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Buklog, thanksgiving ritual system of the Subanen marks_1
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  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00000039
    Country Philippines
    ICH Domain Social practices, rituals, festive events
    Address
    The Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Mindanao in the southern Philippines, is a multicultural region with indigenous Subanen people and other ethnic groups. The practice of Buklog is associated with the Subanen. The Buklog is held in municipalities with high concentration of the Subanen such as Sindangan, Siayan, Aurora, Labangan, Lakewood, Kumalarang, and Kabasalan. Most of these settlements where the Buklog is practiced are located on rolling terrains, alluvial plains, or in upland areas, near sources of potable water source and in the remote interior villages on the fringes of forests, which are considered environmentally critical areas. As many Subanen people have shifted from traditional cultivation to modern occupations, they have moved from rural to urbanized areas of the moderate to highly dense settlements, especially near and within town centers where assimilation to the lowland culture is high. However, even in these areas, Buklog is still practiced.
Description Buklog is an elaborate thanksgiving ritual system of the Subanen, which has several attendant rituals. It is noted for its elevated structure with a highly flexible platform, which serves as a sacred and social space for rituals and the community dance. It is open for all members of the community, and those outside the community are also welcomed in most of its rituals. The Buklog has mythic origins and is mentioned in age-old epics. Until today, it performs both communal and integrative functions. The Subanen’s economic, social, political, cultural and ritual lives intertwine to constitute a single system, motivated by shared tenets of cultural survival —consulting the spirits, working with nature, and sharing with others. The Buklog is planned by the head of a host family, usually a village chief called ‘timuay,’ to appease and express gratitude to the spirits for many reasons such as a bountiful harvest, recovery from sickness or calamity, or acknowledgement of a new leader. The Subanen’s deep sense of spirituality is affirmed in the Buklog, where a representation of Dwata Magbabaya, the supreme god, as Apu Usog (the great ancestor), joins the community. The attendant rituals ensure harmony among members of a family, clan and the community, as well as among the human, natural, and spirit worlds. Harmony is requisite to the success of the Buklog, an indication of a socially cohesive community. The attendant rituals are the ‘sinulampong,’ which signifies the community’s readiness to hold the Buklog and to ask permission from the spirits to gather materials from the forest; the ‘sangat’, to maintain the balance in the spirit world through coin offerings; the ‘panmalwasan,’ where spirits of the departed are invited to the feast; and the ‘gampang’ and ‘gilet,’ to invoke spirits of the water and land. ‘Giloy,’ chants of praise; music; and dance are performed all throughout the ritual system, functioning not only for entertainment, but to embody the aesthetic aspects of Subanen life and to substantiate their spirituality. The community then starts the construction of an elevated wooden structure called the Buklog, where the system derives its name. At the center of the platform, a single pole called ‘petaw’ is installed to hit a hollowed-out log called ‘dulugan.’ While dancing on the flexible platform, the structure resonates with a sound believed to please the spirits and signify the culmination of the festivity. The ‘dulugan’ is the Buklog’s musical icon and serves as aural embodiment of Subanen’s cosmology. The final ritual of the Buklog, called ‘giti-an,’ is done on the platform, where the rules for the celebration are expressed and the spirits start to commune with the people. This is followed by a community dance called ‘gbat’, a moment marked by joy and excitement resulting from the renewal of spiritual and social relationships within the community. All community members, regardless of age, gender, social status, education, and level of mental and physical capability, are encouraged to join the rituals and festivity, which last for several days. Through the Buklog, the Subanen indigenous secret knowledge is respected, preserved and transmitted. The ritual system remains the most compelling cultural marker of the Subanen’s individual and collective identity and the strongest unifying force of the community.
Social and cultural significance Through the Buklog, the Subanen indigenous secret knowledge is respected, preserved and transmitted. The ritual system remains the most compelling cultural marker of the Subanen’s individual and collective identity and the strongest unifying force of the community. The Buklog ritual system and its practice enforce and support all human rights instruments ratified by the Philippines, including economic, social, cultural, and political rights. Participation of women is integral in recognition of their important roles. The participation of younger generations, while encouraged, is purely consensual. Also, the element does not counteract any ordinances concerning environmental conservation, and the use of forest products is sustainable.
Transmission method The current mode of transmission is through family and community leaders, who have maintained several measures to safeguard the significance and sacredness of the element. The family plays a key role in inculcating Buklog’s values to the younger generations. Parents and elders demonstrate strong devotion to the practice as fulfilment of their social and spiritual obligations. They encourage and involve the youth and children in community gatherings and in the performance of rituals. A new mode of transmission is through the support of local government units, civil society organizations, and national agencies, with which the Subanen have formed partnerships. In cooperation with them, there are programs in education and legislation to promote transmission of the element to younger generations. While these partners are non-Subanen, the Buklog strengthens ties between parties and individuals rather than fragments them, and invites people from various cultures, communities, sectors, and age groups to experience the joy of an age-long practice, upholding mutual respect among communities. But there are a number of social, political, and economic threats that compromise the viability of the element. Of the social threats, most notable is the continued influx of lowland and other cultures into the Subanen’s traditional homeland, bringing with them different educational, political, economic and belief systems and shift in social values, among others. Their influences, which have intensified, have caused the variations in the frequency and extent of the practice from one community to another. In large part, the Christian religion prohibits or deters the indigenous Subanen from performing their traditional rituals. In some municipalities, the practice of Buklog has been discouraged by Christian churches. Traditionally, the family is the basic social and political unit in the indigenous Subanen society and is considered to perform key roles in the transmission of the knowledge and skills of the element to younger generations. At present, family dynamics have changed with some young Subanen, especially those belonging to the working age groups, deciding to migrate to urban centers to look for diversified job opportunities. More and more young Subanen have adopted lowland cultures, with many abandoning and even being ashamed of their indigenous culture. The lowland political system has also adversely affected the practice of the Buklog. In the past, the roles of the timuay and the balyan were recognized as vital for the transmission of the values and meanings of the element in communities. These leadership roles have now slowly been disregarded as new sets of elected political leaders, mostly non-Subanens, take on important positions and set up political dynasties, weakening indigenous institutions and relegating the culture-focused traditional governance to the background. Moreover, weak implementation or non-delivery of necessary services and support from institutions, agencies in terms of welfare, health, legal protection, and sustainable agriculture, among others, affect the Subanen population, reducing their ability to hold the Buklog. The practice of Buklog has also diminished because of poverty and economic constraints. The practice requires enormous resources, shouldered both by the host family and the community. Due to the downtrend of harvest and farm productivity because of climate extremities and natural disasters, and shifts in socio-economic structures and contexts, the Subanen have become economically marginalized, disabling them from practicing the Buklog. The poverty incidence is very high in the region, with Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay among the 20 poorest provinces of the Philippines. Among the populations in this region, the Subanen is the most disadvantaged. Additionally, some Subanen communities have lost their ancestral lands, as well as precious heirlooms (including musical instruments and antique jars). In some cases, armed conflict has led to the displacement of the Subanen. Another threat has been the encroachment of illegal logging concessions on forests and farmlands, from which ritual materials, such as native trees and plants, are sourced. These threats are still felt today.
Community The bearers of the element are the Subanen, indigenous people in southern Philippines, traditionally inhabiting areas near rivers. They are spread throughout the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, and in some municipalities of Misamis Occidental province. The Subanen comprise 15 to 60 percent of the population of concerned municipalities. They are traditionally shifting cultivators, living in dispersed settlements adjacent to fields. They remain stewards of their ancestral domains. While ethnically identified as one, the Subanen vary linguistically; geographically, according to the upland and riverine areas they inhabit; and by religion. Social groupings exist according to occupations, their roles in society, and degree of assimilation with the migrant lowland culture. Despite variations, the name Buklog remains unchanged throughout the peninsula. It is the most important practice of the Subanen, emphasizing harmony in all aspects and shared by people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Type of UNESCO List List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Incribed year in UNESCO List 2019

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