Mapping Indigenous Knowledge Systems on Governance, Health, and Epistemology among the Manobo and Mamanwa of Surigao del Sur, Philippines

Abstract

Given the rapid degradation of indigenous knowledge due to outside pressure, there is a growing need to deepen understanding of how these knowledge systems are actively sustained, transformed, and transmitted within indigenous communities. This ethnographic study, through an etic approach, examined the traditional knowledge systems of ethnolinguistic groups in Surigao del Sur, Philippines, to analyze how these systems reflect and organize socio-political structures, sustain linguistic diversity, and shape fundamental cultural practices within their communities. Data was collected through documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, and field observations involving tribal elders, healers, and council members. Findings showed sophisticated application of traditional knowledge in governance structures, healthcare practices, linguistic expression, and mathematical reasoning. The Manobo governance system was centered on the Hawudun and Council of Elders, where leadership selection was based on community acceptance and knowledge of customary laws, and justice was maintained through restorative practices. The Mamanwa exhibited an organized democratic system led by a chieftain and supported by elders, with governance strongly influenced by their nomadic lifestyle and belief systems. Both groups relied heavily on customary laws and collective decision-making but differed in economic orientation. Linguistic analysis further showed that both tribes embedded spiritual beliefs and cultural values in language use. However, these knowledge systems were found to be increasingly threatened by modernization, environmental degradation, and weakening intergenerational transmission channels. Institutionalization of culturally responsive frameworks, the integration of indigenous knowledge into educational curricula, the documentation of traditional knowledge as part of national heritage, and the implementation of culture-sensitive development programs.