MUSIC OF

CORDILLERA,
MINDORO, PALAWAN,
AND THE VISAYAS
BY: JAYSON TALANAY VILLENA
MUSIC OF
CORDILLERA
MUSIC OF CORDILLERA

In the highlands of Luzon, music is related to different occasions

such as life cycle events and occupational activities and various
rituals. During the agricultural cycle, peace pacts, courtship, marriage
and death rites, musical performances may be witnessed in the
region.
Music of the Cordillera may be
categorized into:
1. Vocal Music
2. Instrumental Music
3. Vocal Ensemble with Instrumental Accompaniment
A. Vocal Music

1. Ibaloi Badiw - One of the vocal genres considered to be

the signature form for specific cultures in Cordillera is the
Ibaloi Badiw. It is a style of singing without prior preparation
or practice in the leader-chorus form. Vocal genres among
indigenous communities may be identified according to their
functions.
A. Vocal Music

2. Owiwi (Kalinga) – lullabies

3. Dagdagay (Kalinga) – infancy –related songs
4. Oppia (Kalinga) – infancy -related songs
5. Langan bata-bata (Tausug) – infancy –related songs
6. Bua (Subannen) – infancy –related songs
7. Kawayanna (Kalinga) – infancy –related songs
A. Vocal Music

8. Hudhud (Ifugao) – chanted epic poetry which is recited and

chanted only during four occasions:
• Harvesting of rice
• Wedding
• Funeral wakes
• Bone-washing rituals (bogwa)
It also comprises of over 200 stories of about 40 episodes each.
Themes are about celebrations of the Ifugao heroes, wealth, and
culture.
Characteristics of Vocal Music
1. Melismatic – vocal passage with one syllable
- sung against several note
passages
2. Free meter – musical meter without a time signature
B. Instrumental Music

The function of instrumental music of the Cordillera is

similar to his/her vocal music. Instruments are played during
ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations.
Music of Cordillera is distinctively made up of two
sound characteristics of instruments based on his/her
respective materials.
B. Instrumental
Music
1. Metal Instruments – gongs
One of the common instrumental music is
the Gangsa ensemble. It consists of five to six
flat gongs played in standing position or bending
position.

a. Gangsa Toppaya – gongs played by striking

with the palm while rested on the lap.
B. Instrumental
Music

b. Gangsa Palook –
gongs are struck or
beaten with wooden
mallets while held by
the left hand. This is
usually played by
men.
 2. Bamboo Instruments – woodwind and
percussion instruments.
A. Bungkaka or Bilbil – played by striking against
B. the palm of one hand.

Instrumental
Music
Bungkaka or
Bilbil
B. Instrumental
Music

b. Tongali – a nose flute

played with the extreme
forward edge of the right
of left nostril.
Tongali
B. Instrumental
Music
c. Tongatong – are bamboo
tubes played by stomping
against the ground.
Tongatong
B. Instrumental
Music
d. Ulibaw – a mouth-resonated
bamboo instrument played with a
flexible tongue fixed at one end to a
surrounding frame.
Ulibaw
B. Instrumental
Music
e. Patteteg – bamboo of different
sizes for varied timbre that is split in
half and is struck by a wooden stick
while rested on the lap.
Patteteg
C. Vocal Ensemble with Instrumental
Accompaniment
Vocal ensemble is performed during courtship usually in a song-debate
form accompanied by different instruments such as: kuglong, which is a 2-
stringed lute, and saluroy (polychordal zither)
Another combination of vocal and instrumental music are love
incantations like the
1. Antang (Manobo) - match-making
2. Sindaay, Tarasul (Tausug) - greetings and advice during
wedding
3. Tamuyong, dango, oggayam - greetings and advice during
Kalinga wedding
4. Salidummay and Dangdang-ay - entertainment
REMEDIAL QUIZ
NSAGGA PLOOKA 1
NSAGGA O P PATAY 2
NGAOTIL 3
LUABIW 4
GOTNANGOT 5
MUSIC OF
MINDORO
MUSIC OF MINDORO

Similar to Cordillera Music, the music of Mindoro is used for

communication with the spirits in rituals and worships, weddings, works,
courtships, festive occasions, and lullabies.
A. Vocal Music

1. Marayaw – ritualistic power song utilized for healing the sick

and for casting magical spells.
2. Pamuybuyen – song used to communicate with spirits in rituals
for healing the sick and protecting the community.
A. Vocal Music

3. Ambahan – composed of seven-syllable line ending in

rhymes.
• Often used in parenting in courtship, and by
visitors to ask food
• Texts are commonly written on bamboo
• Often chanted with accompanying instruments
Ambahan
B. Instrumental Music

The musical instruments of Mindoro are used

during festivals, rituals, courtship, and daily activities
of the Mangyan.

1. Kudyapi – is a lute with long neck, and has two

strings that run form the neck to the base of a
resonating chamber.
Kudyapi
B. Instrumental
Music
2. GITGIT (LUTE) – AN
INSTRUMENT WITH 3 TO 4
STRINGS WITH A WOODEN BODY
AND HUMAN HAIR FOR THE
BOW.
B. Instrumental Music

3. Kalutang – a pair of equal-sized wood struck together

Kalutang
MUSIC OF
PALAWAN
MUSIC OF PALAWAN

Palawan Music is characterized by imitation of sounds from

nature and the environment. It is also highly influenced by the native language
of the province.
Music, performed by the gong ensemble, plays an important role
in the life of the community because it is performed in rituals such as the
tambilaw and the tinapay.
A. Vocal Music

The natives of the Palawan have different kinds of vocal form.

1. Kulial – it is a lyrical poem expressing love. His/her vocal music is
accompanied by kusyapi (two-stringed lute) and played by man and
paging (bamboo zither) played by woman.
2. Tultul – It is a chanted vocal music about epic heroes and usually
chanted at night, ending at daybreak.
B. Instrumental Music

The bagit is an instrumental music played on the kusyapi,

showing rythms, movements and sound of natures like rustling of
leaves, running water, chirping of birds, monkey, snakes, etc. The
musical instruments are made up of bamboo, wood, strings, and metals.
Some instruments came from other places near Palawan.
Basal is a gong ensemble consists of set of one or two big
songs, agung and a pair of small ringed gongs, sanang, and drum
called gimbal.
BASAL
KUSYAPI
PAGANG
Kusyapi and
Pagang
AGUNG
Agung
SANANG
GIMBAL
GABBANG
REMEDIAL QUIZ
G BGAN BA 1
GUNGA 2
K D U P IAY 3
SNANGA 4
O TAN G T O N G 5
MUSIC OF VISAYAS
MUSIC OF VISAYAS

The Visayan music is highly Spanish influenced because

they colonized the Philippines for a long time. They brought his/her
culture and religion from Western practice. Spaniard musicians
introduced new styles of music, which has also Western musical
traditions.
A. Vocal Music

The vocal music of the Visayans has different

functions in his/her lives. The songs include children’s songs,
lullabies, ballad, working songs, and serenade.
The musical style of the Visayan is a song-and-dance-
debate between a man and woman known as balitaw. The
theme of the musical style is about love and marriage and
usually performed by good singers as well as a dancers and
actors.
A. Vocal Music

1. Matud Nila – Visayan love song

2. Rosas Pandan – Visayan courting song
3. Condansoy – Visayan drinking song
4. Ilo Nga Bata – Children’s song
5. Dandansoy – Ilonggo farewell song
6. Ili – Ili Tulog Anay – Ilonggo lullabye
7. Ako Kini Si Angi – Visayan work song
8. Si Pelimon – Visayan work song
B. Instrumental Music

The different ensembles, with their respective sounds reflect not

only the enthusiastic musical involvement of the involvement of the
Visayan people but also their sentiments, way of life, and interactions
with their environment and other people.

The following are well-known ensembles that can be found in the

Visayas:
1. Rondalla – is a string ensemble which originated in Spain. It is a group
of string instruments played with a prick or plectrum. There are many
Filipino musicians who were able to lead the way in rondalla ensemble
and one of them was Juan Silos, Jr., known as the “Father of Rondalla.”
B. Instrumental
Music

1. Rondalla – is a string ensemble

which originated in Spain. It is a group
of string instruments played with a
prick or plectrum. There are many
Filipino musicians who were able to
lead the way in rondalla ensemble and
one of them was Juan Silos, Jr., known
as the “Father of Rondalla.”
B. Instrumental Music

Rondalla came from the Spanish ronda, meaning “serenade.”

Its origins were in the folk playing bands of stringed-instruments that
were played using the plectrum (pick) such as the piccolo, Bandurria,
laud, octavina, guitar; bajo de unas (double bass), and often a drum for
percussion. The rondalla’s repertoire include folk songs such as the,
“Cariñosa”, ”Collar de Sampaguita”, “Balitaw”, “Harana”,
“Kundiman”, “La Bella Filipina”, “No Te Vayas a Zamboanga”,
“Subli”, “Tinikling”, “Zarzuela”, and many more.
Rondalla Instruments

1. Bandurria
• Is a 14-string instrument with 16 frets and shorter neck
• It is the soprano instrument of the rondalla and usually
plays the melodic line of the composition.
• The specific notes of the strings are – F# B E A D G
Rondalla Instruments

2. Laud
• Laud comes from a Spanish word which
means “lute”
• It is a plectrum-plucked chordophone that
has twelve strings in pairs, similar to the
bandurria, it is tuned in fourths, but its
range is one octave lower.
• The specific notes notes of the strings are –
F# B E A D G
Rondalla Instruments

3. Octavina
• Octavina has a shorter neck compared to the
guitar, with 14 strings and 16 frets.
• The instrument is played like the laud, the
lower notes in accompaniments and in
unison with the bass notes.
• It serves as the alto of the rondalla.
• The specific notes of the strings are – F# B
EAD G
Rondalla Instruments

4. Guitar
• Guitar is a popular musical instrument classified as a
chordophone instrument with usually having 6 strings.
• It is typically played by strumming or plucking the
strings. It plays the rhythm or beat of the musical
piece.
• The specific notes of the strings are – E A D G B E
Rondalla Instruments

5. Bajo De Arco
• Bajo De Unas is the largest among the
instruments in most stringed ensembles –
evident by its thick strings, large body, and
low tones.
• The number of strings varies from the
standard 4-stringed to the rare 6-stringed,
and can have pitches three octaves lower
than middle octave.
• It plays the bass part or the musical piece
• The notes of the strings are E A D G.
B. Instrumental Music

2. Tultugan – is a bamboo and drum ensemble.

Long time ago, the bamboos were used by the
natives for communication. To produce sound,
the body of the bamboo is struck with sticks.
B. Instrumental
Music

3. Binanog – is a gong, drum,

wooden percussion ensemble.
It is used to accompany a
dance movement imitating the
flight of the hawk.