Bisayanization; Communal Ownership of Land and the Origin of Agrarian Problems

Scholars have identified the so-called "Bisayanization" of Mindanao, which is the same in Northern Luzon with the "Ilocanization" because of the migration and settlement of Ilocanos in any corner of Amianan.

Due to the slave raiding practices of the Sulu Sultanate, people from the different parts of the archipelago were captured and became slaves. With due respect to our Bisayan brothers, the term Bisaya denoted chattel slaves along with the words banyaga, ipun and ammas.

Bisayanization is continuing process as noted by Maria Mangahas on the Samal people of the island south of Davao which means loss of identity and integration into mainstream society. Yengoyan (1966) coined the term to describe the taking up of Bisayan identity by the Mandayas of Eastern Mindanao through baptism.

Regarding land ownership, prehispanic Filipinos did not know the concept of private property until the introduction of torrens title system by the Spaniards. Anyone has the right to till the land and get whatever from it, called usufruct, but the forest and other lands were considered communal. The basis of wealth during those days was not the land, it was the ownership of slaves, porcelain and jewelry. It was useless to own large tracts of land if one could not employ farm hands to cultivate them.

It is because of the introduction of private ownership of land that led to the dispossession of lands from the indigenous peoples ofMindanao. The influx of migrants from the north to Mindanao, already accustomed to the idea of private property as regards land, created complications as the communal ownership of land was not yet understood. Today, how many people in Mindanao owned lands previously "owned" or shall we say considered as communal property by the lumads and the Moros? The same question could be posed regarding the Cordilleras, Mindoro and Palawan.

Mam E

(pakanonotan kinen Prop. Nieves Benito Epistola)

Inatey kayon agtakayo amaestraan,
Diad UP inaron escuelaan;
Mam E so inngaran day escuelayo,
Polyan yo ak ’katoy itawag kod sikayo

Mam E nen akasawa kilay Epistola,
Panón nen marikit kayo, Mam B, awa?
Akin ta aga Mam N
masanting met ya ngaran?

Sakey ya ngarem agko nalinguanan so pan-imes yod siak,
Ed Recto Hall nen asumpal so tepetko, pansalitak;
Pati say matayo angankoy makabirbir ya kabaleyan
Matan unan timanguad banwa ed Caboloan

Anggano inaral yoy arom ya dila,
Inaro yo met so salita nen Urduja;
Say binetla nen melag ya ugaw kini,
Atan met so, on atan!, salitan bekásen yod si Apolaki.


Say Ágila

Diad toktok na kiew ed palandey
singan arin akalagey
onbántag ed leksab ya makaoley

makdem so mata to’d atatagey ya pasén
ikampayto saray pakpak ya matakken
ontikiab mansingkat na kanen.

Quo Vadis, Baley ko?

Natan inerso laen mo, baley ko?
Kasumpal na duaran bagio;
Nantilak ya dilap tan gawat,
ed dakel ya lúyag

Saray anak mo’d biektaew
naisalét ed duaran bánsan mibabakál;
Ed Bikol say Mayon ngalngalin onterak,
No natuloy et dakel so manirap

Ontagey langula say bili na tariwa,
Gasolina tan plete ontombok metla;
Balet anápan na dumaralos, maestra
Onsingger la’d pambilay na alila

Politikon tilaan sikara labat so naksel,
Say táwag na baley agda naderengel;
Saray totoon makaantad pamaábig mo, Baley ko,
Bulág, emél, télek ed panmaongan mo!

Baley kon Filipinas, kapigan so kawayangan mo?
Pián ondayew ed Pilipino say mundo,
Pián patit na revolución o junta militar nayarawi ka
O ed masamit ya invitación na diktadura!

Iná

(dedikadod si Florida S. Fernandez
ya inianak nen unan agew na Agosto)

Pimmaway ed bao
anagasang, maplés, agangano
sakey, duara, taluran segundo
naiyanak

irapton inawit diad eges
siam ya bulán
manlapud bini
nanmalew ya ugaw

agni asumpal say panangaro
bimmaleg, nambalolaki
nanaral, nanasawa
wadtan nin mantagibi

manpasalamat ka anak
sakey labat so inam
manpasalamat ka met ed amam
antam la no akin.

Say pinalsa ed dalem na dayat

Onsipáksipák so daluyong ed pangpang na dayat
walay ugaw batik batik, mannaay-ayam
diad beneg na ermen ya malorem ya kabuasan
onoogip say pinalsa ed kaaralem na taew
mapalnan ontitikiab saray manok ed tapew
senga alinguanan ya panaon
ta abayag ya akadokol
mankugkugip ya buagen
mansasamit ed ambilonget ya papasén
bangta onbalikuat, abangon, mantayegteg so dalin!

Say Inarok

(parad si M.P.)

Andukey so andikit ya buik ton anggan abalá
say mataton masanting ya makabaláni
bibil ton gabay ton paanguban
lupa ton maganan agko nalinguanan
eléng ton maotok ya balibalin nengnengen
laman ton argolyotoy botelya na cola
say baog to'd bikking walay sansakey ya piglat
tan say beneg ya ataratar na balyanget
mansalita, manelek, onemes – makaiter ya kasil
maaro, maanus sikaton inar-arok
balet natan manaakis so asugat ya posok.

Abalang ya piráwat na panangaro

(parad si M.P.)

Nonot mo bii
Panonton abalang so piráwat tan dua
Ta agkamet makadandán ed razón tan alilingko
No agmo met tuan penerdona saray kasalananko
No agmomet gabay ya impawil ed siak.

Nonoten ko met
Panonton abalang so piráwat tan dua
Ta agtaka aboloyan ed nilooban mon moyong
Balet kimmerewak ed sika lay perdona
Ta gabay ko ni so impawil ed sika

Nonoten tan dua sirin
No walani so gunaét na panangaro tan dua
No kapigan tan manpawilan agko balet anta.

Sarayan anlong et entri ed Unan Paliagan na Anlong ed Pangasinan ya inisponsor na Komision na Dilan Filipino nen 2006. Saraya et kaiba na "Urduja" ya analon Honorable Mention. Unan naipalapag ed Makata: An online journal of Philippine & International contemporary poetry ed Disyembre 2007 ya paway to.