Abaknon and their view of the world

In the continuing celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples Month, the #NationalMuseumPH features the Abaknon and their belief system and schemes in interpreting their natural world.

The Abaknon group lives in Capul Island, Northern Samar, located between the Bicol peninsula and Samar islands. Their language, Inabaknon, differs from Bicol or Visayan languages. It is grouped within the Sama languages, spoken by people of the Sulu Archipelago, Sabah in Malaysia, and other parts of Indonesia, under the Austronesian language family.

The location of Capul makes it susceptible to typhoons, giving way for the local community to adapt and develop their own system of predictions, many of which are connected to the sea (kalawot). They believe that a lumod (dolphin) seen pushing its body into the water indicates an incoming typhoon. A half pamalangaw (rainbow) or a muddy sea water likewise indicate a bad weather.

Along with the wind system, directions of the sea current, and position of the stars (bituon), the moon (bulan) plays an important role in dictating fishing activity. To the Abaknon paradaying (fisherfolk), there are 4 phases of the moon – kawara orgimata (new moon), kaudto si kawara (first quarter moon), kadayaw (full moon), and kaudto si kadayaw (last quarter moon). Luyô refers to the days in between these phases, and there are 7 luyô from one phase to another. The moon cycle directly affects the tides and the current of the sea (landus).

Two kinds of landus alternate in a day – humugot and tumaob – distinguished by the direction of the flow. A fishing method dependent on the moon as it uses bait by allowing it to be pulled by the landus is pagla’gulo. It starts 4 days before the kadayaw when the humugot is stronger, and lasts until the 3rd night after kadayaw since the current gets weaker afterwards.

They also believe that lunar eclipse (bakunawa) occurs because the moon is swallowed by a snake, that is why old folks would command the snake to let go of the moon. During an eclipse, pregnant women are neither allowed to enter nor leave the house, and are advised to stay wherever they are until the eclipse is over; otherwise, this will lead to a miscarriage.

Predictions using the natural environment remain a vital part of community life despite having modern devices, and should not be disregarded as it carries traditional knowledge passed on through several generations. Follow the #NationalMuseumPH and learn more from our #MuseumFromHome series.

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Text and poster by the NMP Ethnology Division

© National Museum of the Philippines (2021)