English - Balay Mindanaw

Part 2 - Four Datus: Stories of the Higaunon Lifeor lido. The formal conferment of a datu happens during adumalongdong. The dang-ol or tantamount to ordination isimportant, said Amba Palasambag, because “you could noteasily settle a murder before your ordination because you willget sick.”Amba Palasambag is regarded as the Masikampo not onlyby his fellow Higaunons, but also by the Dumagats (peoplefrom the lowland). Masikampo is the title of “pinakalabaw ngadatu” or highest datu. Paredes (1997: 132), who also made astudy on the Higaunons, reported that as early as 1890, someHigaunon elders were also called Masikampo. Paredes thinksthat the term masikampo is maybe a “corruption of Maestresde Campo,” a title conferred by colonial officials in the 1700supon local natives who had distinguished themselves by someservice for Spain or its government, such as fighting against theMoros for the Spanish flag. According to Amba Palasambag,to be called a masikampo is a great honor but he disliked beingaddressed as masikampo. Inda Palasambag explained herhusband’s opinion: “In the past, those who were conferredwith the title of masikampo became arrogant, and this preciselyis what your Amba disliked.” In another interview with DatuManuel Pinaandel in Minalwang, he preferred to call a datulike Amba Palasambag as “Insaan,” or one whom the peoplecan look up to for help and protection, rather than a masikampo.In his opinion, a masikampo is somebody as “murag naa ra sakampo (Someone being confined in a camp)” and “menus langsiya (low-ranking).”The Higaunons still maintain this title of masikampo. Aswith datuship, this title seems to be passed from generationto generation, but with varying interpretations. When in thecolonial past, this title applied to a person who displayedbravery and courage in fighting aggressors; the masikampotitle now applies to any datu who exhibits not just bravery,but other desirable qualities as well. Inda Palasambag offeredto give the details on the good qualities of her husband:27