Tagabawa

Tagabawa refers to a sub-tribe of the Bagobo, an indigenous ethnolinguistic group in Mindanao, Philippines. The Tagabawa are one of the Bagobo subdivisions and share a common Austronesian heritage with other Bagobo communities. Traditionally, they inhabited upland areas of southern Mindanao, with communities in parts of the Davao region.

The Tagabawa language, spoken by the people, is part of the Bagobo language cluster and is often described within the Bagobo–Tagabawa subgroup of the Austronesian language family. As with many indigenous languages, efforts to document and preserve it are linked to broader cultural preservation initiatives in the Philippines.

Culturally, Tagabawa communities are typically organized around kinship ties and village elders who oversee customary law, or adat, and rites related to planting, harvest, marriage, and death. Their material culture includes beadwork, weaving, woodcarving, and jewelry, and traditional dress and ornaments are used in ceremonies. Religious practice has historically included animist beliefs, with reverence for nature spirits and ancestors; centuries of contact with traders and missionaries have led to the blending of practices with Christian influences.

In contemporary times, Tagabawa people participate in wider Philippine society while seeking recognition of ancestral lands and the preservation of language and cultural heritage. They have faced pressures from land-use change and development projects, and have engaged with government agencies and non-governmental organizations to protect rights and resources. Cultural events in the region, including festivals in Mindanao, help showcase Tagabawa crafts and traditions alongside other indigenous groups.