TAGAKAOLO TRIBE
Presented by: Leizel & Whena
GROUP 4
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the discussion, students are expected to...
1. Students will be able to identify the geographic location and traditional
lifestyle of the Tagakaolo people.
2. Students will describe the Tagakaolo's cultural practices, including their
traditional crafts, dances, and social structures.
3. Students will analyze the challenges faced by the Tagakaolo and the
efforts to preserve their culture and rights.
ABOUT THE TAGAKAOLO PEOPLE :
• One of the Lumad tribes in Mindanao
• The Tagakaolo is also known as Saka, Kagan (Kalagan, Calaganes,
Calagars) or Laoc (Cole, 1913). The name Tagakaolo signifies
"those who dwell at the head of the river".
• Tagakaolo comes from the phrase “olo sa tubig” which means
inhabitants of headwater.
ABOUT THE TAGAKAOLO PEOPLE :
• Tagakaolo can be recognized by
the close-fitting suits of red and
yellow striped cloth.
• The majority of the people have
hair curled in locks and mutilated,
blackened teeth.
GEOGRAPHIC Their traditional territories are in
Davao
LOCATION ProvinceDel Sur and the Sarangani
- particularly in the localities of
Malalag, Lais, Talaguton Rivers, Santa
Maria, Davao Occidental and Malita of
Davao Occidental, and Malungon of the
Sarangani Province.
CULTURES AND TRADITIONS
• The cultural practices of the Tagakaolo are said to be
identical with those of the Kulaman Manobo and the Bagobo of
Lumad (SOCOTECO)
• Traditional clothing of Tagakaolo are bong an tidas (kinds of
women's chemise), the malong and the dagmay clothings
together with their traditional body omaments: the suwat comb
and the balyog necklace.
CULTURES AND TRADITIONS
• Shaving the eyebrows and tatooing of the left forearm is also
a common practice.
- One ironic characteristic of the Tagakaolos is being violent,
for they are often at war with one another, yet they appear to
be quite uniform in type, language, and religious beliefs.
• They are skilled in basket weaving, embroidery, loom weaving,
blanket weaving, headresses, beaded necklaces and others.
- They make their jackets out of abaca
WRESTLING GAME
Sbuno
- a traditional tribal wrestling (sports)
where indigenous peoples wrestle
against each other. It's a way for them
to demonstrate strength, agility, and
sportsmanship.
EDEL DANCE
Tagakaolo people of southern Davao
execute the Edel, a ceremonial dance. It
tells a story about death and vengeance.
- Three women carrying votive torches
enter the dance, mourning the death of a
relative. Following them are guys playing
the udol, a long wooden melodic
instrument.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Tagakaolos musical instruments are
namely edel ('long wood drum and
timber for pounding'), kudlong (stringed
instrument). kubing (bamboo-made wind
instrument), and gong (brass or bronze-
made percussion instrument)
LIVELIHOOD
Source of Income
Tagakaolo lived in mountainous interior
areas in Mindanao particularly in Davao Gulf,
hence their main sources of income are
agriculture, paid labor and weaving.
LIVELIHOOD
Weaving
The Tagakaolo are skilled in basket
weaving, embroidery. loom weaving,
blanket weaving, headdresses, beaded
necklaces and others. They make their
jackets out of abaca and decorate them
with mother-of-pearl discs lined with
glass beads(kaayoph).
LIVELIHOOD
Food
The Tagakaolo Food are combination of
fruits, Livestock, harvested vegetables
that typically found in their
surroundings
Example: Sinigapuna or Kalagan yellow
rice
LIVELIHOOD
Housing
The Tagakaolo houses are typical
Filipino Traditional house, the materials
used in these structures are
predominantly locally sourced materials
tike bamboo, nipa palm, and other
indigenous resources (Taylo, 2024).
LANGUAGE
• Tagakaolo is connected to the Mandaya, Kalagan, and Kamayo
dialects and belongs to the Austronesian and Polynesian
language families.
• The language spoken by the Tagakaolo people is called
Tagakaulo, a Mindanaoan language that is closely related to
Kalagan and Mandaya. However, the influence of Cebuano and
Ilonggo dialects poses a threat to the preservation of their
native tongue.
LANGUAGE
TAGAKAOLO ALPHABET
Tagakaolo vowels: a, e, é, i, o,
Tagakaolo consonants: b, d, g, k, l, m, n, ng, p, s, t, w, y, -.
Examples of word medial glottal stop in Tagakaolo
be-en (rice basket)
pig-utip (asked a question)
ya-i (don't)
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
• Tagakaolo beliefs were animistic. However, many tagakaolo
have converted to Catholicism or Islam.
• They are made to believe that planting genetically modified
seeds and using synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
would bring larger and better harvests at reduced costs
and less manpower.
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
• They believe in a supernatural being who lives in Mt. Apo.
They offer him human sacrifices when they imagine that he is
angered or when they come to the volcano to gather sulphur.
- They believe that this being can be both benign and
malevolent, much like the beliefs attributed to diwatas
throughout the islands.
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Social Structure
There is a strong preference for marriage between related
families, especially marriage to second cousins especially in
high ranking-families to maintain their claims of descent
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
1. Panag-tawag - This is when a man asks a woman's parents
for permission to marry her.
2. Bribe Services (Bugay) - The man's family gives gifts or does
services for the woman's family to show respect and
commitment.
3. Marrying Within the Tribe - Traditionally, people married
within their tribe to keep their culture strong.
COURSHIP PRACTICES
During courtship, the family plays a big role. The man usually
needs to get the woman's family's approval before proposing.
They might also use traditional Filipino ways of courtship, like
singing to the woman.
BURIAL PRACTICES
The Tagakaulo people have special ways of burying their dead.
They do a special dance called the Edel dance to say goodbye
and help the spirit of the dead person go to the next life.
They believe that death is just a journey to a new life, and the
burial rituals, like the Edel dance, are a way to honor the dead
person and make sure their journey is safe.
EDUCATION
• Intergenerational programs aim to pass down traditional
knowledge and skills.
• Tagakaolo children are learning their indigenous culture,
beliefs, practices, and history through Tagakaolo School of
Living Traditions (SLT) in their municipality.
EDUCATION
• Missionaries of Jesus have worked to support the community,
establishing schools that use the Tagakaulo language and
incorporate cultural elements into the curriculum.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
• Education: Insufficient resources and culturally insensitive
teaching methods hinder educational opportunities.
• Land: Mining and logging threaten ancestral lands, causing
displacement and loss of livelihood.
• Conflict: Armed conflict forces displacement and creates an
environment of fear and insecurity.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
• Poverty: Limited resources and opportunities perpetuate
poverty and limit access to basic needs.
• Healthcare: Lack of access to adequate healthcare services
compromises community health and well-being.
• Culture: Modernization threatens the erosion of their
language and traditional practices.
ADVOCACIES AND RIGHTS
1. Ancestral Land Rights: Secure legal recognition and access
to resources within their ancestral domains.
2. Cultural Preservation: Maintain and promote their
traditional practices and language.
3. Self-Determination: Exercise their right to self-governance
and community participation.
ADVOCACIES AND RIGHTS
4. Resource Access: Ensure access to essential resources such
as healthcare and education.
5. Human Rights Protection: Guarantee protection from
discrimination and violence.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHILIPPINE SOCIETY
The Tagakaolo contribute to Philippine society through their
unique practices and traditional knowledge.
1. Enrichment of Cultural Heritage
2. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants
3. Craftsmanship in basket weaving, embroidery, loom weaving,
and blanket weaving, creating traditional accessories, head
dresses, and beaded necklaces.
CONCLUSION:
Tagakaolo/ Kalagan have unique culture that not
many people knows about that is worthy of respect
and appreciation. May we become a part of
community that help them shed more light to grow
while preserving their tradition in this modern world.
REFERENCES:
https://www.scribd.com/document/648619576/TAGAKAOLO-TRIBE
https://theinitiativephblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/22/discover-
subanen-
tagakaolo/https://malitatagakaulomission.weebly.com/about.html
https://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups4/1547.html
https://www.scribd.com/document/607154815/TAGAKAQLO
https://eprajournals.com/JIR/article/7179
THANK YOU!
QUESTION 1:
WHAT DOES THE NAME "TAGAKAOLO"
MEAN?
ANSWER:
THOSE WHO LIVE AT THE HEAD
OF THE RIVER.
QUESTION 2:
ARE THE TAGAKAOLO CONSIDERED A
LUMAD GROUP?
ANSWER:
YES , THE TAGAKAOLO TRIBE IS PART OF THE
LUMAD GROUP BECAUSE THEY ARE AN
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF MINDANAO.
QUESTION 3:
NAME A TRADITIONAL TAGAKAOLO
ACTIVITY OR SKILL.
ANSWER:
WEAVING (BASKET, LOOM, BLANKET),
TRADITIONAL WRESTLING (SBUNO), OR
TRADITIONAL DANCE (EDEL).
-NOTHING FOLLOWS-
