(Verb Samples) (Subanen – English Translation)

Sample Verbs

to bite - mongugdit
to blow -mongoyup
to breathe - guminawa
to burn - mondoksul
to burn -mondoksul
to buy - sumaloy
to chew- momaqan
to choose - momiliq
to climb - monek
to come - mangoy
to cook -misabu, mogapoy
to count - mogitung
to cry - moksogow
to cut, hack -mogbul
to die, be dead- patoy
to dig - mongokot
to dream - toginopan
to drink- minum
to eat - kuman
to fall - modogdag
to fear - mondok
to fly - lumayug
to hear - mokinongog
to hide moglogabong
to hold - kumokom
to hunt - moktiqit
to kill - bunuqon
to know, be knowledgeable - sunan
to laugh - mokotawa
to plant - momula
to pound, beat - mogbayu
to say - moktaluq
to scratch - mokatol, mongokot
to see - moktongow
to sew - sumobot
to sit - mogingkod
to sleep - motulug
to sniff, smell - sumopu
to spit - dumulaq
to squeeze - kosolon
to stab, pierce - pokpakon
to stand - mogindog
to steal - mogdakow
to suck - sumoksop
to swim - lumangoy
to think - pikil
to throw - pilakon
to tie up, fasten- ikotan
to turn - motilong
to vomit - kutaq
to walk - ompanow
to work - moginang
to yawn - logab

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Note: You may share your Subanen version based on your locality. (Subanen tuboy, Subanen Sibugay, Subanen Sindangan, Subanen Misamis etc.)

Subanen Greetings (Morning, Noon and Nighttime) with English Translation

Day Time / Morning time Greetings

* Molongas gendao
* Ombais gendao
* Gempya gendao
* Piag gendaw
* Molongas gendao sog glam niu - daytime greeting spoken to a group of people
* Ombais gendao sog glam niu - daytime greeting spoken to a group of people
* Gempya nog gendao sog glam niu - daytime greeting spoken to a group of people

Late morning and early afternoon Greetings

* Molongas sisolom - late morning and early afternoon greeting
* Bais sisolom - late morning and early afternoon greeting
* Ombais sisolom - late morning and early afternoon greeting
* Gempya sisolom - late morning and early afternoon greeting
* Piag sisolom - late morning and early afternoon greeting

Noontime Greetings

* Molongas tasendo
* Ombais tasondo
* Gempya tasondo
* Piag tasondo

late Afternoon and early evening greetings

* Molongas lalabong
* Ombais lalabong
* Gompya delabong
* Piag delabong

Evening Greetings

* Molongas gobi
* Ombais gobi
* Gompya gobi
* Piag gobi

Ayen ka pasungo? - greeting to a person going somewhere, "where are you going?"

Ayen ka tido? - welcome greeting to a person arriving, "where are you coming from?"

Note: in Subanen alphabet, there is no "w" and is often replaced with "io" or "o" 

First ZANORTE Buklog Festival

The Buklog is a major conglomeration of several other rituals such as PENGAMU, a thanksgiving rite for fulfilled wishes; SAMAYA, for the recovery of ill health; and PELENTU, a sacred ceremony for the spirits of the dead.

The Buklog is also a culmination of other rituals performed within the year. Among these equally solemn traditions are the PELIS, a ritual commencing agricultural tasks in the field; BAKTI, a beautiful ceremony of bringing home young rice grain and made into Lebek (popularly known as Pinipig), as an anticipation for a bountiful harvest; PESINGKU, the thanksgiving rite for good harvest and where baptism rituals (Kenubata) are occasionally concurred; GAMPANG, a major thanksgiving ritual for good health, harmonious living, peace and order, is also done to prevent the coming of evil as symbolized by encircling a line around a specific area.

The Buklog proper is the grand ceremony preceded by extensive consultations among the tribal (Datu/Timuay/Bai) and religious (Balyan) leaders from different Subanen communities. A tribal convention participated in by concerned Subanen members is also necessary for the final decision on dates and venue of the festival.

The construction of a BUKLOGAN is based on the metaphysics of the number eight (8), regarded by Subanens as the most significant number to convey stability, security and strength. The different parts of the entire structural set up are also systematically arranged in octaves.

The ideal Buklogan has eight main posts made of hard round timber and has an eight-feet equidistance in between posts, covering a total ground area of 256 square feet. With the height of 16 feet, the flooring lattice support is made up of 32 pliable round sticks with eight pieces laid equidistant in between posts. This year's grand Buklog Festival in Mandih was made possible through the support of the Provincial Government under Governor Rolando E. Yebes.

Every Subanen (and even non-Subanen for that matter) can only wish for a sustainability of this significant religious-cultural tradition in the future.

Provincial Accountant Bai Marivic Carpitanos, who is also the president of the Subanen Federated Clan expressed the significance of the Buklog Festival as a big boost to all Subanon communities. For Bai Marivic, it is an upliftment of the rich Subanen culture and tradition being threatened by culturally biased modernization and an equally lack of educational mechanism towards a positive socio-cultural awareness.

The First Discovery of "Luthang Gapuyan" ( Fire Piston ) and its history over 1500 years ago

Anlangan 17 years old boy accidentally invented the first "Fire Piston" locally named “Luthang Gapuyan” over 1500 years ago

Over 1,500 years ago, a 17-year-old Subanen boy named Anlangan accidentally invented the first fire piston, locally known as “Luthang Gapuyan.” Although little is known about its origins, the device was widely used by thousands.

The discovery of the fire piston was purely accidental, yet it became a significant invention in world history. According to a tale passed down through generations, Anlangan created the fire piston while crafting a wooden toy magazine, replacing bamboo materials with hardwood to improve durability.

One afternoon, Anlangan’s parents tasked him with preparing a portion of the mountain for kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) in anticipation of the upcoming Panuig (planting season). As he made his way to the site, rain suddenly fell, forcing him to return home. While waiting for the rain to stop, he played with his “luthang” (bamboo magazine) alongside his younger brother. When the barrel of his bamboo toy broke from repeated use, he decided to craft a sturdier version from hardwood.

While boring a hole into the hardwood to form the barrel, he polished its inner surface using another piece of hardwood. As he pushed and pulled the wooden stick inside the hole, he was startled to see smoke and, eventually, fire emerging from the barrel.

Realizing the potential of his discovery, he abandoned his wooden toy idea and carved the device into a more functional shape, tying it with an abaca rope and wearing it proudly. He informed his father about his invention, and his family became the first to use the fire piston for their kaingin farming.

Over time, the “Luthang Gapuyan” became a common tool among the Subanen people and was traded with visiting merchants from Cebu and Sulu. The invention eventually spread throughout the Mindanao Island and the Malayan Pacific Islands now called the Philippines and beyond—to neighboring islands now called Malaysia, Indonesia, and Europe—marking its place in history as an important technological innovation.

This image is for demonstration purposes only and does not depict the actual Luthang Gapuyan from Mindanao.

A southeast Asian native old woman is using Luthang Gapuyan (Fire piston)