MINDANAOAN CULTURE

Maguindanao, Magindanao or Magindanaw

Ethnic Group 

Written by Roy E. Yocampo, Jr.

Location: Maguindanao, Bangsamoro ARMM, Southern Philippines

Language/Dialect: Maguindanao

Symbols and meanings of colors associated to their Group:

“It is said that Inaul may be a malong, but not all malongs are Inaul. Inaul is synonymous with Maguindanao (the old name of Mindanao). It is a fabric woven by a great race. It is a symbol of royalty of a great nation that once ruled Mindanao,” says Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sinsuat  Sema, representative of the first district of Maguindanao and Cotabato City. Royalty wore the Inaul as a malong, a tubular fabric, or sablay, loose garment, as they traveled through the riverways that connected kingdoms.

The Inaul is a product of the mixture of the lineage of Sheriff Muhammad Kabungsuan, the first Sultan of Mindanao, and the natives. Its luxurious texture is a blend of silk and gold threads infused into the pure cotton threads and woven in complicated techniques. The complicated weaving techniques produce one-of-a-kind designs such as rainbows, stripes and taro. Sema points out that the Inaul reflects the character of her region. 

“A single thread of cotton or silk or even gold is weak when alone but strong when woven together. Like the threads, Maguindanaons seldom act individually. They believe that in unity there is strength. They work their land together. They catch fish together. They cook their food, build their house and pray together. They defend their territory — together,” says Sema. Its signature colors of yellow and orange represent royalty, while red stands for bravery. Green signifies peace. White, the color of purity, is also worn during mourning. Black means dignity.

Unique tradition/culture:

The Maguindanao culture is a fascinating blend of standard Islamic beliefs and indigenous customs, with a distinctive emphasis on folk Islam. While most Maguindanao adhere to Islamic practices, native Maguindanaons maintain a connection to traditional beliefs in spirits, sorcery, and supernatural beings. This unique synthesis is evident in various cultural ceremonies and rituals.

One such tradition is the role of the "apo na palay," or grandfather of the rice, within the tribe. This individual conducts rituals and chants incantations over the rice fields at night to ensure a bountiful harvest. Additionally, during the sacred month of Ramadan, all tribe members engage in fasting rituals and ceremonies as prescribed by Islamic tradition.

Furthermore, Maguindanao ceremonies related to significant life events such as birth, marriage, and death reflect a blend of indigenous and Islamic practices. These ceremonies serve as poignant expressions of cultural identity and spiritual beliefs, encompassing elements from both traditions.

Despite their adherence to the peaceful tenets of Islam, the Maguindanao culture also grapples with a legacy of clan-based conflict. Deeply entrenched clan power dynamics often lead to feuds known as "rido," characterized by sporadic outbreaks of retaliatory violence. These conflicts stem from offenses to honor, land disputes, crimes against women, and disputes between families, kinship groups, and communities. In summary, the Maguindanao culture is characterized by its rich tapestry of beliefs, blending Islamic faith with indigenous customs. While the community embraces the values of peace and spirituality, they also contend with the complexities of clan dynamics and the legacy of inter-community conflict.

Name of Festival that the Group participates : 

MEGUYAYA FESTIVAL (Upi, Maguindanao)

Date the festival is celebrated: 

December 22

                Reason why the festival is held: 

The term is a Teduray word meaning ‘Merrymaking and Thanksgiving'. This is a universal expression of thanksgiving for the triumphs, abundance, prosperity or any form of blessing received. The word in a multi-cultural society wherein different expressions or ways of thanksgiving and merrymaking practices are recognized and honored. Amidst Upi’s triumphs, abundance and prosperity is the conceptualization of Meguyaya Festival, Upians’ way of expressing gratitude for all the bounties. Meguyaya is a three-week celebration which culminates every 22nd of December. 

Meguyaya Festival was conceptualized sometime in 2004 purposely to help boost the Tourism program of the municipality, and to serve as a window to showcase the economic potential of the area such as; pleasant climate all year round, wide agricultural lands, built-up areas, open grassland, forest land fall, caves, manmade, lake springs, rivers and creeks; Marine and mineral products; agricultural products, particularly corn, palay.

INAUL FESTIVAL

Date the festival is celebrated: 

Month of February

Reason why the festival is held: 

Inaul Festival is a celebration that never forgets its other cultural heritage. Among them is the staging of the sagayan, a war dance from the moro epic Darangen. There were also theatrical presentations of Maguindanaon stories. 

It celebrates Maguindanao's traditional weaving art. “Life is a loom, weaving illusion” [1] and in Mindanao's storied sundry of woven heritage, a diverse weaving art scattered across the region abounds with dream-like patterns and fascinating backstories.

                SHARIFF KABUNSUAN FESTIVAL

Date the festival is celebrated: 

December 19

Reason why the festival is held: 

Shariff Kabunsuan Festival is a very significant event not only to Maguindanao people Cotabato City and Region XII but to the whole Muslim Mindanao. This colorful festival is a commemoration of the arrival of an Arab-Malay missionary from Johore, Malaysia in the 16th century, landed along the banks of pulangi now known as Rio Grande de Mindanao. Shariff Kabunsuan introduced Islam to the natives, which lead to the established of the Sultanates of Maguindanao, Rajah Buayan and Kabuntalan.

Two (2) Photos of People belong to the Ethnic Group: