Ang pangayaw sa dutang ginsaad: A study of Ilonggo migration and settlement in Tacurong, Cotabato, 1951-1960's

Abstract

“Ang Pagpangayaw sa Dutang Ginsaad: A Study of Migration and Settlement of Ilonggos in Tacurong, Cotabato (1951-1960’s)” discusses about the migration of the Ilonggos to Mindanao, particularly in a predominant Christian City of Tacurong. In the 1950’s all the way towards 1970’s, there was a massive migration of Ilonggos going to Mindanao. Most of them were attracted due to the flow of information coming from “The Land of Promise” in which they believed that they can avail any jobs and lands in an untapped island. This changed the social, economic, political and demographic profile of Mindanao and marked events that would shape the Philippine history. Triggered by social unrest, overcrowding problems, protectionist policies, economic interests and assimilation by the American colonial government, land settlements were opened to the Christian settlers of Luzon and the Visayas. It therefore, initiated government-sponsored programs of resettlement in Mindanao. However, that proved to be unattractive to early prospectors. Efforts were improved later by the Commonwealth era where a good number of Ilonggos went there first. The old city and province were already experiencing deterioration after the sugar industry shifted to Negros Occidental and slow recovery after World War II due to endless politics, peace and order situation and unemployment. These pushed the Ilonggos to move south as they were attracted to the propaganda of the new Philippine government to develop and people Mindanao. Majority of the Christian migrants were not involved in the government- sponsored programs but because of the government propaganda of the “Land of Promise” and free and continuous flow of information that came from early Christian settlers in Mindanao, it became attractive to the peoples of Luzon and Visayas and therefore massive migration occurred in the 50’s all the way through the seventies. Along with their migration was their settlement in which they established their new lives, therefore adjusting themselves with the new environment yet culture was brought out from the heartland and was mixed with other cultures, creating a unique cosmopolitan way of life for most of the Mindanao towns and cities. For every Ilonggo pangayaw, one was seeking satisfaction from the efforts they made by coming down south. It was relative yet most of them stated that their lives improved in Mindanao.