by Jerome Espinosa Baladad

Created on: January 24, 2010

Online materials on Bagobo’s history have been generally scant, sketchy and far from being updated. However, the Bagobo people’s (also known as: Guianga, Guanga, Gulanga, Obo, Tigdapaya, Eto) presence in local communities including those found in a major metropolitan city like Davao in southern Philippines has always been acknowledged solidly. The late anthropologist

Fay Cooper Cole narrates in his book “The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao” that the Bagobo people, like most ethnic groups anywhere in the world, have been influenced by practices on intermarriage, forms of slavery, trade routes pursued, plus pillage and plunder among members of the clan-based groups who live easily within the peripherals, and the safe and far distances of these populated communities. A number of Bagobo communities are migratory depending on their mode of agriculture and have been observed to prefer to live close to the mountains, and the outlying high elevation areas. A number of their communities have settled and subsequently intermarried with others based along the coast of Davao Gulf. All are known to have considered Mt. Apo (the Philippines’ highest mountain, actually a dormant volcano) to be sacred, and as a representative aspect of their total spiritual make-up and psyche.

Interestingly, the Bagobo people and the Muslims (who were largely known as traders, and who earlier resided mostly along coastal areas) remained and kept friendly and trade relations up until the Spaniards came. Bagobo leaders were induced by Spaniards in their efforts to push back Muslim influences in that part of Mindanao. According to Cole’s book, the Bagobo leaders were given a highly prized Chinese plate with blue fish picture on it every time they show evidence of having killed a “Moro” (a highly derisive term used to describe the Muslims then, who were enemies of the colonizing Spaniards). When the Americans came at the early part of 20th century, they observed the brisk trade of these mementos of plates, signifying how the Bagobo leaders have considered them as “prized trophies.”  

Bagobo rulers, as late as the last few years of Spanish occupation in the Philippines, can narrate through traditional tales (as recorded by the Jesuit P. Juan Doyle) their genealogy as far as ten generations back earlier (though we leave it up to readers to ascertain which is myth from tale, and tale from downright fabrication). Recorded history

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