Governorate of Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay Overview
Map of the Subanen Governorate in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay
Governorate of Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay Overview
Map of the Subanen Governorate in Zamboanga del Sur.
Governorate of Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay Overview
Map of the Subanen Governorate in Zamboanga Sibugay .
History of Zamboanga del Sur & Sibugay (Be'noa or Benwa S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan)
Subanen people are among the biggest Lumad or indigenous people of Mindanao that settled the Island since 4,200 B.C., or during the Neolithic period. Subanen are mixed blooded of Negrito, early Austronesians and Indo-Austronesian that could be considered as the first settlers of Mindanao Island who used advance technology and knowledge in living during such period compared to the earlier ancestors (Negrito and early Austronesian).
Subanen are peaceful people but characterized by two flexible natures; if their number is in the majority position then they will dominate and control the areas but if they are outnumbered then they would either move or migrate to the other places to avoid any conflict or tend to blend and even acclimatized with the majority settlers. Subanen people are willing to share their land or territory and allow migrants to settled in because of the belief that "Land is owned by all not by just only one" which should be shared to all. Having visitors or having new migrants to settled the territory does not constitute as "invasion" in Subanen law but forcibly coercing the belief and culture are equivalent to war.
The continuous migration of different tribes and different migrants from different directions to the Subanen territory had severely destroyed the Subanen culture as people’s nature to either migrate to other places to avoid the new incoming migrants or assimilate that even tried to hide their identity to merge and blend with the majority that following generations would not be familiar anymore with the culture and could no longer speak the Subanen language.
Zamboanga Del Sur and Sibugay were united as one governorate under the ruler Datu G'motan (Gomotan) Since 4,000 B.C. He grown several Datu and T'muays to rule several areas including Pagadian, Olutanga, and Sibugay. His brother Datu N'wang (Nawang) a trading minded Datu ruled Zamboanga, his youngest brother Basilan went to Datu N'wang in Zamboanga then later when grown up then he eventually ruled as Datu of basilan Island. His elder brother Datu Tangkilan ruled most part of Zamboanga del Norte while the Eldest Brother Mis'samis ruled Malindang to Lanao, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro until Gingoog.
Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay remains to be among the most solid and intact for Subanen people's Cultural practice compared to any other part of Zamboanga Peninsula. In spite of the continuous migration of the people from Borneo heading north between during 300 to 200 BCE, and the migrating Cebuano or known as Bisaya from Visayas provinces during the 1940's, Some Subanen people in Zamboanga del Sur were pushed to the inner part but remain to be the most intact compared to the other places in Zamboanga Peninsula.
Subanen Government in Zamboanga del Sur
Subanen territory is under the Philippines government and systems co-exist with Subanen People's Monarchy with the republic since the Subanen did not and well not insist for independence but mutual respects of co-existence. Pursuant to RA 8371, Subanen People's government as lumad are recognized by the Republic of the Philippines.
The center of the Subanen People's government is focus on governing the Subanen People and protection of the natural resources and its territory from destruction due to human activities.
Reigning Datu
While different political setup was established by the Philippine government even inside the Subanen People's Kingdom, the Subanen rulers for the Governorate of Zamboanga del Sur would co-exist to rule the Subanen People of in the territory without any conflict.
The reigning Datu Mangura Roselito Bala is not appointed by the Subanen Council or the Great His Majesty Datu but based on the interest and capability of the Subanen Datu to rule his people and the territory. He is ruling his Timuay's and Datu's under him and the Subanen people in the entire Zamboanga del Sur Governorate. The Reigning Datu is reporting for guidance from the Subanen Council and the "Great Datu" the highest ruler of the Subanen People who established to reorganized and reunited the Subanen People .