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The Kahimonan is a traditional Mamanwa ritual documented in Surigao del Norte.
Recent ethnographic research describes a sequence in which ritual participants prepare an offering and bring animals to an altar under the direction of the baylan, or ritual specialist. White chickens and pigs can be involved in the offering.
Music and ritual dancing accompany parts of the ceremony, making it a community event rather than an isolated act.
The ritual demonstrates how spiritual knowledge, music, movement, animals, and community participation can operate together. It remains an important example of Mamanwa embodied cultural knowledge.
© Journal of Nature Studies