All three Bagobo groups have one term for their village: Banod. This typically consists of up to 10 households. Each banod was divided into three classes: the magani, the warrior class; the mabalian or priestesses; and the slaves. Datu was the chief magani, and he inherited his position. He held absolute power in the banod, which he supervised to maintain order and to deal with its problems. However, he enjoyed no special privilege, except for the possession of his title and rank. His main function was to be judge, arbiter, and defender of the tribe. As the magani was held in high esteem, so his opposite, the matalo, a man who has never killed a person and has no desire to fight, was scorned. The magani who has killed at least two persons was allowed to wear blood-red clothes, a tangkulu (headkerchief), and a small bag for betel nut and lime, which was considered a property of the spirits.

Since ancient times, the Bagobo-Tagabawa people have permanently settled in their banuwa/banwu, which is their domain or territory, from birth until death. This means that they are born and will take their last breath in this place. Their society is divided into three classes: the bagani, the mabalian, and the slaves. The bagani class is the warrior class that holds power in the Bagobo social structure. The matanem, meaning wise, is the chief bagani who serves as a judge, an arbiter, and a defender of the tribe. Chosen by the people, he is the most respected elder in the community.

A datu is typically male and multilingual, with the ability to speak ritual languages that are not Visayan, Filipino, or English. He wears a head cloth to signify his stature and, during special public occasions, dresses in ceremonial garb made of traditionally woven textiles, an attire which continues to be meaningful to Bagobo communities.

The next class, called the mabalian or priestess, consists of elderly women who are known for their exceptional weaving skills. The mabalian is chosen based on a dream or vision in which a benevolent spirit reveals the secret of a new remedy for an illness. Then they were apprenticed to the mabalian, from whom they learned, among other things, how to weave the clothes of the magani. Like the magani, they wore special clothes that signified their position. Meanwhile, the slave class was composed of women and children taken during raids. Slave women sometimes became concubines of their masters, and their children were considered free because their fathers were freemen.

The final class, known as the slaves, consists of women and children who have been captured during raids. It was not uncommon for slave women to be forced into becoming concubines for their masters.

Today, the indigenous political structure of the Bagobo-Tagabawa is based on the concept of matanem as the head. The chieftain, who serves as the head of the Council of Elders or togal, is seen as a leader. In the current Bagobo-Tagabawa system of governance, the clans in all areas adhere to the togal system in order to settle disputes.

Crimes punishable with death were murder, incest, and refusal to serve as payment for one’s debt. A cuckolded husband could kill his wife and her lover but must leave his weapon embedded in their bodies. Otherwise, the families of the victims could avenge the deaths. Thieves could be compelled to confess their crime through the practice of divination called bongat. They were believed to suffer extreme pain when mysterious powders were inserted into a chicken egg. There were rules governing ceremonies, rituals, and behavior in the vicinity of shrines, and the wearing of clothes was reserved only for the magani and mabalian.