English - Balay Mindanaw

Part 2 - Four Datus: Stories of the Higaunon Lifethe Dumagats came, we in the gaun found allies whom weknow we could depend on.” The Dumagats also taught themthe importance of cleanliness. “The Dumagats really did help,because from them we learned the importance of cleaning thesurroundings and our homes.”However, when the Dumagats settled in this place, theystarted to acquire more lands and gradually transformedthe erstwhile subsistence economy of the Higaunons to casheconomy. According to Amba Palasambag, their only sourceof cash income in the past was through the production ofabaca hemp. They stripped this manually, then sold to thetraders in town. When the logging companies started theiroperations, many of the Higaunons earned cash by workingas concession guards. Amay Mantangkilan also commentedthat the desire to earn money drove most Higaunons to let goof their most precious possession -- their land.When asked how the Dumagats were able to acquirevast tracts of land formerly owned by Higaunons, AmayMantangkilan said:“They were shown lots of money, and so the drive to earnbig money was instilled in their minds. Over time, the desireto have more money drove the landed Higaunons to sell orbarter their lands to the Dumagats. Now, most of them havenothing, relying instead on salaries from daily work.”Amba Palasambag said that Father Cullen had witnessedthis when he was still in the Kalabugao area, so he advisedthe Higaunons not to sell all their lands because if they dothey might end up living at the top of the mountain. “Indeed,it happened. So most of them are now living in the highestparts of the mountains,” he said. The situation even went tothe extent that certain lands in Kalabugao and Hagpa weregiven up in exchange of a bottle of some cheap wine orliquor.59