Sta. Isabel Cathedral, in the heart of Isabela City's poblacion, is the center of Basilan's thriving Catholic community.
The biggest cultural influences on the island derive from Basilan's tri-ethnic community: the native Yakan, Tausug and Chavacano peoples. The Yakans and Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while the Chavacanos are primarily Christian. Among the Tausugs and Samals, the phrase "mag-tausug na kaw" means "become a Muslim", instead of the more literal translation, "become a Tausug", as the Tausug tribe is regarded as the "original Muslims" of the area. Although the majority of the Yakans have converted to Islam, a significant number still conform to traditional local beliefs, traditions and rituals, while others have converted to Christianity. Along with a majority of the Chavacano, the Cebuano and the Ilonggo/Hiligaynon Bisaya are Christian.
Yakan interior/east: Yakans gathered at Materling, Al Barka (Tipo-Tipo), Basilan, visited by Kapamilya broadcaster Bernadette Sembrano.
Culturally, the Yakan and the Tausug are distinct groups; the Yakan represent the "Lumad" or indigenous peoples of Basilan, while the Tausugs, the Samal and the Bajao are regarded as the "Muslims", and the Chavacanos, Cebuanos and Ilonggos are the "Christians". The rest, a mixture of Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Waray, Bicolanos, Maranaos, Iranuns and Maguindanaos, are more recent migrants permanently residing in the region, itinerant merchants or government workers.
This mix of ethnicities, forged together first by the Spanish practice of establishing resettlements or reducciones, as well as the multinational plantations' importation of skilled Christian farm workers and laborers from the Visayas and Luzon, gives Basilan a distinct culture in the Philippines. It is the only majority-Muslim province that is governed by Lumads, and whose most commonly spoken language is Chavacano.
Christian north/northwest: J. S. Alano Street, one of the main thoroughfares of Isabela City, connecting Sta. Isabel Cathedral with the Isabela City Plaza/Plaza Rizal and the Provincial Capitol.
The Tausugs and Samals, for the most part having been denied ownership of land, and owing also to their primary livelihood of fishing, live along the coastlines, constructing their houses on stilts at the water's edge near population centers. Their houses are, for the most part, outside of the municipal water and sewerage systems of the urban centers. The Yakans, on the other hand, having been driven far inland, are scattered throughout the island's interior, in similar raised houses usually made of light materials, but separated from each other. The Christians are mostly found in the plains, the cities and in the plantations, squeezed between the Tausug-dominated coasts and the Yakan-dominated hinterlands. They make up the bulk of the island's professionals, entrepreneurs, and lowland farmers. The Christians own most of the arable land, as well as nearly all of the businesses and occupy most of the professions.
Tausug/Samal festivals are usually connected to the sea, celebrating the bounty of the seas, even staging dazzling fluvial wedding parades on colorfully bedecked vintas and paraws, a nod to the Tausugs' former naval prowess. Christian fiestas are almost always related to good harvests on the farms, as well as saintly miracles against natural calamities and victories against Moro attacks. Yakan festivals, meanwhile, are rooted in older, pre-Islamic rituals such as warrior dances, colorful wedding pageants, and harvest rituals.
Tausug south/southeast: Main road at Port Holland, Maluso, Basilan, flanked by Tausug traders and market stall owners.
Culturally, therefore, Christians and Muslims have a close relationship, both professionally as well as in trade and commerce, being regarded as the island's "lowlanders" by the Yakan, who are themselves regarded as "de arriba" by the Christians or "tagihamas" by the Tausugs, which roughly translates as "uplanders". Conversely, the Yakan are suspicious of the intents and motives of the tribe's lowland neighbors, having been at the receiving end of slave raids, invasions and punitive attacks from both groups for over 500 years.
With the island's strategic location right at the crossroads of the warring camps of Tausugs and the Spanish, Basilan was divided into three primary spheres of cultural dominance by one of the three groups. Basilan's northern and northwestern coasts, facing the heavily Hispanized Zamboanga City across the narrow Basilan Strait, is culturally Christian, or more precisely Filipino Catholic. Basilan's southern and southwestern coastal areas have a distinctly Tausug-oriented culture. The eastern and interior portions of Basilan, on the other hand, isolated for the most part from the Spanish in Zamboanga, and the Tausug from Jolo, are enclaves of the indigenous Yakan.
The Festival
A yearly festival celebrated n the town of Lamitan in Basilan Province and showcases the traditional Yakan customs and traditions, music, dances, and crafts that has long been preserved.
Celebration of the event rekindles the native Yakans culture and diversity, the gentle people of province of Basilan, south of the Philippines. Townspeople are dressed in colorful costumes take part in horse races, parades, and other activities.
The perplexed Yakan hand-woven fabric symbolizes these people of unique culture of the Basileños that goes along with the challenges of global modernity.
The festival brings to completion with tradtional display of skills in Yakan music, games, and Yakan hand-weaving competition. Authentic Yakan rituals are publicly displayed the next day – the peggunting or baptism, pegtimbang or weighing, magtammat or graduation, and the pegkawin, the Yakan wedding as the main attraction. It has been a tradition that these competition and activities be distinguished as the highlight of the festival, sharing to the world the rich culture of the Yakans.
It may be obvious to notice during the festival that elder competitors of the traditional musical instrument competition are dominant in numbers, although young maidens participate in the weaving competition of yakan.
Origin
Started in 1983, Lami-lamihan Festival has since held annually. The incumbent official of the city inherit the tradition from the former mayor and the and the present mayor’s uncle and continues to enrich the festival by showcasing and preserving the Yakan traditions.
Facilities, amenities and attractions for tourists, livelihood assistance for the locals, new commercial centers, transport terminal, road repairs and construction, and a RORO seaport are among the infrastractures the city offers for the visitors’ comfort during the event.
The Scoop
A Yakan word the means merrymaking, Lamitan is also derived from Lami-lamihan. Among th seven municipalities of the island-province, Lamitan is along Isabela, Maluso, Sumisip, Lantwan, Tipo-tipo, and Tuburan.
In Succession
Lami-lamihan Festival today may seem predominantly populated by Christians, probably since the apporval of the great Datu Kalun of the Yakan Tribe in the 1800s. Chrisians and Yakans proverbially laying out red carpet and warm hospitality for spectators who will come and visit the annual Lami-lamihan Festival in the renowned Lamitan town of Basilan.
Regatta de Lamitan kicks off at the municipal port in the morning followed by a fluvial parade, motocross and mountain bike racing, tennis tournament, fun run and agro-ethnic fairs.
Aside from the mentioned activities, the festival features cultural performances that showcases the tribal arts and dances of Yakans. Also beauty pageant is held in the evening.
Other activities include street dancing contest, presentations of culture and religion, Miss Gay Lami-lamihan, traditional games, boxing and other sports, and on the final day, the feast of town’s patron, St. Peter.
Tags: basilan festival, basilenos, Lami-lamihan festival, lami-lamihan festivals, lamihan festival,magtammat, pegkawin, pegtimbang, pengguting, takan customs, yakan, yakan culture, yakan dances, yakan hand weaving, yakan music, yakan traditions, yakan wedding
What are their beliefs?
The Yakan are primarily Muslim. The imam is the religious leader of the community and conducts various ceremonies. The Yakan follow the Islamic calendar and celebrate the annual Muslim feasts, such as the birthday of Mohammed. Ceremonies are also held in connection with births, completion of Koranic studies, weddings, and burials.
The Yakan have incorporate many of their traditional animistic beliefs (belief that non-living objects have spirits) into their Islamic rituals. They believe in evil spirits that sometimes attack people. One such devil is believed to attack and torture people during the second month of the Muslim year.
What are their needs?
The Yakan have strong religious traditions. Currently, there are very few Christian resources available in their language. Additional laborers and evangelistic tools are needed. Prayer is the key to seeing them reached with the Gospel.
Prayer Points
* Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to live and work among the Yakan.
* Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to the missions agencies that are currently focusing on the Yakan.
* Pray that God will reveal Himself to the Yakan through dreams and visions.
* Pray that God will give the Yakan believers boldness to share Christ with their own people.
* Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the spiritual soil through worship and intercession.
* Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Yakan church for the glory of His name!
FILIPINO MUSLIMS' DEATH RITUALS
According to an article titled "Islam in the Philippines," which was published in Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People: A Timeline of Philippine History, the religion was introduced to the Filipinos by early missionaries who traveled to the country for the purpose of teaching and guiding people "to the right path" through Islamic beliefs known as makhdumin. Among those missionaries was Rajah Baguinda, a prince from Sumatra who arrived in the Philippines in 1390. He was accompanied by a group of men who also practiced the faith. Rajah Baguinda eventually settled down in Buwansa (which later became the first capital of Sulu), where he established a Muslim community with his sonin-law, Sharieful Hashim. Together they delivered sermons on the Islamic principle of tawhid (monotheism) to erase polytheism, animism and idolatry. Today, Muslim Filipinos or Moros make up five percent of the Philippine population. Many reside in Bangsamoro, a region in the southern part of the Philippines that include the provinces of Basilan, Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Palawan, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cotabato, Dapitan, Dipolog, General Santos, Ih'gan, Marawi, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga. The Moros are broken down into ten ethnic subgroups that are differentiated by the language they speak. They are the Maguindanaoans from North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao provinces (these groups make up the majority of Filipino Muslims); the Maranao from Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte; and the Tausug from the island of Sulu. The others are the Banguingui, Samal and Bajau from SuIu; the Yakan of Basilan and Zamboanga del Sur; the Ilanon and Sangirs of Davao; the Melabugnans of southern Palawan; the Jama Mapuns of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi island. Fuipino Muslims view themselves as having separate identities because of the difference in their languages and political structures, but yet "share the essentials of Islam," specifically through burial rites. Following the death of an individual, the body is washed in order to "physically cleanse the corpse." A cloth is placed on the remains while in the bathing process. This step is followed by water being poured over the body while the cloth is still on it. The method, style and accessories used to wash the remains vary from time to time and place to place. Once the body has been bathed, it's then wrapped in a onepiece shroud (usually white) called a kafan. The main purpose of the cloth is to wrap the body in a respectful manner so that the genitals aren't showing. The style in wrapping the body as well as the material used to cover the corpse also differ from time to time and place to place, but white is mostly the color that's preferred because it signifies simplicity. During the funeral, the community gets together for the Janazah prayer, a series of prayers for the forgiveness of the dead, which are held not in a mosque, but in a courtyard or public square. The process is similar to the way the five daily prayers are done, but with no bowing (Ruku) and prostrating (Sujud). Traditionally funeral prayers are conducted by the imam (prayer leader) who stands in front of the dead facing away from the worshippers; prayers are said in silence.
