....."B'LAAN SUNGGOD OR DOWRY".....

......Sunggod or Dowry- Bride Price/Wealth......

    
Sunggod or dowry is a bride price or bride wealth refers to money and or goods that are paid by the potential/ future groom/ husband and or the groom's family to the potential/ future bride/wife and or the wife's family.
     In B'laan society, the future groom pays father of his future wife a specified amount.  This amount consists of two necklaces (kamagi)or horse (kora) and carabao (calibew).
The monetary value of one horse in 10,000 pesos.  The future groom pays also the father of his future wife on brass
gongs (falimak).  It is part of B'laan  (adet) customary law to envolve relatives in securing of dowry (songgod).
      Some B'laan claimed that in times of economic difficulties
they would mortgage (sanla) their lands at for the dowry (songgod). Since they could not redeem the mortgage, they would 
normally lose their lands by default. KASPALA was transacted purely  in the basis of exchange of material goods.  But with money
they also learned to mortgage (sanla) and sell their lands.
      The selling of land did not happen immediately.  At first,
they mortgaged  their (kalyak) material goods they mortgage
their carabao and horse.  Then when their carabao and horse
were gone, they dispensed of their land, either through  mortgage or sale.  Economic difficulties were the predominant motive for material goods or animal/ land disposition.  Economic
difficulties arose, as previously noted, when money was required for the payment of dowry.
     It was noted that land was occasionally acquired through marriage.  In this instance, however, land has been lost through or an account of the payment of dowry or( songgod) bride price/wealth in marriage negotiation.

DISPUTE SETTLEMENT/ RESOLUTION-(Kaspala)... 

     The term KASPALA can be used to refer to a traditional meeting of B'laan elders, a gift exchange ceremony  and finally dispute settlement/ resolution.  The term Kaspala in the B'laan language seems to have a three fold meaning, depending upon the context in which it is used.  The three meaning, however, all seems to be combined within the process known as dispute settlement or dispute resolution.  The term also implied a type of friendship or brotherhood pact, formed through the process of and as a result of dispute settlement/ resolution.

      Dispute arising between two individuals, usually males, are brought before the traditional leader, either the Fulong or Bong Fulong.  After hearing the details of the dispute, the traditional leader will usually decide upon some form of compensation, which is to be  paid or given in the form of gifts to the aggrieved party.  An example of gifts, which not only serves as compensation but symbolizes the renewed good will between the parties involved in the dispute, usually takes place.  The gifts used in the exchange of goods can involve valuable items of material culture, such as knives and weapons, as well as women and cash money.
     The Fulong or Bong Fulong if often required to utilize his own personal wealth in order to satisfy the aggrieved party and settle the dispute.  By utilizing his own wealth in order to settle another men's debt, the traditional leader is again increasing his personal network of obligation/ debt relationship and eventually increasing his own personal wealth.  The other party to the dispute will eventually be required to repay the kindness and generosity of the Fulong by repaying, in the form of service or material goods or cash money, the amount of the original dispute settlement, plus some additional gifts.  The traditional leaders temporary material deficit will eventually result in an increase, which the debt is repaid, in his own person wealth and social status.