Higaonon Sacred Rites Dumalondong Meant to Unify Tribes Not to Divide
SIBAGAT, Agusan del Sur- Some forty Higaonon tribal chieftains and elders who attended the August 7 to 14 Higaonon sacred tribal rites held at the tribe’s holy mountain Mount Sinakungan today said HIgaonon rites Dumalondong was meant to unite the tribes not to divide neither to curse anybody who opposed in holding it.
Headed by one of the oldest chieftains in the Higaonon tribe Datu Mantinuyhon Lumaga believed to be more than 100 years old, the tribal chieftains told reporters there were more or less 700 Higaonon tribesmen and women with their elders who were recognized chieftains attended the recently concluded Dumalondong held at Barangay
Sinakungan, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
The more than 700 Higaonon tribesmen and women, elders and chieftains came from four provinces in northeastern Mindanao
“This explained why until to this very day after centuries had past the Higaonon which opted to stay away from maddening crowd lived in faraway mountains of the four provinces”, says Datu Mansaginod newly elected secretary of the newly created federated Higaonon Tribal Council called PINILI, Visayan word for “chosen” or chosen people.
But PINILI is an acronym of Higaonon dialect of Pagsabwa, Paglinaw, Ito Mga Ininay, Inamay Limbobongan Ha Linandang Ha Banwa which means to unite for peaceful homes and communities of Higaonon Tribes.
Higaonon tribesmen and women, their elders and chieftains have chosen Datu Lagawlaw 
Lidanhhug of Barangay Sinakungan, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur as PINILI chairman. The chairman’s brother is Gala “Datu Salagahan” Lidanhug now barangay chairman of Sinakungan who opposed the holding of Dumalondong.
Datu Kailingan, Datu Alimpoos and Datu Magindihay said the tribal chieftains called for a press conference to clarify issues raised by the group of Datu Mankumbate who is former Esperanza, Agusan del Sur Mayor Deo Manpatilan that the holding of said Dumalondong is without consultations among Higaonon Tribal Council and therefore warned a curse and division among Higaonon tribal people is imminent or will happened now and in the near future.
Earlier, seven Higaonon tribal elders and chieftains from Esperanza, Agusan del Sur issued a four pages position paper claiming the conduct of the recently concluded Dumalondong had no consultation and even blaming Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios and Fr. Lito Clase for initiating such activity even if they are not authorized to do it since they are not Higaonons.
Mayor Leonida Manpatilan, wife of Deo Manpatilan or Datu Mankombate, the supreme tribal chieftain, said the Dumalondong initiated by Pueblos is an insult since there was no prior coordination with the municipal hall.
Gala “Datu Salagahan” Lidanhug, village chief of Sinakungan and brother of the two other siblings siding with Pueblos, said the tribal rites is only meant to strip Datu Mankombate of his leadership because the clergy want any of their siblings to succeed Mankombante.
But tribal chieftains who attended the Dumalundong told reporters here outside help especially those coming from Butuan Bishop Juan De Dios Pueblos, D.D. and Fr. Lito Clase, Indigenous Peoples Apostolate of the Diocese of Butuan is most welcomed and do not meant interference of purely Higaonon tribal affairs.
The more than 700 Higaonons who attended the Dumalondong had passed a resolution stripping Datu Mankumbate (former Mayor Deo Manpatilan) the title of Supreme Tribal 
Chieftain saying there is no such title as
“Supremo or Supreme” in the Higaonon traditions and cultures.
The Higaonon tribal chieftains present said that “cursing anyone or group of people” is not Mambaya ‘s (Tribal term of God or creator of all things) purpose for calling a Dumalondong or even those who opposed calling it, but rather a gathering of peace and love that comes from the hearts and minds of everyone.
False statement: “Higaonon tribesmen and women, their elders and chieftains have chosen Datu Lagawlaw Higaonon tribal chieftains”.
Only the members of PINILI organization choose Datu Lagawlaw as leader, not the majority of the Higaonon tribe. Even the the father of Datu Lagawlaw respect and trust Datu Mankombate to lead the tribe.
Only when the father of Datu Lagawlaw die, the daughter of Datu Lagawlaw pushes him to claim as a leader of the tribe. Not for the sake of the tribe but for the sake of their own political interest to control the municipality of Esperanza.
The people who attended the Dumalongdong was more comes from outside of the tribe in different places that was transported by the fund of different NGO’s.
It spend more than 1 million pesos just for the said activity without any information to the municipal government to held an activity in the place.
No one in the government opposes the said activity and they were not informed , the organizers of the said activity had no letter to any offices of the government as a sort of information for the big activity.
That is why government officials and Tribal council of the municipality questioned the not opposed them.
There organizations involve, the PINILI and Mary Mediatrix of All Grace Foundation had selfish interest that aiming to lead them to reach their political ambitions.
It’s a real mistake that they say, the 2008 DUMALONGDONG meant to unite the tribe that in fact the said activity made more misunderstanding and separated the higaonon tribe. The said dumalongdong don’t tackle about how to attain peace but on how to remove the mampatilan in their position.
Four more than 5 years of my monitoring on the organizers of the said activity, their aim of the said activity is to unify the fellow tribesmen to fight against the Mampatilan and take its place in leading the tribe. But people know the real leader that can be seen through Mampatilan’s leadership. This organizers want to lead the tribe but most of the people don’t want them because of ther attitude and capacity to lead.
The said activity was also done to gather and collect money from various supportive NGO’s that doesn’t know the truth and whats happening inside, especially NGO’s that are issue based. That’s only an activity to raised money for their own pocket.
“Leadership is determined not only on the blood hierarchy but on the number of people who trust your leadership skill and follow you to the real goodness of all”.
I just pray that no one will be deprived of thier own rights. Many of the Higaonon people in Ezperanza are my ” Igsoon ” in faith. I’ve experienced living with them for couple of years in the mountain, and I heard thier voices. I know thier minds and thier hearts. I pray that God will be with them always.
best luck to my higaonon family
Hi Good day..this is very nice and i really appreciate this.Just want to correct my grandfather name is wrong..he should be DATU MAnbinayhon and hes fmily name is LUMAYA not lumaga..thanks
I just hope that no violence has happened yet as a result of this despicable action by the Indigenous Peoples Apostolate in the Diocese of Butuan. I know, for a fact, that there’s jealousy and power struggle among the Higa-onons even before PANAMIN ruled them in the early 70s. This power struggle was not addressed successfully that time. Now, here’s another outsider, who uses the name of the Catholic church, to rub salt to a deeply wounded indigenous souls.
Helping the indigenous peoples organize themselves is a good gesture; however, before we do that, we really need to do an extensive research first. Study the problem: its origin, its history, its gravity, etc. Then, before introducing the planned action, we have to ascertain ourselves that once it is introduced the consequence is positive. DON’T INTRODUCE SOMETHING FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. DON’T INTRODUCE SOMETHING FOR SELF-INTEREST. SOMETIMES WE ARE BLINDED WITH OUR DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISHED OUR TASK. OFTEN TIMES, WE BECOME THE DEVIL ON A SHEEP’S CLOTHING.