The Buklog is a major conglomeration of several other rituals such as PENGAMU, a thanksgiving rite for fulfilled wishes; SAMAYA, for the recovery of ill health; and PELENTU, a sacred ceremony for the spirits of the dead.
The Buklog is also a culmination of other rituals performed within the year. Among these equally solemn traditions are the PELIS, a ritual commencing agricultural tasks in the field; BAKTI, a beautiful ceremony of bringing home young rice grain and made into Lebek (popularly known as Pinipig), as an anticipation for a bountiful harvest; PESINGKU, the thanksgiving rite for good harvest and where baptism rituals (Kenubata) are occasionally concurred; GAMPANG, a major thanksgiving ritual for good health, harmonious living, peace and order, is also done to prevent the coming of evil as symbolized by encircling a line around a specific area.
The Buklog proper is the grand ceremony preceded by extensive consultations among the tribal (Datu/Timuay/Bai) and religious (Balyan) leaders from different Subanen communities. A tribal convention participated in by concerned Subanen members is also necessary for the final decision on dates and venue of the festival.
The construction of a BUKLOGAN is based on the metaphysics of the number eight (8), regarded by Subanens as the most significant number to convey stability, security and strength. The different parts of the entire structural set up are also systematically arranged in octaves.
The ideal Buklogan has eight main posts made of hard round timber and has an eight-feet equidistance in between posts, covering a total ground area of 256 square feet. With the height of 16 feet, the flooring lattice support is made up of 32 pliable round sticks with eight pieces laid equidistant in between posts. This year's grand Buklog Festival in Mandih was made possible through the support of the Provincial Government under Governor Rolando E. Yebes.
Every Subanen (and even non-Subanen for that matter) can only wish for a sustainability of this significant religious-cultural tradition in the future.
Provincial Accountant Bai Marivic Carpitanos, who is also the president of the Subanen Federated Clan expressed the significance of the Buklog Festival as a big boost to all Subanon communities. For Bai Marivic, it is an upliftment of the rich Subanen culture and tradition being threatened by culturally biased modernization and an equally lack of educational mechanism towards a positive socio-cultural awareness.
