cleanliness. The physical nature of human beings calls for a certain harmony with the material universe. What we need to remain healthy could be found in nature. In the story of “Kanlubong,” for instance, a man in his dream instructs him in the herbs that could be used for curing particular diseases. Upon waking, Kanlubong gathers these herbs and tries them out first on someone who has a headache. It works. Kanlubong then shares with his neighbors the knowledge given by the man in his dream. As a result, the people find curative effects from herbs that grow in their environs. Sickness and death are significantly reduced.
Spiritual Value
“Kitkit Magasungkit and Kutkut Magasalmot” is a tale that demonstrates the power of prayer, an expression of surrender to faith in a higher divinity. The spiritual value indicates the dimensions of the infinite, seen to transcend the limited powers of human ability. The cultivation of faith is spirituality that calls for growing in love, repentance, and reconciliation.
In the story, eight hunters go to the mountains to set traps. They catch a wild pig and deer. When they slaughter the animals, they are all taken aback to see green blood flowing from the pig and black blood coming from the deer. A strange couple claiming to be the owner of the animals suddenly appears and forbids them from eating the meat on pain of death. The frightened hunters flee.
In the next months, the fairy couple sends wild animals to the hunters’ fields in order to destroy their plants. Remembering the admonition of the couple, the hunters leave the animals alone. With their farms devastated, the hunters soon have no food to eat. So one day, they pray hard to their god for protection against the curse of the couple. Then they go out to kill a wild pig and eat it. When nobody dies, they take this to mean that their prayer has been granted.
At first, there is no mention of their god in the story. It is only in times of difficulty that the spiritual aspect is remembered. Their faith in their god saves them from starvation. When they surrender in prayer, they find the courage to do what is necessary. Faith in their god liberates them form the false belief introduced by the strange couple.
Educational Implication of the Oral Narratives
The oral narratives compiled in this study bear substantial information regarding the Tagakaulo’s traditional life ways. Introducing these stories in today’s classrooms may serve several purposes. First, these are rich resources to highlight events in pre-colonial history and features of Mindanao geography, and to focus on the indigenous cultures that have been affected by the forces of changing conditions. New dimensions in folk literature could be shared among the young to foster cultural dialogue and develop cultural relativity in the generation that is increasingly seeing a multicultural world. Translating meanings across the boundaries of culture and languages poses a challenge to the students, especially those most enthralled by the word in its various forms. In particular these narratives introduce the sociologists and the psychologists to the ways of the Tagakaulo society and the psyche of its people.
For the Tagakaulos, these oral narratives serve to affirm the positive values that allow them a deep appreciation of their roots. For practical purposes too, these are a useful medium for developing the listening, reading, writing, and comprehension skills of the tribal children enrolled in the literacy program of the Malita Tagakaulo Mission. In this manner, perhaps, cultural solidarity could be fostered among the Tagakaulo youth in their identification with the tribe’s narratives.
Tagakaulo Oral Narratives
[Refer to the Original Copy]