QUARTER II: CONVENTIONAL TRADITIONAL OR LOCAL

FOLK MUSIC & ARTS (PRE-WAR) COMMON TO

THE PHILIPPINES & SOUTHEAST ASIA

Lesson 1: Iloilo’s Panay Bukidnon’s and Indonesia’s Javanese People

The Panay Bukidnon Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of Calinog, Iloilo were previously called "Sulod"
by their neighbors because of the sandwich-like location of their territory, which literally means room.
The term Panay Bukidnon was given by Dr. Alicia P. Magos, a former UP Visayas professor who has
spent over 25 years documenting the Sugidanon epic (Olapene et.al., 2021).
Panay Bukidnon Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRKrhTx4M_Q
The video is produced by Dr. Alicia Magos, who began researching about the Panay
Bukidnon’s in 1988. Dr. Alicia P. Magos is an anthropologist and a professor emerita of University of
the Philippines Visayas. She had extensive and published works on the Panay Bukidnon’s. She was a
UNESCO International Literary Research Awardee and 1999 Metrobank Ten Outstanding Teacher. Dr.
Magos theorized that the Panay Bukidnon’s were once coastal people, and because of colonization,
had to retreat to the mountains following two major rivers, Halawod and Pan-ay rivers. All Panay
Bukidnon’s in the four provinces of Panay, namely Antique, Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan have alternative
group names, depending on where they get their sustenance.
A Panay Bukidnon house is usually a one-room affair, elevated from the ground, and made
up of bamboo and nipa (or cogon). Kaingin farming, weaving, and root crop trade is a common
activity. They strongly respect nature and are attached to the babaylanes (that offer cure) and the
maaram (that provides advice). After a day’s work, Panay Bukidnons listen to sugidanon (epic-
chanting).
Federico “Tuohan” Caballero was awarded the GAMABA (National Living Treasure) by the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2000 for epic literature (Caballero’s mastery of the 10
epics or suguidanon).
Javanese people of Indonesia
The men in this photo are wearing a sarong. A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of
fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia, and on
many Pacific islands. The fabric has woven plaid/checkered patterns or may be brightly colored
through batik or ikat dyeing.

Unlocking Content Vocabulary

Indonesia
the largest country in Southeast Asia, it is located off the
coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the Indian and Pacific
oceans.

Panay Bukidnon
The Panay Bukidnon’s, also known as Sulodnon,
Halawodnon, or Panayanon Sulud, are the tumandok or
native or Indigenous dwellers of the more interior portions
of Panay Island. Aside from the Panay Bukidnons of Iloilo,
other communities of Panay Bukidnons may also be found
in Capiz, Aklan, and Antique.
 Sugidanon
The term sugidanon may mean “epic-chanting” or
“storytelling” depending on usage. The sugidanon are long
narratives reflecting the existing customary laws, beliefs,
practices, and values of the Panay Bukidnon ancestors
(Caballero-Padernal, 2019)

Sugidanon and Sulukan

The Panay Bukidnon sugidanon is reputed as the longest published epic in the Philippines
because it has ten parts in 13 volumes. There are also famous long epics such as the Darangen of
Mindanao, and the Ullalim of Kalinga. Done by a manugsugidanon (epic chanter), the sugidanon
demonstrates the collective expressions of the Panay Bukidnon community. Told in Kinaray-a and
Ligbok, two of the many languages in Panay, sugidanon may be approached by singing it calmly (using
pangalimog or humming). Another approach of sugidanon may be done loudly (phrasing is done
longer; pangalimog is done livelier). A third approach in doing sugidanon is through its traditional form
(pangalimog is performed with repeated lines).
In the Panay Bukidnon epics, the seas and rivers were the pathways of the people. The
sakayan (boat) was their means of transportation. The gibwangan (mouth of the river) was their home
or place of abode. There were seven gibwangan: 1) Gibungan ka Pinggan Suba ka Pinyungan, the
abode of Dampig Piliw; 2) Gibungan ka Silangan Suba nga Pangalkagan, the abode of Sinagnayan; 3)
Gibungan ka Burokya Isubang Gila-Gila, the abode of Paglambuhan; 4) Gibungan ka Bunlay Subang
Banaybanay, owned by Patugasnon, father of Balanakon; 5) Gibungan ka Pan-ay Subang Alay-Alay,
territory of Burulakaw, father of Humadapnon; 6) Gibungan ka Banggaan Subang Balunbunan, abode
of Sarandihon; and 7) Gibungan ka Handug (Halawod) Subang Taub-Taob, abode of Pabu-aya, the
father of Labaw Donggon(Caballero-Padernal,2019).
 The Bamboo Instruments of the Panay Bukidnon:

A. Tikumbo is a percussion and chordophone made of kawayan (a bamboo plant

variety characterized by having node needles) This is played by tapping one or two fingers
on the bamboo lid. This is alternated by strumming the string, which was etched out from
the body of the bamboo. Pang- midya (dampening the sound) is done by closing the hole on
one side of the bamboo to vary low and high pitches.
B. Suganggang is a buzzer struck on the palm of a hand. This is made of bulo (a bamboo
plant variety relatively smaller than kawayan; this one does not have node needles). The
hole on one end is where pang-midya is done using the thumb so as to vary low/high
relative pitches.
C. Litgit is a two-stringed bowed instrument made of bulo. Abaca hemp finely braided is
used as strings. It is mainly a melodic instrument although rhythmic patterns from
words/phrases are also employed.
D. Tulali is a bamboo flute made of bagakay (one of the smallest bamboo varieties). Air is
blown through a bamboo opening encircled by a banana leaf. It is tuned according to a
pentatonic scale played on four holes, one found below and three on top of the bamboo
tube. The gap between two holes is measured by the maker’s two fingers.
E. Subing is a Jaw’s harp. According to Panay Bukidnons, the bamboo used for this
instrument is well-selected. It should be located at the topmost part of the plant and should
have the liveliest sway when the wind passes so as to prove that it is very pliant and
therefore can produce the ideal sound of the subing. So before it is cut-off from the plant, it
should be observed for some time. A subing is an aerophone, chordophone, and idiophone
at the same time because to play it entails “inhaling and exhaling air” (aerophone). By
repeatedly moving the bamboo’s pointed edge, the instrument’s tongue or bamboo string is
vibrated (chordophone) and a percussive effect (idiophone) is produced from the rhythm.

A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesia typically featuring a variety of

instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs; bamboo flutes,
bowed and plucked strings, and vocalists may also be included.

A gamelan as a set of instruments is a distinct entity, built and tuned to stay together
—instruments from different gamelan are not interchangeable.

In Indonesia, gamelan usually accompanies dance, wayang puppet performances, or

rituals and ceremonies. Typically, the gamelan players will be familiar with dance
moves and poetry, while the dancers are able to play in the ensemble. In the West,
gamelan orchestras often perform in a concert setting

Gamelan music is built up in layers. At its center is a basic melody (core melody)
known as the balungan. Further layers, including the singing in vocal pieces, elaborate
 upon this melody in certain ways, but the notes of each layer of music relate to the
balungan, and generally coincide at the ends of phrases (called seleh in Javanese).

There is also a set of instruments which delineate a colotomic structure, usually ending
in the stroke of the largest gong.

There is a wide variety of gamelan ensembles, distinguished by their collection of

instruments and use of voice, tunings, repertoire, style, and cultural context. In
general, no two gamelan ensembles are the same, and those that arose in prestigious
courts are often considered to have their own style.

Certain styles may also be shared by nearby ensembles, leading to a regional style.
Gamelan are found in the Indonesian islands of Java, Madura, Bali, and Lombok, in a
wide variety of ensemble sizes and formations. Traditions of gamelan-like ensembles (a
well-known example of which is Kulintang, sometimes called "gong-chime ensembles"
by ethnomusicologists) also exist in the Philippines and Suriname, due to emigration,
trade, or diplomacy.

Although gamelan ensembles sometimes include solo and choral voices, plucked and/or
bowed string and wind instruments, they are most notable for their large number of metal
percussion instruments.

A. Metallophones

Saron: The saron typically consists of seven bronze bars placed on top of a resonating frame
(rancak). It is usually about 20 cm (8 in) high, and is played on the floor by a seated
performer. The sarons are struck with a mallet (tabuh) in the right hand. Typically, the
striking mallet is angled to the right to produce a fuller sound.

Demung and saron barung generally use a wooden mallet, while the peking mallet is made
of a water buffalo horn, which gives it a shriller sound. The left hand, meanwhile, is used to
dampen the previous note by grasping the key, in order to prevent a muddy sound. On
repeated notes, the note is usually dampened half a beat before it is struck again.

B. Cradled Gongs

Bonang: The bonang is a collection of small gongs (sometimes called "kettles" or "pots")
placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame (rancak), either one or two rows wide.
All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened
head, while the higher ones have an arched one. Each is tuned to a specific pitch in the
appropriate scale; thus there are different bonang for pelog and slendro. They are typically
hit with padded sticks (tabuh). Two of the three types of bonangs in central Javanese
gamelan include the bonang panerus which plays the fastest rhythms of the bonang, and
the bonang barung, one of the most important instruments in the ensemble, as it gives
many of the cues to other players in the gamelan.

C. Hanging Gongs
A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the
gong suwukan and gong ageng hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and
these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets. There are
usually several kempul in each pélog and sléndro; however, there are frequently some notes
missing and thus they have to share a kempul (usually at a related interval, like a fifth). The
appropriate kempul depends on the balungan, the pathet (mode), and other
considerations.The gong ageng (Kromo Javanese meaning large gong, ngoko is gong gedhe)
is the largest gong in a Javanese and Balinese gamelan. It is used as to mark the largest
phrases in the structure. In small structures, the gong ageng is used to mark larger groups
than the smaller gong suwukan. In the larger gendhing, only the gong ageng is used. It is
typically pitched to match the 6 of the gamelan.

D. Gambang
“Gambang” are xylophone-like instruments similar to saron but with wooden bars instead of
metal ones. The bars of the instrument are made of a dense wood, generally teak or
ironwood (kayu besi), and are mounted in a deep wooden case that serves as a resonator.
Instruments typically have 17-21 keys that are easily removed and are kept in place by
having a hole through which a nail is placed. Generally, a full gamelan has two sets, one
gambang pelog and the other one gambang slendro.
The gambang is used in a number of gamelan ensembles. It is most notable in the Balinese
gamelan Gambang. In Javanese wayang, it is used by itself to accompany the dalang in
certain chants. Within a full gamelan, it stands out somewhat because of the high speed of
playing, and contrasting timbre because of its materials and more because it has widest
melodic range which the other instruments don't have.

E. Drums (Kendhang)
Kendang (Javanese: Kendhang) is the primary drum used in the Gamelan ensembles of Java
and Bali as well as various Kulintang ensembles in other Southeast Asian countries such as
Malaysia, Brunei and the southern Philippines. They usually are placed on stands
horizontally and hit with the hands one either side while seated on the floor
In Gamelan Surakarta, four sizes of kendhang are used: Kendhang ageng, kendhang gede
(krama/ngoko, similar to gong ageng in usage), or kendhang gendhing, the largest
kendhang, which usually has the deepest tone; Kendhang ciblon, a medium- sized drum,
used for the most complex or lively rhythms. It is typically used for livelier sections within a
piece; Kendhang batangan or kendhang wayang, a medium- sized, and was traditionally
used to accompany wayang performances, and Kendhang ketipung, the smallest kendhang,
used with the kendhang ageng in kendhang kalih style. The kendang usually has the function
of keeping the tempo and changing irama and signalling some of the transitions (paralihan)
to sections and the end of the piece (suwuk). In dance or wayang, the kendhang player must
follow the movements of the dancer and communicate them to the other players in the
ensemble.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay Festival- Considered as a twin festival, the Hirinugyaw

festivity started in 1989 and the Suguidanonay aspect was added in 2006. The name of the
festival came from hirinugyaw which means jubilation and suguidanonay which means
storytelling. The first part of the dance competition features the suguidanonay led by the
municipality of Calinog, Iloilo’s Panay Bukidnons which then culminates with the hirinugyaw
part of the choreography that features Calinog people’s devotion and thanksgiving to Señor
Sto. Niño, the holy child Jesus.

2. Ikat- A method of for coloring fabric in patterns by resist dyeing. The pattern is made
to the threads before being constructed to a fabric.

3. Panubok- From the word "tubok,” panubok is the traditional embroidery of the Panay
Bukidnon with patterns and designs reflecting the shapes and objects from the
environment, where the Panay Bukidnon draw their inspiration from.

4. Sugidanon- The term sugidanon may mean “epic-chanting” or “storytelling” depending

on usage. The sugidanon are long narratives reflecting the existing customary laws, beliefs,
practices, and values of the Panay Bukidnon ancestors (Caballero-Padernal, 2019).

5. Sulukan- Mood setting songs performed by a puppeteer (dalang) in Javanese wayang

performances in Indonesia.

6. Wayang Kulit- It means “shadows from hide.” As a form of traditional theater, wayang
kulit (Indonesia) refers not only to the shadow play but has also become synonymous with
the hide puppets used to create the shadows.Wayang Kulit, on the other hand, is an
Indonesian form of shadow puppetry that holds the audience’s attention with riveting
storylines executed masterfully by the dhalang (also dalang), or puppeteer. The puppets
are made of buffalo hide and intricately designed, down to the most minute detail of
costume and color, to help the audience distinguish between the different characters. The
dhalang tells the stories of kings, princesses, ogres, and knights, using deft hand movement
and narration. While traditional performances used cotton sheets and oil lamps to create
the play of light, electric bulbs or other sources of light are used today.

PANAY BUKIDNONS EMBROIDERY

1. Linantay is the basic panubok (embroidery) pattern. The manugtubok (embroiderer) can
come up with different embroidery designs using the linantay (chain stitch).
2. Linabog is a panubok design (bulak, meaning “flower”) patterned after the flower of the
labog plant that grows abundantly in the forest.

3. Labog is very significant in the life of the Panay Bukidnon. The flowering season of labog
signals the start of planting season for their kaingin and it also reminds then that it is
already January.

4.Togi-togi is a panubok applique patched in the edges of the clothes. Its difference from
girigiti is it is not as pointed, and it is copied from the dalipe or boulders in the mountains.

5. Girigiti, a zigzag-shaped applique and embroidery, commonly used as edging on their

blouses. Binalagon is a panubok design patterned after a vine (balagon) that is used to tie
bamboos to create a raft. Inagsam is patterned after a trap-like thorny fern called agsam
that is like a trap or a nesting place for snakes. Combined together, these designs are often
found in the edges of female or male garments of Panay Bukidnon.

6. Tuko-tuko is patterned after the “tuko” or “tukod” made of “kawayan” or bamboo poles.
This “tuko” also is used in making a “karosa” which the Panay Bukidnon farmers use in
transferring their harvest from one kaingin to another. They would usually align these
bamboo poles and tie them together using a balagon or a vine in order to make a karosa
which is usually pulled by a carabao.

7. Matang punay is a panubok design patterned after the eyes of the lovely/loving bird anda
pet of Humadapnon, the punay. Humadapnon is a character in the suguidanon or epics of
Central Panay. According to F. Landa Jocano in Sulod Society, Punay (literally, dove) is also
a powerful female deity of the mountains who is involved in the rituals for the dead: "as
part of the hamwat (part of the after-death rites which takes place after the patibara, the
ritual questioning of the dead during which the corpse is asked what or who caused its
death). A platform is built in one of the corners of the house for Punay

On the other hand, ikat fabric is a dyeing technique used to create a distinct style of textile
patterns. Ikat is done by resist dyeing sections of the yarns prior to weaving the fabric. Ikat
is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can be the nouns: cord,
thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as the verbs "to tie" or "to bind". It has a
direct etymological relation to Javanese language of the same word (The Craft Atlas, 2023).

Ikat is produced in many traditional textile centers around the world, from India to Central
Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called "kasuri"), Africa and Latin America. Double
ikats—in which both the warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed before being woven into a
single textile—are relatively rare because of the intensive skilled labour required to produce
them. They are produced in Okinawa islands of Japan, the village of Tenganan in Indonesia,
and the villages of Puttapaka and Bhoodan Pochampally in Telangana in India. In fact, many
other parts of India have their indigenous Ikat weaving techniques (The Craft Atlas, 2023).
8. The warp version is the easiest to create. Yarns like silk, cotton, wool, or other cloths get
wound on a tying frame, where they are separated into bundles. Great care is taken to
minimize the workload since the binding process can be quite intense. The thread bundles
are folded, and a basic ikat motif is bound. This is then repeated, until the threads get
unfolded for weaving right after the dyeing is finished. These bundles get folded over either
a vertical or horizontal axis. Sometimes, these bundles are drenched in wax.

9. The weft ikat approach utilizes resist dyeing for weft yarns. The way the weft yarns move
in the weaving process is why intentionally established patterns are harder to achieve. To
ensure the clarity of these ikat patterns, the weft yarn needs to be adjusted after each time
the shuttle passes through the weave. It is possible for skilled craftsmen to create precise
weft ikat, however. For example, Japanese weavers succeed in producing accurate white
and indigo weft ikats that only have small design elements in the fabric.