ABOUT
Ginaw Bilog, Hanunoo Mangyan from Mansalay, Mindoro, grew up in such a cultural environment. Already steeped in the wisdom that the ambahan is a key to the understanding of the Mangyan soul, Ginaw took it upon himself to continually keep scores of ambahan poetry recorded, not only on bamboo tubes but on old, dog-eared notebooks passed on to him by friends.
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Born in 1953, poet Ginaw Bilog contributed to the preservation of the Ambahan or the traditional poetry of the Hanunuo Mangyans in Oriental Mindoro.
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Most treasured of his collection are those inherited from his father and grandfather, sources of inspiration and guidance for his creative endeavors. To this day, Ginaw shares old and new ambahans with his fellow Mangyans and promotes this poetic form on every occasion.
GINAW BILOG
His a poet from the tribe Hanunuo Mangyan Which reside at Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro. In the year of 1993, he was awarded with the National Living Treasure Award by former president Fidel V. Ramos due to preserving the ambahan poetry that was recorded through engraving in the bamboo.
The oral tradition, which is characterized by poetic verses that are either sung or chanted, is a cultural aspect shared by cultural communities all over the world. The ambahan, a poetic literary form composed of seven-syllable lines used to convey messages through metaphors and images, distinguishes the rich Mangyan literary tradition from others. The ambahan is sung, and its messages range from courtship to giving advice to young people, requesting a place to stay, saying goodbye to a dear friend, and so on. Such oral traditions are frequent among indigenous cultural groups, but the ambahan has survived because it is engraved on bamboo tubes using an ancient Southeast Asian pre-colonial script known as surat Mangyan.
Ginaw Bilog, Hanunoo Mangyan of Mansalay, Mindoro, grew up in a culturally rich environment. Ginaw, already entrenched in the wisdom that the ambahan is a gateway to comprehending the Mangyan soul, took it upon himself to keep hundreds of ambahan poetry documented, not only on bamboo tubes but on ancient, dog-eared notebooks passed down to him by friends.
His most prized possessions are those inherited from his father and grandfather, who served as sources of inspiration and advice for his creative undertakings. Ginaw continues to share old and new ambahans with his fellow Mangyans and supports this lyrical style at every opportunity.
The ambahan poetry and other traditional art forms from our indigenous peoples will survive on thanks to the efforts of individuals like Ginaw.
The Filipinos are appreciative to the Hanunoo Mangyan for preserving a distinct heritage from our ancient civilisation, which colonial tyranny had nearly destroyed. Ginaw Bilog is rightfully proud of himself for fiercely promoting the gorgeously poetic art of the surat Mangyan and the ambahan.
DAYAW SEASON 4 EPISODE 1 : THE PAST MASTERS
The first three episodes feature recipients of the Gawad sa Manlilikhang Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award. Viewers get to see the lives and contributions of Maguindanao kudyapi virtuoso Samaon Sulaiman, Pala’wan musician and epic chanter Masino Intaray, Hanunuo Mangyan poet and master of syllabary Ginaw Bilog, T’boli master weaver Lang Dulay, Tagabawa Bagobo Manobo weaver Salinta Monon, Sama mat weaver Haja Amina Appi and Tausug textile weaver Darhata Sawabi, all of whom have already passed on.