Dr. Lea E. Usman
A capacity-building project visualized to enable the Mindanaoans to document and preserve their history, culture and tradition culminated recently with a Book Launch dubbed as Pagbanug held at the Western Mindanao State University last December 2. 2022. It was a tripartite research endeavor funded by the Commission on Higher Education with the Bangsa-Moro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Western Mindanao State University as partner organizations with the unconditional support of its president, Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena.
Faculty writer participants underwent an intensive training for a year to revisit domestic practices, to collect, analyze, validate and document data according to the painstaking procedure entailed in undertaking a historical research. Around twenty-five participants from Zamboanga City, the provinces of Basilan, Zamboanga Del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have had the opportunity to share their unique experiences. The data gathered from the field were identified and then categorized as tangible culture and traditional practices; education, language and oral tradition; indigenous knowledge in health and sciences, music, the arts, architectural designs and; the socio-political history of the people.
Embedded in the research was the enhancement of the teaching skill of the faculty participants to preserve the history, culture and traditions of the South. Thus, each historical research is written with a template designed to be utilized as instructional materials compiled in a companion module. The module can be integrated into a course study across disciplines according to a guideline set by the Commission on Higher Education.
The following faculty participants from the Western Mindanao State University contributed to the research undertaking namely: Dr. Francis D. Jumala, Glimpses of Sedentism among boat -Dwellers of southeast Asia: Focus on the Sama Dilaut Origin, Language, and Movement toward the Land; Dr. Lea E. Usman, Magison-ison: A Self-reflexive Emancipatory Narratives of War in Sulu and its Implications on Peace Initiatives (History and Politics); Dr. Alimudi G. Lukman, The Pagjamu Boheh: The Sama Tabawan Traditional Ancient Well Ritual and Spiritual Celebration (Tangible culture and traditional practices) ; Dr. Pilar S. Caparas, Lexical Variations of Tausug Language in the Island Province of Basilan (Education, language and oral tradition); Dr. Genelyn G. Madjos, Ethnobotanical knowledge, Systems Rituals and Practices among selected Indigenous People (IP) Zamboanga Peninsula; Dr. Roel P. Borja, Keeping the Lore: A Study of Subanon’s Traditional Healing Adopted by Zamboangueños; Prof. Olga Czarina V. Belisario, The Tale of Nassunat Women; Functions, Dysfunctions and Continuity of Sunnat (Indigenous knowledge in Health and Sciences).
The BARMM HECBOL (Higher Education Capacity Building of Bangsamoro Organic Law) project was completed through its energetic project leader Ms. Aysha F. Kunting and co-researcher Ms. Betsy Pearl R. Parangan both WMSU, College of Liberal Arts’ faculty. The success is further made possible with the vital support of the former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Faculty Regent of the WMSU, Dr. Adrian P. Semorlan, Dr. Ryan D. Biong, Dr. Arayana F. Kunting. Department head of the CLA History Department as consultants. _All the__researches were compiled into a textbook entitled Pagbanug (Sailing through Zambasulta History and Culture) manifesting the vitality of our people’s history and culture.
The project technical staff from the Western Mindanao State University, the BARMM and the other SUCs in region nine has provided the much-needed support for the successful completion of the research endeavor. The team included the following: Worthy Mae S. Azurin Ricardo B. Garcia Jr., Izar U. Laput. Project support staff: Nathanael P. Bausing; Dhova C. Elopre, Shahani S. Sahi, Ahmad-Yazier MAhmad, Binladin I. Muhammad Sali.
