B'LAAN MARRIAGE.........B'LAAN SAMSUNG

Traditionally B'laan marriage still o

ccur in Highland B'laan, of Pula Bato.......POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGE, where a man is permitted to marry more than one woman, are permitted and are even condoned among the Highland B'laan.....AS A RULE....A young boy does not take a wife of his own choosing. Having decided upon a suitable girl, he informs his parents and relatives he may wish to accompany him when he goes to her home. Upon arrival at the house, the father of the boy expresses his belief that his son wishes to reside there since he now asks the daughter for his wife. In reply he told that the family is poor, having neither gongs, animals, or other things of value. The boy or the suitor at once makes an offering of some of these desired articles, but whatever the gift may be, a returned present equal to half it's value must be made. Both families are well aware of and favorable to the expected wedding sometimes before the visit of the grooms parents. After the exchanging of gifts, food is furnished first to the quests and later to the couple, who in the presence of all the families, feed each other with rice and are hence forth considered as husband and wife..........MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT..........Arrangement between two families, by searching for a marriage partner. The parents of the groom look for a prospective bride. There is no clear age range, sometimes, unborn child female. The transaction becomes automatically nullified if the new born child is a male. Similarly, marriage arrangement upon them being of the approximate sexes. The tanda or signals the start of the giving of the songgod or bride price while the child are still small. The exchange of komot or malong, which as the children have grown, the second stage of the marriage arrangement, which is referred to as alminti or commences. At this point, the amount of the desired songgod would be revealed. The exchange of goods might also begin. The third stage, which is referred to as the mao mulo or the proper marriage, follows the alminti. During this stage, the formal exchange of the songgod commences. Most of the goods and or money desired by the bride's part is completed with by the groom's party. Expensive songgod, such as carabao, horse, and expensive kalyak or materials goods and or money to the groom's family, However, this is usually equal to half the value of the songgod or bride price. When some of the songgod has not been delivered, an agreement would be reached on the specific date when the debt would be settled. The setting of the settlement date is referred to as mikat butang. If the no songgod is received on the given date, another kasfala process begins. The whole process of giving and receiving songgod is called kasfala. When a family cannot afford to deliver the required songgod, the Datu or Bong Fulong's assistance is solicited. Often, the Datu would voluntarily intervene, either by providing the material requirements or by facilitating the bargaining process. However, this intervention is left to the discreation of the Datu....During the marriage ceremony, the bride often a komot or malong and a comb, the groom wraps a tubaw or scarf or otob on the head, hangs a komot on his shouders.......MAFAS .....ONE TYPE OF MARRIAGE.....By embarrasing the woman. The man who embarrassed woman would be brought to the Fulong and pleading guilty. meted with appropriate fine. The fine would become part of the songgod if the embarrassed woman agreed to a marriage. If not, the fine is collected by the aggrieved party. If the embarrassed woman is ready married, a conflict between the desirous man and the woman's husband is likely to result. The payment of the fine to the woman's husband, can prevent a violent confrontation between the two men. In some instances, a challenge is issued by the husband against the offending man is not found is not found by the husband, he may keep the woman as his wife. However, if the man is found, a physical conflict would result. The victor would then be entitled to marry the woman or retain his wife........