The Bicolano - People of Ibalong - Bikolandia

the Bicolanos live in the southeastern peninsula of Luzon and many Bicolanos also live in the province of Quezon. The Bicolanos are descended from the Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came from South China during the Iron Age. Some Bicolanos also have Chinese, Arab, and Spanish admixtures. Their language is referred to as Bikol or Bicolano. The Bicolano language is very fragmented, and its dialects are mutually incomprehensible to speakers of other Bicolano dialects


Ibalong was a territory comparablye to a minor kingdom composed of minor colonies scattered all over, they were friendly people and noble. The people of Ibalong had their own concept of power and well as wealth (same concept as in majority of pre-colonial kingdoms) unlike the European who measured power with gold and land the people of Ibalong and its rulers already had both gold and land in abundance, So their rulers did not ascribe wealth and power to territory, monuments, and centralized government, but rather, they were measured in terms of networks of connections, alliances, monopoly of trade, and control of people.
 The concept of “power” in relation to spirituality pertains to the intimate connections between the people. The people of Ibalong had a strong faith in their gods and ancestral spirits. The myths and religion flow as one. When the Spanish colonization occurred Ibalong's gods and goddesses were replaced by the saints and angels.these venerated saints or spirits and how this framework of power relations is translated in the domestic and social levels. It encapsulates the people’s attitude and beliefs toward sacrifices and penance, devotions to saints, submission to the tasks as healers - forging a constructive approach toward selflessness and service.“Reciprocity” or a give-and-take relation is manifested in the humble acceptance of the healers as mediums personally hand-picked by spirits to heal people in exchange for any form of ‘help’ from the spirit in case any deplorable situations befall on the healer. Their old gods now replaced but their strong faith and spirituality and belief in the divine remained.This is also seen in their deep devotion to the Virgin Mary and saints through novena prayers, sacrifices, and other forms of “panata” (devotion). Devotees are motivated by the belief that if the devotion is intently and consistently practiced, personal petitions is expected to be granted.



The ancient Bikolanos professed a belief in a supreme being called Gugurang, literally means very old. They regarded the Gugurang as the most powerful of all beings in the spiritual realm or the kamurawayan.  The people believed in a supreme God that takes care of the physical/material and the spiritual realms. They worshipped the Supreme Being through the intercession of the intermediaries or the lesser divinities, and sometimes their departed family members. Since pre-colonial societies are hierarchic and stratified according to social class, their belief about the potencies of the spiritual beings was hierarchic as well. As the people considered the Gugurang to be the most powerful of all, lesser deities were placed below the rank of the supreme one.

It was a common practice to give reverence to the ancient spirits or anitos. They believed that these
anitos were in constant communication with their God and served as their mediators and intercessors. Theymanifested their veneration to these ancient spirits by creating sculptures – statuettes in wood, clay or stone of their anitos enthroned for rituals and other forms of prayer
They had a priest called asog, a transvestite who is responsible for ritual offerings to the Gugurang and Bulan. Another leader for rituals in the community was the balian or balyana – a priestess who was responsible in curing the sick. Different kinds of rituals were performed by balyana for various purposes. These are: atang –for thanksgiving to the Gugurang; hidhid – performed when there is a calamities like locusts, epidemics and
typhoons and believing the Aswang to have caused these miseries and hardships; yokod – to free the child from the possession of the aswang; posoa – to cure certain infirmity; haplos – done by a hokluban, a very powerful witch that can create misery and illness and even death to an enemy without using any paraphernalia
The concept of asymmetrical “power” in relation to class/rank/type which can be culled from the sacred and secular practices among the Bikolanos reveals a contrasting perspective among the Bikolanos about their individual roles in society. The natives exhibited their resistance to the system and asserted their beliefs in personal and social affairs. However, when dealing with spirituality and religiosity, this asymmetrical power relation is viewed in a positive light even allowing it to be assimilated in their cultural practices. Their devotion to the lesser deities like the saints and anitos reflect a stratified social system inherent in their culture. The notion of “reciprocity” is manifested in the practice of healing and healers’ acceptance to the role given by the spirits provide a clear picture of a dynamic exchange of roles and functions of individuals within a society. Sympathy or “pity” signifies a potent element in understanding their deep sense of spirituality as they devote their lives in healing and serving those who are needy especially the poor.
In engaging with the spiritual beings, whether they are sanctioned by the Church or indigenous/folkbased, people view their roles and functions in a highly personal manner. Spiritual beings are real, not fictitious. They are treated like a close member in the family: a spouse, sibling, parent, or cousin. Healers are created because spirits interact and dwell in people’s body for the spirits took pity on people’s sufferings. The spirit/s initiates the offer to help. This favour shall be reciprocated if the person is willing to allow thisspirit to use his/her body to heal others who are inflicted by illnesses. Similar condition is believed to be the platform for devotion to the saints. Food offerings, festive events, and other forms of spectacle are expected to please the patron saints - ensuring another blessed and fruitful life. These popular spiritual practices remain potent in the lives and culture of the Bikolanos, whether they are residing in Bicol or elsewhere. By establishing and acknowledging the existence of this faith which resideswithin the person, it strengthens the belief that such spirit guide is responsible for the protection and blessings bestow upon an individual, regardless whether it is based on an institutional dogma or indigenousin origin and forms. This acknowledgment through celebration, fiesta, devotion and ritual re-affirms the intimate communal/family relations among the Bikolanos. These are celebrated in various forms – in a quiet
and meditative mode in an intent prayer or having a conversation with the Supreme Being; or as a festive affair which commemorates a bounty harvest/productive industry or planting/start of a promising investment, birthing/fulfilling creative endeavours; and dying or going back to the realms of the spiritual world. In addition, it can also be a form of struggle in the guise of religious spectacle, to be themselves – to experience being human, to feel the sensations of the physical and spiritual realms through the music and movement of the body in the procession, or as the healers perform the rituals. Perhaps, it can also convey a venue for a convenient conversation with God. And lastly, it can be their way of negotiating with the Supreme Being.