KAAMULAN, THE FESTIVAL – From the hinterland villages, Kaamulan came to the town fiesta of Malaybalay in 1974. The Municipal Government of Malaybalay featured the color and magic of ethnic folk arts in the celebration of the town fiesta then.
As a festival, Kaamulan was presented at the Pines View Park in Malaybalay on November 25-27, 1977. For three days, nothing could match and dampen the din of the receptacles as thousands of guest and camera wielding tourist graced themselves to feast on the first ever “Kaamulan” cultural pageant. For several years, the festival was held every September. In 1991, it was moved to March to celebrate the creation of Bukidnon as a province on March 10, 1917. Kaamulan has become a cultural festival that presents the rich customs and traditions of the seven hilltribes: Tala-andig, Higa-onon, Umayamnoon, Manobo, Tigwahanon, Matigsalug and Bukidnon.
To the hilltribes, “Kaamulan” heralded the symbolic breakthrough of their long quest for meaning and identity. Above all, it provides an interesting ground for the unification of the many tribes of Northern Mindanao and the Filipinos as a whole.
In “binukid”, a dialect widely spoken among the highlanders in the region “Kaamulan” signifies a gathering for a purpose. It may mean a datuship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival at harvest season and many others.
Integrated into the festival are activities designed to fuse the different sectors as a whole. There is a civic parade, a program highlighting the historic beginnings of Bukidnon, a trade and food fair, a rodeo, a dramatic presentation of tribal oral tradition, a street dancing contest graded with ethnic group performers, rituals showcasing the culture and beliefs of tribal Bukidnons and other activities.
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