Where Can We Find Them?

There are two major groups of Bagobo that could be distinguished until the present century. These two groups are distinguished from each other trough several cultural distinctions and by their geographical location.These two groups are called according to their geographical location. Most of them could be found near coastal and mountain areas so there are the Upland Bagobo and the Coastal Bagobo. These two are the two major Bagobo groups. The Upland Bagobo lives in the very mountainous region between the upper Pulangi and Davao rivers on Mindanao in the Philippines. The Coastal Bagobo once lived in the hills south and east of Mount Apo or Apo Sandawa.They moved to the west coast of Davao Gulf between Daliao and Digos. The coastal Bagobo were influenced by Christianity, plantations, and resettlement among Coastal Bisayans. Upland Bagobos’ primary livelihood comes from swidden farms. Their traditional subsistence is derived approximately 75 percent from swidden fields that yield rice, maize, sweet potatoes, and other crops. These swidden fields are made through burning of the field to clear it so that it can be planted. Twenty-five percent of their diet comes from hunting, fishing, and gathering. Now, Coastal Bagobo is not considered a separate group anymore. They now live with either the Upland Bagobo or with the Coastal Bisayans.It did not become a hindrance for some of the Bagobos to relate with the Bisayans because they lived with them and were influenced by these Bisayans that also lived in the coastal areas where they lived.