INDIGENOUS TRIBES OF THE PHILIPPINES THE MARANAOS

SS 203

INTRODUCTION The name Maranao (ma, an adjective marker, plus ranao, "lake") means approximately, "lake-like" hence, "by or near the lake, " or "lake dwellers" or . In the early salsila (written genealogical documents) this term refers to the native people living around Lake Lanao. people of the lake", lived in isolation far from the sophisticated life of the cities. They settled around the edge of Lake Lanao, located at the Islamic City of Marawi, Philippines. The Lake Lanao area is the home of the Maranao. The lake, located in North Central Mindanao is some 135 square miles in area and sits at an altitude of 2,300 feet above sea level. This is one of the loveliest potential tourist and recreation sites in Mindanao. To the east of the lake, mountains (popularly referred to as the " Sleeping Lady") rise to an altitude of 5,000 feet; in the south and west rolling hills drop away to Illana Bay and the Zamboanga Peninsula. To the North, the Lake basin spills, forming the Agus River, which rushes abruptly down to Iligan City and the Mindanao Sea. The climate is pleasant and cool, affected by the altitude and the lake's breeze. The lake is surrounded with myths and legends. A particularly interesting version says that before the Spanish regime, St. Francis Xavier came to Marawi to preach and convert the Muslims. He was said to have failed. 1 Renowned Maranao Poet Datu Tingcap G. Pandi said that the word MERANAO is a compound word composed of MERA which means peacock and NAO which means awake. In other words, meranao means an awake peacock. Peacock was declared Indias National Bird in 1963. It is also considered the most beautiful bird in the world. The Maranaos are the largest Moro and cultural minority in the Philippines, numbering more than 840,000 in the late 20th century. They are known for their brasswork, fine mosques, rish raiment, exotic dances, and love for music. Usually artistic, the Maranao lavish elegant pageantry and celebration. Their festivals are rich in
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http://library.thinkquest.org/C003235/maranao.html

vivid hues of red and purple seen on bright banners and intricate silk malongs on both men and women. The most popular of the Maranao dances is the Royal Maranao Fan Dance called Kasingkil. It is named after the singuel or singkil, which are the ankle bells used by the Muslim princess and dancers. Singkil is performed by a girl of royal blood. It recounts the epic legend of the "Darangan" which is the fateful tale of diwatas (nymphs or fairies) that play a joke on Princess Gandigan. As the princess was taking a walk with her faithful slave (umbrella girl), the diwatas cause an earthquake that makes the trees tremble and the rocks roll. The bamboo symbolize the fallen trees, and create criscross pattern, tapping together to give the illusion of a violent natural catastrophe. Undaunted, the Princess nimbly skips from place to place avoiding this ordeal until she is finally rescued by the prince. The dancers use fans (or apir) and scarves to symbolize the winds that prove to be beneficial for the princess to successfully escape the trees and rocks from hitting her tiny feet. The spread of Islamic religion in Marawi, the capital of the province of Lanao del Sur, and the only chartered city in the country with predominantly Muslim population, followed the pattern in Indonesia and other Malay areas. It started with the coming of Arab traders, intermingling with the Maranaos and consequently establishing communities locally. The first contacts were primarily economic but the Muslim teachers and Islamic missionaries pursued the native traders with intensity, indoctrinating them with Islamic religion to strengthen their hold on the natives. Finally, the Maranao chieftains embraced Islamic religion and the people followed. Shortly thereafter Islam spread throughout the south. By the time the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, Islam had taken deep root throughout the south. The Maranao families are traditionally large. They are close-knit people that in a family with 10 members is considered small. Even in a wealthy family, married members of the same family tend to live in the same house. In some great Maranao merchant houses, the central room is shared by as many as six

married families. The Maranaos are also known for their business acumen and commercial prowess. Among the Maranao, feudal standings once strictly defined and inclusive are still visible. The leading class is composed of sultans, datus and their closest kin, sometimes referred to as "of royal" in reference to their ancestors who were once the ruling sultans of Lanao. Many of them maintain their high positions because of wealth, land ownership and generally, political positions to which they are now elected or appointed The majority of the Maranao are found in Lanao del Sur while the rest are in Lanao del Sur while the rest are in Lanao del Norte, Cotabato City and, as transients, in other parts of the Philippines. 2

http://www.maranao.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=65

THE MARANAOS The Maranao people have lived on the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao since at least the 13th century. "Maranao" means "people of the lake" referring to Lake Lanao in the province of Lanao del Sur. While the majority of Maranao live in the area surrounding Lake Lanao, many have relocated to Manila as well as to other regions. Maranao refers not just to a people group but also to their language, spoken by people living in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. The Maranao people derive much of their identity and history from Lake Lanao. Within the surrounding region the primary source of livelihood is agriculture, including the production of such crops as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, papayas, bananas, and betel nuts. Lake fishing is also a traditional source of livelihood. The Maranao have a very rich cultural heritage which they seem to enjoy sharing with those outside their culture. Textiles, metalwork, woodcraft, and architecture are all important cultural expressions. The AWANG, or dugout boat used in Lake Lanao, is possibly the most unique and ornate of dugouts. Maranao textiles, which indicate the status of the wearer, are known for their very ornate designs and colors. The predominate instrumental music of the Maranao people is the KULINTANG, performed on a unique set of eight melodious gongs. The KULINTANG musical tradition predates Islam, and is thus shared by both Muslim and non-Muslim people groups throughout Mindanao, as well as in other island nations to the south. The Maranao epic song, known as the DARANGEN, encompasses a wealth of knowledge of the Maranao people, and in 2005 was proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Philippines as a whole has a high rate of literacy for a developing country, and this has led to a dramatic increase in literacy among the Maranao people as well. The Maranao are no longer plagued with the rampant illiteracy Dr. Frank Laubach observed there 75 years ago. On the contrary, degree holders are now so numerous that many cannot obtain employment appropriate for their education. Many of the highly educated Maranao must resort to the traditional occupations of agriculture and

craftsmanship. The shortage of jobs in the Lanao provinces has probably led to the migration of some Maranao to Manila. The Maranao are one of several major Muslim people groups in the Philippines which together constitute a small percentage of that country's population. The Maranao province of Lanao del Sur is part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, or ARMM. Like most Muslims in the Philippines, the Maranao consider themselves to be Muslim rather than Filipino. Despite the fact that Islamic beliefs are fervently held, efforts to rid the culture of traditional island beliefs have not been totally successful, and these beliefs persist and mix with the Maranao Islamic faith to some degree. The Christian and Missionary Alliance was successful in planting a church in a Muslim region of Mindanao in 1902. Dr. Frank Laubach began his work as a missionary to the Maranao people in 1930, a work that ultimately sparked his worldwide literacy program. In 1958 Lutheran missionary Robert McAmis began his work among Muslims in Mindanao. Despite these mission efforts and others, the Maranao remain essentially an unreached people group. Out of a total Maranao population of over one million, there are only 30-50 known followers of Jesus, yet the tools are in place for more. A Maranao New Testament has been available since 1981 and the Jesus Film and radio broadcasts have been made available in the Maranao language. If the Maranao people can be reached for the gospel, this very well may have an impact on the other Muslim people groups that inhabit the island of Mindanao. The preferred languages of these groups may be different, but their cultures are similar, and there is a historic solidarity in their common quest for independence. But in order for this to happen, the gospel must be presented in a way that continues to respect and affirm the wonderful qualities of Maranao culture. The unique combination of rich cultural heritage along with lack of opportunity for highly qualified workers point to several possibilities for outreach to this people group. Those who are willing to become students of the Maranao culture or possibly even exporters of this culture might find open doors. And those who are willing to establish

businesses in the region that supply high-level jobs to educated Maranao potential employees are likely to find even more of an open door.3 Maranao is a language spoken by nearly 800,000 people living in the island of Mindanao, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur Provinces. It belongs to the Southern Philippine subbranch of the Western Austronesian language family, and is most closely related to the Ilanun language spoken in Sabah, Malaysia and Maguindanaon, spoken in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kuderat, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. Letters in Maranao alphabet (dictionary letters, not standardized): A B D AE E G H I K L M N NG O P R S T W Y. AE represents the pepet (central high) vowel, Philippine schwa.4 The Maranao are primarily an inland group, comparatively isolated until recently from coastal peoples and the influence of colonial powers. Of the major Muslim groups in the Philippines, the Maranao were the last to be converted to Islam. They were a rallying point for partisan activity against the Spanish, the Americans, the Japanese, and the Republic of the Philippines, particularly during times of martial law.Many Maranao are strongly resistant to a centralized Philippines government, with some openly revolting against it. They prefer a federal form of government, with more regional autonomy, or, alternatively, secession, so as to be able to align themselves with a Muslim country or to become an independent nation. Maranao villages are made up of a few nucleated households: several families may live under one roof in a food-sharing relationship. A typical Maranao dwelling has no partitions inside. On both walls of the house are sleeping quarters with an aisle down the center. Each family occupies one sleeping quarter. In the rear of the dwelling is a communal kitchen. The Maranao are principally farmers and fishermen. The eastern part of Lake Lanao is fertile for rice cultivation. Fertile land has brought surpluses of maize, peanuts, sweet potatoes, coffee, citrus fruits, and exotic varieties of tropical fruits. Cottage
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http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=13531&rog3=RP http://iloko.tripod.com/Maranao.htm

industries such as cloth and mat weaving, wood carving, and metalwork in brass, silver, and gold are popular. Maranao are known for selling straw mats, yard goods, blankets, and metalware throughout the Philippines. Kinship is traced bilaterally, hence membership in several villages at one time is common. Maranao conceive of villages as communities where people share a common descent instead of territory. Rank and privilege are determined by an individual's personal skills (e.g., as orator, Quran reader, or authority on law), and distinction as a leader. The Maranao version of Islam includes many elements of pre-Islamic belief and ritual, particularly those connected with agriculture, the spirit world, and the cycles of nature. Islamic beliefs strongly reflect Sufi influence, especially in vocabulary and chants at rituals. 5 HISTORY OF LANAO The region around the lake and the coast around Iligan Bay was settled by the Maranaos, which means 'people of the lake'. Maranao folklore holds that Islam came to the area via the northern coast and brought by a certain Sharif Alawi. In the 17th century, the Maranaos were allied with the powerful Maguindanao Sultan Kudarat. The Spaniards tried to gain control the region and in 1639 sent an expedition that succeeded in capturing Dansalan. The Spaniards held the town for two years, but were forced to withdraw because of the continued hostility of the people. Malabang on the southern coast of Lanao del Sur was an important staging ground of raids on the Visayan and Luzon settlements. Lanao del Sur is the land of the Maranaos, people of the lake among the most devout of Muslim tribes as well as the most artistic. Nowhere is this more evident than in the the peoples most natural way of life and the lands most attractive sites. The life of the Maranaos centers on Lake Lanao, the second largest and deepest in the Philippines and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful. The lake is surrounded
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Maranao - http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Maranao.html#ixzz1tb0YPfiD

with myths and legends. The climate here is envigorating and fine grazing land stretches into the distance. A commanding view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital. The prominently Muslim population belongs to the Maranao who, together with the Maguindanao and the Tausug, are the three major Muslim groups in the Philippines. The Maranaos are among the most devout and most traditional of the Muslim groups. They are sensitive to martabat, the controlling factor of their social actions. It is intricately linked to family honor and is manifested in the extravagant display of wealth and in enacting violent revenge. They are very conscious of their status; the province boasts of numerous sultans. The Maranaos are also known for their artistry: from artifacts and tools adorned with okir (carvings) and nagas (serpent figures) to boats and malongs of brilliant colors. The Maranao dialect is commonly used; almost all Christians residing in Marawi can understand it. 6 MARANAOS CULTURE AND TRADITION Almost all Maranaos are Muslims, but some groups living in the hills around Lake Lanao are commited to a version of Islam that is fused with traces of pre-Islamic traditions. The spreading of Islam in Mindanao created a differentiation between its native peoples, those those who became Muslim were named "Moro" and those who did not are called "Lumad". The Maranao, who are the first inhabitants of the shores of Lake Lanao still inhabit this region, the name Maranao means "People of the Lake" or "Lake Dwellers", referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the grounds around Lake Lanao. This lake in North Central Mindanaoand is located at an altitude of 2,300 feet above sea level and can be considered as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Mindanao. One Maranao folktale describes how Lake Lanao was created. The story tells that a group of angels under the control of the Archangel Diabarail (Gabriel) moved out
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http://trc.dost.gov.ph/SocioEconomicBriefHistoryPage.jsp?provinceid=154

huge groups of people from the area named Mantapoli to prevent the world from turning upside down. The angels lifted the place very carefully and carried it through the air like a carpet, including the people with their houses, animals and crops. It was brought down at the centre of the earth, this in accordance with the command of Allah. The angels filled the hole that was left from the Sultanate with deep blue water, however the water had risen fast and threatened to flood the rest of the world. The Four Winds came to the rescue and created an outlet that was later named the Agus river, the hole became Lake Lanao. The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, that can be found among both Muslim and nonMuslim groups of the Southern Philippines. The Kulintang, traditionally considered a women's instrument, is an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of horizontally-laid gongs and is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the Kulintang, the Maranao will always sit on chairs while other tribal groups that play this instrument commonly sit on the floor. Almost every Maranao family specializes in some form of art or craft that is part of the traditional Maranao culture like woodcarving, tapestry weaving, brass-making and the fine art of silver and gold smithing. The Maranao crafts and arts are unquestionably more distinctive and therefore easily recognizable from other cultures of the Philippines. Prominent in the Maranao art of decoration is the Okir or Okkil, an indigenous, organic flowering and branching motif used in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. The Maranao, one of the last tribes in Mindanao is adapting to modern society without completely losing their ethnic identity and like any other indigenous group they try to escape the modernizing influences of the present. They strive to live in their own domain as their ancestors have lived for nearly five thousand years and their struggle is not to be a lost tribe.7

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/40488

THE MARANAO LANGUAGE Maranao (ISO code mrw) is an Austronesian language of the Greater Central Philippine subgroup spoken primarily on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, although a considerable number of speakers have migrated throughout the entire Philippines as merchants. It is closely related to Iranun (spoken in both Mindanao and Sabah, Malaysia) and Maguindanaon. For a recent discussion of the position of Maranao in the Philippine subgroup, see Blust (1991) and many works cited therein. Native speakers identify themselves and their language as Maranao [m()anaw]. Within the Maranao community, those living around Lake Lanao were traditionally called Maranao Ranaw (the Maranao of the lake) while those living along the northern coast of Lanao del Norte were known as Maranao Mragat (the Maranao by the sea). Other names that are used both by the Maranao and other Filipinos include Muslim4 and Moro,5 although both of these terms are used in other parts of the Philippines to refer to whichever specific Muslim population lives in that area. The 2000 population estimate for the Maranao was over one million. Outside of the Philippines, there are a small number 8 COURTSHIP & MARRIAGE Courtship A.) Kapanganakan 1.) Kandaonga 2.) Pananroon 3.) Maranaw Love Letter B.) Kapanoksam 4.) Kapaniwaka 5.) Kapangila-ilay

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10125/4487/000-lobelriwarungnosound.pdf?sequence=397

1.) Kapanoka-tokao 2.) Kandiyalaga 3.) Kapaniwaka Marriage A.) Kambityara B.) Kaidang C.) Katharo sa Lalag D.) Kakhawing 1.) Lantong 2.) Katharo sa Lalag 3.) Sikawing 4.) Kaidin

4.) Kapamaton sa Tamok 5.) Leka sa Dolang

5.) Leka sa Gibon 6.) Boka sa Igot 7.) Leta Igaan 8.) Kapogad 9

TRADITIONAL MARANAO CLOTHING The various Muslim groups in the south and the mountain tribes have their own distinctive garments. The Maranao Muslims of southern Mindanao, for instance, have the colorful malong. It is a large cloth wrapped around the body and is worn by both men and women. 10 THE LEGEND OF MARANAO CUISINE Exquisite Maranao cuisine and hospitality are palpable.They are known of having a spicy taste in their foods. A condiment made of traditionally cultivated spices, locally known as Palapa is one of their distinguished cuisine symbols. It is made of stewed scallion bulbs or sakurab in Maranao. The thinly sliced scallion bulbs and ginger are caramelized by slow cooking and mixed with chillies and little coconut oil. Maranao recipes are so rich that it talks about life itself! Suffice it to say that the recipes are
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http://knol.google.com/k/maranaw-courtships-and-marriage#I%282E%29%28C2%29%28A0%29_COURTSHIPS http://www.vtaide.com/ASEAN/Philippines/clothes.html

intertwined with the life cycle rites and rituals of all aspects of Maranao society and culture: from birth to death. In other words, food cannot be separated with daily life activities because food is life itself. According to a scholar, food is one of the panabi-nabian, prophet, a mercy and a gift from Allah. "When the world was created, mankind had no food to eat. The soil was asked to feed mankind but it refused because it does not have enough to feed mankind. And so one of the sons of Fatima, Asa, was buried so that Nabi Adam will also be fed and be able to move. For seven days Nabi Saopak was buried. After seven days, it grew. On the head part grew a coconut, on the heart grew the palay, on the pelvis grew cotton, and on the lower art grew a white chicken. The palay was harvested and fed to mankind." 11 TRADE AND TOURISM Coastwise trade Total coastwise domestic trade of Lanao del Sur in 1988 was P32.4 million. Coastwise imports decreased both in terms of quantity and value, by 77.0 percent and 81.6 percent, respectively from 1987 to 1988. Most of the commodities transported to Lanao del Sur were mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials. The bulk of imports in 1988 worth P24.3 million came from Batangas. No coastwise domestic export for the province was registered for both years Tourism The pomp and pageantry of Muslim festivals are among the exciting events in the province. One of these festivals is the Kalilang. The more passage of royalty with sequinned and bejeweled parasols held over their heads by parasol bearers is a ritual of sort. Kini-kini is a Muslim term referring to a special artistic way of walking of Maranao women, as dramatized in their dances.

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http://www.filipinasoul.com/2008/09/indigenous-peoples-of-the-philippines-and-their-cuisine/

There is also the world famous Singkil, a dance which has for its basic accompaniment the clapping of two bamboo poles (an interesting footnote to Maranao dances: women are not allowed to dance with men). Among the places within Lanao del Sur, the City of Marawi draws the most number of visitors. Located here is the Mindanao State University (MSU) which was founded in 1962. MSU serves as an educational institute and a center of social and cultural integration. Also found in Marawi are the King Faisal Center of Arabic Studies, the Mahaad of Arabi, the Jainiatul Philippine al Islamic and Dansalan College. Also found in the province is the Aga Khan Museum which is a repository for Maranao and other Moro artifacts.12 MARANAO ARTS Maranao culture is known for the exuberance and vitality of its art forms. The maranao along with the Ifugao have forms and widest range of materials culture. The major art forms of the Maranao are carving, weaving and metalwork. In all these forms the Maranao are consistent in their motof which is the okir design. Okir refers to a whole repertoire of folk motifs which consisting of plant forms that figure prominently in their artwork from weaving to carving, to brass cast pieces. okic design serve as significant culturals symbols. many design are used as decorative elements in architecture. We have several stylized decorative motifs in Muslim art. sarimanok is one of these. Sarimanok is stylized representation of an open-winged legendary bird whose claws clutch a fish. It is a bird-form symbolof the Maranao. You will see the sarimanok on top of bamboo poles placed at the center of muslim villages. The maranaos are also known for their gold and purple malong. Malong is the traditional tube garment of the maranaos. If you will notice, the colors green, yellow, red, violet and blue dominated the

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http://www.localphilippines.com/destinations/mindanao/lanao_del_norte

Muslim arts. Muslim people of the Philippines are noted for their skills in metalworks. They produce weaponry swords and decorative containers in brass and silver. Musical Heritage The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. Biyula is another Instrument for the Maranao people to use, Biyula is a string instrument. Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong-chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for many centuries in regions of the Eastern Malay Archipelagothe Southern Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Timor, although this article has a focus on the Philippine Kulintang traditions of the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples in particular. Kulintang evolved from a simple native signaling tradition, and developed into its present form with the incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda14 Prayer Points * Pray that the strongholds against the gospel will be broken, that Maranao people will respond to the message of Christ, and that a church will be successfully planted among the Maranao. * Pray for the safety and blessing of the 30-50 Maranao Christians. * Pray for the protection and fruitful ministry of the few Christian workers among the Maranao. * Pray for the needs of the Maranao peopleparticularly that appropriate jobs will be provided for the many highly educated individuals there. 15
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http://turingan.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/hello-world/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulintang 15 http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=13531&rog3=RP