180 



THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GAR VAN 



[Memoirs National 

 [Vol. XXIII, 



I adjudicated unofficially, at the request of the Manobos, several cases where the Bisaya 

 trader tried to collect not only the value of a sow but of the number of young ones that it might 

 have given birth to had it lived. These pigs had been left with Manobos for safe-keeping and 

 either had died from natural causes or had been lulled. One Bisaya went so far as to demand 

 payment for the chickens that a hen would have produced had it not been stolen from the Manobo 

 to whom it had been entrusted. This part of the claim I did not allow, so the claimant demanded 

 pay for the eggs that might have been laid. 



Wheedling or the pudnalc system. — Another means of exploitation practiced on the Manobos 

 of the upper Agusan was the pudnak system, invented by the Bisaya trader. The pudnalc was 

 some prosperous Manobo who was chosen as an intimate friend and who, out of friendship, was 

 expected to furnish his Bisaya friend anything which the latter might ask for. The Bisaya in 

 return was expected to do the same. 



The Bisaya paid his Manobo friend a few visits every year, on which occasions he was 

 received with all the open-hearted hospitality so characteristic of the Manobo. Pigs and chickens, 

 purchased frequently at high rates, were killed in his honor. The country was scoured for sugar- 

 cane wine or other drink, and no means were left untried to make the reception royal. The 

 Bisaya, in the meanwhile, lavished on his host soft, wheedling words, at the same time giving him 

 sad tales of the rise in the price of merchandise, of his indebtedness to the Chinese, and before 

 leaving gave him a little cloth or some other thing of small value. In return he received paddy, 

 tobacco, and such other articles as he needed. The farewell was made with great demonstrations 

 of friendship on the Bisaya's part and with an invitation to his Manobo friend to visit him at a 

 certain stated time. 



During his friend's visit the Manobo had gone around the country canvassing for paddy and 

 such other articles as he had been instructed to barter for. His wife and female relatives had 

 stamped out several sacks of paddy for their friend. His sons and other male relatives had 

 cleaned the Bisaya's boat and supplied him with rattan. In a word, the whole family had made 

 menials of themselves to satisfy the Bisaya's every desire. 



At the stated time the Manobo started downstream with the various commodities that had 

 been requested of him, paddy, tobacco, and other things. At his friend's house he was received 

 with a great exhibition of joy and welcome. During his stay he was kept happy by constant 

 doses of vino. Besides the killing of a suckling pig and of a few chickens, a little wheedling and 

 palavering were about the only entertainment he received. But as the grog kept him in good 

 humor and it is supposed to cost one peso per liter, he was perfectly happy, turned over his wares 

 to the host, had his accounts balanced for him (he was usually in a hilarious condition while this 

 was being done), received further advances of merchandise at the usual usurious rates, and left 

 for his upland home to tell his family and relatives of the glorious time he had at his pudnak' s. 



Bartering transactions. — The following schedule of approximate values of commodities in 

 the Agusan, 1905 to 1909, will serve to show the commercial depredations committed on Man6bos 

 and conquistas by the Bisayas who have ever looked upon them as their legitimate prey. 



