Si Mallaki Asta Tarumpu | Mallaki and the Spinning Top

Description

The Bagobo Tagabawa are the indigenous people of Davao Del Sur. Their ancestral lands lie at the foothills of Mount Apo. Like many indigenous cultures, their way of life is on the brink of extinction. The chieftain of the Bagobo Tagabawa in Bitaug, Matanám Bonifacio Embaan, recalls that his grandparents used to share the story of Mallaki Tarumpu during meals and at bedtime. Today, only a few people remember it. Without continued retelling, it will soon be lost, like many other indigenous oral narratives.

This groundbreaking children’s book, written in Bagobo Tagabawa, seeks to preserve these fading stories. Through its pages, we hope to inspire children to treasure their unique culture and identity, and to pass it on to future generations