Cateel Trip 2025

 Hello everyone and Madayaw!

Last Monday, my mom, cousin and aunt and I went to Cateel and Boston for a trip. We had two objectives: research long ago dead relatives and get me a CoC.

Our search will go on but if you are a relative and you know about Capt. Rufo Cabrera and Don Faustino Gonzales' father, please contact me. We need their full names, year of birth and approximate place of birth. Were they born here, Spain, Zamboanga, somewhere else?

Our other objectives were to get a Certificate (CoC) as a member of the Mandaya Tribe. They ran out of forms so they gave me the only remaining form. The IPMR of Boston-Carmen (that is the town beside Cateel where Capt Rufo served as Cabeza) was mom's 3rd cousin. He signed my CoC. I submitted my requirement and they will file it in the NCIP office in Mati. He even showed me the differences between the Boston-Carmen style of dressing and the Baganga-Caraga style of dressing. The Caraga one is more popular and is seen on the internet. I'll talk about the Boston-Carmen style more in the future. It needs more research and I need to immerse if I make a coloring book or book about it.

So, that is my trip in a nutshell!

Parish of Cateel

Gumalang IP Day

 On August 23, 2023, the people of Barangay Gumalang came together to commemorate the seventh annual Indigenous People's Day (IP Day). Gumalang, a barangay in the Baguio District of Davao, is a living symbol of the rich cultural diversity that makes up the Indigenous population of the area. When compared to its adjacent barangays, Gumalang stands out due to its long tradition of acceptance and tolerance. At the turn of the century, Datu Moncay Maylan Lindasan and his people—including Obo Manobo, Bagobo Klata, and Ata—called this area home. Datu Moncay Lindasan's openness to different cultures allowed the Tagabawa, Tagakaolo, Tausug, and even the Ilocanos to settle there throughout time. These many communities have created a blend of contemporary Gumalang, creating links that represent the very definition of diversity in unity.

Traditional dances and other cultural performances stunned guests as the celebrations began. The people of Gumalang see this day as more than simply a reason to party; it is also a confirmation of their membership in the "tribu," a term that describes the community's common heritage and ideals.