How Buya of Manobo is Conducted?

By Cristine Canobas

          Every parent wants the best for their children, and one way to guarantee your daughter's or son's future is to set up a union for them with someone who can provide them the stability, safety, riches, and lifestyle they believe they deserve. 

           For instance, in Manobo's buya, the groom's family elders assess whether the bride is suitable. With the exception of the fact that this is done even for teenagers, buya may be understood as a standard wedding arrangement for the Manobo tribe, and nothing is incorrect because parental agreement is obtained.  

        The paternal uncle would then deliver a marriage proposal to the bride's family as a sign of proposal. The bride's family is then requested to provide the bride with wealth, which may be in the money, land property, livestock, or precious stones. The marriage ceremony is formally begun if an agreement is achieved. The kagun, made out of a plate, a threaded needle, a string of beads, and a peso coin, is presented to the bride's datu by the groom's representative or datu. In addition, he offers a delundun or any valuable item. The two datus decide on this spot to arrange the wedding's date. The bride's family must send the groom a chicken after the wedding date has been determined. The blood of the chicken will be used to anoint the groom and his family in order to ward off bad luck and help them amass the necessary amount of bride money. The bride's family prepares the apa, or food for the bridal feast, on their end. Only the intended in-laws are given the apa. 

        The groom's party visits the bride's home on the wedding day. In order to inform his counterpart of their arrival, the groom's datu meets with him. After that, the latter will make an announcement and give the go-ahead for the groom's party to enter the home. However, they must first agree to or negotiate with the ed-wants ipal's before joining. An ed-ipal could be anyone from the bride’s relatives.  The bride is required to hide behind a curtain during this period, with someone watching her to prevent her from emerging. 

        After that, the groom and his friends are fed. Only after the ceremonial sharing of food or seru with the couple's datus and parents are they permitted to eat. The bridal party is then served, using just food from a different menu. The bride's money is now up for negotiation between the two datus. The bride's datu emphasizes the rirey of the value placed on the bride.   The bride's father's payment to her mother, or the ibatu, is also included after that. Then he requests the bata from the bride and groom's family, which is a one- or five-cent currency given to the elders and the spirits. He then requests the porcelain plates known as lihilihi, which were given to the girl as a good luck charm. Additionally, the boy's family will be asked for the purangan, tugenan, and pemuka, which represent the worth of the endless nights the bride's parents spent raising their daughter. 

        Even if the groom can afford it, the bride's value will never be paid in full. This is so that the groom may assist the bride and her family anytime they want assistance. The woman might also make a claim for the money that was not paid if her husband treats her badly. 

        The groom's family should now offer the bride's family the tenges, or headcloth, following the negotiation of the bride's wealth. The seru, a customary food exchange between members of the immediate family and the two Datus, follows. The pair will be handed rice balls made by the two Datus to consume. 

        The mother of the bride then makes a betel chew, which she passes on to her daughter, who then delivers it to her husband. The couple will be escorted to the resting area at the conclusion of the ritual, where they will receive guidance from their elders. After the wedding rituals, all members of the groom's party—aside from the parents—may return to their residence. It is customary for the groom's parents to wait three days before making sacrifices to cleanse the newlyweds. In order to protect the couple's souls. The groom's parents make the donation and then depart for their residence. Whenever he enters his former residence, he is purified with blood. In addition, he must bring back one piece of clothes for each day he lived in his previous residence. A Manobo traditional wedding ends here. Whenever he enters his former residence, he is purified with blood. In addition, he must bring back one piece of clothes for each day he lived in his previous residence. A Manobo traditional wedding ends here.