A hill tribe in barefoot is identified through the colorful attire, artistic embroidery, black sawed teeth and native jewelry. Being inherent in the culture, the Mandaya observes rituals from birth to the grave. This rituals are often performed by the balyan. In the tribal community, the elders socialize. They dance, sing and play their music. The Mandaya tribe is found in the province of Davao Oriental, one of the seven (7) provinces of Region XI, Eastern Mindanao, Philippine Islands. The tribe's greatest concentration is in the municipalities of Boston, Cateel, Baganga, Caraga, Manay, Tarragona, Lupon and Mati, both from the highlands and the lowlands. The tribe is known of its hospitality as one commonly hears a mandaya salutation for "Welcome"-"Madayaw na Pag-abot!"

CULTURE Historical records show that the whole area known of old as "Province de Caraga", is rich in culture and natural resources both in lands and the sea. These people who are proud of their culture and heritage have gradually mixed with the Visayan immigrants through the years by intermarriage. A Spanish Jesuit priest Father Pablo Pastells, wrote in his journal: "The Mandayas (Man-daya = People of the Ilaya, fair complexions) are a tribe found in Tago until Mati…. To the springs of Agusan…. The mandayas are honorable people, peace loving, respectful, obsequious, docile, submissive and patient. Many are thick beards…. And wear their hair long. The most outstanding man in the tribe is called the "Tigulang" (old man). They obey and consult him. They have a legal code and penal customs. Idolatry, polygamy and slavery are the rule among themselves…. With regards to the mandayan marriage custom, (Italics supplied) the husband must buy his wife from her parents, serving them for a period of four to six years. The spouse…. Gives for his wife… slaves, one being the minimum of this bride price. Besides the slaves, the suitor presents…. Pigs, tuba, rice, bolos and spears to the parents of the bride."

PEOPLE The people of the east cost of Davao had been identified as Mandayas… their complexion was brown and sometimes white and their noses were tall and even aquiline. The men grew the hair on their head as long as the women's but they trimmed their beards with pincers…. Their tigulang (kinglets) took precedencen over the principal families who had their own followers….He alone had the power to declare war…. And an arbiter…. In the trials of subordinates…. They were observed as having a close family ties…. Relatives always sought to live close together. For this reason, they remained inseparable from their native beliefs and believed that they will die if they were forced to abandon them and become Christians. Their religious practices were held in honor of their various gods or idols whose images they carved out wood and were called manaug. These wooden images were carved exclusively from one kind of wood known as bayog. The idols had no hands. The male manaug was distinguishable from the female manaug who has a comb in its head. The fruit of the magubahay was used as the idol's eyes.

STATURE The Mandaya has a high forehead. The check-bones are a little prominent. The face is somewhat angular…. Their complexion is fair and fine. There is no trace of destructive pimples. The woman have pinkish cheeks which may be attributed to the cool weather in the mountain. The root of the nose is broad and its tip is either pointed being high bridged or depressed. The lips are a bit thick and the inner portion are colored red and black spotted due to their habitual chewing of betel nut, tobacco, and roots of ammon vine. The teeth are filled close to the gum and blackened. The eyes are deep-set but obviously the majority are slit eyed. The women shave their eye-brows into a thin line. They bang their hair at the forehead with few strands falling beneath the ears. The rest is knot -tie at the back of the head, their hair has natural cuds some sort of wiry.

MANDAYA CLOTHING The men and women belonging to this tribe are distinguished by the colorful dagum ng usog (man shirts) and the bado ng bubay (lady's dress). The dagum ng usog is an uncollared blue shirt of man that looks like a jacket. The long or three - fourth sleeves are heavily embroidered with assorted colored thread called lenema. Like a woman's blouse, the man's dagum has an open front extended to the hipline summed on the edges with contrasting colors. The pants called pantot are either long and short. The short pants two or three inches above the knee are intricately embroidered. The long pants are tight-fittingly sewed on the tights down to the ankle but loose on the hip-line. There are times when the man wears pajama-like trousers of blue gingham, the bottom of which is embroidered with varicolored threads. None of the garments contain pockets. It is part of the outfit that a man carries a bag made of dagmay suspended on his buckle or a bag with a long strap that passes over his shoulders.

MANDAYA GANDANG DANCE The gandang is accompanied by the kudlong or the kobeng. This is a dance for all piece. Men and women can dance at the same time to their heart's content without touching each other's hand and body. This is often danced when the elderly gets simply with the biyais during tribal celebration like a wedding or a good harvest.The dancers create there action but follow the cadence of the music.A dancers could interpret the movement of the hawk.Her steps are slow although she makes several turns.Looking downward,her head bends to the left or to the right in coordination with her hand and foot.She depicts the bird flying low that seems to look for a place to alight on.As the tempo of the music progresses,she makes faster movements of here hands,head,annd steps.She stumps her foot every after four hour counts.The crescendo is climactic then slowly to a graceful end.

MANDAYA SAYAW DANCE The sayaw is a mandaya dance of both young mature balyans.The children may imeitate the sayaw but only the balyans can dance this with originality during their rituals.Like the balyans,two young dancers in their barefoot are dressed completely in their native attire.The Tungkaling is attached to the hipline of the dagmay skirt and the neckerchief is held on the right hand. The gimball is played slowly seemingly calling for the spirit to come. This is the prelude to the ritual offering called basal. Following the gimball beat, the dancers go to the ritual stage to commence dancing the sinakay-sakay, a slow shaking of the buttocks. The movement progresses frenziedly in response to the frenzy beat. In the balilig offering, the balyan talks aloud her supplication for the diwata to response positively to her request. In the same state, the dancers make several turns. They make a sound by stumping their right foot after a succession of step to the right then to the left. They move their shoulder, elbows and hands in coordination with shaking of the body, and the hands become stiff. This manifests that the spirit is already with dancers. Slowly, one sits and puts down the neckerchief. The other dancer encircles her. When she rises, she dances the inugpo with jumping steps that symbolize happiness. The second dancer follows the dance steps and movement of the first. Both the dancers made the inugpo happily. The gimball beats gradually, then dies to the retiring steps of the dancers.

DAGMAY The shirt is made of abaca fibers called dagmay. This is thick and sewed in an almost A-style.The band to hold firm the dagmay at the waist is a small piece of coco negra or gingham cloth. A pleat on one side serves the form as desired. For the daily wear, some old women of the SO's wear patadyong and the young girls, s sheered cotton shirt. The diversion is not total since their dagum is worn daily. The Mandaya blouse is basically Chinese and their cotton skirt is still an influence from their Chinese forebears.

DAGUM AND CONDIMAN The cotton blouses of the women are either red, blue or black. The blouse, also called dagum, has animal and geometric designs at the back, front and sleeves. The latter is trimmed with bright colors and loose threads. Some blouses receive abalorios apangled in the design. The blue ging-ham blouse receives the same treatment as the condiman. The black blouse usually worn by old women and Christianized balyans are devoid of embroidery except for red trimmings in the edges and red cross at the back and on both sleeves between the shoulder, hip and the elbow.

JEWELRY The Mandaya are colourful dressers. The women are fond of porting variegated earrings, anklets and a head-dress. This homemade jewelry when worn makes the women feel confident, beautiful and fashionable. Mandaya jewelry is a measure of one's economic status in the Community. These ornaments worn daily by both men and women add to one's prestige. The Mandaya necklaces vary in sizes, materials, and designs. The payugot (a dog-collar-like necklace) is made of glass beads; The balyug is a necklace decorated with coins or crocodile teeth covering the breasts. The patina is an heirloom mostly worn by the well-off bagani wives. The Mandaya bracelets also become part of their colorful attire. The pamullang is a bracelet made out of white and black sea coral; The takllay is a bracelet made of vari-coloured-glass-beads; The sangisag is a brass or metal bracelet; The timusug is a bracelet made of rare vines and rubber. The brass trinkets, tiny bells and silver coins supported by a waist band or belt are hung towards the hipline. This ornament, called the tungkaling is worn by ladies of marriageable age and the balyan during ritual offerings. To add to their elegance, women wear metal or brass anklets and rings of tortoise shell and silver.

MANDAYA DAWOT SONGS The Dawot is sung by a mandaya male and female. The theme is variable. During the wedding, a kin of the bridegroom may sing about her childhood. In the hour of bereavement, the wife of the deceased husband may point out her sorrows through the dawot. Greetings and arrival of a visitor are sung; the life of great men is recounted; the balyan chants her prayer; a mother puts her baby to sleep by singing any lullaby which the natives called uyog-uyog.

MANDAYA BAYOK SONGS The Bayok is an antiphonal singing by the two characters. One may ask the question and the other answers; or the first person relates the story of her journey and the second narrates the story. Talent is displayed in the bayok, the theme may be on love's sacrifices, or human struggle. The pitch varies depending on the mood of the singers. There is no strict pattern. This is often sung in the evening and the dawot during the day.

MANDAYA BLACKENING THE TEETH At the age ten to twelve, a boy receives his initiation - filling his teeth, which is a test of his strength and a preparation before he takes his wife. The girls also receive the same ordeal to file evely the upper and lower sets of teeth. Blackening the teeth comes next. This is done by chewing habitually tobacco pellets moistened with the juice of am-mong vine. The mama produced the chewing betel nut, lime and leaf also help in blackening the teeth.

MANDAYA BALILIC RITUAL To celebrate the balilic… ten, twelve or more baylanes come together according to the splendor they want to give to the feast. A small altar of the diwata is previously erected in front of the house of the man who spends for the ceremony: the owner comes out with a huge hog and presents it to the baylanes in the presence of 100 to 200invited guests. The hog is set on the altar and the baylanes, dressed meticulously for the occasion, immediately gather around it. The Mandayas next sound (the) guimbao music consecrated to the diwatas, etc. Shaking from head to foot and swaying from one side to the other, they form several semi-circles with their movements. They raise the right arm to the sun or the moon, depending on whether it is day or night, praying for the intention of the patron….All at once the chief baylan separates from the others and pierces with her balarao the victim on the altar. She is the first to share in the sacrifice, putting her lips to the wound to suck and drink the blood of the animal….The others follow and do the same….They then return to their place, repeat the dance, shake their bodies, utter cries….(and) converse with Mansilatan, who they say, has come to them from heaven to inspire them in what they later prosphesy…

MANDAYA BELIEFS The Mandayas believed in the twin principles: The principle of good represented by Mansilatan and Badla, father and son; and the principle of evil symbolized by Pundaugnon and Malimbong, husband and wife. Their cult was maintained and preserved by the priestesses known as bailanes who officiated in their various rituals and ceremonies. Their healing rites propitiated the principle of good. When they wished to cure each other of sicknesses they invoked Mansilatan and Badla to whom offerings were made; while the idols of evil Pundaugnon and Manlimbong were ritually attacked with knives. Their most important portent religious sacrifices were the balilic, talibong and pagcayag. The balilic and the talibong both involve animal like pig sacrifice and both were performed by a number of bailanes but all three satisfied the most important purposes of religious activities: healing, divination, and propitiation of the omnipotent supernaturals.

MANDAYA BALILIC RITUAL The Balilic, as part of the major rituals, is a bloody sacrifice using pig as a sacrificial victim. It is tied on an impoverished table made of bamboo. The ritual is done early in the morning in an open air, in a clean yard. The balyan looks at the rising sun without blinking. She burns the tollob, sits in the mat, and chants her offertory verses. When the tollob is ectinguished, she dances the sayaw while chanting her invocation. When possessed by the diwtata, the balyan takes the coconut shell of rice, broadcast the grains to the pig and pours of on it. And this juncture a man stabs the pig. The shrieking sound of the pig makes the balyan grow wild, tears the pig, sucks the blood and eats the flesh. At this instance, the men would stop the balyan. If she fights back, she is slapped. This is the way for the diwata to leave the balyan. The ritual ends with the balyan anointing the sick person with the pig's blood and cleansing the bloodstains with water flows.

MANDAYA SAUTAN NG MANOK RITUAL The Sautan ng Manok is also another minor ritual practice. This is healing a sick person by means of a chicken. The balyan puts the chicken over the head of the sick person and recites the incantation. She prays that the abyan will help her drive black spins away from the person and to transfer to the chicken. The chicken is also used to drive away unseen inhabitants from a big tree. The balyan goes to the tree, by cutting its head and spilling its blood. The Mandaya observes rituals in the tribal way. They are subdivided into minor and major practices. The minor ritual practices are done by one balyan. It is inherent in the culture to practice with peculiarity what has been handed down to them by the grandparents. The major ritual practices necessitate more preparations and offerings. The duration is longer. The worship may be officiated not only by one balyan but two or more balyans at the same time.

MANDAYA PANAWAGTAWAG RITUALS This is one of their minor practices. It is an invocation usually practiced by the balyan. She calls her abyan and diwata to possess her and to make her an instrument in handling the sick person. Most of her advices and medical concoction come from her diwata. The invocation is intended for family solidarity, safe travel, and success. Before the panawagtawag, the balyan would scrutinize the petitioner; Convinced, the balyan would start the invocation; she would chant and pray in behalf of the subject; possessed by the diwata and balyan's body would shake fast and her manner of speech changed. After the ceremony the balyan would convey the message by saying? " Lumapos kaw. Ya tapos. Di kaw mauno." Literally, this means?" You will succeed. You will finish. Nothing bad will happen to you.

MANDAYA BACALLAG RITUAL The Bacallag is also one of the major rituals of the Mandaya. This worship takes three, four, five months of a year or two of sacrifices. This is a compromise the family of the person makes for his recovery. The balyan executes the same sayaw as that in the Manaog. The only difference is the duration of the worship and the place of the ceremonial performance. The bacallag is done outside the house. A shed is built. Four bamboo posts are erected to hold the mosque-like roof made of woven bamboo slots. There is no wall to keep the sacrifice in private.

MANDAYA MANAOG RITUAL The Manaog is one of the major practices of the Mandaya. The term refers to the ritual held in the house that serves as church of the tribe. A rope decorated outside the house is an emblem for the daily Manaog ritual. The commemoration does not cease unless a member of the household dies and the house is burned. At the opening of the Manaog, bracelets, plates, necklaces and other items are offered on an impoverished altar called tawagan by the natives. This is performed by a balyan who is the owner of the house. Other balyans are invited to participate in the worship. In the daily sacrifice of the Manaog, the balyans burn the tollob and chants the panawagtawag while seated on the hikam or ceremonial mat. In this ritual, the gimball is played by either a man or woman in the group. The tempo progresses until it reaches the climax. The balyan dances the sayaw, a wild dancing like the Tahitian. She chants, supplicates, and wails to persuade the concerned spirits to come in, to appeal to the busaw or evil spirit to leave the patient, and to inform the diwata of the nature of the patient's ailment for proper medical advice.