Rationale of the Study in Mandaya Tribe ~ WEB-BASED INFORMATION OF MANDAYA TRIBE

According to the writing of John Garvan in his memoir in the New York Academy of Sciences, the Mandaya is "probably the greatest and best tribe in Eastern Mindanao". Miguel Sadera-Maso writes that the Mandaya "are considered by the non-Christians as the oldest and most illustrious of the peoples." Indeed, Mandaya culture continues to amaze and interest many people as it becomes enduring and persevering generation after generation. The term Mandaya means "inhabitants of the uplands". Quite interestingly, areas occupied by the Mandaya in the Pacific Rim are characterized by rugged topography with few plains along the coastal areas (as cited by Ompang, 2011).

Due to political and economic influences, Mandaya tribe has evolved over time with sub-groups named after their geographical ascriptions. Among these are the Mansaka, Dibabaon, Pagsaupan, Mangguangan, Maragusan, Dibabaon, Kalagan, Kamayo, and Tagacaolo (as cited by Ompang, 2011). Presently, the concentration of the Mandaya is in Davao Oriental.

The Christianized Mandayas are said to be the first Dabaweños. To date, this and many ethnocentric beliefs and historical accounts have gone forgotten due to the paradigm shift in society that pays more homage to knowledge-technology more than the perpetuation of cultural identity.

It is this dynamic change that paved the idea of creating a web-based application that will help uphold the Mandaya tribe. Through an accessible virtual library of its culture and history, more people can be educated of its beliefs, rituals, dances, songs, artworks, and artifacts. It would even be possible to play their games and learn their dialect. This way, the application will not only promote cultural awareness, it will also bring its people together to help strengthen their idiosyncrasies, foster unity, and bring about understanding that Mandaya tribe has a place in this exponentially-progressing technological world.