Kuglung for your kindness: Surviving drought through music

The severe drought is taking its toll on many parts of the country, sometimes in violent ways.

In Arakan Valley, Cotabato the extreme weather has left people with hardly anything to eat.

Among them is Meliton Dapalan of the Tinananon Manobo tribe, who is turning to music to help him and his family survive.

Dapalan got in touch with Frank Abellana Englis, an ethnomusicologist who is now assisting him in trading Kuglung for kindness.

A kind donation of P3,000 would be reciprocated with a Kuglung, a boat lute made by Dapalan himself. The number of available Kuglung is unconfirmed, but according to Englis, Dapalan is open to making more.

The Kuglung is a traditional instrument popular among several Manobo groups in southern Mindanao like the Matigsalug, Ata, Tigwa, and Obo.

"Kuglung is the local name for Manobo and sub-Manobo tribes (like the Matigsalog-Manobo) lutes. Higalong to the T'boli, Faglong to B'laan, Kutiapi/Kudyapi to the Higaonon (and to an extent, to the Tagalog), the Maranao, the Maguindanao, and other non-Manobo tribes in Bukidnon like the Talaandig," Englis told GMA News Online through Lui Paras via Facebook chat.

Englis is accepting inquiries about the Kuglung through his personal Facebook account.

Inquiries may also be directed to Hans Brandeis or the Boat Lutes of the Philippines page. — APG, GMA News