Manobo, Obo Kidapawan in Philippines

Introduction / History

The Manobo include several people groups who inhabit the island of Mindanao in the

Philippines and speak one of the languages belonging to the Manobo language family. This language family has more subgroups than that of any other indigenous people in the Philippines. The Obo Manobo language is an endangered language in the Austronesian language family.

The ancestry of the Manobo people can be traced to the early Malay people. Today, the Manobo cluster consists of several subgroups: the Ata subgroup, the Bagobo subgroup, the Higaonon subgroup, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Western Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, Banwaon and Bukidnon and others. The Obo Manobo of Kidapawan are in the Bagobo subgroup.

Subgroups tend to share similarities but occupy different ecological niches. The Obo Kidapawan Manobo live on the northeastern slope of Mount Apo, the country’s tallest mountain. Kidapawan is the capital of Cotabato.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Agriculture is the Obo Kidapawan Manobo's most common lifestyle, although education is also important. Broadly, the Manobo grow crops such as rice, corn, yams, legumes and sweet potatoes. The Manobo also hunt and gather for food. Communities are usually positioned above mountain drainage systems.

Social life for the Manobo is patriarchal. Men are considered the heads of households and tend to be primary decision-makers. Datus are tribal leaders and are expected to mediate conflicts within a tribe. In a larger area, there may exist a pyramid of power with a ruler or sultan at the top. Only royal individuals can aspire to the throne, as only direct descendants of sultans can become sultans.

The common leadership structure for the Manobo, however, is now shifting towards a provincial government. This would bring greater opportunity for young, educated individuals to influence the government as local councilmen. In addition to this shift, clothing trends have shifted away from traditional ethnic clothing and towards commercial attire.

The Manobo are family-oriented people, which is reflected in how they live. Families figure kinship bilaterally, and some houses are long to accommodate extended families. The Obo Kidapawan Manobo, in particular, are considered hospitable, generous and hardworking.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Manobo traditionally believe the universe is made up of four worlds: the Sky world, the Earth world, the Underworld and Paradise. The Manobo believe that several deities exist, including one they regard as supreme. The Manobo live in fear that if they do not appease the spirits in which they believe, they will interfere in their lives. The Manobo perform many rituals, some of which involve singing and dancing and last several days. A focal point of these rituals is animal sacrifice, in which blood is offered to the spirits. It is also common for rituals to begin with an offering of betel chew.

In this religion, there are three levels of leadership: baylan, terewtawan, and sangka. A baylan is viewed as a spiritual leader, while a terewtawan is a male assistant to the baylan who travels and tells others the teachings of the baylan, assisted by around ten sangka.

A Christian presence exists among the Obo Kidapawan Manobo, and the New Testament has been translated into their language.

What Are Their Needs?

The destruction of forests in recent years has brought challenges for the Manobo. The Manobo might benefit from agricultural development projects that educate them on such things as crop rotation and the use of chemical fertilizers. Such training would also provide open doors through which missionaries may enter. Another need of the Manobo lies within the area of their culture. These groups speak many different languages and dialects. This has made learning to speak and write their languages very difficult for outsiders. The Obo Manobo language is endangered, and there may be fear among them of losing it. An effort to preserve their language could calm those fears.

Prayer Points

Pray for God to send laborers into the Philippines who will observe the culture and minister to the needs of the Obo Kidapawan Manobo.
Pray the Obo Kidapawan Manobo would trust in Jesus without combining the message of Christianity with the traditional Manobo religion.
Pray for God to give comfort, faith, and perseverance to the Christians among the Obo Kidapawan Manobo.
Pray for God to grant great repentance to the Obo Kidapawan Manobo.

Text Source:   Joshua Project