B'LAAN AGRICULTURE AND RITUAL.......B'LAAN MELEH NE DAMSO IN B'LAAN LANGUAGE

AGRICULTURE OR MELEH in the high region, are still preserved and practiced among the Highland B'laan. These activities are closely associated with the strong and continuing association between the Highland B'laan and the spirit realm.....B'laan women plays a large part in subsistence activities, particularly in respect to agricultural practices upon female labor. B'laan women are largely responsible for kamlo or clearing the field, amla or planting and muko or harvesting. A B'laan man who possesses numerous wives is greatly advantaged, a man with multiple wives might delegate nearly all the agricultural activities to his wives......THE HIGHLAND B'LAAN FOLLOW THEIR CALENDAR FOR THEIR AGRICULTURAL CYCLE..........Salel refers to the time of clearing the kaingin or alnigo. The period is usually last for one month. The following activities were said to occur during the period....Planting or amla, Hrvesting or muko, Kaingin or alnigo, Burning or amtem, and Amnulok or removing of unburned trees and cogon grass.....Lamklong, refers to the time of burning....Tobung refers to the time of planting.....Fongol adket refers to weeding.....Dangan kamto refers to the time of harvesting........BEFORE THE ACTUAL HARVESTING, ONE B'LAAN MAN PERFORMED THE RITUAL.........As part of this ritual, a B'laan man

bundles several stalks of rice. Some grains from this bundle are then mixed with rice, which is being cooked. The B'laan believe that this will increase the quantity of the rice that will subsequently be cooked as well as the rice that will be harvested. It is believed that if anyone, other than the owner of the rice bundle, touches it, they are likely to become ill. Even the slightest touch of another's rice bundle could result in blindness, sickness, or stomach bloating. The next activity after harvesting is building of a fol or rice granary in the middle of the rice field. A wheel-like mechanism is installed at the posts of the fol. This mechanism is to prevent rats from climbing into fol......After harvesting, B'laan family left or vacate and transferred to another area.........