SARIMANOK AS A CULTURAL SYMBOL

Ability to Fly
Since time immemorial, birds have been among the objects of worship and inspiration
for artistic expression of people around the world, and their treatment varies according to
the culture of those who venerate them. It might be because of its ability to fly which for
the people of long ago is a rare power given to the chosen few by the Supreme Being for
some important reasons.

From southern Philippines, the legendary “sarimanok” extended its influence beyond the
Muslim world to embrace the whole country which at present uses it as one of its
national symbols.

The Stories
The sarimanok is a mythical bird that appears in a number of legends, two of which were
popularized by the pre-war writer, A.V.H. Hartendorp. The first narrates the origin of the
word sarimanok - once upon a time, a sultan of Lanao threw a party for his daughter, the
princess Sari, under a balete tree. Like all fairy-tale princesses, Sari was both beautiful
and in distress. A rooster crashed the party and made off with the princess. The princess
was never found after the incident and so the depressed sultan had a rooster carved in
memory of that day. That reminder became the sarimanok. The second story retold by
Hartendorp is as follows: Prince Radia Inarapatra discovered that the goddess of the
moon came to earth every Friday to bathe in some perfumed well. For the prince, it was
love at first sight. But the union of the two comes with troubles – one has to leave the
world one was born in to live in the world of the other. And so the prince, while holding a
golden bird from his treasury, asked aloud to be brought to the moon. The magic bird
fulfilled his wish and he disappeared from our world. It was after the disappearance of
the prince that his subjects made replicas of the magic bird, now known as the
sarimanok.

Over time, the sarimanok story has been embellished and changed with each retelling,
moving it further away from the original.
The Forgotten and the Remembered

Sadly, the myth of the sarimanok is often overlooked if not forgotten. Children of this
generation will most likely mistake it for a chicken or a peacock.
The prevalence of the sarimanok, in earlier times, however, can be seen through the
following: There was a time when the sarimanok was used as the logo of a cable TV
channel; martial law babies, remembers the sarimanok as the logo of the 1974 Miss
Universe Pageant that was held at the Folk Arts Theater in what is now the CCP
complex; Ermita souvenir vendors continue to sell to both locals and tourists different
versions of the sarimanok in versions of wood, bone, or metal.

The Art

The sarimanok has influenced us in the arts through a dance being created inspired by
the legendary bird and being used in paintings, illustrations carvings, and other artwork.
The sarimanok has become a symbol of prosperity, good luck, and to a degree a cultural
icon among the people of the Philippines but especially of the proud Meranao and is a
testament to their strong cultural identity.

Artist: Abdulmari Asia Imao

The painting entitled “Muslims in the Philippines” by Abdulmari Asia Imao speaks of the
history of Islam in the Philippines. The description of the painting indicates that “Islam
reached the shores of Sulu in 1380 with the Tausugs as the first group who accepted it
as a religion and a way of life. Islam faced the Catholic faith the Spaniards brought and
stood her ground during the colonial rule of both the Spaniards and Americans” (Gazo,
August 2018).

The Artist

Abdulmari Asia Imao, a Tausug artist, is known for using Okir(Ukil), Sarimanok and
naga. Imao, grew up in an island in Sulu, already immersed in organic richness of his
surrounding, the colorful patterns and ornaments of Mindanao. His works mainly focus
on cultural work from indigenous forms. His source of inspiration are Tausug art,
Meranao art, and Islamic faith.

Composition of the Art

Saribong is an artifact art based from his most famous symbol, the Sarimanok. It is a
history painting type. The art lives with the Meranao art. It tackles the history of the
legendary bird of Meranao people and mixed with the geometric and flowing designs
called Okir.

The materials used for the art were encaustic painting. It was made through canvas with
liquid paste on it. In this work, Imao used colorful as well as series of geometry line to
highlight the subject. It allures the eyes of the viewers as it gives us the identity of being
a native Filipino. The colors used in the painting complement each other. It gives
repetition of geometrical patterns that gives empowerment to the art’s context and all the
of the hue blended with each other. The space gave by the artist was enough to avoid
overpowering one another and the deliberate of individual elements, it create stunning
effects and to signal which parts of the painting are more important and which are less
(Ardiente, December 2018).
Analysis of the Art

The Saribong, beautifully balanced, layers various shapes of different colours, sizes, and
opacities to create a truly beautiful graphic. It emphasise the layers and shapes in a
unique and striking way and the texture was made moderate to avoid overwhelming the
design and the art itself. (Ardiente, December 2018).

The artwork provides harmony. It is easy on the eyes. Harmony, in art, is a principle
which refers to how well all the visual elements work together – color, line, shape, form,
space, texture, etc. Abdulmari’s “Muslims in the Philippines” uses a set of colors that
relates to a specific scheme i.e. complementary; the texture of brush strokes is uniform;
the shapes and contour used, while they differ, achieved good balance.

Interpretation of the Art

The depiction of human and animal figures in art is inhibited by Islam – one of the
earliest and most common abstraction being the sarimanok.

Abdulmari’s work made me realize that the Filipino race is both brave and proud as it
speaks of the history of Islam in the Philippines - Islam faced the Catholic faith the
Spaniards brought and stood her ground during the colonial rule of both the Spaniards
and Americans. It also made me realize that symbolism, myths, and traditions should be
preserved and what better way to preserve them but through art. The artwork, in a
nutshell, made me feel proud of my heritage.

Looking at the work, I am impressed by the sheer beauty of it – not just its artistic beauty
but the meaning behind the work. The first thing that caught my attention is the
sarimanok which to me, meant that the artist has a profound attachment to his ancestry.
What proved this further is the depiction of the proud Tausugs in the painting.

The painting reflects Abdulmari’s wish to continue the painting traditions of his ancestors
with a more modern sensibility. Moreover, it depicts the heroic qualities of the Filipino or
historical figures. The message of the artist in this artwork is the ability of the Filipino to
face onslaughts and challenges, and emerge victorious. At the same time his cultural
grounding in the sensibilities of Tausug and Moro culture has remained instilled in his
works through his works and depictions on the Sarimanok. Combining the two in this
artwork comprises Abdulmari’s sense of art and principle.

Judging the Art

There is no doubt that the particular artwork by Abdulmari in this critique paper is
successful in terms of influence – that one should be proud of his/her own heritage and
that myths form part of our history and identity. This is also bolstered by the fact that
Abdulmari’s works has propelled him to be the first – and only – National Artist from the
Muslim South.

The originality of the work cannot be questioned – it was derived specifically from
Tausug and Moro culture. Moreover, the style used is distinctively and easily recognized
as that of Abdulmari.

Looking at the piece of artwork subject to this critique paper, I can only try to express my
admiration to the artist. More importantly, my pride in my heritage has been renewed.

Learning and Insights

Art is an important vehicle for tales of the past and is just as important in influencing the
future. The sarimanok, for instance, to this day, continue to be a symbol of people’s
belief and aspiration. Cultural works such as the one in this critique paper should serve
as an example to Filipino artists. To quote Philippine Star columnist F. Sionil Jose,
“Because of his deep roots, he (Abdulmari) was able to give our art a very much distinct
and very much needed Filipino face. Art is a tool of unification and progress.

Abdulmari Imao’s Souring vision & sarimanok rainbow, The Philippine Star, Carlo
Arcangel Daona, December 29, 2014

Abdulmari Asia Imao: Stalwart artist, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jessica Jalandoni-
Robillos, December 12, 2016
The Gentle Tausug and Noble Modernist, artplus.ph

The Sarimanok: The Mythical Bird of the Meranao of Lake Lanao, pinoy-culture.com,
Ligaya Caballes, August 23, 2015

Philippine Art – A distinct decorative art in Southwestern part of the Philippines – the
Okir – is indigenous to its people, Jesus T. Peralta, spafajournal.org

SARIMANOK: Its Legend and Significance To Filipino Culture, wordpress.com,

Tales of the ‘sarimanok’, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ambeth R. Ocampo, February 21,
2014