(a) TAGALAGAD--"dwellers in the back country" is the name generally
applied to this tribe by the coast natives.
(b) TAGKOGON--"dwellers in the cogon"--The group living on the grass
plains west of Malalag.
(c) BULUAN, BULUANES--The members of this tribe dwelling near to Lake
Buluan. This group is sometimes identified with the Tagabili or Tagabulu
who also reside in that region.
(d) BIRA-AN, BARA-AN--Synonym for BILA-AN, often used by the neighboring
Bagobo.
(e) VILANES, BILANES.
(f) BALUD or TUMANAO--name sometimes applied by early writers to the
Bila-an who live on the Sarangani Islands.
This tribe is found in the mountains on the west side of Davao Gulf
beginning at an east and west line drawn through Bulatakay and extending
south to Sarangani Point, and they also appear in small numbers in the
Sarangani Islands which lie just south of the mainland. At Bulatakay
they are a day's march back from the coast and to reach them it is
necessary to pass for several hours through a rolling belt of forest
land, then as the mountains are approached, gently sloping cogon plains
about ten miles in width are crossed. West of Malalag they are still far
from the sea with a belt of hill Tagakaolo between them and the coast
people. In this region they have spread out in considerable numbers on
to the grass plains, and for this reason are locally known as Tagkogon
"dwellers in the cogon." On the gulf side of the divide, south of
Malalag, they are found in small groups far back in the mountains, while
between them and the sea are Tagakaolo, Kulaman and Moro. Along the
watershed between the districts of Davao and Cotabato they possess all
the territory and even extend in some numbers into the lowlands toward
Lake Buluan. They are distinctly a mountain people, having never reached
the sea, except near Sarangani Point, until after the advent of the
American. Since then a few hundred have been induced to move to the
coast plantations, and the town of Labau has been established on the
Padada river about six miles back of the coast. According to Mr. H. S.
Wilson, tribal ward headman for the Bila-an, this tribe numbers about
ten thousand persons, of which number fifteen hundred reside on the
Sarangani Islands.
The material here presented was gathered from the people of Labau, the
Malalag cogon, and those living near the headwaters of the Ma-al and
Padada rivers.
Formerly a neutral, uninhabited belt extended between them and the coast
people, and at stated intervals they went to recognized trading points
in this territory to exchange their agricultural and forest products for
salt, fish, and other articles of barter. Beyond this trading and an
occasional fight, they had few dealings with the coast people and seem
never to have encountered the Spaniard.
They are almost unknown to history, for aside from two or three short
accounts,[55] based mostly on hearsay, we find no mention of them. The
coast natives who knew them by name only had many stories concerning
their life and prowess, and one still hears that "the Bila-an are of
small stature but agile like monkeys. One may wander for days through
their territory without encountering a person and then when in a bad
place suddenly see the little people in hundreds swarming down the sides
of impassable cliffs. They are always in such numbers that, while they
use only the bow and arrow, they are almost sure to exterminate the
intruders." As a matter of fact, the Bila-an compare in stature with the
coast natives and differ little from them in color, although a few
individuals of decidedly lighter cast are met with.
[55] BLAIR and ROBERTSON The Philippine Islands, Vol. XLIII, pp. 239,
282-283. Census of the Philippine Islands, 1905.
Observations were made on thirty-eight men, but no women could be
induced to submit to being measured. The maximum height of the men was
found to be 163.6 cm.; minimum 142.3 cm.; with an average of 154.7 cm.
The cephalic indices showed 87.8 cm. as the maximum; 74 cm. the minimum;
and 80.4 cm. the average. The greatest length-height index was 78.6 cm.;
the minimum 62.4 cm. and the average 69.7 cm. From these measurements it
appears that the Bila-an are somewhat shorter than the Bagobo; are more
short headed, the majority being brachycephalic; while the height from
tragus to vertex is about the same in both groups, and both have the
crown and back of the head strongly arched. The face[56] is absolutely
shorter and relatively broader than in the Bagobo. The forehead is
usually high and full, but in about one-third of the individuals
measured it was moderately retreating, while in the same proportion the
supra-orbital ridges were quite strongly marked. In other features, as
well as in hair form, eyes, body form and color, this people conform to
the description given of the Bagobo (Plates XLII-XLVIII).
[56] Measured from the chin to the hair of the forehead. The greater
part of this tribe live far back in the rugged mountains which form the
watershed between the Cotabato valley and the Gulf of Davao. Travel
through that district is entirely on foot, and is principally along the
water courses, so that in going from place to place a person is
continually crossing the stream. From time to time dim trails, scarcely
worthy of that name, lead from the river's bank almost perpendicularly
up the mountain-side or to the summits of high hills, where will be
found one or two frail houses (Plate XLIX). The dwellings are never in
large groups, and more frequently each house is by itself. From one
habitation it is possible to look across the hills and see many others
at no great distance, to reach which would necessitate a descent of
several hundred feet and an equal climb up to each.
There is considerable variation in the architecture of the dwellings but
the following description of the home of Datu Dialum, on the headwaters
of the Ma-al river, will give the general plan of all.
Small hardwood poles about twenty feet in length formed the uprights to
which the side and crossbeams were lashed, while in the center of each
end beam smaller sticks were tied to form the king posts. From the ridge
pole small timbers extended to the side beams, thus forming the
framework on which the final topping of flattened bamboo was laid. This
roof was of one pitch and at the sides overhung the walls by about a
foot. Twelve feet above the ground other poles were lashed to the
uprights and on these rested the cross timbers of the floor, which in
turn were covered with broad strips of bark. The side walls extended
between the floor and the beams, but in no place did they extend up to
the roof. Entrance to the dwelling was gained by a notched log.
Once inside the house the arrangement impressed one as being similar to
those of the Bagobo. Just above the door, and again in the far end of
the room, poles were laid across the beams to form the floors of lofts
which, in this case, were used as sleeping rooms.
In front of the door, at the opposite side of the room, was a bed of
ashes in which three stones were sunk to form the stove, and above this
was suspended a rack which contained cooking pots, drying wood, ears of
corn, and the like. Close to the stove were a few earthen pots (Fig. 35)
and many short bamboo tubes filled with water, while against the wall
hung rattan frames filled with half cocoanut-shell dishes, spoons, and
two or three old Chinese plates. Near the center of the room stood a
rice mortar made by hollowing out a section of log. At the far end of
the room was a raised sleeping platform, such as is found in all Bagobo
houses, and extending from this to the center and on each side of the
room were narrow stalls where the women were engaged in weaving, and in
which they slept and kept their most valued possessions.