[In celebration of Kidapawan’s 78th foundation anniversary, I make public for the first time the letter of Patadon Tungao, what I consider Kidapawan’s oldest known work of creative nonfiction. Dated 18 July 1945 and addressed to Datu Gumbay Piang in
KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato (MindaNews / 18 June) — Region 12 is still recovering from the goose bumps. Earlier this year, the Kidapawan City National High School contingency to the Bayle sa Kalye Competition of the Regional Festival of Talents
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 21 May) — The Greater Kidapawan Area is home to one of Mindanao’s most elusive textile traditions: Monuvu Inavoo. The word “inavoo” means “woven,” and is a cognate of many other Mindanawon words that have become
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 23 April) — Despite the hectic schedule, I managed to find time last month to meet Rita Gadi, Kidapawan’s poetess. It was our second meeting. Although currently based in Manila, Ms Rita has deep roots in
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 28 October) The past two months have been very eventful for this historian (one major reason why this column has not seen an article in a while). And among the noteworthy events that took place was
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 10 July)—On the midnight of 10 July 1971, armed men killed a family of Meranaw farmers living in the remote sitio of Palera, in what was then Kidapawan’s Barangay Perez. Seven members of the Galaw family
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 3 July)—This year, the Manobo Apao Descendants Ancestral Domain Claim of Mt. Apo (MADADMA) celebrates its 20th anniversary. MADADMA is the ancestral domain claim organization that manages the large ancestral domain in the Kidapawan barangays of
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 5 June)—On 4 June 2018, Datu Camillo Icdang was breaking a sweat. He was in Tagbak, Magpet, looking for perhaps the most historically important spring in Kidapawan history. Amidst the tangle of the woodlands’ weeds he
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 22 May)—In my previous article I listed down some common aberrations in Kidapawan’s heritage—“cultural pollution,” I call them—which have been perpetuated as “traditional” when they are in fact recently fabricated novelties inorganic to the town’s cultures. That was
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 8 May)—I’ve recently made progress in asserting authentic cultural elements from Kidapawan’s indigenous Obo Monuvu culture in the city’s mainstream consciousness. “Longguway,” a Monuvu Oggung (narrative song) was performed by Datu Melchor Bayawan and his daughter
(What follows is the Inaugural Madriguera Lecture, which I delivered on the occasion of the opening of the Masbad Gallery in Kidapawan last 28 April. The past month has been hectic, preventing me from contributing to this column as often
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 6 March)—Kidapawan was dealt a huge loss last week with the demise of Datu Lamberto “Ombuon” Delfin of Mua-an, one of the Pillars of the City’s Heritage. At the time of his death, Datu Lamberto was
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 7 February)—Kidapawan is a place where old names linger, where the tricycle drivers navigate between streets and eras. Decades after they stopped being exclusive schools, people still call them “Boys” (Notre Dame of Kidapawan) and “Girls”
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 26 December) – December 26, 1976 may well be the darkest day in Kidapawan history. In two separate locations within Kidapawan’s westernmost barangay of Patadon, elements of the Philippine Constabulary and the Ilaga (a paramilitary group
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 20 December)—The other day I sold vegetables during an art exhibit, and it was sold out on opening day. The vegetable I was selling was Monuvu lahadda, an indigenous strain of scallion that had been grown
‘Sa bawat hagupit ng pagsubok, ikaw ay di nalulugmok.’ KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 13 December)—Many who grew up in Kidapawan sang those two lines during flag ceremonies without sparing them (or the entirety of the Kidapawan Hymn) a thought. But
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 6 December)—As the people of Kidapawan watch in horror at news of the bombing in MSU Marawi’s Dimaporo gymnasium, the memories of many of them will be led back to the crossing of Datu Ingkal and
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 29 November)—What happened in Kidapawan during the Second World War? A year ago, I was in the University of Tokyo for the Fifth Philippine Studies Conference in Japan (PSCJ) to answer just that. With the financial
TITLE: Mga Lumadnong Sugilanon nga Mahinuklogon AUTHOR: Melchor M. Morante Published by Aletheia Printing and Publishing House, Davao City Virtual book launch on 30 December 2020 at 4 p.m. KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 16 December) — A genre of its
