Majority of the Subanen lives in Zamboanga especially in the town of Lapuyan where 90% of them are Subanen; Lapuyan is an hour away from Pagadian City. One fact about them is that they are not Muslims they have more alliance to the Christian faith than Islam.

"favorite" colors of the Subanen

The word Subanen means ” people from the river” from the word “suba” which means ” river. They trace their ancestry from the Indonesians and were relocated to the highlands when the Moro or Muslims arrived. At present ,they live with the modern world with many of them professionals serving in different industries and government agencies.

Tribal instrument, Agong

Like other indigenous people, they have their own music and dance that is purely part of their heritage. During the Indigenous Peoples Festival, they performed the Sinalimba.

The Sinalimba is an interesting dance where dancers perform with music on a swing. More than just a spectacular performance, the Sinalimba  represents man’s journey like a vessel. This dance is accompanied with an Agong, which is a single brass gong.

The gigling boy from the audience is my son, Aki.

Held every October since 2007, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts partners with local governments to hold the Indigenous Peoples Festival. First hosted in Davao City and then last year in Isabela, the Provincial Government of Capiz hosted this year’s festival entitled, “Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival”.

The word “dungog” means, “honor” in Visayan and through this festival, different indigenous peoples all over the country showcased their unique and culture and heritage. It was a five-day celebration with different activities starting with their parade, forums, exhibits, performances and the interactive demonstration of their daily lives along with their natural houses.

Some of the indigenous peoples who participated in that memorable affair were the Tausug, the Ati (from different parts of the country), the Mangyans, The Bagobos, the Subanen ( Zamboanga) and the Ifugaos.

Along with my toddler, he had fun visiting each houses starting with climbing their stairs made of bamboo. He might not be truly aware of what the fuzz was all about but it was a start for him to be cognizant of some social issues.

Here are some pics from Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival 2009

The festival was held at the Villareal Stadium in Roxas City

The main attraction to the festival were the 15 traditional houses from the different Indigenous Peoples with participants performing some dances, songs and even their local crafts and livelihood.

My Aki exploring the house of the Subanen tribe;that man behind him was waiting to take his shot of my sweetie

Ifugao house

It was educational as well with large banners providing the profile of the group.

We saw many students painstakingly copying...exams eh?

Here are some photos of the participants..

BAGOBO

I love this guy! He was so friendly and patient with people taking his photos

PANAY BUKIDNON

My Anthropology teacher was one of the key players in preserving the culture of the Panay Bukidnon who are noted for their epics..

ATI

The Ati of Panay Island