English - Balay Mindanaw

Part 2 - Four Datus: Stories of the Higaunon LifeTHE HIGAUNONSNaabot Cumatang, otherwise known as AmayMantangkilan, was born in Sitio Mintapod, Hagpa,Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. He grew up in anothervillage, Kiudto, in the same municipality. He had likewisespent part of his childhood in a place called Imbungalos,which is part of Sitio Malunsagay, Barangay Minalwang, inClaveria, Misamis Oriental. When interviewed, he believedhe must be 60 years old because his mother told him that hewas born towards the end of World War II.The first thing he received from his father was a bolo.He treasured this so much that he used to bring it with himeverywhere. Since the young Mantangkilan was fond ofclimbing trees, he was also given a kamuyot. This he filledwith fruits of wild trees in the forest like adiis, tikala, panoon,lumbong and kudong. His favorite fruit was kadiis, until hisfather introduced him the balangas, a kind of rambutan butone that grows in the wild. “He showed me this tree so full offruits. You can’t reach the fruits, though, because the tree wasquite tall, unlike the rambutans we have now that are muchshorter. My father saw I was so eager to try it, so he climbedup the tree.” Another fruit he came across later, which hereally liked, is the kalapi, which he described as “very sweet.”As a child, Amay Mantangkilan loved to spend time in theforest, a fondness noticed by his mother. He was constantlyreminded that it was dangerous going there alone at his age, yetthis did not deter him from going there after school, sometimeseven until dark. He recalled that he liked wearing the talibud(g-string) despite his mother’s insistence for him to wear pants.Besides the bolo and the kamuyot, Amay Mantangkilanalso received a spear from his father. He had always wanteda spear like his father’s, so he was so glad when he got one,45