II. BILA-AN. 



Synonyms. 



(a) Tagalagad— "dwellers in the back country" is the name 

 generally applied to this tribe by the coast natives. 



(b) Tagkogon— -"dwellers in the cogon" -The group living on the 

 grass plains west of Malalag. 



(c) Buluan, Bueuanes — The members of this tribe dwelling near 

 to Lake Buluan. This group is sometimes identified with the Tagabtli 

 or Tagabuhi who also reside in that region. 



(d) Bira-an, Bara-an — Synonym for Bila-an, often used by the 

 neighboring Bagobo. 



(e) VlEANES, BlLANES. 



(f) Balud or Tumanao — name sometimes applied by early writers 

 to the Bila-an who live on the Sarangani Islands. 



*&*• 



This tribe is found in the mountains on the west side of Davao Gulf 

 beginning at an east and west line drawn through Bulatakay and ex- 

 tending south to Sarangani Point, and they also appear in small numbers 

 in the Sarangani Islands which lie just south of the mainland. At 

 Bulatakay they are a day's march back from the coast and to reach 

 them it is necessary to pass for several hours through a rolling belt of 

 forest land, then as the mountains are approached, gently sloping 

 cogon plains about ten miles in width are crossed. West of Malalag 

 they are still far from the sea with a belt of hill Tagakaolo between 

 them and the coast people. In this region they have spread out in 

 considerable numbers on to the grass plains, and for this reason are 

 locally known as Tagkogon "dwellers in the cogon." On the gulf 

 side of the divide, south of Malalag, they are found in small groups far 

 back in the mountains, while between them and the sea are Tagakaolo, 

 Kulaman and Moro. Along the watershed between the districts of 

 Davao and Cotabato they possess all the territory and even extend in 

 some numbers into the lowlands toward Lake Buluan. They are 

 distinctly a mountain people, having never reached the sea, except near 

 Sarangani Point, until after the advent of the American. Since then 

 a few hundred have been induced to move to the coast plantations, and 

 the town of Labau has been established on the Padada river about six 

 miles back of the coast. According to Mr. H. S. Wilson, tribal ward 

 headman for the Bila-an, this tribe numbers about ten thousand persons, 

 of which number fifteen hundred reside on the Sarangani Islands. 



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