Every year, members of the Tagoloanon Tribe and all seven tribes of Bukidnon gather to perform the Panalawahig ritual at Sabangan, Malaybalay City.
The annual pilgrimage, also known as “Panendan,” takes place at the headwaters of the Tagoloan River, specifically at “Sabangan ha Tagoloan.” This location holds great significance for the tribes as it is believed to be the foundation of civilization, providing governance, culture, and law, or the “Batasan.”
At the gathering, Datu Atty. Burt Estrada explained that the governance model followed by the natives serves as a guiding principle for living as a community based on love and concern for others. The Bukidnon Tagoloanon People have been visiting this sacred site at least once a year to perform a ritual of gratitude to the deity of water, in an uninterrupted manner.
The area surrounding the Sabangan River was packed with people from families, tribal leaders, artists, healers, ritualists, chanters, and members who had brought their tents to camp at the site for a night. They were waiting to participate in the ritual that was scheduled to take place before sunrise the next day.
The tribal leaders gathered to discuss longstanding social issues affecting the indigenous community, such as land rights, cultural erosion, identity loss, and environmental degradation.
This year’s gathering was significant to the Bukidnon Tagolwanen tribe. In addition to the Panalawahig ritual, they performed the “Bigola Daw Pandawata” ceremony to reaffirm their relationship with the Kalasungay Ancestral Domain Gaop Malandog community.
Apart from the customary ritual, the gathering was also a joyous occasion to dine together, bless one another, engage in conversation, relax by the river, pay homage to their forefathers who fought for freedom, and establish a strong foundation for their community to pass down to future generations.
