Courtship and Marriage Practices of the Higaunons in Barangay Lubilan, Naawan Misam.is Oriental: Continuity and Change

Abstract

Barangay Lubilan is· peopled with an ethnic group called Higaunons whose cultural heritage is threatened by change. This
study described and analyzed the cultural practices of the Higaunons of Barangay Lubilan. It focused on the courtship and
marriage practices - whether these practices are still preserved and/or are changed. The study also included the economic and political background of these people. It looked into the factors that may have influenced the continuity and change of their courtship and marriage practices. In exploring these practices, fieldwork was undertaken to gather the data from the respondents. A focus group discussion was conducted followed by interviews. The key informants or the respondents were the elders of the tribe consisting of datus, baes,and also the barangay captain of Lubilan. The data gathered
from the secondary sources were also taken into consideration. The study revealed that there are changes in the courtship
and marriage practices of the Higaunons. These changes were influenced by contact and interaction with the lowland settlers and other factors On the other hand, traditional marriagepractices continue to be observed although this is followed by church wedding.