Buklog Festival is an Important Part of Our Heritage

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BUKLOG FESTIVAL

Photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH0VLwSRnxA

The Buklog is one of the religious rituals and ceremonies held in Zamboanga del Sur by the Subanens, a group that derives its name from suba (river) because of a preference to settle near rivers and mountain streams.

For centuries, the Subanen have held staunchly to this ancient ritual to honor the spirits, particularly the malengma (spirit of the waters), mamanwa (spirit of the forest), and manising palingkitan (spirits of the mountain), on which they rely for an abundant harvest and protection from misfortune. This is held regularly to reaffirmed the community’s profound gratitude for the continuous blessings.

The Buklog, which also stands for ceremonial platform, is a thanksgiving festival of the Subanen. The buklog is erected using eight sturdy tanguile and white lauan trunks as foundation. It stands eight to 10 feet high using wooden trunks 10 to 18 feet long. With the foundation in place, the workers place wood trunks side by side to form a platform. They worked one or two chanting prayers as they haul one trunk after another. The chanting is performed to ward off evil spirits. The platform has to be strong enough to bear the weight of the festival’s participants but at the same time pliable to move up and down without breaking. In the middle of the platform, a pole is inserted and set right above a hollow log three meters long, which is laid horizontally on the ground beneath the structure. The intention is for the pole to strike the log and produce a resonating sound. Read More: http://vismintrivia.blogspot.com/2006/10/buklog-festival.html

Photo from: http://centralsubanen.com/en/buklog-festival

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) National Commission of the Philippines nominated the Subanen ritual buklog for listing in the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Safeguarding.

The list, established in 2008, is different from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, also by Unesco, in which the country has three inscriptions—the Darangen epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao, Hudhud chants, and the punnuk-tugging ritual of the Ifugao.

Unesco notes that the safeguarding list is comprised of intangible heritage elements needing urgent interventions for them not to become extinct.

Inscriptions on this particular list, it said “help to mobilize international cooperation and assistance for stakeholders to undertake appropriate safeguarding measures. Read more: https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/291146/subanens-buklog-ritual-nominated-unesco-endangered-world-heritage-list/#ixzz5rherErFl

Photo from: http://centralsubanen.com/en/buklog-festival

The most colorful and expensive of the Subanen celebrations is the buklog, a rite observed after a happy event, such as good harvest. Up to the 1950’s, many buklogs were held, sponsored by rich families or those with the largest landholdings. However, as the traditional Subanen chieftains began to become impoverished, having sold or lost their lands to the migrants, or have them divided by many heirs, buklogs are held occasionally. Nowadays, even in such Subanen bastions as Lapuyan, buklogs are held only during very special events, like the visits of VIP’s or politicians, and the activities are now limited to the ceremonial or merry – making aspects, minus the sumptuous feast and drinking. Read More: http://subanenworld.blogspot.com/2008/02/buklog.html

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