English - Balay Mindanaw

Datu Dalas-agan as:Part 2 - Four Datus: Stories of the Higaunon Life“He was a righteous man. He was not an opportunistbecause the spirits guided him, and God trusted him. In ourplace in Misamis, within the municipality of Claveria andGingoog City, Dalas-agan, along with my father’s youngerbrother named Manggibayan, was the chosen baylan by ourelders. They were chosen as trustees. During the rituals, hewould ask his companions to get his ritual paraphernalia. Butnobody would oblige because it was far. So Dalas-agan wouldget the things himself, and he would surprise everybodybecause he would be back in less than a minute.”Amba Palasambag and his companions (estimated 1,000in Cullen’s account while 2,000 in Bietnarzki’s and 300 forDatu Mantangkilan) spent almost one month in MountKimangkil. People from the provinces of Misamis Orientaland Bukidnon and from Umayam and Pulangui went toclimb Mt. Kimangkil, said Amba Palasambag. There theyexperienced severe hunger because there was no food. AmbaPalasambag’s personal account of this movement goes:“When we arrived in Kapayagan, the people were hungrybecause there was no food. There were only trees. We werethere for a month. The children were forced to subsist oncamote peelings. Eventually, the baylan ordered us to gohome. And then we proceeded to Agtulawon.”Cullen (1973:8) noted that Dalas-agan blamed the failure ofthe libung to the killings committed by some of his followers.Amba Palasambag also said that it was because of the sala(sins) of the people. Amay Mantangkilan explained the failureof the libung as due to mga babag or hindrances.“The libung was not realized because there were hindrances.There were uninvited people who had unresolved sins. Theywere the Umayamnon. Only the invited people were supposed35