National Living Treasures: Ginaw Bilog

Across cultural communities in the Philippines, oral traditions with poetic verses, either sung or chanted, are common. What sets the Mangyan literary tradition apart is the ambahan — a form of poetry made up of seven-syllable lines that express messages through metaphors and imagery. The ambahan is sung and covers various themes like courtship, offering advice, seeking shelter, or bidding farewell to a friend. While many indigenous groups have similar traditions, the ambahan has endured over time because it is carefully inscribed on bamboo tubes using surat Mangyan, an ancient pre-colonial script of Southeast Asia.

Ginaw Bilog, a Hanunoo Mangyan from Mansalay, Mindoro, grew up surrounded by this rich tradition. Understanding the deep connection between the ambahan and the Mangyan spirit, he made it his mission to preserve the poetry — carefully recording ambahans not only on bamboo but also in worn notebooks gifted to him by friends.

His most cherished pieces are the ambahans handed down by his father and grandfather, which inspire his creative work. Ginaw actively shares these traditional verses within his community and promotes the ambahan whenever he can.

Thanks to the dedication of cultural advocates like Ginaw, indigenous art forms like ambahan poetry continue to thrive. Filipinos are thankful to the Hanunoo Mangyan for safeguarding this unique piece of their heritage, which nearly vanished under colonial rule. The nation takes pride in Ginaw Bilog’s passionate efforts to keep the art of the surat Mangyan and ambahan poetry alive.